I watch movies on TV and airplanes, but Jesus Revolution was my first trip to a theater since before the pandemic. It was well worth the visit.
I had met four of the characters in the movie during the Jesus Movement in the early 1970’s. The actors and music were excellent, yet this was a rare instance when most of the real-life people were more handsome and charismatic than the movie stars portraying them.
The movie describes how Lonnie Frisbee and Chuck Smith worked together in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s to bring thousands of young people to Christ in Southern California. Lonnie came out of the hippie scene and had long hair and a beard. Chuck was a straight Foursquare pastor with a family.
The worship services, baptisms at the beach, and discipleship house scenes in the movie brought tears to my eyes. I could sense the Holy Spirit moving as the characters shared the word of God and worshiped. It brought back memories from our ministries in Northern California that were bringing people to Jesus at the same time.
I met Lonnie and Connie Frisbee in Santa Cruz in 1973. They had been helping Danny Lehmann and Frank O’Neil with Mission Street Christian Fellowship. Lonnie had lived in the House of Acts in Novato in 1969. He went from there to San Francisco and then to Costa Mesa, where he worked with Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel.
Lonnie had a dynamic preaching gift that drew people to the Lord. The movie portrays how he and Chuck struggled in their relationship. They differed over how the gifts of the Spirit should be used in worship services. Lonnie had other issues the movie did not address. He and Connie divorced and Lonnie died of AIDS in 1993.
Greg Laurie had the courage to include Lonnie in the movie. It would be tempting to leave him out because of those ministry struggles and his flaws. Lonnie did not get away with his sin; he lost his marriage and his ministry. When he died at 43 years old, he had been reconciled to the Lord, but it was too late for his body to recover.
Right now there are spiritual awakenings going on all over the United States. People are coming from all over the world to Asbury University in Kentucky to experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. CBN News reported revival is spreading to Texas A&M, Indiana Wesleyan, and LSU. Any time people are seeking the Lord intensely and people are giving their lives to Jesus, it is a good thing. Yet, because people are people, they will have struggles and challenges.
I had the privilege to speak on “Revival and Church Growth” at Hope Church in Tempe last month. Five hundred students were there, passionately worshiping the Lord at the Marquis Theater. Many responded to the altar call and six students committed their lives to Jesus that Sunday morning. Over 150 students have made commitments to follow Jesus at their ASU-focused congregation in the last two months. God is doing something special at Hope Church.
Many people have been praying for a revival to sweep America. They are distressed about ungodliness in our media, government and society. Millions of people have quit going to church. For a spiritual awakening to spread across our nation and around the world, it will take believers making the same bold declarations of faith and commitments to love each other that were common in the Jesus Movement and the book of Acts.
Acts 11 tells about believers being scattered because of persecution. Instead of being intimidated by threats, they boldly shared their faith as they traveled towards safe havens. As they began to share the good news about Jesus with the Greeks, “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21)
For over fifty years, I’ve been preaching the gospel in many churches, schools and ministries. I’ve also used radio, TV, newsletters, Facebook, and Instagram to let people know Jesus is alive. I’m very thankful the Lord has opened these doors for me because I’ve had the privilege to see many people turn their lives to Jesus.
Having access to media allows us to get God’s word out to many people. However, nothing is more effective than sharing Christ one on one. Believers sharing their faith with others has been the most effective way the gospel has spread the last two thousand years. It is also available to all of us.
If you are willing to obey the Lord and share the gospel with others, you too will see people turn to the Lord. Every now and then, he may even “put his hand on you” as he did with the disciples in Acts 11:21 and increase the effectiveness of your testimony exponentially.
Don’t worry about the fact that you still stumble or have sinful desires at times. The same God who used imperfect people in the Bible—and the Jesus Movement—still uses flawed people today. They happen to be the only ones available.
If we really want a spiritual awakening, we will do our part, so God’s Kingdom will come and his is done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Jack and Joe
In January, two men I admired in California died within 24 hours of each other. Jack Hayford, the pastor of Church on the Way, a Foursquare megachurch in Van Nuys, and Joe Garcia, my friend in Novato. Jack was a well-known pastor, author and conference speaker. Joe loved the Lord and was known by a much smaller circle of people. Both of these men lived life to the fullest and finished strong in faith.
In the 1980s and ‘90s, friends and I would attend Jack Hayford’s pastors’ conference each year. Thousands of leaders attended from all over the country. Jack was a preacher’s preacher. He would teach us worship songs he wrote and give inspiring messages. As he preached, he spoke in sentences as long as extended paragraphs.
Jack was like a Pentecostal Billy Graham. He had great integrity and was respected across denominational lines. Hollywood celebrities attended his church and his songs were sung in congregations around the world. He was often on TV, and his books sold thousands of copies. I had Jack’s book, Prayer Is Invading the Impossible, sitting on my bookshelf. I didn’t read much of it, but the title alone inspired me to pray boldly.
While Jack’s ministry inspired and encouraged me, my friend Joe made an even greater impact.
Joe began coming to our church in Novato in 1976, when we were just getting started. He needed to rediscover his faith and rebuild his family. In time, Jesus resurrected Joe’s faith and gave him his wonderful wife, Claudia.
When I discovered Joe played chess, I challenged him to a game. He beat me soundly. The next time we played, he taught me strategies which are foundational in competitive chess. Once I could compete with him, he bought me a wooden chess set which I have used for forty years.
After we moved to Phoenix, I would drop by to see Joe when I returned to Novato. He liked to cook special meals, tell stories, and pray together. Joe read everything C. S. Lewis wrote and memorized many passages. He liked to begin a discussion with, “As brother Clive would say…”
Joe gave me a beautiful shotgun that I have used on desert hunting trips since 1986. He was generous with his friends, restaurant servers and people in need. But if someone burned him, he was not so sweet.
Occasionally customers would come into Winter’s Glass, which Joe owned, and say, “Mr. Winter promised me a special deal on a new window.” There was no “Mr. Winter.” Winter was the name the original owner made up. Joe gave gifts to those he loved and good deals to everyone, unless someone was trying to deceive him. Those folks had to pay a premium.
I was sad when I heard that Jack Hayford had died. His character was outstanding, his gifts extraordinary, and his multifaceted ministry inspired thousands. I had breakfast with Jack once and both of us wrote for Ministries Today magazine. However, I doubt he would have remembered my name.
I wept when I heard Joe died. I had lost a friend who enriched my life with his love and encouragement.
Most of us are more like Joe than Jack. We are not going to be famous, but our lives can be powerful, because the greatest gift of all is love. We don’t have to pattern ourselves after someone on a big platform for our lives to have significance. We just have to focus on loving the people God brings into our lives.
There is a race set out for each of us. If we stay on course we will finish strong and enter glory. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
A Bumpy Road to Heaven
I was in a worship service at the San Rafael Open Door this past November, when Becky Riley walked up to the front to lead the congregation in prayer. Becky prayed boldly for the Lord to send rain to California. The state had been in a drought that created a crisis. For several summers, fires burned hundreds of thousands of acres of forest and wild animals; many homes were destroyed and people lost their lives. Farmers were forced to abandon vast tracts of crop land and fruit trees because their water allocations had been reduced.
As one atmospheric river after another brought rain to California, I called Jon Riley, the Open Door pastor to commend their congregation for their bold prayers. Jon told me that Peggy Burt had persisted in asking their church to pray for rain each Sunday. They believe James 5:16-18, The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain...
The correlation between human behavior and climate is well documented in the Bible. God brought a great flood to destroy the wicked in the days of Noah. God used famines to mold and move Abraham and eventually all of Israel from the promised land to Egypt and back again. The cause of every famine or storm is not easy to interpret; however, sin does affect climate and rain is a blessing from God.
This abrupt shift in climate from a historic drought to the greatest rainfall total in the shortest time in California history can be interpreted as either climate change gone wild, or an intervention of supernatural grace in response to bold prayer. I believe these storms are the grace of God, and the grace of God fills me with thanksgiving.
By definition, the supernatural is something that does not happen on a regular basis or with natural timing. I’m not pessimistic about the future, because God has supernatural power, which he releases to accomplish his purposes. He can pour out the Holy Spirit suddenly and change the course of our lives and history.
Obviously, floods can cause property damage and loss of life. I’m aware of the pain storms can cause. Our son Matthew drowned in a rain swollen river. Yet, without rain, our civilization would not survive. Jesus told us to build our homes and lives on the solid foundation of his word because literal and spiritual storms will test us all.
The current storms are a messy miracle of mercy. God’s intervention brings disruptions as well as deliverance. The Old Testament is filled with bloody stories. Circumcision and the sacrificial system were bloody. Israel being delivered from Egypt was bloody. Israel conquering the promised land was bloody. The judgements of God on Israel’s disobedience were bloody.
In the New Testament, Herod’s response to the birth of Jesus was bloody. The crucifixion of Jesus was bloody. When Jesus cast out demons it was messy. When he spit, made mud and put the mud on a blind man’s eyes, it was messy, yet afterwards the man could see.
It was bloody when I watched our children being born, yet their messy bodies were miraculous to behold. It was bloody when Kristina had a heart transplant, yet today she is thriving in her ongoing battle to overcome physical challenges.
Our extended family is wonderful and messy. The history of the churches we have planted are both miraculous and messy. Depending on your perspective, politics, vaccines, our economy, and the history of America is wonderful, bloody, and messy.
You would hope that people would change over the centuries. However, the Holocaust that led to the fulfillment of prophecy and rebirth of Israel in 1948 was a horrific bloody mess.
Many people are praying for revival because they think a spiritual awakening will save our nation from judgement and disaster. I pray for spiritual awakening as well. However, the Jesus movement when millions of people, including me, came to Christ in the 60’s and 70’s was messy. Immature people don’t develop great character quickly just because they begin to follow Christ.
The wonderful spiritual awakening I have seen in Ecuador the last ten years has had a messy dynamic as well. Even God’s family struggles with each other as we mature and God’s judgements begin in his house before he deals with the rest of the world.
Buckle up my friends. God answers prayers in miraculous ways, yet we are still in for a bumpy ride on this narrow road that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Gift of Faith
Many of you have been praying for Kristina since her heart transplant in 2020. I’m sharing this update to give praise to God and thank you for your prayers.
Thirty five years ago we bought our son Matthew a used desk. It was solid oak and weighed hundreds of pounds. I removed Matt’s bedroom door and corralled two strong friends to help me bring the desk into our house. The three of us spent half an hour wrecking our backs while hoisting the desk at every possible angle trying to get it into his bedroom. We concluded it was too big to fit. We left the desk wedged in the doorway and headed out because we were late for a meeting.
When I returned home that night, the desk was in the bedroom. Kristina had moved it in by herself. I was flabbergasted, and to this day I don’t know how she discovered the angle and had the strength to maneuver it into the room.
In her fifties, Kristina built a big chicken coop on our side yard. It had taken me and five other men a lot of strain to lift the five hundred pound coop from where she built it to the far side of our backyard. A month later, she wanted me to move the noisy chickens away from our bedrooms. I told her it might be awhile before I could gather enough men to move it.
A few days later, I came home to discover the coop was sitting fifty yards uphill to a shady spot under our pine tree. She had moved it by herself, using round logs and poles. By then I had realized Kristina has a gift for engineering feats and she loves a challenge.
Gary and Marilyn Kinnaman were recently at the Banner University Hospital Heart clinic so Gary could have tests. They asked one of the nurses if she knew Kristina Buckley. The nurse smiled and pulled a tiny cap out of a nearby cart. It was one of the many caps Kristina had knitted for preemie babies at the hospital.
Since her heart transplant, Kristina has backed off most heroic physical feats. She now sews pillow cases for respite residents, quilts for the homeless, and caps for preemies and first responders. She also coordinates a transplant support group. Some of the men swear like sailors on their zoom calls, but it doesn’t faze her.
Kristina and I recently purchased a used dresser and end tables. Our old dresser was too big and bulky for our bedroom, which already has her quilt making machine, an exercise machine, and big bookshelves crowding it.
A strong couple helped me muscle the old dresser into our backyard with a furniture dolly. It sat on our patio like a sulking dinosaur for two weeks. It needed to be moved to our front yard so it could be picked up by the donation truck. I told Kristina I needed at least four men to move it through our backyard to the front.
I came home from my office last week and saw the dresser on the side of our driveway.
“Who came over and moved the dresser?” I asked when I walked into the house.
“I took care of it,” she replied.
“What! All by yourself?”
“Yes. You don’t believe me?”
“I believe you, but how did you do it?”
“I used poles and the dolly.”
I know the building of the pyramids is a mystery, but my wife is often a mystery to me.
She still needs help bringing things she buys in from her car.
She still has constant doctor appointments and health challenges because her immune system is compromised by anti-rejection medications.
She still needs prayer for grace, strength, and encouragement.
However, she has never given up, because she has the resurrection life of Christ inside her. God’s grace is manifest through her in ways that amaze me and make me very thankful.
I have friends who have made their fortunes by investing in real estate that others overlook. I know counselors who untie knots in people’s souls that have been bound up for years. I know pastors who are fruitful because they help broken people find new life in Christ.
These folks all share Kristina’s characteristics. They don’t fear failure. They don’t give up. Where others see trouble, they see potential. What looks to most like a hopeless situation, they see as an opportunity. This kind of faith is a gift from God who makes all things possible.
If you want to enjoy marriage or life, be thankful for what you’ve got, rather than frustrated about what’s not. In time, you too may be surprised by what God reveals and restores.
If you feel stuck between doorways, or have burdens too heavy to lift by yourself, there are people with gifts from God who can help you out. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3), and Jesus gives these treasures to those who seek Him.
The Emerald Isle
I was playing golf one afternoon this summer in Phoenix with Richard and Dan when a monsoon storm approached from the north. Thunder rumbled, lightning bolts shot from dark clouds and strong winds bent the trees. We looked at each other wondering if we should go in for shelter.
“I’m preparing for Ireland,” I told my friends. “I don’t get many chances to play in the wind and rain.” I have been saying that for years, not knowing if I’d ever actually go there.
“I’m good.” Richard reassured us.
Dan played pro football for the Kansas City Chiefs. Richard is my friend and an attorney who loves the Lord. “Do you know what the newspaper headline will say if lightning kills the three of us?” Dan asked. “Two Tears and a Cheer.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I wondered.
“A tear for the pro football player. A tear for the pastor. And a cheer for the attorney!”
That was funnier to me and Dan than to Richard.
A month later, David Stockton invited me and my granddaughter Ava to join his family for a week of ministry in Ireland. David moved to Tipperary, Ireland in August with his wife Brittany and their three daughters for ten months of missions and ministry.
The Stocktons are working with pastor Shaun Alexander at Tipperary Christian Fellowship. Shaun’s wife died from cancer two years ago. David has also been helping a pastor and church near Dublin. The pastor recently resigned after experiencing an emotional breakdown. David wanted me to bring counsel and encouragement to these men and speak to their churches. Ava was invited to bring some joy to the Stockton girls who are adjusting to cold weather and a challenging culture.
Ava flew over and back on her own because of her fall break from school. She brings love and encouragement wherever she goes. I followed three days later, after returning from ministry in Reno. I flew first to Chicago and then took an overnight flight to Dublin. Jet lag, time zone changes, and bringing multiple sermons to a foreign country can stretch my grip on sanity. I get anxious about sleep deprivation on ministry trips, but not so anxious that I will pay double for business class. When we took off, no one was sitting in the two seats next to me, so I felt loved by God as I curled up to get a couple of hours sleep.
At the Tipperary church midweek meeting, three ladies from the church joined the Stocktons, Ava, Shaun, and me. After my teaching and before our prayer time, we discussed how God uses trauma to mold and shape us. Their honesty and vulnerability touched my heart.
I also realized how David and Brittany are laying down their lives to bring people in this small town into God’s kingdom. I thought about my visit with them seven years ago in Belize. David and Brittany have a pattern of working for six years and then taking a sabbatical year to do ministry in another culture. This is their third such missions adventure.
Fourteen years ago, they settled into Gales Point, a small village in Belize and raised up disciples, including a gifted pastor named Kenny. Seven years later, they returned to Dangriga, Belize and connected with young men and women who now serve the Lord faithfully. David and Brittany understand that the fruit we bear in Christ is in proportion to our faith and God’s power, and not dependent on the prominence of the people or place where we serve.
During my visit, we drove on narrow country roads from east to west across southern Ireland. We passed old castles on hillsides and stone churches in villages. Sheep and cows grazed on grassy fields bordered by ancient stone hedges. We passed hundreds of old country farms, but I didn’t see a single broken down truck, car, or tractor rusting in a farm yard.
We returned for a men’s barbeque on a cold night in Tipperary. Before I gave a message, we sang classic rock and worship songs that connected our hearts to the Lord and to each other. I gave each of them one my books. I hope reading how the Lord saved me, will encourage them on their journey with Jesus.
We drove to Naas on the outskirts of Dublin, to meet with the leaders of Hope Church. They are reorganizing their leadership since their pastor stepped down. I talked with them about showing up for each other in times of crisis so their hearts knit together in love. As the Lord unites us, we become a spiritual temple that God inhabits with grace and glory.
On Sunday, I preached to their congregation. Hope Church has members from Romania, South Africa, Lesotho, Nigeria, Australia, Germany, and Ireland. I was amazed by how the Lord had brought them from around the world to form this congregation. They have the culture of God’s kingdom, which incorporates all nations, encompasses every language and values each person.
David and I also walked nine holes of golf on a lush green course in Tipperary. It was a sunny afternoon with no breeze. I don’t regret preparing for the rain, but it reminded me that the trials of life are rarely what we prepare for.
I flew home from Dublin to Phoenix through Dallas. The flight attendant announced that our flight was full so we needed to stow our carry-on bags carefully. As we lifted off through the wind and rain, I marveled at God’s grace. The plane was packed; but again, the two seats next to me were empty. As laid down on the flight home, I thought about the love Ava brings with her, the faith that fills the Stocktons, and the goodness of our Father in Heaven.
The Lord knows how to bless us in ways that reveal his goodness and grace. Obviously, there are times when big things we pray for do not come to pass the way we hope. However, unexpected little gifts of grace can help us to trust God when we don’t understand why things happen the way they do. Life is not luck or accidental, our Father has a purpose in everything.
May you have grace to see God work, enjoy his provision, and continually trust his love for you.
How Not to Save Money
If I wrote a book on “How Not to Save Money,” I would have plenty of personal stories to share. Here is a recent one.
I just returned from a wedding in Montana. I had the privilege to lead a ceremony for a therapist who was marrying a doctor on the border of West Glacier National Park. It was a heavenly scene.
The sun shined like God was smiling on the outdoor pavilion overlooking the forest. The leaves of thousands of trees were turning gold and yellow like the setting sun. The harpist played as the wedding party took their places. The guests laughed and cried during the ceremony and the reception as they heard stories of this romance. It was a special treat for a hundred friends to share in this celebration.
I had flown into Kalispell on Saturday night. It was an $80 Uber ride to my motel room from the airport. On the drive, I had a great talk with the driver about football, fishing, and the Lord. However, to save money, I decided to ask a few people about catching a ride back to the airport the day after the ceremony.
At brunch that morning, I talked with two people who were on my connecting flight through Denver, before they flew to Chicago and I went on to Phoenix. They had room for me, so we agreed to meet at the restaurant at 12:30 for the 45 minute trip. I put my suitcase in the back of their vehicle and then took off on a hike along the Flathead River.
Looking down from a bridge, I saw a school of large trout feeding in the clear water. I found a trail that followed the river bank. The ground was soft, flowers were blooming, and the sun was mellow. I stared up at massive cedar and fir trees as I hiked through the forest. I hoped to bring our family here for a vacation someday. My only regret was that I had to get back in time to catch my ride.
I saw John and Eric in the car when I walked back to the restaurant, so I jumped in with them. We chatted as we waited for John’s wife to finish shopping. I was eager to get going because we had an hour and 45 minutes before our flight departed and a 45 minute drive ahead of us. John drove at a leisurely pace once we got on the road. The mountains were beautiful and our conversation was interesting.
However, I get anxious when I have to check luggage and go through security at an airport on a tight schedule. It is hard for me to “stay in the moment” and enjoy the drive when I am running late. There was traffic and traffic lights in abundance as we approached Kalispell. I finally saw the sign, “Glacier International Airport” and suggested John change lanes to make the turn. What he said surprised me.
“My GPS says we still have another ten miles to go. That is one of those smaller airports. We should be there in 15 minutes.”
I wondered how many international airports they had in this little city. I looked at my phone. It was 1:30, an hour before our departure. I got quiet. They could tell I was anxious and reassured me if we arrived 45 minutes ahead of our flight, we should be fine.
Every time we stopped at a red light, I felt more stress. As we wound our way through small city streets, something didn’t seem right. We finally arrived at a tiny airport. John said “I don’t think this is it. I must have clicked on the wrong airport when my GPS brought them up on the screen.”
Now we were all uptight. John swung the car around and headed back to the airport we had passed earlier. It looked like we would arrive 20 minutes ahead of our flight at best. If I made the flight, I doubted my bag would make it.
John’s wife prayed out loud for the Lord to make a way for us. She needed to get home to take care of her children. I added a weak, “Yes Lord, please.”
I contemplated my dilemma. When we travel together, my family tells me I need to “chill.” They say I take too much control. I try to follow their advice. I try to chill and let others take the lead. So, I didn’t insist we turn in to International Airport when we drove past it the first time. I was trying to chill.
Sometimes when I chill, things don’t go well. That’s what makes me want to take control. When situations look risky, I prefer my leadership and decision making.
As John stepped on the gas and weaved through traffic, I did the math in my head. If I missed the flight, it could cost $1000 to get a hotel and book a new flight to Phoenix the next day. I’d also miss my men’s group the next day.
Before we got to the airport Eric said to me, “You can go first. I don’t have a lot going on tomorrow and it’s not that big a deal if I miss the flight.” He was giving me permission to grab my bag first and run ahead of him. He was not asking to be reimbursed or putting his needs ahead of us. I was convicted by the Spirit.
I’m preaching this Sunday on a passage which includes Philippians 3:3. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.
I have been preaching and teaching the gospel for fifty years. Yet, under pressure, it can be easier for me to put confidence in the flesh than trust the Lord. I often struggle doing the very thing Eric offered me. Those who put the needs of others first, even when it costs them time and money, are serving God by his Spirit. They are living like Jesus.
We arrived at the airport. I grabbed my suitcase and backpack and ran to the ticket counter. We all made the flight along with our luggage. God’s grace was sufficient in spite of my weakness.
In Eric, I had seen an example of faith that stays with me. If our lifestyle matches our theology, then our lives in Christ can be powerful and not just philosophical.
An Anniversary to Remember
I was in Marin County this month to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Church of the Open Door, the first church that grew out of our Jesus People ministry in the Bay Area. We had people fly and drive in from Tanzania, Baltimore, Texas, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and throughout California. It was a blessing to reconnect with friends, some of whom I had not seen for years.
Our first church began in August 1972 in Mill Valley with Bob Hymers, Mike Riley, Roger Hoffman, and a few others from our Bible studies.
We merged all of our ministries together in 1973 and moved the church to San Rafael. In the 1970s, we established Bible studies, discipleship houses, and Christian General Stores in San Rafael, San Francisco, Novato, Petaluma, and Sonoma. Believers came to our stores to purchase books, Bibles, music, church supplies, and to receive counsel and prayer in times of crisis. The stores never made much money, but they impacted thousands of people.
I grew up in the Lord at Solid Rock, one of our twenty- seven discipleship houses in the Bay Area. We held our money and possessions in common and kept our doors open to minister to hitchhikers, new believers, and anyone who wanted to live in a Christ centered community. The police would also drop people off at Solid Rock when the Community of Mental Health facility was full. Those were wild times.
By the 1980s we had planted churches in San Rafael, Novato, San Francisco, Petaluma, Sonoma, Point Reyes, Phoenix, London, Wales, Manila, and Mexico City. Some of our churches reached hundreds of people, others touched thousands. Some are still going today, others have merged or released their members to neighboring congregations.
Kent Philpott and Frank Worthen started a ministry called “Love in Action” to reach homosexuals with the gospel of Christ. This ministry extended from San Francisco to the Philippines. At one time our San Rafael church had over eighty members who had come out of the gay lifestyle and been transformed by Christ.
Each of our churches sponsored missionaries around the world. Living Streams, our church in Phoenix, has given birth to church plants and raised up leaders in Arizona, Mexico, and Belize. Our San Francisco church sent out missionaries who have established over twenty churches in the Philippines.
A couple of nights before our anniversary meetings I had a dream. I saw a man who had been a spiritual leader to me at Solid Rock back in 1971. We both moved to Phoenix in 1984. We talked about planting a church together, but we had some disagreements that divided us. We never reconciled our relationship before he died several years ago.
In my dream, I saw him in heaven. I went up to him and we immediately hugged each other. The presence of Jesus Christ in heaven was so strong that the awkwardness of our past was not an issue. It was like our disagreements had never happened. The love and forgiveness that Jesus had given us both was all that mattered.
When I woke up, I was comforted by the love I felt. I also wished I had made another attempt to reconcile with my friend before he died. We pray the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s will is for us to have unity in Christ. Nothing can interfere with God’s will being done in heaven. We get blessed to the degree that we cooperate with God’s will being done on earth.
What encouraged me in this gathering was the fruitfulness and maturity of my friends. We were once immature young believers; we are now pastors, leaders, business owners, and grandparents.
I saw an ex-drug dealer who now is a financial manager who owns several companies. I saw Ken, once a heroin user who became a physician. I met David, a kid from my Bible Study who became a pastor. Terry, a girl from that Bible study now has eight grown children. Two others from our Bible study became missionaries in Turkey and the Czech Republic. Kevin, a once demonized young man became an RN. Gay, a lady whose daughter had died became a missionary. Kai, one of our elders, now leads marriage ministries in San Diego. Jack came down from Oregon where he serves a large rescue mission. Five of our pastors are now serving churches in other denominations.
The point of any church or movement is not to contain the people for life. The point is to equip people and release them to serve the Lord wherever he opens doors for them. We are all called to use our gifts to expand God’s kingdom, which is bigger than any local church or denomination. The kingdom of God is destined to fill the earth with his glory.
We had a slide show with our pictures from the ’70s and -’80s, when the ladies were beautiful and the guys were strong. We also had a roll of over 175 names of people from our churches who are now in heaven. Since we will all be joining that list before too long, making good use of our time now is critical.
Any group of people who commit their lives to Jesus and serve him together can see God work in amazing ways over time. It takes commitment and sacrifices to obey the Lord and keep loving one another. However, after over fifty years, I still think following Jesus and helping others become his disciples is the best investment we can make with our lives. A
An Amazing Matriarch
My mother, Roberta Buckley, died at 97 on July 12. I was able to have dinner with her and pray with her several times when I was on a ministry trip to California in June. She had been getting weaker, but she still loved life and enjoyed a constant stream of visitors to her home. A few weeks later, her internal organs began to fail.
I flew in the day before she died. All that day and the next morning her eight children, their spouses, and many of her 35 grandchildren and great grandchildren came into her bedroom to hug and kiss her and thank her for the love she gave them. We cried because it was hard for us to let her go.
My mother went to work full time as a social worker after our dad left her in 1969. The clients she served reminded her of the challenges she faced at home. She retired after 20 years and dedicated the rest of her life to serving, loving, and providing for our family.
She competed at bridge with friends and enjoyed meals and movies, but her biggest joy was giving attention to whoever wanted to talk with her. Her superpower was caring deeply about people. She knew people open their hearts to those who care about them.
In John 15, Jesus said we glorify God when we bear much fruit. He also said, we will all be fruitful if we simply abide in him. My mom had eight children because the Catholic Church taught that it was pleasing to God to skip birth control and have as many children as God provided. As a new Catholic, she obeyed this teaching and one child followed another.
When my dad left her, she felt profound rejection. She didn’t know what she had done wrong. She thought God and the church had let her down. I tried to assure her many times that it was not her fault her husband left. He was searching for meaning, purpose and fun and losing his soul with other women in the process. He left his faithful wife and big family and ended up profoundly depressed.
My mother was forty-five years old, beautiful and intelligent, but she felt like a failure. In her pain, she continued to do the right things. She worked hard as a social worker. She opened her home to our friends as well as hitchhikers we brought by. She cooked, cleaned, and tried to support her children as we navigated through the turbulent times of the 60s and 70s.
Most of her children began to open their lives to Christ starting with me in 1970. Our Father in Heaven began to heal our hearts and help us love and forgive one another. Even our dad accepted Christ before he died in 2003. Our family went from being a mess to being blessed. My mom lived long enough to see God’s grace manifest in the lives of her children. Her later years were full of joy.
Our family has been rocked by death, disease, divorce, and dysfunction at various times. But we have also experienced resurrection grace. In our midst we had a mother who loved and prayed for each of us, no matter how messed up we were at the time. She took the long view. She couldn’t fix us, but she knew her role was to keep loving, serving, and accepting us. She trusted God to do the rest.
I saw her cry many times, but I never heard her swear even once. However, if she drank too much, she might say mean things. Like all Christians, she was saved by the grace of God which comes through Jesus Christ, not her own perfection.
The morning after mom’s death, I woke up early and was very sad as I sat at her kitchen table. My mother had lived in that house for 68 years and now she was gone. I opened my Bible at random to Isaiah 64:1. “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down…” I felt heaven in that moment. I could sense mom’s spirit and the presence of the Lord as I gazed into the open room. For a few seconds, the Holy Spirit pushed away the separation between heaven and earth. I know she is alive with the Lord.
Jesus said, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4).
Don't Take it Personally
Don't Take it Personally
I left a voicemail for someone I love a while ago and didn’t hear back from him. I sent a text and got no reply either. I thought, “Next time he calls me, maybe I won’t answer so he can see how it feels.”
I found out that he and his wife and daughter had all come down with COVID. Several days later, we talked and I found out there were other issues as well. I was reminded that we never fully understand what is happening in other people’s lives, or their motives. We make assumptions and judgements which can be way off.
I get mixed responses when I leave messages for people. Most call or text me back, but there are some who never respond. I get disappointed when I don’t get a response, especially when I love the person I’m trying to connect with.
To help process my frustration and practice forgiveness, I think about the reasons I have not responded to those who reach out to me. I have five email accounts, but only two I use on a regular basis. I use the other accounts when I need to sign up or log in to sites which may not keep my email private. If I get a message on one of those accounts, I may never see it.
I reply to most email quickly, but serious inquiries require longer responses, so I may put an important message off until later. The next day brings a new set of challenges and I may forget to respond to the heartfelt message from the day before.
The same thing happens with voicemail. I have voicemail at our home, my office and on my cell. If a voicemail is left on a day when I have many appointments, or a crisis, I may never listen to it.
I also get messages on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, LinkedIn, and our MarkBuckleyMinistries.com web site. I’m not diligent about checking those connection points.
So, I try to give people grace when I leave a message and never hear back from them. That said, the younger generation is less likely to respond to messages unless you happen to reach out to them on their preferred communication platform. A voicemail is not their preferred platform.
When I advise pastors, I tell them the older generation expects a timely response when they leave a message. To ignore their message is poor customer service. Even through members of their congregations are not customers, they should be treated better than a good business treats its customers. After all, don’t they support your ministry and aren’t we supposed to love one another?
In 1969, I invited a couple over for dinner with me and my roommate. I fixed a special meal and had it all ready to eat at 6:00 PM. I was really hungry after a long day. When they didn’t show up by 6:30, I figured they forgot about my invitation, so my roommate and I sat down at the kitchen table and ate the whole meal.
By 7:00 PM, we were just kicking back when there was a knock on our door. I opened the door and saw the couple standing there with flowers. “What happened to you guys? I expected you at 6:00?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” The lady asked, “You told us to come for dinner at 7:00, don’t you remember?”
I invited them in. We made room at the kitchen table and put their flowers on it. As I carried our dirty dishes into the sink, I realized it was my mistake. Now the food was all gone and the kitchen was a mess. Because it was 1969 and I smoked many things, I forget how the evening ended up. But I never forgot the feeling of letting my friends down.
I have done pastoral counseling for the past fifty years. There have a few times over the years that I have been home and received a call from our office that an appointment had arrived and was waiting for me. I would scramble to get dressed, jump in my car and dash to our office. After profusely apologizing for being late, I would promise myself to never do that again.
There was a gifted young worship leader on our church staff who made an appointment with me a few years ago which I completely forgot. She left the office after I never showed up and politely informed me afterwards. I usually put appointments in my phone calendar, but I had not set an alert to remind me.
After I apologized, we rescheduled for the following week. This time, we asked Faith Cummings, our woman’s pastor, to join us as well. When the day came, I forgot our appointment again. When I didn’t show up, they called to find out where I was. I couldn’t believe it. I went from forgetting an appointment once every several years, to forgetting twice in a row with the same person.
I asked for forgiveness when I showed up late, but their conversation was over by then. I honestly said I was very sorry. I was also embarrassed because my actions said, “You don’t matter to me”, which was not true.
Rejection is sometimes real. There are some people who don’t want us involved in their lives. We all have some relationships we would not have chosen and others we wish we were closer. Whether you are a parent, a businessman, a mentor or a friend, you can’t always pick and chose those who will be close to you. Not everyone wants to share their life with us. If people can chose to pursue, or reject a relationship with our loving God, we should expect some folks will keep us at a distance as well.
There is also an evil one who wants to divide us from one another. Satan wants us to take actions or hold resentments which will create walls of hostility and destroy our relationships. The scripture says, “Anyone you forgive, I also forgive…in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (II Cor. 2:10-11).
Every friend and family member will disappoint us. We let each other down because we all fall short in our relationships. At times we feel like others don’t care for us. We get offended and pull away from them to protect our hearts from more disappointment. However, those feelings may be an overreaction.
Since we all offend each other at times, if we act on those feelings we distance ourselves from those who are important in our lives. Practicing love and forgiveness is essential for a servant of Christ. Love and forgiveness are the mortar mix between the building blocks for our families and the house of God.
Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Jesus was the one who initiated relationships. He is the one who reached out first and often. He is the one who loved his disciples by serving, encouraging and forgiving them. He told us to do the same with one another. He said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).
Thankful to be Alive
Our family gathered in Terra Linda to celebrate my mother, Roberta Buckley’s, 97th birthday this month. We stood in a big circle as several of her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren spoke of their love for her. She was smiling as we told stories. My mom loves a good party.
We then prayed together and shared a feast prepared by our sister Susan.
The woman who served us all is now being served. Our mother, the caregiver, now has a caregiver. We all watch over the one who watched over us.
I told a friend about my mom’s 97th birthday and he asked, “What is the secret of her success?”
“She still enjoys life.” I said.
She is thankful to be alive and shows interest in the life of anyone who visits her.
One way we can praise God is to be thankful for our lives. We all have a mixture of pleasure and pain each day. If we obsess about our pain, it takes the pleasure out of life. If we are thankful for our lives, we are showing appreciation for Jesus, who is the author of life.
My granddaughter Ava and I took my mom for a walk down the block and back one afternoon. She walks slowly these days, but she has no complaints.
She has had great pain in her soul over the years. (I caused some of her pain when I was a teenager, and my brothers and sisters added their own issues to our mom’s heartaches.) However, pain does not define her; in the end it only refined her. She has lived long enough to see the lives of her children transformed. We now all bless the woman who has been a blessing to us.
I preached on Easter in San Rafael and the following Sunday in Novato. My mom was at both services, worshiping, laughing, and pondering the sermons. She never wants to miss church when her son is preaching.
In my last message, I included a story about preaching in San Francisco at the Open Door Church in the late 1980’s. At the end of that sermon years ago, I asked those who wanted to give their lives to Christ and receive forgiveness for their sins to raise their hands. Several people raised their hands. I noticed one skinny arm in particular, which brought me great joy.
Cecily Matthews, my 80 year old grandmother, had joined me for the service. As a toddler, I used to repeat Grandma’s swear words. She taught me to play poker as a child. She took me to Reno on a gambling trip when I was ten years old. I went to Europe with her when I was thirteen and we drank Scotch together before going to bed many nights. That Sunday morning in San Francisco, she raised her hand to give her life to Christ. And I never heard her curse again.
Cecily was my mother’s mother. She is in Heaven now. It is never too late to give your life to Christ. It is never too late to be thankful for your life.
I was sitting in the balcony at Living Streams one Sunday. The sanctuary below me was packed with people. A man sitting across from me kept saying “Amen”. I wondered what was up with him.
After the service, I approached him and he told me his story. He was fighting cancer that had spread in his body. He came to Living Streams and two men on our facility crew had prayed with him and gave him a Bible. For the first time in his life he knew he was going to Heaven. He was saying “Amen” because he was so thankful the Lord had forgiven his sins. He was thankful for each day he could still be alive.
We all have prayers that have not yet been answered. We all have pain which has not yet been healed. One day, every tear will be wiped away and all our pain will end in the presence of the Lord. Until then, if we are thankful for each day, we are showing the one who created us our appreciation for the gift of life. Thankfulness is a great way to praise the Lord.
Amen.