Not Of This World

Occasionally, I mentally fast-forward to a day when I’m really old. I’m talking really, really old. I imagine myself, speaking in an ‘old lady voice’ and saying things like, “I remember the pandemic of 2020, when there was no toilet paper in stores.” or something equally profound. This is similar to how our grandparents, or great-grandparents, once spoke of World War II or the Great Depression. 

 

I have reflected a lot on 2020, and even some of 2021, as a year rife with division. I saw major areas of contention and strife in our country, in our communities and in our relationships. People chose sides over a presidential election, pandemic guidelines, and racial injustice, to name only a few.

It begs the questions…how are we to interact with government? When and where do God’s laws take precedent over man’s laws? What would Jesus have done in 2020?

 

In Jesus’ day, tensions were high between the Roman government and the Jewish people. Jewish religion was about more than just worshiping God. The Jewish religion, culture, and laws were inextricably connected. Yet Rome was in charge. Roman law ruled and Rome did not always rule well. The Jews found themselves waiting for yet another delivery from yet another persecution. 

 

When Jesus arrives, many Jews expect Him to be The One to overthrow Roman rule. Yet, He refused to be involved in the political issues of the day. In fact, He took steps to avoid such. He angered many people because He was identified as the Messiah and yet, did not free the Jews from Roman persecution. He also drew resentment, and fear, from the Jewish religious leaders because they felt threatened by His authority. They hated that Jesus treated everyone alike – Jews, Romans, slaves, outcasts, diseased, cheaters, sinners. He loved them all. That simply was not the status quo for the Jewish religious leaders!

 

When the disgruntled Jews falsely accused Jesus of inciting people against the government, He was brought before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, tetrarch Herod Antipas, and before Pilate a second time. Jesus did not demand His rights. He did not involve himself in the politics and tension between Rome and the Jews. His approach was surprising and simple. 

 

He remained silent. Later, when he appeared before Pilate, He simply said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36 NIV) 

 

Jesus did not have a worldly perspective; He had a heavenly kingdom perspective. He knew that was His homeland. He was giving His life – literally - for the only important thing, which was to do the will of His Father in Heaven and to bring as many people home with Him.

 

If we are to follow His example and have a kingdom perspective, how do we walk that out? What does God ask of us? According to Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (NIV)

·      Be fair.

·      Love mercy

·      Walk humbly with God

 

To me, the key here, and the internal struggle, is the humility part. My rights, my opinions, my wishes need to be sacrificed daily. Jesus was also pretty clear about this. He said we are to love God and love others like we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39)

 

When I am frustrated with one of my children or any other person, I often need to stop, take a breath and ask myself, “Will this matter in six months?” or “Is this the hill I want to die on?” In 99 times out of 100, the answer to both is ‘no’. 

 

Should we not discern and behave the way Jesus did? If we could maintain a Kingdom of God perspective, as He did, would the issues of today and the slights we may feel at any level, really warrant such animosity and dispute? What is there to lose, this side of Heaven, that would prevent us from having the same perspective as Jesus, our King, that our kingdom is in another place? 

 

Christian brothers and sisters, we are not of this world. Heaven is our home. Let’s bring the Kingdom of God to earth while we’re here. Let’s concentrate on modeling Jesus, who was humble, merciful and sacrificed His will. Let’s get the focus off of ourselves and bring as many people as possible Home with us.

 

Sylvia Gaston

Family Ministry Pastor

Leaders Who Pray

A few weeks ago, I was inspired by a story in the Book of Numbers, which is found in the Bible. It’s a story that is familiar to most Christians, but it doesn’t have the reputation of being an inspiring one because of the drama and dysfunction that it contains.

 

For context, this book records a lot of camp life for the people of God, Israel.  In short, God saves his people from slavery in Egypt and begins to have a relationship with them. He leads them to the desert where He begins to show them how to live in holiness. The problem is Israel can’t seem to get it right because of the rebellion found in man’s heart.  

 

Jumping to Numbers, chapter 16, we see the “inspirational” story about Korah and his rebellion. 

 

Three guys by the name of Korah, Dathan and Abiram start a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, the presiding priests/leaders of Israel. The rebellion starts because Korah and his band didn’t like the way these men were leading, even though it was how God had directed them to lead.

 

Korah and his crew gather 250 additional men and come up against Moses and attempt to overthrow his office. This upsets Moses, but even more so, it upsets God. Here is God’s response to the whole situation: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” (vs. 21)

 

God’s response to this rebellion was to move them out of the way. I’m going to destroy these fools. If you have ever dealt with difficult people while in leadership, I’m sure you just did a fist pump in private. 

 

Even though I’d love to say that Moses replied, “Go for it, God”, I’d miss the inspiration of the story. 

 

Moses’ reply in verse 21 is this: “But Moses and Aaron fell face down and cried out, ‘O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?’”

 

Moses and Aaron pray for the lives of those participating in the rebellion - asking God to not be harsh towards these people and to spare their lives!

 

How beautiful. Moses had every right to feel justified in the judgment of God, yet he puts his face in the dirt and prays for those who are harassing him. I wish we had more leaders respond like Moses. Leaders that don’t lash out toward those who are being led astray, but respond with compassion and pray for those who persecute them. 

 

It makes me think of all the businesses, families, and relationships that would still be alive today if, as leaders, we were faster to prayer than judgment. 

 

The story continues with Korah, Dathan and Abiram, along with their mob, paying the price for their rebellion. Then, the rest of the camp grumbles and a plague is sent out by God to the rest of the camp. 

 

Moses and Aaron once again fall on their face to pray. This time, they end up saving the majority of the camp from the judgment of God. 

 

Leaders who pray release the compassion of God. Are you dealing with followers or employees who are difficult? Maybe, instead of being quick to discipline, you should be quick to prayer.  

 

Believe it or not, prayer can change your business, your family, and any relationship. Give it a try.  

Blessings,

Pastor Chad 

 

 

Chad Fagundes

Mens and Outreach Pastor at Koinonia Church

God Is A Good Father

I am a father. Around the time this article posts, my son will have turned one year old. My wife and I are very excited that we were able to keep this amazing human alive for one year, and we pray that he has many, many more years to come. When thinking about fatherhood, I never really thought about this phase. From constantly changing diapers and waking up in the middle of the night to a crying infant, to watching him grow and learn about the world around him, it has been a fascinating, humbling, and very tiring experience. But, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I remember when growing up, I used to watch TV shows such as The Simpsons, Family Matters, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I used to pay attention to those dads and father figures. In watching Homer Simpson, Carl Winslow, and Phillip Banks, I used to think this is what a father was like: comedic, foolish, silly, but – at the end of the day - they sincerely loved their family. At other times, I would observe other TV dads being unfaithful, dishonest, and selfish. As I read the Bible, I try very hard not to impose my current world views into what the text says. It would be very easy to hear the term “God the Father” and impose our earthly views onto Him, writing him off as a cosmic Uncle Phil; silly, a bit foolish at times, but a good dad overall.

 When I read the bible, I see a father in heaven that we all have, a father who loves us, a father who disciplines those whom He loves, and a father who is consistently there for us. I’m reminded of a passage in the book of Matthew where Jesus is talking to a crowd. Jesus says to them, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). I see a father is who approachable, who is willing to listen, and a father who loves His creation. 

I don’t know what relationship you have with your father or if there is a relationship at all, but I encourage you not to impose your experiences or expectations of what fatherhood should be like onto our heavenly father. In fact, He should be the standard that every father should be measured by. Our Father in heaven is loving and caring, He has plans for us that are good and not evil (Jeremiah 29:11), and – as you follow Him - He will always be there for you (Deuteronomy 31:6). If we have issues with our earthly fathers, we should know that we can always approach our heavenly father without shame, fear, or embarrassment. He accepts us just as we are and in whatever state our lives are currently in. 

 My dad is an amazing man, but he is not perfect. Believe me, no father on earth is perfect. But once we begin to have a relationship with our heavenly father – knowing that He is crazy about us - we can begin to show our earthly father’s grace and love, because - believe me - we need it.

Mauricio Paredes
Youth Pastor

Half-Baked

I’m not an avid baker. I prefer to stay in the lane of Betty Crocker cake mixes or Ghiradelli brownie boxes. So, please, don’t allow the following analogy to give me any more credit or expertise in your eyes than I deserve! When you’re baking a cake, and you want to know if it’s done, you stick a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it’s clean when you remove it, then it’s finished! If it has a bunch of sticky cake pieces on it, the batter is a little underdone, and it needs to be baked a bit more.

 

In this analogy, we’re the cake batter, and God’s presence in our lives is the oven. Here’s the real truth:

 

We’re all half-baked!

 

Some of us have been in the oven since childhood. We have seen the Holy Spirit work out patience, kindness, and gentleness in our lives, along with some of the other fruits of His presence. Because we’ve been with Jesus for a decent amount of time, it can be frustrating when we mess up. It can be frustrating when we suddenly don’t know what to do in the next situation. It can be lonely when we feel like we’re not hearing from God in the same way. What gives me confidence, patience and assurance, is the idea of working out our salvation daily. The processes of completion, or sanctification, praise God, takes a lifetime. The timer we run on in our mental expectation is not always accurate or fair. So, like Jesus, give yourself some grace.

           

When we’ve been in God’s presence for a while, we sometimes start to feel a little “done.” Not done with Jesus, but fully transformed. We begin to see a difference in our lives, experience peace and joy. For some reason, it’s easy to step out of the oven of God’s presence at that point. Maybe we lose the passion for God’s word, or we stop spending consistent time in prayer, because the immediate measures of our lives appear full. God is not merely interested in portions of you being “done.” He isn’t only concerned about our edges. He is working on the whole of us, the very center of us, which takes more time.

           

As we continue to bake, grow, and develop, we are also called to lead others into the oven of God’s presence. The relationship of discipleship, healing, and loving others requires humility. Jesus talks about the importance of a humble heart many times in the New Testament. Matthew 11:29 (ESV) “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

 

Like Jesus, we are called to walk in that incredible middle ground. The ground that says we are heirs to the Kingdom, but still lowly. We have the power of resurrection inside of us, but we are gentle. We have authority in heaven and on earth given by God, but we choose to be last. Sometimes we miss the humility part, and begin to assess other’s doneness without grace. If I look at someone’s process, and compare them to myself, I may start to believe the lie that I somehow got where I am without being in the oven and look down upon this undercooked person. This is how we lose our humility.

We are all compared to Jesus, therefore, not as holy and not as perfect, and certainly not able to step into that holiness without Him! Let’s stay gentle, loving, and compassionate. But fight to keep people in the faith, not so they can be like us, but so that we can ALL be like Jesus together!

 

Unfortunately, and fortunately, one of the main ingredients used to turn you into something palatable is the pressures of this world. We do not have to flee from troubles! We need to surrender our troubles and let God use them to build us up, to give us flavor, to create in us a way to bless and minister to others. The way God transforms what could destroy us into something that adds character and complexity to our design is nothing short of miraculous. Let those miracles happen in your life. Watch God work through the trials, through the brokenness, through the hurt.

 

As I look at myself, I still see the gooeyness of my immaturity. I am not done. And God is not done! Let’s continue on, have grace for ourselves and one another, and continue to become a sweet aroma to our Jesus!

 

 

Candace Cortez 

Executive Pastor

I'm Offended

Have you ever spent too much time in the sun, and was left with sensitive skin, only to have someone unknowingly come up and pat you (feels more like a slap!) on the back? Or maybe you did a few too many squats at the gym, and then your children run and jump onto your lap? One year, my husband broke his right hand. The weeks after he had his cast removed, several people at church unknowingly squeezed his tender hand in a normal Sunday morning greeting (probably with some additional force because men do that sort of thing!).

I feel that our culture is living with a sunburn right now. The opportunity to say the wrong thing or step out insensitively is so great! I have found myself apologizing preemptively when I’m with a mixed group, because every statement could be taken the wrong way. I do not think sensitivity to the feelings of those around me is a bad thing at all. But I do think assuming offense, for as many things that we are offended by, is damaging. Living with a sunburn is living with limitations.

In response to this wide capacity for offense, I find myself embracing the inevitable far too readily. I’ve said out loud, multiple times, that if there’s one thing I learned from 2020, it’s how to process being offensive. In recent prayers, I began to ask the Lord, “Is this one of the lessons you want me to have learned?” I am aware that not every learned response is one given by our Heavenly Father. After praying, and studying, I realize the answer is both yes and no.

Yes, we are entering into a day, when following Christ will be more and more offensive. If I am following the voice of man more than the voice of God, I will not be following God for long. There are certain aspects of the Gospel that will not settle in a world of subjective truth. The fact that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one gets to heaven except through Him is a slap in the face to certain people - those who assume their religion or good behavior warrants them entry through the pearly gates. The idea that I can love people and have grace for people, even after they sin, is frustrating in a culture when we get to pass judgment without actually having correct information. Ideas like modesty, biblical marriage, and sexual purity are seen as subjugation, bigotry, and old-fashioned intolerance. So yes, understanding that my obedience to Christ could offend someone is definitely a valuable lesson learned.

But also, no. God is not desiring that we are offensive to be offensive. I have found myself using my awareness of a sensitive world to disregard wisdom, prudence, and compassion. The fact that I will offend someone, almost no matter what I do, does not give me license to willingly offend just to avoid the work of grace. In the book, The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere, he writes, “Jesus offended some people by obeying His Father, but He never caused an offense in order to assert His own rights.” We must pull back the curtain of our own hearts to get to the motivations behind our words and actions. Are we saying this offensive thing to experience personal gain, win an argument or satisfy something in our own heart? Or to love God, which sometimes offends?

My prayer for God’s people, today, is that we would keep learning and staying sensitive to the culture. That we would not grow callous and, therefore, fumble our opportunities to shine light into dark places. That, while we will offend because of the nature of the gospel, we do not wreck the reception of the offensive gospel by slapping a sunburned culture for our own purposes. What a day to be alive! Yes, it’s difficult, but Jesus never promised it would be easy. The harvest is plenty. Let’s be a witness, to the ends of the earth.

Candace Cortez
Executive Pastor at Koinonia Church

Why do we worship? And do we have to stand up to do it?

What is worship? Why do we worship? Do we have to stand up to worship?

The answers to those questions depend on if you are compartmentalizing worship into an activity or if you see it from the biblical perspective. At its best, worship demonstrates our love and faith in God. It also describes and illustrates our relationship with Him.

Often, when people talk about worship, they are thinking of music, but worship takes many forms. It is our tithe, our words, our actions, and our love for each other. In the book of Matthew, Jesus taught the disciples that whenever they take care of others with love, they are doing that same action to Him. You could call those actions “worship” (Matthew 25:36-40).

I grew up going to church every Sunday with my big family (there were 10 of us!). At Sunday dinner, our dad expected us to have listened to that morning’s sermon so that we could discuss it around the table. When I was 12, I began to learn to play the flute and, very soon after that, I volunteered to be an instrumentalist for our church choir. I didn't know it at the time, but I was terrible! I was just so thrilled to be making music (or a facsimile, thereof) in church. I might've sounded terrible, but I loved worshiping God and I still do. Today, 44 years later, I still play several instruments at church. Even if I didn’t have that public outlet, I would worship God with music at home by myself. It’s the best way I know how to worship Him.

Over the years, though, I’ve learned other ways to show God my love. When I was a young mother, I felt isolated from the weekly musical worship. We were transitioning from one church to another and I wasn’t involved in a worship team at the time. Besides, I was too busy with sleep and nap schedules, feedings, and diaper changes. One day, as I rocked our daughter to sleep, I called out to God because I missed playing music for him. I had compartmentalized my worship of Him into that one activity. In my heart, I felt God say to me, “Paula, what you are doing now…rocking Laura to sleep…is worship of me. You’re caring for your family and that gives me great delight.” It is a moment I have never forgotten, and I will treasure it always.

In the Bible, God makes it clear that He made us to worship Him (John 4:23-24). That's why we feel 
the best, and most at peace, when we take time to be in His presence and give Him glory, even if that occurs in our car, kitchen, or church sanctuary. From God's perspective, we are His children, dancing and rejoicing in His presence. He loves it! Our worship rises to Him like a fragrant incense. It is pleasing to Him.

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."  Psalm 100:1

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."   John 4:23-24

Paula Aiton is a member of Koinonia Church and a freelance writer, musician and artist. 

Her blog, God’s Glory Girl, can be found at godsglorygirl.com

Push Back

A few days ago, I heard a story that stirred something inside me. An old college alumnus shared a story on Instagram that brought to light a way of living that seems forgotten in the middle of challenging situations. 

 

My friend lives in Texas and works at the Lifestyle Christianity School. I’d encourage you to go follow him on insta if you are looking to place inspiration in your life. His handle is @chrisdonald. 

 

Chris and his wife were pregnant with their third child. One afternoon, his wife calls him at work and says that she needs to go to the emergency room because something is wrong. Chris rushes over to the hospital and his thought as he is rushing over is, “If the enemy is going to send me to the ER, I’m going to make him pay”. My friend is a Christian and believes there is an enemy of our soul that looks to kill, steal, and destroy. This enemy typically goes by the name of ‘Satan’. 

 

As Chris arrives at the ER, he immediately goes to see if his wife is okay and then, with her consent, begins praying for every person in the ER. They went home that night and had a miscarriage. Due to all the things involved with that, they had to go back to the ER. 

 

As they are in the ER for the second time, Chris’ wife says, “If the enemy is going to steal from us, let’s steal from him.” So, Chris calls a friend to meet him at the hospital and they, once again, begin to pray over those in the ER and to share their testimony. This time, a woman who was in distress, both mentally and physically, was completely healed of pain in her body and was no longer in distress. The woman couldn’t believe it and God was glorified in that moment. 

 

Chris goes on to share in his testimony that he encourages all Christ followers not to cower back in the face of challenge. There is a war we face. Not a war in the physical, but in the unseen spiritual principalities of this world (Ephesians 6).    

 

He concludes by saying, “We made the enemy pay for touching our family.” And he encourages all Christians, when things don’t go well, to take it as an invitation to crush hell with the authority Christ has given to His people. 

 

The truth is, being a Christian isn’t all about butterflies and rainbows. It’s very clear that we will face difficulty, that people will hate us, and the strategy of Satan is to destroy our faith. We will face these things, but we must remember that they don’t have to be the end of the story. 

 

I shared this testimony with a Christian friend who just lost her daughter 2 months ago. As I began to share, I saw her countenance change. There was a rekindling of faith as she responded, “I needed to hear that.” 

 

I’m sure there are many Christians facing difficulty that need to be reminded of that as well. Challenge should be an indicator to press forward in faith, not to settle for the hand that was dealt to you. 

 

I’ll leave you with the words God said to Joshua, “I will give you every place where you set your foot. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous…”

 

Blessings, 

Pastor Chad Fagundes 

Men’s and Outreach Pastor