Hi,
My name is Alan and I have been in ministry, for many years. I started out at Grace Community Church in their sports ministries, in Softball, Basketball and Semi Pro Baseball team, where I coached, led devotions, and shared my testimony on the baseball team with other teams we played. After leaving Grace, My wife Kathy and I were at Simi Valley Community Church, where we were lay pastors, and also got involved in Parenting classes called Growing Kids God's Way. The church ended up splitting and were part of the original people that helped start Cornerstone Community Church with Francis Chan and Ron Wilson. During that time, we continued in parenting classes, couples bible studies, and small groups. I became a non staff Pastor/Elder some years back and did it till I stepped down on December 31st, 2019. Nothing bad, just felt that the Lord was calling me to do something else, after 25 years at Cornerstone. Presently, I joined a band with our Homeless Ministry (PADS) and we just started a group on Friday nights, that ministers to professing believers who are going through some type of recovery. My desire, is that there will be some type of home/small church that I will lead, based on what the Lord seems to be calling me to. It is a really big step of faith, at 65 years old.
A couple other things to note. I was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and left there when I was 20 years old. My passion was baseball, and my desire, was to play professionally. I gave my life to Jesus when I was a young teenager, but lack of a consistent fellowship and some family problems led me away. I also, started letting baseball be my God.
I moved to California when I was 20, and works for an offshore drilling company for about 2 and 1/2 years and then went back to school and Cal State University where I met my wonderful wife in Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU). We were married in 1980 and Lord willing, look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary in August. We have 3 daughters that all live close by, until my middle daughter just moved to Tennessee.
My Career, had been since I got out of college, with a degree in finance, a combination of IT, consulting, Executive Vice President, RE Broker and Loan Broker, and a short time as a VP Senior Financial Analyst with Bank of America.
Well, I hope that gives you a little glimpse into my life, and where I think the Lord is leading. Please feel free to write.
God Bless
Alan
““Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples.
Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.””
About Jesus Christ – Who Jesus Said He Was and Is, Life, Death, Resurrection of Son of God Page 1 of 2
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, equal with God, and with authority from the Father
“Then they all said, ‘Are You then the Son of God?’ So He said to them, ‘You rightly say that I am’” (Luke 22:70).
“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).
“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’” (Matthew 28:18).
“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:17-22).
Bear in mind that while a man claiming to be God is a radical thought, Jesus is the only leader of a world religion to have made the claim – not to mention backed it up. How? Keep reading…
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life
“Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” (John 8:46, The Message).
Jesus had the ability to sin; if He weren’t able to sin, He could not have. been tempted genuinely and would be unable to be our sympathetic High Priest (Hebrews 4:15).
When He was tempted, He always rebuked the thought with scripture (Luke 4:1-13).
Because He didn’t sin, God was able to accept His sacrifice. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.”
Jesus Christ said He is the one and only way to God “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). It’s also interesting to note that Jesus did not call himself the destination, but the way, indicating that while salvation is immediate for the confessed and forgiven sinner, our Christian walk is a journey. Jesus Christ had the power to forgive sins and provide everlasting life “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will http://www.crosswalk.com/who-is-jesus/son-of-god/print/print/ 10/19/2009 About Jesus Christ – Who Jesus Said He Was and Is, Life, Death, Resurrection of Son of God Page 2 of 2 never die” (John 11:25). “When Jesus saw their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’” (Luke 5:20-21). “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.” (John 6:47). Jesus Christ predicted his own death and resurrection “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again’” (Luke 18:31-33). Jesus Christ said He would come back Matthew 24:27-30 “So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Mark 14:61-62 “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'” Jesus clearly knew He was the Lamb of God, the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament. He knew He had to live a life without sin, no matter what. When He returns, He will judge the sins of the world… except for those who have already acknowledged conviction, entered a plea of guilty, and sought His mercy by believing on Christ. http://www.crosswalk.com/who-is-jesus/son-of-god/print/print/
Discipleship is great, but Paul encourages the Philippians to take ownership of their own walk with Jesus, even when Paul is not there. When we take ownership, we are walking with Jesus and his Spirit and then, we are to do the same as Paul, by walking with others, and pointing them to Jesus, that they would do the same. That way, we are participating in building Gods kingdom, here on earth. Is that not a beautiful way to see what gods will is in our life?
I
Living Waters 