Sprouts!

My wife and I have a married couple as friends from our last job. They are great people to hangout with. Very nice, kind and generous. Their kids are pretty cool as well. We all get along fabulously. The one catch is, they are not believers. I may even go as far to say that the husband is either an atheist or agnostic. His wife I'm not sure about and the kids just fall inline with their parents. They know that we are Christian and that I am a Christian Pastor. We walk the talk, and live out our faith. They see this every time that we are around them. Let's back up ten years, when we planted our seed of faith with them when my wife and I were married. They attended our very Christian wedding. Where the vows and words said pointed to Jesus and who He is in our lives. He is the center. The ceremony meant more to us than the reception that followed. We wanted our family and friends to feel the presence of our Lord and Savior during the ceremony. Fast forward to 2011. I had been attending ISOM (Illinois School of Ministry) classes, to become a credentialed minister. In 2012 I received my license from The Assembly of God, Illinois District. My wife threw me a surprise party at our church. This couple were in attendance. They even bought me a Christian gift. So now fast forward to present day. We get together with each other a few times a year. Sometimes they come to our house, and sometimes we go to their house. Sometimes we just go out to eat someplace. When we meet at our house, we always pray for the meal and for the night that is planned. They know this and expect it. Whenever we go to their house, I go by their house rules. If they don't want to pray for the meal, then that's up to them. I am not going to push myself and my faith on somebody in their own house. That isn't a good witness for Christ. So a couple of weeks ago, we were invited to our friends house for dinner. We show up and everyone is there. Husband, wife and the kids. Were all at the table just about ready to eat when the husband says "would Keven like to say a prayer?" I said sure I would love to, if that's what they wanted. He said yes, that's what they wanted, so I did. So ten years after planting the seed, watering it and nurturing it, we are starting to see sprouts. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 New Living Translation (NLT) 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. Thank You Lord for these friends. Thank You for Your word being made alive by the way that we live our lives.

Revelation.

I work on a shipping/receiving dock. Everyday it is constant chaos around the docks. People walking around, pulling pallet jacks back and forth with finished product and raw material. I'm not talking about one or two people. No, I'm talking about several people walking about. Whenever we were unloading a truck, we always have to stop for someone walking behind us. It's crazy. It's amazing to me that anything was accomplished with all of this going on. I really struggle with all of this chaos. It really drives me crazy, day after day. One day last week, God gave me a revelation on why I struggle so mightily with this. He directed me to His word. 1 Corinthians 14:33 New Living Translation (NLT)33 "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace". If God is a God of order, and Jesus is God's son, and The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity and lives inside of me, then I am also not of disorder, but of order and peace. That was it! I was at odds with the chaos going on around me. It was total disorder and definitely not peaceful. So I would pray that God would give me the peace and grace that I needed to get through my day. I think that He revealed this to me, so that I would learn to trust Him more in the mundane day to day stuff at work. To give me peace in the midst of chaos. I still get angry sometimes when I have to stop and wait for people to get out of the way, but God gives me grace so that I can extend His grace to others. Thank You Lord!

Doing What God Commands!

I want to compare the story of Noah and the flood, from the book of Genesis, to today's modern world. Can you imagine being Noah? God spoke to him and told him to build a boat, because He was about to destroy the world and every living thing on it with a flood. He told Noah that it's going to rain for forty days and forty nights. Noah could have said "What? What are you talking about? It has never rained a drop before." "Are you sure Lord?" He could have questioned God about the whole thing. In Genesis 6:22 he did this instead. 22 "So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him." Noah did exactly what God wanted him to do. He followed all of His rules for building the boat. The exact height, width and length. Then The Lord told him to gather every kind of animal, both female and male and load them into the boat along with all of his family. Again, he could have questioned The Lord. "Are You sure Lord?" "The smell is going to be terrible." "It's going to be very uncomfortable for my family to be in close proximity to wild animals." Once again Noah did this. Genesis 7:5 "So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him." Two things that God wanted Noah to do that took him and his family out of their comfort zone, that didn't make any sense to him. Make a very large boat and fill it with his family and animals. He could have questioned God and voiced his opinion, but he did them without complaining or questioning. Two verses in two different chapters tell us that Noah did EXACTLY what God had commanded him. It says in Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining and arguing. Can you imagine what this world would be like if everyone just did exactly what God commanded? Without grumbling or complaining about what God is asking or telling us to do. I'm sure it would be a much different place. A much better place. I pray that You give us ears to hear, heart to receive and feet to respond, to do what you are calling us to do. Without griping or arguing with You. To just be obedient. I pray that we continue to have a hunger, a thirst for You. To do things that don't make sense to us. To pull us out of our comfort zone. Deuteronomy 31:8New Living Translation (NLT)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.” Thank You Lord!

Being Humbled!

I have two t-shirts that have sayings printed on them. One is printed on the front, the other is printed on the back. They read "Pastor, because devil stomping ninja isn't an official job title." I wear them quite often because I think that they are cool and get some conversations started. Well, a couple of weekends ago, my wife and I volunteered for a community event, Feed My Starving Children. We were going to be volunteering with about 360 other people for the shift that we were on. I thought about what to wear that night. Then I thought to myself "hmm, I'll wear one of those pastor shirts." "I'll wear the one with the printing on the back." I was thinking to myself that by wearing the one with the printing on the back, people would notice the shirt, notice me and hopefully make some comments about it. My plan was to work in an area were my back would be to everybody, so they could all see my shirt. Well, God had other plans. He reminded me of this scripture, Matthew 20:28 New Living Translation(NLT)28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others. I translated it to be "your not here for people to look at you and notice your clothes. Your here to serve My starving children around the world, by packing meals for two hours." So what did God do to humble me you may ask? He placed me on the far side of the floor, my back up against a wall (so no one could see me or my shirt), doing a job that I absolutely hated. I worked that job for the two hour shift, because that is what God wanted from me. Towards the end of the shift, I finally got it through my thick skull what God was saying to me. It's not about you my child, not tonight. Tonight it's about serving others, being my hands and feet to the world. So my answer was yes Lord, whatever You want. Your will be done. Isaiah 55:8-9 New Living Translation 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." For that lesson in humility, I am grateful! We volunteered again the next night for two shifts. Guess what I wore? A less conspicuous shirt!

I've Got To Do Better!

This may be my most transparent/vulnerable post yet. I've have had a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head for the last several months. Work, family, church. Some good, some bad. But thoughts none the less. Our pastor has been doing sermon series the last couple of months that have challenged me. I watched a movie tonight that challenged me. How are these things challenging me you may ask? I've got to do better. I need to be a better employee. Need to stop complaining about my job (Philippians 2:14), and just embrace where God has me right now. Just because things are not going the way that I would like them to go. It's not about me, it's about what God wants from me. That's to be obedient! He has placed me in this company for a reason. To shine His light to everyone there. I am doing my best to do just that. I need to be a better husband (Ephesians 4:32). To be the man that my wife needs me to be. To help out more around the house. I work a lot of hours, but you know what? So does my wife! I've got to do better! I need to be a better father. Show my daughter how a Christian man is supposed to be. Show her how a man is supposed to love a woman. Be supportive of her when she calls home from college with an issue that may seem trivial to me, but is a big deal to her (Psalm 103:13). I've got to do better. A better family member to my family. Both immediate and extended ( 1 Timothy 5:8). I've got to do better! To be a better leader at the church that I attend. I've been on the elder board for the last couple of years. I've got to do better. I pray that God will change some things (okay a lot of things) but if not, I will do what He wants me to do. For His glory.For His praise. I may not like it or want to do it, but His ways are higher than mine. His thoughts are greater than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). This is the word that The Lord gave me tonight as I was driving home from Rockford. I've got to do better. You know what? I can do better. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). I just need to trust Him more. Lean on and cling to the Rock! He is my everything. The beginning and the end. The Alpha and Omega. I pray Lord, that you use me in a mighty way. Wherever you want me. Might not be where I want to be, but You're in charge, and for that I am thankful!

Witness Wear!

I wear what I call "witness wear". What is that you may ask. Well, let me tell you. It is usually a t-shirt or hat that has a Christian theme, saying or message on it. To me it tells whomever sees it that I am a Christian. I have several of these shirts and hats. I am not ashamed to wear them anywhere. Disney World, check. Ballgames, check. I think that you get the idea. I have had several conversations started about these items of clothing. Usually someone agreeing with me about what my shirt or hat say. Others, trying to discuss their beliefs about the Gospel. Sometimes people flat out disagree completely and let me know about it. All are welcome. It gets a conversation started about God, Jesus and the Gospel. Hence the name witness wear. I get to witness to all kinds of different people. Thank You Lord! Recently this Christian apparel that I wear has had a different effect on me. The job that I work at gets very stressful and gets me very angry sometimes. I start to get heated up and my anger is getting ready to boil over, when I stop and think about what I am wearing. I am wearing one of my witness wear shirts. I can not proclaim the gospel of Jesus and the peace that He gives or the love that He shows, by screaming and yelling at someone while wearing one of these t-shirts. How hypocritical would that be! The t-shirt says that you love Jesus, but here you are yelling, screaming and stomping around like a madman. That will not win anyone to Christ. It will not show that Christians are different from the world. The Bible tells us that we should be in the world, but not of the world. I thank Jesus for these clothes that I wear (witness wear), for the dual things that they are accomplishing. All the glory to God!

Death.....

Death. Death has happened very frequently as of late in my life. Family, friends, co-workers. Since the beginning of the year, it has seemed to be non stop. Some were expected, due to health issues and such. Many have passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. While reflecting on some of these passing's, especially the ones that were unexpected, I started thinking about their walk with Jesus. Did they even have one? Did they know Him or not? Did they have a relationship with Him? The reason I was thinking about this, is this. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 New Living Translation (NLT)2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. If they didn't know Jesus or accept Him as their personal savior before they passed, they would not live in eternity with Him. We need to accept Him today because tomorrow just might be to late. Matthew 24:36 The Message (MSG)36 “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. This is a reminder that we need to be prepared for his return at all times. Matthew 25:1-13 tells us a story of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Five had enough oil for their lamps and five were unprepared with enough oil for His arrival. When the bridegroom finally arrived, the five that were unprepared had gone out to buy some more oil for their lamps. When they returned the door had been locked and they were left out. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be left out. I want the door to be swung open wide for me and to spend eternity with Jesus! I want to live my life how Jesus wants me to live it, so that when it comes my time, my family and friends will not have to wonder as to where I am going. They will know!