Our Neighborhood

Today, Pastor Jerry Morris from Salem Oregon spoke to my church. Jerry is a dear friend who while in Lompoc (pastoring the Nazarene church for 14 years)  partnered with me on many events, ministries and most of all, supporting other pastors in town. Our churches even did community outreach together and one Pentecost Sunday, we swaped pulpits. We all need running partners in life and ministry and Jerry is one of mine. We also can never discount our ability to add to another persons ministry – I add to Jerry’s and he adds to mine.

His message to us today was:

• Jesus left heaven to come to our neighborhood – Our Savior came to us. John Chapter One.
• Jesus modeled neighborhood ministry – we too are to love our neighbor. Our neighbor is anyone we can add value to.
• What would happen if your church was taken out? Would anyone miss your church. Jerry encouraged our church and even did research to find out all the community and worldwide things we do to add value. His heart was filled with encouragement and even emotion at times as he reminded us what God’s church is to be doing.
• If we don’t reach our community and simply get filled with self and or grow inward, we are simply a shadow of what Jesus intended.

We will heed Jerry’s words and keep going and growing in reaching our neighbors for Jesus.

Who needs you as neighbor?

Let’s serve with the attitude and heart of Christ,

Pastor Bernie

Generosity at the Heart of Who We Are And In All We Do.

I am convinced that God has called LFC to be a generous church and last week we lived up to that calling by giving more than $ 16,000 for Haiti disaster relief. This was all the monies given in all three services – our generous church council decided to give the entire offering to Haiti relief and to trust God that in the next two weeks we would receive enough to take care of this months budget. God is faithful and we cannot out-give Him. We also had over 20 people sign up to be included in our list of those who might actually go and provide assistance in the next 60 – 90 days in conjunction with Foursquare Missions. There is nothing certain about these teams, but once again, these people signing up remind me of the heart of our church. This past Tuesday night, our church council and I were at the Lompoc City Council meeting, where our Police Chief, Tim Dabney, presented us with a plaque and thanked us for being a “servant church, making a difference in our community.” We assisted the Lompoc Police Department during their annual car show and helped them raise 25,000 dollars for Special Olympics. Our team of 125 volunteers did everything from organize and run the silent auction, to all the concessions and hotdogs, children’s games, check-in of the cars and clean us. We even helped run the cruise night. This morning, I had the joy of joining with some of our staff as we attended the Lompoc Valley Middle School Awards Assembly, Mr. Erik Trigueiro, the school principal honored us and presented us with a plaque. In case you do not know, before the school year, LFC provided the school with a video center with large screen and surround sound, Wii Game systems, furnishings, assisted their art students in making banners for the room and provided the graphic logo and more for their after-school room. It is pretty sweet to say the least. This is the heart of LFC and it is what we do. Thank you LFC for giving from the heart and being generous. Thank you for allowing us to reach out with God’s love beyond our walls. In 1st Corinthians, Paul tells the Macedonians that just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (1 Cor. 8:7) These Macedonians gave “out of their lack.” They did not have much, but chose to be generous.

Dr. Steve McSwain, author of The Giving Myths, says… “The Macedonians had every reason to quarantine the meager resources they did have. Instead, however–and this is what shocked Saint Paul–their generosity was outlandish…. Just as in Macedonia, this kind of outlandish generosity exists today… it isn’t because of sermons on tithing or the pulpit scolding of those who do not give. If your interest is in growing a spiritually healthy church, motivation for giving must come from somewhere other than guilt for not giving or shame for giving too little.”

 

We have simply modeled generosity with our church budget and our church leadership has modeled generosity and service. We have celebrated the wins together and God has opened more and more doors for us to give and serve from a heart of generosity and we have seized opportunities – this has created a church culture of generosity and increase our influence. Personally, we too have reasons to keep our finances, time, gifts and talents to ourselves. Collectively, as a church, we have reasons to keep our funds here (not many churches would give the entire Sunday offering to help those in need). It is that we have determined to be a generous church – It is God’s way for us. On another note: Yesterday we kicked off our small groups, we ladies study in the morning, and six different small group experiences last night and some others on Tuesday and tonight. I enjoyed greeting people as the showed up with bibles and notebooks and some with guitars (for our beginning guitar small group). Some groups still have room, so contact the church office to find out how you might get connected. Come to think of it, the only way we do small groups is due to the generosity of the leaders who are willing to serve or facilitate. We have some other groups coming up to assist you in getting to know the heart and vision of LFC and even discover your gifts and even our Joining the Family Class.

February 17 & 24 is our Doing Church as a Team – class.

March 3rd, March 10th and March 17th, is our Discovering My Design – class.

Wednesday, March 24 & 31 is our Joining the Family class.
Some have signed up for this entire track of classes and I encourage you to do so, especially if God has called you to make LFC your home church. If you are newer to LFC or just getting on board, we are doing some great things and making an impact for Jesus.

Thanks LFC, for living heart-first.
Pastor Bernie

Compassion for Those Who Need Comfort

We are all aware of the devastation to those impacted by the Earthquake in Haiti. It seems as if prayer is not enough – though it is the best thing we can do. In moments like these we need to be moved with compassion, even though this did not happen on our soil and in most cases not to someone we know. People who love God and know God are people who need to pray and act.

2 Corinthians 1: 3 & 4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (NIV)

Our Father is filled with compassion and has helped us so we can in turn help others. Comforted to comfort! And by praying and giving we can provide comfort. We are not saying prayer and giving dollars – we are extending our hearts! We are called to do so – because of this calling, we will pray this Sunday and we will give together. A portion of our regular tithes and offerings this Sunday and any designated giving to Haiti will go to assist in the first wave of relief.

Words cannot begin to describe the destruction that the 7.0 scale earthquake has caused in the island nation of Haiti, and especially its hard-hit capital, Port-au-Prince.
In many areas nothing is left but widespread devastation. The major infrastructure has been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are expected to be dead. Survivors are in shock and wandering the streets, homeless, hungry and hopeless. Haiti needs massive amounts of prayers, supplies to care for the millions of people affected from the quake. Lompoc Foursquare has and will continue to be a generous church. One of our Church Council members, Bill Prenot wrote me and said: “Each time we reach out to share in blessing others in need, God has filled us back with abundance.” I agree with Bill and I will personally come ready to give my offering this Sunday, I hope and pray you will join me.
I have been doing some research and found three areas in which we can divide our giving:

• Foursquare Relief: We have our own Foursquare Missionaries in Haiti and neighboring Dominican Republic. As a denomination we are linking together in prayer and giving to Haiti relief. Foursquare is also working on sending teams to assist; if you have skills and the right heart and temperament, email us and we will get information to you.

• World Vision: Is doing excellent work in Haiti already and will continue to assist.

• Direct Relief International: Out of Goleta which has and is sending medical supplies to the region.
Let us be a part of this first and second wave of giving to this land that is such desperate need and let us continue to pray and give in the future. Conditions that were always desperate in Haiti are now life-threatening on an unprecedented scale. This will be a long process for a country that already has so little.

We will keep you updated on this in the weeks ahead and LFC will be a great place to give thru should you choose.

I am mindful of Jesus’ heart of compassion.

Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (NIV)

Jesus, pour out your compassion on the world.
Touch hearts so that they might give and serve.
Provide your peace and comfort to those hurting and hopeless.
Provide comfort for those trapped by rubble or trapped by despair.
Help us to be your heart and hands extended. Amen.

I am grateful for a church called Lompoc Foursquare.

Much Love,

Pastor Bernie

Grace and Gratitude

Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day

I am so grateful for the dedication of so many people who make LFC what it is – but above all for God! His presence changes everything and is the powerful force that draws us close. This past Sunday as we worshipped I turned to see several people, men and woman, weeping quietly but being deeply impacted by God’s presence. Sunday night, the same experience happened as our church sanctuary was full for a Night of Celebration. It was very moving and joy-filled time. God is reminding us time and time again, that He has a very real reason for LFC being here and growing and impacting out community. Sunday was one of our higher AM attendances on a normal day in the history of our church.
This Monday night our “feeding team’ served over 70 people a warm meal and provided them with essentials for their lives as well – but most of all some great heart-felt service and a touch of God’s love. We’re grateful for this church family that year-after-year gives sacrificially, serves wholeheartedly, and selflessly dedicates their time and talents to our church and into this community. We couldn’t do all that we do without you and your gifts! We wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving holiday filled with God’s presence. If you are spending the day with others, make sure they know the extent to which you are GRATEFUL for them. Go and tell them and while you are at it – lift your voice and tell God.
Pastor Bernie
(below I have compiled some thoughts on gratitude – read on)

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2 Corinthians 4:15

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (NIV)

Gratitude

Thanksgiving is deeply connected to God’s work of grace in the lives of more and more people. It is the very thing that is happening at LFC. It is what drives LFC! What thrills us to gratitude and causes us to smile deeply – it is what God is doing in the lives of people and their growing encounter with His grace.

This gratitude is more than saying, “Thank you,” when someone gives you something. Gratitude is more than an action which we decide to do by an act of will power. It You can say the words, “thank you,” when there is not gratitude in your heart at all. What it takes to turn the words, “thank you,” into gratitude is the real genuine feeling of gratitude. Gratitude is (as we discussed Sunday) an intentional heart that is ready to applaud before the concert starts, or even if the concert is cancelled. It cannot be willed into existence directly if it is not there. If you give a child some underwear for Christmas, he may say, “Thank you,” because it is the right thing to do or because his parents are standing nearby. But the spontaneous feeling of gratitude will probably not be there, like it would be if you gave him a new cell phone, video game or 1,000 dollars in cash money. Gratitude rises in our hearts, as a form of delight. It is intentional and purposeful.

The Link Between Grace and Gratitude

In our verse, gratitude grows in the context of grace – gratitude is a response to grace. Paul says the purpose of his grace-spreading ministry is for God’s sake. “It is all for your sake, so that as grace spreads to more and more people it may increase gratitude to the glory of God.

All of Paul’s work for the gospel, and ours is about expanding and extending grace to others. But it flows out of our recognition of the grace of Jesus Christ. The reason so many people have issues with being grateful is that they have not fully discovered grace. Christian gratitude is joy directed toward Jesus for His grace.  It is deeply connected to grace but is expressed toward God and His glory. What God is doing in your life, right now, His touch, His work is cause for gratitude and an expressed heart to the glory of God and not your own. It is a person who says: “Lord I am grateful for your touch on my life, but I am also grateful for you, even if you don’t touch me – you have done enough already!” It is a person who says: “Lord thank you for allowing me to serve you. Lives are being changed by your grace. But it is not me doing the work, it is you! And I give YOU all the glory for it.”

Gratitude is joy toward God for his grace.

Gratitude is expressing all thankfulness for the glory of God.

Hudson Taylor, who endured great hardships and tragedies in his lifelong mission work in China, said when he was old, “I never made a sacrifice.” What he meant was that along the path of self-denying service you experience so much joyful gratitude for God’s sustaining grace that, whatever you forsake to buy that pearl, it is as if there were no sacrifice at all. Therefore, a life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are always the same life. And what makes them one is gratitude.

Go for being grateful and have a blessed Thanksgiving.

I hope to see you soon and know my life is better because you are in it,

Pastor Bernie

 

 

 

 

 

God Gets the Last Word

Who is right? Who is wrong? Who is confused and lost?

With some many words in print, on blogs, on the air waves and piped through cables – is anyone listening to the real word?

Tommy Walker is a great singer/ songwriter and worship leader and also a friend, who helps me worship and at times I can simply get away with one of his songs. The words below are from one such song that reminds me today, God gets the last word!

Your Word Will Be The Last Word

Your word will be the last word
Your promises will stand forevermore
Man’s thoughts and plans,
They will come to an end but
Your word will be the last word

Your word says I’m forgiven
Your covenant says You will always be with me
Though some may scoff and write me off
Your word will be the last word

Your word, it is my guiding light
It comforts me when in the deepest, darkest night
Troubles come and go but in my heart I’ll always know
Your word will be the last word

Bridge:
Man in all his wisdom and all his foolish pride
Puts his hope in only things he can see with his eyes
Claiming to be wise, they became as fools instead
But Lord I’m banking all my faith on the
Truths of what You’ve said

Hearts of Then are Hearts of Today

Scripture:
Acts 28: 25 – 31
“The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
” ‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

28″Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”[b]

30For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Observation:    
After Paul’s next journey at sea – Paul is reminded of the words of Isaiah in regards to hearts. Calloused, door locked hearts. But if, people turn to God, just begin to turn to Him – He can repair their hearts and provide salvation.

Application:
We cannot give up on the hard hearted. We must keep praying and believing for their salavtion. In the parable of the soil and seed – Jesus reminds us that only one out of four of the soils ever allows the seed to take hold and then grow into fruition. This passage reminds us that even hard soil (hard heart) can change and become furtile ground allowing salvation in. For often we have said ONE IN FOUR takes hold but todays scripture reminds us that even the hard heart (hard soil) can turn and we realize a greater return for our evangelism and ministry. Don’t give up – don’t stop going – preaching – sharing and loving out loud. People need the Lord.

Prayer:
God help us to go your way – even if our path, like Paul’s journer looks stormy or dangerous. God give us the courage to continue to preach your word, share our faith and look for your heart, pressing upon hard hearts. May we see your work and partner with you and never give up. Salvation is here! Amen

How is it Going?

As we continue in our Sunday teachings on Moving From Overload - I was wondering how you are really doing. Someone said: “Talk is Cheap and Sermons are Free!” It is putting our talk and the messages we hear into action and that is the hardest thing to do. It’s hard to move from just talking to doing. Making change is not easy and often met with resistance. Believe me, I have had enough ‘push back’ given to me to last me the rest of my life. But I am guilty of it also. I push back on the things God is telling me to do, I push back when I attempt to change my schedule a bit or even change how I do things. But I am changing and not wanting my talk to be cheap but my actions to be right.

Why is it so hard to change? Because comfort is the haven of most American Christianity. We have lost the sense of discomfort that comes with saying yes to the Lord and the changes He desires for our life. True faith is filled with impositions. It’s just not convenient to truly follow God and obey the scriptures. It is not easy to put into practice the things we learn in the word. Recently someone told me they are going to a church whose motto is LIVING OUT THE WORD. After I commended them for going to church, I asked them how it was going? They said, ‘great!’ So I asked how they were doing with living the ‘Living out the Word’ mantra. They thought a moment and said: ‘horrible.’ I wonder how many people who attend that church really know what the heart and calling of that church is.  But is it not all of our callings. We are to life after God and His ways and being interrupted is a surefire sign you are being directed and led by the Holy Spirit. Making course corrections in your life is a sign the scriptures are being lived out, day by day. God’s leading often can take us through the painful as well.

It takes a strong heart of faith to face up to the fact that God guides our journey through many ups and downs and even into times where people hurt us deeply and even lie to our face or behind our back. Even in those times, God guides us more than we think and we must press into Him and His word. He is there and often we don’t know it.

So, how are you doing? How is it going?
Are you living out the word? Are you making the change necessary to move forward in faith? Is your faith changing the way you live?

Someone has written a simple test for our faith:
Has my faith changed the way I use my time lately?
Has it changed my life goals?
Has it changed how I treat others?
Has it caused me to change the way I treat others when they inconvenience me?
Has it caused me to change my choices?
Has it changed the way I use my money and how I give to God?
Has it changed what I think or talk about?”
Has it caused me to put others first with a smile?
Has it caused me to quickly discover when I manipulate others?
Has my faith caused me to serve others and become generous?
Try these on for size. You may find that your faith has not marked your life as much as you think. You may find there are some ‘horrible’ places in you too.
Let’s try and develop a faith that doesn’t seek convenience, prosperity, self-comfort, or ease. A faith that doesn’t have hidden agendas in relationships of manipulation or self-gain. Go for the change – Go with God.

Changing for the better – hopefully,

Pastor Bernie

Connections Building

I am grateful to our Lord and our church for the the growth we have seen and the generous hearts that have allowed us to add more place and space to our campus. Our connections building is getting so many positive comments from neighbors, those passing by and those from LFC. Without your commitment to pray, give, serve, work (lots of work days have been held) we could not be where we are. And though we still need some additional funding – all you see has been done debt free! It really is amazing. LFC leadership has modeled what it is like to live within your means and not overextend. We have only had (during my 23 years of leadership) one loan and that was for our first build on the sanctuary. It was a 15 year loan we paid off in 9 years. Today, we are debt free and give away over 25 % of our income to ministry beyond our walls. We still hear great comments about how the local church in our town, which we were part of, gathered together to provide the city of Lompoc with the 4th of July Fireworks Show. We still hear great comments about the Special Olympics Car Show and Cruise Night we are so involved in and more. What a church – living out the Word and living heart first. We are loving out loud!

Our connections building will be done soon and we will hold an OPEN HOUSE – looking forward to sharing it all with you.

God’s best,

Pastor Bernie

Remembering September 11th

I watched this morning as once again names were read of the fallen from 9-11. It was hard for me to get my mind around it being eight years ago. As the images of that horrible day replayed in my head, I thought still of the fact that 11 people (or more) were willing to die for falsehood when so many of us are simply not willing to live for the truth. People willing to sacrifice their lives to kill others, when the church often misses opportunity to share life with their neighbors.
We need to pause and honor the fallen, and honor the brave men and woman who ‘went in’ while others were running out. Those who sutied up and volunteered to defend our country and serve our land even after knowing the power and hateful hearts of the terroist enemies who lurked. I want to honor those men and women today. Not just those who fell in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, but those who have fallen since that day in pursuing those who would strike terror into the hearts of, not just Americans, but people everywhere.

Let us pray, let us remember and let us serve.

God is Faithful – We must Follow

Scripture:

Jeremiah 44: 7 – 10
“Now this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant? 8 Why provoke me to anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations on earth. 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your fathers and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? 10 To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your fathers.

Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.(NIV)

Observation:
Today’s bible reading starts with Jeremiah assuring God that he will speak all the things the Lord gives to Him and make sure the people hear. In his understanding of what God is saying, Jeremiah reminds Israel of their past and the provoking of God that they and their ancestors have done. Why do it again? Why make God mad by not following His decrees and laws.

Application:
The word humility leaps off the page at me. It is in humility (to this day they have not humbled themselves) that God is obeyed. It is in our submission to His will and way that He is revered. It is easy to move into our own pathway while He sets wisdom and life before us. It is easy to be prideful and think we know best when He has placed warnings in front of us, even reminding us of our and our ancestors wrong doings. May I focus on the Lord today in all I do and remember: He is forever and ever and that God will be our guide to the end – a guide we must follow.

Prayer:
Lord, give me with courage to follow you and the strength to say ‘NO’ to myself and my ways but putting you and your ways first. May I be found humble before you!
Amen.