Reflection of Christ!

I know plenty of people who strive everyday to be a better version of themselves, than the day before. I count myself amongst them. To be kinder, nicer, more forgiving, selfless, giving, the list goes on and on.

That's what Jesus would want, right?

For us to be a better person, each and everyday!

But is it really?

I think that Jesus wants us to be a better reflection of Him, each and everyday. To let His love light reflect off of us, to those around us. When people look at us, they see more of Him and less of us. To see the Holy Spirit flowing through us and out of us. To be His hands and feet here while we walk the earth.

Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

²⁷ So God created human beings in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

 

So God created us in His own image. Not an image of you or me, but of Himself.

 

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

So God does want us to do good things. But for His glory, not to say look how good I am or you are. Look how nice they treat everyone. Because even though we are nice to each other and how well we treat others,

Romans 3:23 (AMP)

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

In the flesh, we still fall far short of the glory of God. We need to do a better job of reflecting Him and His goodness, righteousness and holiness.


Matthew 5:48 (MSG)⁴⁸ “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

My prayer is that everyday, we strive to be a better reflection of Christ Jesus to others we cross paths with. Amen!

 

Still In The Fight!

I attended a men's breakfast at our church yesterday morning. The topic we were presented with was that we are "Still In The Fight." It's a video series about Navy Seals talking about how when they joined the military, they were given all kinds of gear for protection. Helmets, guns, night vision, chest plates, etc. etc. Then they equated it to being a Christian and putting on the whole armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13-17(NLT)
¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.^{[a] 16} In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.^{[b] 17} Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Just like the Seals have to train and put into use the equipment that they were given, the same goes for us Christians. God's armor does us no good if we do not put it on and train how to use it. How does one train for that you may ask. Well, dig into God's word. Read your Bibles everyday. Memorize scripture. Pray continuously!

Proverbs 4:20-21 (NLT)

²⁰ My child, pay attention to what I say.
    Listen carefully to my words.
²¹ Don’t lose sight of them.
    Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)
¹⁷ pray continually

The message yesterday reminded me of the shooting that happened at that factory in Aurora last year. The Aurora PD released some audio of what happened that day a little while later. One of the officers who first arrived on the scene was shot right away, but he can be heard over the radio saying
"I've been hit, but I'm still in the fight."

That's how it is with Satan. He can take a shot at you, hit you, but as long as you still have breath, God still has you in the fight! He will pick you back up and get you back on your feet and keep you moving forward.

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

 

So it doesn't matter how old you are. If your 8, 80 or 108, God can still use you! As long as you are still breathing, you are still in the fight! God still has a use and a purpose for you!

 Amen!!

Gun Problem?

As we near the 1st anniversary of the Henry Pratt shooting in Aurora, the issue of gun control rages on. Nothing really has changed since this shooting. Oh, there has been more gun violence, but nothing in the way of getting it under control. People keep on saying that it is a gun problem. The politicians running for the 2020 election are saying that they are going to take away everyone's guns. Even though the 2nd amendment states that the people of the United States have the right to keep and bear arms.

I will argue that we do not have a gun problem. We have a heart problem.

Jeremiah 17:9(NLT)

⁹ “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
    and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?

 

The world will tell you to follow your heart. Well, if your heart is deceitful and wicked, then you'll do deceitful and wicked things. It's human nature.

Mark 7:21-22(NLT)
²¹ For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

I attended a men's conference over the weekend where one of the speakers talked about killing the spider. What is this you may ask. It's when you do something that's considered destructive behavior. You try and try to figure it out and get better, only to keep making the same mistake over again. Behind these behaviors is a root problem. The spider if you will. You need to kill that spider to get rid of the root of your bad behaviors.

Guns aren't the root of the problem, it's the people behind the gun.

2 Timothy 3:3(NLT)

³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.

 

We are a nation that is far from God. If we want to get to the root of the problem, we need to turn our heart and minds back to Jesus. He will show us ways to get rid of our destructive behaviors.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5 Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁵ We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ.

Evil hearts and mindsets are the spider we need to kill. We need to repent of our sins and turn back to God!

James 4:8(NLT)

⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

 

Psalm 119:1-8(MSG)

119 ^1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do, don’t ever walk off and leave me.

 

I don't know about you, but I want to be blessed!

 

 

 

You Matter!

This past week at work, I have been hearing some pretty serious talk out of a fellow employee. They were saying that they are stupid, dumb, the "R" word. I could not believe that I was hearing this coming out of their mouth. They made one little mistake that lead to this landslide of negative words. I tried to encourage them the best that I could, but at that moment they were not having it.

I tried to tell them that they aren't stupid or dumb, because they are made in God's image. God is not dumb or stupid, nor does He make mistakes!

Genesis 5:1-2 (NLT)
5 This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. ² He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.”

Then they stated that with how they feel about themselves, how can they be God like. I told them not to worry about that. His word says,

Romans 3:23 (ESV)
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Then I told them that they could be upset for the moment, but God starts over fresh every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

I told them that they are important to God and that their life matters. He cares about what happens to them.

Psalm 8:4-5 (ESV)

⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵ Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings^[a]
    and crowned him with glory and honor.

 

Finally I told them that not only does He love you and care about you, He wants you to live your life abundantly, to the full!

 

John 10:10 (ESV)¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

So I encouraged them and trying to encourage you, your life matters. You have purpose! You are a child of The Living God!

Amen!

 

My Mom!

I have no idea on where to start with this. My mom passed away on December 1, 2019. We had her funeral services over the weekend of December 6th & 7th. The day that she passed, my world forever changed. I lost a cheerleader, my number one fan, after my wife. She was always there for me, no matter what. From of course birth but so much more. Surgeries, birth of my daughter, divorce, moves, my pastoral credentialing, everything! Even when laying in the hospital she would try to help me. That is a real funny story, but I'll tell you in person if you see me. She would be the first person to like my blog post that I made. Or a Facebook post that I would make. She encouraged me in everything that I did. She simply was the best! I've always said that you will never see me going on Jerry Springer complaining about my mom or the way that she raised me or my brothers.

Proverbs 6:20-22 (NLT)

²⁰ My son, obey your father’s commands,
    and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
²¹ Keep their words always in your heart.
    Tie them around your neck.
²² When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
    When you sleep, they will protect you.
    When you wake up, they will advise you.

 

I will always remember what my mom taught me growing up. I have always treasured her wisdom, even though I didn't like it sometimes. She always spoke the truth. Even into adulthood I would call her and ask her advice on things. I told someone at the visitation the other night, that since I could no longer do that, I guess I would have to grow up. We had a good chuckle! She taught me and my brothers how to work hard. She had the best work ethic and passed it on to her three sons. She taught us how to drive, how to love, how to laugh, how to enjoy life. Most of all, how to be a good parent. If I could be half the parent to my daughter that she was to me and my brothers, I would be doing okay!

 

She will be missed by me and my family for sure. But if her visitation and funeral were any indication, she will be missed by a whole community of extended family and friends as well. The stories and memories that were shared with us, taught us even more about her and her love for everyone!

 

The best news out of all of this, her hospitalization, surgery and subsequent death, is that she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. So we know that we will see her again, for all eternity.

 

Romans 10:13(NLT)

¹³ For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

So we are all mourning mom, grandma, great grandma, sister, aunt, friend. God's word gives us this promise,

 

Matthew 5:4(NLT)

⁴ God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.

 

It hurts right now, but God will comfort us and give us peace. I give Him thanks for that.

 

Much love to all who loved my mom!

 

Keven

 

 

 

 

 

Truck Dock.

As you may or may not know, I work in our shipping/receiving department at work. This means that I load/unload trucks all day. The dock is well lit, but the trailers are not. We have lights on our forklifts, but rarely use them. Last week in the middle of loading a truck, God revealed this to me. He does this to me all the time at work. As I'm driving into the trailer, I notice that it is getting darker the further that I get in. The light from the building starts to fade and I'm almost in total darkness. Then as I put the forklift into reverse and start to back out of the trailer, it starts to get lighter as I am heading toward the building and the lights. I'm not sure how many trailers I have loaded/unloaded over my career. 1000's probably, but never ever thought of it this way.

I started thinking about what if it's this way when we sin against God. Every sin we commit, or anything not pleasing to God is like going into the trailer and away from the light. It gets darker and darker the deeper we get into our sin. Every foot we drive towards the darkness, is a foot away from the light. But there is good news. Just like we can change direction in the trailer, to drive back towards the light, we too can turn around and reverse our direction and head back towards the light.

Acts 26:18 New Living Translation (NLT)
¹⁸ to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

Every step we take towards Jesus, is a step away from the evil one and his wicked ways. As we get closer and closer to Jesus, His light shines brightly on us.

John 8:12 New Living Translation (NLT)¹² Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

As I kept driving in and out of the trailer, from light to dark and back again. I kept thinking about Israel in the Old Testament. They would follow God, then abandon God, then repent and follow God again. A cycle that unfortunately still exists in today's world. We do things are own way, and then when they go wrong, we want God to help us. Then when He does, we go back to our old ways again.

 Once I start to follow God, I don't want to do a return trip back the other way. I want to keep seeking after God, and what He has for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 New Living Translation (NLT)¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

 

Transformation.

I am a board member at our local pregnancy resource center here in town. Every year we hold a banquet to raise funds to cover operating expenses and other things that we provide for our clients throughout the year. A local church let's us use their sanctuary to hold the banquet. We have back to back nights of the banquet. Thursday and Friday nights. So on Wednesday night we get a group of people together to transform the sanctuary into a banquet hall. We remove almost all of the chairs from inside the room, and then we bring in the tables, set them up and place chairs all around them. From the beginning of set up, to the final placement of the chairs, the transformation from one kind of room to another is incredible.

As I was preparing to leave Wednesday night after set up, I turned around and looked at the room. The tables, the chairs, all set up in perfect order. From what I saw, to what it was when I first arrived that night was nothing short of amazing. That got me to thinking about the transforming power of Jesus. When we accept Him, we became a different person.

2 Corinthians 5:17(TLB)
¹⁷ When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

You see, that room was being changed from the inside out. Just like moving the chairs out of the room, to make room for the tables, Jesus is cleaning the junk from the inside of us, to make room for Himself and His Holy Spirit. Just like the room was now a "new" room, we are a new person. Our old life is gone. We now have a new life in Jesus!

Galatians 2:20(NLT)²⁰ My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Unlike the banquet hall having to be transformed back into a sanctuary at the end of the second evening. I am not going back to my old life. My old life is gone. There is no going back. I am a new creation with Christ Jesus.

Ezekiel 36:26(NLT)
²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

Thank You Lord, for Your transforming Spirit. Thank You for making me a new person in You! Amen!