Author: Arw27
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
Whatever comes our way this day, the Lord walks with us. Through good and bad, he leads us through the fire, and through heights of blessing. It is by Faith, that we must take each step, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. May HE receive praise, in every step, as we walk by His Spirit! Amen.
Whatever comes our way this day, the Lord walks with us. Through good and bad, he leads us through the fire, and through heights of blessing. It is by Faith, that we must take each step, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. May HE receive praise, in every step, as we walk by His Spirit! Amen.
What does Matthew 5:39 mean? (See notes below taken from Bibleref.com).
The Sermon on the Mount, which began early in chapter 5, contains difficult concepts for human nature to accept. Jesus is setting a seemingly impossible standard for those who would enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Refusing to murder is not enough: don’t even insult another in anger (Matthew 5:21–22). Not committing adultery is not enough: don’t even intentionally lust (Matthew 5:27–28). His larger point is that none are righteous enough to enter heaven, based on their own good deeds (Matthew 5:48). Everyone, no matter how “holy” they may seem, must receive forgiveness of sins and righteousness through faith in Christ.
This verse is often badly misunderstood, due to two ideas that are less common today: lex talionis and the idea of being slapped on the cheek.
In the prior verse (Matthew 5:38), Jesus referred to a rule in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 19:21) called the lex talionis, often summarized as “eye for an eye.” After thousands of years of Christian influence, and in fact because of that influence, modern people often think this as a cruel standard. In truth, God established this to limit violence and revenge. The point of “eye for an eye” was that punishment is to be proportional to the crime, rather than an ever-escalating cycle of revenge.
Jesus does not dispute the legal aspects of “eye for an eye,” so far as they apply to a courtroom or the government. But in personal terms, He sets a much more challenging standard. Limiting revenge is not God’s intent for the hearts of His people. Refusing revenge is God’s will and Jesus’ command to His followers (Romans 12:19). This does not mean Christians cannot flee, nor does it mean that blatant violence and evil should be met with total pacifism (Luke 22:36). It does mean that so far as we’re able, Christians are not to “return evil for evil” (Romans 12:20–21).
This is consistent with Jesus’ comments about turning the other cheek. In the ancient world, the right hand was always assumed to be dominant. Jesus specifically refers to the “right cheek,” here.” That implies a backhanded movement: to slap someone on the right cheek, with the right hand, is more intimidation and abuse than mayhem. Even in the modern world, the term “slap in the face” is used in reference to insults and slights. To “turn the other cheek” implies taking that insult and accepting that another might be on the way.
In short, Christ’s command here does not mean “you must do nothing while someone beats you into a bloody pulp.” He is speaking to believers who will experience persecution and hate from the world (Matthew 5:11–12). The proper Christian response to discrimination, mocking, or insults is to simply let it go: “don’t resist the evil person.” Instead, prove that such acts are not worth a response. Even better, as the following verses show, is to turn abuse upside down through love (Matthew 5:40–42).
What does Matthew 5:39 mean? (See notes below taken from Bibleref.com).
The Sermon on the Mount, which began early in chapter 5, contains difficult concepts for human nature to accept. Jesus is setting a seemingly impossible standard for those who would enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). Refusing to murder is not enough: don’t even insult another in anger (Matthew 5:21–22). Not committing adultery is not enough: don’t even intentionally lust (Matthew 5:27–28). His larger point is that none are righteous enough to enter heaven, based on their own good deeds (Matthew 5:48). Everyone, no matter how “holy” they may seem, must receive forgiveness of sins and righteousness through faith in Christ.
This verse is often badly misunderstood, due to two ideas that are less common today: lex talionis and the idea of being slapped on the cheek.
In the prior verse (Matthew 5:38), Jesus referred to a rule in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 19:21) called the lex talionis, often summarized as “eye for an eye.” After thousands of years of Christian influence, and in fact because of that influence, modern people often think this as a cruel standard. In truth, God established this to limit violence and revenge. The point of “eye for an eye” was that punishment is to be proportional to the crime, rather than an ever-escalating cycle of revenge.
Jesus does not dispute the legal aspects of “eye for an eye,” so far as they apply to a courtroom or the government. But in personal terms, He sets a much more challenging standard. Limiting revenge is not God’s intent for the hearts of His people. Refusing revenge is God’s will and Jesus’ command to His followers (Romans 12:19). This does not mean Christians cannot flee, nor does it mean that blatant violence and evil should be met with total pacifism (Luke 22:36). It does mean that so far as we’re able, Christians are not to “return evil for evil” (Romans 12:20–21).
This is consistent with Jesus’ comments about turning the other cheek. In the ancient world, the right hand was always assumed to be dominant. Jesus specifically refers to the “right cheek,” here.” That implies a backhanded movement: to slap someone on the right cheek, with the right hand, is more intimidation and abuse than mayhem. Even in the modern world, the term “slap in the face” is used in reference to insults and slights. To “turn the other cheek” implies taking that insult and accepting that another might be on the way.
In short, Christ’s command here does not mean “you must do nothing while someone beats you into a bloody pulp.” He is speaking to believers who will experience persecution and hate from the world (Matthew 5:11–12). The proper Christian response to discrimination, mocking, or insults is to simply let it go: “don’t resist the evil person.” Instead, prove that such acts are not worth a response. Even better, as the following verses show, is to turn abuse upside down through love (Matthew 5:40–42).
Father, we must decrease, so that Jesus must increase, so that we might finish well.
Father, we must decrease, so that Jesus must increase, so that we might finish well.
Father, not our will, but yours. Help us to put aside our desires for the good of others in our churches, our families, our marriages, our …….fill in the blank for us Lord. We ask for wisdom, as James 1 calls us ask for.
Father, not our will, but yours. Help us to put aside our selfish desires for the good of others in our churches, our families, our marriages, our …….fill in the blank, for us Lord. We ask for wisdom, as James 1 calls us ask for. May your will be done.
Let’s start our day, asking God, what the right path is for us today.
Living Waters 