Sunday Services: 10:30 AM
505 South Sixth St. Burbank, CA
91501

FaithView, For Storm Riders:
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?’ declares the Lord Almighty.”—Zechariah 8:6

This passage hits on a theme of nothing being too impossible or too big for God. Some great thing he does might seem marvelous to our limited way of thinking when it’s just the Lord being who he is.

The context of this is Judah has been conquered, everything’s destroyed, and the people believed nothing good was ever possible again. The Lord, however, says he will restore Jerusalem and the old will see children playing in its streets.

That’s good stuff…What we think is impossible is possible. What can never happen, can happen through the Lord. So this is why we should never fail to pray big, dream big and want the most—seemingly—outlandish miracles to occur in his name; not for our edification but his.

I’ll keep this short, but if I can be permitted to stray a bit from the literal context of this passage to a more figurative but clearly applicable one, it would be to turn the motive on its head.

As believers—as the Church—we can be in danger of doing something that is marvelous to our eyes but not necessarily marvelous to the Lord’s.

We do this when we put up new curtains after Jesus’s work on the cross split the old one down the middle. When we create ‘holy’ buffers to place between the Lord and us. When we hold to traditional expectations on the procedure of getting saved (it has to be at an altar/has to be in a church/has to be supervised/has to be at camp…etc. etc.)…It may seem marvelous to us but is it marvelous to him?

There are brilliant people out there…and you/we/me should read and study them all—because they are marvelous…Yet, I often find when I’m in pastoral circles I seldom hear about someone’s most recent experience with the Scriptures.

What I hear is, “Did you read (fill in the blank) book on the early church fathers?”

The response, “Yes, I did, very, very, profound.”

Many of us just nod our head in agreement…Except for me, while I nod my head I do so lyingly to give the impression of conformity…But I swore off smart guy books seven years ago, and all it did was allow me to gain the best seven years of my life when it came to reading, relishing, devouring and delighting in the Scriptures themselves.

Great learning is important—and all of God’s people say, “AMEN!”—but not at the expense of great faith and the ultimate truth of the Scriptures piercing our souls.

Churchianity puts Christ behind walls and ramparts and makes him harder to get to…and that may seem marvelous in the eyes of the world…But Christianity opens prison doors and sets the captives free. It tears down the curtain…It makes Christ available in the immediate with no interference from anybody else trying to argue for a more “holy” way…

His yoke is easy, his burden is light…S.M. Lockeridge puts it better;

“His word is enough
His grace is sufficient
His reign is righteous
His yoke is easy
and His burden is light…”

Your faith…affirmed by the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures is marvelous enough for the Creator of the Universe…Stop trying to impress him. Instead, allow yourself to be blessed by him.

Keep it simple.

Keep it real.

Boom!
***

A VBS Unlike Any Other:

VBS Goes to Rome: The theme for Vacation Bible School this year is “Rome: Paul & The Underground Church”

VBS Staff Meeting This Sunday: 1:30 PM

The dates are June 26-30…Look at your calendar…share with your friends…Pray for Seana Zilbert, who is directing…Make plans to volunteer.

You can sign up your child and their friends here on our website. Look the button up top, click, and follow.

***

Burbank Faith now has a Twitter account. You can follow us at; @BurbankFaithNaz

***

Eric Canto has created a Burbank Faith channel on YouTube and has placed all of our recent services there. Go check it out.

***

July is Camps Month: Remember July is camps month…Junior High, High School & Kids will all have separate camps at Granite Ridge.

District Assembly is July 12-14
(It is one month later this year due to General Assembly (Indianapolis) being held June 21-30.)

SrHi Camp: July 16-21
Kids Camp: July 23-28
JrHi Camp: July 30-August 4

***

Did You Know?
On this date…

…In 1631, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony decreed that ‘no man shall be admitted to the body politic but such as are members of some of the churches within the limits’ of the colony. (Separation of church and state was an unthinkable concept in early American colonialism.)

…In 1980, Mount St Helens blows its top in Washington State, 60 die.

***
Church Calendar:
May 18: Board Meeting: 6:30 PM
May 21: Mother’s Day Sunday Service, 10:30 AM…Sunday evening “Prayer Hour” from 6-to-7:00 PM
May 21: VBS meeting after church (1:30)
May 23 Women’s Bible Study—7:00 PM
May 24:
All Church Prayer Time: 7—to—7:30 PM
Worship Team Practices: 7:30 PM
Adult Bible Study—1 Samuel 18—7:30 PM May 21: VBS planning meeting, following morning worship.
May 29: Memorial Day
June 3: Men’s Breakfast at Harry’s, 8:00 AM
June 26-30: VBS Week

As believers, we have to remain in continual prayer for all of our first responders…all our leaders…not a political party but for those carrying the heavy burden of leadership in our country and communities.