Hidden Potential

by Blake Cromwell

There is an old story that tells of Michelangelo, the great sculptor, pushing a block of granite down the street. A curious neighbor sitting lazily on the porch of his house called out to him and asked what he was doing with the old piece of stone. Michelangelo is reported to have answered, "Because there is an angel in this rock that wants to come out.”

The hidden potential of the people all around us is incredible, but we are often deceived by their rough exterior. If we could only see each person’s God-given destiny it would motivate us to do all we could to help them fulfill it. When people truly discover their destiny everyone benefits.

My belief is that all we need to live wonderful lives is now here on planet earth. God has gifted us with all the tools necessary for success in life. I believe the cure for cancer is hidden inside the mind of a child who is waiting to be developed. I believe that if you and I help others, then all of us can begin uncover and enjoy God’s gifts to their fullest. Like the story of Michelangelo who chipped away at the stone to uncover the angel in the rock, we too must seek to unlock the potential of people all around us.

When we help others we bless ourselves and our Father in heaven. No service is too small. Jesus said even “a cup of cold water would be rewarded” if given in His service.

Several years ago two teenage boys tried to come into a church service one evening only to find it packed out and with no empty seats. The two boys turned to leave because they couldn’t find a seat. A concerned usher stopped them and escorted them down towards the front of the auditorium and found them two seats. That night both of those boys accepted Christ. One of them was Billy Graham. Do you think that usher is going to get any credit in heaven? I’ll say! We have no idea of the significance of the small acts of service we do for others.

Jesus died for our sins and started the church that is to be His physical witness on planet earth. He has given us the responsibility to be His hands and feet to those around us. Our job is to see the potential in others and point them to Christ where their true fulfillment can be found. When we live self-centered lives we miss God’s highest.

This week I am asking the Father to give me His eyes to see what He sees in the people in our Valley. The Bible teaches us that people can have a hard heart yet there are God given gifts in every hard heart. That hard heart needs someone to help it find the great sculptor, Jesus, who can unlock that great gift.

Just think, this week in our churches in the Kings County another young man like Billy Graham might be looking for a seat. Let’s all do an S-O-S (scoot over some) and help to unlock the greatness in every heart.

Heated Communications

by Blake Cromwell

Communication breakdown is an oft-cited culprit in marital problems. If you sometimes feel your mate just doesn’t understand you (who doesn’t feel that way now and then?), maybe the problem lies in the way you talk. H. Norman Wright offers 10 tips for communication:

1) Be a ready listener and do not answer until the other person has finished talking.

2) Be slow to speak. Think first. Don’t be hasty in your words. Speak in such a way that the other person can understand and accept what you say.

3) Speak the truth always, but do it in love. Do not exaggerate.

4) Do not use silence to frustrate your spouse. Explain why you are hesitant to talk at this time.

5) Do not quarrel. It is possible to disagree without quarreling.

6) Do not respond in anger. Use a soft and kind response.

7) When you are in the wrong, admit it and ask your mate for forgiveness. When someone confesses to you, tell them you forgive them. Be sure it is also forgotten and not brought up again.

8) Avoid nagging.

9) Do not blame or criticize your mate, but restore them, encourage them and edify them. If someone verbally attacks, criticizes or blames you, do not respond in the same manner.

10) Try to understand the other person’s opinion. Make allowances for differences. Be concerned about your mate’s interests.

The Bible is the greatest handbook on marriage. Within its pages there are practical principles for marital harmony. In addition to these 10 guidelines, here are some scriptures worth reading and remembering: Job 19:2, Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 25:11, James 3:8-10; 1 Peter 3:10-11.

Why not commit to memory these 10 guidelines of communication? Cut them out and tape them on your refrigerator or your appointment book. The next time you feel the conversation turning intense take the time to read through the list with your spouse and attempt to adhere to God’s wisdom in speech.

For more helpful guidelines for marital bliss check with your local pastors in the Kings County, they are opening the pages of God’s Word this weekend.

Sea of Forgetfulness

by Blake Cromwell

This year I will turn 50 and I am not lamenting the loss of my youthful strength or stamina, but my loss of short-term memory. All my life I have had the ability to remember little details such as numbers and dates. Now I find that not only can I not remember what I did last night, but I keep missing appointments too.

My children tease me that my “senior moments” are really senility setting in. They have encouraged me to sign over my bank accounts before I can’t remember their names. The only good I can see as a result of this problem is that I no longer can fixate on small problems. How can you worry about something when you don’t remember it?

God has a good forgetter too. But His forgetfulness is based upon a decision He makes not a sign of age. The Bible teaches us that, “He remembers no more our sins.”

Bruce Larson tells the true story of a Catholic priest who lived in the Philippines, a much-beloved man of God who carried a secret burden of long-past sin buried deep in his heart. He had committed the sin only once, many years before, during his time in college. No one else knew of this sin. He had repented of it and had suffered years of remorse for it, but he still had no peace, nor inner joy — no sense of God’s forgiveness.

A woman in his parish who had a deep love for God claimed to have spiritual dreams in which she spoke with Christ. The priest, however, was doubtful of her claims, so to test her visions he said asked her, “The next time you have one of these visions, I want you to ask Christ what sin your priest committed while he was in college.”

The woman agreed and went home. When she returned to the church a few days later, the priest said, “Well, did Christ visit you in your dreams?”
“Yes, He did,” she replied.
“And did you ask Him what sin I committed in college?”
“Yes, I asked Him.”
“Well, what did He say?”
He said, “I don’t remember.”

God wants us to realize that His forgiveness includes His forgetfulness. We all know people who say they have forgiven but their forgiveness is only verbal. They still resent and silently mistrust. They hold on to it, which creates a wall between them and the person who has sought their forgiveness.

But God’s forgiveness is perfect. There are no walls between you and Him because He refuses to remember the sins you confess. You have a clear record, for He has placed your sins in the “Sea of Forgiveness.” One preacher said, “God has thrown your sins in the Sea of Forgetfulness and put a sign there that reads, “No Fishing Allowed.”

I don’t know about you, but I have some history that I want to be thrown in the “Sea of Forgetfulness.” The good news of Jesus Christ is that He can and will place your sins in that sea, all we must do is ask

A Good Place to Raise Kids

by Blake Cromwell

In the early 60’s my father left the LA basin and moved his family to Hanford. He announced that Hanford would be a good place to raise his boys. Of course, being in the 5th grade, I was fascinated with Hanford — Moe’s Toy Store, Superior Dairy and the vast countryside. That first summer I swam in the canals, shot jack-rabbits and hunted pheasant. My father was right. Hanford was and is a good place to raise a family. The Kings County is a better place for kids than many parts of our nation.

Churches are also great places to raise a family. Over the years as a pastor, I have witnessed a generation of kids grow up in our home church, Koinonia Christian Fellowship. When I first began pastoring in Hanford I was 30 and this December I will turn “The Big Five O” (December 1st if you want to send some reading glasses and Rogaine).

Over the last twenty years, I have seen toddlers grow up, graduate from college, marry and start families of their own. The vast majority of these kids have been blessed and are productive young adults making a positive impact on their communities.

Most churches provide great role models for children. Men and women raising families and living moral lives impart a visible example for kids to follow. The first experiences in drama, singing, musical instruments and the art of public speaking are often in the local church. Church programs help kids develop strong faith, healthy self-esteem, and love for song. Kids clubs, vacation Bible schools, Christmas plays, father and son outings, father and daughter dinners, and many more — all are found within the community of the church.

My own children grew in interest for musical instruments as they weekly watched the worship band in church. Every week they saw and heard piano, drums, guitars, percussions and stringed instruments making joyful music. My son’s interest in philosophy and theology was inspired by the gifted speakers he was exposed to through the church. He also was awakened to how beautiful girls are because everyone knows the best looking girls are in churches.

I think of Sean who at age 7 was involved in a our kid’s choir and drama team. They sang in churches in Hanford and traveled to many places including Jamaica to minister in churches and public schools. Sean today is in the film business in Hollywood. He attributes his love for the Fine Arts and his calling to Hollywood because of his experiences in church.

On a short mission trip to Mexicali, Rhonda at age 11 witnessed medical care being given to children in the city dump. She now attributes her profession as a nurse to her experience in that Mexicali dump.


My own personal experience of finding positive role models occurred at a local church here in Hanford, the Glad Tidings church. There at age 16, I was impacted by a man named Vernon Rogers. He was affectionate, friendly and enthusiastic about his faith in Christ. I watched how he treated his wife and said deep within myself, “I want that kind of relationship with my future wife.” There is a memory embedded in my mind of Vernon praying in church with tears upon his face as he thanked God for His goodness. I found good role models in many of the men of that church. I believe it is the same today.

In our churches in the Kings County you will find a healthy place to raise your family. The Bible promises parents, “raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” If you chose Hanford to raise a family please remember there are some great churches here waiting to help you.

Renewal for Your Marriage

by Blake Cromwell

Recently I was reading through a few of the marriage ceremonies I have done over the last ten years and decided to send the ceremonies to the individual couples and encourage them to re-say the vows they made on their wedding day. I am going to send the ceremony to the husband with a cover letter encouraging him to surprise his wife with a night out and then end the evening with a restatement of his vows to her.

Most marriage days are so filled with stress that couples barely remember the words spoken on their wedding. Yet those words are sometimes the most profound of their marriage. Over the years my wife, Rena, and I have renewed our wedding vows in the privacy of our home. I believe these times of renewal have bought a special grace from God upon our marriage.

It is my belief that Father God delights in doing miracles when a couple renews their wedding vows. Jesus preformed His first miracle at the wedding of Cana. There Christ transformed water into wine. He took what was natural and common and made something wonderful out of it. In like manner, God can take our ordinary lives and transform them into something wonderful.

Of course, as with every miracle we must do our part. Jesus told them to bring him six stone waterpots and out of that action Christ preformed the miracle. In the same manner, we need to bring our marriages to Christ and ask Him to bring His miraculous power to it.

Let me encourage you to renew your marital vows to your spouse, believing that Christ will add His blessing to your marriage. Go ahead and take the following martial vows I have used in scores of wedding and set a date with your spouse.

Then turn to her and make this profession of faith:

I, (your name), take thee, (her name), to be my wedded wife; to care for you, to watch over you, to bring out your best, to allow you to reach your God given purposes in life. I won’t leave you alone to do the difficult task of life, I will be there for you. I cherish you and vow to always do so. No matter the adversities of life I will love you in every circumstance of life, in sickness and in health, in abundance and in lack. I’ll do my best, I will give 100 percent so that you and our family will have an active and engaged husband and father, I will love and cherish you till death parts us, according to God’s Word I make these commitments.

Ladies, then it’s your turn:

I, (your name) do take thee, (his name) to be my wedded husband; to care for you, to watch over you, to bring out your best, to allow you to reach your God given purposes in life. I won’t leave you alone to do the difficult task of life, I will be there for you. I cherish you and vow to always do so. No matter the adversities of life I will love you, in every circumstance, in sickness and in health, in abundance and in lack. I promise to walk with you every step of the way in life and if it gets to a point where you can no longer walk I will pick you up and carry you, I will love and cherish you till death parts us, according to God’s Word I make these commitments.

Of course if you really want to make points with your wife, give her a gift that represents your renewed vows. A watch, ring, maybe flowers but please no irons or washing machines.

Know this, that the pastors in the Kings County want to help you not just on your wedding day, but everyday to help you find that supernatural wine Jesus desires to place in every marriage.

Missing Ingredients

by Blake Cromwell

During the 70’s I worked in a home for teens. Once a week the boys’ home would have dinner together with the girls’ home. It was always a fun filled time with laughter and smiles.

One night we celebrated the birthday of one of the boys. One of the girls from the girls’ home who had a crush on the birthday boy made him a cake. It was her first attempt at baking a cake and she labored diligently to impress her potential boyfriend.

When she rounded the corner that evening the 16 candles illuminated the dark chocolate cake and all of our mouths began to water in anticipation. As she portioned out the cake piece by beautiful chocolate piece, we couldn’t wait to taste this marvel. In unison we slid the first fork-full into our mouths and instantly knew something was wrong. The cake was tasteless. Something — sugar, salt, eggs — something had been forgotten.

She was embarrassed, we were disappointed, and the potential courtship was over. And all because she had missed one ingredient.

One ingredient can make or break a family just like it can make or break a cake. I meet with people often in the midst of crisis. Many times they are struggling with their kids because they’ve left out one important ingredient from the recipe for raising a healthy family. They concentrated on making money and forgot communication. They taught their kids how to study but not how to say no to peer pressure. They eat well but neglect exercise.

I read a story recently about a young social worker who had just graduated from college and taken her first assignment in the inner city. It was there she met Danny.

The boy was curled up against a wall watching his friends play stickball. Danny couldn’t walk and he couldn’t run. So the young social worker decided she would find out what was wrong with Danny. She discovered that about a year before Danny had been playing ball with his friends. He chased after a fly ball and into the path of an oncoming car. His arms and legs were broken and there was damage to his back and ribs.

Some of the children took Danny to his mom who neglected to take him to the hospital. So when the bones began to heal they healed crooked. He couldn’t walk and he couldn’t run, so his friends would carry him down and lean him up against the wall of the building so he could watch them play ball.

The social worker determined to help Danny. She took him to a hospital and there over a period of months Danny underwent 17 separate operations on his legs, arms and back. Finally that day came when once again Danny was able to play stickball…to walk and to run. After months of operations and physical therapy, they had taught Danny to walk again.

Years later the social worker was standing in front of a large gathering of other social workers from all over the country. After telling the story to the group, the social worker asked, “What do you think Danny is doing today?”

Someone said, “I bet Danny is a social worker just like you.” Another guessed Danny was a teacher. Others guessed he was a coach or a pastor of a church.

The social worker shook her head, “Today, Danny is on death row in prison for having, committed murder. You see, we taught him how to walk; we just never taught him where to walk.”

One ingredient can make all the difference in the world. This week the Pastors in the Kings County would love to add an essential ingredient to your life. That ingredient comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Mercy

by Blake Cromwell

Most of us have seen the Steven Spielberg movie Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and remember the golden Ark of the Covenant that Indiana discovered. Near the end of the movie the Nazis attempt to unlock the power of the Ark and make a deadly mistake. They looked into the Ark in hopes of understanding it’s great power. But when they slid the Mercy Seat off the Ark (the Mercy Seat is the lid of the Ark of the Covenant), fire came from it and destroyed all who were looking on.

Believe it or not, the movie isn’t that far from what actually happened in the Old Testament when a group of men slid the Mercy Seat off the Ark to look inside. When they did, God became very angry and struck down over fifty thousand men. Why? Because judgment falls when the Mercy Seat is removed from the Ark. You see, God would look down upon the Ark of the Covenant constantly because it was the representation of His presence on the Earth. Inside the Ark were contained, among other items, the Ten Commandments (remember Moses’ stone tablets?). The Ten Commandments were the Law of God. The Law represents judgment. This is why the Mercy Seat covered the Ark, because God wanted His mercy to cover judgment. So when the Mercy Seat was removed, God looked down and saw only the Law, and we ALL stand guilty before God’s Law.

God’s plan is that mercy would cover judgment. That is why God sent Jesus, the ultimate expression of mercy, to the world. Christ is the Mercy Seat for everyone who has placed their confidence in Him as Savior and Lord.

When I was seven years old I learned my first lesson on mercy. It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as the scene in Indiana Jones or the story of the Ark of the Covenant in the Bible. Neither was it from a Sunday school teacher or a pastor. I learned mercy from the clerk at my local Soda Fountain. That lesson has stayed with me to this day and helps me understand God’s mercy.

My dad would give his three sons thirty-five cents every Saturday. With that huge allowance we would buy an ice cream for a dime and then go to the school matinee for a quarter.

One hot summer day my brothers and I ran to the local Thrifty’s store. I got my regular, one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of strawberry. As I left the store I bumped my arm and dropped both scoops on the hot sidewalk.

My heart melted as I watched my ice cream do the same. In the middle of my pain I heard a knock on the store window and the clerk beckoned me back in. There she mercifully gave me two scoops for free.

That’s mercy – two scoops for free. I realize that this definition of mercy may not be the most profound, but I must admit it has comforted me many times. When I have fallen and am feeling bad I try to remember that God has also given me two scoops for free. He’s covered me with His Mercy Seat, Christ.

If you are feeling beat up by failure or personal sin let me encourage you to learn more about the Mercy Seat of Christ. The pastors in the Kings County can guide you to the Mercy Seat.