2020, The Last Week Of.

 I don't know about you, but I am tired of 2020. I am tired of being told to wear a mask where ever I go. Tired of not being able to eat inside a restaurant. Tired of being told whom I can spend time with and who I can't. Where I can travel. Tired of not being able to go to see a movie. I think that you get it. I'm just tired of the whole thing, as I'm sure much of you are. This Christmas season hit me hard this year. With both of my parents gone, not being able to have our annual family Christmas party and not being able to celebrate with my brother & his family, it really got me down. I don't know about you, but I am ready to shake the dust from my sandals as we exit this year.

Matthew 11:28 New Living Translation

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

I do have to admit that this year hasn't been all bad. The place where I work is considered essential, so I have not had to miss any work during this pandemic. I have been able to spend extra time with my daughter that I wouldn't have had if this hadn't have happened. My wife's job told her to work from home, so I get to see much more of her as well. Bonus!

But still, this whole thing is wearing me down. 

I try and be as positive as much as I can at work, or where ever I go. I try and be the light of Jesus to whomever I come across. Say hello, smile, give a little wave. Whatever I can do to let people know that they are seen.

Galatians 6:9 New Living Translation

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

So I am looking forward to 2021. Do I think that this pandemic is going away? Probably not. At least for not a while anyway.

So as we come to the end of this stink bomb of a year, I am thankful that I have a Savior whom I can rest in. One who encourages me to keep on doing good, even when things aren't so good.

So I urge you brothers and sisters. As we get ready to enter into the new year, and people are tired and weary and worn out from this last one. Tensions are high, emotions are high, tempers flare. Lets remember to be kind to each other. Give each other a break. Don't be so offended by everything.

Ephesians 4:32 Amplified Bible

32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Happy New Year. God bless you all.

Keven

Drowning!

 

This picture. This picture was posted by a band that I follow on Facebook, Seventh Day Slumber. This picture and the post that followed started me thinking about the meaning behind it. I believe that this is Jesus reaching for Peter after he sank in the water after taking his eyes and focus off of Jesus.

Matthew 14:30-31 The Message

29-30 He said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” 31 Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

When I look at this picture (as I do often, like everyday), I remember the story of Peter, but I also think of us. You and me. What are we drowning in? Are we drowning in secret sin? Drowning in situations that we get ourselves in? Work, home, finances? What is it that is overwhelming us and causing us to sink and think that we are drowning?

What I love about this picture is that Jesus is reaching for us. We are not out of His grasp. All we have to do is reach back. Allow Him to take us by the hand, and set us on solid ground.

Deuteronomy 31:8 New Living Translation

8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

So no matter where we find ourselves. Whether we think that we are in far over our head and think that we are drowning, Jesus is right there with us. All we have to do is reach out and take a hold of His hand and He will pull us to safety.

Romans 8:35 New Living Translation

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

Remember that God loves us. He wants the best for us. We just have to believe! 

Amen!

Christmas Lights.

I've been seeing on social media probably since late October that people had started putting up their Christmas trees, decorating their houses, inside and out. They string lights around windows, railings on the stair case. Outside they would string lights along the roof top. Decorate their trees, bushes, mailboxes, and whatever else they could. With the way that 2020 has been going, people were looking for something good and positive. What's more positive than Christmas, right! Putting up the tree and decorations, hanging lights everywhere gave people joy and some hope during this pandemic.

I started to wonder if people would get as excited for the light that Jesus provides. He gives us much more hope than a Christmas decoration ever will.

John 8:12 New Living Translation

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

We have several big Christmas light shows around us locally. They have a huge display, draw lots of people, and just like that, it is over. The Christmas season has passed. The lights are turned off, taken down and put away till next Christmas.

That is what is so good about Jesus' light. It never goes out. Never dims or runs out of power. His light is always in season. Unlike the lights that we put up around our own houses for us and our neighbors to enjoy, Jesus' light is for the whole world to see.

The world is a dark place. Jesus wants us to be lights in the world. To shine brightly for Him. His light should reflect off of us, to others around us.

Matthew 5:14-16 The Message

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Christmas lights are great. They are nice to look at and enjoy for the season. Make people happy and cause them to smile, but only for a brief moment.

Jesus' light shines bright and lasts forever. That's the light that I want to put my focus on.

Clearing The Windshield.

My wife and I went shopping today. She went into the store as I waited for her in the van. It started to rain, so I turned on the wipers to clear the windshield. I'm watching the rain drops collect all over the windshield and then the wipers come and clear it away. I watch this a few times and I can feel the Holy Spirit saying to me, "this is how I clear your sins away." Your sins can and will collect on you, but Jesus came to take them all away. Essentially cleaning your "windshield".

Psalm 51:1-2 NLT

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

I (we) sin everyday. Don't really mean or want to, but we still do. Things happen. Stuff comes up and all of a sudden we realize that we have committed a sin. I know that I apologize a lot to God! For things that I say in the heat of the moment. Or a reaction that I have when something that happens to me. I don't know why I still say things that I do. Or still act the way that I do sometimes. It really drives me crazy. I am a work in progress!

Romans 5:8 Amplified Bible

8 But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Can you imagine? Having a God that loves us so much, that He sent His one and only Son to die for us, even though we were still sinners!

I watched today that even though the rain came and covered my windshield and the wipers cleared it off. The windshield wipers only kept the windshield clear for a moment and then was covered again.

That's how Jesus is. He came and paid the ultimate price for our sin. Our "windshield" has been cleaned, but then we sinned again. 

Romans 6:23 The Message

22-23 But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

We deserve death because of the sins that we have committed. Jesus came and took on the wages of  sin Himself when He was crucified at Golgotha!

I pray that I (we) live as if Jesus' death wasn't for nothing. That we live Holy and upstanding lives. For Christ!

Preoccupied.

 As we enter into the Christmas season and draw closer and closer to Christmas day, I can't help but to think about the birth of Jesus. How His parents had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem because a census was ordered by the Roman Emperor. That distance was only about five miles, but could you imagine traveling those five miles nine months pregnant, riding on a camel? Only to get to Bethlehem and find out there was no room at the inn. The only place available for Mary to give birth was a stinky, filthy old stable. 

Now do you suppose that the innkeeper had it in for Mary and Joseph? Do you think that he turned them away because she was pregnant? Had a hard heart, or was hostile towards them for even asking such a question. 

I doubt it.

I think that he was preoccupied with what was going on. His inn was over crowded, his hands were full with other people looking for rooms. The baby they were about to have was of no concern of his. Oh, how little did he know, right!

Unfortunately, many of  us are like this. We are to preoccupied with other things to welcome Christ into our lives. People aren't necessarily opposed to Him. Or even hate Him. They are just to preoccupied to be concerned about spiritual matters.

I ask you, how many are so devoted to the perfect meal and presents and preoccupied with the details that you forget about what the day is really all about.

Luke 10:40 Amplified Bible

40 But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.”

This story could be so many of us today. How many of us could have Jesus over and then be so preoccupied about how clean the house is. Get out the good silverware. Use the good china. We do all of this instead of spending time with The Lord.

Luke 7:46-47 The Message

Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”

How many of us are just to caught up in everything going on around us and what needs to be done that we take Jesus' presence for granted. We know He is there, we just don't acknowledge Him like we should. He is after all the reason for the season. Presents are nice. Family meals are nice, but Jesus is so much better!

So I urge you this Christmas season, take a break from all of the hustle and bustle and spend time with your Savior. Rest in His arms, bask in His glorious presence! He is worthy of it all. After all, He is the perfect gift that God gave to us.

John 3:16 New Living Translation

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

May you all have a Merry Christmas!

Rev. Kev.

Bent, Not Broken.

 As the year 2020 winds down, and thank God that it is, you may feel a little weary. Worn out, tired, depleted and maybe even a little angry at how things have played out this year. With this virus raging on, causing a stay in place order earlier in the year. Business's labeled as none essential being forced to shut down, or close all together. We are being told to wear masks, social distance from each other, not have anyone over to each others houses. You may feel like you cannot take it anymore. You may feel like you are at your breaking point. Your mind is tired, your body is weary. Your just done with it all. 2021 has to be better.........right?

A pastor friend of mine used this in his sermon last Sunday and it gave me an idea. We may feel like God is going to finish us off. This is it. We are at the end of our rope.

Matthew 12:20 New Living Translation

20 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.

We are feeling like the reed that is weak or that our flame is about to go out. Remember, the reed is just bent not broken. Our candle is not out, it's still smoldering. God is not done with us yet. He still has work for us to do. Maybe He is using this year to shape us more into His image, and use us in ways that we never dreamed that we could be used.

Isaiah 55:8 New Living Translation

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

So as we wind down this year and are looking forward to the next. As weary and heavy burdened as we are, God gives us this.

Matthew 11:28 English Standard Version

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

This is a comfort to me. To be able to rest in the arms of my Savior! He will comfort us, renew us and give us strength for what He has next. Nothing surprises Him, or catches Him off guard.

No matter what happens. God is still on His throne and still in control.

Rev. Keven

One Year.

Today marks the one year anniversary of my moms passing. It has been the fastest, yet slowest year of  my life. I had often thought of how I would react when she would pass. Let me tell you, it has been nothing like I thought it would be. I always thought that I would be a hot  mess. Bawling like a baby all the time. Not going to work, never getting dressed. Not facing reality. It has been nothing like that at all. I give credit to God for my reaction to her passing.

Proverbs 3:5 New Living Translation

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

You see, in the my mind, I thought that I would be out of control with emotions. God told me to trust in Him, so that is what I did. He has comforted me through this past year. I have felt His presence every minute, hour, day and month for the last year regarding my mom.

There has been a song running through my head that have they lyrics "It's Been One Week." I'm not sure who sings it, but I am going to change the word week to year.

It's been One Year since:

I got the call that you thought you were coming to the end of it all.

I was able to look at you and have you look back at me. 

Kiss your face.

Tell you I love you and you understood.

Hold your hand.

You said my name.

I miss all of this and more. I miss the fact that I just can't pick up the phone and call you for advice. Just come over and visit you.

You are loved and missed by many, many, many people. You definitely left a legacy for those who knew you.

Matthew 5:4 New Living Translation

4 God blesses those who mourn for they will be comforted.

I know that I have been blessed and comforted during this time by friends and family who either called, texted, visited or just plain listened. You all are a blessing to me and my family!

Philippians 4:7 Amplified Bible

7 And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].

I pray that we all continue to feel this peace as we head into the second year and all the years to come.

God bless you all.

Keven