Category: Uncategorized

We love to talk about giants being defeated, don’t we? I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard so many sermons on David and Goliath with its numerous allegories, symbols and prophetic significance that it can make my head spin! Well, this blog post is not about that story, but it is about a misconception concerning God and myself that had the proverbial rock of revelation hit it right between the eyes and drop it stone cold dead.

Right at this moment I am looking back over a journal I kept a few years ago as I began to rid my mind of some wrong ideas I had about God and His relationship with me. Toxic thinking was what I called it at the time.

I won’t go into detail what each toxic thought was, but I discovered one underlying theme: I didn’t really believe God was good, at least not the Father. Jesus was good. The Holy Spirit was good, but in my mind the Father, Almighty God seated on His throne, was angry and needed to be appeased. I had been taught most of my life that Jesus stood between me and the Father and took a beating from his Father on behalf of me (perhaps I’ll discuss this concept at another time). I had no problem believing that, because I had a very angry father as a child.

Needless to say, this concept of God seemed confusing to me when I would try to understand the Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Godhead three-in-one. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around it. I believed they were one because the bible said so and if the bible said so it was true. I had been taught that while Jesus was hanging on the cross, the Father had to turn His face away from His Son because He couldn’t look upon sin. He had to separate Himself from His own Son. (I guess the eternal Godhead was broken up!). This whole dogma was drawn from a scripture in Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus was actually quoting David and expressing a human emotion of feeling forsaken. The entire chapter is a prophetic picture of the crucifixion. Psalm 22:24 declares, “For He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard.” This theme is carried over into the next Psalm, the all familiar 23^rd Psalm: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

He never forsook His son. How could He? Father, Son and Spirit are one. Besides that, He is good! Would a good Father ever abandon his son? Would you or I ever abandon one of our own children? I would hope not. Are we better than God? Could the love we have for our own kids ever come close to His love for His own? Never!

I remember many years ago hearing a preacher say “God is good” and then several members of the congregation would say “All the time!” Now, it has become a common saying. When you consider that good isn’t just something God does, but it is who He is, then even having to say “all the time” seems rather redundant, doesn’t it. It would be like me saying “I am Kevin” and you responding with “all the time!”

“God is good” is becoming my default setting even when I see or experience things that scream mockingly in my face “see, how can you say He’s good?” How can I say He is good? Because He never leaves me. This is another great revelation that has completely changed the way I see things now. He is always with me. I can now look back on every traumatic event or foolish decision in my entire life and see that He was with me. He never left me. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there.” (Psalm 139:7-8) I dare you to meditate on that one for a few weeks and see if your outlook on life doesn’t change!

As His kingdom expands on this earth, I am seeing more and more of His goodness on display every day. Never in the history of mankind since the fall, has there been more goodness in the world as there is now. My Father is good.

It is so critical that we take note of toxic thoughts that influence the way we see the world. For me, I had to stop watching cable news and stop listening to talk radio. It has been almost two years since I made that decision and I haven’t regretted it. I’m beginning to see that there is so much more goodness around me than I ever believed there was. I’m even starting to love the very people they told me I should hate! After all, God is Love, right? He is also good.

I encourage you to let “God is good” become more than just another cliché that you throw out there every time something works in your favor. Let it be the thought at the forefront of your mind so that everything you hear, see, and experience is filtered through that thought.

He is good!

Becoming a grandparent will change your life. That’s what they used to tell us and now that we’re experiencing it ourselves, we understand what they must have meant. There are certain things I see as I watch our granddaughter Norah grow, that I didn’t seem to take notice of when my children were that age. She’s sixteen months old as I write this. We have four sons, all adults now. Our first three were all born close together, which is why it was probably harder at that time to step back and savor certain moments.

One such moment occurred a few weeks ago when I found myself somewhat frustrated that Norah wouldn’t come to me but would so readily go to my wife and a few other folks. As she turned away from me when I put my arms out, I scooped her up and said, “Let’s go outside!” Her entire demeanor changed as we stepped out on the back porch. It was as if we had walked into another world. Suddenly, the little girl who resisted my attempts to hold her was content to be with me as I held her hand walking through the back yard. She was in a state of pure delight as she jabbered unintelligible words with a couple of “Pawpaws” thrown in here and there.

She picked up acorns and leaves, studying each one before gleefully looking for something else. She would break away from me sometimes to explore something else, yet ever so aware that I was still with her. Suddenly, I became acutely aware of the presence of God. I heard that familiar, still-small voice inside me say, “This is what my Kingdom looks like.” My eyes began to well up with tears as I felt foolish for the frustration I had experienced just minutes before. I was reminded of things Jesus had said in the gospels about little children and the kingdom.

One such reference is in Luke 18:15-17, “Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ ”

I watched her pick up an acorn and study it as she turned it in her hand, looking at every angle. An object that I had come to see as a nuisance because our porch and yard are covered with them this time of year, filled her with wonder. I personally believe that children come out of the womb with an innate ability to see God in everything. As they grow older, often times they learn to not see things this way. They learn cynicism from us adults and adopt our dualistic thinking.

How would my whole outlook on life change if I could regain that sense of holy wonder that I had as a little child?

What if I could come back to a place where I could see God in everything? In everybody?

How would my life change if I could learn true contentment?

It might not necessarily change the circumstances around me, but it would certainly change the way I see them. For when we see through the eyes of a child, the wonder of all that God has created becomes more alive to us than we could ever imagine.

I pray that as you and I begin this New Year, we’ll allow the cynicism and negativity that can weigh us down to fall off like scales from our eyes. We might be surprised at how we’ll learn to see the vastness and beauty of God’s kingdom. It’s everywhere. Let us become more aware of His presence with us all the time. Let’s learn to enjoy Him in everything we experience. May your New Year be filled with joy!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll step out on the back porch and study an acorn or two. Happy New Year!

The advance of social media has had a greater impact on culture than anything else I can remember in my lifetime. It has brought us together as far as common knowledge goes, but it has bitterly divided us like nothing else. I have Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. All of these give us a platform, if you will, to let our opinions be known. Or, just a place for cute pictures. For every heart-warming post, I see ten political posts. And then there are those annoying “copy and paste” ones that I completely skip over now. I guess those are the equivalent of those old “If you’re not ashamed of Jesus you’ll forward this to 20 others” emails. If you have a lot of time on your hands you can join in a good old political or theological debate. Facebook and Twitter are the place to be for these if you dare to jump in, although it doesn’t take a lot of courage to hide behind your smart phone or computer to do that.

Last time I checked, I had 745 “friends” on Facebook. I’ve had an actual face to face, ear to ear conversation with no more than 15 percent of them in the past 10 years. Many of those other “friends” I’ve never once met. It is practically impossible for me to have a meaningful conversation with 745 people who are scattered literally around the globe.

About a year ago I reactivated my Twitter account which I had never used. I began following a variety of people, most of whom I had never met. Some were authors I had read, or voices I had heard on a podcast. Some of them have theological or political views that differed from mine, but I have no doubt that most of them love and worship the same God that I do. Because of this, a wonderful thing has happened in my heart. I now realize that in spirit we are all one in Christ. In practicality though, we are a divided mess. We speak of a coming awakening and harvest of souls like it’s just going to swoop down upon us one day without any desire on our part to come together as one.

There is a line in a song written by Nathan Isaacs that says, “What if WE are the awakening we’ve been waiting for?” The body of Christ should look like He whose body we are, right? In John 17 Jesus prayed that we would all be one, even as He and the Father are one. That prayer hasn’t been answered yet and I don’t believe it will until we cooperate with Him. Jesus Christ is not divided.

A nasty political spirit has gripped a good portion of the American church. We’ve allowed ourselves to be sucked into a two-party political system that seeks one thing – power and control. By the way, don’t get caught up in the idea that Jesus is not political. He is political. It’s just that His politics happen to look much different. If Jesus were to have a political convention, inviting all who believe and trust in Him to attend, perhaps it might look like this: Jesus has all the believers be seated. Then He begins His speech – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are…”  Read Matthew, chapters 5-7. Then He invites the Apostle Paul to the stage and he quotes from his letter to the Galatians where he compares the works of the flesh to the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal. 5:19-26). After that, John the Beloved steps up and says, “Beloved, let us love one another….” (1 John 4:7-11). Finally, Jesus wraps it up by retelling the parable of the sheep and goats, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.”  (Matt. 25:31-46).

So how will Jesus’ prayer for us to be one be answered? By putting our hope and trust in a way of living that transcends current politics. A way that is neither Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or anything else.

It’s the Jesus way.

He is the Way.

May we be one,

Kevin

Social media has changed our world. We here in America live in a culture of sound bites and clichés. Every other post I see on Facebook or Twitter clamors for me to take sides and join the cause, whatever that cause may be. Whether it be political or religious, you must be either/or.

No. What we actually need is more circumspection. Big word, huh? Impressed? No, I didn’t make it up. It is an actual word. We need more people who are circumspect. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines it, “careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences.” Picture, if you will, somebody walking in a circle around a newly discovered object, looking at all sides before coming to a conclusion as to what it might be.

Something began to shift radically in my mind a couple of years ago. It wasn’t necessarily because of gaining more knowledge, although I do read a lot. For over 30 years I have practiced some sort of early-morning spiritual devotion. Whether it was reading through the Bible, reading a devotional book, or a chapter from Psalms or Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month, there was always something. Though I gained a lot of knowledge from the word of God, there was something missing. I had a strong relationship with the Bible, but not The Word. I had a good knowledge of truths, but not The Truth. The Word is a person. The Truth is a person. The practice of early-morning devotion has never been hard for me since I began doing it those many years ago. What was hard for me though, was prayer itself. I saw prayer predominately as asking God for things. In my mind I thought, “God already knows what I need and want, so why ask Him?” In recent years I have come to realize that it is so much more than just asking. It is more about waiting, watching, and listening than anything else. Prayer is about becoming so aware of what Jesus is doing that I actually begin to participate with Him.

I had an experience a couple of years that initiated this shift in prayer that I’m talking about. A couple of men were praying with me about a personal issue I was dealing with. There was a point in the ministry time where the men stopped talking and we all closed our eyes and asked Jesus to come in and show me what He wanted me to know. We got quiet and waited. Soon after, as I still had my eyes closed, I saw Jesus come in and sit across from me at a table. He served bread, wine, and meat. As we sat there eating, we laughed and made jokes. Then he looked me right in the eyes. As He did, it felt as if he was looking right through me. Then He said, “You’re unique, you’re special, and I like you.” I won’t take the time right now to tell you why He said those words, but it was healing for my soul. Afterwards I shared with the men what I had seen and heard. One of the men told me, “You need to visit that place often.”

I have many times. In fact, I go there almost every morning. I have a time set aside during my early-morning prayer where I stop talking, I get quiet and I just wait. Then He always meets me at the table. I have learned to be completely content in His presence. Sometimes He speaks, sometimes He shows me a picture, and sometimes He’s silent. I’m content simply because I’ve been with Him.

Sitting at the table with Jesus in the morning has helped me to be more circumspect in dealing with life and with people. I’m getting less and less angry these days as I see some of the ridiculousness on social media. When He is sitting with me at the table, all of the world’s opinions, accusations, and noise meant to distract me and anger me must pass between Jesus and I at the table. Most of the time they are reduced to nothing in the light of His gaze.

I think I’m beginning to understand what David was talking about when he said in Psalm 23, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

It’s a wonderful feast.

Kevin

Over in one of the corners of my mom’s house sits a grandfather clock. She had had it since 1980. If you asked me if I like the clock I would have to say yes and no. “No” because the chiming that takes place every quarter hour simply annoys me. I don’t know why, it just does. “Yes” because there has always been something mesmerizing about watching the pendulum swing back and forth.

The pendulum has weight at the bottom of it that causes it to swing to and fro under the action of gravity. Since I started following Jesus some 40 plus years ago I’ve seen many pendulums of spiritual truth swing from one end to the other. In the late 1960s and 70s there was the Jesus Movement that sprung up as a result of young people wanting some more real and genuine than the stuffy suit-and-tie hymnbook religion of their parents. There was the word of faith movement that rose up as a reaction to a passive, whatever-will-be-will-be religion. We saw the home school/Christian school movement grow as a reaction to public education and God being “removed” from it. I won’t take the time to mention the political pendulums that have swung to and fro. I’ve been a part of each of these swings and many more.

But alas, the pendulum swings again to the other side as a reaction to a truth turned heresy, a reclaiming of something important to the neglect of something else equally important. The pendulum only stops when it ceases to react. When it is centered and still, only then is it held by that gravity.

The gravity that holds me is The Truth. Not a truth, but The Truth Himself. Jesus. God Himself as revealed in His Son. Going back to the simplicity of the gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and embarking on a more contemplative way of thinking and praying has empowered me to begin the climb down from the pendulum.

Gone are the Fox News junkie days of watching the know-it-all pundits yelling at each other as I sit in my chair hoping my side gets the upper hand in the debate. Here to stay is a new way of seeing. This contemplative way has required an “unknowing” on my part that is strangely new, yet strangely comfortable. I will be sharing more about this contemplative way in some future blogs.

Stay tuned…

Kevin

I have been a music lover for as long as I can remember. There were many nights in my pre-teen and adolescent years when I would drift off to sleep with the transistor radio next to my ear listening to top 40 music such as The Beatles, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, etc. As much as I’ve always loved music, you would think I would have become a musician of some kind or least a vocalist. Singing in the church youth choir was the closest I ever got.

I’ve always loved singers and musicians who wrote and performed their own music – poets and storytellers especially. Their music moves beyond the ears and touches the soul. Recently, I began to pull up some music I used to listen to over 25 years ago. One in particular was a songwriter/singer named Bob Bennett who became popular in the Contemporary Christian music genre during the early Eighties. His music always touched a deep place in me that few others could. On my way to work one morning I pulled up one of my all-time favorite Bob Bennett songs. After I pulled into my parking space and turned off the car, I had to sit there for a couple of minutes to compose myself. I completely lost it while listening to “Man of the Tombs.” Here are the lyrics:

Man of the tombs.

He lives in a place where no one goes

And he tears at himself

And lives with a pain that no one knows.

He counts himself dead among the living.

He knows no mercy and no forgiving.

Deep in the night he’s driven to cry out loud

Can you hear him cry out loud?

 

Man of the tombs

Possessed by an unseen enemy.

He breaks every chain and mistakes his freedom for being free

Shame and shamelessness equally there

Like the random toss of a coin in the air.

 

Man of the tombs he’s driven to cry out loud

Underneath this thing that I’ve become

A fading memory of flesh and blood.

I curse the womb, I bless the grave

I’ve lost my heart,

I cannot be saved.

Like those who fear me, I’m afraid.

Like those I’ve hurt, I can feel pain.

Naked now before my sin

And these stones that cut against my skin.

Some try to touch me but no one can

For man of the tombs I am.

 

Down at the shoreline

Two sets of footprints meet.

One voice is screaming

The other voice begins to speak.

In only a moment and only a word

The evil departs like a thundering herd.

Man of the tombs he hears this cry out loud

“Underneath this thing that you’ve become

I see a man of flesh and blood

I give you life beyond the grave

I heal your heart I come to save

No need to fear, be not afraid

This man of sorrows knows your pain.

I come to take away your sin and bear its marks upon My skin.

When no one can touch you, still I can

For Son of God I am.”

 

Dressed now and seated

Clean in spirit healthy of mind.

Man of the tombs, he begs to follow,

But must stay behind.

He’ll return to his family with stories to tell

Of mercy and madness,

Of heaven and hell.

Man of the tombs

Soon he will cry out loud

“Underneath this thing that I once was

Now I’m a man of flesh and blood!

I have a life beyond the grave

I found my heart I can now be saved!

No need to fear, I am not afraid

This Man of sorrows took my pain.

He comes to take away our sin

And bear its marks upon His skin.

 

I’m telling you this story because

Man of the tombs I was.

You can find this story in Luke 8:26-36.

In the past few years we have seen and heard news of heinous acts of mass murder committed by men who have been described as “monsters”, “sickos”, and “cowards.” I can remember a time in my life, not too many years ago, when upon hearing of acts like these, I called for the damnation and destruction of men such as these.

Something has changed in me. I no longer feel hatred and rage toward men such as the Las Vegas shooter and the Sutherland Springs, Tx. killer. I’ve been arrested by the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…”

When I heard about the church shooting last Sunday, I was overcome with sadness and immediately prayed for the families and the survivors. That was easy.

Then I prayed for the family of the man who shot them all. That wasn’t as easy, but as I chose to, I felt myself being enabled by the grace of God.

These last few days I’ve been overwhelmed with the sense that we, the Body of Christ, can prevent these sort of thing from happening in the future. No, this has nothing to do with the “let’s all carry guns to church” movement going on. Please. We can prevent these things from happening by doing it the Jesus way. What if these shooters had encountered Jesus through one of us just as the “man of the tombs” did?

May you be arrested by the words of Jesus.

Kevin

The local news coverage on television was non-stop 24/7 for at least five or six days. The live images displayed on the screen were almost beyond belief as we watched the flood waters rise to levels not seen in our area in several hundred years. The effects of Hurricane Harvey took a devastating toll as hundreds and probably thousands of homes filled up with water causing multitudes to lose all that they owned, even human life itself.

It is not uncommon for a disaster of this magnitude to be given so much airtime. Remember 9-11? The difference was the constant display of the community’s response to this disaster. From first-responders (police, fireman, paramedics, coast guard, etc.) to ordinary citizens and neighbors putting their own boats in the water, it was a rescue effort unlike anything I have seen. It was a shining example of how good overcomes evil. Hurricanes are evil. No, they are not sent by God to punish people. My father is not like that! But the purpose of this article is not to discuss the origin of storms.

As I watched this event transpire, this thought came to me – we are all first-responders. Then, I heard these words in my spirit – “What is your first response to evil?” As I pondered the question I thought of Jesus’ response when the disciples reported to Him that the Samaritan village they had gone into to prepare for His arrival had rejected Him. James and John said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them as Elijah did?” Jesus rebuked them, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

We humans have been designed to respond. We respond to touch, pain, words, injustice, love and hate. If you are like me, you can think of certain situations where you responded to a word, an action, or an accusation in a way that you’ve later regretted because it only made the situation worse or caused pain to someone. We are faced with situations daily that generate responses from us, be they good or bad. In a culture where the news media, social media, and the entertainment industry all vie for our attention in an effort to draw some sort of response from us, it would be most beneficial to us and those around us if we could train ourselves to respond correctly.

Good has been under assault from evil since the beginning of mankind’s existence on this earth. God, whose ways are higher than our ways, has shown us the way to overcome evil. He has shown us how through The Way, His Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot overcome evil with evil. It can only be overcome with good. Apostle Paul gives us this admonishment in Romans 12:17-21 –

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

The reference to coals of fire is a quote from Proverbs 25:22. In the Bible Knowledge Commentary on Proverbs it says this:

“Sometimes a person’s fire went out and he needed to borrow some live coals to restart his fire. Giving a person coals to carry home ‘on his head’ was a neighborly, kind act; it made friends, not enemies.”

It makes absolutely no sense to my natural mind to give something beneficial to my enemy, but I’ve been given the mind of Christ, the same Christ who told us,  “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45) Why does he tell us to do these things? So that we may be sons of our Father.

Every time we respond to evil in the opposite spirit, we are participating in something redemptive. I can think of so many instances in everyday life, whether they were in the workplace, the neighborhood, the interstate highway, and even in church, where I chose to respond in the opposite spirit. Whether it was responding calmly to someone who was agitated, or choosing to speak a word of blessing in the face of accusation, each time I did, the chaos was quelled. I can also recall times where I didn’t respond in the spirit of Christ and lived to regret them.

Jesus showed us what this lifestyle of redemptive response looks like through His life, but even more so in His death. For it was in the face of the greatest demonstration of hate the world has ever seen that he uttered these well known yet mysterious words from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  It was the ultimate act of self-giving love. It was good overcoming evil. A revolution began that day. It is not a revolution of force, war, violence, revenge, or the strength and cunning of men. It is a revolution of laying down one’s life for others. From the cross, The son of God asks us the question, “Sons, what will your response be to evil? We represent the Father best when we love in the face of hate, give in the face of destruction, and offer hope in the midst of despair.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a daily prayer that has had a huge impact on me since the beginning of the year:

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy,

O’ Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

On August 21^st, there will be a total eclipse of the Sun over the United States for the first time since June 8, 1918. Let me make a prediction – social media is going to be flooded with warnings of impending doom, judgment on America, and end-times speculation that will make your head spin. I’ve already seen one that predicted a series of calamities (brought by God) beginning right after the eclipse.

A couple of years ago, there were four ‘blood moons” between April 15, 2014 and September 28, 2015. There was mass hysteria as gullible multitudes of religious folk braced themselves for the “end of the world.” One prominent Christian minister said, “The coming four blood moons points to a world-shaking event that will happen between April 2014 and October 2015.” It is August 8, 2017.

There has never been a shortage of predictions concerning calamity, judgment and end-times prophecy. Anybody remember Y2K?

In early 1988 there was a book published entitled “88 Reasons Why Jesus is Coming Back In 1988.” In 1989 the same author published his next book – “89 Reasons Why Jesus Is Coming Back In 1989.” People bought that one too.

I remember as a teenager, reading Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth.” I was convinced that I and every other Christian would be “raptured” off  the planet before I turned 30. That way of thinking subconsciously affected my decision-making for many years.

My eschatology has changed drastically in the past 10 years, but the purpose of this blog article is not to try to prove to you that my eschatology is right. However, I am going to make a prediction of my own. On August 22^nd you and I will wake up after the eclipse and the kingdom of God will be advancing and increasing on this earth stronger than ever. How do I know this? Because these words are true-

“Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order 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

God did not create this nation for destruction and he certainly didn’t create this world for destruction either. Jesus came to make all things new. ALL things! Keep that in mind the next time you hear a prediction of doom and gloom.

And don’t forget to enjoy the eclipse!

Kevin

If there is one truth above all others that has changed my life, it is this – God is good. A few years ago, I was teaching a class at a prison. Several times, I made the remark, “God is good.” The guys would then say, “all the time!” That wasn’t the first time I had heard that saying spoken out. I had heard it in church gatherings too. Many times. It has always bothered me. Not that there is anything wrong with that statement. It is true. God is good all the time. What bothers me is the fact that “all the time” ever had to be added on to it in the first place. I’m not completely sure why it was added, but I suspect it was due to a belief that God wasn’t good all the time. Sometimes He could be good and sometimes he could be mad, depending on what kind of mood He was in that day.

But I have a greater suspicion that it was meant to correct a misunderstanding of the very nature of God. When I say, “God is good”, I’m saying that is who He is.

Can you imagine how it would sound if I was introduced to a crowd and this happened? “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Kevin.” The crowd responds, “all the time!” That would be absurd. Of course I’m Kevin all the time!

There is no aspect of God’s nature that has been more misrepresented than that of His goodness. For example, He has been accused of putting diseases on people, causing automobile accidents, sending deadly storms, earthquakes, and the list goes on. If you or I, as parents, were to do anything like that to one of our children, we would be arrested for child abuse!

We need look no further than Jesus Christ to see what the goodness of God looks like. Jesus was the exact representation of the Father (Heb.1:3) and we know what he did with sickness and storms.

“Whatever you think you know about God that you can’t find in the person of Jesus you have reason to question. Jesus Christ is the fullest and most precise revelation of the Father and His nature that could ever be made known.”

Bill Johnson

It is quite telling that Jesus healed everyone who came to Him for that purpose, yet we create whole doctrines of belief (or unbelief) over the fact that someone didn’t get healed when we prayed for them. Why aren’t all those who are sick healed when we pray for them? I don’t know. Why are innocent children killed? I don’t know.  Why do bad things happen to good people? I don’t know.

This I do know – The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever. That will be the thought I choose to think when I’m faced with adversity. I will agree with David when he said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”  I choose to remember this – No matter what happens, He is good.

When I realize that I can walk into any situation where there is seemingly the absence of good and bring good in, change happens. In order for this to be a reality, we need to constantly be aware of His goodness to us. How can we maintain this awareness?

By remembering.

Memories are powerful. Painful memories can drive us into depression and hopelessness, distorting our view of God’s goodness. Memories of the faithfulness of God and the times He has saved, healed and delivered give us hope. We transmit that hope to others by declaring those testimonies, thus releasing the possibility for it to happen again.

The One who is good lives in me. I have the privilege and responsibility to release that goodness wherever I go. I challenge you to keep a journal of the good things God has done for you and talk about them. And then be ready to be put in places where those good things are needed. Someone needs to encounter this good God we boast about.

Remember the good.

Be the good.

He is good.

Kevin

Imagine that you have never been to EYC and someone says to you, “Come go with us to youth camp.” What would your expectation be? A bunch of energetic teenagers with a few young folks in their twenties and thirties sprinkled in to maintain some sense of order and give a little guidance to the kids? Days filled with organized activities and a little free time to go swimming, play volleyball, or just hanging out with friends? A short little chapel service in the evening with a couple of songs and a cool speaker with an impressive multi-media presentation?

You might be surprised or in shock at what you would actually witness at EYC (Experience Youth Camp). One thing that might look unusual would be the wide range in age of the EYC staff. Our oldest staff member, Joanne Godfrey, is 85 years old. Our youngest staff member this year was 20. We have staff members in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties, all of whom pay their own fee, take a week out of their busy lives, some even using vacation time that they have built up at their places of employment.

I am 58 years old. I have been a part of this camp since 2000. In that time span I have missed only three. I am addicted. There are many things I love about EYC – the relationships we’ve built through the years, the new ones formed each year, family, worship that is indescribable, but the most beautiful thing is watching teenagers encounter the living God. Youth from all kinds of neighborhoods, from dysfunctional families, and even good church kids who might otherwise never get to be in a setting like this where 400 people are going hard after God in worship.

This year was different. Every year is different and unique, but this year’s camp was a major turning point. Many teenagers were saved. Over 70 received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues for the first time. There were so many physical healings, I lost count. This healing didn’t happen by kids getting in a prayer line and having hands laid on them. They did it! They were activated by putting into practice what they had been taught through the week by our camp speaker, Jessika Tate. Kids asking Holy Spirit how He wanted to heal and then obeying, no matter how strange the method may have seemed. After all, Jesus did some out-of-the-ordinary things too (The last time I checked, we were supposed to be following Him, right?).

On the Sunday morning after camp, there were several kids who testified of deep emotional healing too. Two in particular stood out. A young teenage boy, whose mother had birthed a stillborn child recently, shared how his heart had been healed by forgiving God (even though God was not responsible for it). He had blamed God. A girl, whose mother had died from cancer four years ago, told how she had never been able to mourn or cry over the loss of her mother. God touched her heart and she was able to cry for the first time.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matt. 5:4

I wept as I listened to them. These two, along with hundreds others, will never be the same.

We have a team of intercessors who come to our camp every year. While the rest of us adult staff members have various assignments, these ladies have one – prayer. On Wednesday night during the evening service, they were asked to come on stage. They each prayed over the campers and the Joanne Godfrey, our oldest intercessor, released a mantle of intercession to them. Many of the students took it. From that night on, these ladies were rock stars. Some campers were even asking them to sign their t-shirts. Amazing! Incredible! I’ve run out of words.

So now you know why this 58 year-old man still goes to youth camp.

With love for this generation,

Kevin