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.

Almost, Caught In A Mosh! Thoughts Pt. 2

 Mosh Pit:

A mosh pit is an area in front of a stage at a concert, particularly at punk, metal, or high energy shows, where audience members engage in intense, physical activity, such as pushing, shoving, and jumping.

I have been involved in a few of these throughout my concert going career. Some directly, some indirectly! The ones I have actually been in, have not gone well. In fact they went so poorly for me that I always bow out when one starts and I am near it. I like my personal space. I don't like to be slammed into or against other people. For fun?? I don't get it.

The first one was at a small club in Chicago. Went to see a band on their first U.S. tour. The pit started and I got sucked right into it. Ended up kicking a guy in the head by accident when he went down. I never felt so bad for doing something like that, to another person. He recovered, got back up and continued moshing. Not me. I moved away from the front, closer towards the rear of the venue. I was done with that!

My friend and I went to see the Clash of The Titans tour at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. The bill was Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth & Alice in Chains. The show started off kind of mellow, but by the time Slayer hit the stage, the crowd had been whipped into a frenzy. The pit started (this was the craziest pit I have ever witnessed). My friend and I were in the 8th row. The pit reached the 7th row. First time at a concert that I was actually scared of what might happen. I was afraid that the pit circle would grow even bigger and encompass us. Thankfully it never did. It stayed right where it was. Whew!

My brother and I attended Oz Fest a few years ago. They had two stages going at the time. We got there early and stood on the outer rim of the crowd of the second stage. The band Slipknot had a huge pit going. It was actually unbelievable. So we're there watching and this dude comes out of the crowd with blood just running down his face. He was like "___Yeah!!" "That was awesome!!" My brother and I look at each other and we both kind of mouth, "awesome??" Right!

So I fast forward to last weekend when I went to see the Christian thrash metal band Deliverance. They were on the bill with three secular bands. So Deliverance hits that stage. I am standing front row, right in front of the singer. You guessed it, a pit got started. I wanted no part of it as mentioned before, so I moved over to the right, in front of the guitar player.

The pit was getting wider and wider. People kept bumping/ramming into me. Almost as trying to entice me to engage the pit. I would have none of that!

Then the intrusive thoughts invaded my mind, once again. I so wanted to stick my leg out to trip some of them. Time it just right and throw my shoulder into one of them and knock them into next week. Then I heard God speak to me. Over the volume of Deliverance, through my ear plugs. Could not have been clearer. "Keven, these people are not bumping into or running into you on purpose. They are having fun and releasing their energy. Do not retaliate against them."

1 Thessalonians 5:15 The Message

15  And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

When I heard God's voice telling me not to do anything back, I realized that He was right. Like He always is! It was a Friday night after a long week. The music was loud and aggressive. Kids just wanted to let off some steam. Who was I get in their way? I just moved a little more to give them some more room and viola, no more contact. They enjoyed what they were doing and I enjoyed the rest of the show in peace! And it was EPIC!! 

So after it was all over and the house lights came up, one of the people in the pit came up to me and actually asked me to pray for him. I told him of course I would. Just God showing me again that it wasn't personal towards me. I was just a little to close to the action.

Galatians 6:2 Living Bible

2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.

Moral of the story is this. Listen to God's voice, no matter where or what you are doing. He can even reach you though some loud, heavy music.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Gratitude!

So yesterday at church, the worship team played the song by Brandon Lake “Gratitude”. This song really gets me pretty much all the time, but yesterday it hit much harder for some reason.

So, while the song was being played, I started reflecting on the last 4 ½ months of this year. The things I have been able to do. The people that I have been able to meet. To minister too. The places I have been able to go! The concerts I have gone to. The bands that I’ve been able to see. The bands that I’ve been able to meet. What a blessing! As I thought about all this, the tears really started to flow. I don’t deserve any of this. From what I have done and sometimes continue to do, I deserve His punishment. But He is a gracious God! His mercy is new every morning.

2 John 3 New Living Translation

3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

Grateful for God waking me up every day! To be used by Him, for His purposes. To move me, position me in places or situations that He wanted me to be.

So how could my heart not be full of gratitude, my mouth full of praise for The One who deserves it all. It’s all because of Him I can do all these things!

Psalm 100:4 New Living Translation

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.

Like Brandon sings in the song, all the words I have will fall short. All I can do is lift my arms and hands in praise to God! He has been so good to me and my family! I have felt His peace more than ever the first part of this year. He has placed me in situations that I thought I would never find myself. Meeting people I thought that I would never, ever meet! Praying for people that I have just met. Not the old cliché saying about how I’ll pray for you, and then never do it. No, He had me praying for people right on the spot, no matter where we are. Middle of the concert floor. Parking lot. Concourse.

Again, like the song goes, I have a lion inside. I cannot be shy about praising The Lord for what He has done for me. I must let it out. Let people hear the roar of praise! Hallelujah. With my arms stretched wide, I will worship You! The Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End!

The Great I AM!

Revelation 22:13 New Living Translation

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

So I encourage you tonight. Be grateful in every circumstance. 

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

 

Intrusive Thoughts.

 So I'm standing by the back stage door of the Arcada theater after the Petra/White Cross concert. I wasn't really planning on hanging around after the show, but as I was walking towards where I had parked, a guy stopped me to talk about the show. So we were there chatting about the show that we just saw, and then other shows that we have attended. Then out of nowhere comes a voice. It's a voice I know well. It's loud and obnoxious. I have encountered this person at almost every show I have gone to at the Arcada. He is talk (yelling) to us. Asking us if we were waiting for (a) band to come out? He didn't even know who would be coming out the door, if anyone. So myself and the other guy go on with our conversation, when this other dude keeps butting in. Rudely I might add. Then all of a sudden the back door opens and out walks the lead singer for Petra. We're like "Hey John." He stops to tell us that He needs to put something in the van and that he would be right back. The other dude proceeds to chase him down the block. I'm like "dude, he said he would be right back. No need to chase him!"

So John comes back up to were we were all standing and starts chatting with us. The other guy wants him to autograph some stuff and all I want is a quick picture with him and to say hi. There are only three of us back there, so I'm thinking we'll each get a turn with John. Nope! The loud guy kept interrupting our time with John. First was the autograph guy. The loud guy doesn't have any idea on personal space. Instead of the usual 3', he is about 3" away from him. Pointing and talking about this song or that song. Totally raining on the autograph guys time. Then John turned towards me, said hello and we shook hands. Just as I was getting ready to chat with him, the loud guy butts in. I almost lost it. The old fleshly Keven almost came out. The intrusive thought about punching this guy, or shoving him, whatever it took to get him to shut up and leave us alone. I immediately flashed back to a song that Petra sang about an hour before.

The title of that song is 'Jekyll & Hyde'

In the song they sing about sometimes feeling like Jekyll or Hyde, depending on what situation they are facing. Two men fighting a war inside.

I instantly thought, wow, that is me right now. I want to hurt this person (not really) just to get him to shut up. I knew that was an ungodly thought. It wouldn't glorify God or make Him happy with me, but I had it none the less. I know The Bible says to take every thought captive, but still.

2 Corinthians 10:5 New International Version

5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

This wasn't the first interaction I had with the loud guy. When I met Stryper last fall, he was pulling the same stuff. I won't say he ruined my meeting them, but he sure put a damper on it. So I had that history with him already before meeting Petra.

Do I always want my speech and actions to glorify God? Of course I do! But sometimes, things just happen. Thoughts invade and want to take you a different direction. How you respond is up to you.

Romans 3:23 Amplified Bible

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

I know this isn't my last time interacting with this person. I just pray that the next time I have a better thought process towards him. I'm sure he will not change, I need to. I need to get better at showing Jesus to him. By having those intrusive thoughts are not the way to do it. I need the mind of Christ. Let me see him the way that Jesus does.

Romans 14:19 Amplified Bible

19 So then, let us pursue [with enthusiasm] the things which make for peace and the building up of one another [things which lead to spiritual growth].

So I encourage you. If you stumble and have these kinds of thoughts, turn them over to God and let Him work in you.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

May 1st.

 So yesterday was May 1st. There are a few things I think of when this date rolls around. First thing is my cousin and his wife's wedding anniversary. Second thing is May baskets. My family used to give us May baskets every May 1st. They were cute little baskets filled with some kind of goodies for us. Not sure if it still happens or not, but it is a fond memory for me, for sure! The third thing that I think of is the saying "May day, May day, May day!" It is used by airplanes who are in distress.

Here is the origin of the saying that I came up with on Google.

Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer in London, was put in charge of finding a good distress signal. He reasoned that because so much of the air traffic flew between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, it might make sense to use a derivative of a French word.

He came up with "mayday," the French pronunciation of "m'aider" ("help me"), which itself is a distilled version of "venez m'aider," or "come help me." The U.S. formally adopted "mayday" as an official radiotelegraph distress signal in 1927.

Due to radio interference and loud ambient noise, pilots are told to repeat the word three times: "Mayday, mayday, mayday." The repetition also serves to help radio operators distinguish the transmission from others that simply refer to the mayday call.

I started thinking about this Mayday distress call. If the pilots call out on the radio with this statement, the people working the air traffic control tower know the plane is in trouble. They formulate a plan to help them get out of their predicament. 

What about us, who are not on an airplane and are in distress? Who do we call out to for help? That answer is easy. We call out to Jesus.

Psalm 121:1-2 New Living Translation

1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

God will help us in our times of trouble. We can call out to Him for help every time. There is no limit, to Him helping us. 

Like the song from Third Day says "Cry Out To Jesus!"

2 Chronicles 14:11 Living Bible

11 “O Lord,” he cried out to God, “no one else can help us! Here we are, powerless against this mighty army. Oh, help us, Lord our God! For we trust in you alone to rescue us, and in your name we attack this vast horde. Don’t let mere men defeat you!”

So I encourage you tonight. As you face troubles (don't worry, you will at some point) instead of uttering the Mayday call for help, call out to The One who can really rescue and help you in times of trouble. 

May you never look at May Day the same again.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.