Tue, 14 May 2024 05:36:28 -0700WeeblyThu, 11 Aug 2022 21:49:15 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/august-11-2022Luke 11:34-36; NASB

34Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35So watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36Therefore if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be wholly illuminated, as when the lamp illuminates you with its light.

Our eyes are amazing parts of our bodies. My wife, an optometrist, can tell you how amazing they are and how they declare the wonder and glory of God and His creation of us.

My whole life I have had pretty good eyesight. I can see everything up close really well. Even turning 50, I still don’t need any reading glasses (although I have been assured by many that that day is coming). But, as well as I can see up close, I have a difficult time seeing things at a distance, especially any details (it makes golfing a bit challenging - thank goodness for friends).

But it really hits me when I drive at night. I honestly cannot read street signs at all. I hate driving to new places that are unknown to me at night because I just can’t make out the names of the streets and where I am supposed to turn. Literally, the illuminated street signs on the signals, I cannot read the name of the street until I am at the stoplight.

The darker it gets, the more difficult it is for me to see clearly.

Jesus teaches us an interesting principle here in Luke 11. “Your eye is the lamp of your body.” In other words, it’s the old phrase, “monkey see, monkey do.” What Jesus is teaching is that the things we see, the things we focus on, the things our eyes desire will end up guiding how we live out our lives. 

So, the question comes to us then: what are we focusing on? What are we allowing to lead and guide us? What is our illumination level at?

Nowadays we have light bulbs that can be dimmable, or set to work at 100%, 66% or 33% light. We want “mood” lighting. But have you ever gone to a restaurant that has the lights set to a lower setting to create a “mood,” but the only mood you are getting is frustrated because you cannot read the menu to order food?

I know for me, when I have been less consistent with sitting in God’s Word, when my prayer life is not on point, when I am less in tune with God….I can sense and see my life falling apart. I have a shorter fuse. I get irritated quicker. My pride goes up.

And it’s not that I have been focusing on darkness, I just haven’t focused on God. So, consequently, because I haven’t been focusing on God to illuminate my life, I have been looking at darker things. Sometimes we unintentionally look at darker things because we aren’t intentionally focusing on God. 

But, if we are being truly honest, there are times that we intentionally seek out dark things to look at.

Jesus is telling us, teaching us, challenging us, reminding us that if our eyes are clear, our bodies will be illuminated with God’s light; but if our eyes are bad, then our lives will be full of darkness.

The other warning, and more severe, is this: “So watch out that the light in you is not darkness.” How can the “light” in us be “darkness?” Isn’t that a little bit of an oxymoron?

Well, one way is if we are continuing in a sinful lifestyle or pattern. If we haven’t really let God’s Word abide in our hearts and minds to lead and guide us. This comes from just trying to “add” God to our lives, and not really deny self.

Another way is to simply go through the motions. Maybe you pray because Christians are supposed to pray. Maybe you read your Bible but never really expect to get anything out of it or expect God to do some amazing things. When we just do what we are supposed to do, but don’t seek with intent and expectation, we can allow the light in us to become darkness.

George H. Morrison, in talking about this verse, says the following: “If any of my readers are like that – if they see the Carpenter but cannot see the Lord – let me ask them, tenderly and quietly, What kind of life have you been living?”

The apostle John writes this to the church: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 5:7).

Ultimately, I went to an eye doctor who could diagnose what my problem was, and bring about a correction that I am unable to do naturally by myself. And guess what, when I wear my glasses, I can see things in the distance and notice details. 

God and His Word are the things that can radically adjust our eyesight, that can bring us from a place of darkness to a place of illumination and clarity. But, like my glasses, I have to intentionally wear them in order to see the change.

If you are looking for a radical transformation in your life, it starts with a self examination through God’s Word to readjust where you are looking, and to wholly fix our eyes on Jesus.

Finally, let me close with this thought. C.S. Lewis writes: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

May our eyes and hearts and minds be focused on God’s transforming light and Word, that not only do we see it, but by it we see and interpret everything else. That we might not be partially illuminated, but wholly illuminated.

-Pastor Brian
]]>Thu, 04 Aug 2022 22:29:17 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/august-4-2022Romans 14:13; NASB

Therefore let’s not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this: not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way.

As a kid, I loved growing up watching cartoons. I think one of my favorites was Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote.

All the shenanigans, all the traps. All the Acme packages the coyote bought. All the snares and obstacles he placed in the way to trip up the roadrunner. And the plans didn’t work. Never. Ever. Worked.

The road runner always got away.

I wish that were true of life today, especially the life of faith as we follow Jesus with all our heart. But the fact is, there are many obstacles in life. There are many stumbling blocks to us following and growing in our faith.

Think about it for a minute. What are the stumbling blocks that get in the way of you following Jesus? Sure, we can name some biggies: pride, arrogance, anger, selfishness. You know, very big, very general terms.

I was on a hike the other day and it seemed like every 20th step I was rolling my ankle. My friend behind me finally laughed and was like, “I don’t know how you do it but you seem to find every wrong place to step.” My response, “I belong on pavement.”

But this Romans passage isn’t about stumbling blocks. It’s about making sure we don’t do anything to put a stumbling block in someone else’s way.

There’s a scene in the movie “Big Daddy” with Adam Sandler, in which he is taking care of a young boy. They are watching a group of roller skaters skate backwards in between cones. Then suddenly, the child throws a stick on the ground and a roller skater comes by and completely crashes to the ground.

The child threw a stumbling block in the way. He intentionally did something to cause someone else to fall.

You and I can never do that. When the thought comes across our heart or mind, trust me, confess it to God right away and run away from that thought. It doesn’t do any good to anybody. It doesn’t even help you.

And in this passage, Paul tells us the quickest, easiest way we can throw stumbling blocks in other people’s way. “Let’s not judge one another anymore.”

Yeah, you read that right. Judging others is the quickest way to get them to fall. It’s the stick, the rock, the chain, the rope….whatever would cause someone to come crashing to the ground. 

Rather, let's focus on ways we can clear the way of obstacles. How can we do that? Well, there’s lots of ways.

We can pray.

We can make sure we are encouraging with our words.

We can listen, and respond when appropriate.

We can come alongside and try to help carry any of life’s burdens for them.

Obviously, we can choose not to judge them.

Ultimately, our goal should be to clear the way to get them closer to Jesus so they can hear what He is trying to say to them. 

So toss aside that stick of judgment. Throw it into the bushes so that it can never cause anyone to stumble again. Grab that broom of encouragement and get out there and start sweeping the path clear so the people close to you (friends, family, neighbors, co-workers) can get to Jesus.

-Pastor Brian
]]>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 23:04:11 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/july-21-2022Deuteronomy 22:4; NASB
You shall not see your countryman’s donkey or his ox fallen down on the road, and avoid them; you shall certainly help him raise them up.

In 1968 Louis Armstrong recorded an enduring song that has touched the lives of many over generations: “What A Wonderful World.” (If you’re like me, you hear Louis singing it in his raspy, one of a kind voice…. “I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, ‘What a wonderful world.’”)

Right. It’s such a great song. It whisks you away to some fairytale land where everything is perfect, people love one another, and you can eat whatever you want and not gain a single pound (ok, maybe that last part is just my fairytale land).

I love the charge Moses gives to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. Remember all the laws, all the 10 commandments. Make sure you live in a way to honor God. If you do, all will go well with you.

But, if you live like the people who were before you, whom God is kicking out of the land, then you too will suffer the same consequences.

And in the midst of all that, we get this really cool glimpse into what it means to live in a way that pleases the Lord: If you see your countryman’s ox or donkey fallen down in the road, stop what you are doing, and help them get the animal up.

In other words, whatever task you have, whatever you are doing, no matter how important it may seem, it becomes a distant second when you see your countryman in need.

Wow!. I mean, wow! I can’t even imagine what that would be like, Maybe you are like me, where I have felt guilty driving by someone on the freeway that is broken down on the side of the road.

“I’m going too fast, I wouldn’t be able to stop and help in time.” “What could I do, I’m not a mechanic! They are better off waiting for Triple A.” “Oh man, I just don’t have time right now, I have to get to such and such a place.”

In a perfect world, in a wonderful world, we would stop in our tracks the minute we saw someone in need and we would do whatever we can to help them along their way.

The other day I went on a hike in the mountains. I hadn’t hiked in two years, and the group leader chose a hike about 16 miles long. To be fair, and honest, I had no intention of going the distance on this hike. It had been too long and I hadn’t done the proper training.

“But,” I thought, “I am going to try and go five miles up then turn around, so I will hike a total of 10 miles. That would be a victory for me.”

So I set out. I’m going to be honest….it was rough. I was out of breath, my legs hurt, my ankle hurt, I had slightly strained my hamstring a couple days earlier….wah, wah, wah……complain, complain, complain.

So I got to a point (ok, let’s be honest and reword that as “I struggled”) that was five miles. I sat down and pondered my life choices, and why I would ever choose something so crazy in my life (Hint: because my wife likes to push me to do better).

As I sat down, catching my breath, three ladies came running down the trail. Yes, running. As in, they ran up the trail and now they are running down. Nothing like watching people run up and down a trail (and it doesn’t matter if they are men or women) that you struggle on.

So the woman in front says “Good morning!” And I respond likewise. And then a couple more running steps she is looking intently at me, still running, but ready to stop as she asks, “Are you ok?”

What a wonderful moment and world that was. She was ready to stop her exercise and run, to make sure I was ok and could make it down the mountain. In this instance, I apparently was the ox that fell over in the road that needed to be put back on its feet.

I loved the heart of that woman and the whole group in that moment. Ready to stop on a moments notice to make sure an absolute stranger was ok. 

I don’t know anything about their faith in life, or whether they believe in God or not, but I can tell you this…they were living out Deuteronomy 22:4. And it was refreshing to see.
It was a glimpse of what I think heaven would be like. Heaven truly is going to be a wonderful world. I can’t wait to get there and see Jesus and the place He has prepared for us.

But until that time, He has given me….He has given us a mission: When you see your neighbor in need, stop what you are doing and help them out. That is our priority. That is showing the love of God.

In a world that seems to be getting more and more filled with hate and anger and division, people need to see God’s love in action. They need to see a wonderful world. They need to see others love and care for them.

The world is full of opportunities. What are you waiting for? It can truly be a wonderful world when we put God’s love into action.

-Pastor Brian
]]>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 22:32:39 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/july-13-2022Deuteronomy 23:14; NASB
Since the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to save you and to defeat your enemies before you, your camp must be holy; so He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you.

How do you feel about friends coming over to the house to visit? Or maybe when a family gathering is at your place?

I have split emotions. Although I know I will enjoy the time I spend with the guests, I also know what it means that people are coming over: It’s time to clean the house.

Right? You have to make it look clean, like you live in a spotless house all the time and keep it clean all the time. Oh, all the effort we put into making our houses look clean for guests, so they don’t realize how messy we really are.

Yes, I know…some of you keep your house clean all the time….great for you; the rest of us might struggle with that a little bit. But what if we lived everyday as though people were coming over, and kept the house clean everyday.

It’s an interesting passage in Deuteronomy 23. Moses is relaying God’s Word of how Israel needs to live. And how is that? Live in holiness, in righteousness. 

Why? Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp.

Now think about that. Do you ever consider the Lord walking through the midst of your house?

As you cook in the kitchen, he is walking through smelling the great aromas (or the burnt ones). As you sit down to watch TV, he is walking through the living room watching that show with you. As you yell out that curse word as something heavy drops on your foot….well, you get the idea, right?

How might our houses and home lives look different if we lived out the idea that God is walking in the midst of our house? What changes would you want to make? What would you want to hide (heads up: you can’t hide anything from God)?

Understand, when we choose to follow God, we choose not just salvation and eternal life (yay), but we also choose to surrender our lives to Him and follow His ways with all our hearts. That’s what the “your camp must be holy” means.

We are called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). We are called to leave behind sin and live for righteousness (Romans 6:1-2; Colossians 1:10, 2:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:12). Our camp, our home, needs to be holy because the Lord God walks in the midst of it.

That’s a huge task and a big ask. And it takes time to change old habits. That’s ok. Be patient, but be intentional to press on towards the things God is calling you to. And He will guide and strengthen you for every step.

But I want you to notice the “why” in this passage. Not just why keep the camp holy. The bigger question we should be asking, why is God walking in the midst of our camps and homes?

To save you and defeat your enemies.

Let that sink in for a minute. To save you. Deliver you. Rescue you. Give you a solid place to plant your feet.

And to defeat your enemies. God. Fighting for you. That’s pretty awesome if you ask me.

So the question is, if God is doing that much for us, why wouldn’t we have our homes in a state of cleanliness and righteousness? Why wouldn’t we find the greatest joy in having the God who saves us and fights for us walking in the midst of our homes?

The devil is really good at making distractions and sin look really good and satisfying. But none of it is worth missing out on God in the midst of our homes.

So take a quick look. Come up with a list. Where do you need to start in getting your home, your life cleaned up? 

Certainly there are changes we all can make to make our homes more God appropriate. And probably some BIG changes. My advice, start with prayer. And then, start with the small things. Gain some victories. See little piles get cleaned up and then the big things won’t seem so unchangeable.

Maybe it all starts with a simple, daily prayer: “Lord, thank you for walking in the midst of my life and my home; help me to find the greatest joy and contentment in Your presence over anything else.”

Blessings to you and your family as you make your camp, your home, holy as the Lord walks in the midst of you, saving you and defeating your enemies.

-Pastor Brian
]]>Thu, 07 Jul 2022 19:51:15 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/july-7-2022Romans 13:8; NASB
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.

I don’t know about you, but I hate being in debt. I hate the feeling of thinking I owe somebody something.

Even amongst my friends, this principle exists. If we go out to eat, one might say, “I’ve got this” and pay for the bill. But the next time we go out, I jump in, “You paid last time, let me get it this time.” And back and forth and back and forth and on it goes.

It’s not that anyone is keeping track (but we are), but in our minds we are making sure that no one pays more than the other. Not that anyone would hold it over the other’s head, but the thought is there that we want to keep things “Even Stevens.”

So it is interesting that Paul writes to the church in Rome, and to us today, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.” I like how the NIV writes it, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.”

The continuing debt to love one another. The ongoing debt. The never ending debt. The, “I can never love you too much” debt.

Whew….that’s all a little….wow…..overwhelming, right? I mean, that sounds like a lot. That sounds like a big deal. It sounds like there is no end in sight to loving one another.

Good. Then you and I are starting to get it. The call to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, is a call to love our neighbors unending.

What if our neighbors don’t deserve it? What if they are mean or rude to your family? What if they don’t believe the same things you do? What if they are annoying and play loud music late at night or shoot fireworks off that make your dogs scared and bark? (Asking for a friend)

Well, the good thing is God never asks us to do anything He is unwilling to do Himself. “We love,” the Bible says, “because God first loved us.” That love is ultimately seen in the life and death of God’s own Son Jesus. It’s there that God “proves” His love. He demonstrates His love.

And His love for us never stops. It never has stopped. It won’t stop. It is, for lack of a better word, unending.

The thing is, God doesn’t have to love us. He wants to love us. It’s not an obligation, it’s an opportunity for Him. 

And likewise, it is not an obligation to “owe” others love. What a great opportunity we have to not only receive God’s love, but to share it with others around you.

Maybe it’s a prayer. Maybe it’s sharing a meal or having a cup of coffee together. Maybe it’s being there for them in a difficult time, or celebrating with them. Maybe it is helping them out financially.

It’s listening to the way God calls you to love your neighbor as yourself. We’ll never run out of those opportunities. They will always be there. Which is a good thing because we are called to never owe anyone anything except to love them.

So go out in that great big world and be love. Don’t talk about love…be love. Demonstrate your love the same way God demonstrated His love to us.

Never stop loving. Whether it is your neighbor, family member, co-worker, or friend…keep on loving. Maybe, like my friends and I with meals, you make sure no one shares more love than the other. 

Because after all, you owe it to them.

-Pastor Brian

]]>Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:16:13 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/june-24-2022
Deuteronomy 20:1; NASB
When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

Over the past few years my wife and I have gone out and participated in obstacle course races. If you don’t know what that is, you can do a quick search on the internet for “Spartan Race” or “Tough Mudder.”

In these races, there are some fun obstacles, and some crazy ones. There are some you look at and think, “Oh, that will be fun.” Other ones I look at and think, “Why am I even out here? There’s no way I can do that!”

In essence, I am defeated before the race even starts. I’ve forgotten about all the training I’ve done and the hard work I’ve put in to get ready, and I just get overwhelmed by the enormity of the circumstances and obstacles before me.

In Deuteronomy 20, as Moses is giving final instructions, he has a chapter dedicated to war, and how Israel ought to act when caught in a wartime situation. Basically, the whole chapter is about making sure there is no unnecessary loss of life, limiting how many might die during war (notes from ESV Study Bible regarding this section).

The first command given when it comes to war is this: don’t get overwhelmed and afraid of the armies or the size of armies that are before you. Don’t be afraid. God is with you.

Let me tell you what I read in this passage. This is the BKV, the Brian Kammer Version:

Israel, you are going to have times when you go to war. Not if….when. And know this, you will face other armies that are way larger than you are. You’re going to be tempted to be afraid. No, scratch that, you are going to be afraid. You are going to think it is impossible. You are going to believe death and defeat lay before you. Don’t believe it. Don’t give in to that thinking. Why? Because the God who rescued you from slavery to Egypt (which, by the way, you never thought you would get out of), and in the the process of that deliverance this same God completely defeated and destroyed the entire army of the Egyptians. This God….He is with you. If anyone should be afraid, it should be the other armies because the God of all gods and King of all kings fights for you, protects you, and defends you!

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking right now. You’re glad for the regular versions of the Bible because they are a lot shorter. Me too.

But make sure you see what God is telling His people. “‘I’ve got this,” God says, “and I’ve got you. Don’t worry and don’t be afraid.”

Before any instructions on how to conduct themselves during war, Moses starts out with the most important thing: keep your eyes, heart, and mind focused on God. Don’t get overwhelmed by the obstacles that lay before you. God is much, much superior and greater than them.

What obstacles do you see in life right now? What are things that maybe, just maybe bring about some fear? What is taking the place of confidence in God?

Certainly you are not in a time of war right now, physically. But maybe you are going through an emotional war. Or a mental war, financial war, or maybe even a relational war.

Can I tell you what Moses would tell you? (Of course I can, I’m the one writing the devotional) Don’t be afraid of those things!

But you don’t know how long I’ve been fighting these things! You don’t know how insurmountable they are! You don’t know how many odds are stacked against me!
You’re right….I don’t know. But I do know a God who is with us and fights for us.

Let me be a little vulnerable with you. Everyday I wake up a little fearful about being a leader/pastor. Everyday I have doubts. Everyday I hear the voices that tell me I’m not good enough, that I don’t really matter, that there are better pastors out there. Every morning I battle with the thought that the church would be so much better with me out of the picture. It is taxing and tiring to face the same arguments everyday.

And some days, I am overcome by the thoughts. I give in, I’m afraid. I want to crawl up into a ball and cower into a corner to hide from it all. But that is not what God has called me to do. And that is not how God has equipped me to face these fears.

Time and time again I have seen God remind me of His presence during these times of doubt. So many times I have seen God fight for me and remind me, whether through the kind words of a friend, or through some action/result, that I am right where God wants me. And as I am right where God wants me, He is right there with me.

Don’t get me wrong. Times of war are times of war. It is hard. You will have to fight. But fight for the right things. Above all, fight to, as the author of Hebrews so eloquently states it, let us continue to “look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”

I know some of you are facing the worst things in life right now. The odds seemed stacked against you. The obstacles seem overwhelming and insurmountable. 
But before you give in, remember the charge Moses gave to Israel which is still so relevant to us today: do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you.

-Pastor Brian
]]>Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:55:00 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/june-15-2022Romans 12:10; NASB
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor

I recently attended my nephew and nieces Junior High promotion/graduation. It was a great event, and I was a proud uncle of all they accomplished in their school.

As the ceremony went on, it came time to call the names of each student, have them come across the stage and get their certificate. I remember as a parent, being proud of my own daughters, celebrating them. And this was no different.

But then, something happened. They called the name of a young man. As he went to step forward, he fell to the ground. And then he just lay there. We weren’t sure if something happened, maybe he had a seizure, who knows. But people stood looking on for a minute.

Finally some of the teachers came over to attend to this young man, to make sure he was ok, then help him back onto his feet. Everyone was worried, and then everyone applauded. He walked back to the starting point, and they called out his name again as though nothing had happened.

Everyone was there to celebrate this young man. To support him. To make sure he didn’t feel bad about what happened, it was just an accident (turns out he had a walking boot on his foot for an injury and it either got caught on something or he slipped).

But everyone in that auditorium felt the panic when he fell and lay there. And everyone felt relieved when he was able to get back on his feet and receive his certificate.

Paul writes to the church, “be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” Literally he says, “with the love a parent has for a child, so love one another.”

With the love a parent has for their own kids.

Parents, how much do you love your kids? When was a time that you had the greatest joy or laughter spending time with your children?

Putting their unbelievably amazing artworks and accomplishments on the fridge to display for all to see, and to boast about your amazing little Michelangelo. To mourn with them as they are sad, sitting with them and holding them and affirming that this too shall pass.

Or when was a time where you experienced the greatest fear? When was a time you were so concerned about them you couldn’t sleep until you knew they were ok?
Because, even though my kids have grown into young adults, it never changes.

I remember late one night we received a phone call from our daughter. Fear begins to mount up as you see the name on the phone and you begin to think the worst has happened. People say the best way to wake up is to know you overslept and have lost time. I think it is an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night.

Turns out it was just a flat tire, and then my panic turned into grumbling because I had to wake up to fix a flat tire and complain, complain, complain. But at the end of the day, I was relieved because my baby was ok and I would do anything for her to keep it that way.

And that is how we are supposed to view one another in our church family - as our own kids. Committed to them, devoted to them, loving them the way a parent loves their own kids.

Will there be times of frustration? Sure. Will there be times of worry? Of course. Will there be times when you think back on and smile because it was such a great joy? Absolutely.

Because, if you haven’t figured it out yet, the church is family. That is the biblical picture of the church. And Paul is reminding us we are supposed to have a love for one another that rivals the love a parent has for their child.

So get out there and love like it has no end. Celebrate as others celebrate. Mourn with the one who mourns. Pick them up when they have seemed to fall down, making sure they are ok. Encourage them to keep trying and keep reaching.

Because we all need one another. It’s what makes the church. The people, loving one another with a deep brotherly affection. 

-Pastor Brian
]]>Thu, 09 Jun 2022 20:44:54 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/june-9-2022Romans 11:33-36; NASB
33 Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? 36 For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

There are so many things in life I marvel at.

I marvel at the fact that my little dachshund, with such tiny legs, can run so fast. How does she do it? I have much longer legs but I can’t keep up!

I marvel at some magic tricks. I don’t get it. You can slow it down and show me where everything took place but oftentimes I still don’t see it. Like, honestly, how does the magician have a stranger write his name on a card and then it is found in a brand new deck of cards that is wrapped in plastic?

I marvel at how easily I can get irritated while I drive. Really, Brian, what’s the rush?

Anger doesn’t help anything, especially my outlook on life. Why not just enjoy the scenery or music or sky or anything else there to be marveled at instead of anger.

I marvel at the fact that an individual or a family can have someone commit a horrible and unjust atrocity against them, and in time they can turn around and forgive the individual. Wow, right?!

And then Paul reminds us of something truly astounding: the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God and the knowledge of God. The riches of these things. It is greater than Scrooge McDuck diving into his vault of billions of gold coins and swimming in it. 

And the depth of those riches. So deep that you would never reach the bottom. Think about that. Marvel at that. You and I can never exhaust the riches found in the wisdom and knowledge of God. 

And if that’s not enough (by the way, that alone is more than enough), Paul keeps going. His judgments are unsearchable, and his ways unfathomable.

You cannot google to get an understanding of God’s judgments. There’s no wikipedia page for that. It’s beyond measurement or comprehension.

And His ways unfathomable. A fathom is a unit of measure when it comes to the depth of water. It is about six feet. The deepest part of the ocean is the Marian Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is 36,021 feet deep, or 6,033.5 fathoms. 

That’s deep. It is measurable. It comes out to roughly 7 miles deep. And yet God’s ways are deeper than can be measured. We haven’t come up with enough fathoms to reach the depths of the understanding of His ways. It is far beyond our comprehension.

And then Paul writes this about God in 1 Timothy 6:15-16: He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

He lives in unapproachable light. Unapproachable. What in the world. I can’t even begin to comprehend that! I don’t even know what to say, or even try to describe. Paul’s words about the bigness of God are overwhelming.

All to say this: the God of the Bible, the God we profess as Lord, the God we worship and live for….this God is beyond your understanding. He is bigger than anything you can ask or imagine or think of. He is simply greater than everything.

And I write this to remind you. This financial struggle you are in right now, where you feel like you are drowning and there’s no way out. God is bigger than that. It doesn’t mean He is going to make riches come your way, or deliver you out of it. But He is there with you, holding you in His hands.

The health struggle you are going through, where you feel overwhelmed and crushed and tired and ready to give up. God is bigger than that. It doesn’t mean He will bring healing. It doesn’t mean your health struggles are going to go away. But it does mean you are not alone, and at the end of the day when we find ourselves in Jesus, we know and believe that He has gone ahead of us and prepared a place for us where there is no more pain or dying (another thing God has done that is unbelievable!).

That loneliness. The depression, anxiety, fear. The injustice that is done around the world. 

That ominous cloud of unknowingness that is oppressing you and making it difficult to make any decision or take a single step forward.
God is bigger than that.


God.


Is.


Bigger.


Than.


That.


I can’t possibly begin to describe or define or explain the grand bigness of God. I can’t tell you about all His ways.

I can tell you He is bigger than anything you are currently facing, or ever will face.

I can tell you that He invites you to come and be with Him, to cast all your worries, burdens, and fears upon Him.

I can tell you that He promises to never leave you. That even now, He has you in His hands.

And I invite you, as I invite myself, to stop, sit down, take a deep breath and relax. Then to get lost in the greatness of our God; to lose ourselves and to be found in Him. To allow Him to bring the strength, the comfort, the healing, and the times of refreshment that only He can bring.

Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 

-Pastor Brian
]]>Tue, 31 May 2022 21:35:39 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/may-31-2022Deuteronomy 4:29-31; NASB
29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things happen to you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not abandon you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

I remember early on in my college days, there was one class that took place on Tuesdays and Thursday, right around lunch time. Several weeks into the semester, my friends decided to invite me out to lunch.

“I have class,” I thought. “Certainly I can’t miss it. I signed up to be there.”
It was a Tuesday, and I made the decision that it is far better to go to lunch with my friends than it is to go to class. You know, because as a young college student, I know everything.

But, me being me, I felt guilty for deliberately ditching a class. It was disrespectful to the professor. It didn’t honor them and the work they were trying to do. So as Thursday rolled around, I had a huge pit in my stomach. “How could I just walk back into class after I had turned my back on it a couple days before?”

And Thursday's class came and went, without me being in attendance two times in a row now. Oh the guilt I felt! (I know, maybe it’s just me, but I have to admit I have some very ‘pharisee’ tendencies in my life)

In Deuteronomy 4, Moses is giving Israel its charge as they are about to head into the Promised Land. “I have taught you statutes and judgments as the Lord God commanded me,” Moses declares in verse 5.

And then in verse 9, “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from it all the days of your life.”

But verse 25 takes a different turn, as Moses warns what will happen when they forget God, when they turn to false gods: you will provoke the anger of the Lord and you will not live long in the land He has promised you.

Before we cast stones against Israel, because they totally blew it and turned from God just as Moses said, we must look at ourselves and see our own propensity to turn from God and His glory, selfishly seeking out our own pleasures. And when that happens, everything seems to fall apart.

The great news (well, let's call it the Good News, the Gospel message), God does not turn His back on us, nor does He forget us. He doesn’t want us to remain in that place of darkness. “He is compassionate,” Moses declares, “He will not abandon you.
Man, God is an amazing God!

But, there is a catch, a requirement, a necessary component we need to have. You will seek the Lord and you will find Him IF you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

IF you search for Him with all your heart and soul. That’s a pretty big “if”! God isn’t looking for people who go through the motions. He isn’t seeking followers who are there most of the time, but if something better comes along they might not be there.

All. Your. Heart. And. Soul.

Our commitment to God is much like our commitment to our spouses when we get married. What is typically said? “To have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until parted by death.”

It’s a commitment to be there all the time, no matter what is happening. It’s a commitment to support, to love, to cherish. It’s the same with God.

God wants to be near us, to be with us, to have a relationship with us. I honestly think it breaks God’s heart when we choose other things as more important than Him. He longs for our return to be with Him. It’s the same as Jesus taught in Luke 15:7 - “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Maybe you are in a place that is hard, dark, foreign. Have you wandered away from the Lord? Have you drifted to seeking your own pleasures instead of seeking the glory of the Lord?

Know this - the invitation to come back is always there with God. The door is open for you to return. 

But, it is going to require a lot of you. Well, not a lot….all of you. Search for the Lord with all your heart and soul and you will find Him. Because He is right there walking with you.

Remember, God is a compassionate God. 

In the end, I made it back into the class I ditched, feeling so horrible for my actions. The professor wasn’t angry. In fact, I believe they said they were glad to have me back in class. I may have received a reminder that I only have so many unexcused absences before I would have to drop the class and take it all over again another semester, but it was a gentle reminder that this is what I signed up for.

No matter where you are, come to God. Come to God for the first time. Come to God if you have wandered away. Let His compassion and grace wash over you. But, if you want to find Him, don’t just go through the motions. Search for Him with all your heart and soul.

-Pastor Brian
]]>Wed, 25 May 2022 18:00:19 GMThttp://westcypresschurch.org/blog/may-25-2022Psalm 61:1-4; NASB
1 Hear my cry, God; give Your attention to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. 4 Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. 

Have you ever felt abandoned, lost, or overwhelmed? I know I have.

I remember as a kid we would take family vacations and go on hikes. I would run up ahead and hide behind trees then jump out and scare my family (although I’m pretty sure they knew exactly where I was).

Then one day, I ran ahead and hid behind the trees and waited to jump out and surprise my family. So I waited. And waited. And waited a little more. No family. “Hmmmmm,” I thought, “they should be here by now; maybe I’ll go back and check on them or maybe I went further than I thought.”

So I head back down the trail. No family. No people anywhere. Maybe they all got eaten by bears or something (you know, I was like 6 so the mind can be a terrible thing).

All of a sudden I was alone in the woods. I was afraid. So I cried out.

David is writing this Psalm. And we aren’t sure when it was written or what the occasion was. But many believe it could have been when his own son Absalom took the kingdom from David and drove him out of Jerusalem.

So David has moved from a place of security to a place that seems like he is at the end of the earth, far from home. When it says his heart is faint, that Hebrew word for faint actually means “overwhelmed.” Have you ever felt like that before? If so, you’re not alone.

So David does the only thing he knows how to do: cry out to God. “Lord, hear my cry….pay attention…help me out!”

One of the great things about the God of the Bible is that no matter where life takes us or where we find ourselves….He is already there. And He listens. And He helps.

Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now read that last paragraph again. Sit in those words, swim in that truth. You are never so far that God is not there.

Because what David is looking for, what he is asking for, is not to retake his throne in Jerusalem. “Lord, let me be found in You. You are my refuge, my strength, my defense. God in you I find shelter from all of life’s storms.”

My encouragement to you, the encouragement from Psalm 61…no matter what happens or where life finds you, remember who God is. He is a refuge, a strength, a shelter. He is always there. He always listens and hears.

May our first response be to cry out to God and to wait on Him. Because His ways are the best. His love for you is the best. And believe it or not, His answers when you cry out are the best as well.

You can trust in God in all things. And so you know, eventually my family all popped out from behind trees and surprised me. They were there all along.

-Pastor Brian

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