Do It Now (before it's to late)

 Recently, in my circle of family, friends & co-workers, there have been some people suddenly passing away. Going to take a nap during the day. Going to bed after dinner and watching a little TV. Going someplace to visit someone. 

One of my co-workers worked all day, went home and had dinner with his significant other, went to bed and had a major heart attack and died. Everything was normal right up until that point. No warning, no indication that something was wrong or about to take place.

Another co-worker worked all day and the next she was gone. Passed away while driving to visit family. Again, no warning or indication!

People taking their own life. Car accident. Falling and hitting your head in the shower. Sudden sickness with no explanation. The list goes on and on. So many ways for it to be the last moment of someone's life. You just never know.

So why am I saying all this you may be asking yourself. Well, let me tell you why. There are a couple of reasons.

First:

 A lot of these events happened suddenly or unexpectedly. I just urge to hug your family more. Tell them that you love them, every chance that you get. Spend as much time with them as you can. Once they are gone, you will never be able to do any of that. There is no do over button. No undo button. So, do it now before it's to late. 

Second:

You never know when it will be your last day on Earth. Anything can come along and take you out. Natural causes, automobile accident, work accident. You never know what. So I urge you to get right with Jesus before you leave this life. Do it now, before it's to late! You may be thinking "Oh, I can do it tomorrow." You know what? Tomorrow never comes. You can't accept Jesus when you die! Accept Him now while you still can.

I plan on loving my family well and Jesus even more! Reminds me of system I saw at a store one time. Good, Better, Best. 

Work is good. Relationships you have with co-workers can be good.

Family is better.  

Jesus is BEST! Having a personal relationship with Him! Nothing better!

So I encourage you tonight. 

Love God, love your family! Be it either blood, friend or co-worker.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

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.

Loud, Peace, Quiet.

Like the KISS song says "I Love It Loud". I love loud heavy metal concerts. I have been front row for some of the loudest, heaviest bands. Slayer, Motorhead, Iron Maiden. Getting my ears blown out for the sake of metal! I love loud music in the car. Nothing better than driving with the windows down and the music cranked up. I love loud action movies. Bombs, guns, car chases. Oh yeah! I love the loud booming fireworks. You know the ones that go up and it looks like a flash and then "BOOM"! Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. So as you can see, I like things loud, to a certain point.

I don't like loud restaurants. People talking loudly, tv's blaring, sports, news, whatever. Just don't care for it. When I'm at work, I want peace and quiet on my breaks and lunch. Some people talk on speaker phone, loudly. Don't really care to hear your conversation. This is a time for quiet. To rest from the chaotic world that awaits when we get back out in the factory. There is enough noise out there to drive people insane. Forklift drivers honking horns, just to be obnoxious. Slamming doors, clicking pens, whatever. Noise that is just not needed.

See, I can go and join in with thousands of friends listening to my favorite bands at concert level. But away from that, I like peace and quiet.

I had a co-worker come over from our other facility to help me one day. She wanted to know where she could put her jacket, keys and phone. I told her she could put them in my office. She didn't know I had an office. I showed her were it was and we went inside. We sat down and started to chat a bit. After a few minutes, she made a keen observation. She told me that she liked my office. It was calm & peaceful. I told her that is the environment that I was trying to create. I have worship music streaming on my computer. I have a Christian flag hanging on the wall. She could tell right away that she felt comforted in there. There was no stress. She felt at peace sitting in there. I told her that what she was feeling was the peace that Jesus gives. It was a real and tangible to her.

James 3:17 New Living Translation

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

While walking down to the dock to unload the truck, she told me that she really likes working with me. There is a calmness about me. Things didn't seem to bother me. Taking things in stride. It hasn't always been like this I told her. I am a work in progress. Jesus is still chipping away at the "old" Keven. 

She also said that she likes the way that I encourage her. Never rushing her, or pressuring her to go faster. Always complimenting her on a job well. done. There is to much negativity in the world. I want to lift up and encourage people.

 Romans 14:19 Amplified Bible

19 So then, let us pursue [with enthusiasm] the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

So I encourage you to seek peace. Peace in your personal life. Peace in your work life. Where ever you find yourself.

Romans 12:18 New Living Translation

18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Dream? Vision? Train??

 Last night I had a dream/vision from God. It was a dream about a train?? 

I know, say what?

So here is the dream.

It was a dream about a train with many cars. It was part freight, part passenger train. It had three locomotive engines. This represented the Trinity. God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit.

God first, followed by Jesus and then The Holy Spirit. All three equal in power. All three needed to keep the train moving.

It also had a caboose. I know these have been phased out during the '80's & '90's. In my dream the train had one.  

Revelation 22:13 New Living Translation

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

In between the first locomotive and the caboose were many passenger cars. Filled with people all traveling towards the same destination. The train made stops along the way to pick up more. Not more people, but more train cars filled with people. That's how many were added to our travels.

Acts 5:14 Living Bible

14 And more and more believers were added to the Lord, crowds both of men and women.

I thought that the train would run out of track with so many cars being added to accommodate everyone.

But God. 

He never runs out. 

Isaiah 40:28 New Living Translation

28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary.

I have been struggling with a few things lately, and I think that this was God reminding me of who He is.  

Revelation 1:8 Amplified Bible

8  “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all].”

Hebrews 12:2 New Living Translation

2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

So I encourage you tonight. What ever seems to be distracting you or causing you to struggle, keep your focus on Jesus!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

    

Tear Apart!

 My Dad used to cry when my brother and I fought. He would always say "you guys are brothers, why are you fighting each other?" We're like, "because that's what brothers do." "We fight, punch each other and then make up." The vicious cycle continued for many, many years. Until one day we stopped. We grew up and matured. We get along famously now.

I can't imagine how God feels when He sees His children fighting and tearing each other apart. All the hatred and dividing. He wants us to love one another and get along with each other.

1 Corinthians 1:10 Amplified Bible

10 But I urge you, believers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in full agreement in what you say, and that there be no divisions or factions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your way of thinking and in your judgment.

How did this world get so ugly and tearing people apart? It started with the rejection of Jesus & His love for us.

1 John 4:16 Living Bible

16 We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly. God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.

God wants us love one another. Lift each other up and not to tear each other down. I myself always seek to encourage others. Not that I am greater than anyone else. It just seems that there already is so much negativity in the world. I want to pass along positivity. I want to show Jesus and his love to others. Sometimes I excel, other times I fall flat on my face. But Jesus is always there to pick me up and get me going again.

John 13:34 Living Bible

34 “And so I am giving a new commandment to you now—love each other just as much as I love you.

I encourage you tonight. Be vessels of positivity. Let Jesus shine through you to others. Let His love light reflect off of you. Lift each other up. To many people out there are ready to tear you down.

God bless.
Rev. Kev.

Through All Of It.

 Have you ever had something happen in your life that in hindsight, you knew it was God? Can't be any other explanation for it. Even before I became a believer and a Christian I knew that God had pulled me and guided me through some of the situations I found myself in. 

There are many instances where I should have died. Car accidents, stupid stunts, hold my beer type of stunts. 

But God.

 He was with me through all of it. He had His hand upon me when I didn't even realize it. He has saved me & protected me from so much, I can't even begin to thank Him enough.

Sure there have been times when I suffered the consequences of my actions. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Totaled cars, broken bones, broken relationships. 

Again, God was with me through all of it.

Like the song says, I have had joy and I've had regrets. Many, many regrets. Some of the choices I've made, I look back and can't believe that I chose that. I've lived a good portion of my life outside of God. Far from God if you will. I didn't accept Jesus until I was forty. I joke around that I was like the Israelites, wandering in the wilderness for my first forty years, before entering the Promise Land!

Jeremiah 29:11 New Living Translation

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

When I look back at the things that I've done over the course of my life, I can see Gods hand on my life even before I knew Him personally. Hindsight is 20/20 right? He had a plan for my life. He knew that I would eventually choose Him. He knew that I would straighten my life out. Not that I was a bad person or got in a lot of trouble. Just not living for God!

John 10:10 The Message

10  A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

I lived a self destructive life. It was stealing, killing and destroying the life that God wanted for me. It didn't work out. I am living my best life ever since Jesus has entered it. I have an awesome and beautiful wife and daughter. A nice home and car to drive. A good job, that appreciates me and what I do. None of this would have been possible if God wasn't with me through all of it. The ups and downs!

So I want to encourage you tonight. God is with you. No matter what you are going through, He is there and He cares about you and what happens to you.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Is God "Reckless?"

 Okay, I'm sure by now most of you have heard the song by Cory Asbury "Reckless Love." It was released a few years ago and has become quite popular. It is even being played during church worship services. It is a catchy little tune but, is it true? Do people really think that God is reckless? If you know me, I have had issues with this song from the beginning.

I fail to believe that God is reckless. He is the God of order & peace. 

1 Corinthians 14:33 Amplified Bible

33 for God is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order.

The Webster dictionary defines reckless as marked by lack of proper caution : careless of consequences. By this definition reckless means incautious, careless, and irresponsible. 

This song is supposed to be about God's love for us. It seems like the song is advocating that God's love is careless, thoughtless and irresponsible.

I don't believe that the singer has any ill intentions while singing this song. I just think that the wrong word was used while writing the song. 

God's love for us is a passionate one. He cares for us and about us. He cares what happens to each person. His love is faithful, dependable and true!

The song is based on the parable about Jesus leaving the ninety nine to go and look for the one. God loves every person, He doesn't want to lose even one. The Lord wants us to come to Him and be saved. That is why He went after the one that wandered away.

God's love is not reckless, haphazard or thoughtless. His love is intentional and thoughtful. He never wavers. His love is constant. It never changes.

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.

That my friends is not reckless. He loves us. Me, you, everybody!

So I encourage you tonight. If you are the one that wandered away, God will come after you. Not recklessly but with mercy & grace!

He wants you. 

John 10:28 Amplified Bible

28 And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.

God's love for us is passionate, not reckless!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Thirst. Thirsty. Thirsting.

 I've been thinking a lot lately of the story of the Samaritan woman meeting Jesus at the well. Not the part of her being a Samaritan and Him a Jew. That is a different story for a different time. I was thinking about how she was there to retrieve water. She would fill her bucket and take it back to her household. Eventually it would run out and she would be back to fill it again. Endless cycle of filling and emptying. Jesus was offering her a different kind of water. Water, that if she or anyone else were to accept it, they would never thirst again. Spiritual water that only Jesus could provide.

John 4:13-14 Amplified Bible

13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”

I started to think back to when I got divorced. When I divorced, it left a huge void in my life. I started  thirsting after things of the world. I thought that dating would fill the void. I was wrong! I went from relationship to relationship. Looking for a woman to fill the void. Each one ended after a few months, and then I was on to the next one. Girl after girl came into my life. I was trying desperately to fill that void. None of them satisfied me. Just like the water that the Samaritan women was gathering, I was continuously thirsty. This went on for almost four years.

Then I met a woman (my wife now) who not only talked the Christian life, she also walked it. We started dating and after about a month or so I went to church with her. That same day I accepted Jesus into my life. Instantly the void in my life was filled. It was a relationship with Jesus I was thirsting for. Once accepting Him and His life giving water, I was no longer thirsty for any other kind of meaningless relationship. His was/is the most important!

How many of us do the same thing? We thirst for what the world offers. Sex, drugs, alcohol, money, power, prestige. When we get all of those things, it still doesn't quench our thirst. When one thing doesn't work, we try something else. Then when that doesn't work, we try something else. On and on the endless cycle of trying to satisfy ourselves. Only to be left parched! 

Jesus changes all of that. 

John 7:37 New Living Translation

37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! 

So I encourage you tonight. Stop chasing the things of the world that will only leave you thirsting for more. Accept Jesus and you will never thirst again!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.