Author: jeremiahtan963404

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

February 23rd, 2022

“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise” Proverbs 20:1

Early last week, I had an evening free in my schedule, so I proposed to my wife that we go somewhere for dinner. “Where would you like to go?” She asked. “Well, I’d be good with El Torito, with Chili’s, or with the Argentinean restaurant up on Tustin Ave. in Orange…”. “I’ve heard of a couple other Argentinean restaurants nearby, we could try one of those” she responded. “Great”, I said “Text me the address, and the time to meet you & the kids, and I’ll see you there.” She did so, and I set my GPS to that address at the proper time.

As I pulled close, I didn’t see any Argentinean restaurant, but rather a… strip mall with a liquor store? I pulled into the parking lot to check my GPS, thinking “perhaps it’s a ‘street’ vs. ‘avenue’ thing, or a ‘north’ vs. ‘south’ on the street name… but as I was trying to review my phone, my wife & kids pulled up in the parking space next to me, smiling & waving.

“This can’t be right,” I said, “Are we at the wrong place?” “No, it’s here: look! That sign says ’empanadas’ right there.” Sure enough, written vertically on the pole supporting the liquor sign was the undeniable sign. “It must be in the liquor store” Jime said. “It can’t be!” I retorted. But as she went to the entrance, she said “Yeah, I see tables & chairs in the back half.” As she and the kids went in, I had a weird moment of eeriness come over me: ‘Am I about to go in a liquor store?’ I thought. I’d been in plenty of grocery and convenience stores, of course, which sell wine & beer, but nothing like this: with neon signs in the windors, and shelves of colorful bottles displayed on shelves of mirrors that went to the roof! I surreptitiously glanced back and forth to make sure no-one was watching me (church members or otherwise :-p ), and slinked in.

Sure enough: in the back half of the liquor store, there was a second business: a window to order food at, that had Argentinean candies and souvenirs, and a menu above to read from. Several tables with tablecloths and chairs were arranged in front of it. Behind it, a nice little lady was smiling, chatting with Jimena about Argentina, and discussing the hot food that could be ordered.

After we ordered our food, the woman tore off the receipt and handed it to us, saying “You pay at the cashier up front”, and so, man! I had to stand in line with people buying liquor to pay for our food! I was appreciative that the cashier didn’t look at me funny, or ask why I was in a liquor store in a suit (although, come to think of it, I’m sure plenty of business people come straight after work to ‘get their fix’.)

The rest of the meal turned out to be uneventful and quite tasty: the husband came out from the kitchen in the back and, along with his wife, talked with us friendlily for several minutes about their homeland. They said they’d moved to the U.S. about fifteen years ago, and that they had been in their current location there for about 3½ years. They also showed us a bit of the new money that’s been printed down in Argentina, more recently than the last time we visited. We parted afterward with friendly ‘ciao’s, and promises to come back sometime (or better, order the food for delivery, I thought).

So that was a unique moment for me. Upon driving home, I was reflecting: what was making me so uncomfortable going in there? Obviously, liquor stores are places of bad repute, and of course a number of bad or violent evenings for folk begin at such places. But it was kind of remarkable how ‘normal’ it felt inside. Like so many things in life, you had the good right next to the bad (I even saw they had bottles of Martinellis in there for purchase! I picked one up and put it on the table to show Jime as a joke).

As I continued reflecting, I wondered whether Jesus, were he here currently, would visit liquor stores and bars and the like, and I concluded that, fairly likely, he would! As he said at Levi the tax collector’s house, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”. (Luke 5:31)

Speaking of which, that brought me to something else I noticed while we were eating there. The whole time we were there eating and chatting with that Argentinean couple, there was a pretty steady stream of clientele coming in and making liquor & beer purchases up front. There were women, of course, but I’d say probably 80% men, plenty of them young & healthy looking. I thought about how many stand-up men we see at church on a given Sabbath, and it’s probably about the same number that came in during that 40-minute or so period we were there that evening: meaning that, if you extrapolate it out through the night hours and seven days a week, far more people (predominantly men) are visiting that little liquor store than our visiting our churches. Obviously I shouldn’t stereotype: not all those men are ‘off the wagon’ or non-church attenders, but I couldn’t help feeling some melancholy over “where are our men in society? Far more here at the liquor store than in our churches.” And I thought about how liquor is an escape: of how many people use liquor (and stronger drugs) to ‘medicate themselves’ to deal with life, their histories, regrets, etc.

I had a great longing to talk to those people: to ask them what their life consisted of, and what brought them to the liquor store that evening. Though I kind of wanted to, I didn’t approach any of them: how many people would like to talk to a guy in a tie at or in front of a liquor store asking about life? But I wondered what Jesus would do in that situation.

Sometimes I get asked by young adults if they should travel in certain circles, or go to certain parties. Some of them say “I had this circle of friends back before I converted, shall I still hang out with them, or should I stop?” And my answer usually consists of something like this: “If you are sure you can be a positive influence on that group, then go ahead and go: if you’re concerned that the group will be a negative influence on you, then you’d better not.” Jesus could go into any situation in his day, because He knew His radiant holiness would undoubtedly be a good influence on them. But with us, we need to be careful and discerning. Even the Apostle Paul warns us: “if you think you are standing firm, be careful, lest you fall!” (1st Corinthians 10:12) So we should never haphazardly enter into dangerous situations. But he goes on to give us the positive advice in verse 13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. But God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” So this means that, while we do not approach temptation intentionally, we can have confidence to endure and/or escape tempting situations in the power & space that God gives us.

<sigh> I wonder if you’d join with me in praying for how we can reach hurting people in society who are trying to ‘fill the void’ through alcohol or other means. We know that God’s love, His vision, His salvation, and the fulfillment that He brings are the solutions to all the social problems people experience, but many times people don’t want the ‘cure’ when they can have the supposed ‘medicine’ that numbs the symptoms for a time. (Never mind that it hurts the brain, liver, and relationships in life in the meantime).

I don’t know whether I will ever visit that liquor store again: I kind of doubt it, I only went that first time because I had no idea of the situation in which that little Argentinean café was oriented. But it was an experience that gave me much to reflect on. I certainly hope Jesus can reach those people: let’s resolve to be available to anyone who shows the slightest inkling of interest: after all, Jesus says “No-one can come to me unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44).

I pray you and your families have a blessed week and beyond. Hope to see you at church this Sabbath (and I’m glad I didn’t see any of you at the liquor store! 😛 )

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

February 16th, 2022

“Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; And let [my enemies] not rejoice over me.” Psalm 35:24

Hello dear church members & friends, I hope your week is going well. Hope you had a good Valentines’ day on Monday: let’s remember that all forms of pure love under God’s umbrella are worth elevating, savoring, and celebrating every day of the year. (This stands out in stark contrast to the mere 2-dimensional representations of hearts, flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, etc. These things aren’t ‘bad’ in-and-of-themselves, but fall far short of the bonded unity and helpfulness that true love consists of.) 🙂

For my devotional thought today, I’d like to go back to my jury duty experience from early last week. Beyond the thoughts that seeing the wall of judges’ pictures gave me that I discussed last week, there was another aspect of that day that really impacted me in my soul.

About 50 of us, prospective jurors, were assembled into a courtroom, and the judge, among saying many things about procedures and equity, mentioned that the case to be tried was going to be regarding theft. Then he put a series of questions on a screen that, in addition to asking our occupations, children and spouses and their occupations, asked each juror to identify if they or a close relative had ever been a victim of theft or violent crime. It was clarified that answering in the affirmative wouldn’t exclude someone from the possibility of being a juror, but that it needed to be disclosed to the court.

So the judge began to proceed through the jurors. Our juror numbers were assigned based on last name, so my number was most of the way toward the end. Folks went through listing their occupations, family members, disclosing anyone who had ever worked for law enforcement, etc. But then that question inevitably came about regarding you or someone close to you being a victim of crime, and I’ve got to say that roughly 80% of the prospective jurors had something to disclose. Many were thefts, but there were also examples of child abuse, rapes, murder of family member(s), etc. It was anguishing to hear some of these accounts described!

To each of these examples the judge would quickly ask “Was the person apprehended?” “Did they go to trial?” “Did you have to testify?” And again, I’d have to say that about 80% of the responses to those secondary questions was “No”, meaning that the vast majority of the perpetrators had gotten away with their crimes. This meant that the majority of prospective jurors had unresolved offenses against them, that they just had to deal with psychologically, hoping that time would minimize the sting of them.

And I just thought “Isn’t this why we need a judgment?” Because, despite our best efforts as an earthly society to pursue and execute justice, a large percentage of violators get away with their crimes, and people are left to go on with their victimizations unanswered for.

I resisted the urge in the moment to stand up and proclaim “This is why we need God’s judgment!”, though when my turn did come to discuss my occupation, I made it clear I was a minister of the Gospel, thinking that, if someone wanted to talk to me afterward, they could certainly approach me (though no-one did). I left that experience reconvicted that so many, religious or not, have unresolved wrongs that need righting. And that the yearning in the soul is, though possibly unknowingly, a longing for an Authority to come and make things right.

The judgment is a big topic, so we won’t be able to thoroughly explore it here, but I just want to say to any Christian who is ambivalent against the judgment: stop your worrying! God’s judgment is not against you! Judgment is made “in favor of the saints” in Daniel 7. The righteous cry out in Revelation 6 for God’s vindication, as does King David in the Psalm verse quoted above (as well as several other places in the Psalms). Judgment is against those who have committed and perpetuated evil, who have victimized others in their selfishness & greed, and particularly for those who feel they’ve gotten away with it.

I assure you, friends: when God has His way, nobody will have ever gotten away with anything. “Everything done in secret will be brought to light” says Luke 8:17.

Actually, amazingly, the only ones who will get away scott-free will be those who bear no burden for their sins, having given them to Jesus on the cross, and having received His perfect righteousness in return (Revelation 7:14) What an amazing deal! So if we’ve taken up God on His incredible offer, why would we dread or fear His judgment?

I am sure that if I had asked each of those jurors upon leaving “Would you like the crime you were a victim of from however many years ago to be resolved?” I’m sure that, to a person, they would agree that, yes, that is what they’d want. And that’s exactly what God offers! No (unforgiven) perpetrator of evil will get away unscathed, nor will any (forgiven) victim be denied the justice they deserve.

I hope that you, along with the Psalmist, the martyrs in Revelation 6, and with God’s faithful people throughout the centuries will similarly cry out “Come and judge (vindicate) us, O Lord!”. May He keep us faithful until that day.

May God bless you and your families the remainder of this week and beyond.

Sincerely,

Pastor Mark Tatum

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

February 9th, 2022

“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24

Earlier this week I got called to a responsibility of citizenship; not a joyful one for most, but surely a good for society and therefore an honor to contribute to: jury duty. Though I didn’t relish having to clear my schedule or spend most of a day sitting in a room, I thought it would be interesting, and wondered if maybe I’d even be placed on a jury (?). Though in the end I didn’t, observing the early aspects of how the process works was fascinating. I got a glimpse into an aspect of society that I don’t often think about, but that is truly at the core of the stable and free society we live in.

As I was on my way to the 3rd floor waiting area there at the Santa Ana courthouse, I saw the wall of pictures of past judges (pictured above), and thought of all the decisions that had come across their attention over the years, which they’d had to rule on. Not surprisingly, my mind went back to Bible times when judges were the cornerstone of Israelite society, and I was kind of awed to think I was in the presence of the modern-day equivalent (including the living judges currently serving). The administering (“administration”) of justice is one of the highest callings outlined in scripture.

Moses was, among other things, a judge over the Israelites in their desert wandering times, and would decide on disputes between contesting parties. In Exodus chapter 18:13-18, we find that there was so much of this work to be done, it was overwhelming and exhausting for him, and his father-in-law wisely advised him to establish a tiered system of judges (“over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens” v. 21), and only have the toughest cases brought to him. This system worked well, and continued into Israel’s moving into the Promised Land.

Furthermore, we have the book of Judges in our Bibles: this was actually God’s intended plan for Israel – to have judges over the people, and of course priests and prophets in their respective roles, but no “king” or earthly governmental structure to be over the people. Ironically, the book of Judges is one of the most lawless and “crazy” books of the Old Testament, showing that our human nature is very hard to keep in check unless a centralized authority with a heavy hand is over us.

And then in the minor prophets in the latter third of the Old Testament, you get repeated outcries for justice in Israel and Judah, in that perhaps the most harmful aspect of the society’s straying from God’s principles was the unrestrained abuse of vulnerable ones: widows, orphans, aliens, the poor, etc. God, in the Amos passage cited above, describes that he is sick of the people’s religious festivals and rites in a society in which justice for the marginalized is overlooked. This lack of compassion & justice is identified as a key reason Israel fell into the discipline of captivity, perhaps so everyone could experience what it feels like to be among the marginalized.

And we today, of course, strive for justice in our daily living (in addition to mercy & humility, Micah 6:8), but in looking at that wall of black & white photos, I knew I was seeing folks who operated on a whole other level of determining justice in our present context.

How many of these faces were of upright, honest judges? I wondered. How many were crooked, prejudiced, receivers of bribes, or alternatively, too lenient? Great damage is done to society in any of these possibilities. I’m of course thankful that there is a system of checks and balances within the justice system, I don’t believe judges can just ‘go rogue’ and do whatever they want: there is precedent to guide decisions, there is a system of appeals and levels of courts for cases in which a 2nd (or 3rd, etc.) opinion is desired & merited.

But I was just impressed by what a solemn duty it is for a society (any society, even on a secular level) to evaluate and administer justice. In a world where the powerful & ambitious tend to steamroll right over the meek and humble (whom Jesus identifies as being seen & affirmed by God – Matthew 5:5), systems need to be put in place to correct & prevent abuse, otherwise the society as a whole can become a twisted, miserable experience for the vast majority.

And of course, there are many types of judges and types of justice: criminal court, civil court, military court, immigration court, federal court, financial court, trial & appellate courts, etc. All of these need specialists, professionals, sharp minds examining, establishing, and debating laws to keep the “playing field level” as much as possible.

On that day of jury duty, I heard principles of fairness asserted, such as “innocent until proven guilty”, “trial by jury”, and “confirmation beyond a reasonable doubt” – all of which of course serve to protect the rights of the innocent, and lean on the side of caution if determination is not discernible. As bad as it is to let a guilty person go free, it is a greater harm to punish and/or imprison an innocent person (which, ironically, also lets the guilty person go free!)

So as much as I have concern for accessibility of justice for the marginalized in society (the wealthy being able to pay for better representation, for example), I am glad that such care and attention is given to matters of justice. Surely God is looking down now, just as He did in Israel’s day, seeing whether our society is administering justice fairly and equitably. I hope, in the majority of cases, he smiles on our efforts, on the processes, and on the outcomes of these cases. But let it never be an excuse to sit back and thing that further striving is not called for.

I pray that you and your families are blessed throughout this week, and that you will have a sense of gratitude for our system of justice we live within, even as that system is subject to God’s far greater justice (to which all people in the workings of earthly justice institutions and procedures will answer to as well).

Greetings to your families from ours, and May God bless and keep you ‘till we meet again.

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update
February 2nd, 2022

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40

In my devotional times recently, I’ve been reading the latter part of Genesis, and early Psalms. I have, as a result, gotten to thinking about the lives of two of the significant characters there: Joseph and David. Though of course they didn’t know each-other personally, they were both striking examples of fidelity during hugely trying times: the one being sold into slavery and falsely accused and imprisoned, and the other being a fugitive on the lam from an irate king, despite having done nothing wrong.

I was thinking of how commendable and steadfast their faith was, and then realized how relatively little scriptural substance they had to work with, compared to us. At the time of Joseph, none of the scriptures were written down, stories were just told orally from one generation to the next. Joseph would’ve grown-up hearing stories of “Great grand-father Abraham”, “Grandfather Isaac”, and the first part of “Father Jacob’s” life. These stories were no doubt remarkable, and were surely told in greater detail than we have accounted in our book of Genesis, but the material is so relatively little compared to the “feast” we have with the whole Bible! Yet it was enough substance to fortify Joseph through being carried to a strange land with strange language, customs, and gods, and more than a dozen years of alienation from all that he was familiar with.

King David would’ve had more substance: by the time he lived there would’ve been written accounts of the plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, the giving of the 10 commandments, the building of the desert sanctuary & development of the priestly services in the sanctuary system, and the full Law of Moses, etc. But even that which he had is less than a third of our Biblical content today, and far less than that if you count other church history, testimonies, and Spirit of Prophecy input we now have.

Though he likely saw some things in vision,* David didn’t see Jesus’ life, didn’t know the particularities of his death & resurrection, the apostles & the early church, and the later spreading of Christianity across the globe. He didn’t even know about the splitting of Israel into two kingdoms, the downward moral slide, the Babylonian captivity, Daniel’s faithfulness & prophesying, nor any of the minor prophets.

Yet both these men lived lives of inspirational fidelity, and now each compose significant portions of the scriptures we possess. Though we often look to them for inspiration, let’s think how truly remarkable and impressive it is that they were so faithful and steadfast, with so much less ‘input’ than we have today.

In fact, given that David died before any of those above-listed things happened (and hasn’t ascended into heaven – Acts 2:34), this means that he’s going to learn about them from the other side of eternity! Maybe we’ll even get to observe him as he learns the history of the kingdom of Israel, either from reading the Biblical accounts, or hearing the stories live from faithful people who experienced them! Wouldn’t you love to observe Biblical heroes learning more of the history that followed them? Not to mention the huge advances in the plan of salvation and the culminating and closing of the Great Controversy?!

Jesus said in Matthew 8:11 “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven”. Don’t you want to be in that scenario? In addition to what will no-doubt be fabulous feasting, can you imagine the conversations that will take place around that table?! We will get to hear added details to the patriarchs’ stories! We will get to hear the significance they feel to see the great promises realized! And most importantly, we will get to see them thank their God and savior for having led them, and them being commended by Jesus & the Father for their faithfulness & inspiration that they provided for future generations. It is truly the most beautiful & climactic meal I can conceive of being at!

Friends, I often come to the conclusion that there is nothing in this world; no vice, no amount of money, power, fame, etc. that is worth trading in for “the glory that shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has mind conceived the things God has in store for those who love him” 1st Corinthians 2:9. To live to see that glory is our highest calling, purpose, and fulfillment.

I pray that we will be faithful for our generation, not only because of the great inspirational accounts we have of those who have gone before, but because of the great vision & destiny God has put ahead of us. May that hope, that eventual reality ever live in our hearts, and motivate all we do.

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum

* I don’t think David ever claimed to have seen a vision, but he wrote some Messianic prophecies so specifically, I don’t think it a stretch to consider he may have been shown some stuff. At the very least, he was writing under strong inspiration of the Holy Spirit to prophesy particularities of Jesus’ life, ministry, and death.

Be sure to read (or at least scroll) all the way to the bottom of this email to see important prayer requests and announcements, including a new online video series getting started by Pr. Mark, and a Young Adult lunch/planning session on the courtyard this coming Sabbath!

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

January 26th, 2022

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6

Earlier this week, in order to alleviate some clutter build-up, I took a load of oversize waste to the CVT disposal center (right in the ‘armpit’ of the curve on the northeast side of the 91/57 fwy interchange). As I was driving with my window down, the first thing I noticed, when I was still about a block and a half away was – pshew! A pungent and rancid smell from all the waste piled-up and decaying there. It practically smacked me in the face! It reminded me of when I’d studied in Spain, and the school was located just over a hill from a landfill, which, when the wind blew in the right (er, ‘wrong’) direction, could make your eyes water.

Soon I was in the vehicle line with large dump trucks and trailers surrounding me. After checking in at the entrance, I was directed where to go to leave my load, and saw huge, 2-3 story tall stacks of different kinds of waste: wood, rubble, metal, cardboard, green waste, etc. and massive, impending machines lifting and moving garbage to process it. “What a huge undertaking!” I thought, “Just to deal with the waste, the byproducts, of our community’s use”. There were workers actively occupied everywhere, and I thought of the financial cost of all those workers and heavy machinery purchase, maintenance, and usage – all paid for by our trash collection bills.

And that site isn’t even the ‘dump’ itself! It simply gets sorted there and sent elsewhere (perhaps the landfill over the hills north on the 57?). The scope of the operation impressed me.

Having recently read through the Bible last year, the Old Testament sacrificial system of taking care of peoples’ sin came to mind. For all sins confessed, sacrifice would have to be made, and blood collected and sprinkled in the sanctuary’s holy place. Given that that sanctuary was called God’s dwelling place (See Exodus 25:8), this meant that God was willing to bring the ‘junk’ of sin into his own living room! Both the literal blood (which must’ve gotten putrid and attracted flies out there in the wilderness) and the sin it represented, built-up throughout the year, before the annual “Day of Atonement” process would empty it out and expunge it from the camp (see Leviticus 16).

Knowing that the earthly sanctuary was just a terrenal copy of the greater reality in heaven (Hebrews 8:5), that means that God is willing to let our sin go up into his house until it all is processed by Jesus (the fulfillment of the OT High priest – Hebrews 4:14 etc.), and similarly expunged when He comes out of that phase of ministry, fulfilling the symbol.

This fact shocks me all the more, having seen the garbage disposal site recently. “God brings this into his house?! Out of love for me? And half the time I half-hazardly add to the volume of it by considering sin minor?” I feel ashamed and humbled to consider such a reality. But also an overwhelming endearment and appreciation for God (and a new repulsion for sin, knowing how he sees it).

How can I produce something better? In my own power, I cannot (as affirmed by our focus verse from Isaiah, above). I need Jesus! I need Jesus to give me a new heart to produce righteousness in me (Psalm 51:10, 2 Cor. 5:17). He alone can turn toxic waste into renewable resources. He alone can uproot the source of sin, oust it, and convert it into a fount of pure water (John 7:38)

I pray that God would be conforming my, and all of our, hearts to align with His more and more fully. Let’s remember: the victorious life is not simply about avoiding sin, but producing righteousness (Matthew 3:8, John 15:4).

So let’s ask God to give us the true Joy of Salvation (Ps. 51:12), that it will be a pleasure to serve Him rightly, rather than being a toilsome effort, just to produce chaff.

Blessings to you and your families from ours.

Sincerely,

Pastor Mark Tatum

Please read (or at least scroll) to the bottom of this update to see important prayer requests and announcements, including movement of our Kids’ Sabbath School to outdoors, and adding a day of free Covid testing at our church parking lot!

Anaheim SDA church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

January 19th, 2022

“Do not give dogs what is holy; do not cast your pearls before swine” Matthew 7:6

While driving to the Anaheim church last week, I noticed one of the billboards near my exit had been changed to advertise Rolex watches. I was surprised to see such a luxury item advertised in such a way and place – usually I only see ads for them when watching Wimbledon or something! But I guess the company figures there are people driving in this area who can drop between $7,000 and $75,000 on a watch that basically does the same functions a $30 or $50 version would. I figured someone thought that there was more to gain than to lose in investing the money for the billboard (around $3,000/month I learned – I guess selling a single watch could pay for it!).

A basic rule in advertising, or any industry of capitalism for that matter, is ‘get more out of it than you put into it’. All factories and business have to estimate what costs will be incurred for raw materials, labor, shipping, advertising, and renting/buying/building the place to make/sell it in. All those costs are built into the retail prices we pay! I remember once seeing a semi truck for Pepsi unloading at a gas station, and thought “Boy, fizzy sugar water pays for that truck, its maintenance, the driver, the gas, the tires, the factory, everything!” I marveled that such businesses could be viable at a buck a pop (literally!).

Does God’s love, and the plan of salvation, fit the economic mantra of ‘get out more than you put in’? Think of it: according to John 3:16, God the Father, in so much love for our fallen and pitiable planet, gave up His most precious, valuable, and irreplaceable resource, His only begotten Son, for the chance* to save us. Did God stand to gain from this transaction? Certainly not financially – but what other marker is there? For a chance to save a portion of a fallen race that had rebelled against Him? You could easily make the case (even from here on earth) that it’s not worth it! Just let humanity go! It’d be so much easier to!

This whole thing makes us consider our worth in God’s sight. We are made in His image, yet fallen into corruption. So are we great? Or terrible? I guess the answer is: some of both! But God evidently believes that the ‘terrible’ in us is resolvable, redeemable enough to make this great exchange worth it.

So, what is Jesus meaning in the verse quoted above, to not give dogs or pigs what is sacred or valuable? Is he simply talking literally? We believe that, no, he is not. He continues “lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” But isn’t that exactly what the majority of humanity did, and continues to do, with God’s salvation?

I, for one, continue to marvel that God and Jesus would choose to implement and follow-through on the plan of salvation. From our estimation, we are not worth it. But from His (far greater) estimation, we apparently are! While this boggles the mind to behold, our correct, and even necessary response, is one of continued gratitude.

We constantly spend our days briefly evaluating what is worth spending time and money on. God, in His great consideration, finds us worthy of investment, of time, attention, resources, you name it! Simultaneously considering our paradoxical worth is something that’s built into Christianity, I guess.

God has not given me a Rolex thus far, but he has described us as jewels! (Malachi 3:17 KJV/NKJV). We are most precious in His sight. I pray you’ll take that great truth with you wherever you go this week. And don’t let any beloved children of God forget it! I’d put it on a billboard if I could afford it. :-p

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum

* Whether or not there was an actual risk involved in God sending Jesus to earth is subject to some theological debate. Could Jesus have possibly failed? Ellen White has some comments on the matter, I preached on them in a sermon a while back called “Our Sacrificial God”, which is on our sister church’s, the (Orange SDA Church’s) YouTube page. See the 35-minute mark for some of those quotes.

Be sure to read to the bottom of this update to see important announcements, such as the continuation of nightly “10 days of Prayer” meetings, and suspension of indoor children’s Sabbath School. 😦

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

January 12th, 2022

“For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face” 1st Corinthians 13:12

One morning last week my family and I experienced a strange phenomenon on the way to school. We exited our house to get in the car, with the sun shining on us, and the skies clear. Then, a couple of exits down the freeway, we entered a fog bank, in which all was socked-in and drizzly. Then, a couple exits later, the sun came out again, and we could see blue sky. But as we exited and pulled closer to the school, yep: the dense grayness crowded in again, limiting our ability to see things in the distance.

What we were observing was obviously “patchy fog”, which you’ve no doubt experienced as well. But it was amusing, and led to an interesting discussion with my kids about what fog is and how weather works (I told my kids that the easiest way to think of fog was as “clouds on the ground”).

But then, inevitably, my thoughts turned to spiritual things, and I realized that I, as well as many of you I’m sure, go through periods of “patchy fog” in our spiritual life. We have those times (and praise the Lord for them) when things appear bright, crisp, and clear, and we feel like we can see the ‘goal’ of life in the distance. But then there are other times that those oppressive, drizzly fog banks roll in, and we feel we can hardly navigate for the loss of vision we’re experiencing. While we’re in those times, we may wonder which way we’re to turn for clarity, or whether there is a ‘goal line’ or ‘finish line’ at all.

Praise the Lord, most days, the sun ‘burns through’ the fog, and frequently times of clarity and vision return. Just as we don’t get too distressed about fog in the mornings, being confident that the weather will improve, I hope we don’t get too panicked about times of discouragement or melancholy in our lives. Perhaps we’re feeling a bit like this in the re-worsening pandemic trends currently – but let’s take heart – the numbers will come down again, and the ‘sun will shine’ again soon.

This is a good place to talk about Jesus! “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” John 1:5 Praise the Lord, we have One who came to pierce through the gloom and permanently defeat it! It will never enshroud us if we cling to Jesus. “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all” 1st John 1:5 Praise the Lord, we have a future ahead of us that is pure brightness: no compromise with darkness or lingering shadows. Though we may not always see it with our physical eyes, with our spiritual eyes, let that great vision be always before us. “We walk by faith and not by sight” 2nd Corinthians 5:7. “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” Micah 4:8

Dear friends, I hope these verses (and many others) can comfort, inspire, and give you confidence through potentially gloomy days. This is a big part of why we need each-other, to mutually encourage each-other in times of discouragement. “Do not neglect meeting together, as many are in the habit of doing, but encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:25. Let’s be there for each other to ‘hold their hand’ through their dark or gloomy times.

As it so happened on that foggy day last week, the sun broke through, and the rest of the day was lovely and clear (albeit crisp!). May it be so with our spiritual walk as well.

May God bless you and your families the remainder of this week and beyond.

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum

Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this update, in order to see important announcements, including 10 days of prayer effort beginning this evening, and a hike to a waterfall on Sabbath afternoon!

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

The intangible, invisible concepts of hope vs. despair have a tremendous effect on our lives: whichever we bring to the forefront of our minds will determine whether we look to the future with confidence and optimism or angst & gloom, expecting defeat. Some would say that, to lose everything, but still have hope, means one is not defeated yet. On the other hand, someone having hope in something practically impossible (such as winning the lottery to solve one’s debt problems) could be called one of the most pitiable (or, alternatively, repugnant) situations to be in, and philosophy to deal with it.

Having just come through New Year’s day, we have seen our society swell with hope & optimism. It is undoubtedly a good feeling to have! But how much does it jive with reality? Inevitably, those hopes have to come into line with our actual situation: which is still much as it was in 2020 & 2021. We still have our same health issues, relationship issues, money issues, political issues, etc. We’ve got to deal with them: and the empty prospect of “the new year’s gonna be great!” won’t get us there.

So, is despair the only alternative? What a gloomy prospect that is! Just looking over into the abyss of cynicism & pessimism makes me shudder. I don’t want naïve, cock-eyed optimism or defeat and despair! We need a third option.

I would argue that more important than the feeling/optimism of hope is the object of that hope. I can put my hope in a grilled-cheese sandwich, but if there’s no chance it can improve my circumstance (other than experiencing a delicious moment) that hope isn’t worth much.

That’s why, rather than clinging to ‘hope’ for ‘hope’s sake, we cling to Jesus, the one who has already shown us by overcoming all obstacles beyond the fathomable, that He is worthy of having our hope placed in Him!

Jesus is the One who is able to make any circumstance, no matter how seemingly impossible, resolve in a remarkable, surprising way! Though obviously not a ‘genie’ who simply grants us our wishes, Jesus is much better than that: giving us that which we would ask for ourselves if we could see from His perspective: the end from the beginning (see Steps to Christ p. 96 for some more development on this concept).

Dear friends: if our hope is rooted in Jesus: if our identity is founded in Him, and our future is united in Him, then there is no earthly circumstance that can rob that fundamental optimism that comes from that! As the Apostle Paul says in 2nd Corinthians ch. 4: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—" (vv. 8-9)

Just think of how hard a time the apostles had, friends. Furthermore, consider the hardships of the prophets before them, the Protestant reformers after them, and persecuted Christians in various places around the world today. Yet God/Christ is their refuge! Their fortress! Day-in and day-out they did/do not give up hope. For, as the Psalmist says: You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Psalm 119:104.

Friends, I hope and pray for a wonderful year 2022 for you and your families. But I know that, externally, it will continue to be affected by this sinful world. My central prayer is that internally you would know & be known by the One from whom we have all things, and to whom we are destined to be with in glory. May that hope, centrally locked in the core of your outlook, buoy and motivate us through any and all of life’s storms.

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum