GOD is BIGGER than the BIG GAME by vanderKOK

November 19, 2006

10/19/06
Sunday Message by
JOHN THE EVANGELIST FOR CHRIST

God is Bigger than the
Big Game!

Good Morning from Sierra Madre, CA

It is November 19, 2006 at 6:51 a.m. (pst) as I begin composing the Sunday Message for this week ! And it’s great to be alive and well. I can’t say I’m in perfect physical condition—lots of aches and pains but I’m alive ! And that is great! More importantly I am alive for Christ! This life is so short, why not make life worth more? Why not live for the next life, Eternal Life? Wouldn’t that be great? And it is possible with Christ !

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you with thankfulness and praise. I come to you asking for Your continued Presence in the life of all of us—the Body of Christ! We come to you with our heads bowed and arms raised and we thank You Lord for Your graciousness and faithfulness. Without You we would be empty. We would be nothing. We would be meaningless. With You we have purpose and power. We have fulfillment and significance. We serve

Your Will be done, not ours. Help us to remember that we are the players and you are the coach. We do what You tell us. We are the soldiers and you are the General. It is not for us to wonder why, it is for us to Do and Die, to borrow a line You, Oh Lord.from a great poet. We are willing to die for You, Lord. And we die daily to sin—taking the road less traveled, being a witness to You, Jesus! Everywhere we go people want to know who we are and where we come from and we tell them we come from YOU—the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost ! Let us proclaim Your name boldly without shame. You are the Great Provider, the Holy One, the One-and-Only ! Thank you, thank you, thank you ! Amen.

Song: Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/i/sittingf.htm

Isn’t that a great song, and the words “Give me Lord, the Mind of Jesus” should be words we say every day in prayer. Let us strive to be more and more like Him !

Song: Soul of Jesus Make me Whole
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/j/sjmmwhol.htm

Song: We Would See Jesus
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/e/w/wewouldc.htm

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for this beautiful music. It warms us. It strengthens us. It brings us back to You. We are reminded of Your gracious presence in our lives every day, every hour, every minute, every second. Help us to continue to walk in You, in Your Spirit ! Let us never doubt. Let us walk with confidence and strength knowing that when this life ends, a new life begins!



Scripture: Job 36:26-33

"Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to strike.
His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
NKJV

Message: God is Bigger than the
Biggest Game of the Century !

Dear friends, having grown up in Grand Rapids, Michigan I know what Wolverine fever is. Starting already in elementary school the kids begin wearing Wolverine articles of clothing—hats, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets---you name it—if there’s a place to stick a yellow M and put it on, they will find it, and wear it. Of course up until a certain age you really do not understand the significance of it—you just follow the crowd, more or less—with parents, aunts & uncles, grandparents, et al encouraging you to be a Michigan fan.

And then there’s always a handful of Spartan faithful with the green and white in every classroom too. When I lived for a semester with the Byles in Grand Rapids—they were Spartan fans and had season tickets to the MSU game which they brought me to once. My dad got his masters degree at MSU but later did CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at U of M. It was never clear who he had more loyalty towards, but in other homes it was very clear. There was only one (or two) colors to wear on game day, or the day before—and that was Maize and Blue, of course.

And every year the final game of the Big Ten Season is Michigan v. Ohio State—always an exciting time. But this year the excitement was bigger than ever—because, as most of you know—both of them were undefeated and ranked #1 (OSU) and #2 (Michigan) in the polls. This was like a championship game added on top of the intense rivalry of the two teams. The rivalry was further intensified by the Woody Hayes versus Bo Schembechler matchup—Bo having played under Hayes as well as having been an assistant coach for him.

Then, to add more to the emotions of “The Game”, Bo Schembechler died on Friday—one day before the Biggest Big Game of the century as some were calling it. Was it just coincidence that Bo died on Friday or was there divine providence involved? As one broadcaster said, “It is spooky.”

I began emailing people about the game a day prior and kept running track of the score via my cell phone as the game progressed yesterday—while I was driving around town taking care of errands and going to the Huntington Park Christmas Parade—yes that’s right—already the first Christmas Parade of the year in Southern California. Then I went to the snowfest up in Sierra Madre—where they shipped in several tons of snow for the kids to sled on and have snowball fights—something southern California kids do not get to experience naturally, unless they go up to the mountains around Big Bear, or further north.

It was a great day! Except for one thing—Michigan lost ! The Wolverines gave a great effort in the name of Bo, but they couldn’t pull it off. Final score 42-39. But is that the end of the equation? Rutgers lost, too—big time—meaning they are probably out of any national championship invitation. That leaves USC back in the top three, probably—and only two undefeated teams in Division I—Ohio State and Boise State. Who should play in the BCS championship—obviously Ohio State but who else? Probably not Boise State. Even though they are undefeated, they do not have a National Level schedule—the teams they play are not always the best teams. Seems to boil down to two possible teams—Michigan or USC. Given the closeness of the game yesterday between Michigan & OSU—it seems to be a good prospect for a National Championship rematch.

Either way, if Michigan does not get invited to the National Championship game they will instead get invited to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—and that is good—I love it when Michigan fans come out here! It warms my heart. I know Michigan people—the way they think, the way they feel, the way they see. Their enthusiasm is good for Pasadena. So it’s a win-win situation even though Michigan lost.

But even with the greatness of yesterday’s game—a definite thriller, and with all the trappings—the loss of Bo, the traditional rivalry involved—even with all that—there is something MUCH MUCH BIGGER than THE GAME.

I like using analogies. I like taking something significant and making a comparison or a “typology”. IN this case, “THE GAME” is a fraction of the Greatness of GOD ! A few months ago when my parents were in Australia I stopped at their house in Bellflower and cooked up a frozen pizza I found in their freezer. I also took time to cast out some demons around the area and later I told my dad that the frozen pizza should serve as a reminder of the Kingdom of God---God’s Will be Done, nor ours. For some reason we had an email exchange—several—about this frozen pizza and ultimately the exchange led to a discussion—mostly on my part—about the Kingdom of God. I will never eat a frozen pizza again casually—I will always be reminded of the Kingdom of God.

Likewise, given THE GAME yesterday, alongside the death of Bo—after today’s message I hope—you will be forever reminded of the GREATNESS OF GOD with all future OSU-Michigan games ! Imagine a stadium filled with people –not cheering for touchdowns and fieldgoals or sacks and completed passes…imagine them cheering for Jesus ! Imagine a stadium with 100,000 plus persons raising their arms to heaven—praying to God, praising His Name! Imagine people paying $500 for a ticket to Praise God !

Something like that happened a few years ago—here at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and then later at the old Candlestick Park in San Francisco. I was at both when it happened. Only they (we) didn’t pay to get in. We gave money willingly after we got in. And we praised the name of God, repented, and praised God some more ! It was a revival named “The Call.” It was sponsored by a number of different church leaders and pastors from across America.

The time between The Call (Pasadena) and The Call (San Francisco) was about 40 days—and the leaders asked people to fast and pray during that time—or at least refrain from doing something normally indulgent in one’s life—i.e. refrain from watching a certain television show, or refrain from some other indulgence that is not a necessity for one’s life.

I was impressed. Today, it’s hard to find too much about it on the internet. If you look carefully you might find a little bit, but not much. Nonetheless, it happened, and I was there and I feel privileged to share some of the experience with you. If only we could get people as excited about praising God, repentance, and prayer, as we could about THE GAME, or any game. Will it ever happen?

I don’t know. Maybe. Definitely---in heaven—I imagine there will be such great excitement to be so close to God forever that it will be like THE GAME to the POWER OF A MILLION ! Imagine that ! Imagine being amongst other GOD LOVERS every day of your eternal life—no strife, no problems, no killing, no fighting. JUST TOTAL LOVE for GOD AND EACH OTHER !

And sometimes we get a glimpse of that possibility in our daily lives. Sometimes I walk into a classroom and there is great harmony and very nice students. It is rare. Usually there are at least two or three students who make the hour difficult—or more difficult than it should be—but every now and then there is that combination of students and time and what they are studying and respect for each other and the teacher—and I feel at peace. I don’t feel concerned about people messing with each other or disrespecting each other. I don’t feel concerned about turning my back for a few moments.

And that is rare—I was once at a middle school in Los Angeles—when I was stil relatively new as a guest teacher and one of the kids turned off the lights----in a room with all the windows covered—so that the room suddenly became totally dark, and in concert with another student—they ran up to my desk, grabbed the cell phone (in the dark so I couldn’t see a thing) and ran out again. Moments later I got the lights back on but my cell phone was gone. We searched all the kids but found nothing. Thankfully, it was a cheap cell phone and even more thankfully, they didn’t take my laptop ! That’s a contrast to a good classroom. IN this bad classroom I couldn’t relax, the students didn’t listen to me, I was just a “sub” in their eyes—which meant I was a “nobody” to them.

Imagine hell. Hell is a place where nobody cares about anybody else. Everybody is out for their own personal self-serving reasons. There’s no honor code because the only “code “is do what is best for one’s self. This means you lie, cheat, steal, kill—whatever it takes to please yourself. It’s do or die, survival of the fittest—or in this case—survival of the worst.

But by the time you get to hell—you’ve already lived that sort of life for too many years on earth. If you hadn’t you wouldn’t be in hell. So hell is actually a time of gnashing teeth and weeping—because you are finally confronted with the life you lived—it finally sinks in—it becomes clear to you—those who never listend to the pastor or never cared about doing good for others—be the formal church—or some other organization with Christ at the center. You see a replay of your life and can’t find one good, meaningful, purposeful incident or pattern of goodness. And you had so many chances.

When I am in the classroom and I feel the negative vibes rising up—a feeling that something is not right—that a kid or kids are on the wrong path—sneaky, dishonest, etc.—I start preaching—I warn them that their time will come—they will reap what they sow—not always in those exact words—but I try to impress upon them that they only get so many chances. And in the public school—once you’ve used up all your chances the next place is “opportunity” school—a special individualized classroom—actually an entirely different school—where you live by a “contract”—and it is the absolute last opportunity—the next place is “OUT”, no if’s, and’s, or but’s.

For kids who have been mollycoddled in the schools—the cold realization of being “out” is something they don’t entirely understand until it happens. “Out” means living on their own---or living with their family and trying to create a meaningful life for one’s self. Most of them are still living with mom and/or dad (or grandparents or uncles/aunts) and total independence is not likely. They can’t make enough money working odd jobs or doing low-level jobs –enough to survive on their own, let alone thrive. The money they make—at first it seems like a lot –they can buy their own food, maybe even a used car—but total independence is still a far off fantasy. And it may never happen.

Well, hell will be much more miserable than that—in hell you will be next to people who, like yourself, have no honor code, who do not care for other people, who think only about themselves. On earth—even the worst people are still usually surrounded by good, decent people. Even in prison there are guards , rules, procedures—all for the good of the prisoners. They are (usually) protected from each other. They are given food to eat, clothes to wear, a mattress to sleep on. Prison is not a lot of fun but it’s nothing like the REALITY OF HELL ! And there are those who are not in prison—who are nonetheless, NO GOOD !

In hell you will be amongst those who don’t care enough even to stop and help out somebody (truly ) injured on the side of the road. In hell you will be alongside those who will say anything about other people—including total lies and evil slander---for self-serving reasons. You will experience others—just like yourself. So take a look in the mirror now and ask yourself if you are a truly good person—or trying to be—and if not you want to be around others lilke yourself for eternity. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE, TO REPENT, TO ASK JESUS TO FORGIVE YOU AND TO TRANSFORM YOU INTO A BUTTERFLY !

You only have so many chances here on earth—before it is all over. The clock is ticking. Michigan needed three more points to tie the game. Four to win. They couldn’t do it. OSU ran out the clock. The Wolverines gave it everything they got, I think.

But they lost. They lost a battle, not the game—not the real game. What about you? Are you giving it everything you got? That will be how God will judge you—by your efforts—not win or lose. You could lose every game of your life—but if you gave it your best each and every time—you are a WINNER ! Lots of people with greater talents squander them—and maybe they still win—going at 50% but God wants 110%.

I talked about my experience teaching in Coachella Valley—that was an experience where, against all odds—against an administration that didn’t care, and against an employee organization that didn’t like Christians—I gave it 110% right to the very end. It was the hardest thing to do—to keep performing despite persecution for righteousness sake. But I did. And I’m glad I did. Some new teachers like myself used up all their sick days knowing they were leaving at the end of the year—but I used none of them. I was there, despite knowing I would be leaving, for the kids—helping them to complete their portfolios.

How about you? Are you giving it your all? Are you playing the game? Are you running the race?

My friends, I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I had a nice, comfortable life there—good church, decent friends (or so I thought), comfortable infrastructure—amongst the Christian Reformed church tradition—both Christian schools and the church. And now I am in southern California—sounds more comfortable eh? Actually, no. I’ve had more discomfort and challenges and adversaries here than I ever experienced in my West Michigan hometown. So why not just go back and leave this place?

I’m not sure—yet—other than that I came here to attend Fuller Seminary—to get my Masters-in-Divinity—and here I still am—with just enough to survive. And it is here that Mustard Seed Ministries began. It is here that I began making inspirational Christian videos. It is here that I worked ( and work) for the schools—been in over 100 maybe 150 now—always trying to inspire others and be a good role model.

What is my reward? A beautiful wife? Not yet, if ever. Some children of my own who love and adore me? Not yet, if ever. A comfortable income? Ha ha—that’s a joke. Respect from the community? Not exactly. A “sub” in the eyes of many is not a “real teacher.” Consideration from the local police? That’s the biggest joke of all. I’m just another “white boy” in an old car in the eyes of many of them. How about respect and care from my local congregation?

Well, that would have been the Crystal Cathedral—perhaps the largest thing in my mind when we first came to California in 1984. And perhaps the original inspiration, alongside God, behind a lot of my outgoing adventuresome lifestyle. But the character of that institution has changed so much it is no longer the Crystal Cathedral I knew in 1984 nor the Crystal Cathedral I envisioned prior to 1984. It is not a welcoming place to me anymore, sad to say. Politics happen—even in churches, or maybe especially in churches—or especially at the Crystal Cathedral.

My friends, I don’t have a lot of welcoming structures in my life. I sometimes feel like Job felt –abandoned by friends and family. My parents are the only ones who (barely) still support me and show periodic signs of care for me. And I am 39 years old. The persons I knew (or thought I knew) growing up at 1st CRC in Grand Rapids—who ended up out here in Pasadena—particulary Rich Mouw and Peter Harkema—they too have essentially abandoned me.

The Schullers at the Crystal Cathedral don’t write or send Christmas cards, despite my giving to them—to “their” church. They have political realities to keep in mind. Some churches are social/political organizations as much so, or more, than they are simply the Body of Christ. Some seminaries have other realities in mind—more so than the simple building of hearts, minds, and souls—for Christ.

My friends, we all long for a “home” –a place to call our own. Some are able to create that comfort here on earth. I don’t know if I ever will. My only comfort right now is God. I get periodic emails from a gal in the Philippines—her name is Arlene –I met her on a summer mission in 1992. She was with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) at the time, and still is. It’s great to hear from her. She has a totally different perspective about life and the world than that of most or many Americans. And she loves God!

I’m still looking for a wife—the Worldwide Wife Search—it is still in effect. Pray that the right person may come into my life—so that I may be energized and empowered by a partner in addition to Jesus Christ, with whom I can share my life. If it is meant to be, it will be !

Meanwhile, make this life matter ! If you are living a self-serving life—totally for your own self-serving purposes—NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE ! Now is the time to GIVE ! Find somebody to HELP! Find a purpose LARGER THAN YOURSELF ! Discover JESUS ! Ask Him to come into your life and change you, radically, NOW !

My friends—growing up in Grand Rapids—I had a few close pals—who were very negative thinkers—one of them was K.S. and the other was J.H. Both of them still live in Grand Rapids. Sure we had some good times together. We thought alike some of the time. But there were internal differences between us that were emerging over time. I sometimes regret having spent so much time with these two friends (and a few others) when I could have been developing more positive relationships.

Build relationships that help you grow ! Build relationships in which the other person cares about you and you care about them. The reason a man-woman marriage is God’s intended way is because only man & woman can intimately care for each other at a level of integrity. That intimacy is not meant for two men or two women.

Everything about the design of man & woman indicates it was the Way God intended things to be. When we defy the God-given order of things we start creating a community and world that is not in accord with God’s purpose. And eventually it will have to be destroyed---like Soddom & Gommorah.

Pray for the two I mentioned above—K.S. and J.H. as well as R.B. among others—pray that they will experience the true power of the Holy Spirit—the fruits of which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control ! (Galatians 5: 22-23). Also pray for G.W.---another kid in Grand Rapids—originally from Wisconsin. Too many of the Calvin College kids who grew up in the “tradition” rely solely upon tradition—and don’t rise up to a higher level of God given potential.

We need to move beyond tradition to excellence ! Lord,
let it be ! God is much larger than anything we can imagine. He is a billion times larger and stronger than the Biggest Big Game of the century! He is larger than the USA. He is larger than the world. He is larger than the Universe. I recently heard A. J. Duffy—the president of the LAUSD teacher’s union say, in regards to the leaders of the LAUSD, “They have more money than God.” He was saying it jokingly of course, but it was still a shocking statement.

Nobody has more than God. Because everything we have is God’s ! Nobody can outdo God. Nothing is larger or more powerful or mighty than God. And I am talking about the Triune God—the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit ! It is our God—the God of those who follow Jesus Christ---that has THE POWER ! He is the Almighty !

"May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you, Gen 28:3

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Rev 1:8

My friends, between Sunday messages I spend the week humbly, some of the days at the doctor seeking healing for my back and neck, other days as a substitute teacher—sometimes respected and admired, other times treated without dignity. This past week I spent a few days at a middle school called “Hollenbeck.” From Hollenbeck one can see the downtown Los Angeles skyline. It is part of east Los Angeles. And like any school there are dynamics that give it it’s own individual personality as a school. Pray for the kids there. Pray for the teachers and staff. Pray that it will honor God—if not with their lips than with their hearts & minds by doing good work—striving for excellence.

And I ask for your prayers for my family—for Jim & Linda Kok—for my brothers Steve & Andrew and their wives, Kris & Carol, respectively. And for my sister, Julia, and her husband, Kevin. And for all their children—Simon, Alice, Jonah, Silas, Larkin, & Megan—God be with these little kids. It’s not easy being a kid with all the baggage from the parents. God I pray that you will carry the baggage for some of my siblings—let there be liberty in Your Name, Jesus. Help my sister to come to know and love You ! It is never too late.

YOU are the Almighty God. You are the POWER !


Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:62

YOU are the KING !


And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:38

You are the HOLY ONE !

Are You not from everlasting,
O LORD my God, my Holy One?
Hab 1:12

My friends, when I mention people to pray for---some by name others by description—you wouldn’t think these people are “bad.” They are law-abiders. But our Bible is clear that you cannot be “justified by law”—at least not man-made law—nor the bare minimum of God’s law—the law set down by God originally for the Jewish people. You cannot be justified by the 10 commandments alone—at least not the 10 commandments at face value. Sure, it is good if you don’t kill or steal—definitely very good ! And it is good that you do not commit adulterey, but it is not enough to simply say to God “I didn’t do this, and I didn’t do that. “

God wants more than what you didn’t do. If I am in a classroom as a regular teacher and at the end of the year I ask you how should I grade you—and you say to me “I didn’t do this, and I didn’t do that. I didn’t yell. I didn’t throw things. I didn’t use profanity” etc. I might say—that is very good and I am glad you were not disruptive, BUT WHAT DID YOU DO ! WHAT DID YOU ACCOMPLISH? WHERE IS YOUR PORTFOLIO !

One of the great accomplishments at the end of year 2 when I was teaching at CVHS was the completion of student portfolios. Each student was able to show at the end of the year what they had completed—all the papers, tests, quizzes, drawings, worksheets, their own writings, etc. –they were all kept and placed in a portfolio—with a Table of Contents and a cover—which they, the students, made for themselves.

There was no argument at the end of that year about who deserved what grade—they could see for themselves. Some of them had portfolios with only a few pages—others were as thick as phone books. But weight was not enough—looking within you could see the quality of their work—you could see for yourself why I gave them the grade they got—it was unarguable.

Of course I also factored in “citizenship” and behavior. If they didn’t do a lot of academic work but were at least good citizens—that helped. On the other hand if somebody did great academic work but was a bad citizen—that counted against them. Usually good academic effort went hand-in-hand with good citizenship, but not always. Some have great ability and potential but don’t always uses it in all ways possible.

God wants us to use all of our gifts and talents FOR HIM—to GLORIFY HIM ! How about you? Are you using all your talents? Are you GLORIFYING GOD WITH EVERYTHING YOU GOT ! I HOPE SO. Now is the time to let JESUS take over in your life. He will indwell you—He will empower you. He will RECREATE YOU AND MAKE YOU A NEW PERSON! But it takes humility. Isn’t a little humility worth eternal life?

And that’s my message for today ! God bless you all. I hope to hear from you.

Song: Lord to Thee Alone We Turn !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/t/ltotawet.htm

Song: Revive Us Again!
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/e/reviveus.htm


Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for giving me the words to say, the thoughts to think, the feelings to feel. You are the ONLY HOLY ONE ! We ask for YOUR continued guidance and presence in our lives. Let us never lose hope. Let us never doubt. Let us always TRUST YOU ! Hear our prayer, Oh Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Our Savior. Amen.

J.P. Kok
JOHN THE CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST FOR CHRIST


November 19, 2006

10/19/06
Sunday Message by
JOHN THE EVANGELIST FOR CHRIST

God is Bigger than the
Big Game!

Good Morning from Sierra Madre, CA

It is November 19, 2006 at 6:51 a.m. (pst) as I begin composing the Sunday Message for this week ! And it’s great to be alive and well. I can’t say I’m in perfect physical condition—lots of aches and pains but I’m alive ! And that is great! More importantly I am alive for Christ! This life is so short, why not make life worth more? Why not live for the next life, Eternal Life? Wouldn’t that be great? And it is possible with Christ !

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you with thankfulness and praise. I come to you asking for Your continued Presence in the life of all of us—the Body of Christ! We come to you with our heads bowed and arms raised and we thank You Lord for Your graciousness and faithfulness. Without You we would be empty. We would be nothing. We would be meaningless. With You we have purpose and power. We have fulfillment and significance. We serve

Your Will be done, not ours. Help us to remember that we are the players and you are the coach. We do what You tell us. We are the soldiers and you are the General. It is not for us to wonder why, it is for us to Do and Die, to borrow a line You, Oh Lord.from a great poet. We are willing to die for You, Lord. And we die daily to sin—taking the road less traveled, being a witness to You, Jesus! Everywhere we go people want to know who we are and where we come from and we tell them we come from YOU—the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost ! Let us proclaim Your name boldly without shame. You are the Great Provider, the Holy One, the One-and-Only ! Thank you, thank you, thank you ! Amen.

Song: Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/i/sittingf.htm

Isn’t that a great song, and the words “Give me Lord, the Mind of Jesus” should be words we say every day in prayer. Let us strive to be more and more like Him !

Song: Soul of Jesus Make me Whole
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/j/sjmmwhol.htm

Song: We Would See Jesus
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/e/w/wewouldc.htm

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for this beautiful music. It warms us. It strengthens us. It brings us back to You. We are reminded of Your gracious presence in our lives every day, every hour, every minute, every second. Help us to continue to walk in You, in Your Spirit ! Let us never doubt. Let us walk with confidence and strength knowing that when this life ends, a new life begins!



Scripture: Job 36:26-33

"Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him;
Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
For He draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
Look, He scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
For by these He judges the peoples;
He gives food in abundance.
He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to strike.
His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
NKJV

Message: God is Bigger than the
Biggest Game of the Century !

Dear friends, having grown up in Grand Rapids, Michigan I know what Wolverine fever is. Starting already in elementary school the kids begin wearing Wolverine articles of clothing—hats, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets---you name it—if there’s a place to stick a yellow M and put it on, they will find it, and wear it. Of course up until a certain age you really do not understand the significance of it—you just follow the crowd, more or less—with parents, aunts & uncles, grandparents, et al encouraging you to be a Michigan fan.

And then there’s always a handful of Spartan faithful with the green and white in every classroom too. When I lived for a semester with the Byles in Grand Rapids—they were Spartan fans and had season tickets to the MSU game which they brought me to once. My dad got his masters degree at MSU but later did CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at U of M. It was never clear who he had more loyalty towards, but in other homes it was very clear. There was only one (or two) colors to wear on game day, or the day before—and that was Maize and Blue, of course.

And every year the final game of the Big Ten Season is Michigan v. Ohio State—always an exciting time. But this year the excitement was bigger than ever—because, as most of you know—both of them were undefeated and ranked #1 (OSU) and #2 (Michigan) in the polls. This was like a championship game added on top of the intense rivalry of the two teams. The rivalry was further intensified by the Woody Hayes versus Bo Schembechler matchup—Bo having played under Hayes as well as having been an assistant coach for him.

Then, to add more to the emotions of “The Game”, Bo Schembechler died on Friday—one day before the Biggest Big Game of the century as some were calling it. Was it just coincidence that Bo died on Friday or was there divine providence involved? As one broadcaster said, “It is spooky.”

I began emailing people about the game a day prior and kept running track of the score via my cell phone as the game progressed yesterday—while I was driving around town taking care of errands and going to the Huntington Park Christmas Parade—yes that’s right—already the first Christmas Parade of the year in Southern California. Then I went to the snowfest up in Sierra Madre—where they shipped in several tons of snow for the kids to sled on and have snowball fights—something southern California kids do not get to experience naturally, unless they go up to the mountains around Big Bear, or further north.

It was a great day! Except for one thing—Michigan lost ! The Wolverines gave a great effort in the name of Bo, but they couldn’t pull it off. Final score 42-39. But is that the end of the equation? Rutgers lost, too—big time—meaning they are probably out of any national championship invitation. That leaves USC back in the top three, probably—and only two undefeated teams in Division I—Ohio State and Boise State. Who should play in the BCS championship—obviously Ohio State but who else? Probably not Boise State. Even though they are undefeated, they do not have a National Level schedule—the teams they play are not always the best teams. Seems to boil down to two possible teams—Michigan or USC. Given the closeness of the game yesterday between Michigan & OSU—it seems to be a good prospect for a National Championship rematch.

Either way, if Michigan does not get invited to the National Championship game they will instead get invited to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—and that is good—I love it when Michigan fans come out here! It warms my heart. I know Michigan people—the way they think, the way they feel, the way they see. Their enthusiasm is good for Pasadena. So it’s a win-win situation even though Michigan lost.

But even with the greatness of yesterday’s game—a definite thriller, and with all the trappings—the loss of Bo, the traditional rivalry involved—even with all that—there is something MUCH MUCH BIGGER than THE GAME.

I like using analogies. I like taking something significant and making a comparison or a “typology”. IN this case, “THE GAME” is a fraction of the Greatness of GOD ! A few months ago when my parents were in Australia I stopped at their house in Bellflower and cooked up a frozen pizza I found in their freezer. I also took time to cast out some demons around the area and later I told my dad that the frozen pizza should serve as a reminder of the Kingdom of God---God’s Will be Done, nor ours. For some reason we had an email exchange—several—about this frozen pizza and ultimately the exchange led to a discussion—mostly on my part—about the Kingdom of God. I will never eat a frozen pizza again casually—I will always be reminded of the Kingdom of God.

Likewise, given THE GAME yesterday, alongside the death of Bo—after today’s message I hope—you will be forever reminded of the GREATNESS OF GOD with all future OSU-Michigan games ! Imagine a stadium filled with people –not cheering for touchdowns and fieldgoals or sacks and completed passes…imagine them cheering for Jesus ! Imagine a stadium with 100,000 plus persons raising their arms to heaven—praying to God, praising His Name! Imagine people paying $500 for a ticket to Praise God !

Something like that happened a few years ago—here at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and then later at the old Candlestick Park in San Francisco. I was at both when it happened. Only they (we) didn’t pay to get in. We gave money willingly after we got in. And we praised the name of God, repented, and praised God some more ! It was a revival named “The Call.” It was sponsored by a number of different church leaders and pastors from across America.

The time between The Call (Pasadena) and The Call (San Francisco) was about 40 days—and the leaders asked people to fast and pray during that time—or at least refrain from doing something normally indulgent in one’s life—i.e. refrain from watching a certain television show, or refrain from some other indulgence that is not a necessity for one’s life.

I was impressed. Today, it’s hard to find too much about it on the internet. If you look carefully you might find a little bit, but not much. Nonetheless, it happened, and I was there and I feel privileged to share some of the experience with you. If only we could get people as excited about praising God, repentance, and prayer, as we could about THE GAME, or any game. Will it ever happen?

I don’t know. Maybe. Definitely---in heaven—I imagine there will be such great excitement to be so close to God forever that it will be like THE GAME to the POWER OF A MILLION ! Imagine that ! Imagine being amongst other GOD LOVERS every day of your eternal life—no strife, no problems, no killing, no fighting. JUST TOTAL LOVE for GOD AND EACH OTHER !

And sometimes we get a glimpse of that possibility in our daily lives. Sometimes I walk into a classroom and there is great harmony and very nice students. It is rare. Usually there are at least two or three students who make the hour difficult—or more difficult than it should be—but every now and then there is that combination of students and time and what they are studying and respect for each other and the teacher—and I feel at peace. I don’t feel concerned about people messing with each other or disrespecting each other. I don’t feel concerned about turning my back for a few moments.

And that is rare—I was once at a middle school in Los Angeles—when I was stil relatively new as a guest teacher and one of the kids turned off the lights----in a room with all the windows covered—so that the room suddenly became totally dark, and in concert with another student—they ran up to my desk, grabbed the cell phone (in the dark so I couldn’t see a thing) and ran out again. Moments later I got the lights back on but my cell phone was gone. We searched all the kids but found nothing. Thankfully, it was a cheap cell phone and even more thankfully, they didn’t take my laptop ! That’s a contrast to a good classroom. IN this bad classroom I couldn’t relax, the students didn’t listen to me, I was just a “sub” in their eyes—which meant I was a “nobody” to them.

Imagine hell. Hell is a place where nobody cares about anybody else. Everybody is out for their own personal self-serving reasons. There’s no honor code because the only “code “is do what is best for one’s self. This means you lie, cheat, steal, kill—whatever it takes to please yourself. It’s do or die, survival of the fittest—or in this case—survival of the worst.

But by the time you get to hell—you’ve already lived that sort of life for too many years on earth. If you hadn’t you wouldn’t be in hell. So hell is actually a time of gnashing teeth and weeping—because you are finally confronted with the life you lived—it finally sinks in—it becomes clear to you—those who never listend to the pastor or never cared about doing good for others—be the formal church—or some other organization with Christ at the center. You see a replay of your life and can’t find one good, meaningful, purposeful incident or pattern of goodness. And you had so many chances.

When I am in the classroom and I feel the negative vibes rising up—a feeling that something is not right—that a kid or kids are on the wrong path—sneaky, dishonest, etc.—I start preaching—I warn them that their time will come—they will reap what they sow—not always in those exact words—but I try to impress upon them that they only get so many chances. And in the public school—once you’ve used up all your chances the next place is “opportunity” school—a special individualized classroom—actually an entirely different school—where you live by a “contract”—and it is the absolute last opportunity—the next place is “OUT”, no if’s, and’s, or but’s.

For kids who have been mollycoddled in the schools—the cold realization of being “out” is something they don’t entirely understand until it happens. “Out” means living on their own---or living with their family and trying to create a meaningful life for one’s self. Most of them are still living with mom and/or dad (or grandparents or uncles/aunts) and total independence is not likely. They can’t make enough money working odd jobs or doing low-level jobs –enough to survive on their own, let alone thrive. The money they make—at first it seems like a lot –they can buy their own food, maybe even a used car—but total independence is still a far off fantasy. And it may never happen.

Well, hell will be much more miserable than that—in hell you will be next to people who, like yourself, have no honor code, who do not care for other people, who think only about themselves. On earth—even the worst people are still usually surrounded by good, decent people. Even in prison there are guards , rules, procedures—all for the good of the prisoners. They are (usually) protected from each other. They are given food to eat, clothes to wear, a mattress to sleep on. Prison is not a lot of fun but it’s nothing like the REALITY OF HELL ! And there are those who are not in prison—who are nonetheless, NO GOOD !

In hell you will be amongst those who don’t care enough even to stop and help out somebody (truly ) injured on the side of the road. In hell you will be alongside those who will say anything about other people—including total lies and evil slander---for self-serving reasons. You will experience others—just like yourself. So take a look in the mirror now and ask yourself if you are a truly good person—or trying to be—and if not you want to be around others lilke yourself for eternity. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE, TO REPENT, TO ASK JESUS TO FORGIVE YOU AND TO TRANSFORM YOU INTO A BUTTERFLY !

You only have so many chances here on earth—before it is all over. The clock is ticking. Michigan needed three more points to tie the game. Four to win. They couldn’t do it. OSU ran out the clock. The Wolverines gave it everything they got, I think.

But they lost. They lost a battle, not the game—not the real game. What about you? Are you giving it everything you got? That will be how God will judge you—by your efforts—not win or lose. You could lose every game of your life—but if you gave it your best each and every time—you are a WINNER ! Lots of people with greater talents squander them—and maybe they still win—going at 50% but God wants 110%.

I talked about my experience teaching in Coachella Valley—that was an experience where, against all odds—against an administration that didn’t care, and against an employee organization that didn’t like Christians—I gave it 110% right to the very end. It was the hardest thing to do—to keep performing despite persecution for righteousness sake. But I did. And I’m glad I did. Some new teachers like myself used up all their sick days knowing they were leaving at the end of the year—but I used none of them. I was there, despite knowing I would be leaving, for the kids—helping them to complete their portfolios.

How about you? Are you giving it your all? Are you playing the game? Are you running the race?

My friends, I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I had a nice, comfortable life there—good church, decent friends (or so I thought), comfortable infrastructure—amongst the Christian Reformed church tradition—both Christian schools and the church. And now I am in southern California—sounds more comfortable eh? Actually, no. I’ve had more discomfort and challenges and adversaries here than I ever experienced in my West Michigan hometown. So why not just go back and leave this place?

I’m not sure—yet—other than that I came here to attend Fuller Seminary—to get my Masters-in-Divinity—and here I still am—with just enough to survive. And it is here that Mustard Seed Ministries began. It is here that I began making inspirational Christian videos. It is here that I worked ( and work) for the schools—been in over 100 maybe 150 now—always trying to inspire others and be a good role model.

What is my reward? A beautiful wife? Not yet, if ever. Some children of my own who love and adore me? Not yet, if ever. A comfortable income? Ha ha—that’s a joke. Respect from the community? Not exactly. A “sub” in the eyes of many is not a “real teacher.” Consideration from the local police? That’s the biggest joke of all. I’m just another “white boy” in an old car in the eyes of many of them. How about respect and care from my local congregation?

Well, that would have been the Crystal Cathedral—perhaps the largest thing in my mind when we first came to California in 1984. And perhaps the original inspiration, alongside God, behind a lot of my outgoing adventuresome lifestyle. But the character of that institution has changed so much it is no longer the Crystal Cathedral I knew in 1984 nor the Crystal Cathedral I envisioned prior to 1984. It is not a welcoming place to me anymore, sad to say. Politics happen—even in churches, or maybe especially in churches—or especially at the Crystal Cathedral.

My friends, I don’t have a lot of welcoming structures in my life. I sometimes feel like Job felt –abandoned by friends and family. My parents are the only ones who (barely) still support me and show periodic signs of care for me. And I am 39 years old. The persons I knew (or thought I knew) growing up at 1st CRC in Grand Rapids—who ended up out here in Pasadena—particulary Rich Mouw and Peter Harkema—they too have essentially abandoned me.

The Schullers at the Crystal Cathedral don’t write or send Christmas cards, despite my giving to them—to “their” church. They have political realities to keep in mind. Some churches are social/political organizations as much so, or more, than they are simply the Body of Christ. Some seminaries have other realities in mind—more so than the simple building of hearts, minds, and souls—for Christ.

My friends, we all long for a “home” –a place to call our own. Some are able to create that comfort here on earth. I don’t know if I ever will. My only comfort right now is God. I get periodic emails from a gal in the Philippines—her name is Arlene –I met her on a summer mission in 1992. She was with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) at the time, and still is. It’s great to hear from her. She has a totally different perspective about life and the world than that of most or many Americans. And she loves God!

I’m still looking for a wife—the Worldwide Wife Search—it is still in effect. Pray that the right person may come into my life—so that I may be energized and empowered by a partner in addition to Jesus Christ, with whom I can share my life. If it is meant to be, it will be !

Meanwhile, make this life matter ! If you are living a self-serving life—totally for your own self-serving purposes—NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE ! Now is the time to GIVE ! Find somebody to HELP! Find a purpose LARGER THAN YOURSELF ! Discover JESUS ! Ask Him to come into your life and change you, radically, NOW !

My friends—growing up in Grand Rapids—I had a few close pals—who were very negative thinkers—one of them was K.S. and the other was J.H. Both of them still live in Grand Rapids. Sure we had some good times together. We thought alike some of the time. But there were internal differences between us that were emerging over time. I sometimes regret having spent so much time with these two friends (and a few others) when I could have been developing more positive relationships.

Build relationships that help you grow ! Build relationships in which the other person cares about you and you care about them. The reason a man-woman marriage is God’s intended way is because only man & woman can intimately care for each other at a level of integrity. That intimacy is not meant for two men or two women.

Everything about the design of man & woman indicates it was the Way God intended things to be. When we defy the God-given order of things we start creating a community and world that is not in accord with God’s purpose. And eventually it will have to be destroyed---like Soddom & Gommorah.

Pray for the two I mentioned above—K.S. and J.H. as well as R.B. among others—pray that they will experience the true power of the Holy Spirit—the fruits of which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control ! (Galatians 5: 22-23). Also pray for G.W.---another kid in Grand Rapids—originally from Wisconsin. Too many of the Calvin College kids who grew up in the “tradition” rely solely upon tradition—and don’t rise up to a higher level of God given potential.

We need to move beyond tradition to excellence ! Lord,
let it be ! God is much larger than anything we can imagine. He is a billion times larger and stronger than the Biggest Big Game of the century! He is larger than the USA. He is larger than the world. He is larger than the Universe. I recently heard A. J. Duffy—the president of the LAUSD teacher’s union say, in regards to the leaders of the LAUSD, “They have more money than God.” He was saying it jokingly of course, but it was still a shocking statement.

Nobody has more than God. Because everything we have is God’s ! Nobody can outdo God. Nothing is larger or more powerful or mighty than God. And I am talking about the Triune God—the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit ! It is our God—the God of those who follow Jesus Christ---that has THE POWER ! He is the Almighty !

"May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you, Gen 28:3

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Rev 1:8

My friends, between Sunday messages I spend the week humbly, some of the days at the doctor seeking healing for my back and neck, other days as a substitute teacher—sometimes respected and admired, other times treated without dignity. This past week I spent a few days at a middle school called “Hollenbeck.” From Hollenbeck one can see the downtown Los Angeles skyline. It is part of east Los Angeles. And like any school there are dynamics that give it it’s own individual personality as a school. Pray for the kids there. Pray for the teachers and staff. Pray that it will honor God—if not with their lips than with their hearts & minds by doing good work—striving for excellence.

And I ask for your prayers for my family—for Jim & Linda Kok—for my brothers Steve & Andrew and their wives, Kris & Carol, respectively. And for my sister, Julia, and her husband, Kevin. And for all their children—Simon, Alice, Jonah, Silas, Larkin, & Megan—God be with these little kids. It’s not easy being a kid with all the baggage from the parents. God I pray that you will carry the baggage for some of my siblings—let there be liberty in Your Name, Jesus. Help my sister to come to know and love You ! It is never too late.

YOU are the Almighty God. You are the POWER !


Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:62

YOU are the KING !


And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:38

You are the HOLY ONE !

Are You not from everlasting,
O LORD my God, my Holy One?
Hab 1:12

My friends, when I mention people to pray for---some by name others by description—you wouldn’t think these people are “bad.” They are law-abiders. But our Bible is clear that you cannot be “justified by law”—at least not man-made law—nor the bare minimum of God’s law—the law set down by God originally for the Jewish people. You cannot be justified by the 10 commandments alone—at least not the 10 commandments at face value. Sure, it is good if you don’t kill or steal—definitely very good ! And it is good that you do not commit adulterey, but it is not enough to simply say to God “I didn’t do this, and I didn’t do that. “

God wants more than what you didn’t do. If I am in a classroom as a regular teacher and at the end of the year I ask you how should I grade you—and you say to me “I didn’t do this, and I didn’t do that. I didn’t yell. I didn’t throw things. I didn’t use profanity” etc. I might say—that is very good and I am glad you were not disruptive, BUT WHAT DID YOU DO ! WHAT DID YOU ACCOMPLISH? WHERE IS YOUR PORTFOLIO !

One of the great accomplishments at the end of year 2 when I was teaching at CVHS was the completion of student portfolios. Each student was able to show at the end of the year what they had completed—all the papers, tests, quizzes, drawings, worksheets, their own writings, etc. –they were all kept and placed in a portfolio—with a Table of Contents and a cover—which they, the students, made for themselves.

There was no argument at the end of that year about who deserved what grade—they could see for themselves. Some of them had portfolios with only a few pages—others were as thick as phone books. But weight was not enough—looking within you could see the quality of their work—you could see for yourself why I gave them the grade they got—it was unarguable.

Of course I also factored in “citizenship” and behavior. If they didn’t do a lot of academic work but were at least good citizens—that helped. On the other hand if somebody did great academic work but was a bad citizen—that counted against them. Usually good academic effort went hand-in-hand with good citizenship, but not always. Some have great ability and potential but don’t always uses it in all ways possible.

God wants us to use all of our gifts and talents FOR HIM—to GLORIFY HIM ! How about you? Are you using all your talents? Are you GLORIFYING GOD WITH EVERYTHING YOU GOT ! I HOPE SO. Now is the time to let JESUS take over in your life. He will indwell you—He will empower you. He will RECREATE YOU AND MAKE YOU A NEW PERSON! But it takes humility. Isn’t a little humility worth eternal life?

And that’s my message for today ! God bless you all. I hope to hear from you.

Song: Lord to Thee Alone We Turn !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/t/ltotawet.htm

Song: Revive Us Again!
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/r/e/reviveus.htm


Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for giving me the words to say, the thoughts to think, the feelings to feel. You are the ONLY HOLY ONE ! We ask for YOUR continued guidance and presence in our lives. Let us never lose hope. Let us never doubt. Let us always TRUST YOU ! Hear our prayer, Oh Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Our Savior. Amen.

J.P. Kok
JOHN THE CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST FOR CHRIST