Luke 2.11

Christ has come and this is a day to rejoice! Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.NASB95

Could you just for a moment imagine opening up your bible to find the last book in it was Malachi. No hope, no comfort and no salvation. Thank you Jesus that you are there in the world's most famous journal. As I reflect on the last few days. It has been tough post surgery. I have tried to stay focused on the prize and I would like to say the pain was too much. Then I have to think about what Jesus went through on the cross. My pain is nothing compared to what he went through. Here is what the message says... Hebrews 12:3-5 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. The Message
I am very grateful, but it would be easy to feel sorry for myself. When I think about the five inch gash and the three in gash in my gut it pales in comparison to Jesus on the whipping post. To think, I have pain meds, Jesus did not.

I am supposed to go to Waco today, but I don't want to, because I hurt. So I have a choice, I can hurt at home or hurt there. Either way I am going to hurt. So I am going to Waco. I want to thank everyone for calling and checking up on me it has been overwhelming. I wish everyone A Merry and Joyful Christmas and a prosperous 2011.

Smile today they are contagious

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."NASB95

 

 

Use me God

Ever heard the phrase "Use me God, Use me!"

I want to ask you a question. Would you ever "use your sons or daughters to get something done for yourself?"  That almost sounds selfish and that is not who God is. He is not self seeking, agreed? Do you think they would ever say Daddy use me?  I am going to use my child to get what I want. If you are led to go into the mission field is it so you can be used by God or to walk in what you have learned from your Father, to serve not to be used. I think because your Daddy loves you and that you love him that you are going to do the things that make your Daddy proud because of who you are in Him!  He is not going to use you,   He is going to stand back and watch because you have listened and learned to walk in His ways, to learn his statutes, His commandments, His ordinances and His testimonies.  This is my Son for whom I am well pleased!  You are not going to get in the way because you have learned to speak when He tells you to speak and you do what He tells you to do. Just something to think about.

1 Kings 2:2-4
"I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. "Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'NASB95

"I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you're made of! Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then God will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne.'

 

Always be ready

Always be ready! Are you? Are you ready for that one person who comes up to you and says "can you tell me exactly what it means to be a Christian and how I can become one?"
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, NIV
Personally, I have never had anyone ask me that specific question before, but you know he is out there. I would hate for someone to ask me that question and then I do my best job at explaining what I know and then they said they had to go and then they looked at me and said "Oh well, thanks for trying" that would be a sickening feeling. So my question is Are you ready for that question? Are you prepared? That person is coming.

1 Peter 3:15 through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.The Message
I think there are a few things we can do to prepare for this time. First, know your story and be able to share it in 3 to 5 minutes. Speak the truth in love and show compassion. I think it would be good for your relationship with the Lord to be in a good place, People can tell if you are approachable. Speaking on your relationship with the One. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best. Where are you today? I can say for myself that I am a 7 today. I have been better and I have been worse. Have a great day!

2 Timothy 2.3

As I read my devotion this morning it took me to 2 Timothy. The first thing I see is the title to Chapter 2, it says "Be strong in Grace" My first thought was "I am going to be tested today" my next thought is "oh great, what is coming now" so now I begin to read Chpt 2 in the nasb and as I am reading I come to a scripture that I have memorized in another version. This version 2 Timothy 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. NASB95
This made it a little more personal. I just have to remember that whatever circumstance comes my way today I have the opportunity to allow it to mold me into a reflection of our Lord or not. Grace, Grace and Grace. I assure you, I will not be the only one that will be tested today, look forward to your test. You might not even know it until it is over. Know who you are today!

Amen

Guard your heart

I heard someone say once that worry is fear with teeth, that has always stuck in my mind. Do you ever wonder if you worry hard enough that you might actually change the outcome of some circumstance in your life? A circumstance that most likely you have absolutely no control over. Maybe you are going to have surgery …… like me on the 23^rd. Don't think for a minute that I have not worried about the outcome of this routine surgery. As I get closer to the date I find nervousness and I hear the thoughts. What if something goes wrong? What if I die? Things happen you know. Guess what I WILL BE A SLEEP! Can't do a thing. I can get prayed up. I can take that the thought captive; I know I am not in control. Philippians 4:6-7
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. The Msg.
So here is what I know, I have a choice …. I can take that thought as a warning shot across the bow of my ship and take aim and shoot back with a folly of prayer or I can worry about something I have no control over. Give it to Him because He has giving us a promise
Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.NKJV

When man makes you a promise and he breaks that promise or tries to break his promise, this is what you hear "but you promised!" We hold Man accountable and man will fail. Our Lord does not fail and his promises hold true, after all, He is wise, He is willing, and He is able.
Matthew 6:33-34 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.The Message

Amen

 

Worry or self-discipline

Is worry a sin? Hmmm…………. I think so. What does the bible say? Philippians 4.6 says don't be anxious about anything ………………. Romans 14.23 says ………………..Everything that does not come from faith is sin…… Do you ever say "I am concerned about something" "I have some issues I am working through" "I have lot on my mind right now" These phrases make you sound smart, like you're an important person with big things going on. What they don't do is make you sound like a worry wart. You are just sugar coating the fact that you are worrying. Call it what you want but the truth is this, worry is SIN! Isn't this fun! So here is where I am at, I am over weight …. About 50 lbs. Now granted I am 6'2" 255 but that extra weight is in the wrong places. I have been thinking about this for the last year
(another one of the phrases that makes me sound smart, but really it is worry) as I watched myself slowly gain the weight and not exercise. So here is where the worry sets in. I am not 30 anymore, I am 49 so I have to do something, exercise and eat better before circumstances in my life dictate that I do, and I don't want that. So what is worry? Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and power of God. It is choosing to dwell on, to think about, the worst case scenario. It is faith in the bad things rather than faith in God (quote from the book Christian Atheist)
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.NLT
So dose self discipline and worry go hand in hand? I think so…. At least for me they do. If I had self –discipline with my eating and Dr. Peppers then I would not be overweight. So may lack of self-discipline has led to my overweight and my silent worry. My lack of self-discipline has led to numerous issues in my life that I worry about. (or really issues that I don't trust God about)
Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?NKJV
"life" is translated from the Greek word psuche (sue-kay) which also translates to the word soul. That passage takes on a whole new meaning. It actually means every aspect of your life, it means Bushido (The way of the warrior) this warrior trains every part of his body. The mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. It means yesterday, today and future life (soul). Jesus says ……. Don't worry! So, I leave you with this. He who knows what to do and does not do it, that is sin to him. I have work to do …. Do you?

Nothing like having to look at yourself to see who you are.

TGIF

TGIF Today God Is First by Os Hillman

 

As I was going through some documents that are saved on my computer, I came across this one and it really resonated in my spirit. It is interesting because when I feel like everything is going wrong or I feel like the Lord has pulled away from me, It is more my fault than anything. Just something to think about. I have to be carefull and not give the enemy to much credit for the problems that I actually cause myself, The article below does have a lot of truth

 
"One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'" - Acts 19:15
Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness? If satan and his demons had a board meeting and your name came before the board, what would they say? Would they say that you are one of their most feared enemies and they needed to keep many demons harassing and opposing you? Or would they say, "Gentlemen, this person poses no threat to our activities. Leave him alone. He needs no help from us." There are millions of church-going believers sitting in pews Sunday after Sunday who pose little threat to the kingdom of darkness.
If we truly believe that we war against rulers and principalities that cannot be seen, then we must realize that their mandate is to hinder any believer who is seeking to walk in the fullness of God. However, "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4b KJV).
If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you can expect harassment from the enemy. God permits temptation because it drives us deeper into the soil of God. These times reveal God's power to keep us and walk us through the temptations. Our message becomes fruitful when it is born out of obedience and suffering for His name. Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master. God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell in order to affect satan's domain. When you begin to feel harassed, chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and satan doesn't like this.

So, how many demons do you think are assigned to you? Better yet how many demons has the enemy pulled away from you since you are not doing what you are suppose to be doing? Hmmmmm?

    

Psalm 115

Psalm 115:11
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. NLT

Psalm 115:11
You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield. AMP
As I am reading this morning I go to Psalm 115 because I am going on Quest 115. This was something I felt last night in our staff meeting. I knew I was going there this morning and I was not disappointed. When I got to this passage it made me wonder just how much I trust the Lord. Is my trust in the Lord a direct correlation to how much I fear Him and if I fear Him, then does that mean that I have trust in Him? But then comes the next promise for those who fear Him, He will bless you. It gets better, His mercy is great for those who fear Him! So I guess the big questions are …….. Do you trust Him with everything or are their parts of your life that you keep for yourself, because you feel you can do a better job?

Psalm 115:13
He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly. NLT

Psalm 115:13
He will bless those who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, both small and great.AMP

 

Psalm 103:11-12
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. KJV

 

Matthew 26.40

Just a little something the LORD showed me back in 2009. I came across it this morning as I was reading, so I thought I would share it with you.
Matthew 26.40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"[1]
Here is what I got from the above passage.  Jesus says (Kevin's paraphrase) You are one of the disciples in the Garden  (Think about this for a moment.  The God of the universe is in the Garden Praying….. he is sweating blood …. it is so intense … picture it in your mind the scene from the passion of the Christ)  (remember he has already told them once too watch and pray)  He walks over to the disciples and says what are you doing?  I told you to watch and pray so you would not fall into temptation.  Why are you sleeping?   The disciples are in the Garden with the God of the universe.  He is telling them to watch and pray.  He is saying …. "Keep your eyes on me and Pray   He is saying   "WATCH ME"  " Focus on Me!!!!!   nothing else.  I AM   ….. I AM   …….. The God of the universe.  I am going to die for YOU and you are sleeping?   You are putting something else before me?   So what is the temptation here?   the temptation was sleep. (some might call it Idolatry)   Something other than the God of the universe became more important and it was sleep.  the God of the universe goes back to pray more and they fall asleep again.  Were they even tired?  they were tempted to fall asleep when they should have been watching Jesus and praying and instead they fell.

So… Are you focused on Jesus Today?  Or are you focused on something else other than The GOD of the Universe

Well … this is my take.  Add or take away.

Proverbs 14.29

Chapter 25 (How to stop the Pain) in relationships we surrender some of our rights as individuals. What I mean is, when you care for one another you must accept the fact that our actions affect others. Quote: As such, we cannot ask people in our lives and then refuse them the right to give input into our lives. "You can be in my life, but keep your opinions to yourself" is not the stuff of real relationships. If you want to grow in any relationship then you must consider how your behavior affects the other person. So think about this for a moment, in your relationship with your spouse or who ever, was it your behavior that caused the friction? Where something that was so simple just blew up? Sometimes we just don't listen to what is being communicated to us, especially when it comes to our spouse. Proverbs 14:29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity. The Message Nothing like feeling stupid when someone is trying to tell you something and you don't want to hear it. "It is not being judgmental when someone points out that our behavior is unscriptural. It is called meaningful input." So you have a choice, you can listen and receive or get mad and go pout or do whatever you do when someone is trying to speak into you. Some of you may feel that you need new friends because you don't like the way your current friends are speaking into you. That is not the answer. So I would say this ……. When someone is speaking into you and what they are saying is making you upset, then I would seek Holy Spirit and ask this question. If what they are saying is true then why is it making me so upset, why am I fighting it, what are you trying to show me Lord? Amen

Jeremiah 17:5
Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man (or himself) And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.NKJV

Jeremiah 17:7-8
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.NKJV

 

Which one are you? This is as much for me as anyone.

Confession

We had men's group tonight at my house. We meet every Wednesday night and it is always good. We have about five to six that meet. We get in each other's stuff. No posing allowed. Good shot in the arm tonight. Sometimes you just need to confess so you can be healed. James 5:16
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].AMP It is amazing that when you do what the Word of God tells you to do then his promises come. I confessed rebellion, got prayed over by righteous men and got healed. It is not that I don't know what to do …. It is that I don't do it. I don't have a knowledge problem I had a rebellion problem. He who knows what to do and does not do it, that is sin to him. (Not my favorite scripture) We finished up the night with this scripture out of the Amplified Bible. Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].AMP So I have two questions for you. Are you content? Have you confessed and got prayed over and healed?

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

We talked about attitude tonight. I have to confess that my attitude has not been good lately.

Philippians 4

Something I have not thought about in a long time. Praying for the Holy Spirit to rest on me when I am at a coffee shop or restaurant or a family gathering. You know …. Praying in a way so the Holy Spirit would fill that place and radiate from me. Don't talk about God. Don't pray out loud for people to hear you, but just be Jesus with skin on and be Joyful.

Romans 8:26-27 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.NLT
I will have to admit that lately I have not been doing this …… praying. You have to understand that praying is communicating with the Lord and reading scripture is listening. Have not been doing that very well either. You know …. You skip a day, then you skip two then all of a sudden a week goes by and you wonder why you are in a funk. Imagine that! So that is where I have been …. Just kinda doing my own thing and it is just not working. When you stop reading and you stop praying then you reap what you sow. One more thing I just realized, my gratitude tank has been on empty. Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.NLT So there you have it, that is where I have been.

Grace pt. 2

So here is the follow up to grace, I failed miserably. No sooner had I wrote my post did I get put to the test that night. Bekah had auditioned for Sing Song at Abilene Christian University as a freshman and she made it. Freshmen don't make, but she did. My precious daughter Bekah texted us at 11.00 with the awesome news, but I could not see the forest for the trees. I was dead asleep, but she did not know. I was not happy, because I knew I would not be able to go back to sleep. (it took me almost two hours to go back to sleep.)
James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.NLT
I did not listen, I was quick to speak and quick to become angry. In other words there was no grace at all from me and I was judgmental. I would hate to think that the Shepherd who had one sheep wander off kept quiet when he found the lost sheep. If it was at night I am sure he would have gone to wake up people to let them know the good news. If you don't every fail at the test, how do you expect to get better. I had someone tell me today that when you get a revelation from the Lord about something that you should be prepared that you are going to get tested about it. That seems to be the norm lately. Romans 12:3
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.NASB95

It has been a hard two days, but we are better now. I apologized and Rebekah and I had good conversation today. I thank those men who spoke into me the last two days. It was well received and correct …….Kevin

 

Grace

Every had one of those days? The day where nothing goes according to ……….Whose plan? Traveled 45 minutes to a job to do something really stupid and totally unnecessary, only to find out later that I have to go back because that stupid thing we did was not right. Or to arrive at the next job to work to realize that what we needed to do had to wait another day. To arrive at the next job to install three doors, only to realize after we ripped out the first door and (trashed the jamb) that it was the wrong size. So we had to put the jamb back together (which was difficult and re-install the old door.) After further observance we figured out that all of the doors were wrong. They got messed up at the factory. So I got the lucky job of telling the clients that the doors were all wrong and we had to order new ones. But before I told them I asked the Lord if they would show me as much grace as you have shown them. That is what happened……… GRACE!
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.NLT Acts 20:32
"And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.NLT Romans 1:7
I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.NLT
So after everything that happened yesterday I got to see firsthand the grace of God on me. I have to tell you …….. That job had the potential to completely derail me for the rest of the day, but it did not. Once again I had a choice, walk in my depravity or experience the Grace of our Lord. I figure that in the so not distant future I will have the opportunity to show someone the Grace of God like I was shown yesterday. So here is the big question……… Are you showing your spouse, children, co-workers ……… anyone, the same amount of grace that the Lord shows you? Or are you playing God and withholding that grace because you don't think they deserve it. Guess what? If you are then you have become the wicked servant. If you are showing Grace, then may you have peace.

 

 

1 Peter 1.6

My wife is leaving to serve on Heart Quest today and there is always a little bit of fear in me. I know I need to take that thought captive, but still it is there. I have battled all morning to avoid getting in the word. Does that ever happen to you? You know you need to read but you avoid it at all costs. You walk by your bible and you feel the tug, but you put it off? Or maybe this……….. You tell yourself you will read in a minute and before you know it you don't have time and you are out the door. I actually made myself get in the word and it only took three hours to get there. So I hear James 5, but it was 1 Peter that nailed me. 1 Peter 1:6
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.NLT
So I continue to read and then I get to verse 13 1 Peter 1:13
So think clearly and exercise self-control. ……………………………………. 1 Peter 1:13 I didn't have to read any further. Enough said.

Walk in who you know you are today and be free.

 

 

2 Corinthians 10.5

I walked in victory yesterday. I was at my father-in-laws yesterday afternoon working on his unprotected computer. What I mean is, on my personal computer I have an internet filter to prevent inappropriate material from being accessed. Steve's computer does not have this. So there I am working on getting his email and office working when he says that he has to leave for about an hour. I was terrified. I know my flesh very well. As soon as he said that, I heard the enemy say (perfect you can look at whatever you want) so I had a choice, I could get up and walk away or I could kick the enemy's ass. I did not call anyone, but what I did was take that thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,NKJV You see, the Lord had me call a man who lives in Michigan ( At the time I did not know it was the Lord, I called to just say hi) and we talked about this very thing as I sat in Steve's driveway. He reminded me about 2 Corinthians 10.5. The whole time I was there in front of the computer the enemy continued to accuse me. I know who I am and yesterday I walked it out. I am broken right now and I don't even know why, but I know it is God. Thank You Jesus

I leave you with this, 2 Corinthians 10.5 works for everything; it works on anything that comes against you that is not of God. The other area of my life that the enemy has come against me is with my Daughter Nichole. When she got pregnant at the age of 16, every dream and expectation I had was smashed to hell. One day when I was beating myself up … thinking, where did I go wrong raising her? The Lord gave me a word … a promise on June 22, 2008 at 8:30 pm, I was reading in Proverbs 22, verse 6 leaped off the page. All of you with children know this scripture.
Proverbs 22:6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.NLT. As soon as I read that I heard the Holy Spirit say "Patience Kevin …… Nichole is not older yet" I have had peace ever since. It gets better … on down I came to this verse Proverbs 22:19 I am teaching you today—yes, you— so you will trust in the Lord.NLT I hear "trust me and my promise" so now when the enemy tries to accuse me about Nichole, I take that thought captive as well

 
 

 

The Email

I have been going through a little email battle with a company that I get a little men's devotional magazine from. I finally got frustrated enough that I sent him an email, (the editor) Tired of being frustrated.  Cancel my subscription please.  Not my individual but the group.  I will send a check immediately for the remaining balance.
It is interesting here because you never know when God is going to show up. (I think I wrote about this a few days ago) Here is what he responded back with. I am so very sorry about your frustration. I am also saddened that the men in your circle of influence who were served by Men of Integrity will no longer receive our spiritual encouragement and challenge. Please do accept my sincere apologies. We really do try our best to serve our customers, and it is we deep regrets that we have not been able to serve you.
So I just sat there and stared at the email for a while and then wrote a response. Here is what I said. I have started a men's group in my home that is not affiliated with a church it is only affiliated with Jesus.  I am not with the other group anymore.  All I wanted was to drop my subscription down to 10 instead of 20 and I could not figure out how to do that on the website.  Don't sweat it, the men in this group don't even know. 

Here is what I know.  That Jesus said in Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."NKJV

So you see all is not lost.  Emails suck because you don't hear the tone of the individual on the other end.  I am not mad; it is just easier to cancel than to keep going back and forth.  I think the Men of Integrity magazine is awesome and I have been reading it for four years.  In fact I have some missing copies.  What can I do to get the missing copies?  Do you have some back issues that you would sell?

You know as I read my email to you and ponder this whole thing ,  Holy Spirit just showed up and got my attention, and I just realized that I have not shown you any grace and certainly not the grace that my Father shows me.  For that I am sorry, will you forgive me.  Will you drop my subscription to 10 instead of 20?  Can you do that? 

 

So here is the deal, do I/we show the same grace to friends, family, businesses, whoever we interact with the same amount of grace that our Father shows us? Or do we pick and choose who we give grace too? Let's go one more ….. Do you Love unconditionally or do you have standards that you go by and you pick and choose.

Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 10.21

I had someone tell me the other day "you need to be careful and don't make his problem your problem" the rich young ruler asked Jesus "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Mark 10:21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."NASB95. Here is the part that gets me, the ruler asked and Jesus told him what to do. So what did the ruler do? He walked away sad, because he had much property. So what did Jesus do? It is not what did Jesus do, it is what he didn't do. He didn't do anything. He didn't run after the ruler and say HEY! Didn't you hear what I said? I said you needed to sell all of your stuff and follow me. He didn't call him up 3 days later and ask him again if he sold his stuff. He didn't call him up 3 weeks later and ask him if he sold his stuff. He just ……walked…… away.

Another instance in is where Jesus is talking to Peter. John 21:22-23
Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me." So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"NLT So many times we want what is the best for other people and Jesus says "What is that to You?" Jesus knows what is best and sometimes we just have to get out of his way and let him deal with someone the way he sees fit not the way we see it. Jesus wants us to follow Him and He will work out the details.

Kevin

 

Matthew 6.6

Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

So is that what you do? I mean really? Is that what you do? When was the last time you got quiet? I mean really quiet? This is what it looks like to me; you get up in the morning or late at night and you get quiet. You don't open up your bible; you don't get on your knees and pray. You just get quiet. You quiet your mind and you sit and listen. For me that looks like sitting in my favorite chair in my office and closing my eyes and try to think of things of God. It is a very difficult thing for me to do. To get quiet and not be distracted. Matthew 6.6 says when you pray, go to the closet (secret place) and shut the door and when your Heavenly Father sees what you have done in secret He will reward you in the open. For those of you that have young kids or grandkids this is what that looks like. Do you remember the last time that little child just came over and crawled up in your lap and didn't say anything but was just quiet, (maybe fell asleep) and what did you do? You held this child and just loved on that child. You might even have whispered something over that child. You most assuredly spoke a blessing over that child. That is what it looks like. You go to the secret place and leave all of your cares, crap or whatever you want to call it outside, and close the door. You crawl up in your Fathers lap and let Him speak to you and you don't say anything in return, you just listen. I promise you when you do this; it is an incredible experience, very peaceful.

Kevin

Nehemiah 2

I am putting a bid together for a kitchen remodel. It would be my first full blown kitchen remodel. New cabinets, appliances, paint and tile. I received an email from the customer about the scope of work and they approved it. Now I can give them the numbers without so many money changes. So I prayed about how much I should make on it, how much profit. I had a number in my mind.

So I did a little bible roulette and I opened up my bible to Nehemiah 2. 9 through 12 and I didn't know what they were talking about. So I went back to the beginning of Chpt 2 and read. When I got to the end of verse 8 that is when it just jumped off the page at me and that was really cool and I got total peace about what I am charging and feel I will get the job.

 

 

 

Nehemiah 2:8
And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king's forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself." And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.NLT

Isaiah 55.9

I often times sit around and wonder about the crap that I am sitting in. You know … sometimes you just have to flush the toilet. I know this sounds vulgar, but we are talking depravity here … your cesspool. Have you smelled yours lately? I have noticed over the last few days … since last Wednesday that I have been on a somewhat downward spiral until last night. The other thing I have noticed is that I have caused my own issues. I heard a message on TV and God spoke through a circumstance. It is so easy to miss God when our minds are closed. I didn't really want to watch Joel Osteen because "REALLY" he kind of annoys me with all of his blinking. I kept watching though and he started to get my attention and then I realized that I really didn't want to hear the Lord that way. I wanted to hear him my way and I almost missed him. How many times do we get stuck in old traditions and then we miss what God is saying? We put God in a box.

Be open to what God is saying no matter what circumstance you are in. God speaks to us right now as if we are already what He has called us to be. Not where we are right now.

Isaiah 55:9
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.NKJV

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 11.26-28

1 Corinthians 11:26-28
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. I don't know about you but this is saying every time you eat remember … do you? I have to say that I don't take communion every time I sit down to eat …. But I think about it almost every time. So is that my conscience or Holy Spirit? 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. So what does it mean to partake in an unworthy manner? What does that look like? 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.NASB95

dok·im·ad·zo/] v. From 1384; TDNT 2:255; TDNTA 181; GK 1507 and 1508; 23 occurrences; AV translates as "prove" 10 times, "try" four times, "approve" three times, "discern" twice, "allow" twice, "like" once, and "examine" once. 1 to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals. 2 to recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy. So here is my question….. When you examine, what are you examining? What does it say above in the definition? To Approve, deem worthy. Guess what? You are approved and you are worthy! Why? Because you are a son of the living God. The goal is to look inward and to look at the cross of Christ and what His blood purchased, His sacrifice makes us approved. The world teaches us to look at our hearts and to ask "What's wrong with me? Paul says to examine yourself for approval. Look into your heart to find what brings you approval (quote chpt. 28) The only thing that qualifies us before God is the finished work of Jesus. Amen!

Kevin

James 5.16

The fear of Judgment …. A nasty place to be, an easy place to be. The Lord does not sit up there and decide to leave you or forsake you for something we did, but He hurts because of what we are doing to ourselves, whatever that may be. So many times we will confess our sin to the Lord but we will not confess to one another like it says in James 5:16 therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.NIV You have to get to a point where you can confess to one another without the fear of being judged. Many times it is the fear of being judged that makes us not want to confess. Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.NIV

So confess your sin and walk free or keep it to yourself and be bound up. So the question is this: have you confessed to the Lord but not to your brother? If that is the case, then do what needs to be done and don't give the enemy any ground by keeping your mouth shut. If you are fessed up, then more power to you. Amen

Be Free

 

So we will better know you

 

Lord, sometimes we cannot help the way we think.

That really does stink.

You know what, that is okay.

Look to the clouds and pray.

 

Sometimes Lord, we cannot explain

The way we truly feel.

Sometimes we are in so much pain

Nothing seems real.

 

Everything You do God, is so calculated

So why does life sometimes feel so complicated.

He speaks to us in prayer that is how we communicate.

He always gives us something to contemplate.

 

The Lord instills in us confidence

The Lord in our lives is not a coincidence.

Sometimes it takes a crisis to get us out of our stalemate.

He tells us that whatever we do, please do not deviate.

 

The Lord is talking about our walk.

He says, "spread my word when you talk."

Some people will not listen, that is okay.

Those that do not listen get their names and pray.

 

 

 

By kevin gwyn

ÓCopyrighted 4/17/2002

 

 

 

The rest of the Story

The rest of the Story: Darrin Hufford is the man in the story. He is the author of several books. This story comes from the book I just finished called "The Misunderstood God".

A young married couple had asked him to stop by their house and minister to the young lady who was living with them. They said she was demon possessed. They were going to be with him but they had to go out of town at the last minute so he had to go alone. This made him very nervous. He had actually been training for a while about deliverance. So he got prayed up and when arrived at the house he even drove around the house seven times. He put anointing oil on his hands so when he shook the girls hand he would scare the demons but to his amazement nothing happened. So he sat down with the young lady and she begins to explain to him that the demon in her spoke to her all the time and that she knew his name. That is when he said, can I pray with you? she said, yes but you cannot use the J-word (Jesus). That was paralyzing to the author! It would be like training a soldier in the use of a weapon and then stripping him of it moments before battle. How are you supposed to cast out demons without using the name of Jesus? So what did he do? He pleaded the blood, rebuked the demon and called down the blessings, but nothing happened. He said he was dead in the water and felt like a traveling snake oil salesman at the end of his bag of tricks.

So he sat there with her for more than two hours feeling embarrassed and emotional spent. While sitting there thinking about what else he could do, he caught a glimpse of the little girl. She had not slept in days. He saw a little girl consumed in fear that she could barely sit still. It was in that moment that his heart broke for her as if she was his own child. He got up and walked across the room and took her into his arms and held her tightly. Everything in inside of him melted and he cried with her as he held her. That moment that young lady was set free. Her name was Joy. And she had reclaimed her Joy in his arms. He learned that day that tricks are for kids. Though he was stripped of using Jesus' name, He found that if he became Jesus to her all the power of the universe was at my fingertips. It was love that sat her free. From the day forward the author says that his entire ministry was built on the foundational truth that God is Love and that it is more important to be Jesus with skin on than to just say His name. God is Love and nothing else. God gave us the Golden rule. Do unto others as you would them do unto you. The golden rule is for God as well….. Not just us.

John 15:17
These things I command you, that you love one another.NKJV

The J - Word

I have something for you to think about. You get a phone call from someone who asks you to go over to a friend of theirs to minister to the individual. They tell you this individual has demons hanging off of them like bats! This individual is expecting you. When you arrive this person answers the door and invites you in. You see that this individual is somewhat scared but you do not know what this person is scared of. You begin to ask questions and then you ask if you could pray for this individual and this individual says yes you may, but I have to ask you that you not say the

J – word (Jesus) when you pray for me. What are you going to do?

This is just something to chew on.

Kevin

Forgive

Proverbs 24:29
Don't say to anyone, "I'll get back at you for what you did to me. I'll make you pay for what you did!" The Message

Ephesians 4:31-32
Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.The Message

So you have a choice today, You can walk in forgiveness or not. I choose to walk in forgiveness for the man who stole my wife from me 9 years ago. I can choose to get mad at him and he will not even know it, but my life will be measurable. That sounds like fun doesn't it. Matthew 12:31-32
"There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God's Spirit,
(This part right here really made me think)
you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you're sawing off the branch on which you're sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives. The Message
Matthew 18:21-22
At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?" Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. The Message Forgiveness to me is this "Lord when "blank" stands before you on judgment day please forgive him for what He did to me" Then pray a blessing over this person even if he is deceased. Do you think for a moment that there are occasions when I would like to go back in time and get my revenge for what my ex wife's husband did? There have been times, but I immediately take that thought captive to Christ. When the anger and bitterness start to take root you have a choice, You can pull it up right then and stop and take it captive or you can dwell on it which is fertilizing the root. It is your choice.

Who do you need to forgive today? Quit living in the past. There is no future in the past. Be Blessed and Highly favored

Remember, if you have not forgave then you have been turned over to the tormentors. How is that working for you?

Proverbs 14. 12-16

Change……… don't we love that word. For a lot of us, change is more than we want to deal with, because it means looking into our heart. It means that we may have to admit …..Oh My Gosh, I am wrong! So many times we value being right more than we value our relationship. A lot of times when that happens we move on to another relationship, until it happens again. A lot of times when people speak into our lives we think it as judgment when really all it is meaningful input. So many times we are not aware that we are going the opposite direction of God's wisdom. You must ask Holy Spirit!

Proverbs 14:12-16
there's a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. A mean person gets paid back in meanness, a gracious person in grace. The gullible believe anything they're told; the prudent sift and weigh every word. The wise watch their steps and avoid evil; fools are headstrong and reckless. The Message

 

Quote: So don't reject those who have been faithful just because you don't like their input. When you find yourselves being defensive or reactionary, ask yourself why you are so resistant. Sometimes it good to listen to people with whom you disagree, just to get another perspective. The wise learn by instruction; the slow learn by correction; the foolish learn by consequences; and the selfish never learn. Listen, learn, grow …. And stop the pain.

 

Be blessed and Highly Favored today! You are a Son!

 

Anyone read James lately?

James 1:19
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.NLT

1 Corinthians 4:5

Who are you listening to? What voice or are there many voices that you are listening to? For me, often times I will seek wise counsel among Godly men and women and those are the many voices I hear. What I often find is this; if you talk to enough people you will get a split answer. Some will say go left and some will say go right. Does that ever happen to you? Often times we forget to ask Holy Spirit. We get so caught up in what is going on that we just forget. I think if we ask enough people we will eventually get the answer we are looking for and then we will ask Holy Spirit to "bless" our decision that we made without Him. Just something I have been chewing on today. I pray that you find favor in Him today. Kevin

1 Corinthians 4:5
So don't get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the "Well done!" of God. The Message

Job 40.8

 

Have you Judged God lately?

Job 40:8
Will you also annul (set aside and render void) my judgment? Will you condemn Me [your God], that you may [appear] righteous and justified? AMP

Job 40:8
"Do you presume to tell me what I'm doing wrong? Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint? The Message

 

Do you create a concept of God that justifies your life experiences. What I mean is so many times we recreate God in our own image instead of seeing Him the way scripture says who He is. We want God to see the experiences in our lives the way we want him to see them.

 

Quote: When we begin to ask "why" in regard to God, we enter into judgment about Him. God has told us all we need to know about Him in His word. He sent Jesus, who modeled all that He is. We should be able to look at the life of Jesus and understand God. But we don't – we look to our experiences and ask" Why did this happen to me?" "why did God let that happen"

 

So here is the big question, are you judging God and asking him to bless your life in the same sentence? The rest of the passage below

 

Job 40:9-14
Do you have an arm like my arm? Can you shout in thunder the way I can? Go ahead, show your stuff. Let's see what you're made of, what you can do. Unleash your outrage. Target the arrogant and lay them flat. Target the arrogant and bring them to their knees. Stop the wicked in their tracks—make mincemeat of them! Dig a mass grave and dump them in it— faceless corpses in an unmarked grave. I'll gladly step aside and hand things over to you— you can surely save yourself with no help from me! The Message

 

 

Proverbs 15.5

Who are you? Do you learn from instruction, or do you choose to learn the hard way. Holy Spirit in Proverbs says 15:5 Only a fool despises a parent's discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. NLT Proverbs 17:10 A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.NLT The majority of the pain in our lives comes simply because we will not listen. In the proverb above, the fool's only hope of learning is when he has to face the consequences of his own actions. Think about that for a moment ………. How many times have you sought out advice, or someone spoke into you, only to find that you felt you knew better than they did. So you chose to do it your own way and it was wrong or it did not work and it cost you dearly. Then the thought comes in your head "I guess I should have listened." That is always fun listening to that little voice.

So here is my question, Has someone spoken into you lately or you sought out Godly counsel on a mater? Then you chose to do it your way? This isn't Burger King you know. How did that work for you?

Be Blessed and Highly favored today

If you will ask

This is something I read this morning from the book "If You will ask" by Oswald Chambers. The book is about prayer. Below is something out of chapter 3

 

 

If we struggle in prayer it is because the enemy is gaining ground. If prayer is simple to us, it is because we have the victory. There is no such thing as a holiday for the beating of your heart. If there is, the grave comes next. And there is no such thing as a moral or spiritual holiday. If we attempt to take a holiday, the next time we want to pray it is a struggle because the enemy has gained a victory all round, darkness has come down and spiritual wickedness in high placeshas enfolded us. If we have to fight, it is because we have disobeyed; we ought to more than conquerors.

". . . and having done all, to stand"— a mental state as regards confidence, no panic. What is it puts us into a panic? The devil is a bully, but he cannot stand for a second before God. When we stand in the armor of God he pays no attention to us, but if we tackle the devil in our own strength we are done for. If we stand in God's armor with the strength and courage of God, he cannot gain one inch of way, and the position of prayer is held, as far as we are concerned, untouched by his wiles. Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance, in the spiritual world it is God-reliance. We run away when we have not been practicing, when we have not been doing anything in private, then when there is a new onslaught of the wiles of the devilwe lose heart instantly. Instead of standing we scuttle, and others have to fill the gap until we are sufficiently ashamed to come back. We cannot stand against the wiles of the devil by our wits. The devil only comes along the lines that God understands, not along the lines we understand, and the only way we can be prepared for him is to do what God tells us, stand complete in His armor, indwelt by His Spirit, in complete obedience to Him. We have not to wait for some great onslaught of the enemy, he is here all the time and he is wily. The secret of the sacred struggle for prayer lies in the fact that we must stand in the armor of God, practicing what God would have us do, then we can hold the position of prayer against all the attacks of the devil.

If we are struggling in prayer it is because the wiles of the enemy are getting the upper hand, and we must look for the cause of it in the lack of discipline in ourselves. There are some things we have not been strenuously practicing—we used to pray in the morning, do we now? We used to commune with God over the Bible, do we now? We used to be in contact with God wherever we went, are we now? Put on the whole armor of Godand keep continuously practicing, and then the wiles of the devilcannot get you unawares.

 

Proverbs 27.17

Being judgmental really makes me want to hurl sometimes. Case in point, I had to call someone yesterday to see if he was going on an event, to serve with me. He had not responded to any of my emails, so I had to call him. When I asked him why he had responded to my email, he responded with "I don't get online" I thought "okay" so I asked "how to you read the men's emails?" He responded louder and more sternly "I don't get online!" It really pissed me off the way he was talking to me. Then he said "Mike Chaney knows that" I said "I am sorry, but Chaney failed to mention to me that you did not get online." Now I am starting to get annoyed. (In my mind I am wondering if I am being Judgmental or is this guy being a jerk). What he failed to mention was that his daughter kept him up to date on the emails. He also said he had responded to Michael so he felt he didn't need to respond to me. That annoyed me as well. What I had to do was be super nice to him. He bowed up then I bowed up. So I had to make myself be nice so I could end the conversation on a good note. Which, that is what happened. Does this phone call still bother me…? Somewhat, but I am working through it. Here is what really got me. So I talked to a friend of mine who served with this man and he said that the individual that I am referring to is one of the nicest persons he knows. So now I have to really think about my tone with Him and did I start it?

When I told my wife this story she looked at me and said "that is what you do to me" I said "what" She said, "I will ask you a question and you will give me an answer, but I don't understand your answer, So I ask you the question again and you get louder and give me the same answer thinking that I will understand because you are louder and annoyed that I did not understand you the first time."

As Iron sharpens iron, so one wife sharpens a husband.

 

Proverbs 27.17 "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another:

Who are you?

When you look in the mirror, who do you see looking back? Do you see a Son? Romans 8:15
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"NASB95. Or are you judging yourself? When you see yourself in any other form other than what God sees you, you a creating a big problem for yourself.

Romans 6:10-11
When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.NLT

Romans 6:11
Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.AMP why do we as a people have such a hard time with believing who God says we are? This is how God sees us. He does not see the sin…….. He sees us!

 

Quote: You may say "Yes, but I have all sorts of problems. This can't be true about me." That's the problem you don't consider God's opinion to be real; therefore, you will never experience His version of reality. You will only experience what you consider to be true.

 

When you get to the point where you believe this verse you will be free from all other judgments, including the harshest ones of them all. The ones where you judge yourself. I assure you that I have not gotten there YET! But I am close.

 

So the next time you stand in the mirror are you going to believe what you see? Or who the Lord says you are?

 

Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.NASB95

 

Isaiah 42.9

Isaiah 42:9
"Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you."NASB95

 

The Lord gave this to me Thursday morning and when I think back at what has transpired over the last week it is pretty awesome. I know my Dad knows the Lord, I know that my uncle Stanley knows the Lord. I know that my mom is proud of the man I have become. My renewed relationship with my two cousins Holly and Poppy. (Something that the enemy stole from me over 45 years ago has been restored) I have a renewed passion to reach out to my family and stay connected to them. To know there kids.

 

So here is the big question and my challenge to you. Is there a family member that you have lost touch with. That one family member that the only time you would see this person is at a funeral.

 

Stop what your doing right now and ask Holy Spirit who that person or persons are. That name is who you need to call today and say hello too.

 

Kevin

My Grandfather

Hello All, I have not blogged in a while and that is because I went on Quest last Tuesday and I got back Sunday evening. I relaxed for a while, repacked and left for Amarillo Monday morning. You see, my grandfather passed away Thursday afternoon. I found out Thursday evening. I had already said my farewell's in May. I knew then that was the last time I was going to see him. It was still hard though. What I got to do though when I got to Amarillo was minister to my uncles, my brother and dad and that was good. I look back and I can see where the Lord prepared me in May, So that when the time came of my Grandfathers passing, I would be strong and able to minister to my family. At the graveside service I just stood there as My uncle cried on my shoulder and I prayed in his ear and held him, Then my other uncle cried on my shoulder and I held him prayed in his ear and my brother cried on my shoulder and I held him and prayed in his ear, and then my dad. Thank you Jesus for allowing me to be me. That was huge and that was yesterday. There is more that happened this morning. Two things actually happened. First, Kelly and I met with the preacher of my parent's church who is leaving to go to another church in Philly. I went there for one reason, but it turned out to be for something else. (God likes to play those games) This makes me cry just typing this. I brought up the fact that I thought my dad was not saved and he assured me that he was, He has been praying with him for 11 years. The bottom line is …… I judged my dad's heart, because he would not talk to me about Jesus the way I thought he should. He is saved and I have peace about it. This next thing is just as big as the first. Jeff said that my mom is very proud of the man I have become. He spoke of the Joy that she has when she talks about the transformation she has seen in me over the years. I just started crying. I did not know how bad I needed to hear that until I heard it. It was like my mom was talking through Jeff. Thank you Jesus for my mom and dad, I Love You

Kevin                                     2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.NASB95 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it. The Message

I am stressing

 

I am stressing. I am leaving to serve on Quest today I am walking out the door at 10.30. I got into the word and this is what He said.

 

Psalm 34:14-15
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.NASB95

 

I am feeling very unsettled, but at the same time it is a good word for me. Thank You Jesus

My number is 817-683-4319. If you feel that you have an encouraging word for me ….. text me.

That would be awesome

 

It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free!

 

Kevin

 

Peculiar People

Most of us a very familiar with this passage: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.NIV
Quote from Chpt 18. The motivating principle that sets us free is Love. Only when God's love motivates everything we do will we actually experience freedom from judgment.
Jesus died so we could be free. Free from what? Free from sin, judgment, free from rejection and walking in offense. He has actually freed us from more things than I can list. You have to remember what 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:KJV Deuteronomy 14:2
For you are a holy people [set apart] to the Lord your God; and the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people to Himself, above all the nations on the earth.AMP Titus 2:14
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.KJV this means we are free from the judgment of other people Deuteronomy 26:18
And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; KJV⁵ Exodus 19:6 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: ⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.KJV
So as peculiar people we don't live by the world's standards. We are members of the Kingdom of God. There are times when we put so much emphasis on what we are free from , that we forget what we are free to do and that is to Love unconditionally and not judge or receive judgment from others. To walk in that freedom has everything to do with how we treat people. Meaning we should not treat people based on who we think they are. It should have everything to do with who we are in Christ.

 

Kevin

Love languages

Interesting thing today. My wife sent me a quiz to take on the internet. The Five Love Languages

For years I have thought that my love language was Words of Affirmation. Well I now know that it is not. It is Physical touch, quality time, words of affirmation, receiving gifts and acts of service last. That was an eye opener. Anyway I have noticed that I touch my wife a lot and I like to spend time with her. A lot of times we tend to do our love language to our spouse. So what is yours?

Take the test

http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/

What is church?

What is church? Pause a second and ask yourself that question? To me, church is relationships

Remember, opinions expressed in this blog are no necessarily those of the management. (I read that somewhere. It sounds good anyway) my wife and I have not been in side of a church to listen to a church service in months. We have however, listened to many services on line and that is good. Here what it has done for us. It has forced us both and mainly my wife to seek out relationships that are not Church related or Fellowship of the Sword related, but Jesus related. That is the KEY! You know, it is one thing to not go to church and to isolate yourselves from the outside world. That is not what we do. We seek relationships. Isn't that what Church is about? Relationships? Our church is outside of the Church walls. We help people, we minister to people and we get ministered to. We had church in our house last night for almost two hours. It was awesome! We had church in our house last Monday night for almost three hours. It was Awesome! Three weeks ago Kelly had a Halley Joy show (that was church) and I got to listen and minister to a young lady. I got to hear her healed heart and hear someone who is in Love with Jesus and that ministered to me.

What does scripture say about church?
Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.KJV
Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.NLT

so We are in a season right now and that is okay. I can tell you that in the last six months, my wife and I have grown a lot in our walks with the Lord. You may wonder do we tithe, absolutely we tithe. We have been tithing to FTS and to Elevate Him. We have also been helping her parents. Matthew 19:19
'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"NKJV Let me be the first to admit that we have church wounds that we are working through. Some of these wounds have been self inflicted and we realize that. Some are not self inflicted. So I leave you with this I do not advocate you not going to Church. What I am saying is that Kelly and I are in a season. I know a lot of people read this blog so if you are not going to church then I hope you are seeking Jesus relationships and are meeting with people and talking Jesus on a regular basis and if you are not then my prayer is that you will. Amen? Don't allow yourself to be isolated or the enemy will pick you off.

Be blessed today

Kevin

1 John 4:18

Freedom from Justification Chpt 18

 

1 John 4:17-18
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. The Message

 

^1 John 4:17-18 ^ Love has been perfected among us in this: that ^vwe may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ^18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ^19 ^wWe love ³Him because He first loved us. NKJV

1 John 4:18 We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; His perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us, and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us. The Living Bible

Basically what I am getting out this is when we walk this type of Love out. The love of the Father. It puts us in a position where we don't react to people. What we do instead is respond in love. So the question is this: if you know and feel that God loves you. Do you react in love when something happens in a relationship that you are in or do you judge that person and cause your own pain? I know for me right now it is a process. I actually believe that sometimes I pick and choose who I will love and who I will judge. I am getting better though.

Kevin

The wise will inherit honor

Proverbs 11.30
The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.NASB95

As I have read this book, it has amazed me how often we assume (ass of u me) or try to figure out why someone did what they did. We or I judge their Heart. I have learned to deal only with the facts. That is wisdom! The bible tells us to judge the fruit. Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls. NASB95. Matthew 7:20"So then, you will know them by their fruits.NASB95 I have to tell you, now that I have recognized my issue. "Why did you do that?" Life is so much easier. Do you realize when you say "Why did you do that?" You are actually saying "What you do doesn't really matter as long as you reason is good enough." What you need to be saying is "What did you do?" So you have a choice. When someone pulls out in front of you two things happen, you either get angry and pass judgment or……… you forgive immediately. If someone is rude to you or me then we once again have a choice. You can get angry, fantasize, imagine or pass judgment. Or choose to forgive or communicate with this person. We all know Matthew 18:15-16
"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'NKJV know where does it say go to your brother and ask him "why?" It says, show him his fault.

Be Blessed today

 

 

 

Matthew 5.8

Chapter 11 still. This has been a very good chapter. I talked about surrendering our opinion before you can see something another way. I am not speaking for everyone but a lot of us will hold on to our point of view. I think we could call that pride, don't you think. We want to be RIGHT! We have invested a lot emotionally and repenting means admitting that we were wrong. Quote: We say we want to see the truth, but we are not willing to suffer the risk of being wrong. Now we have an irreconcilable difference. At this point, a revelation from God will have no effect on us. (I love this part) A revelation from God is not necessarily Him showing us something new, a revelation is simply what we see when we are flexible enough to change our mental/ emotional position about an issue and look at it from a different point of view. God doesn't show us something He previously kept hidden; we see something He wanted to show us all along.

Matthew 5:8
blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.NKJV Keep your heart pure from Judgment and you will see the Lord……. That is an awesome thing

 

Let go of your predetermined ideas and you may see a lot of hurtfull events differently.

Remember, this is only how I see it, I must see it from another position to overcome this offense

 

Kevin

Luke 15.7

Chapter 11, back to the Preacher story. Let's just say for grins you chose not to go back to the preacher and tell him what happened. What I mean is you never approached him without judgment and told him how it made you feel, so you could actually work it out and find out what really happened. What you did was carry this for months, or years. Every time you tell the story it gets worse, because you never remember what actually happened, you just remember how it made you feel. You have actually left the church and are going to a new church, where you are telling the story again. Now you are in exaggeration mode. The last time you told the story, you remembered how it made you feel; the last time you remembered telling it. What a vicious cycle. There has to be a point where you say "Enough"

"You must be willing to surrender your opinion before you can see it another way" quote from book

The bible calls this repentance:

repentance, a word covering several biblical ideas that range from regret to changing one's mind or behavior so as to bring about a moral or ethical conversion.

Luke 15:7
In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!NLT

 

Kevin

Measured to you

I am still in chapter 11. "How I see it is not how it is; it is just how I see it. " That phrase has been rattling around in my head for some time now. Have you ever caused your own pain? Have you ever been at church and you passed the preacher in the hallway and said hello? He walked right passed you and he did not even acknowledge you? (Actually it could have been anyone) so then you are walking and then you begin to wonder "why" he did not say anything to you. You wonder "if he knew how much I tithed he would have said something or if he cared about the congregation or me he would have said something. As a matter of fact I don't think he even likes me. I am going to quit tithing. I have been going to church here for years. I don't think he has every liked me. All that negative self talk. You are even driving down the road talking to the preacher that hurt you that is NOT EVEN IN THE CAR!!!!!!! Oh my gosh. You have passed judgment on the preacher , attached the "why" and added significance to the other issues that you have conjured up in your judgment. All this comes from attaching the "why". Little did you know that the preacher had just got through dealing with a life or death situation and was just not paying attention to you. So you passed judgment and now you are offended, you have caused yourself all this pain. And on top of all of that now you are going around telling people how the preacher hurt you. So now, based on your Judgment, it is measured back to you as pain and rejection and you're offended

Matthew 7:2
For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.NKJV