Pastor Randy

The Spider

     Okay, I was up at 4:00am watching the financial reports, reading a book a buddy named Ron gave me called Half Time and pouring my first cup of addiction from San Luis Obispo’s fine coffee company.  As I was pouring my coffee, I noticed a small spider hanging out in the sink, next to my coffee pot.  After watching this little critter try & get out of his predicament, I turned the water on and drained him down, if you will.  Oh, about 20 minutes later, I proceeded to the kitchen to grab my second cup and low-in-behold, there that spider was, resolved to not only get out of the sink, but to live.  As you might imagine, I washed him down again.  Well, this went on three, four times - over the span of a few hours.  On my last cup of coffee, my fourth, I poured him down again and left the house to walk along the beach, to spend some time praying for my wife, kids, the ministry, etc.  When I came home to rinse out my last cup of coffee, you guessed it, the spider was back out of the drain staring me in the face with a resolve, “…I’m going to beat you!”  Well, since I’m not a real fan of spiders, I put him out of his misery and mine (you see, I would have dreams tonight that the little spider that I didn’t take out was going to make it to our bedroom and get the last laugh with a bite on my nose - you know what I mean…)!

    As I thought about this crafty critter, I began to see the parallel of how sin continues to rear its ugly head to not only control us, but to also destroy us.  In all reality, my spider this morning wasn’t poisonous; however, you never know what he had in mind.  Now, Satan is referred to, among many things, as a roaring lion seeking to and fro for whom he may devour.  If you’ll allow me a different metaphor for a moment (thanks…): sin is like a spider (forgive me if you like spiders…) - poisonous with a propensity destroy the believer every time unless it is put to death.  Paul wrote to the church at Rome that as believers we are to put to death sin and put on Jesus (paraphrased).  You see, if we don’t put to death sin, it will come back, just like my little spider this morning, and rear its ugly head with one goal in mind: your death!

    So, what does all this mean?  Go and take out as many spiders as you can…no, not really.  Rather, as believers, may we have David’s heart for the Lord to search our heart to determine if any wicked way (…spider…) is present, have Him remove that and give us the propensity to depend upon that Holy Spirit of promise within us that He might create that special people, His holy nation…to proclaim His amazing wonders!

Pastor Randy

A River of Impossibility

     Some of my fondest memories in Youth Ministry was taking my kids White Water River Rafting down the American South Fork in Central California.  On numerous occasions, we would load the youth in vans and drive the eight hours necessary to enjoy our retreats.  On one of our trips, the river was bulging to a level 4 and we warned the kids to be careful.  You see, a level 4 could bring serious harm if we weren’t sensitive to the water’s power and strength.  Well, as you might suspect, a young man named Chris, our perpetual goof-ball, began to mess around at the exact wrong time.  As we were heading down a large water fall and entering what they called Devil’s Turnpike - into the water Chris went.  I’ll never forget the look on his white spooked face- a look of fear & I’ll never goof off again if you just save me!  The story ended well, my friend & youth counselor Gary, hoisted Chris back into the raft & gave him a good ol’ Australian lecture. 

     The other morning, I was reading in the book of Joshua, chapter three.  The Priests were instructed by Joshua to step into a bulging river; the Jordan River.  At this time of the season, this Jordan River became a River of Impossibility.  Specifically, the river was at the very least a level 4 and without Divine intervention, the Children of Israel could in no way enter the Promised Land.  You see, Joshua, the Priests and some 2 million Israelites had to trust the Lord, relinquish human reason & understanding and simply rest in the promise that God had already given them the land.  Their role: believe!  And, guess what?  God delivered, just like He did for them the previous forty years in the wilderness and now they were able to enter from an Impossibility to a Land of Possibility, if you will, a land of Great Promise.

     Likewise, today you may be faced with an impossibility.  That river called life is not only a level 4, it is crashing in on you like never before!  And, you need Divine Intervention and help or else, you’ll succumb to drowning.  Listen closely: just like the Israelites were confronted with an impossibility and exampled faith for us, you too must rest in His promise, relinquish your human reason and understanding & watch the Lord part your personal river in a most intimate way.  Be comforted that God is the Philippines 4:19 Deliverer and as you trust Him to take your River of Impossibility into His hands, He will be to you that Ephesians 3:20 Savior He loves to be!

     May the Lord bless you today as you seek to bring Him Glory with your life!

 Pastor Randy

Glory In This!

I’m at my home on Monday morning, listening on line to the Memorial Service for Christopher Laurie who was taken home to heaven on July 24th, 2008 (It’s amazing…check it out: www.harvest.org).  My heart is so blessed, so full of emotion, flooded with sorrow & joy for the Laurie’s…it is really hard to articulate in words!  As I’m listening to the music, the tributes, and the blessings we have in our Lord, I’m reminded of the thus saith the Lord in Jeremiah 9:24 which says, “But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I Am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight!”  What strikes me about this is very simple: Christopher Laurie understood and knew Him & because of that, the Laurie family will be reunited with their precious son & brother someday, Brittnay will be reunited with her husband and Stella will be able to hug her daddy again…all because Christopher understood and knew Him.  Now - understood, the reunion will be totally different and beyond our understanding, however, it will happen and it will happen in a totally amazing & blessed way!

The application for us removed, at least physically, from the Laurie’s is also simplistic in nature, yet profound in reality: may we remember our lives are a shadow, a blade of grass that is here and gone & may we as a people who love God solely glory in this: that we understand and know Him!  You see, death is an eye opener, no question about it!  And in this eye opener, may we hit our knees and praise and glorify our most precious God, through our Savior Jesus Christ as we are moved by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  And further, may we take this truth we’ve been given and share this Love Story everywhere we go!  Lord bless your day…

Pastor Randy

The Art of Whittling

Have you ever tried to write down your thoughts on a piece of paper with a dull pencil?  Or, enter a purchase amount in your check register with a pencil that needs to be sharpened?  I have - seriously, and it really irritates me…especially when I’m in a hurry.  This morning, I was up early checking out the Dow Jones Futures, having my morning coffee with my Bible reading the Book of Nahum (the TV was off as I read my Word - I know what you’re thinking!).  As I sat on our couch here in Morro Bay, it dawned on me that formality, ritual and the quest to get a head start on my day has dulled, rounded and blunted my morning & probably my entire day…just like a dull pencil.  Ouch!

A dear friend of mine named Brad Hirst gave me an article from J. Vernon McGee entitled, “Whittling Your Life.”  Brad knows my propensity to accomplish, my Triple A personality that barrels through life with a reckless abandonment and a desire to check off my daily to-do list that defines my existence.  Nevertheless, the article has a quote that really nailed me.  It says, “In this day, whittle down your life, as you would whittle down a pencil, until you can write with it.  Our lives are very complicated, so just keep whittling.” 

As I’ve thought through this, it dawned on me that the Lord is telling me to slow down, be still and know He’s God and to whittle my life down to what is important.  My two favorite men in the Bible seemingly mastered this art.  And by the way, by God’s strength and Spirit, they accomplished much Kingdom Fruit during their time on this earth. 

• David - Psalm 5:3 = In the morning, David, with a flute, sought the heart of God
• Paul - Philippians 3:10 = At the end of Paul’s life, he had a passion to know Him

Wow, what legacies these saints left for us to bask in!  You see, if I am understanding this correctly, both David and Paul went to that secret place to be sharpened spiritually so that they might leave a mark for the Glory of God in their respective lives.  And you know, it is no different for us today, some 2,700 years removed from King David and some 1,950 years removed from the Apostle Paul: God is still in the business of sharpening His people to write history with their lives for His Glory and Purpose. 

Here’s the application.  Grab a pencil…come on, just grab one.  I have a #2 from RoseArt!  Okay, do you have your pencil?  Great…go to your sharpener and make it razor-sharp.  Do you see the principle?  If you’re in a hurry, you’ll miss it!  James 4:8 says, “Draw near unto Me and I will draw near unto you!”  Oh, do you see - the sharpener does the work, you simply show up!  Likewise, just like David and Paul, they came to that place to be sharpened, that place called intimacy with their Maker and He did the work…they were simply willing.  Jon Coursen has a quote, “Without Him, I can’t.  Without me, He won’t!”  In other words, He desires us to show up and He’ll do the whittling.

May we show up to worship our God and be willing to have Him whittle our life down, just like a pencil that needs to be sharpened, such that our lives are sharpened by the Spirit’s power and Almighty God can write Eternal History with our very lives!  Have a great day with Jesus and thanks for listening to me share my heart!  And, thanks Brad for the gentle reminder!

Pastor Randy

Oh, To Draw From That Well

It’s one of those mornings; you know, we’ve all had them!  I was sitting outside my house in Morro Bay, in my PJ’s reading from Isaiah, that great prophet to 8th Century Israel.  The air was cool, the fog broadcasting her presence and there, once again, God’s Word jumped out at me in a way that was not only revealing, but also timely.  I’ve read Isaiah 12:3 numerous times; however, this time…well - you’ve been there: it really spoke to me.  Check it out, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation!”  It was as if the Lord said, “Randy, approach Me with joy, you’re My kid.  And, listen My son — draw that Water that only comes from Me!  Water that is refreshing, vitalizing, cooling and yes, thirst quenching…a Water that is Me!”  Wow…not only is He the Water, He’s the Well of Salvation that is never tapped out.  In a day that continually pulls at us, demands so much of our attention and time, may we as family draw Living Water from the Well of Salvation; namely, Jesus.  Be refreshed today, be re-vitalized in Him, allow Jesus to cool you down and drink of Him such that your thirst for life is eternally met!  Have a great day at the Well!

John 7:38,

Randy P.

Time of Change

One thing I have learned in ministry is that the only thing constant is change.  And, you know - change brings anxiety, stress, questions and much doubt; in fact, most of us are opposed to change, for one reason or another.  At our new church, Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship in Morro Bay, all of these emotions are prevalent and escalating at a rapid pace.  When I sit back and assess the situation, I can fully understand and have expected these feelings to arrive.  Think about it: within the last year, RH’s much respected Pastor heeded a call of God to plant a church in Santa Maria; within the last month, an amazing tenured Secretary retires, a most talented Worship Director steps down and a much loved Youth Pastor resigns.  Not to mention the drama & challenges of the many months of searching for a new Shepherd; and, once that Shepherd had been identified and reported for duty, the personality, style and way of doing ministry takes an additional extended time of adjustment. 

Well Rock Harbor - this is where we are.  The question we must ask ourselves is simple: what will we do with this Time of Change?  We can be like most - grumble, complain, cast aspersions, be negative; or, we can be like Jesus - pray, fast, speak blessing and trust the Lord.  Why all these changes came at once is a quandary to me; contrary to popular opinion, I didn’t orchestrate these changes and fully believe they are part of God’s plan for Rock Harbor, as well as the previous staff members (yes, God has an amazing future for our dear friends; a future that wouldn’t have materialized if they stayed and a future, because of their obedience in faith, Hebrews 11:6, will be rewarded greatly!). 

So, my encouragement is simple: let’s choose the later and allow the Spirit of God to make us like Jesus so that we can be positioned to be a Proverbs 3:5-6 type of people fully knowing that unless the Lord builds this house called Rock Harbor, we will labor in vain!  May the Lord bless you as we together trust Him during this time of great transition!

Praying for the flock,

Pastor Randy 

A Leaky Roof — A Leaky Life

     We’ve been in Morro Bay now for over two months and have had more rain than we are customarily used too.  Yes, we are loving it here on the Central Coast, the beauty is awesome, the fellowship we’re blessed to serve is amazing and, the general feel is really exciting.  My only gripe, if you will, is a leaky roof.  Yes, we were able to stop most of the leaks with help from the professionals, as well as assistance from a team of committed volunteers.  However, this past Wednesday brought more precipitation that exposed three more leaks; leaks that literally keep two of us up off and on all night as we had to take turns running to the church to empty the 40lb  garbage cans (three of them) full of …you got it, rain water.  Well, the good news is we discovered rather quickly what to do with the help of a local roofing contractor and the leaks will finally be gone (we sure pray so…).

    As I was contemplating this scenario, it dawned on me that a leaky roof is like a leaky life!  Seriously, water will find its way to the easiest path of resistance and will always find a hole, a gap or a path that will follow a gravitational flow down.  Unless an area is sealed and protected, water will worm its way in every single time.  Likewise, as Christians, its important for us to ensure that our lives are sealed and protected against the schemes, the wiles and the darts of the enemy; and, against our own flesh – against anything that is not of Him.  Why?  Because sin, like rain, will find its way to a hole, a gap or a path into our life & will follow the natural progression of spiritually pulling us down to render us ineffective for the Master.  Makes sense, hah?

     Here’s my encouragement today: 1st Thessalonians 5:23-24, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and my your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is Faithful, who also will do it!”  My point with this — the Lord desires to seal us up and preserve us from the stuff that pulls us down!  May we rely on Him to do this work of rendering us effective for the Master by securing our individual leaks with the Power of His Spirit, His Love, His Grace and His Mercy.

Have a great day with Jesus,

Randy

Some Thoughts While At A Coffee Shop

          We’re beginning a Study through the Word of God at our church (Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship in Morro Bay, Ca.) this week – a verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book analysis of God’s Love Letter (we’re going to plow through ten chapters a week for two years on Thursday nights!).  As I’ve been preparing for our first study, I was reminded so aptly by the Lord that His Word is not only my (our) marching orders while on this earth, the Word of God has to be the Absolute Authority for our society.  As we live in an age of tolerance, relativism and pluralization, we are in desperate need of God’s Holy Word to be our Guide.  Consider what has happended since we, as a society, took the Word of God out of our Public Schools in 1963: divorce rates escalated, abortion became not a matter of life/death – it became a question of choice, crime has continued to plague our society, the so-called alternative life style was promoted as norm, etc.  You know, my heart yearns for a Biblically Literate society, one that mirrors what God’s Word teaches.  Yes, I’m not naive enough to believe all will embrace the Truth as outlined in the Bible, and I hope I’m not arrogant enough to state I’ve arrived (far, far from it…just ask my wife!), my heart is simply for God’s Creation, whom He loves with an everlasting love, to begin to live life as Life Was Intended To Be Lived: In Relationship With A God So Madly In Love With Us He Can’t Take His Eyes Off Of Us!  Pray with me, with Rock Harbor, with the Body of Christ that never desires to condemn one to isolation, but rather, just like Jesus did to us, to love His creation called humanity to health!  Have a great day, thanks for hearing my thoughts!

Randy

Jesus the Anchor

     Having just moved back to the Central Coast after twenty five years and being mesmerized by the beauty of the bay, I recently thought of the role an anchor.  And you know, when I think of an anchor, at least three things comes to my mind; specifically:

          o An anchor is made individually
          o An anchor ages with time
          o And, an anchor needs to be intricately attached to a boat    

     When you apply these things spiritually, amazing truths are revealed!  Check it out: as an anchor is made individually, so you are unique & special to God.  A five pound anchor would never work to secure a Queen Mary type boat – nor would a Queen Mary type anchor function with a small boat (she would sink it…).  Likewise, our Anchor named Jesus made you individually, intimately and exclusively for the soul (yes…soul) purpose of relating with you on a level that is for you and you alone.  That’s right – you are the apple of His eye, His precious treasure, His priceless jewel that He loves individually just as if you were the only one on the planet!  Pretty cool, hah?

     An anchor also ages with time; it changes its color, has things growing on it and many a times has a sea-weed or two tangled around it.  Well…the Jesus Anchor is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Yes, our Jesus Anchor is so crystal clear, so pure and so clean – that He desires to illuminate you with His amazing freshness.  Get alone with the Anchor, bask in His beauty and be changed by His sparkle!

     Last, an anchor needs to be intricately attached to a boat.  You see – an anchor without a boat or a boat without an anchor is, well…it’s meaningless.  Do you get my drift (no pun intended)?  Family, Jesus the Anchor desires nothing more for you to attach to Him like never before.  In fact, He wants to John 15 you, if you will.  Like a vine & a branch, like an anchor & a boat – it has to be you & Jesus, you and the Anchor.  For, without Him, you can’t!  However, with Him you can!  Cling, adhere and attach to the Anchor, your life will be forever changed!

     Rock Harbor Family, you are an amazing gift to the Body of Christ.  May the Anchor named Jesus secure you in Him today and release you to sail to the heights He’s called you to soar to.  Have a great day!

Pastor Randy and Tami

His Face…

This morning, I was reading of an encounter between two brothers who were at great odds.  One had run away years earlier to truly save his hide; the other lived in years of bitterness with a personal commitment to literally kill his distanced brother.  As fate has a way with destination, these two siblings met one day out in the countryside!  And, to Jacob’s surprise, Esau ran up to him, with huge tears running down his checks, to embrace & kiss him all the while displaying his overwhelming love & forgiveness for him. Jacob went on to say, “…inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God…” 

This really grabbed my heart.  Esau had every reason, humanly speaking, to hate, despise & desire his brother’s demise.  However, he chose the more excellent way - he chose to replicate & mirror the heart of the Heavenly Father; he willingly allowed the Father to live His love through him.  And guess what?  God’s Face, God’s Image, God’s Life was reflected through Esau.  When people look at us, do they see the face of God?

You know Rock Harbor Family, as we love the Central Coast for our Savior, may we be like Esau was that one day: a man committed to represent the Father in unprecedented ways!  May Jesus not only live His love, grace, mercy in us - may He live it through us to the end that God’s Face is on us for all to see!  Lord bless you today; Tami and I will see you in a week!

For His Image,

Pastor Randy & Tami

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