Well, I Was Asked!

 Asked about what you may be asking yourself. Well I'm glad that you asked. Not sure if you are aware of the men's conference controversy that took place last weekend at a church in Missouri. The controversy started with the opening "entertainment", and then being called out by a guest pastor who followed afterword. So I have been asked my opinion about it. So, I'll give my thoughts on what happened.

Stronger Men's Conference is a men's conference held every year at James River Church in Springfield, MO. It is advertised as a men's conference that exists to "inspire and equip men to live out God’s vision for manhood to be the husbands, fathers, and leaders God has called them to be,".

The opening entertainment to kick of the event was a shirtless, sword swallowing dude, who was swinging from a pole. Hmmm.

My first thought upon watching a little of the video is, wait, what? What am I watching? This is a church men's conference?? I don't know about you, but how does this kind of act help men to become stronger? Inspire them to become better husbands, fathers and leaders that God has called them too?

If I paid money go to this conference and I saw this, I would have walked out and demanded a refund. Not because I am a prude. It's just that this kind of act doesn't belong in a church. If you were on the strip in Vegas, then okay. But it wasn't!

Say I am a new Christian. God brought me out of sexual sin. Pornography & lust while attending female strip clubs. I go to this conference to get inspired to become a better man and I see this going on. Instead of women being topless and dancing on a pole, it's a dude, in church. I would think that the church is acting just like the world! Not much different. How hypocritical. Don't go stare and lust after topless woman, but we are going to present a topless dude using a pole for your entertainment. 

Romans 2:3 The Voice

3 Here’s what is happening: you attack and criticize others and then turn around to commit the same offenses yourselves! Do you think you will somehow dodge God’s judgment?

Romans 14:21 New Living Translation

21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.

The Pastor that spoke after this act was finished, called it out. He said there was a Jezebel spirit during that act. I don't disagree with him. If he didn't say anything, it would seem that he agreed with it happening. He obviously didn't!

So my two cents are this. In everything that we do, we must honor Christ. Did this shirtless, pole dancing, sword swallower man honor God? To me he didn't and neither did the church.

1 Corinthians 10:31 New Living Translation

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

God Bless.

Rev. Kev.

I AM (nothing)

 I have two t-shirts in my wardrobe that pronounce that I am somebody special. The printing on them states I am this, or I am that! Trust me I am not either one of them.

The only person in the whole world who can claim the I AM name is God!

He proclaimed this moniker to Moses when he asked God what His name was.

Exodus 3:14 The Message

14 God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”

I know that there is the letter "I" in the word Christian. I know that the letter "I" is in Christ's name. But, there is no "I" in the Christian life style. Becoming a Christ follower, it becomes about we, not me!

One of the shirts I received, I absolutely refused to wear it because of the "I AM" something spread across the front. It bothered me from the moment I saw it. Now if it had said "we" instead of "I", I would wear it proudly. Because it doesn't, it will never see the light of day. At least with me wearing it.

The other shirt I have worn for several years without any thought about what it said on the front. Got a lot of compliments and comments on it. The other day though, I had someone make a comment about it. They told me that I sure think highly of myself wearing that. That got me to thinking. Am I making an "I AM" statement with this shirt? That I am better than other people? If the shirt would have said "We Are" instead of "I AM", I wouldn't have put much thought into this. But this person made me think. Not sure if I'll ever wear it again. Who knows?

Philippians 2:4 The Message

2:4 Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

There are a few I AM statements that I can make though.

I AM: A sinner in need of a Savior

I AM: A Christian

I AM: Not perfect.

I AM: Not ashamed of Jesus Christ

I AM: Not ashamed of The Gospel

I AM: A work in progress.

So I encourage you tonight. Take a look at what kind of life you are projecting for others to see. Is it a selfish or selfless life?

Jesus gave up His life for us, may we do the same for others. Maybe not physically dying, but dying to ourselves and live for others.

1 John 3:17 Amplified Bible

17 But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?

God Bless.

Rev. Kev.

End. Of. Watch.

 End Of Watch Definition:

The date and time at which a police officer was killed while on duty .

Unfortunately, we had an end of watch happen last week right before Easter. A county deputy was killed after being involved in an accident while on duty. Not going to go into all the details. You can go online and read about what happened.

I want to talk about how this has affected me! 

I don't know why this hit me so hard. 

I had never met the officer. Did not know her at all. All I knew is that she was a DeKalb County deputy. This hit really close to home. I have several friends and family that are in law enforcement. City officer, state trooper & FBI agent. My father in law was a lieutenant in the county sheriffs office in Iowa. I think that is what is affecting me. That this could have happened to anyone of my family or friends. I thank God that nothing has happened to them.

I pray for my brothers and sisters in blue everyday. 

I pray for God's protection for no matter what call they answer. Domestic, active shooter, car accident, robbery, the calls go on and on. I went on a ride along with a friend who was a city officer. The stuff he had to deal with just on the day I went along. He told me that was a good day. I can't possibly imagine the things that he has to deal with on a daily basis. A call could seem like a normal call, then in an instant could turn very bad. The same could be said for my state trooper friend. He patrols the tollway. A traffic stop could seem routine, but you never know what you could encounter. FBI agent, oh my. Can't even think about what they have to deal with.

So I pray for God's protection over them. Let nothing bad happen to them or come against them. Give them wisdom and knowledge on how to handle situations as they arise. Help them to feel your presence more than ever before. Protect them and keep them safe. In the name of Jesus, AMEN!

Matthew 5:9 Amplified Bible

9 “Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.

God bless all of our officers, no matter what level you are at. May God protect you and keep you safe.

Rev. Kev.

Staying In Bounds.

 I go walking every night after work at a fitness center here in town. They have a walking/running track on the upper floor. It is three lanes wide. Outside lane is for running. Middle lane for jogging and inside lane walking. While walking on the track the other night, it was pretty crowded. I noticed that when some people came to the curve on the track, they struggled to stay in their lane. As not to interrupt any other walkers/runners next to them. I watched them as they placed one foot over the line into the next lane and then pull it back quickly because they knew that they were out of their lane. It reminded me of a football receiver trying to get his two feet down to stay in bounds to be credited with a catch. It reminded me of an '80's rock star's album and song "Dancing On The Edge" by Lita Ford. To be honest, it made me think of a lot of things. But mostly it made me think about us Christians.

How close do we dance, tiptoe, whatever you want to call it, to the line of sin? How close can we get without actually sinning? That is a dangerous game to play. You do something that you know in your heart that is wrong, but it can't hurt. Can it? If I don't actually cross the line, then I'll be okay.

Romans 13:14 New Living Translation

14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

You get invited out to an after work dinner/party. A married co-worker from the opposite sex asks you for a ride. You don't see any issue with it, but the other person may have different intentions. One glance or gesture. An innocent touch of a hand, next thing you know, your going down a slippery slope. One that is hard to climb back up from.

You know its wrong, but you can't get rid of that feeling. You should be fleeing, not indulging. You know that cheating or even entertaining the idea of cheating is wrong, but here you are.

James 4:17 New Living Translation

17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

If you don't put yourself in that situation, you could have avoided the whole thing. My wife and I have a rule that we follow. We are not allowed to be alone with the opposite sex without consent from one another. We trust each other and that we will make wise choices. 

Your boss or co-worker asks you to do something unethical or wrong. You think how close to the edge can I get without actually getting in trouble. If something happens, you can blame someone else. After all, it was their idea. Right? No! You still had a hand in it. You knew it was wrong, but yet you still did it.

1 John 5:18 The Voice

18 We all know that everyone fathered by God will not make sin a way of life because God protects His children from the evil one, and the evil one can’t touch them.

A pastor friend of mine used to say "A step away from sin, is a step closer to God". Who wouldn't want to be closer to God than to sin?

So I encourage you tonight. To not be like the football receiver trying to keep his feet inbounds. Be the tight end who catches the ball in the middle of the field, far away from going out of bounds.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Brave, Strong.

 These are the words The Lord brought to me recently. Not really sure what He meant for me with these words at the time. Slowly, in His timing He revealed what He meant with each one!

                                                                      Brave: 

When I first became a Christian, I was hungry for more of Jesus and His word, The Bible. A pastor friend of mine knew this about me and asked me if I would want to take some courses to get a Bible certificate. I was interested, very much. It required going to classes on a Friday night and all day Saturday once a month. Taking a test and doing the homework. I applied, paid the fee and was accepted for the classes. I felt very nervous before I started the classes. I hadn't been in a classroom since I graduated high school. How would I do? How would I respond? Would it be worth my time?

I could sense The Holy Spirit saying to me, "Be Brave, I've got you."

Joshua 1:9 New Living Translation

9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I felt like I was having a moment like Peter did when Jesus called him out of the boat. As long as he kept his focus on Jesus, he stayed above the water. The moment he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink. (Matthew 14:29-31)

I felt that as long as I let Jesus lead the way with these classes, everything would be okay. Not only did they turn out okay, He lead me to take twelve more and become a pastor. Mind blown. I set out to get a Bible certificate and Jesus turned that into becoming a pastor!

Jeremiah 29:11 Living Bible

11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

                                                                   Strong:

I really felt Him telling me to be strong when both of my parents passed away. Dad in 2011, Mom in 2019. I really needed His strength to get through both. I knew where they both were going and would see them again. That was comforting to me. But still, they were gone! What do I do now? 

Ephesians 6:10 New Living Translation

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

I leaned on God. He was my strength and comforter during this time. He was always there. Through every tear and sad moment. I didn't know what was next for me or my family. You think you know, but you don't. Turns your world upside down!

Proverbs 3:5-6 New Living Translation

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

So God showed me how to be brave and strong through very different circumstances. When God gives you a word or two, He will give you a meaning of each one. What it means for you. I know these events all happened years ago, but I think that God was giving me a reminder of who He is, and what He has done. He can do the same for you.

God bless.
Rev. Kev.

Cleaning (Yourself) Up?

 I watched a video the other day about if you need to clean yourself up once you become a Christian. The new Christian was asking a pastor if he needed to stop smoking pot since he is now a Christian? The pastor pretty much said to him that it was between him and Jesus. 

It reminded me of when I became a Christian. I heard of the new life, the old is gone. I was a different person now. Didn't really feel like one at first. But I knew there were things that I needed to stop doing.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Amplified Bible

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

I asked my g/f at the time (now wife) about one of my favorite bands AC/DC. Do I have to stop listening to them now that I am a Christian? Can I not buy their music anymore? Go see them in concert? Of all the bands and music that I listened to, apparently AC/DC were the only one I was worried about. She kind of chuckled at the question that I asked. Just like the pastor mentioned above, she told me that it was between me and Jesus. What He wants me to listen to, purchase and attend. Only He can tell.

So, I prayed a new baby Christian prayer about my music and concert habits. Today, as I sit here typing this, I have very little secular music in my collection. I still have some, but not near as much as I used to. God had me get rid of the music that He wanted me to. And if He tells me to get rid of more, I will. No questions. Yes & Amen!

So I have been asked this question a lot lately. 

Do I need to clean myself up before coming to Jesus? 

The saying that we Christians like to use "come as you are". There is no scripture that specifically says that. But the Bible does give some answers about coming to Jesus.

Joel 2:32 New Living Translation

32 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,

This passage says that "everyone" who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved. Not just a clean and well dressed person. Everyone from rich to poor. GQ to Skid Row. Mansion to homeless. If you call on the name of The Lord, you will be saved.

We think that we need to stop sinning and live a cleaned up life to even approach Jesus. That is simply not true. We can never achieve such a life this side of Heaven.

Isaiah 1:18 New Living Translation

18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

See, we have a sin stained life. Nothing we can do to clean ourselves up. Not enough bleach or cleaner in the world to do that. Only Jesus can! He takes our stains of scarlet and makes them as white as snow. He is the ultimate stain (sin) remover!

Because Jesus is the cleaner of our lives, we should show it. Live like we are changed.

Romans 13:13 New Living Translation

13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.

That is our old life. We now live for a greater purpose. We are free to live a life for Jesus! He has set us free from our former lives. Thank God! 

Galatians 5:13 New Living Translation

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

To answer the question about cleaning themselves up after becoming a Christian, I say to them. Do you clean up before you get in the shower? Or do you let the shower do the job that it is designed to do? Come to Jesus and He will take care of the rest!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

How God Sees Things!

 Isn't it crazy how God sees things so much differently than we do? We tend to  see things from our human eyes and perspective. He is all knowing and sees things before they even happen.

Proverbs 15:3 New Living Translation

3 The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

Even before we were born, God saw us and knew us.

Psalm 139:16 The Voice

16 You see all things; You saw me growing, changing in my mother’s womb; Every detail of my life was already written in Your book; You established the length of my life before I ever tasted the sweetness of it.

I pray every day that God will give me His eyes. To see things how He sees them. Whether its a person or an event. I want to see people the way that He sees them. Give me eyes to see the broken and down trodden. The lost and lonely. When I see these people, I want to see them as a person. Not as an addict, alcoholic, whatever. I want to see them as a person made in Gods image!

Genesis 1:27 Amplified Bible

27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 When something happens to me, I want Gods eyes to see the end result. Why did this happen? For what reason? What good can come out of this. If I look at it through Gods lens instead of my own, I will get a better understanding of why this happened. 

Romans 8:28 New Living Translation

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

When we saw the Cross, He saw the empty tomb. When we read about the ninety nine, He saw the one. I see my past, He sees my future. I see my sin, He sees a renewed life.

 With our human eyes, we see things differently than God does.

God is the Alpha and Omega. He sees the beginning and the end. He knows how I started, He knows how I'll finish. I'm forever grateful for His mercy and grace!

Job 34:21 New Living Translation

21 “For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do.

So I encourage you tonight, that no matter what happens to you, if God shall bring someone across your path, or some event happens, try to look at it from Gods perspective. It is a much better view.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.