Month: November 2016

Have you ever secretly wished for a power outage that would last for days, maybe even weeks? I have. I know what you’re probably thinking, “Kevin, have you lost your mind? Don’t you remember the last major power outage we had in September of 2008 when Hurricane Ike came through and knocked our electricity out for 6 days? Yes, I do. In fact, some folks were without power for weeks. Was it an inconvenience? Yes. Were there benefits? Yes, from my perspective.

One of the benefits that stood out to me the most was the sense of community that came to the forefront. I met neighbors that I had not known up to that point. Family members came together and we actually conversed with one another instead of getting lost in our computers and cell phones.

Why does it seem like we can only have true community when our modern conveniences are temporarily shut down?

Webster’s Dictionary defines community as a group of people with a common characteristic or interest. We are all part of some community in one form or another. However, I want us to think about the root word of community: commune. No, I’m not talking about the noun form, which is a group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities. I’m talking about the verb: to communicate with someone or something in a very personal or spiritual way.

Ah, but never fear, we have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram now, don’t we? I love social media. It’s a great tool for communicating thoughts and ideas, not to mention those cute pictures of puppies, kittens, and grandchildren of course! We can learn a lot about each other from social media, but how can I really know the real you? It can only come from time spent together. In person. I write a weekly blog and publish it on Facebook. I share bits and pieces of my life and some of my beliefs, but there are some things about me you’ll never know unless you spend actual time with me, and vice versa. It’s easy to sit behind a computer or cell phone and go on a rant about politics or the guy who cut me off on the freeway.

There’s something about being able to look you in the eye, to hear voice inflection, to see body language. We can’t get that through any other means than personal time together.

Time together. That’s what I love the most about holidays (and eating good food!). It’s the time spent around the table eating, laughing, sharing stories, sharing ourselves.

I can’t imagine what it is like to be without family to spend holidays with. We have what I call “the open family concept” in the Sherman household. More holidays than not, we have had guests in our home who were not blood relatives or in-laws, but if you eat at my table you’re considered family. I feel pretty good about that. I believe that’s the heart of our Father God.

 

“God sets the solitary in families…” (Psalm 68:6)

 

Becky and I have jokingly talked about putting a basket by the front door at our next family gathering. Upon entering the house, everybody would put their cell phones in it, to be left there until time to leave (except for taking pictures of course, which we will then immediately post to social media, lol!) We might actually set that basket out this time.

I’m going to make a challenge: Put a basket by the door. I you can’t do that, at least try to put your phone down long enough to have an actual conversation. Who knows? You might actually get to know somebody.

 

Let us commune.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Kevin

 

It’s Tuesday November 8^th, 2016. Election night in America. By the time you read this blog, it will be Thursday and we will have elected a new president and other leaders in our government. Watching the election returns on TV, I’ve found myself far less anxious this time than in past elections. That sounds strange, given that this has been the wildest, most bizarre and divisive election I can remember. There were past presidential elections where I was so angry at the results that I wanted to throw objects at the television set after I had called half the population of my country ignorant idiots for not voting the way I did. After all, it would be the end of the world as we know it because my guy wasn’t elected.

The purpose of this blog piece is not to minimize the importance of this election. Were it not important, I wouldn’t have bothered to vote.

However, I have come to understand that there is Someone who transcends all kings and rulers and He has a kingdom that supersedes all earthly governments. I have seen social media posts during this election cycle by some of my fellow followers of Christ that made me wonder if they understand who our King is. Statements like “If Hillary gets elected, it’s all over! She’s going to destroy this country!” “God is going to remove His hand from this nation if we don’t elect the right person!”

If anything changes after this election, I hope it’s this – That we, the people of God would stop looking to politicians to be agents of change and realize that WE are the change.

 

What if we are the awakening we’ve been waiting for?

What if revival’s laid at our front door?

(From the song “Carrier” by Nathan Isaacs)

 

The prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming Messiah with these words:

 

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 9:7)

 

I am under a government that was not elected by men, but appointed by Almighty God. That government was embodied in Jesus Christ and through His death and resurrection it is now embodied in us, the Body of Christ. How many presidents, governors, mayors, senators, etc. must fail before we realize that the only government that carries any weight in heaven is His government? That government legislates through us.

When this election is over and we have a new president, whether it’s your guy or gal, or my guy, Jesus will still be king. The sun will come up the next day and His mercies will still be new, just like they are every morning. God will still be in charge of His universe and nobody will have replaced Him!

 

One more thing. Can we learn how to love one another? After all, Jesus did say this –

 

“By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you are Republicans have love for one another.”

 

That’s what His government looks like.

 

Love,

 

Kevin

When does a life begin? This question has been debated over and over for decades by religious leaders, media pundits, and politicians. For we who consider ourselves pro-life, the obvious answer to that question has been at conception.

I would like to suggest that even that answer comes up short.

Before you or I were conceived in our mother’s womb when the sperm met the egg, we were conceived in the Father’s heart. Before we existed in this world, we existed in His world – heaven.

Mankind was not simply an afterthought in God’s mind after He created the heavens and the earth.

 

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you;

Before you were born I sanctified you;

I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

(Jeremiah 1:5)

 

Stop and think about that for a moment (or a lifetime!). Before we were the tiniest of cells, He already knew us.

Life is sacred. It should come as no surprise that the issue of abortion has come up so little in this presidential election. I guess that shouldn’t shock us considering this culture of ours where death seems to be celebrated, especially in arts and entertainment. And I am not one who believes legislation will cure this culture of death.

Not only is life in the womb sacred, but all human life is sacred, in and out of the womb. It hurts my heart to hear of an unborn child being ripped apart in the womb. My heart should be equally hurt when innocent children are ripped apart in the bombing of a village in the Middle East. When I see every human being as someone created in the image of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my whole perspective on death changes. Perhaps that is why the bible calls death an enemy.

The very breath God breathed into the nostrils of Adam is still given to us today, and if that is so, then what a joy it is to breathe it back to Him. God literally taught us how to breathe (Gen.2:7) by sharing His breath with us. Wow!

 

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

(Psalm 150:6)

 

The word “breath” here (neshamah) is the same word used in Gen. 2:7 when God breathed into the man’s nostrils the breath of life. He desires nothing less than our every breath. It originated in Him, I give it back to Him. When I meditate on this truth, it causes my thinking to shift to eternity. When I say eternity, I’m not talking about going to heaven someday. Heaven is a present reality because the One who fills heaven lives in me and I in Him. In fact, I’ve always been in Him, because I was in His mind before creation. Is your head spinning yet? Mine is and has been ever since I came upon this truth! I’ve always been in Christ, but didn’t realize it until His spirit came alive in me and I was born again.

May you never wonder again if He cares about you or if you even matter.

Before you were physical matter, you mattered to Him.

 

You still do.

 

We still do.

 

Just breathe.

 

Kevin