Job 42:5-6

Psalm 30:10-12

A few months ago I had one of the most moving experiences of my recent life, and trust me: my recent life has been filled with moving experiences. I had the privilege of attending TOGETHER FOR THE GOSPEL , a pastors’ conference held in Louisville.



Around 5000 men came together to celebrate the Gospel and stand for the pure and clear proclamation of the Good News of Salvation in Christ. I appreciated all the speakers and had wonderful times of fellowship with the men who came along for the ride (Duane, Curtis, Jeff, and Steve). I received several books to read and spent some additional time in the sprawling bookstore perusing future titles and reference works I will own someday.

Perhaps my favorite time was when we sang together. It was unique in comparison to other conferences I have attended where the worship is about introducing what’s new and spotlighting a particular leader or the dynamic program of a particular church. Not so at T4G. One guy led familiar hymns from the piano. That’s it.

The guy was no slouch, mind you. Bob Kauflin is the worship leader for Covenant Life Church (the mother of all Sovereign Grace/People of Destiny Churches) and the lead singer from the group Glad, a favorite of mine from back in the 80’s and 90’s. Bob normally leads with a big group and uses very powerful new songs. But at T4G he led simply and chose songs that most of us grew up singing in church.

Here’s what I loved about the experience:

…The men sang with all their hearts in total, joyful confirmation of the truth. I was instantly swept up in the sense of unity, excitement, and joy. When we came to portions of the hymns that repeated the themes of the Gospel, the men broke out in wild applause and shouts of praise. “My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more!” And the men cheer. And as the song continued, it would get even louder: “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!”



…Bob used old and new hymns. Yes, there are new hymns, and they are dynamic, and the content is rich and the melodies are singable, and they make some of the old hymns look shallow and contemptible by comparison.

…The guy running the PowerPoint display messed up a coupla times. Yea! Even the biggest gatherings of believers have trouble finding the perfect PowerPoint operator! I’m so encouraged!

…But I think the thing I liked the most is the attitude present among all the leaders at the conference, an attitude that said in effect, “We’re worshiping this way not because we think this is the only way to do it, and not because we think you ought to do it this way, but because we believe this is the best way to unite this people at this time for the glory of Christ.” Man, I wish other conferences would embrace that same mindset. Instead of stretching the envelope to show how new and clever the current crop of songs and leaders are, they could pull back and focus primarily on the kind of worship that will best unite the people in attendance and give their hearts voice to gratefully praise God.

Anyway, that’s what I liked about the music and worship at T4G.

This Sunday is a Communion Sunday for our church. Through the bread and the cup we proclaim our Lord's death, remember His saving work on the cross, remind ourselves of the unity we share in Him, and examine our hearts individually to be sure no sin is keeping residence there.

In light of this -- and in anticipation of the subject of Sunday's message -- let me ask you a question:

What does your church family mean to you? I'm not asking you to define the church family, but to ponder what value your brothers and sisters in the Lord truly hold in your heart? Would you give your life for the sake of your blood-bought relatives in Christ? Or are they simply part of the church's "wares" and you pick and choose which relationships you might benefit from in the same way you choose soaps and cereals at the grocery store?

I grew up in churches that magnified the idea of a "Church Family." We sang "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God..." but my impression was this: most of that gladness seemed sentimental and sometimes contrived. I can remember the song leader raising his voice between choruses as we finished the greeting time, "Won't you sing?" and then scooping into the refrain as we all stopped shaking hands and refocused our attention on the pulpit. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh'm so GLAAAD....."

But the family of God didn't mean that much to me and I really wasn't all that glad even though I was the recipient of so many blessings at the hands of members of that very family.

My mindset is different now, and I'll share it with you on Sunday.

If you admit that your fellow believers are of no real value in your average day, are you ready for the Lord to change that perception? If not, you might want to skip this week's message, though I dare say you need it much more than the believer who is already tied in heart and mind with his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Just thought you might give that some thought in preparation for Sunday.

Oh, the picture above is an old family snapshot that didn't work as a good Christmas photo. Candid. Unplanned. A click of the shutter when we were busy "discussing" how to get arranged for the picture. Useless as a greeting card. But I treasure it because therein we are being, as they say, family.

Here's the one we actually distributed.

ROBERT WILLIAM ACHILLES
September 30, 1937 – May 12, 2008

The Reverend Robert Achilles – Pastor Bob – departed this life on May 12, 2008 at the age of 70 after a brief but difficult struggle with cancer.

His colorful career began in Evansville, Indiana where he was born to Joseph and Dorothy Achilles. His parents gave him a clarinet as an “equalizer” – a means to build his confidence and exercise his abilities.

They told little Bobby that if he could ever play like Artie Shaw, he would be a real clarinet player. The strategy worked. Bob found he could express himself with his music. He also found he was accepted by those around him because of his abilities. Over time, Bob added the saxophone family to his list of “doubles.” By the end of high school, Bob had his own band. On one occasion he brought down his father’s wrath on a night club owner who had hired Bob’s group even though all the members were under-aged [ed.'s note: rumor has it that nightclub owner was Jack Ruby, the man who later shot Lee Harvey Oswald]. Bob’s childhood was spent in several towns, including Cheyenne, WO, Arcadia, CA, Denver, CO, and Dallas, TX, where he graduated from High School in 1955. He began his college studies at Southern Methodist University and transferred to USC for his second year.

To the surprise of his parents, Bob joined the Marine Corps in 1956 where he twice earned honors as an expert marksman. He was invited to play in the White House Marine Corps Band, but turned down the offer in order to finish college and pursue work as a jazz musician.

Shortly thereafter, he met, pinned, and married Judith Harwood – his “Sweetheart of Lambda Chi” in 1959. Her parents were not too excited at first. On the night Bob asked for her hand in marriage, Judy could hear her father from the other room saying with a loud voice, “You’re going to be a what?!”

Bob began his professional music career playing in the house band at the Shaffer Lake Indiana resort during their honeymoon and first summer as a married couple.

Bob graduated from the University of Illinois in 1960. He and Judy moved to Los Angeles where Bob began teaching lessons at a music store and pursuing paying gigs. He landed a job with the Celebrities, a full-time touring lounge group. He played the straight man in the show, always serious about the music and letting the other members of the group get the laughs [ed.'s note: rumor has it he was seen onstage playing saxophone through a gorilla mask, and at one point in the program, playing three saxes at one time. But alas, it's just a rumor].

By 1962, daughter Janet Lynn had arrived and the family lived in Las Vegas, where Bob started his most well-known and illustrious secular job – he became the featured solo clarinetist and Baritone Saxophone player for the Harry James Orchestra. With Harry, Bob appeared in many exciting venues such as the Hollywood Palladium, and on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show, and on stage at Carnegie Hall.

While playing with Harry, Bob and Judy gave birth to their second child: James Robert was born in 1964.

Longing to be home with the family, Bob voluntarily left the touring life of Harry James and took employment as a musician in the house bands in Vegas. In 1968, David William arrived on the scene as baby number three.

Dissatisfaction with the entertainment industry led Bob to stop performing. In his words, “I studied to become a master musician only to wind up playing whole notes behind a singer who couldn’t even read music.” He was disillusioned with his success and felt empty. He moved his family to Los Angeles in 1969 and began working in Hollywood as an arranger, copyist, and studio musician, ghost-writing for various television shows and recording artists.

He also began seriously investigating the Christian faith. Though he had been raised in mainline denominational churches and even attended services throughout his music career, he had never understood that eternal salvation – and the peace of heart it brings in the here-and-now – could only be obtained by personally repenting of sin and embracing Jesus Christ in faith. His need for a Savior became apparent to his heart as a result of the Sylmar earthquake in 1971. His fear and anxiety opened his heart to hear about Jesus, and as a result of reading the Bible given to him by his mother, he committed his life to Jesus Christ, a decision that dramatically changed his life.

His newfound faith made it difficult for him to remain in the entertainment industry. He felt his morals were constantly being challenged, and he found little reception for his openness in sharing Jesus with others.

In response to a sense of God’s calling, he joined the music ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ in 1976 where he served for two years. While on staff, he recorded the album Dixieland with the Master’s Touch. It became the basis for a concert ministry that would occupy him for the rest of his life. His last concert was performed on April 13 of this year at a Russian church in Sacramento.

It was during his time with Campus Crusade that his desire to teach and preach began to stir. He began seminary in 1979 to prepare for the pulpit, finally graduating from the Master’s Seminary in 1992 with a Master of Divinity degree. He received his diploma in the same ceremony as his son, and together they became the first Father/Son graduates of the Master’s Seminary.

He began his pastoral ministry in Northridge, CA at Faith Evangelical Church where he served as an associate minister responsible for pastoral care and counseling. It was a great place to be trained, even as a second-career servant.

In 1981, he moved the family to San Bernardino, CA, where he became the Senior Pastor of Crestview Baptist Church. He served the congregation faithfully for four years – many of the members were on staff with Campus Crusade.

During this time, his daughter found and married Steve, and his son found and married Deanna.

In 1985, Bob, Judy, and David moved to Morgan Hill, CA, as Bob became the Senior Pastor of Hillside Church where he served for 18 months.

In 1987, they moved back to Southern California as Bob accepted the call to be the Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church of La Habra. He served there for almost two years.

In 1988 he moved to Gilroy and became the founding pastor of Trinity Bible Church where he served for 15 years. David remained in Southern California where he met and married Laura in 1991. At Trinity, Bob found a place where his love of expository preaching met with a spiritually thirsty congregation, and they encouraged and supported his labor of studying, preaching, teaching, and leading the church.

During this time he made 15 trips to the lands of Russia where he trained pastors and missionaries for the Russian Baptist Church. Moreover he was used to influence the planting of a daughter church in Hollister that is now pastored by his son Jim.

Bob retired from full-time service in 2004 and moved to Yountville where he began ministering as a part-time staff member at Grace Church of Napa Valley. In addition, he taught as an adjunct professor at The Cornerstone Seminary in Vallejo, focusing on Old and New Testament Survey classes, and he especially enjoyed teaching “Exegesis of Genesis.” Even into his retirement, God allowed him to pursue his passion of preaching and teaching the Word of God.

Bob exemplified faithful service to the Lord. He never intended to sit quietly in retirement. Rather he sought out opportunity to use his gifts for the Lord’s service. His was a full life, blessed by the Lord and used greatly for His glory.

Here is the obituary we sent to the local newspaper in Napa. They had a 400 word limit -- and it's hard to cram such a full life into 400 words. I continually find myself thinking, "If people only knew..."

Note the dates and times of the viewing and memorial service:

_____________________________________________

ROBERT WILLIAM ACHILLES
September 30, 1937 – May 12, 2008

The Reverend Robert Achilles departed this life on May 12, 2008 at the age of 70 after a brief but difficult struggle with cancer.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 17, 2008, 3:00 PM at Grace Church of Napa Valley (3765 Solano Avenue, Napa, 707-255-4033). The Pierce Funeral Home will be open for viewing on Saturday, May 12, from 12:00 – 8:00 PM.

A private internment will take place on Monday, May 19, at the National Cemetery in Dixon, CA.

His colorful career began in Evansville, Indiana where he was born to Joseph and Dorothy Achilles. He completed a two-year tour of duty with the Marine Corps in 1958, married Judith Harwood in 1959, and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1960.

His skill with the saxophone earned him a seat on the Harry James Orchestra from 1963-1967. He was the band’s featured clarinet soloist and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show, and on stage at Carnegie Hall. Following his employment with the James band, he worked in Hollywood as an arranger, copyist, and studio musician, ghost-writing for various television shows and recording artists.

Dissatisfaction with the entertainment industry led Achilles to stop performing. He began investigating the Christian faith and in 1971, he committed his life to Jesus Christ, a decision that dramatically changed his life. He joined the music ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ in 1976, then seminary in 1979, followed by pastoral ministry in Northridge, San Bernardino, Morgan Hill, and La Habra. In 1988 he moved to Gilroy and became the founding pastor of Trinity Bible Church where he served for 15 years. He also made 15 trips to the lands of Russia where he trained pastors and missionaries for the Russian Baptist Church. In his retirement, he ministered at Grace Church of Napa Valley and taught as an adjunct professor at The Cornerstone Seminary in Vallejo.

Achilles is survived by Judy, his wife of 48 years, sons James Achilles in Hollister, David Achilles in Denver, and daughter Janet McCracken in Great Falls, brother Dennis Achilles in Franklin, TN, sister Betty Jo Brenner in Denver, CO, and fifteen grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged in Pastor Bob’s name to Grace Church. All funds will be divided between the Russian church planting ministry of the Slavic Gospel Association and The Cornerstone Seminary.

_____________________________________________

Here we are last Summer at the San Benito County Fair. Memories.

My dad, Pastor Bob Achilles, went home to glory on Monday night, May 12, around 11:30. His earthly instruments are now silent, but his voice is praising Jesus and worshiping before the throne. What a privilege!

Dad once played his clarinet in Carnegie Hall. God called him from that life to sound the Gospel and proclaim the Word. He has finished the course and now enjoys the crown of righteousness in the presence of His Savior. In light of his current gig, I'd say Carnegie Hall is definitely "small time"!

The memorial service has been scheduled for this Saturday, May 17, at 3:00 PM at Grace Church of Napa Valley. All are invited.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Grace in Napa. All funds received in my dad's honor will be divided between two of his favorite ministries -- The Slavic Gospel Association and Cornerstone Seminary.

I've been reading a biography of Martin Luther and I came across this quote in the chapter dealing with Luther's contribution to the music of the church. Luther speaks for me. I relate to what he says and see eye-to-eye on his opinion here. Had he lived today, he would be a guitar player, I'm sure.

Music is a fair and lovely gift of God which has often wakened and moved me to the joy of preaching...I have no use for cranks who despise music, because it is a gift of God. Music drives away the Devil and makes people [glad]; they forget thereby all wrath, unchastity, arrogance, and the like. Next after theology I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor. I would not exchange what little I know of music for something great. Experience proves that next to the Word of God only music deserves to be extolled as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart. We know that to the devils music is distasteful and insufferable. My heart bubbles up and overflows in response to music, which has so often refreshed me and delivered me from dire plagues.

So true! I especially love what he says about music being the "mistresss and governess of the feelings of the human heart." I've often said that unemotional music is mechanical, sterile, and fit only for video games and dentist chairs. Music ought to convey and provoke godly emotions--holy affections for our Lord Jesus.

The quote was taken from Here I Stand: a Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton, published in 1995 by Meridian Press, pages 266-267.

Tonight is my last night in Russia—for a while anyway. So to celebrate this week’s ministry, Peter invited us to his place for the banya. “Banya” is the Russian word for “Hell”, or “sauna”. Or both. The point of it all is to get the inside of a small room so intolerably, steamily hot that your body sweats out all manner of impurities harboring themselves in your skin—you know: dirt, old lotion gone bad, soap scum, and the breath of life. Out it comes, all of it, provoked by the heat and by the beating of your body with branches from a eucalyptus tree.

Peter took the three of us (me, Scott, and Henry) into the banya all at once. Scott and Henry had never done the banya thing in Russia, so this was a certain right of passage. They had little idea what to expect. Scott has been to Finland before, so he was vaguely aware.

So Peter gets this thing as hot as blazes and then starts beating Henry with the branches, hitting himself on occasion to show that his behavior was truly normal. Henry was bright red, probably more from the embarrassment than from the heat. Scott was cowering back in the corner where Peter couldn’t reach, so every now and then he’d throw the branches back to Scott and expect him to lash himself.

My lungs were burning, my nose hairs were scorched, and my sweat was dripping down my face—but I managed to avoid most of the violence taking place against Henry. Then Peter motions to the two of us—me and Scott. “Get out!” Fine! We leave, and close the door on Henry’s whimpering. Inside we hear the smacksmacksmack of the branches. Aha! Peter kicked us out ‘cause he couldn’t get enough clubhead speed. We were taking up too much room. Now he was working on Henry full bore, driving every last ounce of Calvinism from his body. We stood outside hooting and hollering—“Man, Henry, what did you preach in Peter’s church yesterday? You must have really made him mad!”

It was all fun and games until the door opened, Henry came staggering out, and Peter pointed to Scott. “Your turn,” his finger said as it motioned for Scott to get in. Again, whackwhackwhack, so loud you could hear it outside the inner sanctum of the banya.

I was thinking Peter was just being polite to the newcomers, but no, as soon as Scott was done, he was motioning for me to receive my part of the torture. I climb in and Peter throws more water on the heater and the steam makes it hotter than I have ever experienced yet, and that’s saying a lot, and he begins the beating. Outside, Scott and Henry are yucking it up. I won’t give you the details of their accusations, but let’s just say they thought my time in hell was fitting punishment for dragging them into a music store earlier in downtown Ufa and making them wait while I tried out a seven string guitar. They thought I was playing Rock music in the store and that’s why Peter was whipping out the evil impurities. Amateurs. I was playing Rhythm and Blues.

I feel great now, ready to sleep in peace and hop on the plane to come home. For many reasons, this has been my best trip to Russia. I love these brothers, and pray we can continue to minister to their needs.

Here’s what ministry in Ufa is like on a busy day – and many days are like this.

4:00 AM – I wake up in advance of my alarm (which was set to go off at 4:30). I stay in bed for a half hour praying and thinking about the class schedule for the coming day. Then I get up and begin compiling and reviewing notes. The syllabus we are using is fairly basic and many of the men have already been trained. So I try to provide additional material that reinforces the syllabus and helps with their training and preaching.

8:00 AM – Breakfast with the brothers. Sometimes we have dinner leftovers, but always served with bread and homegrown honey.

8:30 AM – Devotions with the brothers. Sometimes the translator is late and we have to sit and listen in Russian while one of the pastors preaches a little message to the men.

9:00 AM – Teaching starts.

It’s like these guys are union students: 45 on and 15 off. They are way serious about getting their breaks. One guy is assigned to be the break monitor. He has a little bell that he rings when the break starts and ends. He is never late, at least to start the break!

1:30 PM – Lunch. Big meal. Soup, meat, potatoes, tea, or that purply thick stuff that tastes like grape Pepto Bismol. Haven’t yet learned to like that one yet. So far, they haven’t served the beef fat.

3:00 PM – Class resumes and will go until dinner at 6:30.

5:00 PM – I leave class early today and Scott teaches in my absence. I go with Victor and our translator Emelia to Birsk. Birsk is to Ufa what Hollister is to San Francisco, only the roads aren’t quite as smooth.

6:45 PM – We arrive at Pastor Victor’s house and his wife serves us a form of pillmainee for dinner. I have no idea how to spell or properly pronounce pillmainee. But I like it better than liver.

7:20 PM – The service begins at the church. We have driven to the church in a mini van owned by Victor filled with 10 people.

7:30 PM – I sing a song for the church.

Maybe 25 people are present in this small house that has been converted into a meeting hall. They are a joyful bunch. I want to sing something they will be able to understand a bit so I choose a song that has a familiar word and some cool chords to play: “Alleluia! Alleluia! For the Lord God Almighty reigns!” Alleluia is the same in any language. Henry is with me and he sings a song too. Henry is country. He embodies it perfectly. He sings a simple song and they like it. I don’t think they appreciate the twang like an American would.

7:40 PM – Victor stands and says, “Now Jim (sometimes sounds like “Dzhzheemah” with the emphasis on the “EE”) will preach for us from Revelation 6. Jim, you have until 9:00. Tell us everything you know about this chapter, because we don’t quite understand it.”

OK, I came at Victor’s invitation to a Bible study thinking I would participate and contribute. I didn’t think I was preaching. I knew it was a slight possibility, but I really thought 10 of us would sit in a circle and I could ad input while Victor “facilitated.” That’s how we do Wednesday nights in the States. But Victor wants me to preach on something I have not immediately prepared for a total time of 80 minutes.

I am shocked more for the congregation – to sit there and listen to me labor through a translator for that long while sitting on those wooden benches?


I begin and 80 minutes just roars past like nothing. I stop at 60 and turn to Victor and say, are you sure you want me to go till 9:00? And he nods, and not from sleep deprivation. God seems to be at work by His Spirit as my mind is recalling so many details about Revelation 6 and its context in the rest of the book and how it encourages a suffering people. I go for the full 80 minutes. Emelia is hanging in there. She and I really click now. I know how many words in a phrase she can turn around quickly, and if I speak clearly, I can speak quickly and we have a rapid fire pace with only a few trip-ups in the middle of the message.

9:02 PM – I am spent. Victor stands up and asks, does anyone have any questions for Pastor Jim. I shoot Victor. No, I answer one question. It’s a simple one and the lady who asked seems satisfied with my answer.

9:15 PM – We go back to Victor’s house and have tea and cookies. I do a few little magic tricks for Victor’s kids.

10:20 PM – We get back in the van and drive back to Ufa. I can’t stay awake. I am too tired. I can’t sleep. The roads are too violent. I smack my head against the window at least once because I nodded off during one of the Dukes of Hazzard moves Victor employs in the process of flying over a hole in the pavement.

12:20 AM – I’m finally back in the room. Scott is sound asleep. He hasn’t been feeling great. Too much caffeine has affected him. I get to sleep almost immediately because we have class the next day. Fortunately we didn’t get as far yesterday as we wanted, so my notes are ready to go. I can sleep in to 6:30.

God has been good sustaining us and encouraging us. This has been my best trip here.

Here it is, Wednesday evening in the booming metropolis of Ufa, Bashkiria. I have been working with Scott Menez and Henry Winkelman. Together we are team teaching a class of pastors from the region, and tonight, we are free to sit in our room. No Bible studies to attend or church services to preach at. We're free to rest, which is great, because we have been busy since our arrival at midnight on Saturday night. And what better way to relax than a Diet Pepsi and Lay's Potato Chips?

The class is going well, the men were very attentive today as we studied aspects of Christology, and God is keeping us safe and healthy. Neil says "Hi!" to "Corrrteese" because he remembers "the great work he did in Blagavaceous."

Today, Scott was giving Emelia (our translator) a hard time about staying up late on the phone and coming to class tired. She was rolling her eyes and giving Scott grief. I smiled and told her I brought Scott with me so someone on my team would treat her like Duane did. She looked shocked and asked, "How do you know how Duane treated me when he was here?" I said, "'Cause I know Duane."

Ah Duane... You are remembered well!