FROM BEVERLY HILLS: DANGER of GREED by vanderKOK

08/06/06

Pastor Kok III :
LIVE FROM BEVERLY HILLS
The DANGER OF GREED
& About My Cousin Bob K.
(Shame on Him)


Dear Friends of the Ministry,

It is 6:45 a.m on Sunday, August, 6, 2006 and I am in the heart of Beverly Hills. From where I am I can see the "steeple"
of Beverly Hills City Hall and also downtown Century City (see attached images).

The first thing that comes to the minds of most people when you mention Beverly Hills (and yes I am aware there is a Beverly Hills, Michigan as well, and maybe a few other Beverly Hills throughout the USA) is wealth $$$. It's been indoctrinated in our minds by the media. Even if we've never been to the city, most have heard of it, or seen images of it on television or in the movies.

I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and I think my first exposure to "Beverly Hills" came from the show "Beverly Hillbillies"--which was a great comedy!

Later, there came shows such as "Beverly Hills 90210" (never watched it) and the movie "Beverly Hills Cop" (never saw it) among others. What is it about Beverly Hills? And is it something Christians should avoid, chuckle about, learn from, or what?

Well, I'll see what I can come up with as I compose. But simply because of the connotations Beverly Hills brings to mind - I cannot resist delivering a message entitled "The Danger of Material Wealth" , although I will make note of some paradoxes along the way (i.e. that there are "poor" people too who are just as consumed by material wealth, or more so, as some "rich" people).

And I also want to make mention of a difficult time I am having with my "Cousin Bob K." I won't mention his last name in order to keep this less personal, but I will mention some of the specifics of the conflict, and will ask for your prayers. By bringing this matter to you, the believers and the Body of Christ, I hope to unburden myself, at least a little bit.

But let's begin with a prayer and a few songs on this cool Beverly Hills morning as the sun rises:

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Great God Amighty, and Gracious Redeemer, we come to you with arms lifted up to praise Your Holy Name ! Every breath we take comes from You. Every move we make is empowered by You. You are the Deliverer. You are the Empowerer. And we praise You for Your Goodness. And God help me deliver a message that will inspire and edify those who read it, and will also help unburden me with some of the matters of the heart that are weighing me down. Hear my prayer, Oh Lord. Amen.

Song: Christ from Whom All Blessings Flow
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/f/cfwallbf.htm

I like this song because our real blessings come from Christ not from material well being or wealth. Is material wealth a sign of blessings from God? Maybe, but then maybe not. It depends upon the circumstances and context.


Song: Count Your Blessings
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/countyou.htm



And we can count our blessings no matter what the circumstances may be--much material wealth or none at all ! In fact, as you may learn today--there is a reason to praise the Lord and count your blessings because of a lack of material wealth. But that is only if you use the gifts God has given you to "fill the gap" left for you to live without material wealth. When you "fill the gap" with the Fruits of the Spirit you will experience a life of real "wealth." That's part of what it means to take every "thought captive" (c.f. 2 Cor 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ)

I've been practicing "captive thought" for a while now--often filling the void with prayer. Last night I couldn't sleep too well and I filled the void with prayer for people I've known in my life from elementary school days to the present. I prayed for my "enemies" as well, including cousin Bob, who I want to talk about now.

Cousin Bob, whom I've mentioned previously, lives in Holland, Michigan--one of the most "religious" places in our country. He is the son of my dad's late brother, Sherwood, a military veteran--who rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, and saw a little time in Vietnam.

Uncle Woody as we affectionately called him had a big family. He and his wife Ruth (who is still alive today) had six children: Kathy, Bob, Gary, Bill, Sherwood Jr, and David.

We did not see too much of them as we were growing up in Grand Rapids, MI. That's because they were moved around like most military families, and were in Germany for several years as well.

Military life is tough on kids even though they enjoy some perks and some of them even become "brats." My uncle Sherwood's big vice was alcohol. And some of his children inherited it. In fact, my uncle Sherwood while he overcame alcoholism--or at least was able to stop drinking finally after really putting his liver to the test--probably died at the early age because of his life of alcoholism even though he was dry at the time.

I drank a little bit going through high school and college myself and my dad always warned me of the dangers of alcoholism and noted that it was hereditary. Today, I don't drink at all--although not because of prior abuse or dangers of alcoholism as much as it just does not appeal to me all that much. I'll still sip a little wine now and then if the social occassion gives rise to it but in general that's only once or twice a year, or for communion.

And being in the ministry as well as in education it behooves me to set a good example for those who watch every thing you do. I think there is an appropriate time and place for the consumption of alcohol, but it likes wealth--too much of it can become a problem for those who can't keep their priorities & convictions straight.

But back to Bob K. --- as I was saying--we did not see their family much growing up until after Uncle Woody retired and moved his family to Grand Rapids.

Prior to that we only saw Bob & Gary, the two oldest boys because they attended Calvin College for a while. Gary stayed at Calvin for two years but did not graduate. Bob stayed and graduated and went into banking. The two of them would come over to our house on Griswold St for a meal from time to time while they were in college and Gary lived with us for a short while as he was trying to find direction in life.

Later, we would have a few Thanksgiving Meals together with Sherwoods family and my Uncle Gary's family in Kentwood, Michigan. The Sherwood family loved football--watching it--I'm not sure any of them played it--maybe David the youngest did at E. Kentwood High.

And after Sherwood retired from the military he worked at the Kent County jail to make ends meet. This was when his alcoholism really rose to noticeable levels--even impacting his health and job performance.

That's about the extent of our interaction--Thanksgiving gatherings maybe three or four times in the 1980's and the few times that Bob & Gary were at our house on Griswold St. Then there was Uncle Woody's funeral which I was not able to attend but did send flowers to Woody Jr to deliver. I never got any thanks or a note from them for my gesture of love.

And then over the past few years I've been including Cousin Bob in my periodic mailings--i.e. my inspirational DVD's, newsletters, holiday cards, etc.

He did not respond at all. Then when I added E-church to the ministry and added him to the e-mail list I finally got a response. That was when I was just starting the Sunday Morning Message.

And he tried to sabotage me. It was totally unexpected. In my mind Bob had always been "okay" if not very enthusiastic or very involved. And I imagined he was receiving my ministry material in a pleasant manner even if he did not respond to it.

You see, in my mind, I imagine people receiving my DVD's and enjoying them or if not, at most being indifferent. There's nothing offensive about them that's for sure. They are meant to be Christian inspirational films--sometimes even amusing or entertaining. There's nothing x-rated or r-rated in any of them. These are G-rated DVD's-- based on my own Christian experiences.

And they are "home made" so to speak. This is not highly professional polished film -making. These are films made with a hand held camera put on DVD and given an introduction and conclusion. And they've increased in "polish" over time but are not meant to be commercial films.

So several months ago I found it extremely strange and out-of-proportion to everything to find cousin Bob returning a DVD I sent to him writing "Return to Sender" on it and telling me the DVD's are "worthless" .

I found it upsetting because he did so in such a demonstrative manner with apparent anger and even hate towards me--with no apparent reason. As I said our family never had much contact with the Sherwood family or any of the kids and the few times we did it was hospitable (i.e. we invited them to our house and even at least once to our cottage on Lake Michigan).

Yet here was Bob in 2006 suddenly going on a rampage about the DVD's I sent him, and then also making a gigantic deal about me sending him the Sunday Message by e-mail to his "business e-mail address" at Huntington Bank in Holland, Michigan.

It was as if anger suddenly erupted from Bob with me as the target, irrationally so. I say "irrationally" because the ministry I do is as innocent and harmless as the lad selling newspapers on the street corner. Take it or leave it. I want you to take it--for your own soul's sake, but nobody is forcing anything down anybody's throat so to speak.

Even if you don't want to read my e-mail--at most it's a few seconds to delete it, once a week; or even less if you add a filter to automatically delete anything from "Kok". I'm not bombarding anybody with excessive e-mails like "spam artists". And some people label anything "spam" they don't like--like a bad cop calling anything he (or she) doesn't like "disturbing the peace."

And so I wracked my mind to figure out what was behind this irrational outburst and temper tantrum of cousin Bob. And I realized that he was "posturing"--the same way my Uncle Gary did from time to time--to create a "paper lion". He was making "something out of nothing" to divert attention from his own lack of industry and involvement in the world, community, church, and school.

I realized that Bob K. had done very little with his life; in fact almost nothing. His dad, my uncle Woody, despite his alcoholism was 100 times the man Bob K. is. Bob K. has done nothing with his life but has been able to live by pretense.


The same goes for my Uncle Gary (albeit at least Gary has showed the discretion not to try the recent transparent posturing of Cousin Bob). Gary gets all the same mail that Cousin Bob gets but simply does not respond. But Gary is retired now. Bob isn't. Bob still must perform and still must create a reason for his existence and reason for him getting paid for what he does.

And a lot of people live life this way, piggybacking on others--maybe their dad. Bob became a "military brat", without every having actually performed himself. Likewise, my uncle Gary piggybacked on his dad (my late grandfather the Rev. Gareth Kok) being a pastor. I can't make a point or even have a conversation about faith or theology with Uncle Gary because he knows it all (or thinks he does) given his dad was a pastor.

Some of these pastor kids think they know everything because their dad is the pastor. I myself did not fall into that trap--I took it upon myself to become a pastor and go through all the training and education and discipline and hardship that is required to get to the point of being a pastor--not a pastors kid--- a huge difference.

Likewise, kids of military professionals may think they "know it all" about military and the world because their dad did it. They are fooling themselves.

God will judge us according to what we accomplish (or try to accomplish) , not what our dad's accomplished. Likewise, a bad dad or mom (or both) will not be counted against us in the Kingdom of Heaven--as long as we, ourselves, personally give our best here on earth.


The problem I have with cousin Bob is the gall with which he sends me or returns to me ministry material. He has the gall to be so demonstrative--almost a level of being blasphemous. He's returning good stuff and calling it bad. That's the essence of blasphemy and most people don't have the gall to commit blasphemy.

Some synonyms for "gall" are listed online as "..., arrogance, bitterness, brashness, brass, brazenness, cheek*, chutzpah*, conceit...effrontery... haughtiness, hostility, impertinence, impudence, insolence, malevolence, malice, overbearance, pomposity, presumption, rancor, sauciness, self-importance, spite, venom" ( http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/gall).


And I am glad God gave me the reserve to stand back and observe his behavior and reflect upon it before acting too hastily. You see this initially happened several months ago. Then in July I tried again--sending him another DVD--my "Memorial Day" DVD that I keeping adding on to as the summer progresses, recently including my Mt Whitney hike and Catalina Island.

In an attempt to be jovial I sent him the dvd and wrote "Another Worthless DVD" on it--mimicking his language, thinking he might be a little ashamed of his behavior, but he came "roaring back" in a cowardly way with huge letters on the envelope he returned it and put brackets pointing to "worthless" saying 'That's Correct." That was a few days ago.

It took me by total surprise. I thought he would have settled down by now, but he's still posturing, apparently still trying to deflect something from himself. And I wouldn't have thought that much more about cousin Bob had he not brought attention to himself.

I sent some of the material back trying to "mirror" his cowardly monstrosity--so that he might reflect upon his behavior and be ashamed but I don't think that will happen. His behavior is shameful and if not barely within the bounds of legal behavior would be criminal.

In fact, a few months ago he actually opened the envelope containing ministry material I sent him and looked it over and inserted his own personal note and then re-sealed it and wrote "Return to Sender" upon it--a total violation of postal rules and laws. You can't open an envelope, insert something in it and then "return to sender" without adding new postage.

So I e-mailed a series of messages to my dad about cousin Bob, trying to unburden myself a little bit about it, but my dad is the ultimate diplomat and will not get involved in family conflicts--no matter who is clearly right or wrong.

In fact, there are times when he will take the opposite side against me even when I am clearly right because he simply doesn't always like the person who is clearly right. In fact there's been times when I know my dad has not liked me even though I've been right, or maybe because I've been right.

And there is a problem of anti-semitism involved in this--not to say I am Jewish--obviously I am not, but there is a wrongful notion that "doing things right" and "doing the right thing" is "Jewish" and even sometimes Christians fall into a blasphemous spirit of "anti-semitism" just because they've been outdone by people who are doing better (and that's not to say it's always or only Jewish people who are better--sometimes they do things worse. However, "Jew" just becomes a catch all ).

Mel Gibson's recent outburst may be an example of the misconceptions of Judaism. Judaism and the Jewish religion is not the ultimate problem nor the cause of all wars. There's a misplacement of anger on Jews which should be directed towards "legalism." Jews can be legalistic but so can Christians, and Muslims, and Secular Humanists, and anybody else.

Legalism is the problem. It's the elimination of the Spirit of the Law for the law itself. There's great Jewish people who show signs of the Spirit--and maybe will come to Christ someday (or are already partially "in Christ".

There may be Muslims who show signs of the Spirit and maybe will come to Christ someday or are already partially "in Christ." And there may be "Christians" who do not show signs of the Spirit and do not fully or truly know Christ. It's not what you self-label yourself--it is who you are.
And that brings me back to Holland, Michigan. I grew up in Grand Rapids and spent time in Holland and other areas of West Michigan.

The Christian Reformed & Reformed Church looms large in West Michigan because that's where a large group of Reformed Dutch folk settled when they came to America after landing in Manhattan Island (or New Amsterdam as it was originally named).

There's a Christian Reformed or Reformed CHurch on every street corner in Holland--an exaggeration but what I am saying--the churches are numerous, more so than in many cities.

What does all this "religion" do for people? By and large there's a lot of great and Spirit filled people in Holland but also there are those who attend church legalistically and never truly "graduate" to a higher level of faith. They may be on time to church every single Sunday, maybe even twice on Sunday.

They may even teach Sunday School or participate in the choir. They may have the best dressed kids with the perfect hair but if they don't continue to grow, it's "all for show" as they say. It becomes a show--the Dutch Reformed show.

And it's a shame that I have to be critical because by and large as I was saying I count on the Reformed & Christian Reformed folk to be my best supporters and they are the most responsive to E-Church, God bless you ! It's not you who I am talking about.

It's the legalists, some of whom inhabit the CRC & RCA or are in that community. And occassionally the legalists will fall out of form--forgetting how to "act" in times of crisis. It is during such times that we see the real "them." And it's not pretty.

And that apparently is what happened and is what is happening with Cousin Bob. He doesn't think anybody is watching so he is "getting away" with his cowardly monstrosity and anti-social behavior. BUT NOW YOU KNOW !

I am telling you because YOU ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST AND WE LEAN UPON EACH OTHER. There's nothing more I can do. His behavior is borderline criminal in a petty way--if he was actually yelling at me the way he is "yelling" at me via U.S. Postal Mail it would be definitely something I could complain to the police about. But like most legalists they know how to maintain the pretense of social convention--although he's very close to crossing the line. IN fact he has, in a petty manner.

You see, if he's not going to exhibit socially acceptable behavior to me as a relative and wants to maintain simply a "civil" relationship--i.e a relationship governed by civil legalities, he's still wrong.

Civil people don't go to the extent he is going to--to reject social/ministry mail--either e-mail or U.S. mail. This is not a bombardment of mail. It's maybe one or two DVD's per year. And the e-mails are once per week. And with a normal civil request to "unsubscribe" I would normally make the effort to do so.

But nobody likes being treated like an object. And that is how cousin Bob is treating me--and it's solely for one reason to divert attention from himself--create a non-existent issue--due to his own insecurity about not doing enough in life. IT's the same thing with my Uncle Doug in Bellflower, and was to a certain extent the same with my Uncle Gary. But right now--cousin Bob stands out because he's become more aggressive than any of them (although Doug was fairly aggressive as well when I saw him in Bellflower in July).

How do I respond to blasphemy? I know that I am only doing good--or trying to do good. I know that my DVD's are good--not professionally perfect in terms of form but in terms of the intent and message they convey. I know that my Sunday Message is good in terms of form (most of the time) but most importantly in terms of intent. I WILL NOT BE MOVED !

So I bring this matter of the heart to you, my friends. Pray for me. Pray for Cousin Bob. I'm not going to press the matter any further in terms of sending him things--at least not for a while, but I'm going to put pressure on him via YOU--the BODY OF CHRIST ! I TRUST YOU--BECAUSE I TRUST GOD !

If you want to write to him and say "Shame on You" he works at Huntington Bank in Holland Michigan at 1 Financial Plaza (10717 Adams St), Holland, MI 49423. He is either a bank teller or some sort of bank employee.

And if you are not on my side, then just say "unsubscribe" in the subject line and I will take you off the Sunday List. It's that simple. I am trying to build a ministry with people who are supportive. This does not mean total agreement with everything I say--but nonetheless still supportive.

And so I will leave it at that for the time being. Pray that I will stay emotionally aloof enough so that I will not get pulled into the trap that Cousin Bob is trying to set. It's an emotionally abusive trap which certain personalities use to trap those around them--including spouses and children sometimes.

Imagine running a great race --doing your very best--something most socially normally people applaud; but then coming up against a socially abnormal person who says "Wow, big deal. That's nothing. You are worthless." And I'm not talking about a super bowl champion saying that to a rocket football champion (although that would be a total lack of class as well), I'm talking about an armchair quarter back saying that to anybody out there trying--whether it's a kid playing rocket football or the best NFL player.

It takes a total sociopath to do such a thing and unfortunately I have relatives like that. SO PRAY PRAY PRAY AND PRAY SOME MORE AND IF YOU WANT TO WRITE A "SHAME ON YOU" LETTER TO BOB KOK, THAT'S EVEN BETTER!

And for that matter--you can write a "SHAME ON YOU" letter to DOUG TIMMER IF YOU WISH AS WELL at 10343 Beach St. Bellflower, CA 90706. These are only two of my shameless relatives who will not say "Good Job" or encourage me to keep doing good. Another shameless relative is Gary Kok ("Uncle Gary") at 3732 Ravine Vista, Grand Rapids, MI 49508.

And why are they so shameless? Because of their own character flaws and personality defects--to deflect attention from their own deficits they refuse to praise that which is good. IT's the ultimate blasphemy --and is small compared to that which was done to JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF by LEGALISTS (NOT JUST JEWS).

And I am going to enlarge this "SHAME ON YOU" list over time so that maybe I can get people to start writing letters and put pressure on some of these sociopaths. It usually only takes a few letters to prod these sociopaths in the right direction.

By the way, I actually called cousin Bob at the bank in Holland last week and was about to say something but when I heard him answer his voice sounded so lonely and quiet and pathetic and for a moment I actually felt sorry for him.

I couldn't say anything. I just hung up. And that's the way it is with a lot of anti-social behavior--behind it is something sad. And surely the the Sherwood family is sad because of their dad--and his life long struggle with alcohol. Unfortunately, we cannot allow their anti-social behavior to drag us down despite knowing the reason or reasons for it.

And now let me turn to Scripture:

Scripture: Luke 18:24-27
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?" But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."


I usually glance at a few commentaries while preparing for a message, and here's what one says:

Matthews Commentary:

"There are such difficulties in the way of our salvation: as could never be got over but by pure omnipotence, by that grace of God which is almighty, and to which that is possible which exceeds all created power and wisdom.

The things which are impossible with men (and utterly impossible it is that men should work such a change upon their own spirits as to turn them from the world to God, it is like dividing the sea, and driving Jordan back), these things are possible with God. His grace can work upon the soul, so as to alter the bent and bias of it, and give it a contrary ply; and it is he that works in us both to will and to do.

Whatever we have left, or laid out, for Christ, it shall without fail be abundantly made up to us in this world and that to come, notwithstanding our weaknesses and infirmities."

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Here I am in Beverly Hills, California--which has one of the highest "wealth per capita" ratios in the country (albeit not the highest some critics point out--and also note that it's reputation may exceed actuality) and yesterday I drove around taking pictures of some of the notable points-of-interest (some of which I obtained from the internet as I drove around).

I did not take the time to go find all the different "star" homes, although I made a note about "star maps" and celebrities in Beverly Hills.

The first thing I noticed as I drove into Beverly Hills yesterday was the Jewish people walking to synagogue. Around Beverly Hills it is not uncommon to see the Jewish men dressed in black with the cap on their head, sometimes bobbing in prayer as they walk . While some people find it offensive or ostentatious I find it refreshing sometimes--in comparison to secular humanism which totally eliminates God and any overt association to holiness.

This is not to say that we should put on a "show" of religion but we should not completely eliminate our faith in the public arena either. It is essential to make it a meaningful display--that is edifying to others, not hypocritical.

Then I drove around and noticed some of the points-of-interest. There's the Museum of TV & Radio in Beverly Hills. I've been inside once--didn't go inside yesterday but can tell you that you can look up TV & Radio history--actually video & audio segments--categorized.

Then I took my dog Lola for a walk at or near the Beverly Gardens Park. Nearby is the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church and next to that is the Good Shepherd Catholic Church (both on Santa Monica Blvd) (for places of worship see
http://www.tierraproperties.com/westside_topics/places_of_worship/beverly_hills.htm


I also drove by Beverly Hills High School--where I used the pool locker room once (I intended to go swimming but ended up only taking a shower to cool off); and the Beverly Hills Hotel
http://www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com/ (which is not geographically near the high school--they just happen to be near each other in the image gallery).

From there I went up to north Beverly Hills and stopped by the Greystone Mansion--one of the few Beverly Hills mansions open to the public (for free). They were filming something there--meaning lots of trailers and trucks and people milling about so I didn't stay too long.

Film crews abound around Los Angeles and they are not always the most socially adept people nor very conversational. I mean there are times when I would ask somebody "What are they filming? " and they wouldn't even know what they are doing or if they did would not be very interested in talking to you or informing you about anything because you are a "lay person" in their minds (i.e. not part of the "industry").

The fact is some of the time--with all the "help" staff buzzing around--many of them, in fact, do not know what they are actually doing--they just know they are getting paid for being there but they don't want to reveal their ignorance to "outsiders" . With all the cameras and lights and equipment they can appear very intelligent and sophisticated as long as they keep their mouths shut.

Leaving Greystone (where I met my mom & dad once--for a social visit--although it was closed so we went and got a bite to eat in downtown Beverly Hills instead), I drove down Sunset Blvd (which runs right through Beverly Hills, leaving the seemingly seedy Hollywood scene behind to the east) and saw a few of the "Star Map" sellers. I bought one once but have never taken the time to seriously try to look up celebrity residences. Yesterday, the guy wanted 10 bucks for a Star Map, but I found a star map website online at
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Live/StarsAddresses_A.shtml
(also see
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Live/BeverlyHills.shtml )

Then I looked up a few houses of architectural interest according to "Things to do in Beverly Hills" website at

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2835240-b-11-beverly_hills_things_to_do-i;_ylt=AuZyqo4wSCpY2xSAZYiHtz07PGoL

The Spadena House at 516 Walden Street, also known as the "Witches House" was particulary impressive--not in terms of wealth but the character of the home. It looks exactly like a little witches house--a nice break from the repetitive show of blandly similar wealthy homes through the south Beverly Hills neighborhood.

I noticed the Beverly Hills Trolley around the town (see image). Then I drove by the Green Acres estate--apparently a point of interest in the history of Beverly Hills--first owned by Harold Lloyd, a silent film star (you can only see the outer gate, no tours).

I also drove by the Robinson Estate--the only other estate open to the public--and now owned by the county of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, reservations weeks in advance are required so I took a picture of the entrance and left.

Then there is also the Wosk Residence on Roxbury (rated #15 by Yahoo on things to see in Beverly Hils ) which was created by Frank Gehry and Miriam Wosk and is called a "whimsical structure" by somebody at the Yahoo site.

Also on the list of things to see is the Creative Artists Agency (aka CAA) which apparently handles a lot of the talent and entertainment individuals. They are one of the big three talent agencies in Beverly Hills, the other two being ICM and William Morris. ( see
http://www.icmtalent.com/contact.html
http://www.caa.com/, and
http://www.wma.com/ )

The Barakat Gallery is apparently a famous place for ancient artifacts and "specializes in Tribal, Pre-Columbian, Egyptian, Biblical, Near Eastern and Greco-Roman."I didn't have time to go in (mostly because parking is so hard to find) but I took a picture passing by.

Then I went by the O'Neill house at 507 N. Rodeo Drive and ranked at #11 on the "things to do in Beverly Hills " list which says " The house ...is a welcome architectural anomaly amidst the often-boring pseudo-classical style homes of Beverly Hills"

I drove around the block again and passed by a cute statue of an old couple walking hand-in-hand at the corner of Santa Monica & Camden. Couldn't get a great picture driving by but you can make it out.

From there I drove back up to Sunset Blvd and headed west towards UCLA passing by the "statue house" which is what I call it (and is not listed on the "things to do" site) (not "statute") .

You see I worked as a chaplain intern at UCLA Medical Center for a quarter while going through seminary and would regularly drive down Sunset Blvd and pass this house which stands out because of the numerous statutes on the front lawn (and they seem to be always adding more). They are so life-like they make you do a double-take, including a security guard statute that at first glance looks real. Judge for yourself.

Although it is not near the northern entrance of UCLA I should also note (given the order of the images) the Tower of Hope in Beverly Hills, right next to the Beverly Hills High School and near Century City. I found the following website about it:
http://www.project9865.org/tower.html

Back to UCLA--this is where I chaplained for a quarter--working on infant ICU as well as an adult unit and periodically in the emergency room, every few days staying overnight . I counseled patients and family members and contacted family when somebody arrived at the emergency room.

I dealt with "death and dying" and grief issues, and even did a baptism of an infant on the brink of death. I also did communion with patients. It was a challenging but great experience --known as CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education). Ironically, none of the CPE supervisors are there any longer and it seems as if the Pastoral Care office is much less than what it used to be (maybe more about that later).

Since I was there back in the late 1990's they have added a new medical wing (see image). And while I was there they renamed the children's unit the Mattel Children's Hospital.

Leaving UCLA I stopped by the burial site (or cremation crypt as it may be) of Marilyn Monroe. I had noticed last year an article about where she was buried on the anniversary of her death and had stopped by last year just for interest sake (http://www.marilynmonroe.com/about/timeline/index.html# )

Yesterday, I was in the area leaving UCLA and decided to add the picture as a point-of-interest for today's message and it just happened to be the anniversary of her death (June 1, 1926 to August 5, 1962). There were a lot of people coming and going--taking pictures of her crypt--as well as a few reporters taking notes about it. Interesting phenomena--how she lives on in the memories of the world. Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian, is also buried here.

Finally, I came back around into Beverly Hills down Wilshire and back towards the 10 freeway noting the Academy of Motion Pictures & Art Sciences along La Cieniega Blvd. Yahoo mentions it as #8 in "things to do and see" in Beverly Hills. I wondered if it was actually in Beverly Hills--seemed too far away, but they say it is, so it must be.

And now I'm back this morning--I actually plan to go to the Farmers Market (see http://www.beverlyhills.org/presence/connect/CoBH/Homepage/For+Visitors/What+to+Do/City+Events+and+Celebrations/LG-RP-Farmers+Market ) in a few moments where they are having a "chili cookoff" and cornhusking contest. I came to this last year as well--it's kind of fun--free chili samples. The Farmers Market is every Sunday but the chili and cornhusking contest only once a year. In fact I'm going to go down there right now, and I'll get back to the message in a few moments (9:48 a.m).

And I'm back (10:10 a.m). The chili contest does not start until 11 a.m. Maybe I'll go back down in a little while.

Meanwhile, they are having pony rides and an animal petting site for the kids. They also have the regular Farmers Market--which includes, among other things, melon tents, a hummus tent, breads & bagels, Kyo Ho Grapes, asparagus & potatoes, fresh seafood, ceviche, and much more (see images).

One thing I must say for Beverly Hills--I've never experienced snobbery--what you might expect from a wealthy area such as this. I drive around in an older model car which stands out as old amongst the Rolls Royces, Jaguars, BMW's, the myriad of SUV's & Hummers, and other expensive cars which almost everybody drives around here; but not once have I experienced snobbery. I experienced more snobbery in Pasadena. So God bless the Beverly Hills folk in that regard.

Now back to the message: Jesus was talking to a young rich man who wanted, seemingly sincerely and almost desparately to follow Jesus but at the same time he only wished he could take what he had (i.e. his estate) with him. He wanted the best of both worlds. But Jesus would not let him have both--he had to choose one or the either.

Why couldn't he have both? Why can't a rich person be a Christian? Is that what Jesus was saying? Not exactly, albeit the lure of wealth is apparently so strong, even though it is possible for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, He seems to be saying that the money & prestige often seduces the rich so much that they cannot enter the Kingdom of God because they no longer want to do so.

Isn't that interesting? It's not because they have wealth that they cannot enter, it's because they lose their interest in entering. IF they could maintain HOPE and that spark of desire for something much much greater than what they have they could enter, but they become so self-indulgent and so satisfied here on earth they no longer have that desire.

This is why the poor have a greater chance of eternal life. By remaining poor and "hungry" they know there has to be something better. There's an advantage to being miserable here on earth.

But as I was saying there are "poor" people in "poor " neighborhoods who become self-indulgent and self-satisfied as well and are no better off than some rich people in terms of inheriting the Kingdom of God.

It makes me reflect on the statement of Jesus who said

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matt 6:31-34

If we start out seeking wealth & riches it is that much harder to grow close to God because wealth becomes our "god." Instead, begin by seeking God, Himself, and growing in Christ, and all else will follow. We need not worry about what we will wear or eat. That will take care of itself.

This is not say we strive to become "welfare" recipients. It's not to say we don't work, or we become lazy (as if the stereotype of welfare recipients has any truth to it)

In fact, just the opposite--the quest for godliness is the much harder path to take. It is the road less travelled. I learned that going through seminary. I WAS ALL ALONE !

Being a pastors kid didn't help. In fact it may have made things worse. Being a son of a pastor who was a friend or associate of the president of Fuller Seminary didn't help. In fact it may have made things worse.

Even being a son of a pastor who worked at the Crystal Cathedral didn't help--in fact it definitely made things worse (albeit for a little while I did enjoy the advantage of studying on the 10th floor of the Tower of Hope --in Garden Grove, not in Beverly Hills--on Sunday mornings; and did enjoy starting my ministry news and Sunday Message -which I videotaped back then from the 10th floor--but that is outweighed by the persecution I experienced around the Cathedral (more about that later).

In fact while going through seminary I experienced one of the most tragic experiences in my life--which was an altercation with the Pasadena Police Dept (and I plan to talk about that some time).

This experience was definitive in terms of being a disheartening moment which had lasting effects but which I will bounce back from and am bouncing back from as we speak. From every bad thing there are good things. Sometimes the bitter taste, however, does not go away for a long time.

Nonetheless God does not promise an easy life in exchange for following Him. IN fact, sometimes just the opposite here on earth. In some, but not all, parts of Judaism there is a certain expectation of earthly blessings (maybe mistakenly so) in exchange for one's faith in God.

The Messiah brought a little bit of a different message --the reward would be in heaven, not necessarily here on earth. There are other parts of Judaism which are very well aware of that, even if they do not yet believe in the Messiah. There are Jews who have suffered immensely for their faith.

They are not all wealthy merchants or entertainment executives living in Beverly Hills (that's a very gigantic generalization and false stereotype). In fact, I love the way Jewish people find ways of "filling the gap" with things to do. They are very creative and resourceful.

I worked with a Jewish chaplain at UCLA Medical Center and during one of the Jewish holidays near Thanksgiving he actually built a replica of one of the Jewish symbols inside the hospital cafeteria--a hut of sorts. He was a very gracious and intuitive person. We , as Christians, can learn from Jewish people, just as they can learn from us. Isn't that great ? !

So wealth is dangerous--in Beverly Hills, California and in Grosse Point, Michigan. In Manhattan Island, New York as in Bellevue, Washington, and everywhere in between and beyond. When we put "mammon" before God , mammon is our God. When we put our boat before God, our boat is our God. When we put our house & health before God, our house & health is our God.

Put God first. Seek HIM first, and all things will follow. So what about those who have not done so? For those who dropped out of college and went into business for self-serving reasons and made their millions? For those who went into entertainment for self-serving reasons and are living comfortably in the "Hills of Beverly" and Bel-Air? Is there any hope for them?

No earthly hope. They cannot reverse the course of history and the path they chose to take. But there is still HOPE--as Jesus Himself said, " The things that are impossible with men are possible with God."

Is there anything the wealthy can do to reverse history? Should they sell all they have and give it all to the church? I think that's a matter of conscience and is between the individual and God.

I heard a pastor once say that we are administrators of God's wealth for Him. He seemed to think that having wealth isn't bad as long as you use it for the right reasons ! There's some truth to that--as long as those with the wealth can keep their priorities straight. IT's the temptations that wealth carries that leads people astray.

And I shouldn't middle-class off the hook too easily either. There's a smugness in the middle class communities of America that may take too much pride in being neither rich nor poor. Well, you can just as easily be hooked on your material way of life as the rich or poor. It's a matter of the heart. There's no actual quantity that can be defined.

By the way, I just took a break at 11: 00 a.m and watched the corn husking contest (see attached images) and bought some falafels (What's a falafel? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel. )

The guy who I bought the falafels from gave me a few free samples earlier but when I didn't buy right away he said 'Thanks buddy" as I walked away despite my sincere assurances that I would be back.

And I did come back an hour later. This time he said, "Thank you very much sir." You see how some clerks or merchants try to condition us by the amount of respect they give us (or don't).

As I was standing there a beautiful model came up behind me unbeknownst to me until I stepped back into her wheelie dealie. I said "sorry" and she smiled. I was about to simply say hello, but I still don't know how to relate to the models around here, even though she looked almost socially normal.

And I'm coming to the end of my message. I never can include as much as I want to--but I always am able to deliver the general thrust of what I intended.

Let's sing a few songs as a reminder of what it is all about:

Song: Ambassadors of God !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/m/ambassog.htm

That's what we are--ambassadors of God--ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let's remember why we are here and do our best to represent the gracious and loving God we know.

Song: Are You Sowing the Seed?
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/y/aysowing.htm

That's the question you need to ask yourself, rich, poor, or middle class--are you sowing the seed? Are you a "farmer" for God? Are you truly trying as if it is a matter of life & death? BECAUSE IT IS !

Closing Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for giving me the inspiration this morning to deliver a message from the heart and as close as I know to Your heart as possible. I am growing too, Lord, and as I grow closer to You I grow better at delivering the Word of God. Bless me as I attempt to do the best I can, great God. And bless my congregation. Let them help hold me up . Thank you Lord for this day. Amen.

And thank you all for continuuing to respond to my Sunday Message. I truly appreciate it. It really does take a lot of work to put this all together and transmit it. And it is all worth it if it is edifying to the Body of Christ for the Glory of God!

Have a nice week my friends.

J.P. Kok
Pastor Kok III



Parting Hymn: Bless us Ere We Go http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/w/sweetsbu.htm



For More About Beverly Hills, Try Some of the Following Web Sites:

http://www.alisonwinston.com/profile_bevhills_history.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills,_California

http://www.beverlyhills.org/presence/connect/CoBH/Homepage/For+Residents/Facts+and+Figures/History+of+Beverly+Hills

http://www.beverlyhills.org/presence/connect/CoBH/Homepage/For+Visitors/Facts+and+Figures/History+of+Beverly+Hills/RES-WC-History_Timeline

And if you NEED HELP :

E-MAIL ME AT PASTORKOK3@YAHOO.COM
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