Second Chances!

 Do I believe that God is a God of second chances? This question has been asked a lot of me recently with some of the things going on in the world.

That question started me thinking about that. Is God a God of second chances?

The answer is, of course He is.

Did He give King David a second chance after his affair with Bathsheba? (2 Samuel 11:2-5)

Didn't He give the Samaritan woman at the well a second chance? (John 4:1-42)

He gave Jonah a second chance after he ran away. (Luke 11:30)

How about Peter? After denying he even knew Jesus three times, he was given a second chance. (Matthew 16:18)

Paul was persecuting Christians up until His trip to Damascus! There came his second chance! (Acts 9:1-19)

As I was pondering the response to this question, a song started playing from my play list. Shocker, I know!

It is a song by the band White Cross. The title is ironically titled "No Second Chances." The song is about a man named Lazarus and rich man. Lazarus was a beggar who laid outside the rich mans gate. They both died and Lazarus went to Heaven and the rich man went to hell. (Luke 16:19-31)

As the song goes, the rich man is asking for one more chance to make things right. To be able to go back and warn his brothers of what will happen if they deny Jesus.

You see, once you die, there are no more second chances to make things right. You're either right with Jesus before you breathe your last or you're not! After you pass away, there are no more second chances!

You either spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven, or eternity with Satan and the torment of Hell. You can't cross from one to the other. What is done is done! No going back!

I know that God has given me a second chance for a new life in Him. I was one way, and now I am another. I thank Him for that, daily!

So I urge you tonight to think about your life. The choices you make today have consequences for the future. Once they are made and you happen to pass away, you will not get a second chance!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Epic Failure!!

So the Newsboys lead singer Michael Tait has been in the news with a moral failure of epic proportions! He has been accused of some horrific things and has admitted to doing them. And now some more accusations have come out implicating some of the crew for the band as well. The whole situation makes me sick to my stomach. I can't believe a person with that kind of high profile would do such horrendous things. If you look back over the course of history, many people in a high profile position have had epic moral failures. King David. The Samaritan woman at the well. Peters denial. Paul's past. How about more recently? Jim Baker. Robert Morris. The list can go on and on. It is by no means exhaustive!

My point is that Mr. Tait is not the first high profile person to have moral failure. He is just the latest. Unfortunately there will be more. It's just our human nature!

Romans 3:23 English Standard Version

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

What I don't understand is now K Love and other radio stations are dropping the Newsboys from their playlists. Their record label has dropped them. Because of one persons actions. The whole band has not been accused, just the one member. So why punish the whole band?

Isn't that passing judgement?  

Matthew 7:3 New Living Translation

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?

I wonder how many of the music programmers working for these stations are sin free? How many of the people working at the record label are sin free? I'm going to go out on a limb and say "none".

I'm not condoning what Mr. Tait has done. It is horrendous to say the least. But don't judge his sin because he sinned differently than you. Sin is sin. No matter how big or small "we" think it is. It is still sin in God's eye!

Aren't we supposed to walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ when they stumble or fall? See that they get the help that they need. Repent and turns from their sin. Not abandon them in their hour of need. That seems un-Christ like to me.

1 Peter 5:10 Living Bible

10 After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you his eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever.

If Michael Tait came through the door of our church, I would hug him, tell him I am praying for him and offer whatever help I could. I would not shame him, or shun him! Jesus used all the people mentioned above after their epic sins against Him. He can do the same for Michael Tait!

Let's show the love of Jesus, even to the ones who have committed an epic failure.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Twisted Flags.

 The company I work for have three flags that fly over the main entrance. One is the American flag, one is the State of Illinois and the other is the DeKalb county flag. The hang on three different poles sticking out of the side of the building. The are always blowing around and getting tangled and wrapped up with each other. I have noticed these flags everyday for the last thirteen years. I have seen them get tangled and then untangled! It is a constant struggle to keep them from doing this. Can't really control the wind. How hard it blows and in which direction.

Anyway............

I'm walking across the parking lot from my van this week to go to punch in. I look up at the flags, like I said I have done everyday for the last thirteen years. But today they hit me different. Not sure why, but God was speaking to me through those flags.

He had me notice that they were tangled and wrapped up in each other more than usual. I thought that was weird.

God was like "isn't this like my children?" "Walking straight and righteous when all of sudden a gust of wind will whip up and get them tangled and wrapped up in sin!" How many times have we heard something different that goes against what we know is true, so we think that we'll give that a try and all of a sudden here comes the gale of wind. Blowing us this way and that way. Next thing we know, we are intwined, wrapped, tangled in a situation that we know better to be in.

Romans 7:15 Amplified Bible

15 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity].

If we are grounded in Christ and His word, no matter how hard or what direction the wind blows, we will not be swayed!! We will stay straight and true! Not saying the winds won't come or the storms, they will trust me but, we have Jesus to lean on!

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.

To get the flags untangled and straightened around, our maintenance dept. has to go out with a scissor lift and fix them.

We don't need a maintenance dept to fix our problem. We have the ultimate fixer in Jesus! He is our savior. No matter how hard or which direction the wind blows. He fixes us with His unfailing grace and mercy.

I encourage you to get grounded in Christ, so that when the winds and storms do come, you have the ultimate anchor to hold you in place, JESUS!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Remember That One Time.

 We have been learning at church the last few weeks about memorials. When God did something for someone, they would build an altar of memorial. To remind them of what God has done for them. They would gather 12 stones, one for each tribe of Israel and pile them up to make an altar to The Lord, to mark the place where a miracle happened. When the younger generation would pass by and see this memorial they would ask what it was for. The older generation would tell them "remember that one time?" "When God did this for us."

They did this when God stopped the Jordan river so the Israelites could cross to the other side.

Joshua 4:6-7 New Living Translation

6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

An altar is a physical reminder of God's faithfulness. Our memories can fade as we get older, but with these physical altars to look at, it will remind us again "remember that one time!"

What kind of altars do you erect in this modern world? I'm sure gathering stones has gone by the wayside, but there are other ways to build an altar to remind of what God has done for us.

How about dates on a calendar? You have specific dates circled or highlighted. Some special date that God did something for you. Or came through for you in a mighty way. People can see the dates that you have circled or highlighted and ask you what those dates mean to you. Oh, let me tell you what God did for me on those dates.

Dec 2: Proposed to my girlfriend. She said yes.

May 31: Got custody of my daughter.

May 15: Bought our first house.

July 22: My salvation day. The day that I said yes to The Lord!

I could go on and on but I think that you get the idea. All of these dates are my memorial altars. Days I can reflect on "remember that one time!"

Psalm 77:11-12 New Living Translation

11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord, I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. 12 They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

So I encourage you to remember all that God has done for you and in some special way, make something to remember that date. It will be a constant reminder of God's faithfulness.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Detox, I Need Too!

Have you ever left the house and as soon as you step out the door, the world starts beating you down. Traffic, congestion on the way to work. People not being kind or polite while waiting in line for coffee, food, whatever. Expecting to get things their own way, no matter what or whom it bothers. As long as it benefits them, they don't care. 

You get to work or wherever it is you are going and things just don't go right, or as you think that they should. You clock in and the negativity starts. This person, that person starts complaining about something. You're like "dude, I just clocked in." It starts to affect you as well. All of a sudden you realize that you are starting to complain as well. It's just not how you thought the day would start! You don't like what you are becoming and want to change.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Living Bible

33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things. If you listen to them you will start acting like them.

Like a song from one of my favorite bands, we need to detox. Not go to detox, but to detox from the negative, worldly environment. How do we do that as Christians. Glad that you asked.

We need to get into God's word. Read The Bible. Read what it says and put it into action. Learn what it says to do and not do. 

Another way to detox is by praying. Crying out to God, to hear my pleas. To protect my ears and eyes from things that are not of Him.

Psalm 119:37 New Living Translation

37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

I work on a receiving dock. I deal with drivers all day. The language that they use, oh my. All of a sudden after a few hours of this, I hear myself starting to say things that I normally wouldn't. Foul words would slip from my mouth. I'm like "you drivers, corrupting my language!" I try to block it out, but with it being a constant it's hard to do.

Colossians 3:8 Amplified Bible

8 But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

We have a buzzer that a driver will push to let us know that they are there and ready to check in for a delivery. After dealing with a few drivers, I hear this buzzer go off, and I'm like "take it easy so & so!" "Give me a minute to get down there." I get angry for absolutely no reason. For them simply pushing a button. But the foul language and worldly attitudes I get from drivers, I start to act like them. 

I detox by surrounding myself with like minded people. Go to church. Worship with other believers. I go to concerts, connect with other fans of the band(s). Share that experience with each other.

Proverbs 27:17 New Living Translation

17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

So I encourage you. When the world starts to pull you down, start a worldly detox. Get into God's word. Pray and surround yourself with other believers. 

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Heed The Call.

More music, more inspiration. Some songs I have been listening to lately have been singing about hearing/heeding The Call. What call you may be asking. The call from Jesus. They sing about Him calling you. Calling you into what exactly? That depends on you. What your giftings are. Where He can use you most effectively! 

Maybe He is calling you into to being a street evangelist! Having you stand on public sidewalks and proclaim Him and His Gospel. Tell people about Jesus! Give testimony.

Maybe He is calling you into full time ministry. To be a pastor at a church. To lead His flock. 

Maybe a missionary. Calling you into a different part of the world. A part that doesn't know Him. Never met a Christian let alone ever heard about Jesus! Or calling you to be a missionary at your work place, or school. Don't have to leave the country to be a missionary.

Calling you into being a chaplain of some sort. Hospital, military, police dept, fire dept. Hospice. Home care. Wherever He needs you.

A team chaplain. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey. Those are the big four. Could be a high school or college chaplain.

Maybe He's calling you to be a husband or wife. Calls you to be a parent. That is a high calling. To trust you with raising a child or children. They don't exactly come with instruction manuals! To be a step parent. To step in when one of the birth parents are unable to. 

Maybe He is calling you to be a business owner. To run and operate in the community and show God's love to others by how you run it.

To be a great employee. To show up to work everyday on time. 

Colossians 3:23 Amplified Bible

23 Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,

To go above and beyond what they ask of you.

Matthew 5:41 New Living Translation

41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.

So my question to you is this. Are you listening? Will you heed The Call. The Call that God has placed on your heart, your life? Keep your ears tuned into what The Lord is saying or calling us to.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Ready, Willing, Able!

I listen to a lot of music. That is quite the understatement. Recently while listening to Petra,  a song came on that really got me thinking. The song 'Ready, Willing & Able'. I really start listening to the lyrics and I thought "wow", am I actually going to do what the song is saying?

The song talks about being ready to serve. Ready to serve your neighbor. Your church. Your community? People think that once you become a Christian, believing in God is enough. Not really. There is more than just believing. He calls into action, by serving.

1 Peter 4:10 New Living Translation

10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

We are not to sit on the sidelines. We are to engage, get in the game. Just like a tennis match can not get started without a serve, our walk with Jesus starts with a servants attitude. Jesus Himself taught us that when He came to Earth.

Matthew 20:28 Living Bible

28 Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve

Then the song talks about being willing. Are you willing to do what God tells you to do. Follow Him, no matter where He leads? If He leads you to go and be a missionary in some unknown land, are you willing to leave your family and everything that you have known, to go? Are you willing to count the cost of following Jesus? Following Him will cost you. Friends, family, maybe even your job. Maybe even your life. Are you willing?

Mark 8:34 Amplified Bible

34 Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and [a]take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

The final question the song asks is are you able. Are you able to stand up for Jesus? Take a stand for Him in a world that rejects Him wholeheartedly? Are you able to stand and go toe to toe against your foes? Are you able to defend The Bible? Your new life in Christ? You'll have many people come against you. Are you able to withstand?

Ephesians 6:11 Amplified Bible

11 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

So I ask you. Are you ready to serve? Willing to follow and able to withstand? I pray that your answers are yes and amen!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.