7/30/06

VanderKOK :
Live from Avalon, Catalina Island !
PROBLEM OF
PROFANITY

Good Morning ! Live from Catalina

Island as I begin composing (although by the time I am done
composing and begin transmitting I may no longer be at Catalina
Island). Nonetheless, it’s live right now—and I’m sitting outside the
Catalina Coffee & Cookie company drinking a cup of “dark northwest”
coffee at 7:56 a.m (pst). I caught the Catalina Express from Long Beach

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at 6:15 a.m. and just arrived here at Avalon a few moments ago (Lola is
with me; for those who do not know—Lola is my golden retriever (mix)
who goes almost everywhere with me).

With all the heat in southern California (and California in general) I

decided to take my annual “cool down” at Catalina Island. This is the
2nd annual Catalina trip. My third time to the island. And when I say
“Avalon” for those who don’t know –that is the name of the main
harbor/city on Catalina Island. This is where most of the boat traffic
goes, although there is another smaller harbor called “Two Harbors”
which apparently has a few stores (or at least one) and a campground.

Avalon, however, is much larger, and has full time residents, regular
paved streets, lots of little shops & restaurants, bike rentals, etc. They
also offer various sight seeing tours of different varieties. There are not
many regular automobiles or vehicles at Avalon—that’s a nice change—
most (but not all)of the traffic are golf carts.

Last time I was here (last summer, 2005) I rented a bike for a few hours
and rode along the coast outside Avalon. You find out quickly how small
the Avalon area is.

Ironically, I mention the heat wave that has gripped California over the
last two weeks—it apparently is over, just as I take my break from it. It’s
an overcast day right now. I haven’t seen the sun yet. But I don’t mind.

Let’s begin with a prayer: Dear Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, and our
Heavenly Father, & Holy Spirit. You are the source of all goodness and all
graciousness. You are the One who bestows us with every good thing we
have. You gave provided, Lord, and we thank You and continue to thank
You with all of our Heart, Mind, & Soul ! We cannot express enough in
words how thankful we are for Your faithulness to us God. You are with
us through thick and thin, through trials and tribulations. You are here in
the dark and in the light. You shine through, always. And we thank You,
thank You, thank You. Help us to be as good and giving and forgiving
towards others as You are towards us Oh Lord. Let Your Son, Jesus
Christ, Our Savior, be the example for our own lives. We bless You Lord
and thank you . Amen.

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And I am actually going to postpone this message while I walk around the
island and take a few pictures for the morning message. As some of you
know I always like to include pictures with the message. I feel like the
images give the story/message more life. What do you think? So I’ll be
back to the keyboard in a few hours.

And I’m back on! I’m actually on the “Jet” returning to Long Beach from
Catalina Isalnd right now at about 2:30 p.m. I only have a few minutes of
battery time available so I’ll only add a few words and then continue the
Sunday Message upon return. The sky is now partially blue. The clouds
have separated and the sun is shining. The sea is blue, and we’re picking
up speed, giving us a nice breeze. Catalina Island is fading in the distance,
and I can barely see parts of the mainland, mostly Palos Verdes.
Everything went fairly well. Lola is resting in the shade of the front of
the boat. Praise the Lord! This is a small trip—but there’s always the
potential for disaster.

As we were leaving all the tourist boats were out and about including
the Nautilus—a submarine they use for sightseeing above and under
water. There were also numerous para-sailers and the glass-bottomed
boat, among other things. Lots of kayakers too.

After coffee this morning I headed towards the old “Casino” which is a
roundish building—the most prominent building on the landscape in
Avalon. It used to be a casino and a ballroom, and now it is a theatre,
among other things. It includes a museum, which I walked through. The
museum talks about “the old days” in Catalina and mentions that
George Shattos from Grand Rapids originally purchased the island and
was the first to begin development on it. I found that most interesting
given I’mi from Grand Rapids.!

Lots of movie stars have come to Catalina and a variety of films have
been made here, including parts of “Jaws” (1974) and “The 10
Commandments” ( 1923 ), among others. Laurel & Hardy apparently
also enjoyed the island—for both work and pleasure. And the Chicago
Cubs used to conduct their spring training here.

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Another thing they talk about is the variety of
seaplanes that have flown to Catalina---so many
different types and kinds, including some sort of blimp.

I sat and watch the scuba divers and snorkelers for a while. There’s one
primary location where all the early morning divers enter the water
(those without boats). In fact it is so busy that they have to line up single
file on the stairs entering the water. They stay fairly close to shore but
apparently see a lot. Lots of foreign tourists too.

As I was sitting on the rock pier o ne of my sandals slipped off and fell
down> I was worried that I might not be able to reach it, but was able to
just barely grab it after getting on my belly and reaching as far as I
could. I could just imagine having to return with only one shoe
(sandal). The time went fast. I didn’t want to sit on the beach for a
whole day and didn’t want to spend money on renting a bike or other
tourist attractions. I was filming for my summer film “Memorial Day
(Plus)” and was able to get a significant amount of good footagre for the
film.

Then I headed back to the dock and waited for the 2:05 pm return
boat. The Catalina Express holds a lot of passengers—not sure exactly
how many, b ut it has three levels. Several hundred, at least. Lots of
families on the boat, many of wwhom stayed the entire weekend.

I’m hoping to see some dolphins jumping, but not too hopeful. I got a
good seat—right in the front by the windows. I have a great view of
evetrything. Praise the Lord for a good trip! I got lots of pictures and e-
maild a few already. Are you ready for the Sunday Message?

It’s about the language we use. And I heard it again this morning—the
F Word. I heard the F word so often around town and in the schools
(public schools) it becomes commonplace, but it always bothers me to
hear it, especially around kids & families. Some people have no
consideration. And I hear it so often (along with other types of
profanity) I thought it was time to devote an entire Sunday message to
the topic. What does God think about profanity?

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But I am also going to talk about transcendence. And
the importance of it. What is transcendence? What does
it have to do with God? How can we experience it?

Now I'm back on the road again, no longer at the island.

It was a great day.

Let's sing a few songs:

Song: Blessed are the Pure Whose Hearts are Clean!

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/a/bapuwhac.htm

Song: SO Let Our Lips & Lives Express

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/o/l/soletour.htm

Both of these songs I chose because they have to do with purity. And that's
what I want to talk about today, in part.

Scripture A:
Let no one despise your youth,
but be an example to the
believers in word, in conduct, in
love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Till I come, give attention to
reading,
to exhortation, to doctrine.
1 Tim 4:12-13
Scripture B:

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But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger,
wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your
mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off
the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new
man who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who created him, where there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free,
but Christ is all and in all.
Col 3:8-11

In both of the above passages Paul speaks of purity and

mentions language (or "word", ). Why? Or maybe I
should ask--why not "express yourself?" This is
America, right? Freedom of speech. You have the right
to say the F Word, don't you?

Well, regardless of the legality of profanity in public

(and if it disturbs people it could be construed as
"disturbing the peace") the question is really whether
one "ought" to use profanity. What good does it do?
What constructive purpose does it have?

The question should not be "why not?" but "why?"

And as Christians the answer should be based on
whether an activity or action is "edifying" to God or
not. What does "edifying" mean?

One definition says this: " To instruct especially so as to

encourage intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/edifying

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A second definition is: adj : enlightening or uplifting
so as to encourage intellectual or moral
improvement; "the paintings in the church served
an edifying purpose even for those who could not
read" [syn: enlightening] [ant: unedifying]

It's not a complicated definition. In essence it

refers to whether or not something is pleasing to
God, whether it is constructive and purposeful
and meaningful.

You hear about the sin of taking God's "name in

vain"
'You shall not take the name of the LORD your
God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him
guiltless who takes His name in vain. Deut 5:11

A lot of people think this refers exclusively to

saying "godammit" . And saying that phrase in a
flippant, repetitive manner on a day-to-day basis
for everything--good and bad--is a form of taking
God's name in vain. But it is not the only way.

In fact you could say "God damn" and conclude

with something bad such as "...the devil" and that
would not necessarily be taking God's name in
vain. IN fact, I practice "damning" evil in God's
name on a regular basis. I believe it's a way of
"casting out demons" which Jesus has given us
the power to do:

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(c.f. Then He called His twelve disciples together
and gave them power and authority over all
demons,Luke 9:1)

But it has to be done "in the name of Jesus"

(c.f. Acts 3:16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this
man whom you see and know was made strong. It
is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through
him that has given this complete healing to him,
as you can all see. )

So if you are ever around me and you hear me say

"God damn the devil" or "God damn the
demon of laziness" or what have you--don't
immediately assume I am taking God's name in
vain. I am practicing a form of missiology which I
picked up, in part, at Fuller Seminary.

And if you hear me say 'In the name of Jesus I

command all demons out of here" don't think I am
some sort of "voo doo " doctor, I am simply practicing
the commands of Jesus. And you are not necessarily
going to see something exciting or electrifying happen,
but the practice of using the name of Jesus for a
constructive purpose has had some results for me (more
about that later).

But by and large yes many people do use God's name in

vain---maybe even the government. I mean on the one

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hand it is good that we say "In God we Trust" on some
of our currency, but on the other hand if it simply
becomes a cliche without meaning--something we don't
even think about--is it using God's name in vain?

God is a "living God" and wants to be called upon in

the present tense. He's not a historical deity, one Whom
created the world like winding up a watch and now just
lets it tick away (that's what some of the Deists believe).

But He will respond to us according to how we treat

Him. I still teach periodically and the kids in the
classroom often determine how I respond to them.
Sometimes they will ask me before the class begins,
"Are you mean?" And I always say, "I'm as nice as you
are. "

And that's exactly right--we evoke what we want from

people. If we treat them bad most of the time unless you
are dealing with a 100% saint --treating a person poorly
will result in the same in return.

So maybe you're a wise guy and you're saying "So why

doesn't God turn the other cheek like Jesus taught us to
do?" Well, let me tell you--we don't treat God anywhere
close to what He deserves. He's "turning the other
cheek" all the time. And Jesus taught us to "turn the
other cheek" in situations of minor transgressions--i.e.
somebody offends you--calls you a "jerk" or something
(Matt 5.39; Luke 6. 29).

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Actually Jesus was speaking about getting "slapped"
--whether he meant this literally or whether he meant
simply any minor offense in general is a matter of
debate. But it seems fair to infer that he was speaking of
"minor" offenses, not major.

If he was speaking of major offenses as well, we as

Christians would be completely slaughtered and extinct,
and it would also mean that we never defend anybody,
neither the weak or women or children. Does that sound
like something God would order?

Here's one Biblical example to the contrary:

Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
Isa 1:17

Here's another example:

Now we exhort you, brethren,

warn those who are unruly,
comfort the fainthearted, uphold
the weak, be patient with all. See

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that no one renders evil for evil to
anyone, but always pursue what
is good both for
yourselves and for all.
1 Thess 5:14-15

So if we see and hear about millions of Nazis

being slaughtered--an obvious evil, would God
want us to turn away and do nothing about it?

Or if you're a wise guy maybe you are saying that

by killing the Germans and their allies we were
returning "evil for evil." Does that make sense? I
don't think so. First, when we, as Americans,
declare war, we maintain (or intend to maintain)
standards of ethics in battle.

This means we do not kill just for the sake of

killing. We are still killing only in self-defense. We
are definitely trying to stop the enemy from killing
(either literally or otherwise) the weak and the
fainthearted.

And we do it because God wants us to do it--it is

edifying to Him when we protect others--the weak
and the faint hearted.

And little things like profanity in a vain repetitive

meaningless manner are not edifying to God.
Little things lead to big things. If we become

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careless about how we speak and act in small
ways we become more care less about how we
behave in larger ways.

Our country is still a beacon of hope for much of

the world. We represent something heroic and
seemingly divine to a lot of people. And I believe
that is because of the spiritual heritage we have.

If we forget that heritage and what made us great

we forget who we are and we become just like the
rest of the world.

God likes heroes. He encourages us to be

heroes--to defend others. To take the teaching of
"turn the other cheek" to mean that we should be
"pacifists" in all situations is to pervert God's
Word.

And God provides the opportunities for us to be

heroes. IN December, 2004, I was on the road to
Michigan , just past Denver. Every hour I heard a
new report about the tsunami that had hit Asia.
Every hour the death toll seemed to increase by
5000 or more.

I knew then and there that if I could I would go

there. Go where? There. Where's there? Anywhere
effected by the tsunami. Turns out I went to
Thailand--and drove to Phuket--one of the areas
hit hard by the tsunami.

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I took a bag full of pocket Bibles and bottles of
water with me. I was like David with a slingshot
and a few pebbles versus Goliath. What could I do
with a few Bibles and a few bottles of water? I
didn't know. I just knew that I could go and so I
did.

I couldn't do it today unless I got donations. Back

then I had enough in my account to pay $1000 for
the trip. Nobody reimbursed me. I gave all I had.
Did I reach anybody for Christ? Not sure. I gave a
few people Bibles and a few bottles of water.
Maybe they'll remember me or my testimony for
the Kingdom of God. I hope so. And I know God
will remember that I tried.

Have you missed an opportunity to serve God? If

you miss too many, or let too many pass by, you
begin to lose your "God conscience." If you say,
"What can I do to help people in Thailand--it's so
huge?! " and pass up the opportunity to go (if you
had the time and ability to do so) you may have
missed God's purpose for you at that time in your
life.

And it doesn't have to be responding to major

disaster--maybe there are smaller things you can
and should do right in your own neighborhood.
Start there.

I started small. Real small. My "big thing" when I

was a kid was doing a paper route to the best of

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my ability. I delivered the Grand Rapids Press on
Hazen & Merrifield Street. I had to make sure the
newspaper was in the mailbox or press box or on
the doorstep or in between the two doors or
wherever the customer wanted it--seven days a
week (although some did not order the Sunday
paper, which cost extra).

Now delivering the press in Michigan is not like it

is in Los Angeles. IN Los Angeles they deliver the
LA Times by car--throwing it from the car
window--on to the driveway. Much easier.

IN Grand Rapids--you do it on foot with two big

bags on your shoulders. And you do it in rain or
snow or shine. And it rains and snows a lot more
in Grand Rapids than it does in southern
California. Sometimes I would be walking in snow
several feet deep before the homeowner
shovelled the driveway or walk. That was my
"thing" for a few years.

Then I started playing "rocket football" and put

everything I had into being a good little football
player. Then for a while school and academics
was my "thing" and I devoted myself to doing
good in school. Graduating from Calvin College
in 1989 with honors was an accomplishment I'm
proud of.

Later, grades became less important than the

purpose of learning and I found a new challenge

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in making education purposeful for myself rather
than a "grade" race.

What is the challenge for you? How are you

fulfilling God's call for you?

When I first started teaching I was in a politically

volatile situation--a setting I would not wish upon
my worst enemy. It was the worst place in the
world to start out as a teacher. I had been hired by
one principal but unbeknownst to me he was
retiring and I would be working under a new
principal who was not incline towards Anglo
teachers.

I was not given any assistance or support by the

principal and even some of the union leaders
backstabbed me--more concerned about their own
comfort than helping a new teacher. I stuck it out
for two years concentrating solely on doing my
very own best--knowing that even the
accomplishments I would make--would not be
recognized or may be even falsely maligned.

I was right. I was extremely proud to complete the

second year of teaching with some great student
portfolios--when portfolios were just becoming
the "in" thing (at the time). They spoke for
themselves. The principal and other teachers
could have looked at them and saw for
themselves what I had accomplished with the kids
in the classroom. But they never looked.

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The principal was playing "social engineering"
and I was not part of the plan. Some of the other
teachers saw me as a threat because I was "too
good. "

Despite the lack of recognition that one would

normally expect I had to keep my chin up and
know in my heart of hearts that I had done all I
could do and it was significant.

The environment there was "blasphemous"--

meaning it did not automatically recognize and
acknowledge good behavior and
accomplishments. It did so only if it was politically
smart.

Blasphemy kills the morale of a community

because it is not honest. It not only does not
recognize the good of others, sometimes it
perverts it and makes the good person appear
bad (or tries to). It's a witch hunt with the hunters
being the "witches" themselves.

And a lot of this is a result of people not giving

"everything they've got." They are not putting
themselves fully into what they do. They say, "I'll
perform if you pay me right. " And you give them
what they want and they still hold back and say, "I
need a little more." And so on and so forth.

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But God says more than once in both the Old and
New Testament to give everything:

Love the LORD your God with all

your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength.
Deut 6:
(also see Matt 22. 7,
among others)

When we combine the mind, the emotions, and

the spirit, and put all of that together for God we
begin to be transformed for Him. There is no
holding back.

Education sometimes forces us to be "held back."

So many opposing forces and special interest
groups cause the system to become impotent.
Christian education can be better but sometimes
experiences some of the same frustrations of
polarity and division.

The answer is to bring it back to God. Simplify

matters. Ask God what is edifying to Him. Avoid a
lot of bureacracy and appointing new persons
with new titles. That's not the answer. The answer
is God and prayer. What is edifying to Him? And it
can change.

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For me to go to Catalina today (Sunday, July 30,
2006) was edifying to God. For me to go there
every day or every Sunday, is not. I went there to
provide an interesting photo aspect to my Sunday
message. Every week I try to find something new
and interesting to add to my message. Sometimes
it fits well with the message itself other times it's
just an aside.

There's no formula for what is edifying to God. By

remaining alive in Christ we remain in tune to
what God wants at the moment. That's what is
exciting about E-church--it's adaptable and it is
not "immutable" (i.e. unchangeable). Some
churches with permanent locations become
somewhat immutable, sometimes.

Nonetheless, I still encourage you to have a

regular church in addition to E-church and remind
you that I am a "one man show." If something
happens to me there is nobody to take my place.
At least not right now.And for that matter if my
Sunday Message was becoming too "routinized"
or too "formulaic" it might not be very edifying to
God anymore. In such cases it would be more
edifying to stop the Sunday Message for a while.

Right now such is not the case, but the point of

the Sunday Message is not to prove I can publish
a message every week or to make a longevity
record, but to help others, to edify God, and to

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make a difference--a meaningful significant
difference. Help me to keep that in mind (and that
something other ministries need to be mindful of
as well--some much more so than myself).

And that brings me to the next point in my

message--and that is "transcendence." What is
transcendence?
The dictionary says this, in part, "
1. Being above and independent of the material
universe. Used of the Deity.
It also says, "Lying beyond the ordinary range of
perception"

And, "the state of excelling or surpassing or

going beyond usual limits"
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transcend
ence%20

What I am referring to by and large is that which

takes us "beyond" or "above" the material
universe. We are sometimes so often stuck in the
material world. Even those who are consciously
non-materialistic or anti-materialistic are
entrenched in the material world.

Almost everything encourages us to seek

"material" rewards. Athletic competition is
defined by tangible results--who scored the most

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baskets, who got in the endzone, who made the
putt. Academia is about producing papers and
getting grades. Sales is about how much you can
sell. Accounting is all about numbers and
"actuality."

But none of these have any ultimate purpose in

and of themselves. They are but a "shadow" of
ultimate purpose. The race you run in an athletic
contest--the marathon for example--is but a
shadow of the real race we run or should run for
Christ. This race for Christ is seemingly less
tangible--and it is sometimes here on earth, but in
heaven it is much more tangible. And the closer
you draw to God the more "real" this heavenly
race seems than that which has tangible earthly
results.

You begin to see and feel more what God sees

and feels. It's a spiritual transcendence. And we
sometimes experiences brief glimpses of
"transcendence" in unexpected places and times.
Sometimes in movies for example transcendence
is experienced. Church really should be a
transcendent experience. It should lift us from the
burdens of the world if only temporarily.

My Sunday message should be transcendent to a

certain extent. It should draw you away from
material concerns and anxiety and lift you closer
to God. Sometimes I do that with pictures as well.

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Last week my message from Elevation 14496
feet--on top of Mt. Whitney--was supposed to be
transcendent. This week-- a glimpse of Catalina
Island can be transcendent.

For me going there if only for a few hours is

transcendent. It takes me away from the feeling
of being in an overwhelmingly large metropolitan
system like Los Angeles, and I am with decent
people for a few hours who are more likely to be
civil and kind to each other because it takes an
effort to get to Catalina. It's not just a drive down
the street to the beach. When we make an effort to
do something we are more likely to be aware of
other people's similar efforts and expectations, as
well as their sacrifices.

It costs about $50 to ride round trip to Catalina on

Catalina Express. It's not like a $10 taxi ride. You
schedule a specific arrival and departure time.
Some people take luggage. Lots of people take
diving equipment. It's not a totally spontaneous
trip. It takes some planning. This means you are
more likely to be around careful people. Its more
civil and nice. And therefore more transcendent.

And speaking of Catalina Island--for those of you

from West Michigan (and a lot of you are)--did you
know (you would if you read my introduction
above) that George Shattos, the original owner of
Catalina Island (yes it was once privately owned)

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was a Grand Rapids native? Interesting, eh? I'm
from Grand Rapids too. I found that very
coincidental. What are the odds of that?

Well, George sold it because of financial pressure

and from there it was sold again and developed
and re-developed and finally became a part of
California and is what it is today. I spent an hour
or so in the Catalina Museum as you can see from
the attached pictures. The pictures speak for
themselves and I'll let them.

Another thing many of us want to transcend is the

"weight" of corruption. If you lived long enough
you've experienced corruption--and some of it is
not always so easy to "quash."

Take the corruption, for example, that I

experienced at CVUSD (where I taught school for
two years). There was not much I could do about
it (although I tried through government agencies
as well as the court system). It was somewhat
intangible--yet nonetheless insidious. It became
more and more "tangible" to me as time went by,
but nonetheless, difficult to correct.

One of the problems was the problem of

"swingers." I suspected one of the administrators
was involved in swinging (i.e. swapping sexual
partners) and may have "swung" with my
landlords (whom I did not know were swingers

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until after I left). The further problem is that
swingers, by and large, do not respect
themselves. I think they must have manic-
depressive tendencies and cannot pull
themselves out of the sexual temptation even
though they regret it or feel ashamed about it
shortly after. It's a "vicious cycle"--like any other
addiction.

And because they are ashamed of it they have a

need to draw others into it--to let others know that
they are "no better." So they find something to
nitpick the person about--finding something no
matter what, even if it means making something
up.

That's why I was and am reserved about

addressing some of the matters because of the
"mud slinging" they do in response---without
regard for the truth. They don't have any regard or
concern or even knowledge of "truth" and
therefore don't realize the damage they can do
with their lies.

A superintendent, principal, or assistant principal

and even an entrenched * tenured
teacher without scruples ( i.e. Kent Braithwaite)
could severely damage the career of a young
teacher. You are, by and large, at their mercy.

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Nonetheless, there comes a point when you can't
"turn the other cheek " any further without being
violated beyond repair. It was close to that point
for me--I got out of there. I put actual distance
between me and them, and I addressed it from
afar and then a little bit closer, and lately a little
more closely--but still with caution. I can see more
clearly now, but they still have strength (although
the principal, Alex Franco, was subsequently
terminated, the administrator I was concerned
about then is in a much stronger position now). I
turned the other cheek for two years and then I
took action.

I was a "David" versus "Goliath." And the battle is

still being waged. You see the Old Testament
lessons are nice because they are so clear cut
and black-and-white and there is an immediate
result, but the Christian life is much more
prolonged and the victory not always clear right
away. Nonetheless, we persevere.

And this is not my first battle by a long shot.

Growing up in Grand Rapids--transferring from
Alger Public Elementary to Seymour Christian
Elementary was a battle. There were "Christian"
kids in cliques already formed that I couldn't truly
break through or into despite staying with that
class all the way from 5th grade though my senior
year in high school and with some all the way
through college.

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Some of those I did call "friends" haven 't written
or communicated in years. I haven't heard from
Jack Holwerda or Keith Steensma. Some I didn't
really call friends and whom I don't expect to hear
from are still in Grand Rapids and haven't
changed a bit. But now I'm hearing from other
people I never talked much to at all in school--and
I truly appreciate it. I never gave up the "battle"
and I'm experiencing some fruits today.

And there was the battle that I inherited from my

mother and her battle with her father, Leo Peters.
This battle was handed down to the kids and the
kids of the kids and some of those kids were
close to my age, and even my half-aunt was in my
own high school class. I battled her gossip
tendency--falsehoods that her father (my
grandfather) put in her head to say about me
and/or my family to justify his acts of deceit and
unrighteousness towards me and/or my family.
Later, I experienced a little bit of decency from
this half-aunt but not for long. Pray about that.
I'm still reaching out to her.

Battles never cease. And usually they have to do

with material things--land, money, possessions.
That's why we need transcendence. That's not to
say material things are bad or evil. Material things
are a gift from God but when they become more

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important than the Creator Himself then they do
become an "evil" of sorts.

Sunday is the usual day for church. We call it the

"Sabbath" or "Shabbot"--some practice their
Shabbot on Saturday. To me it really does not
matter which day you call the 7th day. If the only
day you can set aside is Wednesday--then let that
be your 7th day. In fact some people go so far as
to say that any small act of rest or transcendence
and prayer is a "shabbot"--even if only a few
moments. I tend to agree.

In fact, I don't like to think that my Sunday

Message should be only composed and
transmitted on Sunday. I don't think the pressure
to produce a message between the hours of 7 am
and 12 noon necessarily is good either. I have
been living by that expectation or self-expectation
for a while, but am not going to restrict myself to
it--if it means making myself irritable and not
producing the best message I can produce.

If this means postponing a message or

transmitting it "late" so be it. It's not "late " to me
if it is better the next day. Nor do I have a feeling
that anybody is waiting with tons of expectation
for the Sunday Message on Sunday morning. I
know most of you have your own church which
you attend or you just attend church. E-church

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can help you on any day of the week, not just
Sunday.

In fact, at 8:16 pm on Sunday evening I am

realizing that I will probably not be able to finish
composing and/or transmitting this message this
evening. It might not go out until tomorrow. And I
don't feel bad about that. I feel good. I feel good
because it will be more edifying to God. This is
not a contest to produce a message between such
and such a time on such a day and if I don't I fail.
God forbid.

And another battle I am experiencing is the battle

with those of you who know only how to be
critical and rude. And some of you are babies--
plain whiner babies. You whine like babies when
you get an e-mail you don't want to read. You cry
because you have to take a second to click delete
on a message you need to hear but don't want to.
Don't cry to me, whiner baby. Grow up.

And some of you need to look in the mirror at

your own reflection before you pluck out the
speck in the eye of somebody else. You have a
huge log in your eye, and you can't even see it.
And that i includes some of you who work for the
church, including a few pastors ! And I have a lot
of pastors on my list now.

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And then there are the professors--and let me say
this--some of yuou professors are only doing 1/3
of what you could or should be doing. When God
says "heart, mind, and soul -[or strength]" some
of you are only putting in your mind. You are not
putting in your heart & soul or strength. It's all
cognitive to you. That makes you impotent and
makes the seminary impotent. God is not
impressed if you do not give it your all.

And back to the problem of corruption. When I

moved into my first ministry office in Pasadena I
experienced corruption from the property
managers and the custodians and one of the
young men who turned his office into an
apartment and is also a "swinger."

Same problem with this swinger that I had with

the swingers at the school district---
manic/depressives who can't pull themselves out
of what they don't like to do but find themselves
continuuing to do it. And misery loves company
so if it means lying about others so be it.

That's what makes them dangerous to be around.

The young man named Tim G--an Hispanic
fellow--matter of big prayer. I'm trying to reach
him with the Word while staying far enough away
to avoid the trouble surrounding him. He and the
custodians (most likely illegal immigrants) made
my first office experience disappointing.

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So now is the time to start a "ripple effect' of
purity--tell others to stop using profane language.
Stop the "F Word" (and other bad language). Use
language and actions that glorifies and edifies
God. The time is now, the place is here.

And help others experience transcendence--away

from the addiction of materialism and other
addictions (including sexual addictions). All of the
"vicious cycles" that take us away from our
relationship with a loving God. His commands and
exhortations are for our own good.

Let's sing a few songs:

Song: Did You Think to Pray?

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/d/i/didyouth.htm

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for giving me the

opportunity to bring the Good News to the people
of our country and world. May it be a blessing to
others. I ask that you continue to give me the
words to say and the thoughts to think. Let me not
be too forceful or overbearing. Let me be gentle
but nonetheless honest and forthright.

Let me not be worn down by cruel and wicked

persons who intend only to do harm, even some
so-called "pastors" and "professors." Your Word

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is the Truth, Jesus. Let me teach and preach
truth. Let me not be led astray.

And give Your people transcendence, Lord. Let

them experience life outside materialism. Let
them know how much more there is to life. And
God I ask that you help clean the mouths of the
people of this world. I hear so much "filthy
language" which does not edify you from both
Christians and non-Christians, and occassionally
God I myself am guilty of the same. But not nearly
to the extent that I hear from the lips of others.

Song: Yield Not to Temptation

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/y/i/yieldnot.htm

And I thank you all for listening and I hope you

found the message edifying--even if not always
pleasing to you. Sometimes I must speak strongly
about certain things and challenge some of you
to move to a higher level of living. Accept the
challenge , keep listening, and grow; or delete my
message and stay where you are.

See you next week.

VanderKOK
J.P. Kok
Pastor Kok III
Here are some Catalina Island websites:

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http://www.catalina.com/history.html

http://www.visitingcatalina.com/history.html

http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/about/history/
index.cfm

http://www.catalinamuseum.org/

http://www.catalinainfo.com/Early.html

TAGS: PROFANITY, PROBLEM, CATALINA ISLAND, AVALON

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