What Would You Do??

 This post is going to be hard for a Cardinals fan to write. How so you may be asking yourself? Well, I'm not a Cubs fan, at all! But I am a fan of people standing up for what is right.

This is about the Cubs player who missed one of his teams games to attend the memorial service for Charlie Kirk.

When news broke about this happening, people went absolutely crazy. The backlash was instantaneous. They couldn't believe that a major league player would miss a game to attend a memorial service for someone.

Well, that someone wasn't just anyone. He was this players neighbor in an apartment complex in Arizona. They became friends through their faith. The player was personally invited by Charlie's widow.

I personally do not understand the backlash against him. The Cubs had already secured a playoff spot, but were fighting to get home field advantage. One teams announcer couldn't believe that this player would choose the memorial service over trying to help you team to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

This is where faith and the world collide. The world wants you to do what the world wants. The Bible tells us to stand up for our faith!

1 Corinthians 16:13 Amplified Bible

13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.

I think that he acted very courageously. By being a rookie in the league and on his team, to even ask his manager to be able to go. I'm sure it took a lot of courage to do that. But you know what. If you are strong in your faith and beliefs, God will make a way.

I think that this player did the absolutely correct thing. He went to honor and remember his friend. There will be more games in his career. There will never be another Charlie Kirk in it. He chose wisely, in my mind.

I dare to ask these people going bonkers over this, how many times have you missed work, or something else to attend a friends funeral or memorial service? I'm sure at least once or twice. I know that I have.

It's all about choice and what you think is important. This Cubs player thought that it was important to attend his friends memorial service. Important enough to miss one MLB game! I would have chosen the same. But that's just me.

Question for everyone else. 

What would you have done??

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

We Need To Be Careful!!

 

The pain and shock of the assignation of Charlie Kirk is still very much with me two weeks later! I never met him or knew him, but it felt like I lost a good friend that day!

One thing that I have been noticing ever since his passing is that people seem to want to elevate him to almost Jesus status! Let me tell you, he is not on Jesus' level. Jesus was Jesus and Charlie was not. He was a good and faithful servant, but he was not god like. He had a great platform to glorify Jesus and he did just that, even till the end! He was a Christian, a husband and father.  He was a sinner in need of grace, just like we all are! 

Romans 3:23 Amplified Bible

23 since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,

People were encouraging others to leave their churches if the pastor did not speak or even mention Charlies name.

What? Excuse me!

Aren't we supposed to follow Christ and His teaching? If we were to leave our church because the pastor did not speak of Charlie, isn't that putting him above Jesus?

I keep thinking about the Apostle Paul. What he told the Corinthians while he was there.

1 Corinthians 11:1 New Living Translation

11 1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

I'm sure if Charlie was still here he would say the same thing. Don't leave your church over me. Its not about me, it's about Christ! He even has a t-shirt that says "It's All About Jesus"

We need to be careful how we elevate Charlie. I'm sure he would say the same thing. He was a servant of The Most High! And serve he did! May we all go out and boldly share our faith like Charlie did!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

My Heart Is Broken For This Country!!

 

John 15:18-19 New Living Translation

The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

So Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist was murdered today in broad daylight, while speaking on a college campus in Utah. Charlie was a Christian, a husband and a father! He was unashamed by his faith! He boldly and openly spoke about his love for Jesus. 

He went to college campuses all over the country to speak to the young college students. To get an open dialogue going about recent events going on across the country. What the students thought and how they responded to them.

Because he didn't agree with them or side with them, they labeled him as a racist, hate filled Christian. 

I followed Charlie quite a bit. I would watch his videos and watch the debate happening between him and the students. He never once promoted hatred, racism, anything negative. He always welcomed everyone's opinion whether he agreed with it or not. He just wanted to get a conversation started.

Titus 3:2 English Standard Version

2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

So today, apparently someone had enough of Charlie's rhetoric, pulled out gun and opened fire, striking him & killing him.

In my mind, he died a martyr. Proclaiming the name of Jesus everywhere all the time. He never hated anyone or ran any one into the ground. He would calmly discuss with others, even though they would get angry. Yell and shout all the while he remained calm.

My heart is breaking for Charlie's family tonight. I can't imagine how they are feeling right now. To realize that your husband or your kids dad is not coming home again, ever!!

Ironically, even though he was shot to death, he was a defender of the 2nd amendment. He defended the right to own and bear firearms!

Matthew 5:10-11 New Living Translation

10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

My heart breaks for this country. All the senseless violence going on. Murder in broad daylight. Woman getting stabbed and killed while taking public transportation. ICE in our cities. Military in our cities. Kids getting shot at a church. On and on it goes. When will it end?? We need Jesus now more than ever!!

Genesis 6:11 Amplified Bible

11 The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power].

Not much has changed since the first book of the Bible was written. Not much at all.

I pray that Jesus comes sooner than later! 

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Questioned.

 

I was wearing the shirt in the picture while on vacation last week. My wife and I decided to take an old time sail boat cruise out of Bar Harbor, ME. The boat was full of people of all ages. Mom's, dad's, grandma's and grandpa's. Plenty of family units as well. We were cruising on our way back to the dock when an older gentleman seated kitty corner from me asked me about my shirt. He asked what Disciple was? Was it this or that? Or is it the name of a band? I told him Disciple was the name of a Christian metal band.

Right away, the guy sitting next to us chimes in with kind of chuckle. He's like " a Christian metal band huh?" "Isn't that kind of contradictory?" Me -"How so?" Him - "Well doesn't metal music use the Devils Tri-tone?" "So for a Christian metal band to use the Devils Tri-tone, oooo!"

I'm like "I don't know bro! I don't get that technical with my music. If the music is good and the lyrics lift up the name of Jesus, then I'm in." 

How come every time I tell someone that I listen to Christian metal, they automatically mention the devil and that metal music is of him? Like you can't listen to that genre of music and be a Christian.

Let me tell you something. I have worshipped God more at a Disciple concert than at a Lauren Daigle concert.

I have worshipped God more at a Stryper concert than at two Christian heavy weights concert. Steven Curtis Chapman and Amy Grant.

With both Stryper and Disciple and many of the other metal bands I have seen live, the Holy Spirit was very evident the whole evening. With the aforementioned Christian worship artists, nothing! Nada. Spirit was not there, nor was he moving amongst the crowd.

Secular metal can sing about the Devil, Satan, sex, drugs and rock n' roll.

Why can't Christian metal play the same kind of music but sing about Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, prayer, etc. etc.

I don't see the problem. But, a lot of people look at me with side eye when I mention being a Christian and listen to metal and attend the concerts.

Not all Christian music needs to be the Gaithers or Pat Boone. Nothing wrong with either one of those artists. Other than boring!

There are plenty of "country" Christian artists. Ben Fuller, Anne Wilson, Cain! Never hear anything about them and the music that they play. 

Aren't there secular country artists who sing about cheating, drinking, fighting & so on?  So why is okay for Christian artists to play Christian country but not Christian metal??

Ephesians 5:19-20 The Message

19-20  Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

This is what I do when I listen to Christian metal. I don't sing the lyrics back to the band, I sing them to God. Praise Him. Worship Him. With a heart of gratitude for all He has done for me!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.