From the Heart of the Senior Pastor

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - March 1, 2010

Ten Reasons to Rejoice!

Jesus is building His Church. How is the house of Jesus doing? The global Church is on track to win one billion first-time converts to Christ.  Let’s each support our church. Encourage congregation members to win one soul.  Pray for the billion. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it together! Recently, Dr. James Davis, the co-chair of Global Networking and co-founder of the Billion Soul movement, shared ten reasons to rejoice in 2010. I am excited to share these with you:

Africa’s 600 million Christians makes it what missiologist Philip Jenkins calls, the single greatest religious shift in world history!

China has 45,000 new converts every day totaling more than 130 million Christians. Nearly 16 million came to Christ in 2009!

United States pastors have had made startling advances in an increasingly hostile culture. The signs of the next spiritual awakening are dawning. Jonathan Falwell from Thomas Road Baptist Church baptized 1300 people last year alone!

Indian leaders see nearly 15,000 make making first-time decisions for Christ every day. More than 5 million in 2009!

Indonesia, a Muslim nation (largest), boasts some of the largest churches in the world, and has mushroomed from 1.3 million to 11 million believers in 40 years!

In Vietnam, Protestant Christianity grew 600 percent this last decade!

In the small island nation of Fiji, church planters yielded 200 new churches this year alone, with hundreds baptized every Sunday!

In just one district in Uganda, leaders planted more than 1200 churches last year using the Filipino model, and as a nation they are targeting one million new believers in 2010!

Korea sends more missionaries than any nation on earth!

Nigeria hosts the largest prayer meeting in the world with 2 million each December!

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - February 23, 2010

Builders with God 

“I will build my Church”  Mt. 16:18 - Spoken by the Carpenter.

Ordinarily when Christians read this statement they think only on terms of the Lord's purpose in evangelism and multiplying converts during the course of this age; but something more than this was envisioned by Jesus when He declared His purpose to build. Let me illustrate. Supposing you were going to build a house out of stones. First you would have to gather the stones, but this would be only preliminary to the actual building. Evangelism corresponds to the gathering of the stones. But a pile of stones is not a building. When Jesus said He would BUILD His church, He used the Greek word oikokomeo, which means “to build” as you would a house or a building. Stones must be cut and shaped and fit together, each in its own place, before it can be said that something has been “built.”

In the book of Acts, whenever the church is pictured as evangelizing (gathering stones), the word “build” is not used, but rather the words “add” or “multiply.”  Acts 6:1 speaks of the number of disciples being “multiplied.”  Multiplying is not building, though it is a necessary preliminary step. You must have gathered material before you can build a house. In Acts 9:31 we have both thoughts of multiplying and building presented together. “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified (built up); and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied.” Obviously there must be some people before the Lord can start building. But you will notice in the above scripture that the church was able to multiply because it was built up in the Lord. If our emphasis is on just multiplying, we will eventually end in confusion. But if God has given us some people, and we will concentrate on building (spiritual edification) and letting Him build us together as His spiritual house (or temple), then we will also multiply, in God's time. Whenever you come across this word “edify” in the King James version of the Bible it means to “build up,” or “build together.” 

Jesus is the builder, but He is also a part of the building. And the same is true of Christians. We are co-laborers with Him, but we are also a part of the building (see 1 Cor. 3:9).  Let's take a closer look at Jesus' words in Mt. 6:17-18 to see this. Jesus speaks to Simon, whom He renamed Peter, and says, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah.” Simon means “hearing,” and Bar-Jonah means “son of a dove.” Once we are willing to hear (Simon) what the Lord is saying as He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, then we are fulfilling the “son of a dove” meaning of Bar-Jonah, for the Holy Spirit is pictured as a dove in the Scriptures. Then we can become as a “Peter” which means “a stone,” and as “living stones” so the Lord can shape us and build us together in His spiritual house (see 1 Pe. 2:5). The name “Peter” is a translation of the Greek word petros, which means a moveable stone or rock. But when Jesus uses the word “rock” in Mt. 16:18, declaring that “on this rock I will build my church,” He used the Greek word petra which means a massive bed-rock, the unmovable rock of the confession which Peter made: “You are the Christ the Son of the living God” Mt. 16:16. But Peter would be a “petros”; a “living stone” which would be a part of the spiritual house Jesus would build.

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - February 15, 2010

The Marriage Doctor

Ned glanced nervously out the front window and down the street. “He’s here!” he called as he saw the white van pull up to the curb. His wife, Jan, came into the living room. “I sure hope he can help us,” she said. Ned hoped so too. It was hard to find a good marriage doctor they’d been told, and here was one that made house calls.

“Good afternoon, Doctor, come in and have a seat.” Here they were, sitting in their own house talking with a man they just met about their marriage. It had been several years since they wondered if there might be something wrong. They never thought things could have gotten this bad.

They spent the first hour discussing the symptoms they had come to live with; as well as several more they hadn’t realized were related. Finally, looking at his watch, Ned spoke up, “Well, Doc, what do you think?”

“From listening to you it seems that you have all the signs of a deteriorating marriage.”
“Well, can you give us something for it?” Ned nervously asked.
The Doctor leaned forward and looked at Ned seriously, “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
Jan leaned forward also, “Tell us what we need to do?”

“I’ll try not to just deal with symptoms but identify the core causes. Jan, the problem with your marriage to Ned is you. And the problem, Ned, in your relationship to Jan, is you. Jan is in the shape she is today because of you. When you first met each other, you were captivated by her charm, wisdom, perspective on just about everything. You could hardly stand to be apart. Everything you did was to include and please the other. Now, everything is done to please you. You have made her this way! And Jan, you have made Ned this way; maybe by doing wrong things or by not doing the right things. My prescription is this: Act like you're in love with each other like you were at the beginning. Go back to the little things you did. Remember the first things that you enjoyed about each other. The only difference from then to now is that you both have let go of those things and shaped each other into what you are now.”

The doctor looked at Ned and Jan. “Well, what will you do?”

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - February 10, 2010

The Ideal Spouse

This title is one that probably caught your attention. Even before you read this entire article you’ll be tempted to think, “I hope I can get my spouse to read this.” This is because, in our selfish approach to life, we hope that somehow (or someone) changes will occur that will make our spouse become more like what we would desire them to be.

I want to tell you from the start that the spouse you have is your ideal!

 “Wait,” you say, “we were married before we were Christians.” I believe, and want you to consider, that God in His sovereignty could have arranged your marriage partner. Then He watched over you in His love to bring the both of you together. Now, this person is God’s will for your life.

In the Bible, many marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. The bride and groom trusted their families in the choice and that spouse was theirs for life. They could choose, and most did, to receive this person and make that person an “ideal spouse” for them.

“Wait,” you say, “My spouse isn’t all that ideal; they aren’t even close!” That’s where we’ve missed the point. An ideal spouse isn’t the perfect person the world tells us that we should have. The ideal spouse is the one that God has given you to love. In our consistent application of acceptance, affection, assertiveness, advice, and our attitude of advancement we arrive at "agape" love with our spouse.  It is God's love which will help us to be the ideal.

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - February 1, 2010

Heart Health

We all must be vigilant to not develop a “hard heart” toward the Lord or others. 

Here are some helps that we can utilize every day to enhance our relationship with Jesus: 

1.  Daily Offerings
     Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice daily, every morning and every evening. Ex 29:38-40, Ro. 12:1

2.  Daily Cleansing
     Letting the Lord cleanse us by His word.  Eph. 5:26-28

3.  Daily Manna
     Feeding on God’s word daily.  Jn. 6:48-52

4.  Daily Obedience
     Walking in faith response to the Lord rather that doubt and stubbornness.  Heb. 3:15

5.  Daily Deliverance
     Looking for greater freedom in Jesus every day.  1 Cor. 10:13-15, Rev. 12:10-11

6.  Daily “Practicing the Presence of God”
     Acknowledging the nearness of God to us every day.  Mt. 28:18-20

7.  Daily Accepting His Will
     We take up our cross and follow Him.  There are no difficulties to God.

8.  Daily Directing Your Thoughts
     We think on the things that are pleasing to God and let those thoughts rise as incense to Him.

9.  Daily Specific Prayers
     We pray primarily for the items of that day.  Mt. 6

The Account that we must give:

"But all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."  Heb. 4:13

The Affirmation we must hold:

"Let us hold fast our confession."  Heb. 4:14, 15

The Access we now have:

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy."  Heb. 4:16

Great quote on our attitude:

“This may shock you but, but I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude.  It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my success or failures, fame or pain, what other people may think of me or say about me, my circumstances or position.  Attitude is that 'single string' that keeps me going or cripples my progress.”     ~  Chuck Swindoll

 

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - January 19, 2010

Christians and Crisis

Our hearts go out to the people in Haiti as we have watched and heard about the tragedy and their plight. We pray that in all God will be glorified. There is a feeling of helplessness as we contemplate this situation. But we can pray, we can give and most of all we can be the type of Christians that have compassion towards others where we live. All things will pass away or change at some point expect people. Peter writes about this in his second letter, chapter 3 verse 9 saying “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” And “Therefore, . . . what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness . . . be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless . . . grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

When crisis comes, it reminds us to cry out to the Lord as to what kind of Christians we should be. I offer the following thoughts to consider.

As Christians, serving together on the same team, there needs to be a lot of give and take. We all must listen to input received from the Lord and others, processing it with consideration and prayer. When we have listened and maybe don’t act on a suggestion, there may be a reason and where possible do try to share that reason. When an answer isn’t there yet, we continue to hold up each other’s hands in prayer and support, trusting the Lord in all things.

We believe in people and are willing to give opportunity in ministry at levels and with guidelines. When people are headed in the right direction with good attitudes there is a process of learning and growing along the way. All around us is a mission field and God gathers people to Himself and His church settling them into congregational life. Part of the settling is help in their personal growth issues as well as letting their lives knit with the body. Deployment into areas of service and ministry will follow based on their gifting, motivation and supervision.

We think that what the Lord asks of us is faithfulness to His word and the calling given to us. We do want to do our best in all of His assignments but realize that our best will not please everyone. This is why we need God’s grace for each other with a willingness to pursue excellence as much as possible using the available knowledge, tools and ministry partners as the Lord has provided, and above all, maintaining a positive faith attitude with support for each other.

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - January 14, 2010

Location

Those in the real estate business know that it’s all about one thing: location, location, location. Where are you living today?

The Bible talks about two different kinds of Christians. There are wilderness Christians and Promised Land Christians. Both types have had real experiences with Jesus, making Him Savior and Lord. But each is living a very different life.

Wilderness Christians live in tents and have a temporary, transient existence. They live in constant fear. Harassed by the enemy, they strive to be worthy of God’s love and blessings. God provides food and clothing for them; their basic needs are met. They are mere infants in the kingdom of God, unable to progress and walk in their baby-faith. Too weak to trust completely, they are like the ten spies who returned from viewing the Promised Land: “We can’t take it! Giants rule the land!” (Numbers 13).

Promised Land Christians live in houses and are settled. They are conquering the land. They live in faith by the promise of God. They harass the enemy and take his territory. Instead of striving, they abide. God provides more than basic necessities – “milk and honey” flow there. They are God’s sons, apprenticed into the business. They were like the two spies, Joshua and Caleb, who upon viewing the Promised Land said, “We are more than able with God to take this land. It is fertile and ready!” (Numbers 13). They have a can-do spirit.

Let’s live in the promised land of all God’s best, trusting and obeying, seeking and following all His ways. With Him, nothing is impossible.

Pastor Kevin’s Blog - January 5, 2010

Positive Change

The new year is upon us. How do you make a difference, where do you start? You start with you and God. Suddenly, you’re a majority!

First, lose the plank. Jesus spoke several parables to his disciples. One of the most famous is that of the judgmental person who sees the speck in his brother’s eye while completely ignoring the plank in his own. Let’s deal with our “planks” first – unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, etc. – so we can help our brother with his “speck”.

It’s not about me. Change takes willingness, a readiness to lay down resistance to new ways and ideas, giving up our routines and traditions. In order to become different – thinner, wiser, kinder – we need to rethink our old ways of relating to the world. And if Jesus is our Lord, His ways need to dominate our lives. Jesus asked His disciples to look at the spirit of the law, not just the letter.

Let go of fear. We can’t worry about failing. I’ve heard someone once describe failing as “falling forward”. You have no momentum standing still. You learn more from failures than successes. You may have failed miserably in the past. God makes all things new. Seek His will and pursue it.

Get a new definition of success. Everyone has room to improve, to grow stronger in talents they already possess or discover new ones. As I grow older, I find new challenges provide great stimulus for growth. New opportunities open up as I try new things. You’re never too old to learn something.

Put on boldness. You may feel as bold as a mouse. We can’t live in our feelings. Choose to put your best foot forward in your endeavor. Trust that your good effort will be rewarded. God will meet you there. "But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”  Heb. 3:13