From the Heart of the Senior Pastor

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - December 29, 2009

Investing

As 2009 draws to a close, we often reflect on the year’s events. We also start to look ahead to the New Year. What will we focus on, or invest in for 2010? Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about investing.

Jesus had a couple of prominent parables about talents and pounds. We are all born with things we need to invest (see Matt. 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27). Each of us are given a different amount of talents based on our ability. Some of us are great at talking to people, some sing well. Some are very intelligent. Some are physically strong.

Jesus has asked us to “do business until I come”. In other words, keep using your strengths to bless others and further the kingdom. Use your business acumen to the glory of God. Invest in the church and worthy causes. Put your time into people.

The Lord had nothing good to say to those who didn’t use His gifts. To the servant who was afraid, he took his money away and gave it to the one who had invested wisely. Hiding your abilities and skills is a sin; fear is an instrument of torment and not what God had in mind for your life.

Let’s take 2010 to invest in the kingdom – leading people to Christ, financially with our tithes and offerings, emotionally with your time and talents. Let’s invest in relationships, making new friends and strengthening old ones; encourage our natural and spiritual family and spend time with the other generation. Financially, give tithes and offerings, build up savings, get out of debt. Lastly, invest in yourself – forgive lingering offenses, get biblical and regular education. Stir up your faith and have a good confession in attitude and words. Let’s make 2010 a year of great returns on our investments!

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - December 21, 2009

A Christmas Sign

“This shall be a sign to you” Luke 2:12

Sign: that by which anything is made known or represented. A mark, an indication from sign; add a few letters and we get signature. A sign that represents you legally, by which you are made known or represented, is your signature.

If you couldn’t write, you could put down some symbol - this is my sign, it represents me. When God says “this shall be a sign to you”  this is His signature, this is that by which He is made known .

This time of year, we send and receive Christmas cards. If you received a Christmas card without a signature, what would it be worth to you? It wouldn’t mean anything. We don’t send a communication without affixing our signature. It is a sign to the person receiving it as to who it is from.

Can you imagine that God would communicate to mankind and not affix His signature?

If God the father communicates to us his children surely we must believe that He has enough wisdom to sign His name so that we will know that the communication is from Him.

When Jesus came into the world, this was God’s living communication to us, God had communicated with man before and he had given signs to authenticate those communications but the coming of Jesus was God’s supreme and final communication, therefore we can be sure that with this communication God would not fail to leave His imprint, his mark, his seal, his signature.

What makes the event of Jesus’ birth real to us? What authenticates the event to us, the whole world, and to all generations? It was a fulfillment of prophecy.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6

The fulfilled prophecy, this constitutes a proof of God’s signature. For who but God could foretell a thing hundreds of years beforehand? And it came to pass in exquisitely detailed fashion.

In his life and ministry, he fulfilled dozens of prophecies which put the mark or sign of God on Him. Jesus Christ is God’s living epistle to us, His living communication to lost mankind.

What would you think of someone who questioned your signature? Felt that your signature wasn’t good enough for them? Or your signature on a check?

God has shown himself, he has made himself known through Jesus. Accept his signature.

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - December 15, 2009

What about the real Mary, the mother of Jesus? The Bible tells us she was a worshiper, a giver, surrendered to the Lord, involved in church and one of God’s great servants.

Mary was a commoner, not unlike you and I. She came from a good family, was content and humble. Engaged to Joseph and yet a teenager (part of the culture), she was not so common in God’s sight. Something about her made God choose her to carry the body of Jesus in her womb. She participated in a miracle. 

She endured scorn. Joseph considered “putting her away quietly”, so as not to cause her any public humiliation. She raised Jesus as the firstborn, lovingly submitting him to learn traditional faith and discipline of the time.

As he grew and started to cause wonder with His understanding of the scriptures and His place in them, she watched. When Jesus revealed Himself as God’s Son, she kept involved with his disciples. She was at the cross. You can bet she was in the upper room when the Holy Spirit fell.

In short, Mary was faithful. She was given a charge, a holy, exceptional person to raise. But not just any person: God’s only Son. During His crucifixion, Jesus honored her and made sure she was taken care of in her old age, something He would have done had He lived. He absorbed her lessons of respect and honor of those in authority over us in our lives. 

Our children are given to us to raise and to love, to serve and to mold. How are we doing with that charge? Are we faithful with what is in our hand, the miracle right in front of us?

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - December 10, 2009

I’m impressed with a man named Joseph, the guardian of Jesus. Anyone that God would choose to be the natural trustee of His son has my attention. Joseph was a common man who served an uncommon God!

And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Matt 1:16-25

Joseph was the earthly man that served in the role of father to Jesus. I wonder what it must have been like: What was it like to have been talked about behind his back when he stuck it out with Mary? What about that long journey to Bethlehem and not getting in the hotel/inn? How do you deal with loneliness in a place far from home and an important event: the birth of a first born? What about the stable? Did he have to learn Egyptian? Did he and Jesus ever arm wrestle? When he prayed, did he look up and see Jesus listening? What was it like to teach the Son of God to work with his hands?

Here are some things to observe about this man of character:

Joseph was a righteous man. He stood upright in his community, under the old covenant he would receive the promise of life after death. “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man” Matt 1:19

Joseph was an example. He let his light (the workings of God within) shine through him in action and most likely in words.

Joseph trusted in God. He was willing to follow God’s ways of sacrifice.

Joseph walked in God’s grace. He was open to receive God’s help

Joseph received the gift of relationship with God. God directed his life and Joseph followed.

Joseph was a carpenter; he was used to knowing the plan; the big picture. He was used to making things fit. “Measure twice and cut once.” Surprises and changes are not what he would looked forward to. It is the same in building trades today. But this time, Joseph was not the builder, he was the tool. A hammer in the grip of God. A nail between His fingers. This was God’s project, not his. He could only see that part of the project that God was using him in. He yielded and gave himself to God’s plan for his life to be the trustee or guardian of the child Jesus and raise him. He was caught between what God says and what made sense to him. He chose to follow the Lord.

A common man who serves an uncommon God! God is still looking for people like Joseph today. Men and women who believe that God is not through with this world. Joseph was a tree of righteousness. Our character is our ministry.

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation. Ps 149:4

To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. Isa 61:3

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - November 30, 2009

Jesus came to earth in the form of a baby who grew up to be a man. He did not come to earth, fully vested in his power and authority, wielding a sword. He was born in a stable of humble lineage. He lived in his body, dressed to fit in with humanity. Hebrews 2:7 says God made man a little lower than the angels. Hebrews 2:17: Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Visibility is just as important as ability. Jesus was the message. God packaged Him in a physical body.

Bruce Olson in his book Bruchko recounted a Barί legend he had learned, about a Barί man wanting to help a group of ants build a good home, but because he was so big and different, the ants scattered in fear. Miraculously, the man was transformed into an ant, and as an ant, he was able to show the other ants how to improve their home. Olson used that story to describe how God became incarnate in Jesus, and “walked our trail”. Olson described the death of Jesus, and His resurrection, and told the Barί that the Bible tells the story of Jesus.

After the fall, in order to restore His image in us, God had to place His image in humanity once again. The Word, through whom God’s image had originally been placed in us, recreated us in His likeness by coming in the flesh in our likeness. Athansius, early church father, compares this to a man who has had his portrait painted but the portrait is damaged. The artist doesn’t need to destroy the painting, but merely has the subject come and sit for him again to restore the correct image in the painting.

Jesus’ coming has restored the image of God, the Imago Dei, in us. It is Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - November 24, 2009

“It’s a good thing to give thanks to the Lord” Psa. 92:1

Why?

Because we ought to be thankful, because all things come from God, because we have received so much, or sort of religious duty that ought to be performed. Yes, but…

As Thanksgiving approaches, we naturally start to think about what we’re thankful for. Yes, but is there more to this? The bible is filled with encouragement to praise God, to be thankful.

Have you ever thought of the giving of thanks not so much as a religious duty to be performed periodically but as a perpetual mental attitude? And the practical value of such a mental attitude to you as a person?

So much of Christianity is presented in the form of religious duties which we ought to perform instead of extremely practical and beneficial experience which can literally transform our ways of thinking and living, bringing us immeasurable blessing.

As I read the NT it seems to me that this concept of thanksgiving as a perpetual state of mind was what Paul was seeking to convey to his readers.

We give thanks to God always for you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers. 1 Th.:2

For this cause also we thank God without ceasing. 1 Th. 2:13

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren. 2 Th. 1:3

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Th.5:8

How do we do this? There are three parts of us, so those three parts need to be focused on being thankful.

Mental Implications

To constantly keep in one’s mind thoughts of gratitude and thanksgiving is the greatest mental energizer I have ever discovered.

If you will deliberately create the habit of thinking thoughts of gratitude every moment of every day as you work, relax, etc. you will have taken the greatest step toward happiness and mental health that you have ever taken.

Happiness, looking for it is external circumstances almost entirely a state of mind, you are happy or unhappy depending on your thought patterns, what is the secret of happiness?

Our mental health can be a great problem. I am convinced that the person who will deliberately train his mind to think thoughts of gratitude, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You”.

People are not taught the importance of right thinking. There is too much emphasis on how to act right. If you think right, you will act right. Much is written on how to take care of the body but not enough on the mind. Mind needs to be full of something, it is not a vacuum. Can’t be full of two things at once – positive and negative. Phil 4:8 encourages us to “think on these things” – things that are pure, lovely, noble, true, etc.

Moral implications of Thanksgiving: being thankful has a distinct moral value, and not only provides a mental tonic but a moral incentive.

Our gratitude to God provides a powerful motive to live lives that are well pleasing to Him. Col. 1:10-12

Our gratitude to God makes us more willing to forgive others. Review the story of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 23 for an example of this.

Spiritual implications of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving magnifies God, and causes us to humble ourselves before Him. We start to connect the dots on all the wonderful things the Lord has given us and done for us, and we are humbled. Psa. 69:30, 32

A constant attitude of thanksgiving to God helps us to have a proper estimate of ourselves and an awareness of our dependence on God. We need Him for everything and anything.

2 Cor. 2:14 Now thanks be to God, causes us to triumph

Psa. 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul

Thanksgiving is a sacrifice that God requires. Sacrifice requires death, and sometimes that death is our will and understanding in a situation.

1 Pet. 2:5 sacrifice of praise

Rom. 12:1 a living sacrifice

Thanksgiving gives meaning and power to our prayers. We look back to see what God has done for us and we know He will continue to be faithful. So this Thanksgiving, let us commit to become a thankful people each day of the year. Let’s participate in thanks-living.