I have been a part of a lot of funerals. In a strange but real sense, I have come to really enjoy them. Not because they are such a time of fun, happiness and celebration. But rather because of the impact they continue to have on my life and soul.

I don’t expect anyone to go searching for random funerals to attend, but I do hope that you will be more eager to attend funerals that are close to you.

Here are 4 reasons why you should attend more funerals:

1. Your family. The most important relationships in life are those in our family. Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and so on. These relationships are so important. We often take them for granted. We often neglect the opportunity to really enjoy and appreciate these loved ones. Funerals remind us of these strong-bond relationships. Funerals remind us that God gave us our family. Funerals remind us of all the hard times and all the good times and all the memories that families have to treasure. Funerals remind us to prioritize our family before it is too late.  I have seen wives bury their husbands, and it moved me to love and lead my wife well until I die. I have seen parents bury their children, and it moves me to tears every time as it challenges me to be the very best dad I can be every day for my kids. I have seen a 10 year old boy standing on his tip-toes stretching to lean into the casket to kiss his father good-bye. I will never forget moments like that. One reason to attend more funerals is to strengthen your commitment to family.
2. Your friends. Funerals will show you how much someone was loved. Funerals will show you how many friends someone had. I have been to funerals where less than 10 people attended. It was sad. And I have been to funerals that were so crowded there was standing room only. When it comes time for you to die, who will attend your funeral? Who would want to? Who would say this person was such a dear friend to me that I do not want to miss the funeral? Or let me take this a little further – Would there be any diversity at your funeral? If you are white, would there by any black people at your funeral? Would there be any Latino/Hispanics at your funeral? Would there be any International people at your funeral? Would your co-workers come to your funeral? Would your next-door-neighbors come to your funeral? These are good questions to ask.  Funerals have caused me to examine what kind of a friend I am. Have I cared about people? Have I invested in people? These are some of the questions that funerals can raise. One reason to attend more funerals is to strengthen your commitment to being a true friend to people.
3. Your focus. One of my favorite things about funerals is how people speak so highly of the deceased. This is special! (Now I am not for us lying and making the person out to be greater than they were, but I don’t think that is always the case anyways.) It is beautiful to be at a funeral service and hear many people saying so many positives about the deceased. I have often wondered ‘why don’t we say these things BEFORE they die?’ Wouldn’t it be even better to tell THEM how highly we view them- along with telling everyone at the funeral? I think the stresses and pressures of life often hinder us from seeing the good in people. We see the negatives in people and it causes us to overlook the positives. Funerals change that. Funerals are  a time when people overlook the bad so they can focus on the good of a person. There is something healthy about that! I want to encourage people more often. I want to speak well of people. I want to build people up. One reason to attend more funerals is to strengthen our focus on recognizing the good in people.
4. Your faith. With our happy-go-lucky lives we often are focused on something other than the main thing. Most people don’t think about life or death, heaven or hell, forgiveness or condemnation during their weekly routines. Funerals are excellent for bringing a pause to our normal lives. Funerals allow us to sit down for an hour (or less) and think about what really matters. Death has a way of doing that! Death is the best at leveling the playing field. Everything comes into perspective at death. Once we finally focus on deeper things like God and forgiveness for our sins then we will consider our faith. One reason to attend more funerals is to examine and strengthen your faith. Do you believe in Jesus? Are you ready to die? Are your sins forgiven? Funerals will get you pondering that! And it is too costly to never get around to your faith.

No one likes death, and we shouldn’t. Death is the wage of sin. We hate death. But funerals can be a blessing. And attending funerals can be beneficial. The next time you have the opportunity to attend a funeral, don’t look for excuses not to go. Instead, Go and watch your life and soul be impacted. You will be a better man or woman because of it!

(This was originally published in our October Church Newsletter.)

It is a special (and sometimes rare) thing to be a happy pastor!

To be the called-by-God spiritual leader of our church is no small thing, and I am very thankful to God that he has placed me in this position. I am happy to be the pastor of FBC Fairdale. I am happy to be your pastor.

As I have been studying 2 Corinthians, I found the Apostle Paul saying :

“I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.” -2 Cor. 7:16

How often do you hear pastors and ministers speaking of their people in this manner. Is this not awesome and encouraging? Paul loved these Corinthians. Let me remind you that these are the same sinful people that he has been working with for quite some time. However, they were a church and they were growing. They were repenting of their sins, and unity, faith, love and strength were increasing.

Let me ask you how you view your relationship toward me and the other leaders in our church. Do you give us reason to rejoice? Is your love and service toward God and people so healthy and beautiful that your pastor rejoices? Do the leaders who are over you have complete confidence in you?

Let me remind you of the warning at the end of Hebrews in verse 13:17 in which we are encouraged to not cause our leaders to groaning because of our relationship toward them and the church.

Church family, I am confident that God is working in us. The fruit from what He is doing is all around us. Let’s build upon that. Let’s get stronger. Let’s live in such a way that we cause each other (even our church leaders) to rejoice. Let’s live so that others can have complete confidence in our faithfulness!

This past Sunday I preached a sermon from Exodus 33. You can listen to it here. 

My 2nd point in that sermon is that ‘the Godly are distinct from the rest of the world.’ That is the very point Moses in making when talking to God in Exodus 33:16 about the necessity of God’s presence with God’s people. That is a very real point that is clearly made in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, this point of distinction is clear as well.

In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul makes a very familiar statement “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.”

Many people have heard this statement before being discussed in the context of marriage. To the Apostle Paul, believers and unbelievers are so drastically different at their core that he doesn’t see how they could be united (or “yoked”) together.

As Moses said – the presence of God in His people makes them distinct from the rest of the world.

To highlight this point, Paul then asks 5 questions in a row in verses 14-16. FIVE! In other words, we should all see the difference between the two. Here are the 5 questions:

• For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? v.14
• What fellowship has light with darkness? v.14
• What accord has Christ with Belial (Evil)? v.15
• What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? v.15
• What agreement has the temple of God with idols? v.16

Those are strong questions. And they are helpful too for helping us distinguish the differences.

Do you see the difference? Once you really look into it there is quite a difference between a believer and an unbeliever.

Lets hear God’s Word and not “yoke” those together!

I was recently caught off guard by Paul’s words to that church in Corinth when he writes in 2 Corinthians 2:11:

“so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.”

Paul and the Corinthians, (and therefore all Christians), are to know that Satan is real and is working. And not only is he at work, but he is witty and strategic at the work he does!

In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that Satan “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” That is it! Satan is bad. He is continually working hard to ruin things. He is a thief. He is a killer. He is a destroyer. He has his sight set on us, and he is using wit and strategy to maximize his efforts. Peter says it like this “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

Satan is against God. He does not want people to know God’s love. He doesn’t want people to love God. And he doesn’t want people to love each other. Let that sink in for a moment, you have an opponent! Satan is against you. He is against us. He wants to mess you up. He wants to mess us up. Satan wants to mess our church up.

Satan would love for our church to have some dissension and division. He would love for some of us to take our eyes off Jesus and the cross. He would love for us to forget that all of this is about forgiveness. He would love for you and I to forget the eternal perspective. He would be so happy if you and I would forget that we are forgiven of all our sins and therefore able to forgive others. He would love for us to forget that He loves us with an everlasting love. He would love for us to forget that earth is not our home. He would love for us to get so distracted that we no longer have confidence that Jesus has “overcome the world.” He would love for us to doubt that “greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world.”

Satan wants our homes to be hostile instead of a place of refuge. He wants our marriages to be cold, distant, and weak instead of strong, united, and uplifting! He wants our church family to be hurting and with no healing. He wants us struggling with no community. He has evil and wrong plans to hurt us! Satan does.

But we have Jesus. “He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”  (2 Cor. 5:5) He is able. He is stronger. He is greater. And we know that. We are not ignorant of what Satan is about. So, let’s love each other. Let’s forgive each other. Let’s be a real church strengthened by a real Savior!

Our church sent a team to Ecuador in July. Here is the re-cap video from our trip.

“Trials make the promise sweet;

Trials give new life to prayer;

Trials bring me to his feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there.”

I recently found this gem of a poem while reading David McIntyre’s book The Hidden Life of Prayer. 

No one likes trials, but they often prove to be so rich. God uses trials to produce growth in us!

From this sweet poem, notice these solid truths:

• Trials make the promises of God sweet to us. Without the trials, we may neglect His promises. Let us be thankful for anything, including trials, that causes us to delight in God’s promises.
• Trials give new life to prayer. All of us pray more when we are going though trials. And not only do our prayers increase in quantity, but they certainly increase in quality during trials. And prayer is such a blessing. Let us be thankful for anything, including trials, that gives new life to prayer.
• Trials bring me to His feet. The true child of God who knows his sins and His need for forgiveness, finds great comfort and rest and peace at the feet of God. Let us be thankful for anything, including trials, that brings us to God’s feet.
• Our desire is to stay close to Jesus and His cross and His forgiveness. Trials bring us there. Let us be thankful for anything, including trials, that lays us low and keeps us there at the feet of Jesus.

It is hard to put into words all that is in your heart and mind once returning from a trip overseas. As Christians, we are in awe of what we see God doing in the world! We are stunningly aware of the truth of God’s statement in Psalm 46:10 “Be Still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Yes, you will God! Yes, you will!
Below I list 5 observations/reflections from our recent trip to Ecuador.

1.  God is still saving people! 
   Several years ago during our trip to Ecuador, we finished up our trip by having a foot-washing-service with the staff there at the camp. It was a very meaningful time together with another U.S. group as we thanked, blessed and served the Ecuadorian ministry team there. One of the interesting things that happened that night is that there was an indigenous man in the room who was observing all that we were doing. This man was not a believer in Jesus. The folks there know him well, and he is always welcome there. But he and his wife had not decided to follow Jesus yet.  Well, as we were washing feet and singing songs, one of our group members went to him and asked if he could wash his feet. The man (surely curious about what was happening) allowed our team member to wash his feet. I remind you that this indigenous Indian man wore sandals, not shoes, and his feet were more rough than any feet you would ever see in the states.
   After the service ended, nothing more was really said or done and the night ended. We traveled home to the US the next day.  A few weeks later we were informed that the man had been shocked by someone wanting to wash his feet. He asked what all that meant. And an Ecuadorian staff member was able to explain Jesus and John 13 to him. Our Lord Jesus is a servant. Not only does he serve us daily and physically, but Jesus also serves us eternally and spiritually. He died for our sins. If Jesus does not wash your sins away, you cannot be His follower. We rejoiced to know that this unbelieving man had been served by a Christian, had his feet washed, heard the truth about Jesus, and was thinking over all of that. Indeed, seeds were planted and watered that summer!
   That was 3 or 4 years ago, and I had not heard anything more about it since then. When I arrived in Ecuador this summer (2014), one of the first things I was informed of is that that man had become a follower of Jesus and was about to be baptized. I was so delighted to hear this good news! I asked questions as to how this came about. They went on to tell me that the man had continually been thinking about a God who washes feet and has people who wash feet too. And the man explains that that foot washing that night was key in him coming to faith in Christ. That real-life story along with many others is proof that God is still saving people in Ecuador!
2. The needs are still huge!
   While we were so encouraged by all that we were seeing that God is doing, it is still very obvious how great the needs are. Specifically, the need for teachers and trainers. Not only are the church folks eager to be taught, but the leadership of the churches are begging for someone to train them. I recently began re-reading Reaching & Teaching by David Sills. Dr. Sills speaks directly to this great need.

   I am already considering and planning how our church can take another separate trip specifically to do pastoral training.
   The world is so full of people. We often hear of 7 billion people on earth. And we know that is a large number. But it is always overwhelming to get into a crowded city and think “Wow! There are a lot of people here!” Whether we were in the capital city Quito (2 million plus) or in the small indigenous town of Apatug, we were realizing how great the need is for Christian people to be here making disciples for Jesus.

3. Kids can go!
   Kids can gain a lot from short-term mission trips! Valeria and I were hesitant but we decided to take our 4 children on this year’s trip. That is a 6 year old, a 5 year old, a 3 year old and a 17 month old in a third-world-country for 16 days. Upon our return back home, we are happy that we took them. They are learning so much from their time spent in Ecuador.
   1) They are learning first-hand about international mission work. Not only do they hear about missionaries from home, but now they have real relationships with these heroes! 2) Their intercultural awareness is much increased. They are more familiar with the world’s diversity. They have eaten unfamiliar foods. They have been to unfamiliar homes and churches. They are speaking Spanish better and better. They have friends now who have no idea of the American lifestyle. And 3) It was not that hard on them. Sure there were times they got worn down and fussy. But that actually happened to me more than them. Honestly, they did great. They enjoyed it. They got tougher. (Above is a picture of JJ asleep against the plane window. Eli is asleep in his lap. And Carolina is asleep on Eli.) They are better off now because of the trip. We hope to take them again regularly. Kids can do short-term missions trips!
4. Serving can be enjoyable!
   Serving, helping, working can often be burdensome and not enjoyable. That is certainly the case when we are not focused on Jesus. But when we do delight ourselves in Christ and aim to be like him, serving can be a blessing. I saw that very clearly this year in Ecuador.
   Our church sent our largest  team yet. Twenty-three folks from FBC Fairdale went on this year’s trip. Everyone was so eager and willing to work hard. Hundreds of dishes were washed and dried by hand each day. Toilets were scrubbed each day. Floors were swept and mopped each day. I even saw little children walking around with bags gladly giving away their own toys to other kids.
   As our pastor, it was thrilling to witness all of this humility. Our team was so focused on living like Christ and helping others. There was no complaining. We all looked out for each other. And we were very happy because of it. Several of our team members pointed out – there is no reason we shouldn’t be serving like this back home. That is absolutely the truth. Serving can be enjoyable! As Trip Lee says “I’m nothing special, just a vessel. Service makes me happy!”
5. Good for the church! These trips are so good for our church. They really are. They are good for us there. And they are good for us here. They are good for those who stay home and support through giving, prayer, serving in the absence of others, and observing those who go. They are good for those who go because they get to see the world, are opened to the greatness of God, the diversity of peoples and cultures and languages. They are fantastic for the church when the team returns home. The new fervor and zeal is so healthy and contagious. They are so good for individuals. Many have been called to a life of career missions through a short-term trip. Many have learned how blessed they are. Many have learned how selfish they are. Many have learned how to reach out. Many have learned how blessed they are to have a church family.
   These trips are such a blessing! As long as I am a part of the church (until I die), I want to be involved with short-term mission trips. They are so good for the church.

   As always, we were so blessed by this year’s trip. We are continually learning! May God be glorified through us as we serve Him! And may FBC Fairdale become more and more of a Great Commission Church!