Mistake??

 My wife and I were at a wedding recently and had a conversation with another fellow attendee. He was telling us how he built his own home. I told him that I could not do such a thing as I would make to many mistakes, and cause bigger problems. I would rather call the professionals who have the right tools and knowledge for the job. 

Then he started off listing all things that you can make mistakes at. Rehabbing your house. Fixing or rebuilding a classic car. Installing this thing or that thing. He had a whole list going. Then he said something that was absolutely unbelievable.  

He said that even getting married is a mistake! Excuse me. What??

That statement really started a conversation, let me tell you. How could he say that, especially at wedding?

I told him that my wife and I have been married almost 15 years and it keeps getting better. No mistake at all marrying her. In fact, just the opposite.

Genesis 2:24 New Living Translation

24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

God designed marriage. For a man and a woman to be joined together in Holy Matrimony. If God designed it, it is not a mistake. God does not make mistakes!

Psalm 18:30 The Voice

30 Everything God does is perfect; the promise of the Eternal rings true;

Even though my first marriage ended in divorce still didn't make it a mistake to do. We didn't have God involved in anyway the first time around. We leaned on ourselves for everything. Well, we all know how that worked out for us. Our flesh and pride got in the way.

So I learned from that experience the second time around. I learned that it not two people giving fifty percent each. It's two people giving one hundred percent all the time. It takes both of us to make this work, with God's help. Not one sided in either direction, but to be a team both pulling in the same direction.

Proverbs 18:22 Living Bible

22 The man who finds a wife finds a good thing; she is a blessing to him from the Lord.

My wife blesses me everyday in different ways. Not saying that we haven't had our differences, but we work them out together. Don't go running off to someone else, or something else. We stay and fight for our marriage. 

Matthew 19:6 New Living Translation

6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

So I encourage you tonight. Whether you are about to be married or been married for a while, your marriage is not a mistake! The only mistake is putting yourselves in the center. 

God Bless.

RK!

    

Disappointing Day!

 Have you ever done anything that you were so excited about, only to end up disappointed? I know that I sure have. Spent my hard earned money to go to a ball game only to have the team that I cheer for fall flat on their faces. Lackluster performance. So disappointing. Can't believe I spent money on this debacle!

Go to a restaurant that is highly recommended by a friend, only to get disappointed that it doesn't live up to their hype! Done that a few times. Or a movie, T.V. show or series. "Keven, you really need to watch this!" Hmm, yeah okay! 

Disappointment abounds all around us. From sports, movies, T.V. jobs, even life itself. How many times have your relied on someone only to be let down by them? You're not mad, just disappointed with them!

Jesus never lets us down or disappoints us. 

Psalm 118:8 Living Bible

8 It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in men.

Can you imagine for a minute what a disappointing day the Jewish people were having when Jesus was falsely arrested & sentenced to be crucified? To see Him beaten and scourged and hung on a cross between two criminals. A sign attached at the top proclaiming Him as the King of the Jews. A spear thrust into His side to make sure that He was indeed dead.

Isaiah 53:5 New Living Translation

5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

When He cried out "It Is Finished" and breathed His last, they thought that all hope was gone. Jesus had died and was buried.

 But, Friday's disappointment was Sunday's empty tomb!! That's right. God The Father raised Jesus from the dead. Defeating death & the grave, forever! Hallelujah!

So what ever kind of disappointment or disappointing things you are going through, remember this. 

Jesus can lift you out of them all. He never disappoints! He is our Hope!

Lamentations 3:24 New Living Translation

24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

God bless!

Rev. Kev.

Cry Out.

 How do you react when you get bad news, or something bad happens to you? Do you cry out, "why?" Or "why me?" Do you turn to substances? Alcohol or other stimulants? Or do you just try and fight your way through it or out of it. "I can do this." "I don't need any ones help." Well my friends, that is the wrong way to go about it. 

Jesus wants us to cry out to Him! He is all the help that we need.

Psalm 18:6 The Message

6 A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!

What an audience that is! The Creator of the universe hearing our cries to Him. He hears us when we cry out in distress over a serious health diagnosis. Cry over the loss of a loved one. A relationship on the verge of ending. Job loss. No money for bills or food. Car troubles. The list is endless. 

You know who is not endless? Jesus! 

He is the same yesterday, today & tomorrow. 

Hebrews 13:8 New Living Translation

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever

Nothing can take away God's love from us. He loves unconditionally. All the time!

Romans 8:35 Living Bible

35 Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because he doesn’t love us anymore? And if we are hungry or penniless or in danger or threatened with death, has God deserted us?

So what do you need to 'Cry Out To Jesus' about today?

Like the song by the band Third Day says:

*There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary. Love for a broken heart. Help to break addictions. He provides mercy and healing.*

 Jesus will help with every kind of problem or issue that we will ever face. We cannot do it with our own strength.

We just need to cry out to Him!

God bless!

PK

*Song lyrics from Cry Out To Jesus - Third Day.

Walk!

 If you spend enough time in conversation with a Christian, this question almost always comes up. What question you may ask? "How's Your Walk With Jesus?" "My walk with Jesus?" "What do you mean?" It means how are you doing on your walk or journey with Jesus. Some people are confused by this question. "Good I suppose" is the likely answer. Is it really? Are you following His commands? His instructions? Are you living for Him? Serving Him? Or just going through the motions?

What does walk mean. Walk is a verb. It means to place one foot in front of the other. Keep moving forward, one step at a time. If we are not walking, we are standing still. That's not what Jesus wants from us. He wants us to walk with Him. To keep moving forward. Progressing. The more we walk with Jesus, the more we become like Him. We are not to stay where or as we were.

Ephesians 4:14 New Living Translation

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

We can walk with God as Noah did. He was saved while being made fun of by his neighbors. We can walk with God as Moses did. While he was lonely in the desert and the time of judgment came to Egypt, he was prepared to lead his people out. Walk with God as David did. He was a shepherd boy when he was prepared for being the King. How about Daniel and his three friends? God was with them in the furnace and delivered them.

All of these are good examples of people who walked with God! We can have the same kind of experiences. God may not deliver us from trouble, but He has promised that He would be with us through trouble. We need not worry.

John 16:33 New International Version

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I encourage you tonight to keep on walking with Jesus. Step by step, walk with Him. You will not regret it. Sometimes it may seem difficult to do, but keep going. We may stumble and fall along the way, but He never lets us go.

Remember, this isn't a race. It's a walk (journey). Let God lead the way, knowing that His way is best. Let Him take us by the hand like a father would and walk with the Heavenly Father!

God Bless

PK

Calling You Out.

 I went to see the band CAIN in concert over the weekend. They have a song "Rise Up (Lazarus)". It's a song about Jesus calling us out of the grave. Just like Lazarus.

John 11:43-44 New Living Translation

43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

I have heard this song many times, but when it was played live, it just hit different. Powerful! Hands raised in the air, I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He asked me what Jesus has been calling me/us out of? How comfortable have we gotten on our own. We are too scared to make a move, when God tells us to move. He wants to wake us up. Call us out of our tombs, just like He called Lazarus!

So what grave is Jesus calling you out of today? 

Your past? Are you to comfortable living in the past? Once we accept Jesus, our past is gone. A new life begins. A new life in Him!

2 Corinthians 5:17 New Living Translation

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Is He calling you out of your sin. Are you comfortable in your sin. It is something that you are familiar with.

1 John 1:9 Living Bible

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.

Is He calling you out of addiction? Pornography? Drugs? Idols?

1 John 2:16-17 The Message

15-17 Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

All the above mentioned things are graves to us. Meant to keep us captive and not to live. We feel like a stone has been rolled in front of our lives. Jesus came and rolled those stones away. 

Jesus is calling us out of all of these worldly things, but He is also calling us into a life with Him.

Galatians 2:20 Amplified Bible

20 I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

So I encourage you today. Jesus is calling us. We need to rise up and become more like Him. To live the life that He went to the Cross for. He is the chain breaker, life giver. He is everything we could ever need!

God bless.

PK.

The World!

 There is a song being played on the radio with lyrics that go like this. "I Don't Want To Love What The World Loves, I Don't Want To Chase What The World Does. The title of the song is "First Things First" by the band Consumed By Fire.

This song has really gotten me to think about what I chase and desire. Am I really chasing after what God wants for me? Or am I chasing what the world wants me to chase? The world wants you to be the king of your own world. Put yourself first. That's why there are so many self help books to help "us" out. The world wants you to love yourself first. The love of money, big houses and fancy cars. It seems lately that the world is more about me, me, me. How dare you get in my way. I am offended by everything that goes against what I believe. 

I don't want to love or chase any of that. I want to chase after Jesus and what He has for me. I don't want to love worldly things. I want Him first. He is enough for me. I'm not saying nice houses and cars are wrong. I just don't want them to be my primary focus. I don't want to sell my soul to attain those things. That's right. Cars and houses are things. Cars will rust and fall apart. Houses become dilapidated.

You know who never breaks down or gets rusty? Jesus. Jesus is eternal. I want that! I want to chase after Him. Love Him. Serve Him. Like the song says, *First Things First*. He is the first thing in my life! Everything that I do, I do it for Jesus. Work, play, everything.

You might notice along the way as you begin to serve and worship Jesus, you will lose some friends or family. In fact some people may even hate you for your new life. That's okay.

John 15:18-19 Amplified Bible

18 “If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own and would treat you with affection. But you are not of the world [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world. And because of this the world hates you.

Remember, Jesus has called us to new life. A new life in Him. He still lets us operate in the world. Be a disciple for Him! To point people to Him.

1 John 2:15 New Living Translation

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

So I urge you today to chase after and love things that really matter. Jesus. He is EVERYTHING that you will ever need.

PK

Body Shop.

 Today, two months after the accident, I got my van back from the body shop. Let me tell you. It looks sharp. Probably almost better than brand new. Can't tell where the impact was. Where the paint was left behind by the other vehicle. Scratches, dent, everything, gone! Really fine job by the body shop.

I started thinking about Jesus and how He makes us new after we get dented, scratched, broken, as we go through life. We go to Him in such sad shape, and just like the body shop repaired my van, He will repair us! Make us new. He just wants us to come.

John 15:3 Amplified Bible

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you].

You see, we don't need to get a new set of clothes, a fresh haircut, or get squeaky clean to come to Jesus. He accepts us as we are. Broken, hurting, in need of a Savior!

Just like I didn't have to go and have my van washed before taking it in to get worked on, it's the same with Jesus. We go to Him and present ourselves to Him. Flaws and all.

Like the body shop took off the door and replaced it, took off the broken parts of the body and fixed them, Jesus does the same for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 New Living Translation

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

What a new life it is. You will not be sorry to accept Jesus! He loves us and wants the best for us!

Like the body shop wanted only the best outcome for my van, how much more does Jesus want for us?

John 10:10 Amplified Bible

10 I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

My encouragement tonight is this. Don't wait (think) that you have to have your life together before you can come to Jesus. You can do it right now. Right where you are.

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.

Do it tonight. Tomorrow may be to late!

PK.