David Stockton asked me to preach at Living Streams on the theme of Thanksgiving. As I prepared the message, I was blessed to think about being thankful. I had recently given a sermon called, “The Roots of Insanity,” about the pride that cost King Nebuchadnezzar his Babylonian kingdom for seven years. It’s not that fun to meditate on pride and insanity in an election year.
At the request of another pastor, I preached on “Generous Giving and Deadly Deception,” contrasting the generosity of the believers in Acts 4 with the financial deception and deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. This was another sobering topic.
I was David’s pastor when his parents joined our church in Novato when he was one year old. His parents helped us plant Living Streams in Phoenix when he was six years old. He grew into a mature man of God and I called him in Oregon after he graduated from college and invited him to become our youth pastor. We worked together for fourteen years before he transitioned to become the lead pastor—and my pastor—at Living Streams.
David is secure and wise enough to give me counsel when I need it. He listens to my advice for the church and applies it, if he thinks it’s helpful. There are some great multi-site mega churches in our Valley. However, I’m thankful for having a pastor who knows my name, shows up at the hospital when we have a family crisis and speaks truth to my heart with love.
One point in my message came from I Timothy 2, where Paul says we should pray with thanksgiving for all people, including those in authority over us. As I talked with a friend on a recent hike, I shared a story about respecting authority.
Years ago, Living Streams was hosting Grace Association, a monthly pastor’s meeting, where I introduced myself to a visitor. He told me he came to our meeting because he was the community relations officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. I had been frustrated for years with Joe Arpaio, our county sheriff, so I told him how I felt.
“I don’t like the fact that Sheriff Arpaio sends his deputies to arrest immigrants on Sunday mornings as they drive to church with their families. He also makes the men in the jail wear pink underpants and eat green baloney for one of their two daily meals. I think he is needlessly antagonizing the prisoners and they will become a greater danger to our community when they get released.”
He listened politely and then asked, “Would you like me to set up an appointment with you and the sheriff so you can tell him what you think?”
I felt like he had called my bluff. I realized I was talking behind the sheriff’s back and I should either have the courage to say what I thought to his face, or I should keep my mouth shut.
I swallowed hard and replied, “Sure. I would be glad to speak with the sheriff.”
A couple of weeks later, the officer met me in the lobby at 550 W. Jackson Street and accompanied me up the elevator to the fifth floor of the sheriff’s headquarters. We walked past a guard and into a spacious office with pictures and plaques on the walls. On the far wall at the end of the rectangular room was an American flag and an Arizona flag behind a large desk where the sheriff was sitting.
As I approached, Sheriff Joe stood up and stretched out his hand, “Welcome Pastor Buckley. I hear you have some concerns about me. Before you get started, I would like to tell you a little about myself. Please take a seat.”
I shook his hand and sat down in front of his desk.
“Pastor, 81 years ago there was a young wife in Springfield, Massachusetts who had serious complications with her pregnancy. She was counseled to get an abortion because her life was in danger. She didn’t believe in abortion, so she decided to have her baby and take her chances. She died while giving birth. Pastor, that baby was me. I am here today because my mother had the courage and love to bring me into this world at the cost of her own life. I have always been against abortion. I thought you might like to know that.”
I realized I was talking to a bold and smart man. He had disarmed me before I opened my mouth. Sheriff Joe then looked me in the eye as I explained my concerns about the need for his department to treat inmates and immigrants with dignity and respect.
I don’t know if our talk brought any more compassion to the people in our jails or to those who were getting arrested in the Sunday immigration stops down the street from their churches. However, our meeting was good for me.
It was a reminder that the Lord puts people he chooses in authority and there is often more depth to them than I can understand from reading about them in the newspaper. It was a reminder to show respect to authorities with whom I disagree on issues. I’m hoping they will show more respect to those they oversee, so I need to show respect for them.
I believe it is good to vigorously debate the issues and the political positions of the candidates who run for office. However, once our elections are over, it is vital that we pray and intercede for our leaders as Paul says, with thanksgiving.
If you want a good marriage, be thankful for your spouse, appreciating who she is rather than being frustrated for what she is not. If you want to positively influence your spouse, your children, or your friends, be thankful for them. Otherwise, your judgments will frustrate them and cause a barrier between you.
Let’s pray for the current administration as well and the incoming one. Let’s give thanks that we live in a prosperous nation where almost everyone who is willing to work can find a job, food and housing. Let’s pray that our leaders will make wise choices as they seek to shape our economy and protect our nation.
If our leaders are guided by God’s wisdom and grace, we will all benefit, regardless of our political persuasion. The gospel flourishes in a climate where the church can grow in peace.
We recently had a neighborhood Thanksgiving party. Most years, one of our neighbors hosts a party and invites everyone who lives on our street. It is a great time for us to connect, catch up and get to know new neighbors. At our first neighborhood party twenty years ago, Kristina and I were told a surprising story about our house.
On Thanksgiving weekend in 1985, bandits broke into our house, which was then the home of the Marks family. They took the dad, Richard, and his family hostage. Richard was the manager of a Valley National Bank branch in Phoenix. They wanted him to take them to the bank and open the vault
Richard told them the vault was on a timer and it could not be opened until Friday morning. So, the bandits decided to spend the next two nights with the Marks family. Mrs. Marks fixed a big Thanksgiving dinner and they all ate together that night and the next day.
Early Friday morning when the vault opened, they drove Richard to the bank where they robbed the vault. The bandits escaped with the money, only to be captured months later.
Richard and his wife were shaken up, but nobody was harmed. They had fulfilled Jesus’ words, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.”
The year after we heard the story about this adventure, we were blessed with unexpected visitors on Halloween. Among the many trick-or-treaters who rang our doorbell, two costumed little children came to our door with their mother. She introduced herself and told us she was from the Marks family and was a young girl living in our house when they were taken hostage. She now lived in north Phoenix asked if we would allow her and her children to see the inside of our house?
We welcomed them in and gave them a tour. Her children were enthralled to see the house where the bandits had captured their mother before they were born.
They came back the next several Halloweens as well. We always invited them in and talked with them about the Lord. They loved Jesus and made a special trip to join us at Living Streams one Sunday. What the enemy had meant for evil, God used for good, because our hearts have been knit together by the Lord.
None of us knows what the future holds. We do know that God works everything together for good for those who love him. So, let’s have faith and be thankful.
Life is a Precious Gift
I’ve had two friends, Jack Straw and Hank Hahn, go to be with the Lord in the past couple of weeks. They loved the Lord, worked hard, stayed in shape and were faithful to their families and churches. Hank, my friend in Phoenix for thirty-five years, died from a pulmonary embolism. Jack, my friend from Novato since 1974, died from a heart attack in Oregon. They were both tall, gentle, gracious men of faith who were younger than me.
Death does not claim bad people first, or always take the oldest among us. Many wonderful people I have known have died young. The influence of my friends who love God continues to grow in my life after they die. I want to be like them and finish strong. I too want to stay faithful, be generous and make my days count.
I’ve been thinking about Louise Loper lately. Louise was in her sixties when her husband died. As her grief subsided, she decided it was time to fulfill her lifelong dream. She sold her home, gave away most of her money and joined YWAM as a missionary. After many years doing missions, she returned to the US and joined Living Streams when she was in her eighties.
Louise was full of faith and joy. She volunteered in our church office and we eventually hired her as a receptionist. She prayed with me every Sunday morning before our services, often laying her hands on my shoulders and asking God to bless me and use my message in powerful ways. She once asked the Lord to cast the spirit of competition out of me. That prayer has still not been answered. Nevertheless, her joyful spirit encouraged our church family.
In her nineties, Louise moved in with a Romanian couple who had opened a five bedroom home to care for seniors. I went to visit her one day before she died. We were sitting in her bedroom when I asked her, “How do you like it here, Louise?”
Her eyes got big and a smile filled her face. “Oh Mark, I love it here! This room is wonderful. Look at that beautiful tree outside my window. Do you know that every morning God sends a bird to sit on a branch and sing a song to me? And, for breakfast they serve me a pear sliced on a plate, and pears are my favorite food!”
The Lord used Louise to teach me an important lesson. A wonderful reward God can give us is the ability to enjoy each day and the simple pleasures of life. God’s grace can enhance our appreciation of food, nature and our relationships. The grace to appreciate our circumstances is a blessing that brings more joy than anything we own.
Kristina and I were blessed by hundreds of people who gathered recently to celebrate our 40 years of ministry at Living Streams. It felt a little like attending our own memorial service as we listened to friends speak about our impact in their lives. One of our greatest treasures is the love we share with those who follow Jesus with us.
A special joy that night was listening as our three children spoke. Philip, Kelly and Kathryn made many sacrifices throughout their youth growing up in our home. We didn’t have much money for special vacations or to help them with cars or college expenses. Yet, they all love Jesus and are living fruitful lives.
On another subject…I get more obsessed with the presidential elections than most people. For many years I joined Jack Straw and other friends to fast and pray every week for our nation and the issues that burdened our hearts. We had some wonderful spiritual breakthroughs and answers to those prayers, yet over the years, we haven’t always supported the same political candidates.
I think it is important who wins elections. I think it is important for believers to pray, vote and stay informed about politics. However, since politics are temporal and the Kingdom of God is eternal I try to stay focused on teaching God’s word and maintaining unity in the body of Christ, rather than endorsing candidates. That said, I have taken comfort in Daniel 4:17 recently:
The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.
May the Lord grant us wise and righteous leaders.
Many of you have held us up in prayer through the challenges we have faced and some of you have supported our ministry financially. We have joined our hearts and lives to serve Jesus together. We have been fruitful because our lives are linked in love for Christ and one another.
I will always be grateful for you. I pray that you will taste the goodness of God and see more of his glory revealed as you continue to serve the Lord and approach your reward in heaven.
Honoring Our 40 Years of Legacy
Forty years ago, we packed up a moving van and drove from Novato to Phoenix to begin our journey in the desert. Our son Matthew needed a climate with clean, dry air to overcome the asthma that was plaguing him in California.
Kristina and I were starting a new chapter in life with our four children. We were not sure what God’s purposes were for us beyond the healing of our son. I felt like I had been sentenced to serve time in a barren desert. People were moving to Phoenix from all around the country. When I introduced myself, I sometimes asked, “What are you in for?”
When I was ordained in 1974, I had a clear sense of my purpose in life. I wanted to help people discover that Jesus is alive. I wanted to establish healthy churches so believers could mature in Christ and develop their spiritual gifts as they served God.
I had resisted moving to Phoenix because I loved our churches, our family and our friends in Marin County. After we moved to Arizona, I began to question my purpose. I had thought the ministry we were doing in California was important to God. I had prayed intensely for Matthew’s healing and, when it didn’t happen, it was very unsettling.
At the end of September 1984, Kristina and I along with Billy and Patty Stockton started Living Streams in our living room. I worked as hard as possible to help our church grow. I went door to door to talk with people in our neighborhood about Jesus and invite them to join us. I went to local parks and handed out tracts about Jesus with our address stamped on them. I hosted a late night radio call-in show called “Jesus is the Answer”. I believed Jesus was the answer, and I needed him to answer my prayers to bless our little church.
We lived on the northern outskirts of Phoenix. I often rode my bicycle into the desert to pray and study my Bible. Sometimes I ended up crying in frustration because our church was tiny and we seemed stuck in a no-growth mode. Many of my best efforts seemed futile. More than once, families in our church who we invited over for dinner never returned for another Sunday service.
I had been accustomed to preaching to hundreds of people in Novato; yet in Phoenix, I was like a baseball batter trying desperately to come from behind and win the game with a ninth inning home run. I was so anxious about doing well, that I was tight and anxious in front of our little congregation.
On one trip to the desert, I laid on my prayer tarp and read a promise from God in Hebrews 6:14, “I will surely bless you and I will multiply you.”
I read that chapter over and over and became convinced this promise, originally given to Abraham, applied to me as well. I said, “Lord, I am definitely not being multiplied, so I must be getting blessed. Yet this sure does not feel like a blessing to me.”
The Lord showed me I needed to trust him on a deeper level. In the weeks that followed, I began to relax as I preached because I believed multiplication would happen according to God’s promise in his time.
Eventually, our little church started to grow. One lady joined us from the park outreach. Another came from the radio program. I prayed with Mark Dugan at the gym and he started attending. God was faithful, but he was not in a hurry.
Now, forty years later, we have had many trials and tears, but also wonderful testimonies of what God has done. Living Streams is a thriving congregation with healthy leaders and a strong government. We have planted churches, started many ministries, sent out missionaries, and have members who are living bold, Spirit-filled lives.
Moses spent forty years in the desert being prepared by God to lead Israel out of Egypt and into the promised land. During his wilderness sojourn, he learned that it takes God’s power, not just human effort, to fulfill God’s purposes.
It took Israel forty years to cross the wilderness before they entered the promised land. Their journey was filled with spiritual lessons about the necessity of trusting God’s timing and obeying his commands.
Once in the promised land, there were battles to fight, giants to vanquish, and land to cultivate. Their victories were still dependent on their obedience to God and their trust in his word.
In this promised land, many years later, Jesus Christ the Savior was born.
I was leading communion at the River Church in Reno this summer when I took a close look at the broken piece of matzo in my hand. It looked like a piece from a jigsaw puzzle. I realized that everyone in the congregation was holding part of the puzzle that could be reassembled into a single large piece. Together we represent the body of Christ.
I am part of several networks of churches and pastors. Each one of us and every congregation is an important part of the body of Christ. As we are united in the love of God, we reveal Jesus Christ to our community.
Life is like a puzzle. You may feel like you are stuck in a desert, but every season of life is an important part of the puzzle. Every person in your life is also important. If you recognize the significance of the season and the people in your life, you will better understand how you fit into God’s purpose.
When we meet the puzzle master in heaven, we will see how all the pieces fit together. In the meantime, if you are obedient and thankful each day, you can stay filled with the Spirit and the grace of God.
Our biggest battles are in our hearts, because the kingdom of God is within us. Without any geographic change, God’s grace can transform what seems like a sentence in the wilderness, to fruitfulness, no matter where you live. This is how we enter the promised land.
Keep on Loving
Friends often ask me, “How is Kristina?” They prayed for her when her life hung in the balance, now they have joy in her health. I’m assuming you are a friend, so I’ll answer that question for you as well.
Kristina’s transplanted heart is going strong. She goes to the hospital yearly for a procedure called a heart catheterization. The doctors insert a wire through one of her veins and clip off a piece of her heart to see if it is beginning to experience signs of rejection.
Fortunately, her heart has looked good. However, her life is complicated by the anti-rejection meds. Those medications suppress the immune system, which prevents her transplant from being rejected, but at the same time makes her susceptible to other ailments that her immune system needs to fight. Similar to chemotherapy, it is a scientific trade-off to determine how much medication to use before the medications cause more harm than good.
One side effect of these medications is neuropathy. Kristina’s feet get numb and she experiences sharp pains. This is a trial we pray about and would appreciate your prayers for, as well.
Neither of us believe that the pain and trials of life are a sign we should stop serving the Lord. Kristina coordinates a Zoom group for heart transplant patients every week. She assists sewing groups where the ladies make hats, blankets and quilts for cancer patients, preemies, and the homeless. She also does counseling with women and manages our household and ministry office.
We have a big family with children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and over twenty nieces and nephews. Families like ours are wonderful, but also messy. Someone is always hurting. We also have a big church family which encompasses a few thousand people in Arizona and California. There are many blessings because of the love in this family. At the same time, there are always people we love who are hurting. Being able to rejoice with those who rejoice and stay sane when they are in pain, can be a challenge.
It can be difficult to love people deeply and not live with a heavy heart continually. We have laid down our lives to serve God’s people, but we cannot be their savior. We can stand with them in the battle, but we cannot fight their battles for them. Whether they are in our natural family, or the family of God, every person has to slay their own Goliath.
This month Kristina and I will celebrate our 51st wedding anniversary. I travel a good deal for ministry, but when I’m home, we enjoy our time together more than ever. We also give each other freedom. If Kristina wants to go to our cabin and I don’t, she goes without me. If I want to take a ministry trip and she is not up for it, I go alone. We miss each other when we are not together, but the freedom to fulfill our hearts’ desires apart from each other enables us to enjoy our time together all the more.
If the people we love are struggling, we pray for them before we go to sleep each night. We have prayed together each night our entire marriage. When we first got married, I insisted we get down on our knees and pray before we got into bed.
One night Kristina was laying on the bed waiting for me. I suggested we pray. She agreed, but she didn’t move. She said the Lord could hear her just fine when she was laying down. I wasn’t so sure. I assumed any prayers offered up from that position would arrive at the Lord’s “This is not too serious” in-basket. But after further discussion and the futility of trying to pray after arguments, we now close most days laying down together and staring towards heaven as we pray. Sometimes a spiritual leader has to adjust to the sensibilities of his flock 😊.
I think we all need a little spiritual anti-rejection medication from time to time. If the people you love are like the people I love, they don’t always want you around. They don’t always want your advice. They don’t always forgive you. They may not respond to your voice mail, email or your text.
However, if we reject everyone who offends us, we end up with just me and you. Then when I fail you, you’re all alone. If we build walls around our hearts so we don’t get hurt, we lose the joy the Lord gives us when we love one another.
Fortunately, there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He experienced rejection from those he loved, even though he never sinned. Whether you are running for President, or simply asking God to bless those you love, find the position that suits you, then humble yourself before the Lord in prayer. In time, the grace of God will lift you up.
A Bright Light Shines
In June, two prominent pastors in Dallas resigned from their positions because of past immoral relationships. Both of these men have had ministries which reach across the nation. They spoke to more people in one week than most pastors do in a year.
I’ve heard these gifted men preach and have admired them. I was sad when I heard about their failures and reminded of the scripture, For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (I Peter 4:17)
I heard one of those men say on TV that he had a moral failure in the early years of his marriage. It was refreshing to hear a man admit to his sin. I thought he was setting a good example for other preachers who act like they never experience temptation. He gave the impression that he had committed adultery many years ago; however, it recently came to light that he had molested a girl over a period of four years, starting when she was twelve.
Molesting a child is a sin with serious consequences. Some people say, “All sin is the same in the eyes of God”; however, Jesus said, “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:2)
When people are deceptive, you never know what they have been involved with in the darkness. If they get exposed and only admit to what has come into the light, you don’t know what else has gone on in their lives.
It is futile for anyone to think they can get away with their sin in the long run. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:13)
We all fall short of God’s glory, so we all need the forgiveness that comes from the blood of Christ. We can receive that forgiveness and cleansing when we confess our sin and walk in the light with each other (I John 1:7).
I was troubled as I watched our recent presidential debate. I’ve watched every presidential debate since the Nixon/Kennedy debate in 1960. This was the worst one in my opinion.
Our past president said America has been destroyed, social security has been destroyed, food prices have quadrupled and thousands of people have been murdered by illegal immigrants. I travel around the country. I’ve been in Arizona, California, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, New York and Nevada in the last few years. These states, like our entire nation, have challenges, but they have not been destroyed. If you look up a fact checking site for the debate you will find he was using distortion and deception to make those points, and others, as well.
Our current president also used deception which the fact checkers exposed. The saddest reality was his inability to speak clearly for two minutes at a time on any subject. He has had poor policies on abortion, the border and a two-state “solution” for Israel. He has also lost the communication skills which are vital for our president. Cognitive problems get worse as people age. His administration has been trying to hide his cognitive decline. That too is deception.
Those who use deception get deceived, because we reap what we sow. Satan is the father of lies and people serve his purposes when they lie. Those who use deception lose their ability to discern the truth. When deception takes root in a society, the population becomes vulnerable to the strong delusions described in II Thess. 2:10-12, They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
God is light and nothing is hidden from his sight. One day we are all going to stand before him. Our best protection against deception is to always tell the truth. Our protection on the day of judgment is Christ, who died on the cross for our sins. If our sins are exposed before the final day of judgment, it is actually God’s mercy because he is giving us a chance to repent.
Prominent pastors are being sifted as the light of God shines on their lives. Our presidential candidates are being exposed. Israel is being sifted by a terrible war in Gaza. Ukraine is being sifted by a terrible war with Russia. Intense summer heat is causing challenges around the world. These are end times wake-up calls.
I’m trying to live my life as if everything I do and say will be brought into the light, for it is only a matter of time before all believers stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We will either receive a reward for what we have done in this life, or what we have done will burn up in the fire of God’s presence. (I Cor. 3:10-15)
I’m praying for mercy for our nation. I’m praying for wise and righteous leaders for our country. I’m praying for an outpouring of grace on the Church.
We have battles on all fronts, but we can win the battles we face if we don’t become intimidated by the enemy and give up the fight of faith. We serve the Lord who is mighty in battle (Ps 24:8). He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Check out the book of Revelation. After many battles, He who overcame the world when he walked among us, wins in the end. The entire New Testament confirms this truth: God’s Kingdom endures forever.
A Good Father
I was thinking over a Father’s Day sermon I was preparing as I headed out to take a hike in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve on a recent morning. It was already over 80 degrees at 7:00 am on its way to 112. (The desert can be brutal.)
As I started up the rocky slope, I recognized Don Worcester walking down the hill towards me. Don has been a part of Living Streams since before his marriage to Renee, and before he earned his PhD in counseling. Don and Renee now have four grown children and they lead True North Consulting and Life Together. Don once facilitated our family counseling when my adult children felt a wise counselor would help me listen as they shared their concerns.
I was accustomed to seeing Renee in the Preserve, but a sighting of Don was rare. I gave him a hug as we stopped to talk. He was soaking wet with sweat and told me he had started his hike at 5:00 am. He had been training for two months for a father/daughter backpacking trip in Colorado.
His daughter Emma had been a mountaineering guide in the British Columbia Rockies; and their friends who will join them on the upcoming trip are marathon runners. They plan to start at 8,000 feet and increase their miles each day. When I told him it sounded rough, Don pointed to the backpack he was carrying. I reached out and touched it. It was filled with thirty pounds of rocks he was using to gain strength for the trip.
As I resumed my hike, I thought about how the desire to stay connected to his daughter had motivated him to get up each morning and carry rocks on his hikes. That does not sound fun to me. Only a father who really loves his daughter would endure such training. Yet those who know Don’s story will tell you that, in years past, he has carried loads for those he loves that were heavier than rocks.
I preached to hundreds of college students at Hope Church on Father’s Day. I talked about our Father in heaven and his promise to give us a good and long life if we honor our father and mother. Most of those students do not have parents like Don and Renee. Many come from broken, neglectful, and even abusive homes.
As we grow older we see our parents in different light. Even if we have really good parents, we see their flaws more clearly. Yet we are still commanded to honor them. If we honor them in spite of their shortcomings, we can learn lessons which give us wisdom through our whole lives. No matter how much we love our spouse, we see their flaws — and they see ours. The same is true of our friends, our bosses, and even our pastors.
Learning to honor flawed people is a key which improves all our relationships. Our natural reaction to flawed people is to despise their failures. Yet, contempt is a poison which ruins relationships.
We are experiencing a political crisis in our nation right now. Millions of people hate our current president and millions of people hate our former president. This means millions of people will despise whoever wins the next election. This is a dangerous situation. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25).
I don’t know what forces would cause the desolation of our nation and what that would look like, and I hope we never have to find out.
The word of God teaches us to honor our leaders. “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (I Peter 2:17). The emperors, which the early church was commanded to honor, were often doing evil things. Yet honor serves as a glue which holds society together. Without the preservation of community bonds, chaos can and does reign.
It is easy to honor great parents and politicians. Our challenge is to learn the wisdom that comes when we honor those whose flaws are obvious. If we have political violence in the U.S., or if we succumb to destruction from our external enemies, part of the responsibility will rest on believers who demonize those with a different political perspective.
It's natural to hate our enemies, because they threaten us; yet Jesus tells us to love our enemies. He didn’t say this to make us martyrs. Love is powerful enough to put out the fire of hate if we obey Jesus. Loving people makes us vulnerable, but it also makes us the salt and light of Christ this world needs.
The apostle Paul said, “For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (Ephesians 3:14).
As we closed the service at Hope Church, hundreds of us knelt before our Father in heaven and asked him to give us the gifts we need to help our families and expand God’s Kingdom on earth. I invite you to kneel as the apostle did 2,000 years ago. Let’s pray that he will strengthen us in the inner man so we will have the power to do God’s will and grasp the depth of the love of Christ.
There are times we all have to carry metaphysical rocks to strengthen the relationships with those we love. Carrying one another’s load helps prepare us to intercede effectively for the nation we love as well. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
No matter what kind of family you were raised in, if Jesus is your Lord, you have a good Father in Heaven. Every gift we need to prosper in life comes from him. He is the one who can lighten our load and give us hope for the future.
Honorable Mentions
When I was in the fifth grade, our class assignment was to write a report on one of the states in the US and build a small float to represent that state. After finishing my report on Vermont, my mother and I built a shoebox sized float. It featured a little man standing proudly in a field, holding a syrup bucket by a maple tree.
I don’t know who judged the floats, which represented Texas oil rigs, Hawaiian beaches, Florida space launches, etc. The judges awarded ribbons and prizes for First through Sixth Places, a First, Second and Third Best in Show, a Grand Prize, and many honorable mentions. Most of the class received awards, but my float got no recognition. My mother wasn’t too bothered, but I was very disappointed.
I don’t want to disappoint anyone, but I’m about to hand out an honorable mention in this Reflections. I’ll hold off on the Grand Prize and other awards in light of what Jesus said: “To sit at my right and left hand in my Kingdom is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:23)
The Father prepares Kingdom blessings for us when we faithfully fulfill the assignments he gives us. Two such faithful people are Pastors Walt and Louene Ratray, who have led Church on the Street (COTS) in Phoenix for over forty years. They carry out more outreach evangelism than anyone I know. Five days a week, Walt and his team bus homeless people to an inner city church where they sing, preach and feed 150-200 hundred people breakfast and lunch.
Several times a week, they lead outreaches at local parks to share the gospel and provide meals. Every Friday night, Walt and his disciples go to downtown Scottsdale or Tempe until midnight, where they talk about Jesus with folks heading to the bars. On Saturday mornings, Walt preaches at a downtown mission where COTS houses men who respond to their message about Jesus.
Every week, Walt and Louene hold services in local jails and prisons. They also hold a Sunday night service and a Tuesday night Bible Study for COTS every week. Walt regularly jogs and lifts weights with men he is discipling and he beats me at golf.
Did I mention that Walt and Louene are in their eighties?
At an age when most people are winding down, they are both going strong for the Lord. They were not able to have children of their own, but they have been spiritual parents to thousands of men and women who they have served, taught and discipled over the years.
Walt and Louene love the ministry they are doing. The disciples on their team are their spiritual family. I can’t talk Walt into taking vacations because there is nothing he would rather be doing than going out with his team to share the love of Jesus with people.
I’ve preached at Church on the Street services for years. It has been liberating for me to open my heart and share with a congregation that understands what it means to be poor, incarcerated, addicted and homeless. The love and acceptance in their ministry brings the best out of me. They don’t give honorariums, but they have given me something very valuable. They have continually prayed and interceded for Kristina and me through the challenges we have faced these last years. When those who are close to Jesus pray for you, wonderful things happen.
It’s a great experience to preach on the street or to witness about Jesus in public places. It can help you get over self-consciousness and become bold about sharing your faith with strangers. I try to share my faith whenever I get a chance, whether I’m at the grocery store, on an airplane, or on a hiking trail. In the natural course of our lives we are constantly surrounded by people who need the Lord. We are not responsible to save the whole world, but we are responsible to bear witness to the reality of the resurrection to those we get to know.
Many believers are praying for revival to sweep our nation. A spiritual awakening can be ignited when many believers in the same area share their faith. When non-believers hear the message of the gospel from several sources, it makes them curious and helps the seeds of truth penetrate their hearts. The cumulative impact of our collective testimony is vital to bring people to Christ.
We each have specific assignments from the Lord. Together we are building up the body of Christ and preparing the Church for his return. We are heading to heaven soon enough, but now is the time the Lord has given us to serve him and lay up a reward in heaven.
When the final trumpet blows, the angels will gather us up and the Father will give out more than honorable mentions. We will share his glory forever.
My Best Friends
Growing up in Terra Linda, CA in the 1950’s and 60’s, I had several best friends. I have had dreams about returning to visit these friends in the neighborhood where we grew up.
Tom McCart lived down the street from me on Holly Drive. At five years old, I learned to ride borrowed bikes with Tom. Once we got up on two wheels, we roamed our neighborhood like bold explorers.
Tom and his sister, Martha, had been adopted by a precious couple. Twice every week Mrs. McCart baked delicious homemade bread and chocolate chip cookies, which she served us with milk after school. Tom and I camped out one night in their backyard. We made s’mores, and Tom’s dad set up a tent for us with sleeping bags, mats and pillows. Beaver Cleaver never had it so good.
In kindergarten I met Phil Zito. One day we had a fight and were sent to the principal’s office. As we sat in the office, waiting for the principal to arrive and bring judgment upon us, we bowed our heads, folded our hands and prayed for an earthquake to destroy the school buildings. We felt dying in an earthquake would be a better fate than what the principal would dispense.
I don’t remember what the principal said to us when he finally arrived, but the school survived an earthquake that struck a year later, and that was my last school fight until junior high. Phil and I became friends as we got older and we spent summers swimming in his pool and hunting in the hills surrounding Terra Linda.
Phil moved to Oklahoma for a few years and Peter de Jung became my best friend. Peter and I played football in the street on Holly Drive with his dad and brother, Steve. Peter’s dad took us on weekend trips to their cabin in the mountains near Boonville. We learned to catch trout on spinners in their stream which Mr. de Jung cooked with bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast feasts.
A few years later, the Zito family moved back from Oklahoma and bought a house near us on Holly Drive. Phil’s parents taught me to play hearts. His dad took me bowling and hunting for pheasant and ducks. I ate many meals at their house, which became like a second home for me.
We all attended Vallecito Junior High, a half mile walk from Holly Drive. Our principal was over six feet tall. He walked the corridors with a scowl, looking for trouble-makers while slapping a paddle against his thigh. The guys who were sent to him for discipline had to bend over when he applied it to their backsides. California public schools have changed a lot over the years.
One summer day, Phil and I went fishing in San Pablo Bay. We had been dropped off at China Camp where we rented a little row boat. We rowed out into the bay where we caught striped bass and flounder. As the day wore on, the gentle waves lulled us both to sleep. I felt a strong tug on my pole and woke up suddenly, thinking I had a big fish. It wasn’t a fish, but a huge wave that had hit the boat and bent my rod. The boat was rocking in white capped waves. I yelled to wake up Phil. We tried to row, but the wind and waves pushed us further into the bay. A large yacht was heading to shore and turned around when the captain saw us flailing our arms in distress. He threw us a line and towed us to shore.
Phil was an excellent hunter. He could call in flying ducks by making loud quacking sounds. One day when we were at Indian Valley Golf Club he spotted two mallards flying in the distance. He began making loud quacks and the ducks started flying towards us. As they circled lower he said, “Get down Buck, I’ll hit um with my golf club.”
In high school, Bill Saleme and I often played pool after football and baseball practices. Afterwards, his mom made us big Italian dinners while his dad played chess and talked philosophy with me. When we went out on double dates, Bill’s grandmother, who was 4’ll” and in her 80’s, would say, “Now Billy, whatever you do, remember, do not let those girls get you to say ‘I do!’”
As we got older, some of our experiences turned darker. My friends introduced me to drinking, the Mustang Ranch, and concerts at the Filmore. I introduced them to marijuana. My life descended into a demonic trap as I indulged in the psychedelics and seductions which fueled the Hippie movement.
After I gave my life to Jesus in 1970, I shared the gospel with my friends. Peter de Jung listened politely. His dad, who had been such a blessing to me had committed suicide by then. Peter had miraculously survived when a great white shark bit his surfboard and tore open his leg in a horrific Pacific Ocean attack.
Phil Zito and Bill Saleme prayed with me to accept Jesus. The seed of the gospel laid dormant in their hearts for a time. Years later, Phil told me he fought depression until he then returned to the Catholic Church and started delivering food to people in need. He always encouraged our prayer times at meals when we got together with our friends for yearly golf and poker outings.
The seed of faith sprouted in Bill Saleme’s life years ago. Today Bill and his wife Lucie travel the country reaching out to people in need and sharing their faith in Christ wherever they go.
Last month Phil died from a sudden heart attack. It shocked his family and all of us who loved him. I will always remember his kindness and cherish his friendship.
After Phil’s death, I had a vivid dream in which I saw Tom McCart in the presence of the Lord. I called out to him in my dream because I was excited to see him alive with Christ, and I could sense Phil was with him. Tom had died in 2013.
I woke up encouraged. None of us are saved because we have lived such a good life. We are saved by receiving the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
What is the point of picking up our cross and doing good to others in this fallen world? Following Jesus allows us to have a fruitful life. We are not only saved by grace, but grace can empower us to be a blessing to others. Abiding in Christ is a challenge, but the reward is revelation of who God is and the privilege of a partnership with Jesus. He gives eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.
I’m thankful for my friends, and also their families. They welcomed me into their homes with meals and love. My dad worked hard seven days a week to provide for our family. My friends’ parents enriched my life with adventures and gave me a bigger vision of what a family can become.
I have many friends who are in heaven now, as are their parents. The village that raised me has passed away. However, there is an eternal city which God has prepared for those who love Him. There is also a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is the one I want to serve until I enter the eternal city.
We All Need Mercy
A couple of months ago I received a text from a friend in Texas who was in a financial crisis. He had previously told me that he had personally guaranteed a real estate loan on a commercial project that ran into major trouble. Now he was in danger of losing everything he owned, including his family home. He closed the text by saying, “I need mercy.”
My friend could have blamed his crisis on a partner who mismanaged the project. He could have fallen into self-pity or tried to hide from the lender. Instead, he was facing the truth and asking for mercy.
When I read his text, I thought about the blind man calling out to Jesus, “Lord, have mercy on me.” I didn’t know how the details would work out, but I told him I believed he would receive mercy from the Lord.
Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy rather than sacrifice’” (Matthew 9:13). Jesus is saying that God’s priority for us is not how much we sacrifice for him, but the mercy we show to others. We all need mercy at times, but none of us deserve it. When we show mercy, we are not giving people what they deserve, but grace and help they never earned.
Years ago, Kristina and I were treated to a theatrical production of Les Misérables. In an opening scene, Jean Valjean, a hungry ex-convict, steals silver from a bishop’s house. He gets caught and brought to the bishop by a cruel policeman. The bishop recognizes Jean Valjean would face life in prison, so instead of pressing charges, he tells the policeman Jean had permission to take the silver. He then gives him his silver candlesticks as well.
The power of this merciful act helps transform Jean Valjean into a man full of grace and mercy who dedicates his life to helping others. It is a fulfillment of James 2:13, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
I was in a golf match in January with Dan, who played for twelve years in the NFL. Dan is bigger, stronger and younger than I am, and he plays a lot of golf. However, on this day, I was playing well and leading by one as we arrived at the 18thhole.
Dan teed off with a big swing and hit a screaming line drive into a pond 100 yards in front of the tee box. I didn’t want to cheer, but as my friend John Leggat says, “Every shot makes somebody happy.”
Dan teed up another ball and hit it onto the fairway. When we arrived at his second ball, I said, “Dan would you like some mercy?”
“What do you mean, ‘mercy?’” he asked.
“Mercy means we can say your first shot never happened.”
“No way. I can still win this hole. I have seen stranger things happen.”
“Ok, but I wanted to give you an opportunity for mercy. If you say you don’t need mercy, I may use this as a sermon illustration….”
Dan declined my offer. He lost the hole and the match.
The next time I played was with Kyle. He had asked to play golf with me for my birthday. Kyle has developmental challenges. He used to get picked on by other students when I saw him in the stands at high school football games. I agreed to our game because I was impressed by Kyle’s boldness.
Kyle doesn’t look like an athlete. He plays golf cross-handed, but he has gotten pretty good over the years. We were having a tight match when he hit a ball into deep rough sixty yards from the green. After we looked for awhile and couldn’t find his ball I asked him, “Kyle, would you like mercy? We can say we found your ball right here.”
“Yes!” he replied without hesitation. He dropped another ball in a good spot, took a swing and hit his shot onto the green two feet from the flag. He made the putt for a par and went on to win our match by two strokes.
Those who compete with me would probably say mercy is not one of my primary characteristics. However, I’m learning that long after the fleeting joy of winning, or the sting of defeat fades, the glow of mercy can still warm my heart…and I do value a good illustration.
I like to compete because sports motivate me to stay in shape and provide a break from the intensity of ministry. We can learn the value of good coaching, perseverance, team work and humility from sports, but many things in life are far more important than competition.
For years I have prayed for our government leaders to receive wisdom and guidance from God. Now as I pray about our current national challenges and the upcoming election, my prayers often include “Lord, have mercy on our nation.”
My friend in Texas who was on the precipice of losing everything didn’t run and hide. He called out to God and faced his creditors with honesty and humility. At the last minute, through amazing circumstances, he was given a new loan which made his upside down project work. The Lord showed him mercy.
Our own sin deceives us, so it’s hard to grasp how much mercy we have received from the Lord. When we get a glimpse of God’s glory and see how short we fall, the experience is not meant to condemn us, but to soften our hearts. It is spiritually healthy to show mercy to others, but if we judge them, we are negating the power that can transform people.
God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:8). The Lord Jesus is ready to give each of us the mercy and grace we need to overcome challenges and prosper in life. The wise and humble receive it thankfully and share it generously.
Growing in Light
I recently read Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk. Musk has a vision to start a colony on Mars. He started Space X in order to make reusable rockets and a profitable company that will one day fund human travel to Mars. He started Tesla in order to develop alternative transportation that will be less harmful to our planet. He started Nuralink, which recently planted a chip into a patient’s brain that may one day help paralyzed people move through thought process. He started xAI because he is concerned about the lack of values driving AI companies. He also owns the Boring Company, and he bought Twitter, now X, where he engages with his 164,000,000 followers.
Elon’s brilliance in innovating manufacturing processes and developing profitable companies has made him the richest man in the world; yet, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? His first son died in infancy, he now has ten children with his ex-wives and girlfriends, many born through surrogacy. He is way overextended, and according to Isaacson, he occasionally goes into “demon mode.”
Elon needs the Lord and he could use a good pastor; however, I’m not writing this to judge him. Even running one of those companies while having ten children is enough to drive most people crazy. He is motivated by big visions, works hard to develop his gifts, and is not afraid to take risks to accomplish his goals. Elon demonstrates the potential people have because we are made in the image of God, whether we acknowledge Him or not.
Are people born great innovators, athletes, scientists or musicians, or do they become great through hard work and access to resources? Are people born with great minds, or do our minds develop as we apply ourselves through study and learning? I believe it takes both a God-given aptitude and a lot of hard work to become great in anything. We all have gifts from God that give us great potential, but we must develop those gifts.
Those who follow Jesus have a great advantage because we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we study the Word of God and put it into practice. “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Though our physical stature eventually diminishes, it is possible to grow in wisdom, favor, and understanding all our lives.
“In Jesus is life, and his life is the light of men” (John 1:4). All people are given life by the Lord. The more we grow in Christ, the more light he gives us. The biggest need people have is not better technology, energy sources or rocket ships. Our biggest need is more light from God.
You don’t have to start multiple companies or have millions of social media followers to have a big impact with your life. It’s better to be fruitful than famous. As we follow Jesus we are helping establish God’s Kingdom on earth where people can experience transforming grace and eternal life.
As we age, we decline in physical strength and often in cognitive abilities. However, more than aging, what robs people of their potential is when they stop using their gifts, chose comfort over obedience to God and engage in unconfessed sin. All sin causes our relationship with the Lord to diminish and our light to dim. (Luke 11:34-35). If the light within us is dark, we no longer see clearly and we stumble through life, making mistakes that destroy the fruitfulness of our lives.
It takes discipline to resist temptation and pursue a relationship with God. As we seek and serve the Lord, His life flourishes in us and the light we have becomes brighter. So, seek the Lord my friend and let your light shine. His glory will be your reward.