Being Prepared!

A co-worker and I were having a conversation at work the other day about how some of the most evil people to ever live could have the chance to go to heaven.

I have struggled with this since day one of being a Christian. I still can't wrap my head around it completely.

Charles Manson murdered several people, but yet on his death bed, he could accept Christ and be able to enter heaven. Adolf Hitler killed thousands of Jewish people, but all he would have had to do is accept Jesus and go to heaven. The same with John Wayne Gacy and so many others. I still have a hard time believing this. These cold blooded killers could accept Jesus and be able to go to heaven.

As the conversation continued, I stated that if all this were true, then what's the sense of living a good Godly life. If all you have to do is accept Jesus right before you die, then what is the purpose of living a holy life. Then she made the most profound statement about this. She said "what if you never get the chance to get right with Jesus before you die." What if you are living a sinful life and are far apart from God and then die instantly in a automobile accident. You don't have the chance to get right with God. So the way that you live your life matters. How close you live to God matters!

This reminded me of the Ten Bridesmaids from Matthew 25.

Matthew 25

New Living Translation (NLT)

Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

25 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids^[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, ⁴ but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. ⁵ When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
⁷ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. ⁸ Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
⁹ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
¹⁰ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. ¹¹ Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
¹² “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
¹³ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

So all of this tells me to be ready at all times for the return of Jesus. To live a good, clean, holy life. To live close to God and be right with Him! Never stray to far from Him or His commands!

ARE YOU RIGHT WITH GOD??

God's provision, Again!

Feburary 6th, 2012, started a new, full time (temporary) job in Sycamore. It would be working first shift for $10.00/hr. Far less money than I made at my last job and still less than even unemployment. I (we) had prayed for a full time job(check) that was local (check), first shift (check), that paid more than unemployment. Fortunately everything worked out except for the money part. I had to take the job because my umemployment was running out. $10.00/hr is better than 0.00/hr.

Fast forward to May 2012. I was summoned to the office of my supervisor, and was informed that I would be getting a thirty cent raise on my next paycheck. Praise the LORD! Here I thought that I had really been stinking up the place, but my boss saw it differently. I keep quoting this Bible verse to myself,

Colossians 3:23

New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Fast forward to October 2012. I accepted a full time position with the company. No more temporary in my job title. With the new full time position came a raise, a $2.50 raise. So now I am making $12.50/hr. Hallejuah. Praise the LORD! So a twenty five percent raise in eight months time. Thank You Jesus!

Now, Janurary 2013 rolls around. I just recieved another thirty cent raise and a week of vacation. Wow! Really? Praise the LORD and thank You Jesus. I have recieved a $2.80 raise in less than a year and gained a weeks vacation. This is unheard of. Just goes to show, put Jesus first even at work, and good things will happen. I praise and thank God all day, everyday while I am at work. He is so good to me and my family!

Better Beginning

My wife and I were talking the other night about the start of the new year (2013). She stated that she hoped that this year would be better than last year. Who doesn't hope that the new year is better than the year before.

As we were talking I stated to her that we are off to a better beginning this year than last. She asked how.

 Well first off, I have a full time job, compared to this time last year. Not only did I have a full time job, I recieved a twenty five percent pay raise before the end of the year. Not a bad way to start off a new year, right!

Second, my wife has a new and better paying job herself. She had to travel some distance the first few months of the new work, but at the end of the year, her drive was cut in half.

The start of 2013 also saw me as a certified pastor. In Janurary of 2012 I had just started my second year of ISOM. A full year later, I am certified. Praise the Lord!

Our daughter is a freshman in high school.

We've made some new friends, got in touch with some old ones and continued to build the ones that we already have.

God is so good to us. His provision is amazing. We are only eight days into the new year and we can already see what He is doing in our lives in 2013. I just pray that He continues to reveal to us, what He wants us to do, when and where.

Reminiscing 2012

As I sit here on the last day of 2012, I reflect back on the past year and what God has done for me and my family.

January started off with my first ISOM class of the year. My "sophomore" year. Got to meet and hang out with a bunch of really awesome people.

Following that, my sister- in- law got married out in California. So my wife, daughter and myself along with all of her sisters flew out for the wedding. We were out there for  a week. What a beautiful bride. What a beautiful wedding. I was asked to participate in the ceremony. I was honored to do so. My new nickname for the family in Cali is Keven from Fortuna.

Early in Feburary I started a new job. The first time I had to get up and go to work in almost two years. It was doing assembly work on a assembly line. Work that I had never done before. Needless to say, it was a learning experience.

March I celebrated my 45th time around the sun. That's all I'll say about that.

In April, I began with a friend of mine to start coaching both of our daughters softball team. This would be the last year, as they would be to old for park district next year.

May thru July didn't really do much. Coaching softball, going to ISOM, meetings and church events.Nothing really exciting. Although I did have an interview to get my ministry credentials in July.

In August, my family and I took a family vacation out to see Mount Rushmore. We stopped in Sioux Falls to visit my wifes Grandma for a couple of days. We have some friends that live in Fargo, ND, We decided to take a ride up there to visit them on our way home. On the way to Fargo, we stopped in De Smet, SD to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum and took a tour. My daughter is a huge Little House on the Prairie fan. Also in August, our daughter started her freshman year of high school.

October 11th, my wife and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. Four years already, wow!

In November, I finally recieved my ministry credentials in the mail. I am a certified pastor now. Praise the Lord. God has been so good to me and my family.

Finally in December I took a trip with my mom, step-dad & nephew to South Carolina, to see my nephew graduate from college. We met my brother and his family down there. We were able to fly, while my brother had to drive. Praise the Lord my nephews graduation.

So now I am looking for an exciting 2013. I am excited to see what God has planned for me and my family! I hope that He has plans to use me in a mighty way! I am His, he can use me anyway He wants. My answer to Him is YES LORD!! God bless all of you!

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

Yes I know that it is the day after Christmas, but this still bothers me, just a little.

People keep on wanting to take God or Christ out of everything. They take Him out of the court room. They take Him out of the schools. They want to take Him off of our currency. The White House now refers to the Christmas trees as the holiday trees. Now they even want to take Christ out of Christmas. That's not right in my book. Actually none of it is right with me. We need Him more than ever, especially now in these times.

I went to a local resteraunt here in town to pick up a gift certificate for my nephew and his girlfriend for their Christmas present. I told the cashier how much I wanted on the card, she rang it up and then with a smile she said "Happy Holidays". I must tell you that this took place on Chirstmas Eve. I looked at her and smiled back and said "Merry Christmas". What I really wanted to say to her was, "what is today? That's right it's Christmas Eve. Not holiday eve. What is tomorrow? Ohhh, that's right, it's Christmas Day, not holiday day."

I can understand not wanting to offend anyone. Heaven forbid we offend the Muslims. Or the Aethiests, or the Jewish people, but the Christians, we are a different group.

I drove past a sign on one of our local churches that read. "Keep Christ in Christians all year round." Amen to that.

Assume

I made a pretty big blunder this past Thanksgiving weekend (2012). I logged onto Facebook and started checking out my news feed. The language that I have noticed the last few weeks had me on notice. Every curse word that I saw, I would automatically block that person. I wanted to delete them, but decided not to.

So I scroll down my page and I notice an old high school friend with a post that really made my blood boil. The post had both the 'f' word and Jesus in the same sentance. I immediately assumed that my friend had posted this, so I blocked them. Well in doing so, I alienated a friend. I replied with a post on my own page about this friend being a Christian and posting things like that, and attacking their denomination as well. A couple of mutual friends called me out on it. Asking my who am I to judge and said that I am a hypocrite. Wow, I could not believe it. How could they. How dare they!

Then I started thinking. Wow, they are right. I wasn't showing Jesus to my friend. I was showing a wordly attitude instead. I was being judemental and hypocritical. They made me see the situation from a different perspective. I thank them for that. I found out that my friends account had been hacked and the post taken down. If I hadn't blocked so quickly, I would have known this.

I checked a little while later in my friends list to see if they had un-friended me. They had. I understand why. It just makes me sad. This situation just makes me look at everything and check things out before assuming. You know what happens when you assume, right! Nothing good!

Forgive me Lord, for my poor representation of you this time! I am still a work in progress, and thank You for still working on me, in me and through me.

My Credentialing.

This is the story of my credentialing process to get my ministry certificate.

I had to have my application in by the end of January, along with all of the fees and other stuff. I did that, and waited. I waited for my interview and test. And I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally in July, I recieved the date for my interview and test. Great news!

So the day finally came for the inteview and test. I passed both with flying colors. So I started to expect that my certificate would come in the mail. I waited, waited and waited some more. Nothing came. Then I recieved an email, stating that my wife and I had to attend another meeting to further along the process. So my wife and I attended the meeting, and got the go ahead for my certificate. Then I started expecting something in the mail again. Again, nothing came.

Then another email asking about a question that I left blank on my test. I replied back with my answer, and thought "what next". So one Saturday night, after a long day out, my wife and I arrive home. I walk out to get the mail and I see a letter from the Illinois District Assembly of God. I thought "what do they want now?"  I walk into my garage for better lighting, and I notice that the envelope is addressed to Rev. Keven Foulk. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. I finally recieved my credentials! I am a pastor now. So after so many months and almost actually quitting the process, I received my credentials! The big question is:

Now what do I do with it???

I can not wait to see what God has in store for me and my family. I expect that He is going to do great things with us. All I can say is " here I am Lord, use me".