Thursday, December 11, 2008

Giving up "center stage"

"Let each of you look out...for the interests of others." Philippians 2:4 NKJV

The Bible says, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." In other words, give up "center stage." Now that's easier said than done because we tend to be preoccupied with one person - me!

You ask someone, "How's it going?" Thinking you really want to hear, they start sharing a recent success. That's your signal. You jump in mid-sentence, blow their light out and say, "Think that's something? Let me tell you about..." You're off and running, right over the deflated ego of your friend who's wishing they'd kept walking when they first saw you. They'd hoped to hear something like, "That's wonderful, tell me more." Instead they get treated to a litany of your opinions and achievements. Whatever happened to "Rejoice with those who rejoice" (Ro 12:15 NIV).

That command cuts across our preoccupation with self and says, "Get over yourself! Vacate center stage. Learn to focus on others." Practice saying, "Enough about me. I want to hear about you. How's your business...wife...health...church?" Stifle the urge to interrupt; just listen! Listen with your ears, your eyes, your mind and your spirit. Try to understand the feelings behind their words. If they're celebrating, "Rejoice with them." If they're hurting, "Mourn with those who sorrow."

The acid test of Christian character is our ability to celebrate another's success, or share their burden as though it were our own. There's no better way to serve and encourage others.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Practice courtesy

"Be courteous...that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9 NKJV


Common courtesy is becoming less common every day. And that's not good, because the Bible says, "Be courteous...that you may inherit a blessing." Sometimes we're not sure how to go about pleasing God. Preachers have made it complicated: a series of long-drawn-out, deeply painful acts designed to appease a God who delights in making us squirm. The prophet Micah simplifies it: "What does the Lord require of you...to love kindness" (Mic 6:8 NAS). Could language be clearer? Here are ten "not-so-common" courtesies you should work on every day, and teach your children. After all, if they don't learn common courtesy from you, where are they going to learn it?

(1) Go out of your way to speak to people. "Pleasant words are...healing" (Pr 16:24 NIV). (2) Try to remember their names - it shows you value them. (3) Smile; it increases your "face value." (4) Be friendly and helpful. If you do, people will return it (See Pr 18:24). (5) Show genuine interest. You can find something good in almost anybody, if you try (Php 4:8). (6) Be generous with your praise and cautious with your criticism. (7) Be slow to judge. There are three sides to every story - your side, their side, and the right side. (8) Instead of "using" others, serve them: "By love serve one another" (Gal 5:13). (9) Start trusting people - it builds lasting relationships. (10) Be humble. Oswald Chambers said, "When a saint becomes conscious of being a saint, something has gone wrong."

Courtesy does two things: (a) It speaks well of your parents. Jesus said, "Live so that [people] will...praise your Father" (Mt 5:16 NCV). (b) It determines your level of blessing. "Be courteous ...that you may inherit a blessing."

Monday, December 8, 2008

Don't lose your passion for God!

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart."
Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV


There's an interesting sequence of events leading up to Peter's denial of Christ. First, Jesus warned Peter that he was a target: "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Lk 22:31-32). Next we read that when the authorities came to arrest Christ, Peter "followed afar off" (Lk 22:54). Notice, Peter had grown distant from Christ. Then the man who swore he'd die for Jesus denied knowing Him. At that point the rooster crowed, Peter remembered his promise to Jesus, and "went out, and wept bitterly" (Lk 22:55-62).

Observe how it works: (a) You're unprepared for Satan's attack when it comes. (b) You allow work and family pressures to cause you to forget that your first commitment must always be to God. (c) You end up spiritually defeated. You say, "That will never happen to me." That's what Peter said! The reason "Satan hath desired to have you," is because he knows that when you become passionate about God's purposes, you're unstoppable. Indeed, the very desire that's burning within you right now is the fuel that enables you to withstand his attacks.

There's a reason the crucifixion has been referred to as "The Passion." The Bible says of Christ: "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:2 NKJV). Even as He was dying, Jesus was ministering to others. That's passion! So the Word for you today is, "Don't lose your passion for God."

Thursday, October 23, 2008

HOW TO WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT

My friend Jerry Boop sent this to me and I think it is an awesome reminder. Hope you enjoy this and are blessed.

HOW TO WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT
(By: T.D. Jakes)

1. Do not expect to be appreciated. Your only expectation should be to get a paycheck.
Do not come to work to have personal relationships. Do not allow what you do to affect who you are.

2. Do your job well, but remember your mission. God put you there to be a Light.

3. Seek opportunities to change the atmosphere without commenting on the problems.
You have a God to talk to. You are on an assignment. Quietness and competence shall be your strength.

4. Don't let your environment get inside of you. You should influence it, not let it influence you.Stop going to work to be fed. You did not come to receive, you came to give.

5. Increase your capacity to work with different personalities.
God will often bless you through people you do not even like!

6. Remember, where you are does not define where you are going.
This will deliver you from frustration.
God has a plan for your life. Keep your eye on the prize.
When Peter did this, he was able to walk in what other people sank in!

7. Get the optimum results with minimal confusion.
Be effective without making the environment worse.

8. Don't be associated with one group or clique. Labels limit your usefulness.
God wants you to work with everybody but be labeled by nobody.
Use all your gifts.

9. Always keep your song near you. Keep a consecrated place in your soul.
Hold on to your praise.

10. Understand that God anoints you for trouble.
Put on the whole armor of God before going to work.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Accepting yourself

"Love others as much as you love yourself." Matthew 22:39 CEV

Only by loving yourself in a healthy way, can you love others the way God intended. When you don't love yourself you live with insecurity, and you keep looking to others for approval. When you don't get it, your self-worth shrivels. As a result, you live far beneath your potential. You are the only person you can't get away from, so unless you learn to accept yourself, you'll be miserable. Stop and think about the last time you were around somebody you didn't enjoy being with - how did it feel?

Whether good or bad, you project onto others the thoughts and feelings you have about yourself. So if you want people to think well of you, have a good opinion of yourself - one that's based on God's Word and nurtured by the right relationships. No question, the Bible cautions us about having an overinflated opinion of ourselves. But don't go to the other extreme! Living with continual self-rejection is an open invitation to Satan, who is always "sneaking around to find someone to attack" (1 Peter 5:8 CEV). Don't play into his hands!

Paul writes: "Nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature" (Romans 7:18 NIV). That means the good qualities you do possess, are evidence that God is at work in your life. So be sure to acknowledge them. The Bible says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Instead of focusing on your flaws and feeling bad about yourself, recognize the "treasure" of God's presence, power, and potential that lives within you, and build on it.

Blessings,

PK

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Choose to live!

Just wanted to share a daily devotional that I read. Thought it would be a great blessing to your life. Choose life.

"Do you want to be made well?" John 5:6 NKJV

He can't walk, the pool isn't easily accessible, and there are no motorized lifts. Then Jesus comes along and asks this man who'd been incapacitated for 38 years, "Do you want to be made well?" What a question! Now, Jesus didn't ask it because He didn't know the answer; He did it to direct his (and our) thinking along the right lines. He could just as easily have asked:

"Are you ready to assume responsibility for your life? Do you really want that promotion, or is it easier to just gripe about money? Are you ready for marriage, for somebody who'll share your life and make you reconsider your self-centered ways?" Answers to our prayers often come with a price. For example, the family of an addict sometimes spends years praying for change, then when it happens they experience their own crises. Because their lives have centered around drama and dysfunction, they've never learned how to live any other way. At that point they have a choice to make: to keep blaming their problems on somebody else, or to accept that they have their own issues to work on. "Do you want to be made well?"

Like it or not, asking God for solutions often means new challenges. A child might solve his need for pocket money by bagging groceries, but when he grows up, hopefully he'll be solving bigger ones, like how to provide for his family. But the good news is, solving bigger problems brings bigger rewards. So ask God to stretch you today by helping you "take up your bed and walk" (Jn 5:8 NKJV), burn your bridges of dependency and "learned helplessness," and move on to greater things. In other words, "choose to live!"

Blessings,

PK

Sunday, October 19, 2008

THE TITHE

"Bring...(the whole tenth of your income)." Malachi 3:10 AMP


When this passage starts talking about tithing it refers to robbing God. I believe it is talking about God being robbed of blessing us through our obedience. God really does what to bring unlimited blessing to our lives.

Whether you believe tithing to be an Old Testament law or a New Testament truth, one thing is certain, giving God the first tenth of your income demonstrates that He's first in your life. To those who practice tithing, God promises two things:

(1) His blessing. God said He will "Open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it" (Mal 3:10 NKJV). A farmer, who was a faithful tither, was prospering while others around him were barely getting by. When one of his neighbors asked, "What's your secret?" he replied, "No secret, I just shovel it into God's bin and He shovels it back into mine - but God's got a bigger shovel!" By tithing, you partner with God. Think what God's blessing could mean to your business, your family, your ministry or your future - your possibilities are out of sight!

(2) His protection. "I will rebuke the devourer...he shall not destroy" (Mal 3:11). "What's the devourer?" you ask. Anything that devours your blessings. The dishwasher breaks down for the third time in a month. The kids are ill and have to be taken to the doctor all the time. The day after the warranty runs out on your car, the transmission goes. One of the Hebrew words for tithe is charam, which means "marked for destruction." Your tithe literally becomes a force in the hand of God to destroy the works of the enemy. It puts a hedge of protection around you. "Is God after my money?" you ask. No, He's after your lack! He wants you to be blessed and protected every day of your life.

Be Blessed,
PK

Saturday, October 18, 2008

PULL IT TOGETHER

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart." Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

Modern life is custom made for role playing. We live in a neighborhood all our lives yet we hardly know the family next door. We commute to a church miles away, walking in and out, never getting known, never getting involved or serving. We work with one crowd and play with another. The opportunities for undercover activity are almost limitless. Since no one knows us in any other context, we can reinvent ourselves in each one. Someone has said that our life is like a chest of drawers: a separate one for each interest, value or pastime - one for work, one for play and one for church. For each we have a separate set of values and a different language. With each new situation we add another drawer to ensure complete appropriateness and safety. Rather than having a oneness and integrity of character, we role play.

But God doesn't see us as a chest of drawers or a collection of separate performances, He sees us as a whole person. Who we are when no one is looking, is just the same to Him as who we are when we're standing in plain view. God asks for integrity in our lives. That's because life doesn't work any other way! God made us with one will, one mind, one heart, and one spirit. It's Satan's lie that we can "have it both ways," which leaves us mentally and emotionally fragmented, and worse - distant from God! "What is the answer?" you ask. The Bible says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength." In other words, refuse to role play!

Everything we do, needs to be done as unto the Lord. My job, family, finances and future all lived through the view of His glory and purpose. Then, I live whole as God intended. What a wonderful way to pull it all together.

Blessings,

PK

Friday, October 17, 2008

That's grace!

"Grace was given me." Ephesians 3:8 NIV

The word "grace," is so important that Paul mentions it three times more than any other writer. Remembering the violent life he lived, he writes, "Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach...the unsearchable riches of Christ." The word grace comes from the Greek word charis, meaning "pure joy." Although you didn't deserve it, God considered saving you a "pure joy." How about that?

In John, chapter 8, a woman is caught in the act of adultery. The law is unmistakable about her punishment. The Pharisees are ready to stone her. She knows that Jesus, being righteous, must agree. She has no lawyer to defend her, not even a character witness! Suddenly Jesus stoops and begins to write in the sand. Some scholars have suggested that perhaps He wrote down their sins, times, places, etc. Ouch! When He looks up, her accusers are gone. He says, "Neither do I condemn you...Go now and leave your life of sin" (Jn 8:11 NIV). Jesus lifted her from a position of undeniable guilt to one of unconditional pardon. She didn't deserve it, and didn't know it was possible. And that's your story too, isn't it?

One day Abraham Lincoln watched a plantation owner bidding for a slave girl. Figuring he was going to buy her and abuse her, Lincoln paid the price to set her free. "Does this mean I can say whatever I want to say?" she asked. Lincoln replied, "Yes." Again she asked, "Does this mean I can go wherever I want to go?" Again Lincoln responded, "Yes, you're free!" With tears streaming down her face she replied, "Then, sir, I will go with you." That's grace!

God's grace is so big, so huge and I know many fear the preaching of it. Fearing that it will encourage people to live a life free of boundaries. I believe this story is such a great illustration. When God sets us free from such bondage, we will want to go with Him not away from Him. Enjoy His grace!!1
Blessings,

PK

Thursday, October 16, 2008

TAKEN FOR GRANTED

People have short memories. It doesn’t take long in ministry to realize this. One day you’re leading someone to Christ, the next day they’ve left for the new church down the street. One day someone says they loved the sermon, the next day they can’t remember what it was about. Short memories are nothing new.

The Israelites had a short memory when it came to Moses. Just three days after the Red Sea miracle – at the very first sign of trouble – they started doubting his leadership. We think we’ve got it rough. God used Moses to split a sea, and the Israelites forgot him. If that happened to Moses, it can happen to us.

But it doesn’t just happen in ministry, does it? We live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. Children forget what their parents have done for them. Bosses forget what their employees have done for them. Spouses take each other for granted.

I read an article one time about a chief accountant for a millionaire. He was paid very well, but he committed suicide. His suicide note said: “I’m committing suicide because in 30 years I’ve never had one word of encouragement. I’m fed up.”

What do you do when you feel taken for granted? Moses gives us a great example to follow.

1. Don’t curse it. When Moses heard the Israelites grumble, it would have been natural to respond back in anger. Most of us would have done that. But Moses didn’t. Revenge just wasn’t an option. When people don’t appreciate you, choose not to strike back. Leave your frustration in God’s hands. When you let God settle the score, you are well represented. Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse” (NASB). Instead of cursing those who forget you, speak positively about them.

2. Don’t rehearse it. Every time you review the hurt you feel when you’ve been taken for granted, it gets bigger. If somebody you’ve served selflessly criticizes you, it hurts. No doubt about it. But if you’re not careful, it’ll blow out of proportion in no time.
Notice that Moses never went back over the pain. He focused on the future. Rehearsing pain is a dangerous habit in ministry because soon you’re addicted to it. I’ve met some very bitter pastors who allowed experiences of their past to color their perception until they thought everybody was against them. You can’t allow that to happen.

3. Don’t nurse it. Don’t allow yourself to have a pity party. It’s OK to be angry. Anger is a legitimate response to hurt. But holding on to anger becomes sin. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Don’t get so angry that you sin. Don’t go to bed angry, and don’t give the devil a chance” (CEV). If you are a leader, you can expect to be misunderstood. It’s a fact of leadership. If you choose not to take the disappointment personally, you’ll avoid becoming cynical.


So, what should you do when you feel forgotten and taken for granted?

First, share your pain with God. Often we go to the wrong people with our pain. We go to the people who’ve mistreated us and remind them of their oversight. Instead of doing that, take your pain to God.

Second, expect God to reverse your disappointment. God is the master of reversing hurts. Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament? Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Then in Genesis 50, 20 years later, he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph had every reason to be cynical. His own family had sold him out. But he wasn’t cynical.

Moses had a similar experience. The people had been whining and complaining because they didn’t have water – and when they did get water, it was bitter. But where did God lead them after that? He led them to a land of abundant water. He reversed the situation.
Friend, I don’t know how you’ve been taken for granted, but I do know one thing. God has not forgotten you. He’s seen every act of service. Others may take you for granted. But God doesn’t. Never forget that.

Blessings,

PK

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

OUT WITH THE OLD...IN WITH THE NEW

"No one pours new wine into old wineskins." Mark 2:22 NIV


Jon Walker writes: "A few miles from my house there's a convenience store that went through a make-over. However, the employees may have missed the make-over memo. The kid behind the counter wore a new uniform...but he also wore the same sullen look I'd seen before. It made me think about how we try to put new wine into old wineskins.

Jesus says we're bound to fail because 'the wine will burst the skins and both...will be ruined.' But don't we, do the same, when it comes to our Christian walk? The new wine of honesty-at-work, poured into the old wineskin of cutting corners. The new wine of unconditional love, poured into the old wineskin of hatred for the family two doors down. The new wine of worship, poured into the old wineskin of idolizing money, power, music or the latest video game. The new wine of Bible study, poured into the old wineskin of 'gotta-go-pop-tart-for-breakfast' busyness. The new wine of humility, poured into the old wineskin of conceit. The new wine of forgiveness, poured into the old wineskin of bitterness. The new wine of others first, poured into the old wineskin of selfish ambition. The new wine of joy, poured into the old wineskin of jealousy and factions. The new wine of peace, poured into the old wineskin of discord."

Any of these ring a bell? If they do, it's time we asked God to help us abandon the old wineskins of carnality and make us a strong, new, clean vessel. As a new creation, we're no longer defined by old behaviors; you're defined by your relationship with Christ.

So I vote for CHANGE!!! Out with the old and in with the new!

Blessings,

PK

Thursday, October 9, 2008

HINDERED PRAYER

"If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14 NKJV
Hindrances to answered prayer

Another hindrance to answered prayer is - praying outside of God's will. The Bible says: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and...we know...that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." One of the best ways to make sure we are praying according to God's will, is to pray according to His Word. Use a verse, a passage or a principle from Scripture to back up what you're praying, for God says, "I am ready to perform My word" (Jer 1:12 NKJV).

Sometimes there are things we want to pray for, but we aren't sure whether those things are God's will for us according to Scripture. In this case we simply need to ask God to give it, if it's His will to do so - and to help us to be satisfied with His decision. St. Augustine said, "O, Lord, grant that I may do thy will as if it were mine; so that thou mayest do my will as if it were thine." D.L. Moody said, "Spread out your petition before God, and then say, 'Thy will, not mine, be done.' The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school, is to let the Lord choose for me."

When we pray in harmony with God, we will have what we ask for. We may have to wait, because God's timing is part of His will, but it will come. We can say, "I may not see it yet, but God has promised it to me, so it's on the way." And if God doesn't give us what we ask for, He will give us something better, if we walk in faith and keep a good attitude.

Keep on Praying,

Pastor Kevin

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A HINDRANCE TO ANSWERED PRAYER

One hindrance to answered prayer is - sin! Lillian Pearsall says: "When I was a telephone operator, a customer talked overtime on a long-distance call from a pay phone. Even with my friendly reminders, he refused to deposit his overtime coins. Instead he slammed down the phone, irate and verbally abusive. A few seconds later he was back on the line - somewhat calmer. 'Operator, please let me out of the phone booth - I'll pay, just let me out!' Apparently he had locked himself in and mistakenly thought that I had control over the phone booth's doors. He gladly paid the overtime charge, and with my advice, gave the door a hefty kick and set himself free."
Unconfessed sin locks us in and shuts God out. If we have hidden sin in our hearts, we cannot pray with confidence that God will answer. However, if we ask Him to reveal our sin, He will. When He does, we must deal with it if we want to keep the lines of communication open. If God reminds us of a situation in which we didn't do the right thing, we can't just sweep it under the rug; we have to acknowledge it and receive His forgiveness.
What we call "little things," grow into sinful habits and lifelong patterns. So when God reveals our sin we need to repent and stop what we are doing. We need to take Him seriously - immediately! This means doing everything within our power to make sure our relationship with Him is unobstructed. That way our prayers will be heard and answered.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:1

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

DOWN TO MOTIVES

"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:5–6)

There are a lot of people who think they should keep the Ten Commandments because they are under the impression that God will punish them if they don’t. But the fact is that God loves us, and we should keep His commandments because we are aware of His incredible love. For example, I want to keep my marriage vow because of the love I have for my wife Kelly.

We need to know that God accepts us as we are. We don’t have to do anything to earn His approval. We don’t have to do anything to merit His love. In spite of our shortcomings and in spite of our sins, God loves us.

Some people come from homes in which their fathers never expressed love or showed any affection toward them. Therefore, they take that image of their earthly fathers and place it on their Heavenly Father. They spend the rest of their lives trying to earn the approval of God, who already has given His approval to them.

He loves us just as we are. Of course, He doesn’t want to leave us that way. We change because of our association with our Heavenly Father. The change is not because God is unhappy with me, but rather it is a return to the original intention God had for me.

Realizing this should cause us to want to love Him. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” So instead of wanting to keep God’s commandments to earn His love, we should want to keep them because of His love for us. We should want to keep His commandments because we know they are right. It all comes down to our motives.

Be Blessed today,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, October 6, 2008

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

There is a fable about a man who found an enormous building in Heaven. Inside the building, he saw rows and rows of neatly stacked boxes, each tied with a satin bow. When the man found the box with his name on it, he quickly tore it open. Inside his box, he found all the blessings that God had wanted to give to him while he was on earth…but he had never asked.

In Genesis 12:2 and 3, God gave Abraham a sevenfold promise, and two of those were, first, “I will bless you,” revealing that God wants to bless us individually. Second, “And you will be a blessing.” The Hebrew is taken as an imperative. This is really a command. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing.

Augustine stated, “God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to receive them.” In Psalm 21:3 David wrote of himself, “For You meet him with the blessing of goodness.” The word “meet” means “to anticipate, to precede, to foresee and fulfill in advance, to pay a debt before it is due.” Furthermore, in almost every usage, it implies something of pleasure. He claimed God’s promise of blessing.

Dr. S. D. Gordon wrote that he could never forget his mother’s paraphrase of Malachi 3:10. The verse begins, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,” and ends, “I will pour.” Her paraphrase was this: “Give all He asks; take all He promises.”

God states in Isaiah 65:24, “It will come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” David Wilkerson commented, “This verse provides us with an incredible picture of our Lord’s love for us. Evidently, He is so anxious to bless us, so ready to fulfill His lovingkindness in our lives, that He can’t even wait for us to tell Him our needs. He jumps in and performs acts of mercy, grace and love toward us. And that is a supreme pleasure to Him.”

Ephesians 1:3 reveals our heavenly Father is the source of our spiritual blessing. Philippians 4:19 tells us that He supplies our temporal blessings through Christ. Psalm 103 lists five of God’s benefits for His people. Someone has described them as: First, God’s court of law, “Who forgives all your iniquities.” Second, God’s hospital, “Who heals all your diseases.” Third, God’s safe haven, “Who redeems your life from destruction.” Fourth, God’s throne room, “Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Fifth, God’s banquet hall, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things.”

“How thankful we should be that God’s blessings are dispensed according to the riches of His grace, and not according to the poverty of our faith” (Arthur W. Pink).

(by David Arnold)

“And this is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

‘The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face to shine upon you,

And be gracious unto you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.’

So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

(Numbers 6:23 – 27)

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

NOW IS THE TIME

The prophet Hosea wrote, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground. FOR IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (10:12). Spurgeon stated, “Whenever God determines to do a great work, He first sets His people to pray.” He was also asked the reason of his marvelous power in the ministry. Pointing to the floor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, he said, “In the room beneath, you will find three hundred praying Christians. Every time I preach they gather there, and uphold my hands by continuous prayer and supplications. It is in that room that you find the secret of the blessings.”

In James 5:16, we read, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” The word “effective” comes from a Greek root word that means “a fixed position.” It is suggestive of an unmovable, unshakeable mindset. “Fervent” speaks of boldness, built on solid evidence and absolute proof, that supports our prayers. Taken together, we have the exhortation to stand on God’s proven evidence that He will hear and answer when we pray. William Cowper was correct when he said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.”

A sincere lady questioned, “Pastor, I have sought a deeper experience with God all these years and I don’t have it. I have read books. I have read what to do, and all the rules, but I am nowhere yet. Does God have favorites?” Her pastor replied, “No, my dear, God does not have favorites. But he does have intimates.” Hebrews 10:19 tells us that we have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” “Boldness” indicates complete freedom of speech, without any reservation whatsoever. Someone wrote, “Prayer is the openness of the soul to God; the out-looking, up-looking of the soul to God; the humble sense of self, the silent and the spoken cry for the light and help of God.”

A new organ was installed in a New York City church. The first Sunday it was used, the electric current that was required to operate the console went off at a point early in the service. A hurried call for help brought a mechanic. Soon a note was sent up, and handed to the pastor. The note said, “After the prayer, the power will be on!” A prayerless church is a powerless church. A church that prays will do exploits.

Romans 13:11, 12, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

“There have been revivals without much preaching, but there has never been a mighty revival without mighty praying” (R. A. Torrey).

(by David Arnold)


Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

GOSSIP

Morgan Blake, a writer for the “Atlanta Journal,” wrote the following: “I am more deadly than the screaming shell from the howitzer. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea, and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is Gossip.”

In Proverbs 6:16 – 19, we read of seven things God hates, and three relate to the tongue: a lying tongue, a false witness, and sowing discord. Augustine had a motto printed on the wall of his dining room: “He that speaks an evil word of an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table.”

We read in Proverbs 26:21, “The words of a talebearer (gossip or slanderer) are as wounds, and they go down into the inmost parts of the body.” Someone stated, “Of all the wounds inflicted upon others, the hardest to heal are those made by the tongue.” Dr. A. B. Simpson declared, “I would rather play with forked lightning or take in my hands living wires, than to speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the slanderous darts which thousands of Christians are hurling on others to the hurt of their own souls and bodies.”

Christ said in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” By examining the tongue of the patient, physicians find out the diseases of the body, philosophers discover the diseases of the mind, and God knows the sins of the heart. The Jewish teachers taught: “Four persons are shut out from the presence of God – the scoffer, the hypocrite, the liar, and the retailer of slander.”

A Greek philosopher asked his servant to provide the best dish possible. The servant prepared a dish of tongue, saying, “It is the best of all dishes, because with it we may bless and communicate happiness, dispel sorrow, remove despair, cheer the fainthearted, inspire the discouraged, and say a hundred other things to uplift mankind.” Later, the philosopher asked his servant to provide the worst dish of which he could think. A dish of tongue appeared at the table. The servant said, “It is the worst, because with it we may curse and break human hearts, destroy reputations, promote discord and strife, set families, communities, and nations at war with each other. “

“The proof that you have God’s Spirit in your life is not that you speak with an unknown tongue, but that you know how to control the tongue that you do know about,” (J. Sidlow Baxter).

Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

(By David Arnold)

Be Blessed,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

THE PROMISES OF GOD

George W. Truett, while serving as pastor of First Baptist Church, in Dallas, Texas, told his congregation, “The New Testament speaks of three precious things: ‘The precious blood of Christ’( 1 Peter 1:19); ‘like precious faith’ ( 2 Peter 1:1), and “exceedingly great and precious promises’ ( 2 Peter 1:4).”

Everek R. Storms, successful author and an active layman in the Missionary Church, in an article called, “Standing On The Promises,” stated, “The Holy Scriptures contain a grand total of 8,810 promises. How do I know? I counted them…There are 7,487 promises that God has given to man. This is about 85 per cent of all the promises in the Bible.” Peter referred to them as “exceedingly great and precious promises,” meaning “rich and wonderful blessings He promised” (TLB).

A missionary endeavored successfully to teach faith in prayer to his converts. He told them he would not accept any prayer request they brought to him, unless it was accompanied with a promise they had found in the Bible that matched the nature of their request. In Psalm 112, the Psalmist speaks of the person “who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments,” verse one. Then, in verse seven, we read, “His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” The word “steadfast” means, “grounded solidly on God’s promises.” In 2 Corinthians 1:20, Paul speaks of “all the promises of God.” “Promises” here means, “to summons, to proclaim and announce, to undertake, to do, or give something.” God’s promises summon us to proclaim them as ours.

A. W. Tozer stated, “Always remember this, that God is always bigger than anything God can say, because words are inadequate to express God and what God can do. Any promise that God ever made, God has to over fulfill it. The reason being that God is so great, and His heart is so kind, and His desire is so intense and tremendous, that language doesn’t express it. Not the Greek, not the English, and no language expresses God – it can’t. If language could contain God, the language would be equal to God. So, everything God says in the Bible must be understood to be a little greater than what He says, even as God is greater than language.”

Joshua 23:14, “Not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled.” (NIV).

(by David Arnold)

You are Blessed,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, September 15, 2008

YOU PICK LORD!!

"He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39)

There are some people who teach that we should never pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” because it supposedly voids what you have just prayed for.

What nonsense. If Jesus prayed this, certainly we should follow His example.

He gave us the same pattern in the Lord’s Prayer when He said, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). I never need to be afraid to say, “Lord, Your will be done.”

Then there are those who say that we should only pray for something once; otherwise, we are demonstrating a lack of faith.

Yet Jesus taught His disciples, “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9). We give up far too easily sometimes.

We won’t always know the will of God in every situation. Then there are times when we will know the will of God, but we won’t like it. Finally, there are times when we will know the will of God, but we don’t understand it.

I like what the late D. L. Moody said, “Spread out your petition before God, and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’ ” Moody concluded, “The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.”

Have you found that to be true? We must never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Remember, each time I trust God with anything, I have added to the currency of our relationship. God can be trusted.

(By David Arnold)

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Thursday, September 11, 2008

BAD COMPANY

Peter said, “I swear by God, I don't know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. (Matthew 26:74)

Peter’s denial of Jesus did not happen over a period of seconds or minutes, but over a period of hours. An hour had passed from the time the first person said, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean,” to the time Peter made his second denial. He had ample opportunity to hightail it out of there, but he remained in this situation.

It just reminds us of the fact that no person is safe from temptation except the one who flees from it. Peter, having been warned by Jesus himself, of all people, should have avoided any place where he could be weakened. He definitely should have steered clear of all roosters.

I would have said, “Are there any roosters here? Because I’m leaving if there are. The Lord mentioned a rooster.”

Greater men and women of God than most of us certainly have been compromised by lowering their standards and allowing themselves to be drawn into sin.

People like Solomon. Samson. David. They all found out the hard way. Are we better than they were? Are we more spiritual than they were? I don’t think so.

If someone like Simon Peter was capable of falling, then surely we are. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Bad company corrupts good character. ” Peter was around people who were dragging him down spiritually.

Are you in a similar situation today? Have you entered into relationships where people are dragging you down? Maybe it’s a romance. Maybe it’s a close friendship. Are you finding yourself compromising your principles to fit in and not offend anyone?

My friend Kent Mattox from Word Alive in Alabama said to me that he thought that God worked both through inspiration and association to mature and grow us. I've always heard that if you are the biggest fish in your pond, it will limit how far you can go. Who we associate with does make a difference, it is a bible fact. People without faith can quickly drag you down. I am challenged to flee temptation and associate with those that inspire me to be better.

And NO, that does not mean we should not pursue lost people. I believe that our good associations will compel us to love the lost and hurting while bad associations make us get down in the mud with those that are running. Just something to think about.

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

FINDING THE TRUTH

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. (Matthew 26:59)

We might wonder how the religious leaders of Jesus’ day could be so heartless as to take Him and put Him to such a quick death. Where was their compassion? Where was their sense of fairness?

Even if they didn’t accept Him as the Messiah, what was behind this hatred toward Him? Why did they desire such a quick execution?

We could take the same question and apply it to the broader issue of why people reject Jesus Christ without ever taking time to consider His claims.

Why do people reject the revelation of Scripture, when in most cases, they have never taken the time to read it for themselves? Why is that people refuse to give at least a fair hearing to the message of the gospel?

Jesus said, “Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:19).

This is a hard but true fact, Sometimes people love the darkness more than they love the Lord. This keeps them from searching for Jesus and giving Him control of their life. Jesus tells us that this happens because of evil deeds. Our actions do indeed speak louder than our words.

I am not saying that people do not have legitimate questions to ask. I am not saying people do not grapple with some of these truths.

What I am saying is that when people are true seekers of God and they are presented with the answers to their questions, they will believe.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Let's be God seekers and then we will find our answers.

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, September 8, 2008

BITTERNESS

A mortician at Forest Lawn Cemetery in California told of a man who, many years ago, spent $ 200,000 on his own funeral. Having become bitter towards his estranged wife and children, he squandered all his money on his own burial and left them nothing. Because the casket and other expenses added up to only $ 100,000, he directed that the remaining $ 100,000 be spent on orchids! Sadly, only three people attended that memorial service. What a warped sense of value and waste of money. What a lesson to be learned from harboring a spirit of bitterness.

The writer to the Hebrews warned that “any root of bitterness springing up” can “cause trouble, and by this many are become defiled” (12:15). The words “root of bitterness” are used metaphorically, speaking of how bitterness produces bitter fruit. Helen Grace, writing of bitterness, stated, “It grows. It distorts reality. It keeps us chained to the past. Like bad air, it pollutes not just the bitter person, but those who come in contact with the person.”

Nothing is more counterproductive to the human spirit than bitterness and resentment. These two enemies of our lives have ruined people throughout history. Some go through life blaming their parents for their failures. Ministers have left their pulpits, and families have been destroyed because of resentment and bitterness being out of control. Pastor Dan Betzer wrote, “My friends in the medical profession tell me that bitterness often causes physical problems such as nervous disorders, heart disease, and ulcers. And mental problems such as paranoia have their seeds in bitterness.”

Bitterness corrodes the spirit. This was true of Judas Iscariot. Over time, he became so revengeful and bitter towards the Lord, that nothing could save him. Not even the sight of Jesus kneeling before him to wash his feet (John 13:5), and not even the final appeal of Jesus at the supper table (John 13:26). Sadly, his bitterness destroyed him (Matthew 27:5). Charles Buxton warned, “Bad temper is its own scourge. Few things are more bitter that to feel bitter. A man’s venom poisons himself more than his victim.”

Bitterness kills. Corrie Ten Boom, survivor of Ravensbruck, helped to establish hospitals in Holland to care for the sick who had come through Nazi concentration camps during World War 11. In her work, Miss Ten Boom observed a strange phenomenon. Those who refused to forgive the Germans for their cruelty declined in health, and a number of them died. However, those who chose to forgive their tormentors steadily improved, and eventually went home. FORGIVENESS HEALS.

(David Arnold)

Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness…be put away from you.”


Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Thursday, September 4, 2008

MUCH TO DO TODAY

I love receiving things that encourage as well as challenge me to be greater. Tim Holt forwarded this list of things to do everyday, to me. It's great, thanks Tim!!!! It is packed with great reminders of how we need to live our lives. The list strikes me in this way; I have so much to do that I don't have time to worry or fret or gossip or complain or waste. If you are trying to reach me, I will be busy working on my list. :):) Let's all use each day as the gift from God it is. God calls it the present because it is His gift. Be Blessed.

42 THINGS TO DO EACH DAY:

1. When you wake up in the morning, always start your day with a prayer/vision.
2. And then, complete the following statement, My purpose is to__________ today.
3. Take a 10 to 30-minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
4. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
5. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
6. Drink plenty of water and fresh juices.Eat blueberries,salad, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, etc.
7. Make at least three people smile each day.
8. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires,
issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot
control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present.
9. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone, so give the best of your kindness.
11. Take yourself seriously.
12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others either.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. So, be happy.
16. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
17. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
18. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
19. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: In five years, will it matter?
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and
fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will
last a lifetime.
20. Forgive everyone for everything.
21. Read more books and watch less TV than you did last year.
22. What other people think of you is none of your business.
23. God has everything you'll every need in life so hook up with Him.
24. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
25. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation; don't bring up the past.
26. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
27. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.
28. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
29. Keep believing that the best is yet to come.
30. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
31. Each day give something good to others.
32. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
33. Sleep for 7 hours every day or whatever your body needs.
34. Don't trust someone who doesn't close their eyes when you kiss them.
35. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
36. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes ok.
37. Do the right thing!
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for__________
Today I accomplished_________
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Trust in God, but lock your car.
41. Realize that as you get older, you are not approaching death, but heaven.
42. Know that GOD heals everything.


Psalm 18:1-3
(1)will love You, O LORD, my strength.
(2) The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
(3) I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
(NKJV)

Have a Blessed Day,

Pastor Kevin

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

THE SCALE

I ran across this article (David Arnold)and thought it was challenging for all of us. God's boundaries serve to help us spiritually. God Bless you today and remember, Pass the Test.

The Los Angeles Times ran an article about widespread petty theft. In it, an attorney admitted that he would wait for someone to purchase a newspaper from a vending machine and grab the door before it closed to get his paper without paying. He could afford the paper, so why would he do such a thing? He explained, “The newspaper makes so much money, taking one paper won’t matter.”

Solomon wrote, “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,” Proverbs 11:1. “Dishonest scales” is literally “balances of deceit,” and the word “abomination” implies an extraordinary degree of hatred and detestation. Charles Spurgeon told his church, “It is never to do a little wrong, to obtain the greatest possible good. Your duty is to do the right: consequences are with God; and after all it never can be, in the long run, a good thing either for you or for others to do wrong.”

Here are some dishonest practices condemned by the Bible. Using short weights and measures - Deuteronomy 25:13 – 15; Leviticus 19:35, 36. Cheating a seller – Proverbs 20:14. Refusing to pay wages – Jeremiah 22:13; Leviticus 19:13. Shifting landmarks – Job 24:2. Defrauding –Leviticus 6:2; 19:13. Borrowing without repaying – Psalm 37:21. Keith Miller spoke a word of concern when he stated, “It has never ceased to amaze me that we Christians have developed a kind of selective vision which allows us to be deeply and sincerely involved in worship and church activities, and yet almost totally pagan in the day in, day out guts of our business lives and never realize it.”

In Proverbs 20:23, we read that God “loathes all cheating and dishonesty” (TLB), and Paul wrote to Timothy about living a life of “honesty,” 1 Timothy 2:2. Madison Sarratt taught mathematics at Vanderbilt University for many years. Before giving a test, he would admonish his students, “Today I am giving two examinations – one in trigonometry and the other in honesty. I hope you will pass them both. If you must fail one, fail trigonometry. There are many good people in the world who can’t pass trigonometry, but there are no good people in the world who cannot pass the examination of honesty.”

“No legacy is so rich as honesty” (William Shakespeare Emerson).


Pastor Kevin

Friday, August 29, 2008

DON'T HOLD ON TO THE PAST

The Bible talks in great detail about dreams. When I think about dreams, Joseph immediately comes to my mind. God gave him a dream that changed the course of his families as well as the nation of Israel's destiny. It brought great difficulties to him before it proved true but God really spoke through the dream.

I have really enjoyed having people in our church that are trained to interpret dreams. It is amazing the doors of ministry it has opened for the church to reach out into the community as well as meet need among our own congregation. What I have discovered is, God is really speaking to us through dreams.

While I don't claim to be one who has completed the course on dream interpretation, I do believe God gave me insight to a dream I had recently and its application. I have shared it with the congregation and now want to post it here on the blog site.

I saw 3 white cars in a beautiful parking lot. All 3 cars were in great shape but one was an older body style, one was current and the final one looked futuristic. All of a sudden there was a mass of people, that I only saw from the back, running to get into the cars. The cars cranked and got ready to move. Suddenly, the older one blew up and steam and liquid spewed from under the hood. The other two cars left the parking lot while the one was stranded. The people riding in that car got out and I saw several things. Some were upset and yelling while others were in pain.

The Lord spoke to me several days later about it's meaning. I have been diligently praying daily for increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and God revealed to me that this was a word of wisdom given to me in a night vision for our church body.

God said that anyone holding onto past things as the way to move forward would find themselves; burned, frustrated and stranded. I can think of many things in the natural to use as examples or illustrations but the Lord said that was all I needed to say.

I find often times that I get myself stuck dwelling on yesterday's provision. I need to cling to God's provision for today only. This has re energized my prayer life. I want to be found seeking God on a daily basis so God can keep me moving forward. I do want to remind myself of God's past faithfulness but at the same time, seek him for new provision today.

I am discovering that His mercies really are new everyday. Designed specifically for what today brings.

I encourage us to have a new experience with our Heavenly Father today. It will propel us forward.

Be Blessed,

Pastor Kevin

Thursday, August 28, 2008

KNOW HIS WILL

The question of knowing what God wants me to do is a big one in the life of the christian. I think all of us feel like if we knew what God wanted us to do, then we would be at peace and able to do our best. When we have a big question mark, I believe we pull back and get timid. God's word has an answer for discovering His will. Caution before you read this, you may not like it. Just wanted to give a little disclaimer before offering the scripture. God says...

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1–2)

We find in Romans 12:1–2 what we call a conditional promise. The promise is that you can know what the perfect will of God is for your life. The conditions are that you must present yourself to God and that you must not be conformed to this world.

Notice the order. First, you offer yourself as a living sacrifice, and then you will know the will of God. A living sacrifice!!!! Kind of sounds to me like an operation while you are awake without any medecine. In other words, not a whole lot of fun. We tend to want to know God’s will first and then decide whether we want to give ourselves to it.

It reminds me dinner time around our house. Kelly will ask him the girls “Are you hungry?”
Often the response is, “What are you cooking?” If it is vegetables, then they are not hungry at that particular moment. But if it is ice cream, then they are ready to eat.

In the same way, we will sometimes say, “Lord, what is your will? Before God reveals his will to us, He is looking for a surrendered heart. The revelation of purpose and vision will not be revealed until there is total surrender. The question is, are we going to do what He says? The part that makes this so challenging is that God sees the intentions and desires of our heart. He knows where our sincerity level is at all times. It has been said that the condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart. I agree with the statement and God.

If you want to know the will of God, then you must have a heart that is surrendered. Present yourself to Him. Then you will know the good, pleasing and acceptable will of God. This is a powerful and awesome exchange.

Remember, this Sunday, we finish the series: "You want me to do what?"

God Bless You,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Walking with Jesus

It is so difficult to know God in difficult circumstances. A man named Greg Laurie is a minister who just lost his college age student. He has been writing about God's grace to him and his family in the circumstance. I thought this was a powerful revelation from a man walking through a deep valley. Be blessed today and remember to tell the people you love that you love them. I hope you enjoy his word.

"After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country." (Mark 16:12)

I think it’s interesting to note those to whom Jesus chose to appear after His resurrection. We don’t read about Him appearing to Caiaphas or Caesar. Now if it had been me, the first person I would have appeared to would have been Pilate: “Yo, Pilate! Remember me? Can’t keep a good man down, can you?” Or I would have appeared to Caiaphas, the high priest who, for the most part, orchestrated the crucifixion.

But it is interesting how Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and joined them on their journey. We don’t know who they were, and they are not mentioned again in the Bible.
The Bible tells us that Jesus appeared in another form to them as they went into the country. In other words, He was going incognito. They didn’t know that it was Jesus. The last sight they had of the Lord was His beaten and bloodied body. Surely they wanted to get that image out of their minds. There they were, walking along, and Jesus was walking with them. It’s a reminder to us that at all times, even when we don’t realize it, Jesus is walking with us.

Isaiah 43:2 promises, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”

Maybe when you are in church, you feel close to God. But wherever you go, you can know that Jesus is with you there too. When you are going through hard times, even when you cannot feel Him, Jesus is there.

Sunday, Part 2 of "you want me to do what?"

If schools are closed Wednesday, we will have no church that night.

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, August 18, 2008

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite devotional writers. I always find great encouragement in the word found in, "My utmost for His Highest". I found this thought on the work of the cross and though it would be a blessing to our church today. More than just something to put here or to have something to write, I believe that understanding the in depth and complete work of the cross is essential in the life of a believer. It is the difference in life and death. It's the difference in whether you will live in grace or under the law. I hope God enriches our lives today to walk in freedom and grace.

Chambers writes, "We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. ". . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, "But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner." God’s response, through Peter, is, ". . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. "In Him we have redemption through His blood . . ." ( Ephesians 1:7 ). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.

God Bless You today. Please remember to come the Sunday for part 2 of "You want me to do what?"

Also, remember that we will follow the Orange County public school decision for closure in determining our Wednwsday night services. We are believing for some needed rain only, to renew the land as this storm passes by the state of Florida.

Pastor Kevin

Thursday, August 14, 2008

GOD GETS THE GLORY

None of us enjoy suffering. I hate it personally and it sure makes us have to answer some hard questions about our faith. The really cool part is God is up to the challenge. It might all pass through His hands but know this; He is a loving and remarkable God. A few days ago we discovered that any kind of suffering makes us stronger. When the walls are strong, the city rejoices the bible declares.

Next, God can get glory through our suffering. Anyone can be at peace when the sun shines down from a blue and cloudless sky. But when those qualities shine out from the midst of a dark and destructive storm, that’s another matter entirely.
That, in essence, was the challenge Satan laid before God. “Job follows you because you have blessed him in every way, but if those things were taken away, it would be a different story. He would curse you.”

In order to show the falsehood of Satan’s argument—and to strengthen Job’s faith at the same time—God allowed these multiple tragedies to crash into Job’s life.
The result? Job not only refused to curse God, he actually blessed Him. What a rebuke to the enemy! What a witness to the world.
It is a powerful testimony when a believer can praise God while suffering. Remember the story of Paul and Silas, arrested for preaching the gospel in the city of Philippi? The Bible tells us that the jailer had them stripped and flogged. Then they were put in a dungeon, where their feet were fastened in stocks.

How did they respond? Here’s what the Bible says:
“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:25 nkjv) That word “listened” could be translated as listened with great interest. Why? Because they had never heard anybody sing praises to God in such a place. And that’s about the time the Lord sent an earthquake: “At once the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (Acts 16:26-28 niv)
The jailer responded by saying, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” In effect, he was saying, “I’ve been watching you guys. I’ve seen how you have taken such terrible punishment without cursing. I’ve seen how you can worship in the worst circumstances, and how you could have escaped but didn’t. All I can say is, whatever you have, I want it.”

Your circumstances may not be as dire as those of Paul and Silas. But people are watching you. If you’re in the midst of a hardship or a difficulty, they’re watching to see if you will really practice what you preach, and live out what you proclaim. The way you handle suffering in your life can bring great glory to God.Paul the apostle also suffered from an unnamed “thorn in the flesh.” No one really knows what it was, but he spoke of it in his letter to the Corinthian church, and said that he had asked the Lord on three separate occasions to remove it. But God said no. Even though God had done miracles through Paul, bringing healing to others, He chose not to bring that healing in the life of His loyal servant in this particular situation. When Paul asked why, God gave him this answer: “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 nlt). Was Paul discouraged by this answer? It sure doesn’t sound like it! He goes on to say, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (vv. 9-10).

So God can be glorified through our weakness. His light and power can shine through the chips, cracks, and cracks in your life, drawing others to Himself.

To God Be the Glory!!!

Remember, Sunday we begin the series, “YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?

Bless You,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

TRANSFERED

Never forget that God is in control of all the circumstances that surround a believer’s life. God is in control of your life, and involved in all the details.

Your suffering has not escaped His notice. Your situation has not somehow been buried in His inbox. He is intimately aware of everything going on in your world, and no detail is too small to escape His attention. The word “oops” is not in God’s vocabulary.
And as we can so clearly see from the book of Job, the devil can do nothing in the life of the believer without the express permission of God.
Okay, you say, but if He’s in control, why does He allow these hurtful things to happen to me and to people I love?

One reason is Suffering makes us strong. I know what you are thinking, I don't like that either.
The apostle James tells us: “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t treat them as intruders, but as friends. Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. . . . you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity, with no weak spots.” (James 1:2-4 phillips)

God allows hardship in our life so that our beliefs will become more real to us, and less theory. We can start living out our faith-life in the real world.
I’m reminded of all the people you see driving big SUVs. Most of these fancy rigs have 4x4 capabilities. Some guys take it a notch above that, buying those big gnarly tires, and mounting huge lights on top And what do they do with these powerful vehicles? They brag to their buddies, and say, “Yeah, just look at this thing. Look at what it can do. I could drive this baby up the side of a building.” Do you notice though that most of them never get the truck out in the dirt and mud so it can do what it was designed to do. They want it without spot or wrinkle. (that sounds kind of Biblical doesn't it) So they never want to actually use that vehicle for its intended purpose!!!

We can be that way with our beliefs. I can imagine God saying, “You know, you have a lot of really great beliefs. You talk about them all the time. I think it’s time you started putting some of them into practice. You talk about how you trust Me. You talk about how you believe I can provide for your every need. Let Me put you in a situation where you have no other resources and really have to trust Me for that provision.”
You see, God can allow these hardships and trials and shortfalls in our lives so that we will exercise our faith muscles, and step out on trust alone. We need to transfer our faith from the realm of theory to reality. Let the transfer begin. I will add another reason tomorrow as to why God will allow suffering.

Remember Sunday!! We begin the series, You want me to do WHAT?

You are the Head and not the Tail,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, August 11, 2008

LOOKING LIKE GOD

William A. Ward said, "We are most like beasts when we kill. We are most like men when we judge. We are most like God when we forgive." I found this incredible story of forgiveness and perspective and thought it would be a great blessing to our lives.

Hubert Humphrey, a Democrat, and Richard Nixon, a Republican, were long time political foes. In 1968, Nixon won a bitter presidential race against Humphrey. The two men hated each other. In January of 1978, Hubert Humphrey died, after a long battle with cancer. At his funeral, there was a most striking scene. Richard Nixon, disgraced by Watergate and forced to leave office, was seated next to Humphrey’s wife, Muriel. There is a story behind this scene.
Three days before Humphrey died, a friend came to visit him. He told his friend that he had just called Richard Nixon. Both surprised and alarmed, his friend asked why he had phoned him. This was Humphrey’s reply: "From this vantage point, with the sun setting in my life, all the speeches, the political conventions, the crowds, and the bitter fights are behind me. At a time like this, you are forced to deal with your irreducible lessons, forced to grapple with that which is really important. What I have concluded about life is that when all is said and done, we must forgive each other, redeem each other, and move on. I forgave President Nixon, asked him to forgive me, which he did. Then I asked him to sit with my wife at my funeral."

It is easier to go through life with an open heart, that a clinched fist. C. S. Lewis declared, "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."
The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you," Ephesians 4:32. Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-45, that when we forgive we most resemble our Heavenly Father. Not praying for the sick, not giving, not ministering or all the things that are like the Lord, but forgiving. God puts a really high premium on forgiving. I guess because the price of forgiving us and giving us the ability to forgive was very costly.

It may not be in the Bible, but there is God’s own truth in Alexander Pope’s proverb, "To err is human, to forgive divine." Remember to show off our family resemblance by forgiving. God Bless You.

We start a brand new series this Sunday called, "YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT, GOD? I am really excited about what God will do this week.

(David Arnold)

Remember to seek the Lord this week. It will bring irresistible joy and make God bigger. (Psalm 70:4)


Pastor Kevin

Friday, August 8, 2008

YOU CALLED ME!!!

When Kelly and I first got married, we always dreaded the phone bill coming at the end of the month. We lived in Virgina and both of our families lived out of state and we loved talking to them. When the bill arrived, we didn't like it so much. A few years ago one of the carriers came up with unlimited long distance. What a great idea!! (wish I had thought of it years before) We were constantly trying to get our families to call us so they would have to pay the bill. You see the company always bills the person who places the call. You make the call, you take care of the bill.

Evidently, God feels the same way. In John 15:16, Jesus says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you...". Jesus picked us out to place His great grace and favor on our lives. Since he placed the call then He assumes the responsibility for the payment. That just makes me smile while I sit here typing. Someone else has to pay besides me. When God takes responsibility, he fulfills all the letter of the agreement. He never runs out of resources, gets tired or decides to quit. HE IS RESPONSIBLE! Not out of obligation but because He really wants to be our caregiver.

Jesus goes on in this verse to say, "...and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." God confirms His call by adding some pretty incredible benefits. He appoints us to be fruitful. An appointment can only be removed by the one who made it. God's commitment is fruitfulness that lasts. Early in the 15th chapter of John He says He will reposition us, prune us and even burn away dead parts to keeps us fruitful.

The other great part of this responsibility is the last part of verse 16. He gives us whatever we ask the Father in His name. That is AWESOME!! What else should we expect though from someone who is willing to pay a bill that's not His? He Called Us!!!!


See ya Sunday, Expect great things from our God,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

“THE SPECK, THE PLANK, AND THE HYPOCRITE”

In the nineteenth century, two of the greatest English preachers were Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker. In the early part of their ministries, they had a good relationship, even sometimes exchanging pulpits. They were examples of unity among Christians in England. Even though differing on some doctrinal points, they remained dear friends. After several years, Spurgeon discovered that Parker attended the theater, and accused him of being unspiritual. Parker found out that Spurgeon enjoyed cigars, and countered that Spurgeon was unspiritual. Their disagreement became so intense that they stopped speaking. Innocent people were forced to take sides. Instead of remaining stepping stones for love and brotherhood, they became stumbling blocks.

The statement, "Think of your own sins, and you will be more understanding of the sins of others," is good advice. In Matthew 7:1, Christ admonished, "Judge not, that you be not judged." He then warned of focusing on "the speck," (referring to a straw, a piece of chaff, or a very small particle) in someone else’s eye, while we maintain a "plank," (logs, or heavy beams on which the temple was built), in our own eye. According to Christ, the person with a log in his own eye, who attempts to deal with a tiny fault of another, is a hypocrite, someone who pretends to be which he is not. Our obligation is to put out of our lives those glaring faults that prevent us from properly appraising the character of another, before we seek to deal with the small faults of someone else.

John Wesley wrote to a friend, "The longer I live, the larger allowances I make for others. I exact more from myself, and less from others." The more we grow in grace, the more we will see how far short we fall from the perfection which is in Christ, and demonstrate a more charitable attitude towards one another.

A young parishioner noticed on his pastor’s desk a smooth, polished rock inscribed, "The First Stone." When he expressed surprise, his pastor explained that it was a constant reminder of John 8:7, "He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone."

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them" (Mother Teresa).

(By David Arnold)


Walk in love,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, August 4, 2008

Don't Quit!!!

A young college student, in his freshman year, was struggling with a course in French. He was so discouraged that he wrote home to his parents expressing his temptation to drop out of school. His dad sent him a poster of a young man, around nineteen years of age, in his football uniform. He was sitting dejectedly at the far end of the bench, covered with mud, his hair disheveled, and his face buried in his hands. The caption reads, "I Quit." Elihu Root said, "Men do not fail; they give up trying." Here are some thoughts about "Wanting To Quit," then some input on "How Not To Quit."

"First: Wanting To Quit."

1. Wanting to quit is a sign of success, because only successful people can quit.
2. The more you have to quit, the more you want to quit. Samuel Johnson declared, "Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance."
3. You can enjoy the luxury of wanting to quit if you know you’re not going to quit. Wanting to quit, and actually quitting are not the same.
4. Quitting is really changing. Sometimes we all need a change, but don’t quit on an unfinished task, calling it change.

Second: "How Not To Quit."

1. Burn the bridges behind you. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "To reach the port of heaven we must sail, sometimes with the wind and sometimes against – but we must sail, not drift or lie at anchor."
2. Don’t expose yourself to what you do not want to be. Ten years from now you will be what you read, view, and listen to via the media, and the people you associate with. Albert Einstein warned, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
3. Don’t tell anyone you want to quit, when you want to quit (except for a close trusted friend, and, even then, be cautious).
4. Lock yourself in so you can’t quit. Have a fixed and determined spirit. Great people are just ordinary people who just don’t quit. Marylin vos Savant stated, "Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."

Now, for the rest of the story. I began with the illustration about the poster showing a young football player, despondent and defeated, with the caption, "I Quit." However, down on the bottom of the poster is a little picture of a black hill outside of Jerusalem, with a very crude cross, and next to it these words, "I didn’t!"

Jesus did not give up on us. He is still pressing forward for the best in our lives. When you want to quit, remember that God is your faithful Father. His past faithfulness is a deposit of his future plans to intervene in your life.

(By David Arnold)

Kelly and I love you very much, DON'T QUIT!!!

Pastor Kevin

Saturday, August 2, 2008

AN ANXIOUS MIND

Peter Marshal was a Scottish-American preacher. He became pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D. C. in 1937, and twice served as U. S. Senate Chaplain. On one occasion, he broke all precedent for prayer in the United States Senate by praying: "Help us to do our very best this day and be content with today’s troubles, so that we shall not borrow the troubles of tomorrow. Save us from the sin of worrying, lest stomach ulcers be the badge of our lack of faith. Amen."

In Luke 12:29, Christ admonished, "Do not have an anxious mind." The word for "anxious" means, "all up in the air about something," that suggests "hovering between hope and fear, restless." Further, He stated in Matthew 6:25, "Stop perpetually worrying." The word "worry" itself comes from an old German word which means "to choke." Then, through the years, the term came to be used to denote "mental strangulation." Maybe this is why John Wesley stated that he would just as soon swear as to worry.

Once when Martin Luther felt very despondent, he heard a bird singing its evening song. Then he saw it tuck its head under its wing and go to sleep. He remarked, "This little bird has had its supper and now is getting ready to go to sleep, quite content, never troubling itself as to what its food will be or where it will lodge on the morrow. Like David, it abides under the shadow of the Almighty. It sits on its little twig, content, and lets God care."

In 1 Peter 5:7, we are told to "Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." The word "cast" means to throw something away or throw it onto something. The same word is used in Luke 19:35 for throwing garments on a colt in preparation for riding. It expresses a definite act of our will in committing to God our worries, giving them up to Him, and allowing Him to take responsibility. George Mueller reminds us, "The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety."

There is on record in an early Greek manuscript, the name of a man called Titedios Amerimnos. The first name is a proper name. The second name is made up of the word which means "to worry," with the Greek letter Alpha prefixed to it, which makes the word mean the opposite of what it formerly meant. It is thought that this man was a pagan Greek who perpetually worried, but who after being saved, stopped worrying. So he was called, "Titedios, The Man Who Never Worries." Remember, when we put our cares in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts."

(By David Arnold)


I am creating a worry free zone in my life. God bless you. See you in service this weekend.

Pastor Kevin

Monday, July 28, 2008

Proof, that hope is never lost!!!!

I love an ending that just makes you feel good. The Bible is full of these kind of stories where God comes through so miraculously that it makes you smile. It makes me proud to be a Christian, well I am always proud to be associated with the Lord, even if sometimes I make Him want to hide. He never does, Thankfully!

My relationship with my heavenly Father is the only guaranteed, happy, ride off into the sunset, thing I have going. Phil 1:6- gives us this promise about God's ability to stay on task and complete the work, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. God will do the carrying!!!! WOW that sure is comforting and makes me smile today.

I wanted to share this incredible story of God's grace and mercy. Josh Hamilton is a baseball player for the Texas Rangers. He just set the All Star game on fire in the Home Run contest by hitting 28 in one round (a record). His story about God's power helps me remember that God can do anything. The story is a little long but worth the read.


God Bless You Today,


Pastor Kevin



By Josh Hamilton (as told to Tim Keown)ESPN The Magazine

To let you know how far I've come, let me tell you where I've been.
Not that long ago, there were nights I went to sleep in strange places praying I wouldn't wake up. After another night of bad decisions, I'd lie down with my heart speeding inside my chest like it was about to burst through the skin. My thinking was clouded, and my talent was one day closer to being totally wasted.
I prayed to be spared another day of guilt and depression and addiction. I couldn't continue living the life of a crack addict, and I couldn't stop, either. It was a horrible downward spiral that I had to pull out of, or die. I lay there -- in a hot and dirty trailer in the North Carolina countryside, in a stranger's house, in the cab of my pickup -- and prayed the Lord would take me away from the nightmare my life had become.
When I think of those terrible times, there's one memory that stands out. I was walking down the double-yellow of a two-lane country highway outside Raleigh when I woke up out of a trance.
I was so out of it I had lost consciousness, but my body had kept going, down the middle of the road, cars whizzing by on either side. I had run out of gas on my way to a drug dealer's house, and from there I left the truck and started walking. I had taken Klonopin, a prescription antianxiety drug, along with whatever else I was using at the time, and the combination had put me over the edge. It's the perfect example of what I was: a dead man walking.
And now, as I stand on the green grass of a major league outfield or walk to the batter's box with people cheering for me, I repeatedly ask myself one simple question: How did I get here from there?
I've been in the big leagues as a member of the Cincinnati Reds for half a season, but I still find myself taking off my cap between pitches and taking a good look around. The uniform, the ballparks, the fans -- it doesn't seem real. How am I here? It makes no sense to anybody, and I feel almost guilty when I have to tell people, over and over, that I can't answer that one simple question.
I go to sleep every night with a clear mind and a clear conscience. Every day, I walk into an immaculate clubhouse with 10 TVs and all the food I can eat, a far cry from the rat-infested hellholes of my user past. I walk to my locker and change into a perfectly clean and pressed uniform that someone else hung up for me. I grab a bat and a glove and walk onto a beautifully manicured field to play a game for a living.
How am I here? I can only shrug and say, "It's a God thing." It's the only possible explanation.
There's a reason my prayers weren't answered during those dark, messed-up nights I spent scared out of my mind. There's a reason I have this blessed and unexpected opportunity to play baseball and tell people my story.
My wife, Katie, told me this day would come. At my lowest point, about three years ago, when I was wasting away to skin and bones and listening to nobody, she told me I'd be back playing baseball someday. She had no reason to believe in me. During that time, I did nothing to build my body and everything to destroy it. I'd go five or six months without picking up a ball or swinging a bat. By then, I'd been in rehab five or six times -- on my way to eight -- and failed to get clean. I was a bad husband and a bad father, and I had no relationship with God. Baseball wasn't even on my mind.
And still Katie told me, "You're going to be back playing baseball, because there's a bigger plan for you." I couldn't even look her in the eye. I said something like, "Yeah, yeah, quit talking to me."
She looks pretty smart, doesn't she? I have a mission now. My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger.
Addiction is a humbling experience. Getting it under control is even more humbling. I got better for one reason: I surrendered. Instead of asking to be bailed out, instead of making deals with God by saying, "If you get me out of this mess, I'll stop doing what I'm doing," I asked for help. I wouldn't do that before. I'd been the Devil Rays' No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft, supposedly a five-tool prospect. I was a big, strong man, and I was supposed to be able to handle my problems myself. That didn't work out so well.
Every day I'm reminded that my story is bigger than me. It never fails. Every time I go to the ballpark, I talk to people who are either battling addictions themselves or trying to help someone else who is. Who talks to me? Just about everybody. I walked to the plate to lead off an inning in early May, minding my own business, when the catcher jogged out to the mound to talk to his pitcher. As I was digging in, the home plate umpire (I'm intentionally not naming him) took off his mask and walked around the plate to brush it off. He looked up at me and said, "Josh, I'm really pulling for you. I've fought some battles myself, and I just want you to know I'm rooting for you."
A father will tell me about his son while I'm signing autographs. A mother will wait outside the players' parking lot to tell me about her daughter. They know where I've been. They look to me because I'm proof that hope is never lost.
They remind me that this isn't really about baseball. It's amazing that God allowed me to keep my baseball talents after I sat out three years and played only 15 games last season in A-ball. On May 6, I hit two homers against the Rockies at home, and I felt like I did in high school. I felt like I could do anything on the field.
I've been called the biggest surprise in baseball this year, and I can't argue with that. If you think about it, how many people have gone from being a crack addict to succeeding at anything, especially something as demanding as major league baseball? If I hadn't been picked up by the Reds after the Rule 5 draft, which opened up a major league roster spot for me, I'd probably still be in A-ball. Instead, I'm hanging around .270 with 13 homers through 60 games with Cincinnati; not bad for a 26-year-old major league rookie. But the way I look at it, I couldn't fail. I've been given this platform to talk about the hell I've been through, so it's almost like I need to do well, like I don't have a choice.
This may sound crazy, but I wouldn't change a thing about my path to the big leagues. I wouldn't even change the 26 tattoos that cover so much of my body, even though they're the most obvious signs of my life temporarily leaving the tracks. You're probably thinking, Bad decisions and addiction almost cost him his life, and he wouldn't change anything? But if I hadn't gone through all the hard times, this whole story would be just about baseball. If I'd made the big leagues at 21 and made my first All-Star team at 23 and done all the things expected of me, I would be a big-time baseball player, and that's it.
Baseball is third in my life right now, behind my relationship with God and my family. Without the first two, baseball isn't even in the picture. Believe me, I know.
***** I'LL NEVER forget Opening Day in Cincinnati. When they called my name during introductions and a sellout crowd stood and cheered, I looked into the stands and saw Katie and our two kids -- Sierra, who's nearly 2, and my 6-year-old stepdaughter, Julia -- and my parents and Katie's parents. I had to swallow hard to keep from breaking down right there. They were all crying, but I had to at least try to keep it together.
I pinch-hit in the eighth inning of that game against the Cubs, and Lou Piniella decided to make a pitching change before I got to the plate. The crowd stood and cheered me for what seemed like forever. It was the best sound I've ever heard. When I got into the box, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett looked up at me from his crouch and said, "You deserve it, Josh. Take it all in, brother. I'm happy for you." I lined out to left, but the following week I got my first start and my first hit -- a home run.
Whether I hit two bombs or strike out three times, like I did in a game against the Pirates, I never forget that I'm living with addiction. It's just part of my life. Johnny Narron, my former manager's brother, is a big part of my recovery. He's the Reds' video coordinator, and he once coached me in fall baseball when I was 15. He looks after me on the road. When they pass out meal money before a trip -- always in cash -- they give mine to Johnny, and he parcels it out to me when I need it.
I see no shame in that; it's just one of the realities of my situation. I don't need to be walking around with $400 in my pocket.
I know I'm different, and my teammates have been very accepting. Being a rookie in the big leagues, there are certain rituals involved, and one of them is carrying beer onto the plane. My teammates gave me that job on one of the first road trips, and I didn't do it. I didn't think it would be a good idea for me to be seen carrying beer onto a plane. They respected my decision.
I get a lot of abuse in visiting cities, but it only bothers me when people are vulgar around kids. The rest I can handle. Some of it is even funny. In St. Louis, I was standing in rightfield when a fan yelled, "My name is Josh Hamilton, and I'm a drug addict!" I turned around and looked at him with my palms raised to the sky. "Tell me something I don't know, dude," I said. The whole section started laughing and cheering, and the heckler turned to them and said, "Did you hear that? He's my new favorite player." They cheered me from that point on.
I live by a simple philosophy: Nobody can insult me as much as I've insulted myself. I've learned that I have to keep doing the right things and not worry about what people think. Fortunately, I have a strong support group with Katie, my family and Johnny. If I ever get in a bad situation, I know I would have to get out of it and give Johnny a call. The key is not getting myself into those situations, but we've talked about having a plan for removing myself just in case. It's all part of understanding the reality of the addiction.
In spring training, when I hit over .400 and made the team, there was a lot of interest in my story.
I decided to be open about what happened to me; early on, I was doing long interviews before my first game in every city. It's been amazing how people have responded, and I think being honest helped. I can't avoid my past, so I don't try. It's not always easy, though. I got sick in late May and ended up on the disabled list after going to the hospital with a stomach problem, and I knew I'd have to answer questions about whether I was using again. I can't control what people think, but the years of drug abuse tore up my immune system pretty good. I get tested three times a week, and if it comes back positive, I know I'm done with baseball for life.
Aside from our struggles as a team, this season has been a dream for me. And that's fitting, because in a way I had to learn how to dream all over again. When I was using, I never dreamed. I'd sleep the dead, dreamless sleep of a stalled brain. When I stopped using, I found my dreams returned. They weren't always good dreams; most of the ones I remember were haunting and dark. They stayed with me long after I woke up.
Within my first week of sobriety in October 2005 -- after I showed up at my grandmother's house in Raleigh in the middle of the night, coming off a crack binge -- I had the most haunting dream. I was fighting the devil, an awful-looking thing. I had a stick or a bat or something, and every time I hit the devil, he'd fall and get back up. Over and over I hit him, until I was exhausted and he was still standing.
I woke up in a sweat, as if I'd been truly fighting, and the terror that gripped me makes that dream feel real to this day. I'd been alone for so long, alone with the fears and emotions I worked so hard to kill. I'm not embarrassed to admit that after I woke up that night, I walked down the hall to my grandmother's room and crawled under the covers with her. The devil stayed out of my dreams for seven months after that. I stayed clean and worked hard and tried to put my marriage and my life back together. I got word in June 2006 that I'd been reinstated by Major League Baseball, and a few weeks afterward, the devil reappeared.
It was the same dream, with an important difference. I would hit him and he would bounce back up, the ugliest and most hideous creature you could imagine. This devil seemed unbeatable; I couldn't knock him out. But just when I felt like giving up, I felt a presence by my side. I turned my head and saw Jesus, battling alongside me. We kept fighting, and I was filled with strength. The devil didn't stand a chance.
You can doubt me, but I swear to you I dreamed it. When I woke up, I felt at peace. I wasn't scared. To me, the lesson was obvious: Alone, I couldn't win this battle. With Jesus, I couldn't lose.
***** I GET cravings sometimes, and I see it as the devil trying to catch me in a weak moment. The best thing I can do is get the thought out of my mind as soon as I can, so it doesn't turn into an obsession. When it happens, I talk to him. I talk to the devil and say, "These are just thoughts, and I'm not going to act on them." When I talk like that, when I tell him he's not going to get the best of me, I find the thought goes away sooner.
Believe it or not, talking to the devil is no harder to explain than many other experiences I've had since that day last December when my life changed. I was working for my brother's tree service in Raleigh, sending limbs through a chipper, when I found out I'd been selected by the Cubs and traded to the Reds in the Rule 5 draft.
But there is one story that sticks with me, so much so that I think of it every day. I was driving out of the players' parking lot at Great American Ball Park after a game in May, with Katie and our two girls. There's always a group of fans standing at the curb, hoping to get autographs, and I stop to sign as many as I can.
And on this particular night, a little boy of about 9 or 10, wearing a Reds cap, handed me a pen and something to sign. Nothing unusual there, but as I was writing the boy said, "Josh, you're my savior."
This stopped me. I looked at him and said, "Well, thank you. Do you know who my savior is?"
He thought for a minute. I could see the gears turning. Finally, he smiled and blurted out, "Jesus Christ." He said it like he'd just come up with the answer to a test. "That's exactly right," I said.
You see, I may not know how I got here from there, but every day I get a better understanding of why