Ask, Seek, Knock

I recently went to a conference where one of the speakers said something that left me pondering. She pointed out that where our minds go, the rest of us is sure to follow. 

I began to think about our world today and the rise in mental health issues among our generation. Everywhere we turn, we hear news about the woes of our economy. Evidence of political and social unrest is splashed across social media platforms. Inflation is rising. Politicians are lying, etc. It is no wonder that we are seeing more reports of mental health cases in this generation than in any generation before. The current conditions of our world are scary and painful.

 

When our minds are constantly fixated on everything wrong with our society, it’s easy for us to begin to view life through a lens of pain. When we’re focused on the pain, we begin to lose trust and find ourselves suspicious of everyone and everything. Anger and fear are natural emotional responses to pain. When we operate out of those emotions, we tend to make choices that lead us to feel shame. Before we know it, we are caught in this cycle:

 

Suspicion Fear Anger Shame back to Suspicion

 

In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Jesus instructs us to posture ourselves to ask, seek and knock. But sometimes, especially when I’m tired, triggered or stressed, I find myself positioned to “know, assume, and defend” rather than ask, seek, and knock.

 

Recently, I was feeling stressed about balancing all of my house-wife-mom duties with my work duties. I began to feel resentful toward my husband because he didn’t seem to notice how stressed I was feeling. I just knew that he should know about how overwhelmed I was, even though I hadn’t told him. I assumed he just didn’t care.  Man, oh man, did I get defensive. I got angry at him and I erupted all of my thoughts like a volcano! Of course, after that, I felt ashamed. Thankfully, my husband was very gracious to me. Once he heard how I was feeling, he rearranged his schedule to help me. He was willing to “ask, seek and knock” while I “knew, assumed and defended”. At that moment, I was reminded to examine the lens I'm choosing to see my circumstances through. Am I seeing through a lens of pain or a lens of hope? I had to remind myself of 2 key truths:

 

1. Jesus Christ died to set me free. Galatians 5:1 says, “Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the law again.”  This means that my hope is not bound to my circumstances. My hope rests firmly on God. God put my husband and me together to be teammates. I’m not alone in my struggles and neither are you. God is not surprised by anything that is happening in our world today. We have not been called to be saviors. It isn't our job to carry it all on our shoulders. Jesus is our savior and He wants to carry our burdens.

2. God created me to be brave. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We don’t have to make decisions in haste or in response to our emotions. He is in control of all things. He is calling us to be bold in our faith and to trust that we are not in this life alone.

 

When we remember these truths our cycle changes from:

Suspicion, Fear, Anger, Shame

to:

Fascination, Peace, Love, Self-control

 

These truths take us from “know, assume, defend” to “ask, seek, knock”. 

 

 Marina Guzman is Children’s Ministry Director at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at marina@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.

Generation Church

When I was youth pastor, the name of the ministry was called Generation Church. Generation Church was a model for youth ministry indicating that we were meant to minister to a generation, not just to young people. The logic for this was sound.

 

Then and now, junior high school, high school and college students do not look very different in the way the world targets them. For example, music, TV, movies, social media, and fashion are all marketed very similarly. Their goal is to catch a generation, not just a demographic. You may notice that junior high kids and high school kids listen to some of the same music, watch the same shows, videos, and movies. Not exactly the same, but similar. They dress alike and find trends to follow that each demographic finds appealing. When a company is able to appeal to all three demographics, they have reached a generation. Their likelihood of being profitable grows.

 

The Bible has a lot to say about generations. One of my favorite verses comes from Acts 13:36, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers...” It doesn’t say that David served his family or just his friends. It says that he served the purposes of God in his own generation.

 

Sometimes, we get stuck with the idea that we are meant to just talk to the people in front of us. The truth is, we have a voice that has the potential to span generations.

 

·  Each generation must experience God for themselves.

God has a great call for you and for me. If we don’t think about it beyond our own relationship with God, it will be lost. We need a view for more than just our personal relationship with God and an idea that what we do is meant to serve and love others.

 

·  Faith is to be passed on to the next generation.

The faith that you and I have was never meant to be for just one person, but for generations. Think back to the disciples who were with Jesus and the early Christians who started what we now know as the church. Their faith was meant to serve their generation and inspire others to do the same.

 

·  Training our families takes time.

The most natural place to pass on your faith and beliefs is within your family. This doesn’t happen overnight. Most of us don’t realize that the most meaningful things we were shown by our family was not in words, but in actions. It is through a series of opportunities, where faith is shown and tested, that we pass on our faith. Then, those around us, and those we love, witness it. Training families takes time.

 

         ·  Abraham was chosen because he would train his kids.

God looked into the heart of Abraham and understood who he was. He knew Abraham would make sure that the next generation was blessed by his generation. That would only happen if he served his generation well and made sure that they understood the faith that he had.

 

God looks at us, and has chosen us because he knows we have the ability to train those coming after us. God is a good God and He has a lot for us to do. However, we must remember that we are not here for the service of ourselves, but for God. We are here for Him. He wants us to love others in such a way that is infectious to this generation and those to come.

 

 

Rene Solis is Director of Koinonia School of Ministry, a ministry of Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at ksm@kcfchurch.org or by calling 559-582-1528.

Worship in the Ashes

I’m currently doing a bible reading plan, guiding me to read through the Bible in a year. I’ve been in the same plan for 2 years. Don’t judge me. It’s essentially my backup plan when I’m not sure where to start reading. I go back to my bible plan and pick right back up.

 

Right now, the plan has me in the book of Numbers. Sometimes it’s challenging to understand what God is teaching me through the more historical or informational passages.

 

Recently, God has been using a particular story to set the stage for my next area of growth. Numbers 16 reveals a challenging story of conflict. The men chosen to be the leaders of the temple rose up in anger against Moses and Aaron. There were 250 men total. The Lord instructed each of the 250 to carry censers (containers for incense) and make a presentation before the Lord. He would reveal to them all who were given His approval to lead.

 

In the process, the Lord brings fire and destroys the entire group. Then, the Lord instructs Eleazar, Aaron’s son, to remove the censers from the charred remains, for the censers are holy. This is the image that is stuck in my mind - the charred remains of those destroyed by the Lord’s fire. The 250 men who were destroyed were likely friends, co-workers in the temple, and neighbors within their traveling party. What an incredibly heavy and sorrowful task.

 

When I read this story, I was reminded of some of the friendships I’ve lost over the past

couple of years of trial in our community. There are people who were in my life and aren’t anymore for a number of different reasons.

 

All of this creates an area of loss for me, personally. While I have been simultaneously working out forgiveness and repentance of these issues, the pain is very real. In this situation, I imagine it being a pretty brutal request to have to sift through the remains for the items intended for worship.

 

I believe that is what God is asking us to do. What remains from your seasons of loss that the Lord wants you to turn into praise? God uses all things for good and for His glory. Paul even writes about “counting it all joy” for trials that produce perseverance. Can you imagine being joyful over being fired, rejected, abandoned, harassed, abused, neglected, passed over, or having too little to get by?

 

This is how I know we serve a God who is not of this world. He calls us to do things, and experience life, in a way that is totally upside down and seemingly unreasonable. He wants us to wade through the difficult things to find the verses for our next heart song. He allows us to be pressed because He understands how it refines us and focuses us towards Him. He does not long for our harm. His understanding of what is good is greater than ours.

 

Are you in a season of picking up the pieces? Has your heart been broken? Has your hope for a certain future been dashed? Have you lost a friend or family member, literally or relationally? Has your trust in someone or something been destroyed? God has something for you in that loss. God holds the source of resurrection, and there is hope for even those portions of your life being made new because of who you serve!

 

I am so thrilled to follow a God who puts the tools for worship in the ashes of my broken dreams. He is God, Lord of all, even your loss.

 

 

Candace Cortez is Executive Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at candace@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.

Choosing Joy

 

Today, I want to remind you that joy isn’t just a feeling; it’s a choice.

 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s easier to choose joy when the feeling is there, but your emotions don’t need to have the final word. I can’t help but grin as I write this article because I’m re-playing in my mind typical morning conversations with my daughter. 

 

My baby loves to sleep and when you tell her that sleep is over, the amount of attitude that exudes from her little body is amazing. After wearing my patience down to the nub, I remind her that joy is a choice by asking her very “calmly” to ‘change that face, little girl!’ 

 

I’d like to report that my words carry deep influence and she is instantly obedient, but every parent knows the struggle. Her response is insightful though, “I can’t. I don’t know how.” Her words strike me every time because I know how she feels. Emotions can be overwhelming which, at times, makes choosing joy or a better attitude feel almost impossible. 

 

Over the last few years, I’ve sculpted my response to that question and have come up with a strategy to help her choose joy. It’s not a foolproof plan because the emotions win the fight half the time, but I believe I’m teaching her how to fight. I want to give my daughter the tools to make hard choices when everything inside of her is telling her to make the wrong one. 

 

So here is my strategy to choose joy: 

 

Worship God. This may be foreign to you but I’d encourage you to give it a shot. This simply means to sing and/or meditate on the goodness of God. There is a Bible story in Acts 16 about two missionaries who were thrown in jail and beaten. After the beating, as they sat in the jail cell, they began to sing and worship God. It’s an amazing story because, as they sang, an earthquake shook the prison and the doors swung open and their shackles fell off. The story ends with a jailer and his family deciding to accept Christ and a church was started in the Roman colony of Philippi. 

 

I’m convinced by this story, and by my own experience, that focusing on the presence of God changes your internal temperature in your current reality. There is something special about worshiping the God of the universe that puts our lives in the right perspective. My daughter and I worship God together almost every morning.   

 

Be Grateful. My initial attempt to help my daughter change her attitude is to ask her to say out loud three things she is thankful for. The first couple of times this didn’t go over so well. As I said, it’s still a struggle! The goal is to give her the tools to choose joy. At times, the tool can be a difficult one to use but practice makes perfect. 

 

Being thankful helps shift our focus away from our emotionally charged reality. Most bad attitudes come from unmet expectations, so the best counterattack is to think of the things that have met or exceeded our expectations. Remember Acts 16? The church that was started in Philippi? Well, a year or two later this church faced difficult circumstances and Paul (one of the missionaries beaten in jail) encouraged them to choose joy and to rejoice amidst their challenges. In Philippians chapter 4, he writes, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

 

Be a Giver. Once again, many of our attitudes are affected by the things we didn’t get; expectations that were unmet. Doesn’t this ring true in a season that can be overwhelmed by materialism and the “I want’s”? If we aren’t careful, disappointment can carry us to dark places and sometimes the only way to get us out of those places is to begin doing something practical. There is a fine line between being “fake” and practicing a practical discipline until your internal attitude catches up. 

 

I think of this every time I jump on the treadmill at the gym. My attitude stinks and I don’t want to be at the gym but I force myself to walk for 30 minutes and afterward I’m a completely different person inside. 

 

Being a giver is a discipline. It’s a practical way of saying that it’s not all about me. If you truly want to access a joy that supersedes your attitudes, you have to remind yourself that life doesn’t center around you.  

 

My prayer and hope for you is that you learn how to choose joy! Worship God as often as you can, fill your mind with the things you are grateful for, and give as much as you can. I truly believe if you are proactive in these things, your life will be full of joy. 

Blessings,

Pastor Chad 

Chad Fagundes is Men’s and Outreach Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at chad@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.

None of us pray enough

Our church is entering a season where we intend to ‘up’ our prayer game – except, it’s not a game. Prayer is the lifeblood of every follower of Jesus. It is our desire that, at our church, God will see that, “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7)

 

 Jesus’ death not only restored us to God but also gave us direct access to God through prayer. Before that, only the high priest was permitted to enter the temple once a year. He went into the holy of holies, where God’s Presence dwelt. On that one day, the priest made atonement for the sins of all the people. (Hebrews 9:1-7) Jesus’ death and resurrection gave each of us direct access to God through prayer.

 

Prayer is how we communicate with the Creator of heaven and earth. Prayer is how we worship God. Prayer is how we make our troubles, requests and the desires of our heart known to our Father in heaven. Prayer is how we support and stand in the gap for our family, friends, our church, our community, our country and our world.

 

If God’s people don’t pray, then heaven’s power does not connect to earth. If we don’t pray for ourselves and others, who will? If we are followers of Christ, prayer is our duty and our delight.

 

Here are a few questions to consider:

 

1. Are you worshiping God in prayer? Do you express your love and thankfulness to Him?

 

2. In your times of trouble, are you wallowing in the pit or crying out to God in prayer?

 

3. Are you expecting someone else to intercede for our world against sin and evil - or will you?

 

4. Are you praying for your children and grandchildren and for the next generation to know God and reject the temptations of Satan and of this world?

 

5. Do you know someone, or several ‘someones’, who need to know God in a personal way?

 

People NEED for us to pray:

·  for hearts to be softened

·  for people to have a humble heart to ask God for forgiveness

·  for God to provide an open door for an encounter with Him

·  for protection

·  for our families and communities to follow God’s plans

·  against the devil having have his way in our world and in our lives

 

6. Are you praying enough?

 

I know I’m not. Sometimes, it seems that it can never be enough. I can do more, however. So, I’m upping my prayer game because I strongly believe that God can do ANYTHING and that there is so much POWER IN PRAYER.

 

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.”

 (1 Peter 3:12)

 

 

Sylvia Gaston is Family Ministry Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at sylvia@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.

Burning Questions for Bible Characters

Currently, there is a TV series playing on the internet and in an app called “The Chosen.” It explores the lives of Jesus’ disciples and imagines more details than were included in the Gospels. As a writer myself, I have been fascinated with how the writers and director of this series have taken what we know in the Word of God and dramatized it for us to get a better understanding of what it might have been like to walk alongside Jesus.

 

After watching several episodes, I began to think about what it would be like to interview other people from Bible? Such as…

 

Adam, what were you thinking?!

God told you not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. What part of his command did you not understand? Not only did you eat the forbidden fruit but, when confronted by God, you blamed your wife! Not good form, Adam. In the end, you learned a very hard lesson and you and Eve went on to be obedient and faithful. Today, we can all relate to your temptation and your ability to overcome, learn and move on from terrible mistakes. (Genesis 3)

 

Rahab, how did you get the courage to help the spies?

You were already an outcast as a prostitute, yet you had the courage to hide the two men and tell the King’s guard that, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I did not know where they were from. They left the town at dusk…” (Joshua 2:4-5) Then, you went on to ask the men to protect you and your family during the coming battle. Amazing! And despite your background, you were accepted into the Israelite community, married and your family tree went on to include King David and, eventually, Jesus.

 

Isaac, how did you feel when your father tied up your hands and put you on the altar for sacrifice?

I just read this chapter the other day (Genesis 22) about your journey to the mountain with your father. His faith was being tested as well as yours. You had to have to faith that he was leading you on a journey. You had no idea what God had asked of him, and you obediently followed his directions. You must have been frightened but, your faith, and that of your father’s, delivered you both that day.

 

Balaam, why didn’t you obey the Lord?

Your donkey was smarter and more obedient than you were! On the one hand, you knew that you needed to consult the Lord for permission to respond to King Balak’s request, and yet you took off on the journey and angered the Lord. Good thing your donkey was more afraid of God and His angels than you were! (Numbers 22-24)

 

Esau, why did you let your hunger rob you of your birthright?

I can really relate to why you would let your hunger rule your common sense. I, too, think of food first in most cases. You came home from a long day, encountered the wonderful aroma of Jacob’s stew, and simply had to have it! I feel the same way around spaghetti! When Jacob would not give you any stew without first giving him your birthright as first born, you let your stomach rule your head. (Genesis 25:29-34)

 

Simeon and Anna, how did you sustain yourselves through a lifetime waiting for the Messiah?

We have all had promises and events we have waited for, but the two of you were faithful in the midst of very dark times for Israel. Simeon, I have often thought of how you must have felt when you held the baby Jesus in your arms at the temple. You were gazing into the infant eyes of your Redeemer! (Luke 2:25-35). And Anna, you came upon the moment when Simeon was prophesying over Jesus (Luke 2:36-38). I can picture the two of you standing side by side, astonishing Mary and Joseph with your enthusiasm and joy.

 

Luke, how did you become such an amazing investigative reporter?

As a fellow writer, I am always impressed with your extensive research and documentation about Jesus’ life and the Acts of the Apostles. What was it like to interview all the people who witnessed the miracles of Jesus? You even traveled with Paul and watched him preach and wrote down all those details of his extensive journeys.

 

James, your brother Jesus came to you after his resurrection. You had thought him crazy. What were his first words to you? (1 Corinthians 15:7)

I can imagine that everything you had ever heard about your older brother began to make sense. You were fearful for your brother and the fact that the authorities were after him. It is so touching that Jesus appeared to you and then the rest of the disciples. It is no wonder that you went on to be one of the leaders of the Jerusalem church.

 

There are many more people from the Bible who would be very fascinating interview subjects such as husband and wife team, Priscilla and Aquila, who supported Paul in his ministry; Philemon and his slave, Onesimus; Timothy, Silas and Titus. In the Old Testament, Noah would be top of my list! I would ask him about seeing rain for the first time and what it was like to watch all the animals come to him to be loaded into the ark. Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel…and the list goes on and on.

 

Next time you read your Bible, ask questions, not just about what you are reading, but about the interesting people that God spoke with, called to service and loved so very much.

 

 

Paula Aiton is a member of the Koinonia Church worship team and a freelance writer, musician and artist. Her blog, ‘God’s Glory Girl’, can be found at godsglorygirl.com

The Good Life

Happiness, health, financial security, mental and emotional wellness, and balance are just some of the things that most of us consider to be the components of ‘The Good Life’. Regardless of culture or socio-economic background, people long for these attributes in their lives. American people are struggling more and more with attaining these goals. Kathy Caprino, author and leadership coach, describes these qualities as something people “desperately desire, but can’t seem to attain.” Why? Because we are looking in all the wrong places.

 

For a lot of us, these things are conditional, and we base them around our current circumstances. We make our hope and happiness depends upon our relationships, our careers, how much money we have, etc. So, we pour ourselves into our circumstances and wind up disappointed because things never go quite the way we imagined them. If our life is based on the conditions of our circumstances, then are we really living ‘The Good Life’? 

 

Society tries to sell us the idea that it can be obtained by making lots of money, eating lots of food, drinking lots of drinks, and having the freedom to do whatever makes us happy. The problem with this thought process is that happiness is an emotion, and emotions are fleeting. Everyone is subject to pain and heartache at some point in their lives. It is a part of humanity. We can have perfect plans and but, as Kathy Caprino states in her article, “We just can't seem to grasp what we desperately want.” (The Top 8 Things People Desperately Desire, but Can’t Seem to Attain).

 

The truth is that ‘The Good Life’ is actually a side effect of pursuing a relationship with Jesus. When we follow Jesus, we trust that He is watching over us, guiding us, and listening to our prayers. This doesn’t mean that we will never experience pain or heartache. It means that, in the midst of pain and heartache, God is with us, comforting, providing, and caring for us along the way. 

 

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in Matthew 6:31-33. “Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

 

This passage reminds me of everything I need to live. It isn’t dependent on what I can do on my own or on the current circumstances of my life but rather is found not when I’m seeking it. It is found when I’m seeking God.  Here are a couple things to remember when you find yourself unable to find what you seek:

1. Have Faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

-Hebrews 11:6

 

God wants to reward our faith! 

2. God’s plans for your life are good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 

God has a plan for each of us, and His plans for us are good. What a relief that we don’t need to rely on ourselves to reach ‘The Good Life’, but know that God already intends to bless us beyond what we can think or imagine when we seek Him first. 

 

 

Marina Guzman is Children’s Ministry Director at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. She can be reached at marina@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528.