Sermon: “High Mountains”
Mark 9:2-9
February 22, 2009 Dr. Dennis Ginoza
I have here a quarter.
A quarter is a quarter no matter how you
look at it. What matters is what you do
with it.
I have here a coffee mug.
A mug is a mug no matter how you look
at it. What matters is what you put in it.
I have here a watch that tells time.
Time is time is time no matter how you
look at it. What matters is what you do
with it.
I have here a Bible.
The Bible is a story. A story is a story
no matter how you look at. What matters
is how you live this story.
…And This is the Greatest Story
ever told.
Religion is a funny thing.
It is about truth, about the highest Truth
that can exist in this world. But it is also about the greatest
mixed blessing that someone can leave at our door.
Religion is a good thing. Religion is a bad thing. It
is like having good doctors and bad doctors; it is like
having good mechanics and bad mechanics; it is like
having a house on a rock versus a house on sand.
It depends on where you tie your rope.
Let me explain. One day a man was working on his roof.
The roof had a sharp peak so to be safe, he tied a rope
around his waist and he had to tie the other end of the rope
to something secure on the earth. He threw the other end
of the rope and told his son to tie it on a tree. The young son
thought, “The tree is a bit small so he tied on the big bumper
of the car.” Now mom was busy in the house doing her
chores. She discovered that she needed to run to the store
to make a purchase. She got into the car, put it in reverse
and her husband came oft the roof in fast order. Here is
the lesson for today: When it comes to religion, be sure
that you tie your rope on something solid. Like Truth.
2
All of us here claim to be Christians, otherwise we would
not be here. It so happens that we all are here at the corner
of Winterhaven and Green Canyon which happens to be
a United Methodist Church. The basic question we
want to ask then is, “What is it that we believe and how
best can we live the Christian life?”
As Christians who worship in the United Methodist Church,
we have certain core beliefs.
We believe in Christ as Lord.
He is the Christ who fed 5,000 with five loaves and two
fish; who healed the blind; who raised Lazarus from the
dead. He is the Christ who suffered on the cross, died
and rose from the dead.
We believe in one God who made us all. God is the
God of Moses and Elijah, and Peter. No question.
We believe that the core of our faith is forgiveness,
love, and mercy.
We believe in two sacraments—baptism and the Lord’s
Supper because these two have been instituted by Christ.
You find that in the Bible.
We believe in salvation by faith. When you truly believe
in Christ as Lord, when you hold him in your heart, the
door to salvation is opened to you. But once saved doesn’t
mean always saved. John Wesley says, “Yes, you can fall
from grace.”
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and
it has been given to us through different languages.
We believe in the fellowship of believers so we serve coffee,
cake and donuts; we hold potlucks, great potluck! We celebrate
birthdays and anniversaries. And we say, children, welcome.
We say to the youth, glad you’re here.
We believe in eternal life and that, in Christ, there is a final
Victory.
One day Jesus took Peter and James and John to the mountain top.
Jesus was in the presence of God and his face was
Transfigured, it was full of light. Even his clothes became
radiant and white. First Moses appeared then Elijah. William
Barclay says, that this was a double approval of Jesus and
his ministry. Moses was the giver of the law, Elijah was the
greatest prophet in Israel. The transfiguration of Jesus
3
affirmed that Jesus was the Messiah and is the
Messiah. With Moses there and Elijah, Jesus was
the continuity of God in this world.
When Peter witnessed all this, he said to Jesus, “Let’s just stay
here. It’s nice up here.” Then he said, “Let’s build
three booths, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one
for Jesus.” Peter wanted to stay up there, but their
work was just beginning. The transfiguration
story is a preparation for what was to come. Jesus was going
to suffer, he would face death, but he will see the glory
of God. He would rise from death.
What Jesus teaches us today is there in this life, there will
be storms, there will be difficulty, and there will
be suffering. But God’s will is for us to withstand any
storm and we will reach the higher ground.
When I was serving in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, I was
assigned to work with a development association. One
day, the executive director, a home economist and two
4-H’ers and I were going to a meeting. It was a rainy day
and we got caught in a storm. We were traveling in a jeep
and as we we were crossing the river, water was rising
higher and higher. The water got to the floor board and
higher. The engine began to sputtered and it finally died.
We were stuck right in the middle of the river. The water
Now was up to our waist. The executive director, George,
and I, each carried a girl, pushed our way in the stormy water
and got to the other side. We made it! Thank God we made it!
I told George, stay here and I’ll go to town and get Omar Salazar.
He was the 4-H agent and he had a winch on his
Jeep. As I was heading to town, I saw a ten speed
bike leaning against a house. I said to the young man,
“Prestame su bicycleta.” Let me borrow you bike,
we’re stuck in the river and we need help. I’ll be
back. I didn’t wait for an answer, I just took the bike,
found Omar. We got the jeep out. There’s a little more to
this story, but this story had a good ending. What I learned
that day was, when you have an emergency, you have to
act fast. I also learned that God is with us wherever
we are. He gave us an incredible capacity to survive. And
it is true: “With God, all things are possible.”
4
Also, this is true, when we climb a high mountain, God
is there.
Some years ago, a farmer owned a piece of land along
the Atlantic seacoast. The farmer was always looking
for hired hands, because most people didn’t want
work along the coast because of the terrible storms.
The farmer advertised, but he had trouble finding
anyone to work for him.
Finally one day, a short, thin man came to work. He was
well past middle age. The farmer asked him, “Are
you a good farm hand?” The man said, “Well, I
can sleep when wind blows.” The farmer was
puzzled by that answer, but he needed someone so
he hired the little man. The little man worked hard,
from dawn to dusk. The farmer was pleased.
Then one night, the wind began to howl from the seacoast.
It was a bad wind. The farmer jumped out of bed,
grabbed his lantern and rushed to awaken his
hired hand. The farmer shook the little man and
yelled, “Get up!” A storm is coming! Tie down
the things before they blow away!” The little man
turned over and said, “No, sir. I told you, I can
sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged, the farmer tempted to fire him. Instead he ran
outside to prepare for the storm. He was amazed.
All the hay stacks were covered and tied down.
The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in
the coops, and all the doors were barred. Nothing
could blow away. The farmer understood now
when the little man said, “I can sleep when the
wind blows.”
There is a wind blowing. There is a storm coming. Are
you tied down well? Is your faith tied down to
something solid, something strong? Jesus said,
“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
Jesus said, “Peace I leave you; my peace I give
to you.” (John 14:27)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Wow!
Sermon: “Wow!
Daniel 3:19-28
February 15, 2009 Dr. Dennis Ginoza
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day so I want to ask you,
why is it that Valentine’s Day is always
celebrated on February 14? Anyone?
Roman history records that there were two men named
St. Valentine that were martyred on February 14
about A.D. 269. The custom of exchanging
valentines goes back to the 1300’s to Geoffrey
Chaucer who wrote that birds choose their mates
on February 14.
If there is anything that the world needs today is little more
understanding, less greed, less violence, and lot
more love. Did you hear about Ole and Olga? Ole
and Olga lived on a farm in Iowa. Olga was starved
for affection and Ole never gave her any signs of love
or appreciation. Olga was at wit’s end and said, “Ole,
why don’t you ever tell me you love me? Ole says,
“Olga, when we were married, I told you I loved you,
and if I ever changed my mind, I’ll let you know.”
Today, we are serving strawberry shortcake. Let us build our
fellowship on love, on appreciation, on gratitude,
on goodwill, and a deeper faith in God.
Donald Grey Barnhouse writes:
Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love
resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is
love’s touch. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness
is love’s habit. Gentleness is love’s self-forgetfulness.
Self-control is love holding the reins.
If love is the key, then there is something else that we have to
consider. It is something more fundamental. It is the
source of everything we have, everything we are, and
everything we can be.
Without this, nothing holds together. Everything will
fall apart. We can fool ourselves and say, this is not
important or I don’t need it or it doesn’t make any difference.
Or we say, it is foolishness, it is the figment of your imagination.
2
In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon built
a huge statue. It stood 90 feet high and 9 feet wide at
the base. The king decreed that everyone in the kingdom
must fall down and worship that statue. Anyone who
didn’t would be thrown in the the fiery furnace.
There were three Jews who refused to bow down before the
statue; they were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The king ordered that the fiery furnace be heated up seven
times the usual temperature. It was really, really hot!
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the
fiery furnace.
This is a Wow! Story. The fire did not touch them. Not even
their hair was singed. When Nebuchadnezzar looked in,
he couldn’t believe his eyes. He called his counselors
and said, “I see four men walking in the middle of the fire,
they are not hurt and the fourth has the appearance of a god.
God in his miraculous ways will hold together
every fiber in our body, give us a courage to
never give up, and help us to do some things
we never thought would be possible.
On November 19, 1963, President Abraham Lincoln delivered
his Gettysburg Address. It was here that the Civil War
took a turn, at the cost of 20,000 casualties for the South
and 23,000 casualties for the North. In his address is
a fiber of faith in God.
He began: Four scores and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth onto this continent, a new nation,
conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.
He closed with these words:
It is rather for us here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us—that from these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they gave their last
measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that
these dead have not died in vain—that this nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and the government
of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not
perish from the earth.
3
Today, our nation is in crisis. The world is in crisis.
Yet we hold in our hand the binding source,
the unbreakable core, faith in God.
Jesus placed into our hands a principle of life. God never gives
up on us as bad as we can be. Jesus said, “God so
loved that world that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal
life.” (John 3:16)
Sometimes we think we can run away from ourselves,
we cannot. If things get bad, we have to face it.
Then God gives us a sign and we say, Wow!
When I first came to this church, it was not easy for us. Our
personal finances were pretty tight. We didn’t go
out to eat. My wife was working in Chula Vista
60 miles away. She would leave on Mondays and come
back on Wednesdays. One night I was having dinner
with our boys and our older son Jeremy said, “This
place sucks, I just want to finish school and get outta
here.” He said, “I don’t have a single friend in school.”
I said, “Wait a minute. You have this girl that hangs
on to you.” I said, “Jeremy, just wait, it will get better.”
About three weeks later he said, “Guess what, so and so,
invited me to the dance.” I said, “See.” Several weeks
later he said, “Guess what?” “I am the section leader
for the bass section in the Madrigals.” In the spring he got the
role with the lead choreographer in The Boy Friend.
Sylvia got a job at the Fallbrook Library. It got better.
One night I had a dream. I dreamt that I was driving a red
Cadillac and I was crossing a river. When I got to the
other side, I knew. I had a sign, life will get better.
Once there was a young boy named Zachary. When he was four
he was a healthy young boy. Then one day his father
dropped him and this little boy’s life took a dive.
He suffered brain damage and he lost his eyesight. After
a long recovery, he learned to walk and talk. He had a younger
sister Jesse Jo who was as cute as a bug. This story turned
sour when their father wasn’t able to handle the tragedy
and Zachary’s parents divorced.
4
Little Zachary’s mother went out for an evening.
She met a football player named Kurt who was the
starting quarterback for the University of Northern Iowa. Kurt
tried out for the Green Bay Packers but he was cut. So
he got a job at a Hy-Vee Store in Cedar Falls for $5.50
an hour. Zachary’s mother, Brenda lived on food stamps
and student loans and completed her nursing training.
Kurt tried again to play for the NFL. He had a tryout scheduled
for the Green Bay Packers but after he was bit by a
venomous spider, he was dropped. In 1999 the tide
changed for Kurt Warner. He was hired as the quarterback
for the St. Louis Rams.
This story has a silver lining. Just a few weeks ago, Kurt
Warner and the Arizona Cardinals played in the Super Bowl
against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Arizona almost beat
Pittsburgh, but we can say, it was a good game!
In 1997 Kurt Warner married Brenda
And he adopted Zachary and his sister Jesse Jo. They
added five more children to their brood – Kade, Jada,
Elijah, and twins Sienna and Sierra. Zachary wrote a card
to Kurt Warner and said, “You’re as good a dad as you are
a quarterback. In 1996 Kurt Warner gave his life to
Christ and his life changed.
When God placed us on the earth, he never promised us an
easy life. Instead, it is a life of toil, struggle, and pain.
In Jesus, he showed us that in suffering, in sacrifice,
he gives us life. “Come unto me,” Jesus said, “for you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light.” What Jesus is saying is, in Him
we will find an inner source of courage, a strength that
can endure anything. Just hang on five minutes longer.
…And Wow! All things are made new!
Daniel 3:19-28
February 15, 2009 Dr. Dennis Ginoza
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day so I want to ask you,
why is it that Valentine’s Day is always
celebrated on February 14? Anyone?
Roman history records that there were two men named
St. Valentine that were martyred on February 14
about A.D. 269. The custom of exchanging
valentines goes back to the 1300’s to Geoffrey
Chaucer who wrote that birds choose their mates
on February 14.
If there is anything that the world needs today is little more
understanding, less greed, less violence, and lot
more love. Did you hear about Ole and Olga? Ole
and Olga lived on a farm in Iowa. Olga was starved
for affection and Ole never gave her any signs of love
or appreciation. Olga was at wit’s end and said, “Ole,
why don’t you ever tell me you love me? Ole says,
“Olga, when we were married, I told you I loved you,
and if I ever changed my mind, I’ll let you know.”
Today, we are serving strawberry shortcake. Let us build our
fellowship on love, on appreciation, on gratitude,
on goodwill, and a deeper faith in God.
Donald Grey Barnhouse writes:
Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love
resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is
love’s touch. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness
is love’s habit. Gentleness is love’s self-forgetfulness.
Self-control is love holding the reins.
If love is the key, then there is something else that we have to
consider. It is something more fundamental. It is the
source of everything we have, everything we are, and
everything we can be.
Without this, nothing holds together. Everything will
fall apart. We can fool ourselves and say, this is not
important or I don’t need it or it doesn’t make any difference.
Or we say, it is foolishness, it is the figment of your imagination.
2
In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon built
a huge statue. It stood 90 feet high and 9 feet wide at
the base. The king decreed that everyone in the kingdom
must fall down and worship that statue. Anyone who
didn’t would be thrown in the the fiery furnace.
There were three Jews who refused to bow down before the
statue; they were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The king ordered that the fiery furnace be heated up seven
times the usual temperature. It was really, really hot!
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the
fiery furnace.
This is a Wow! Story. The fire did not touch them. Not even
their hair was singed. When Nebuchadnezzar looked in,
he couldn’t believe his eyes. He called his counselors
and said, “I see four men walking in the middle of the fire,
they are not hurt and the fourth has the appearance of a god.
God in his miraculous ways will hold together
every fiber in our body, give us a courage to
never give up, and help us to do some things
we never thought would be possible.
On November 19, 1963, President Abraham Lincoln delivered
his Gettysburg Address. It was here that the Civil War
took a turn, at the cost of 20,000 casualties for the South
and 23,000 casualties for the North. In his address is
a fiber of faith in God.
He began: Four scores and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth onto this continent, a new nation,
conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.
He closed with these words:
It is rather for us here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us—that from these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they gave their last
measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that
these dead have not died in vain—that this nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and the government
of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not
perish from the earth.
3
Today, our nation is in crisis. The world is in crisis.
Yet we hold in our hand the binding source,
the unbreakable core, faith in God.
Jesus placed into our hands a principle of life. God never gives
up on us as bad as we can be. Jesus said, “God so
loved that world that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal
life.” (John 3:16)
Sometimes we think we can run away from ourselves,
we cannot. If things get bad, we have to face it.
Then God gives us a sign and we say, Wow!
When I first came to this church, it was not easy for us. Our
personal finances were pretty tight. We didn’t go
out to eat. My wife was working in Chula Vista
60 miles away. She would leave on Mondays and come
back on Wednesdays. One night I was having dinner
with our boys and our older son Jeremy said, “This
place sucks, I just want to finish school and get outta
here.” He said, “I don’t have a single friend in school.”
I said, “Wait a minute. You have this girl that hangs
on to you.” I said, “Jeremy, just wait, it will get better.”
About three weeks later he said, “Guess what, so and so,
invited me to the dance.” I said, “See.” Several weeks
later he said, “Guess what?” “I am the section leader
for the bass section in the Madrigals.” In the spring he got the
role with the lead choreographer in The Boy Friend.
Sylvia got a job at the Fallbrook Library. It got better.
One night I had a dream. I dreamt that I was driving a red
Cadillac and I was crossing a river. When I got to the
other side, I knew. I had a sign, life will get better.
Once there was a young boy named Zachary. When he was four
he was a healthy young boy. Then one day his father
dropped him and this little boy’s life took a dive.
He suffered brain damage and he lost his eyesight. After
a long recovery, he learned to walk and talk. He had a younger
sister Jesse Jo who was as cute as a bug. This story turned
sour when their father wasn’t able to handle the tragedy
and Zachary’s parents divorced.
4
Little Zachary’s mother went out for an evening.
She met a football player named Kurt who was the
starting quarterback for the University of Northern Iowa. Kurt
tried out for the Green Bay Packers but he was cut. So
he got a job at a Hy-Vee Store in Cedar Falls for $5.50
an hour. Zachary’s mother, Brenda lived on food stamps
and student loans and completed her nursing training.
Kurt tried again to play for the NFL. He had a tryout scheduled
for the Green Bay Packers but after he was bit by a
venomous spider, he was dropped. In 1999 the tide
changed for Kurt Warner. He was hired as the quarterback
for the St. Louis Rams.
This story has a silver lining. Just a few weeks ago, Kurt
Warner and the Arizona Cardinals played in the Super Bowl
against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Arizona almost beat
Pittsburgh, but we can say, it was a good game!
In 1997 Kurt Warner married Brenda
And he adopted Zachary and his sister Jesse Jo. They
added five more children to their brood – Kade, Jada,
Elijah, and twins Sienna and Sierra. Zachary wrote a card
to Kurt Warner and said, “You’re as good a dad as you are
a quarterback. In 1996 Kurt Warner gave his life to
Christ and his life changed.
When God placed us on the earth, he never promised us an
easy life. Instead, it is a life of toil, struggle, and pain.
In Jesus, he showed us that in suffering, in sacrifice,
he gives us life. “Come unto me,” Jesus said, “for you
will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light.” What Jesus is saying is, in Him
we will find an inner source of courage, a strength that
can endure anything. Just hang on five minutes longer.
…And Wow! All things are made new!
Monday, February 9, 2009
I Will Preach Till They Get It
SERMON: “I Will Preach Till They Get It”
Psalm 147:1-11, 20
February 8, 2009 Dr. Dennis Ginoza
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought
like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I
grew up, I put away childish ways. Well sort of.
How many of you still remember your childhood?
Wasn’t it fun?
When I was young, we used to play with old tires.
I had a sister who could curl inside a fire and roll
down the hill. She was a tomboy and that’s another story.
I came across a list of great truths that children have
learned; let me share these with you.
*No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize a cat.
*If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always
catch the second person.
*Never ask your 3 year old brother to hold your tomato.
*You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
*You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Let us remember to always welcome our children in worship.
The only way our children will learn about worship
is when they worship. James Dobson says,
“Values are not taught, they are caught.”
One summer when we were coming home from our
vacation, we were traveling on Sunday. I said to my
wife and two boys, Jeremy and Aaron, we’re going to
find a place to stop and worship. We got off the highway
in Arroyo Grande. I said, “Here’s a nice place.” My
wife said, “You’re kidding?” I said, “No, I’m not.” It
was a cemetery; and it was nice and green. My wife couldn’t
believe it. We parked our van under a tree and we had a
family worship. One of the boys read a scripture, we had a
prayer, and we shared some thoughts. It wasn’t so bad.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up your children in the way they
should go and they will not depart from it.
Worship is like breathing. It gives you life, it gives you
health, and it binds you to the remarkable grace of God.
Brother Lawrence says, even when he is washing dishes,
he praises God.
2
Psalm 147 says: Praise God!
God heals the broken hearted.
He binds their wounds.
God decides on the number of stars and h
gives them names.
When you’re down, God will lift you up.
God prepares the rain for the earth; thank your
God for rain.
When the young ravens cry, he gives them food.
The trouble with most of us is, we think we don’t need God.
We think we can do this life ourselves.
When we have money, who needs God.
When our legs are strong, who needs God.
When we’re good in sports, who needs God.
When we can win 8 gold medals, who needs God.
(Michael Phelps, he was caught smoking marijuana.
Not smart and he lost some endorsements. )
Did you hear about Matt Bush? He was the Padres top
draft pick several years ago. He got caught in drunkenness
for the third time and he was just dropped from the team.
I thought he had a great future ahead of him. Some of
dream making the majors.
When the hour is up,
when the sun is going down,
when our bodies get weary,
when the bells tolls, we will finally learn,
we cannot walk this life alone; without God.
A few years ago, George Hallett gave me a prayer. Let me
share it with you.
Lord, help me to live from day to day
In such a self forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayers shall be for others.
Help me in all the work I do to ever be
sincere and true.
And know that all I do for you must
need be done for others.
Others, Lord, yes others.
Let this motto be, help me to live for others
that I may live like thee.
3
George wrote this note to me:
Dennis—this is the poem I spoke to you about
last week. I found it in a magazine 40-50
years ago and kept it visible under a piece of plate
glass on my office desk, during which time I was
manager of Personnel, Labor, and Public Relations
in several companies. It was a great help.
--George G Hallett, Jr.
I said it and let me say it again,
you cannot walk this life alone.
It’s like a child who says, “I can’t stand it
anymore. I’m leaving home.” Dad says,
“What if you get hungry?” He says, “Then I’ll
come home.” “What if you run out of money?”
“Then I’ll come home.” “What if you get lost?”
….”I’ll call, Mommy! She’ll come.”
I said it and let me say it again.
Without love you’re nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant
Or rude. Love does not insist on its own
Way. Love is not irritable or resentful.
Love bears all thing, believes all things,
Hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never end.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it
Will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the gazelle or it will
Starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
--African Proverb
All of us are like a gazelle and a lion.
When we get up in the morning, we
realize we are part of existence. But today,
we wonder, will I have a job? Can I keep my
house? Will I send my kids to college? Will
I have enough for my retirement? When I get
old, will my kids take care of me? (They’d better!)
And let me say it again, “You can’t live this life alone.”
4
Is there anyone here who is worrying about tomorrow?
Don’t worry about tomorrow, it won’t do you
any good anyway. If you’re worried about tomorrow,
I suggest that you read Matthew chapter 6
beginning with verse 25. God always provides. But
here is the catch. You have to trust God with everything
you do.
Jesus keeps on telling us over and over again,
Seek first the kingdom of God.
You and I are here only for a time.
I had a high school friend who died at age
27. I had an aunt who died at age 49 and she had
five children. I had a college friend who died at age 52.
My dad’s sister lived until she was 98. My mother
just celebrated her 94th birthday in October. Remember
Alice Eifert. She lived until she was 107. Up until
three months before she died, she was still able go
to the bathroom with her walker.
I have concluded that we only live on their earth
for a short time.
Jesus said the kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom
will break open any moment; so stay awake!
In I Peter 4:7-10, Peter reminds us.
The end of things is near; so be serious and
discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.
Love one another.
Be hospitable with one another and don’t complain.
Serve one another with the talents that you have.
You can’t life this life alone.
Without love, you’re nothing.
Get ready and stay awake!
Jesus is Lord!
Psalm 147:1-11, 20
February 8, 2009 Dr. Dennis Ginoza
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought
like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I
grew up, I put away childish ways. Well sort of.
How many of you still remember your childhood?
Wasn’t it fun?
When I was young, we used to play with old tires.
I had a sister who could curl inside a fire and roll
down the hill. She was a tomboy and that’s another story.
I came across a list of great truths that children have
learned; let me share these with you.
*No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize a cat.
*If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always
catch the second person.
*Never ask your 3 year old brother to hold your tomato.
*You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
*You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Let us remember to always welcome our children in worship.
The only way our children will learn about worship
is when they worship. James Dobson says,
“Values are not taught, they are caught.”
One summer when we were coming home from our
vacation, we were traveling on Sunday. I said to my
wife and two boys, Jeremy and Aaron, we’re going to
find a place to stop and worship. We got off the highway
in Arroyo Grande. I said, “Here’s a nice place.” My
wife said, “You’re kidding?” I said, “No, I’m not.” It
was a cemetery; and it was nice and green. My wife couldn’t
believe it. We parked our van under a tree and we had a
family worship. One of the boys read a scripture, we had a
prayer, and we shared some thoughts. It wasn’t so bad.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up your children in the way they
should go and they will not depart from it.
Worship is like breathing. It gives you life, it gives you
health, and it binds you to the remarkable grace of God.
Brother Lawrence says, even when he is washing dishes,
he praises God.
2
Psalm 147 says: Praise God!
God heals the broken hearted.
He binds their wounds.
God decides on the number of stars and h
gives them names.
When you’re down, God will lift you up.
God prepares the rain for the earth; thank your
God for rain.
When the young ravens cry, he gives them food.
The trouble with most of us is, we think we don’t need God.
We think we can do this life ourselves.
When we have money, who needs God.
When our legs are strong, who needs God.
When we’re good in sports, who needs God.
When we can win 8 gold medals, who needs God.
(Michael Phelps, he was caught smoking marijuana.
Not smart and he lost some endorsements. )
Did you hear about Matt Bush? He was the Padres top
draft pick several years ago. He got caught in drunkenness
for the third time and he was just dropped from the team.
I thought he had a great future ahead of him. Some of
dream making the majors.
When the hour is up,
when the sun is going down,
when our bodies get weary,
when the bells tolls, we will finally learn,
we cannot walk this life alone; without God.
A few years ago, George Hallett gave me a prayer. Let me
share it with you.
Lord, help me to live from day to day
In such a self forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayers shall be for others.
Help me in all the work I do to ever be
sincere and true.
And know that all I do for you must
need be done for others.
Others, Lord, yes others.
Let this motto be, help me to live for others
that I may live like thee.
3
George wrote this note to me:
Dennis—this is the poem I spoke to you about
last week. I found it in a magazine 40-50
years ago and kept it visible under a piece of plate
glass on my office desk, during which time I was
manager of Personnel, Labor, and Public Relations
in several companies. It was a great help.
--George G Hallett, Jr.
I said it and let me say it again,
you cannot walk this life alone.
It’s like a child who says, “I can’t stand it
anymore. I’m leaving home.” Dad says,
“What if you get hungry?” He says, “Then I’ll
come home.” “What if you run out of money?”
“Then I’ll come home.” “What if you get lost?”
….”I’ll call, Mommy! She’ll come.”
I said it and let me say it again.
Without love you’re nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant
Or rude. Love does not insist on its own
Way. Love is not irritable or resentful.
Love bears all thing, believes all things,
Hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never end.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it
Will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the gazelle or it will
Starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running.
--African Proverb
All of us are like a gazelle and a lion.
When we get up in the morning, we
realize we are part of existence. But today,
we wonder, will I have a job? Can I keep my
house? Will I send my kids to college? Will
I have enough for my retirement? When I get
old, will my kids take care of me? (They’d better!)
And let me say it again, “You can’t live this life alone.”
4
Is there anyone here who is worrying about tomorrow?
Don’t worry about tomorrow, it won’t do you
any good anyway. If you’re worried about tomorrow,
I suggest that you read Matthew chapter 6
beginning with verse 25. God always provides. But
here is the catch. You have to trust God with everything
you do.
Jesus keeps on telling us over and over again,
Seek first the kingdom of God.
You and I are here only for a time.
I had a high school friend who died at age
27. I had an aunt who died at age 49 and she had
five children. I had a college friend who died at age 52.
My dad’s sister lived until she was 98. My mother
just celebrated her 94th birthday in October. Remember
Alice Eifert. She lived until she was 107. Up until
three months before she died, she was still able go
to the bathroom with her walker.
I have concluded that we only live on their earth
for a short time.
Jesus said the kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom
will break open any moment; so stay awake!
In I Peter 4:7-10, Peter reminds us.
The end of things is near; so be serious and
discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.
Love one another.
Be hospitable with one another and don’t complain.
Serve one another with the talents that you have.
You can’t life this life alone.
Without love, you’re nothing.
Get ready and stay awake!
Jesus is Lord!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hope: A Life Line
FROM THE PASTOR
“Hope: A Life Line”
When Elizabeth Kulber Ross addressed her audience of 400 in Brawley, California, where doctors, nurses, pastors, educators were present, she left an unforgettable thought on hope.
She mentioned that when someone is ill and dying, there is one thing you don’t want to take away from them — it is hope.
In dismal times, when life seems to slip away, when jobs are being lost thousands at a time, when a grown child still cannot grasp life, when families cannot hold on to their homes, when financial security is diminished by 30% to 40% or more, when one’s health is on a downward turn, or when life’s vital light is at the last flicker, there is one thing God offers to us. It is hope.
There are times in history when life has been disrupted in sad, violent and difficult ways. Today is not different from some of the worst times of our past. In Elaine Pagel’s book, Origin of Satan, she describes the Jewish wars beginning in 66 A.D. The Roman soldiers responded with power and cruelty. Jerusalem was under siege, the Roman blockade caused great havoc and mothers and children scrambled for food. Even the old were torturing their own to acquire food.
The Jewish armies couldn’t hold on any longer and Tacitus and his soldiers swarmed the Temple, entered the Holy of Holies and looted the treasury. And the Temple was set on fire. Pagel’s observes that it was during this time that the early writing of the During this early period, those who followed Jesus were being persecuted. Under Nero, these persecutions occurred from A.D. 64 to 75. The gospel of Mark was written to bring hope to people in their most difficult times.
Mark introduces good news. John the Baptist says that one who is coming is mightier and more powerful than he. Then Jesus is baptized in the river Jordan. What the people see in those dark Roman days, is a light of hope. Life can be better and it will be. Jesus heals the man with an unclean spirit. He cleanses a leper. He heals the paralytic. He heals the man with a withered hand. You, the reader, might just make list of the miracles deeds Jesus performed, and it will lighten your heart.
Hope has in it great power. I have been in my life, an optimist. I always believed that life will offer us something better. If we believe, if we work at it, the world around us will improve. I hold this thought to be true in our present time.
There is a man who grew up without the faith. His family didn’t go to church. His parents were disillusioned by the church. He was a non-believer and a non-church goer. After he lost his job, his life was totally disrupted. One day, how this happened he’s not sure. He picked up the Bible and started to read about the life of Jesus. Hmm! He read about the miracles of Jesus and how lives were being affected. He studied more.
Sometime later, he and his wife went to a Greek island on a vacation. He was curious why there were so many tour buses. People were gravitating to a cave. His curiosity was aroused. It finally came to him, this was the island of Patmos and the cave was where John wrote Revelation. His heart turned and his life changed.
He is today a believer, a church goer and his life is filled with hope.
—Dennis Ginoza
“Hope: A Life Line”
When Elizabeth Kulber Ross addressed her audience of 400 in Brawley, California, where doctors, nurses, pastors, educators were present, she left an unforgettable thought on hope.
She mentioned that when someone is ill and dying, there is one thing you don’t want to take away from them — it is hope.
In dismal times, when life seems to slip away, when jobs are being lost thousands at a time, when a grown child still cannot grasp life, when families cannot hold on to their homes, when financial security is diminished by 30% to 40% or more, when one’s health is on a downward turn, or when life’s vital light is at the last flicker, there is one thing God offers to us. It is hope.
There are times in history when life has been disrupted in sad, violent and difficult ways. Today is not different from some of the worst times of our past. In Elaine Pagel’s book, Origin of Satan, she describes the Jewish wars beginning in 66 A.D. The Roman soldiers responded with power and cruelty. Jerusalem was under siege, the Roman blockade caused great havoc and mothers and children scrambled for food. Even the old were torturing their own to acquire food.
The Jewish armies couldn’t hold on any longer and Tacitus and his soldiers swarmed the Temple, entered the Holy of Holies and looted the treasury. And the Temple was set on fire. Pagel’s observes that it was during this time that the early writing of the During this early period, those who followed Jesus were being persecuted. Under Nero, these persecutions occurred from A.D. 64 to 75. The gospel of Mark was written to bring hope to people in their most difficult times.
Mark introduces good news. John the Baptist says that one who is coming is mightier and more powerful than he. Then Jesus is baptized in the river Jordan. What the people see in those dark Roman days, is a light of hope. Life can be better and it will be. Jesus heals the man with an unclean spirit. He cleanses a leper. He heals the paralytic. He heals the man with a withered hand. You, the reader, might just make list of the miracles deeds Jesus performed, and it will lighten your heart.
Hope has in it great power. I have been in my life, an optimist. I always believed that life will offer us something better. If we believe, if we work at it, the world around us will improve. I hold this thought to be true in our present time.
There is a man who grew up without the faith. His family didn’t go to church. His parents were disillusioned by the church. He was a non-believer and a non-church goer. After he lost his job, his life was totally disrupted. One day, how this happened he’s not sure. He picked up the Bible and started to read about the life of Jesus. Hmm! He read about the miracles of Jesus and how lives were being affected. He studied more.
Sometime later, he and his wife went to a Greek island on a vacation. He was curious why there were so many tour buses. People were gravitating to a cave. His curiosity was aroused. It finally came to him, this was the island of Patmos and the cave was where John wrote Revelation. His heart turned and his life changed.
He is today a believer, a church goer and his life is filled with hope.
—Dennis Ginoza
Many Voices, One Voice
MEDITATION: “Many Voices, One Voice”
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
February 1, 2009 Dr. Dennis Ginoza
When I was a little boy, I learned quickly that honesty is the
best policy. Thanks to my Mom!
I am looking for an honest person.
Let me ask you, if you found a billfold filled
with money, what would you do?
How many of you would return it?
How many of you would just think about?
Reader’s Digest conducted a test on honesty and
this is what they found.
Big Cities
Seattle: nine returned it, one kept it.
St. Louis: seven returned it, three kept it.
Atlanta: five returned it, five kept it.
Suburbs
Los Angeles: six returned it, four kept it.
Houston: five returned it, five kept it.
Boston: seven returned it, three kept it.
Medium Cities
Greensboro, North Carolina: seven returned, three kept it.
Las Vegas: five returned it, five kept it.
Dayton, Ohio: five returned it, five kept it.
Small towns
Meadville, Pennsylvania: eight returned it, two kept it.
Concord, New Hampshire: eight returned it, two kept it.
Cheyenne, Wyoming: eight returned it, two kept it.
So here’s the conclusion: the most honest people live in
Seattle and in small towns.
Webster defines honesty as “fairness and straightforwardness
of conduct.” Also it says, “sincerity.”
Once a man was at a lawn and garden store and he pulled
out his driver’s license for identification. The owner
of the store said, “Don’t need it.” “In all the years
I’ve been in business, nobody ever wrote me a bad
2
check when they were buying something to
work with.”
In Psalm 46:10, the psalmist writes,
“Be still and know that I am God.”
There are two kinds of world that we live in.
One world is noisy, busy, full of distractions.
It is the noise of metal, concrete, and machines.
It is the world of crowds screaming and yelling.
The other world is silent where forces move
planets, a vast system of galaxies. That
world is the inner world that gives breath, blood
and life.
In Psalm 51:10, the psalmist calls for what we all need.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And put a new right spirit within me.
What the psalmist is telling us is that we all have gone
out of bounds. We have missed the mark. In
Greek the word sin means, missing the mark. When
I was in college, in my first quarter, I had a rude
awakening. I was getting an A in English, but I
got a D- in Introduction in Education. I was missing
the mark. Olay! Olay! By the time the semester
ended, I got it up to a B.
I have entitled my sermon today, “Many Voices, One Voice.”
The world is full of voices. It’s okay if you cheat
as long as you don’t get caught. One little lie won’t
hurt you. God doesn’t exist, if he did, he wouldn’t
have allowed you to suffer. It happened again. In
Sarasota, a group of doctors lost all their investments
because of a sham. One couple lost $400,000 and that
was everything they have saved.
In book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18:15-20, Moses says “The Lord
will raise up for you a prophet like me from among
your own people, you shall heed such a prophet.” Moses
was right, there came a line of prophets – Elijah, Elisha,
Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Micah, Jesus. Jesus is the
One Voice – He is Lord!
3
How many of us are like the man who was said, “If I can’t
my money to heaven, then, I ain’t going.”
Moses was right. A prophet will rise among you. Listen to
what Jesus teaches. What have you gained if you gain
the whole world but you lose your life. Do not store up for
yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust
consume. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there is
your heart also.”
Many Voices, One Voice … some say there is no God. I say,
there is a God holds everything together with mercy,
with love, and purpose. When there is disorder, it is just
a part of a system of laws and consequences. If you drop
a glass on the concrete floor, the glass will shatter: that’s
how gravity works. If you travel 80 miles per hour and
you hit the telephone pole, the law of physics says the
inertia of the pole will stop the inertia of the car which is
moving. When this happens you really don’t want to be
in the car. That quiet voice probably told you to slow down,
but you didn’t listen.
If we all stopped for a moment and looked at this universe, it
is a wonder, it’s a marvelous creation, and all the natural
forces are here to give life.
Johnny Cash is one of the great country music singers in this
America. Like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, he
got his start with Sun Records. What he did find is that
success and fame also bring a mountain of problems.
He was rising with gold records, but he was also popping
pep pills to keep going. He got addicted. In 1965 he was
arrested. He got caught holding a thousand pills. He
dropped from 200 pounds to 140 pounds. He got into a
really bad car accident with several broken bones and a
concussion. On May 9, 1971, Johnny Cash went to a
small church and sat in the pew. When the pastor finished
his sermon, he called on the people to come forward to
set their lives straight. Johnny Cash got up, walked up
to the wooden altar and he gave his life to Christ.
Jesus keeps on calling us and when we give our life to him,
we’ll never be the same again. Listen! Johnny Cash
sings A Thing Called Love.
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