Truth

The following is a post from Pastor Mike Fabarez's blog. Learn more about his, "How to Get Eternal Life" series and see his posts at http://www.howtogeteternallife.com/ by clicking on the address link.

True Truth

By Mike Fabarez

Truth is always true. Even so, it is amazing how many people seem to think it’s up for grabs. While we can reasonably reach an impasse as to which restaurant has “the best” Mexican food, when it comes to what you had for lunch yesterday there is a right and wrong answer. That’s the thing about “truth” it’s not true unless it has a correspondence to reality. I may want to believe that I have a million dollars in my checking account and I owe nothing on my credit card, but the bank and MasterCard are always good at evaluating my beliefs against the objectivity of reality. Truth claims about God, Jesus and the afterlife are no different. Either there is a God or there isn’t. Either Jesus is able to take the debt of my sin away or he can’t. I will either cease to exist when I die or face my Maker on the other side. The reality of these truth claims is what matters, not my feelings about them. And that sends me down a different path than most prefer to travel. I must expend my efforts exploring the evidence, not my preferences. I have to investigate facts, not my feelings. It is our job to be truth-seekers not opinion-formulators. I trust that we will be up for the challenge of always seeking to know what’s true, not popular. And as a result I pray that the church will once again be known as the “pillar and foundation of the truth” (1Tim.3:15).

Go Bruins!

Being a UCLA alumni, and being a fan of watching Bruin sports, I have been thrilled that the Bruins have had such a successful run in the Tournament this year. Carter loves to run around the living room yelling, "slam dunk!" and then do exactly that with his Fisher Price basketball hoop. He also makes sure that we have the UCLA flag flying in the front yard. Our neighbor has an identical flag, which Carter saw one day and thought he stole from our house. When I was able to calm him down enough and dry his tears, I showed him our flag was still at our house. He was consoled.

When I was attending UCLA, our team won the national title. It was phenomenal! I also loved walking on campus and running into George Zidek, Tyus Edney or one of the O' Bannon brothers. Ryan makes fun of me because I always talk about the Tournament game when Tyus Edney ran across the court and made a basket in a matter of seconds (to win the game). I never camped out overnight to get tickets to Pauley Pavilion during their winning season. However, I watched every game intently on television.

Sports are fun, and I can't wait until little Carter gets older and picks his favorite. His current dream is basketball, but we are trying to push him to a sport where you can be average to shorter in height. Soccer or baseball are great options for my busy little man. We'll see what he wants to do . . .

For now, go Bruins! I am having a great time rooting for my team!

Encourage One Another: Pastor Pete Lasutschinkow

I Thessalonians 5:11, in the context of looking to our future glory and hope in Christ during our temporal sufferings, says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Though the people I highlight in these I Thessalonian posts may not be facing the sufferings of the Thessalonian church Paul was addressing, we all must navigate through trials, weariness, and spiritual warfare in our ministries. What a motivation booster to see that our work on behalf of our Heavenly Father, thanks to His gracious gifts and the opportunities He prepares for us, is producing fruit!

It is such a pleasure to highlight the hard work of Pastor Pete Lasutschinkow. He is the Associate Pastor of Compass Bible Church and a bold and valuable worker for God's glory. He and his family sacrifice much of their energy and time to shepherd God's flock and reach the lost in the community around us. If Pastor Pete isn't meeting with the staff and ministries he oversees, he can be found preparing sermons for weekly ministries, counseling those in need of Biblical guidance, and performing a whole myriad of other tasks that help our church run smoothly.

One recent weekend, Pastor Pete was running between giving a sermon to the high school ministry and doing the announcements in the main sanctuary. Another Sunday morning, he continued after both morning services by supervising and leading two meetings for the Bridge and Thrive ministry, leaving at the end of both to graciously attend a church member's birthday party. Last week he took the time to meet with the Thrive leadership team for over an hour and then give a teaching to the Men's Bible Study about an hour after the first obligation. Needless to say, his schedule is FULL.

Instead of becoming weary or complaining, Pastor Pete rejoices in these opportunities. It struck me as quite telling when Pastor Bobby Blakey recently told the congregation how Pastor Pete had told him he was SO grateful for the opportunity God had given him to work with the church body at Compass Bible Church. He loves God's people and, most of all, He adores his Heavenly Father. His joy and thankfulness are evident in his daily service and attitude.

In Women's Bible Study, we are finishing our year's study of I Peter. I was completing my study questions concerning the passage of I Peter 5: 1-7. The first four verses address pastors, or elders, who shepherd God's people. It says, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." (verses 2-4) After reading these passages, one of the questions asked, "How does your pastor show his eagerness to serve? How is he an example to the flock?" I answered this question in regard to our Senior Pastor, Mike Fabarez, who is also an amazing servant of our King. Looking at Pastor Pete, however, yields similar results.

Pastor Pete shows his eagerness to serve us by preparing his teachings and SEARCHING God's scripture so he can accurately show what God has to say. This is an example to us in how we value God's Word, how we spend our time, and how we give priority to reading the Bible. In addition, it underscores how much Pastor Pete cares that we obey God's commands and live holy lives in thankfulness and obedience to the Lord.

Also, Pastor Pete is constantly supporting ministries feeding the flock and looking for ways to grow the ministries so new people can be reached. He cares about our lives and our spiritual health. His desire is to see Christians flourishing in our walks with God and to support the groups that can foster an increased understanding of how we are to live for and follow our Creator. This is a great example to love others and consider them better than ourselves. Any ministry blessed enough to work under Pastor Pete is spurred on in service to others by his example.

Finally, Pastor Pete is a terrific example of a pastor never seeking self-edification. He gives all the credit to fellow workers when they have worked hard, and his focus is always on giving thanks to God for the opportunities, strength and ability to work for Him. What an example this is to all of the church. To those leading ministries, it is a template of humility in leadership that we all can strive to follow.

I will never forget when Ryan and I had our son, Carter. We were in the hospital with a newborn. Not many friends came to visit due to the fact we were not long in the hospital. Both Pastor Dale and his wife, Shawna, and Pastor Pete took the time to come see Ryan and I, however. Not only did Pastor Pete come visit, but he brought a precious little gift for our son. This little act of care is something I will always remember and hold dear. Ryan and I have both known Pastor Pete for several years, and each one has been a blessing. We pour thanks out to God for the opportunity to work under Pastor Pete. He has always been approachable, honest, forthcoming, quick to respond, and Biblical. His wife, Val, too has always been such a great example of a godly woman to me. I so admire her support and love for her husband and her gentle spirit. She is beautiful inside and out!

Next time you see Pastor Pete at church, tell him how he has been an example to you. Thank him for being a servant leader and encourage him. God has used him greatly in our lives, and I look forward to seeing how his obedience will be used in the years to come!

Easter 2008

This year, Carter was very interested in collecting eggs--not the colorful variety you hide, mind you, but the sore, red bumps you get on your forehead. Two weeks ago he fell in Sunday School (on a Wednesday for Women's Bible Study, but Wednesday School sounds funny). His little head went right into a window divider in his classroom. The day before Easter, he decided that lovely mark was healing too quickly, so he dove headfirst into the patio pole in our backyard. He wanted to make sure his title as the crazy toddler stuntman of Compass Bible Church didn't get taken. Oh, well. You will notice evidence of these little spills in some of our pictures.

Eggstravaganza, on Good Friday, was a joy. Carter ran around the park with my mom and dad until he was exhausted. The Easter egg hunt was immensely fun for him this year, and he actually collected them himself, unlike last year when mommy had to compete with the toddlers taking the eggs around him. He ate cookies, donuts and chocolate until his little tummy could hold no more. He has to sneak those goodies while mommy isn't looking--I was busy face painting for two hours, festively wearing bunny ears and covering every finger and fingernail in seemingly permanent paint. I honestly was so busy, I hardly had time to look up from my station. I had fun, however, and it was great to be able to meet and greet some of the community members who visited our church event.

We attended Good Friday services on Friday night, and we collapsed after our busy day. On Saturday, we surprised Carter with his backyard "park" for his birthday (which is actually this Monday, the 24th). This was the event which prompted the head dive into the patio pole. He seems to like the climber, but this amazing heatwave in Southern California has made the plastic untouchable these past couple of days. Saturday night, we took Carter out for a birthday dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in South Coast Plaza. He was able to meet the treefrog and see all the animatronic animals along the perimeter. He had so much fun, and we ended the night with a jaunt to the Disney Store and a ride on the carousel.


Sunday, we went to first service at Compass Bible Church, which was packed! Carter looked so cute in his Easter finery. The church had a Bible times bazaar, complete with animals. This was handy since Ryan had to go pick a screaming Carter up out of the nursery in the middle of church services. He was asked to sign him out and spent the rest of the time visiting the animals and watching the older kids learn at the bazaar.

After church, we went to my parents' house for a delicious brunch. My younger sister and her family were there too, and it was fun to see the kids playing together. Carter took a two hour nap at my parents', and then we were off to Ryan's folks' house to continue the Easter celebration. We had a traditional Easter dinner and got to play with Carter's cousins. What fun!

Needless to say, it was a wonderful Easter celebrating God's sacrifice for our sins and His victory over the grave. However, we are still recovering from our "Easter tour 2008", and Carter's cold has finally taken residence in both Ryan and me. We honestly wouldn't trade it for anything, though!

An Easter Poem

Easter Morning

Radiant morning! What brilliant sun!
The warmth of God's glory. His victory won!
The tomb is found empty and the rock's rolled away.
Death now is conquered on this glorious day.


Radiant morning! My soul lifts in song.
The Righteous has paid for my every wrong.
The tomb is found empty and the rock's rolled away.
My Savior is risen on this glorious day!


Radiant morning! I worship my King.
Our access to God only Jesus can bring.
The tomb is found empty and the rock's rolled away.
What joy overflowing on this long promised day!