Pastor Pancho's Blog

      In the last and final insert on the topic of joy, I am going to veer away from Paul (in Philippians 1) and throw in my two coppers. I hope you have enjoyed the topic and are able to apply the principles discussed.

      To the blog commenters: Evelyn, thank you for your sweet words! J Contreras it truly is the simple things in life that matter. Norma, nothing you do is unforgivable with God. I urge you to call our church office and speak to one of the pastors. Thanks for the feedback... it makes me what to write more.

Last, but not least:

7) Don’t take yourself too seriously.

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance... Proverbs 15:13a

            Learn to laugh at yourself.  A merry heart does good like medicine.  Research has shown that laughter is in deed good medicine.  The Baltimore University Medical Center conducted a study with 300 men who recently suffered from a heart attack. They found out that 89% of them never found anything funny and 65% rarely smiled. Is Solomon correct by stating,a cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22)?  We now know that studies show laughter can affect your physical wellbeing and your ability to deal with pain. 

       The humor therapist at the University of Maryland Hospital for Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Dr. Judy Goldbloom-Carlton said, “People become healthier from laughter because it improves circulation. When you laugh heartedly every organ is being massaged including your heart, your lungs, and digestive system.  Headaches can even sometimes go away.  When you laugh the endorphins released make you feel this elation and makes those big decisions seem so much less important.”  When was the last time you really had a whole-hearted laugh? I’m talking about a serious crack up, tears rollin’ down your face, and your side hurting.

      I knew laughter can lighten situations, but I was surprised to see it come to pass during a counseling session with a widow. We were sitting in my office and my heart went out to this lady who had just lost her husband. She was sobbing so hard she was taking quick gasps of air and trying desperately to compose herself. I could see the sorrow emanating from her shaking hands and tear-stained face. I saw this woman desperate for intervention and a word from God. I slowly leaned back in my chair as I was whispering a prayer when all of a sudden, my feet left the ground, the wheels of my chair slid under me and I fell flat on my back. I tried getting up like I was cool and I had intended to it. I felt like I was living out a Jerry Lewis number. The woman who was just sobbing a second before, began to laugh. I’m talking about laugh uncontrollably! I stared at her not sure if she lost her mind or if she was serious. She couldn’t even look at me without laughing. She tried to smoother her laugh, but as she picked up her head she began laugh hysterically all over again.

      This went on for about 10 minutes. When she was done, she said, “Oh Pastor, you are hilarious. Thank you for helping me! I’ll see you.” I was dumbfounded! I asked her if she wanted to continue meeting, but she started laughing all over again. I wish I could tell you that in my wisdom and intellect I was able to comfort her, but the fact of the matter was prayer and a simple laugh brought medicine for her aching soul.

      Don’t misunderstand me. Laughter doesn’t change the situation; only God can. Laughter simply helps us deal with pain and can bring about a joy unexplainable that only God can give. Life has its ups and downs… remember not to take your self too seriously. Laughter is good for the soul and can bring joy to an aching soul.

6) Hope

And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith…Philippians 1:25

Firstly, Paul the Apostle knew who he was, he rejoiced in small things, he continued in prayer, lived for Christ while serving others, and had an eternal perspective. All these realizations and assertions gave him hope. This was not a blind hope or a delusional hope; Paul was cognizant of his circumstances and he understood that at any moment he could die.Yet he was impervious, he had confidence, and he encouraged the brethren to rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. All these elements were integrated in the personhood of Paul the Apostle.Paul the Apostle was no different than you and I, but he had a perspective that we need to learn.He possessed almost a reckless abandonment of fear and oppression. His hope was not in life on earth, but abundant life with our glorious God.

Secondly, Paul had an expectant, anticipated disposition of hope.Hope in what?Paul was no fool.He says we are in this world and we are going to suffer from trials and tribulations. I want to clarify a few things theologically:There is a sect of people who (falsely) preach that because we are Christians, we are exempt from things like pain, suffering, and financial despair. This implies that once we accept Christ we should never be sick and never be poor. Notice what Paul says in verse 29:For to you has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer…Do me a favor and highlight, underline, and circle this scripture in your bible. I’ve heard pastors (pastors?!?!) say, “Why drive a Volkswagen when you can drive a Cadillac?” or “If you are sick, don’t say you’re sick because that means you are confessing it.” Listen, man, I don’t care how much you confess positively, we are going to go through trials, testings, and tribulations. I look in the mirror and I’m getting old! I have no hair, I wear glasses, and my USMC waist looks like a tire rather than a washboard. We are degenerating.But Paul says, as this outward man is perishing the inward man is being renewed day by day!My eternal perspective gives me hope that one day I will stand before my Savior in a new glorified body and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23a).

4) Live for Christ and serve others.

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

            When Paul wrote these words, he was facing execution for spreading the gospel. Paul was torn. On one hand, he could die and spend eternity with his savior. On the other hand, he could live here on earth and continue to spread the gospel. When Paul says, “to live is Christ,” he is saying, “so long as I live, I will serve others by preaching the good news.”

By living for God, we serve others.  Let me clarify, however, that it’s not living for other people, but serving them.  If I begin to live for other people, I’ll be in trouble, man!  I live for Jesus Christ, and by doing so I desire to serve others.  I find true joy living for Jesus and serving his sheep. This starts with my family and spreads out to the staff at CCM, the congregation at CCM, and this community as a whole.

1 Corinthians 10:24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

I want to encourage you to get involved with many of our ministry opportunities. Whether it be serving at the Union 

Rescue Mission (www.urm.org) with our evangelism team or feeding orphans in Mexico on a La Posada trip, get involved and serve others. My heart and desire is that we never grow complacent… never grow spiritually fat… never lose the luster of serving God by serving others.

Find joy in living for Jesus!

        In the last two posts, I lightly touched upon two ways that can help us maintain joy. This third point is also taken from the book of Philippians. I put it into an equation to help me remember it a little more easily. 

3) Pray + seek + admit + confess + submit = Don’t worry!

… pray about everything. Philippians 4:6

    Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  

     In other words, don’t stress about anything. Pray about everything. We need to be in constant prayer to maintain God’s peace and joy.  See, when you pray with God and you talk to God, it should not be, give me, give me, give me, give me, give me.  It’s not about ME, it’s about HE. Our prayer should be, “Change my ways, God.  Change me!”

       When we pray, we seek the perfect will of God, we admit that we need an alteration, we confess that we are incapable of doing it alone, and we submit ourselves to the authorship of our Lord, Jesus Christ. True joy will come when we realize our need for Him and recognize the power He possesses to transform our will.

       Trying to control the uncontrolled is impossible. Stressing about things that are out of control will rob you of your joy. However, you can cry out to the One who is in control and ask Him to sustain you, give you direction, and give you a peace that God will not leave your or forget about you (Deuteronomy 31:6). I’ll end with these glorious words: The prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working (James 5:16, ESV).

2). Enjoy the small things in life. 

Better is the little that the righteous has
 than the abundance of many wicked…Psalms 37:16

       Remember the small things in life bring true and lasting pleasure. We, as Americans, feel that we need more, we want more, we deserve more. However, isn’t it the small things in life that make the big differences?  If your house is anything like mine, you are busy! Kids to drive around, obligations to keep, and a house to clean. In the midst of the busyness, don’t forget to keep things simple. 

       When my wife is running around like a mad-woman trying to do all on her “to-do” list (I hate that list!), I try in everyway possible to help her. Husbands, how much is a pre-made meal at the local grocery market? The last time I checked, I could buy fried chicken and a pound of mojo potatoes for $6.75. Do you know how much it means to your wife that you were considerate and helped her with dinner? Believe me, she’ll think you are the chef, Emeril Lagassi!

Proverbs 15:27 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.

      In the toughest financial times of our lives together, Millie and I clung to the scripture above. We knew that though we had little, God was blessing us with a lot of love within our home. If you are struggling financially, take hope that God will provide all your needs (not your wants). Rejoice in this time and lay a foundation for  you and your family to rejoice in little and rejoice in plenty.

       And don't forget that it's the little things in life that bring the most joy!

Solomon said, “a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bone” (Proverbs 17:22). So I began to write down ways we can we increase our joy in the Lord.

For the next 7 entires I will be posting 7 ways to increase our joy in the Lord. Listen, I’m not a clinical psychologist or a psychotherapist; I’m not going to give you rituals or chants or breathing techniques. I am going to give you 7 things that can maintain a level of joy during trying times. Remember that only God’s living Word can help us, change us, and revive us into joyful beings.

How can we increase our joy in the Lord?

1).             Develop a true estimate of yourself.

For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself. Galatians 6:3

By your own estimation, who are you?  Not what people think you are, but who do you say you are?  You see, when you’re trying to be someone else and you are trying to live to other people’s expectation, you are not going to make it.  In attempts to keep up the charade, you are always acting. “Oh, I have to be this because it is expected of me.” Have you ever talked to an educated person who is trying to warrant some street credit? They try throwing around phrases like, “Yo, what-is-up-my-dog?”  It just doesn’t come out right. They’re educated, but they are trying to sound ‘hood or from the streets.  Or worse, you get a street person that is trying to sound educated. They’re trying to be someone they are not.  Many people live in these façades.   Through seeking out the Lord, develop a true estimate of who you are. 

For me, I’m an immigrant.  I am an American citizen by choice. I know I have an accent.  I know that I speak like I’m from East LA. That’s where I come from.  Do I wish sometimes I didn’t have an accent?  Absolutely! I wish I spoke and wrote in flawless English.  But I is what I is!  I am comfortable with that.  I have crooked teeth.  I wish I had perfect teeth.  I wish I was taller, but I am not.  I wish I was thinner but I am not.  This is who I am.

But I’m more than that.  I am a sinner saved by grace.  Not a perfect man, but being perfected in Christ.  I know what I am, I know who I am, I know where I’m going. Can I get an amen? When you discover who you are in Christ and value that estimation, you have found a wonderful thing!

I am so used to the security-gauntlet at LAX: Take the shoes off. Computer-laptop on a tray. The obligatory din of barking TSA employees are oblivious to me now. I am just thinking, "Man, I hope I didn't bring any water in my carry-on!"But in a way, I wish I did, because just like when a sniffin'-dog catchs his prey, those TSA folks also get so excited and giddy when they 'catch' someone with water. Having experienced Ben Gurion's pre-flight security measures more than once, LAX procedures become so absurd and lamentably, laughable.
On to Philadelphia. Pastor Joe Foch picked me and Loren Lew, our church administrator, at the airport. Later on, Gayle Erwin (Conference-speaker and author of Jesus Style) joined us and off we went. What would you like to eat? Outbacks, or something like it? Pastor Joe asks. Outbacks? Man, we have some of those restautants in L.A. How about a nice little quaint Italian restaurant? Bam! that's it. Oh, my...Italian chow, eastcoast style, there's nothing like it. Just thinking about the delectable array of exotic Sicilian foods, makes my mouth watery all over again.

I am always fearful of the eastcoast time zone. Because I am a night-owl, I usually hit the rack about 0100 hours at home, thus in Eastern-time, that's 0400 hours! And generally, because the scheduled activities start at 0800, I have to hit the deck and roll up by 0700. That's right, only about three hours of sleep. And that's not REM sleep. How do I know? Because REM sleep brings the best deepest sleep; the muscles are completely relaxed, and the sleeper moves very little and is awkened only with difficulty. I KNOW I was stirring, twichting, hearing birds chirping all night (I hope that's what it was!) There was a time when I was able to sleep anywhere, anytime. Aahh. Those were the days. But it's all good. I usually make up for it when I get home. Or should I say, 'pay for it' when I get home?

Calvary Chapel Philadelphia is happening. The church and staff are awesome folks. One of the plethora of their ministries is Rock Ministries, which is the featured story in the current Calvary Chapel Missions magazine. Pastor Joe is the founding pastor of this sensational fellowship. He and wife started a small fellowship back in 1982. It is now a mega-church, making a huge impact in the City of Brotherly Love.

Do you know why we in California call the Interstate highways 'freeways'? Because they're free! No toll-road fees. Man, Californians can take this for granted. In the eastcoast toll-roads is a way of life and a hassle for every commuter.
Sandy Cove in Delaware is a picturesque, cozy conference center. The Chesapeake Bay waters gently kisses the shores of the facility. The trees are in a blazing-mood of tints: red, yellow, amber, gold, purple, blue, albino, and green-colors of every shade. The temperature is in the low 50's, and fall to the chilly 20-25's fahrenheit at night. A very spectacular sensation is felt throughtout my mind and body. I am thankful for the awesomeness of our Creator.
Burly, husky men are meandering in and around the fellowship hall of Sandy Cove. Sharing a hot cup of java after the evening meal seems like a wonderful luxury. Later on, about three hundred men are now singing and adoring God through heart-felt songs, led by Pastor Rob, worship minister, and the praise-team. It's quite moving to hear male voices in unison and reverance. It's quite conducive and mesmerazing, and may say, lovingly intoxicating?
There's always something unique happening at a Mens Retreat. Men are men. As Millie reminded me: "Men are men, Pancho. Eastcoast or Westcoast. Same issues, same problems, same shortcomings." Hearts and wills are opened. Confession and repentance are the two key elements required to fully absorb the purposes of this masculine gathering. God speaks loudly. The first meeting brought many men, literally, to their knees in open-confession and repentance towards the Lord Almighty. The effect was so infectious that I was also caught-up in the rapture of confession (the vomit of the soul). God once again spoke and now we pray that lives and families will be transformed by the power of God and the power of Truth.

Toda, Shalom!

'Wow. Has it been twenty-seven years since the last time Millie and I came to San Francisco?' Time flies. I mean, it's really flying now, at warp-speed. I was told once that when a person hits the 40 year-old mark, it's all down hill, baby!
I don't believe in such moronic clichés. But I do believe in growing older with grace and dignity. I was asked once, 'Would you like to be twenty-five all over again?' Without hesitation, I replied, 'Oh, no, way, Man! I am content, satisfied and complete. I don't even miss my 60's Jimi Hendrix mane!'

My marriage, like the city of San Francisco, has lots of hills; some going down and some going up. But whether one is at the bottom or the top of hill, the views in Frisco are all perfect nearly all the time. So it is in my relationship with Millie. Life is full of ups and downs. This year, however, our residence has been on the mountain-top, with a few 'trips to valley floors.' But overall, we've survived another year together in a blessful manner.

Celebrating our thirty-first year of marriage (Legally, that is. But I've been with this same chick for 35 years!), I cannot help myself, actually, my memory bank induces me to recall the time when Millie was going through chemo-therapy, on the precipice of eternity, home to be with Lord, when she voiced a desire to visit the Swiss Alps. Julie Andrews and Disney messed with her head when she first saw the movie, "Sound of Music." I never vocalized a retort, but in my mind I was saying, "Dream on, girl. We're Americans, and as Americans we get to dream!" I mean, it was no way possible to orchestrate such travel wishes.



While perched on the 12th floor of our hotel window last week, I became very pensive. (I always do, when I realize the blessings and privileges that the Lord has allowed me and Millie. I mean, if I wasn't in the ministry, I KNOW, that I would not have the many opportunities provided for us to travel.
And because Millie rarely travels with me [I am a mother. I still have small children to take care of!] I actually thrive and make the best of our time together.

Well, due to time restraints and study time (I teach a Spanish-study tonight at Costa Mesa Calvary Chapel) I need to run. But I can include this bitsy note:
God did open a way for Millie and I to go to the Alps in 2003! It was wonderful. Memorable. We thought nothing can get better than celebrating one's marriage-anniversary in Austria/Switzerland!




Well, last week, once again, we blurted, 'it can't get better than Frisco!'

What makes the event so special, we believe, is that Millie and I both are always acutely aware that time is precious; a commodity that cannot be recalled. The hands of time sweeps swiftly... cancer roared its fat-head against us in the past...but God, and many precious saints, interceded and we beat the malicious-malignancy to the ground. Now everyday is a precious time to live...to fellowship...to talk...laugh...plan...pray...laugh...
gossip...observe...laugh...

Oh, by the way, THANK YOU, VETERANS! And for all my former Leathernecks, Hooorrrah! and Happy Birthday!




Keep looking through the window pane,
Just trying to see through the pouring rain It's hearing your name, hearing your name
I never really felt quite the same, Since I've lost what I had to gain No one to blame, no one to blame
Seems to me, can't turn back the hands of time Oh it seems to me, can't back the hands of time
Seems to me, can't turn back the hands of time
Oh it seems to me, can't turn back the hands of time Seems to me, history was left behind
GROOVE ARMADA

A song Millie and I don't ever have to sing!

His and Yours,

PJ