A path of love in the Right direction!

Over the past few months a lot of the reading that God has led me into has been based around how we love each other as Christians and each other as neighbors (that includes everyone). Some of the Scriptures have been very pointed to the nature of love like in 2 Peter 1 where he speaks of a progression of growth that leads to a genuine love for everyone but in order to do that the step of growth right before that is to love other Christians. I know that the ultimate goal is to love everyone but I think we need to take a look at if we are really loving the person that should be the easiest to love and that is a brother or sister in Christ.

            So I started with myself and asked; “Am I loving my brothers and sisters in Christ the way that I am supposed to?” When I answered that question I found to my horror that I was not loving the way called me to love. What a shock right? Well not entirely! I knew something had to be up because of some of the looks that people would give and the way people would avoid conversations with me. I just thought they didn’t like me but it never dawned on me that I had been the one in the wrong. I started to spend some time in those verses from 2 Peter and evaluating myself and what I found was something that was very correctable and that I didn’t have to become an ostrich and bury my head in the sand. From that evaluation I had to decide what the best course I needed to take and one thing came to my mind.

            Forgiveness!

            Wow, what a simple thing! Well I guess that is easier said than done, as well. I know I have said things that might have hurt, insulted, or embarrassed someone at some point and I also know that in some of the relationships that I am a part of are strained not due to anything that I did but that still didn’t matter. I need to go and seek forgiveness from each person. Now I have started this process over the last few months and let me tell you God is doing amazing things. I know I am far from done in the process and really I don’t think I could ever get done because daily I think I stick my foot in my mouth. In that as well I have also learned that I do not need to dispute over silly debates of the law when one word sums them all up; LOVE! Instead of fighting with people over what I think is right and what they think is right I now try and keep my opinions to myself and speak of only the truth as it is in the Bible nothing more or less. I accept the correction that comes from when I get things wrong but now it is just how I need to love everyone around me.

            Now I didn’t write this article just to be a testimony of what has been going on with me, I wrote it because I see the lack of love among believers today. We need to stop fighting with other and causing division among each other. This is not the life that God speaks of and definitely not the family He talks about either. Yes we need to tell each other the truth but it should be with love. We need to stop gossiping about one another and bringing each other down and lift each other up. We need to forgive but yet most importantly seek forgiveness. We need to stop being haughty and hateful and become humble and loving. We wonder why people have such a bad taste in their mouths about Christians, well look at how we treat each other. We spend more time fighting over music, seat colors, spiritual gifts and only God knows what else than loving each other. We care more about being right than just being in love with God, and when we are in love with God we love everyone around us. Francis Chan writes in his book “Crazy Love” this statement; “When we love we’re free! We don’t have to worry about a burdensome load of commands, because when we are loving, we can’t sin.” This statement is based off of the scripture Galatians 5:13-14. 

            So what we need to do is find that love that God has shown us and reciprocate it in the same way. If you have questions about how to do that then take a look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. When we as the ones who have received forgiveness and are in the grace of God’s love start to show it to others in the way He intended then you will see change.

Start a R[evol]ution! Join us in loving the world as God loves us!!!

In Christ: Keith

what twloha day means to me

This is a youth that participates in the ministry where I am at. It is time for more people not just youth to make their voice heard for God. They do this for freedom for life for the salvation that God has gifted us with. Thank you Jesus for Adam's testimony!

To be memorized or to be lived!

  Let’s just assume that everyone knows John 3:16. Well every Christian should be able to recite this with no problem, but have you ever really taken the time to soak up this verse? Let’s dig in, shall we?

            John 3:16 is nothing more than salvation in a nutshell. Most people get this idea on a very human level, never contemplating the total ramifications of what is said here. It’s more than a good slogan for a sign at a football game, or the answer to every Sunday School question. It is the total design for what God’s love is.

            When I speak to kids about salvation or God’s love, this is the verse I start with. No other verse in the Bible can I use to more accurately describe God’s love and plan for us than with John 3:16. I start with that God loved us, the world, you, me, and everyone. Not the way we love but with a love that brought a great cost. Think about the single most important thing that you cherish and love above all else here on this earth. Now give it away, sacrifice it for someone who will spit on you, reject you, use your name in vain and deny your very existence. That is what God did; He gave His son, Jesus. But in essence gave Himself, to come out of heaven and live here with us in this fragile form of man. He did this so that we would know that He knew exactly what we felt; the suffering, the hunger, the thirst, the temptation, the hurt, and the loneliness. Also not only that He gave His son but His only son! Though the first part of the verse is a lot to swallow it is the second part I think people truly don’t get, and that is the simple idea of belief, faith, and trust. Jesus simply tells us here that if you believe then you will be saved. You won’t have an eternal separation from God, but that you will have an everlasting life, one spent eternally with God. People think that it’s not that easy and it is because they don’t understand how truly large this love is. Then some people say they believe, but do their actions tell the same story?  This belief, faith and trust that we are to have here is not just a haphazard feeling that is brought out of a fear of not wanting to go to hell but is a lifestyle of wanting to love, serve and live for a God who loves us more than anything.

            People see this verse as something that is written to be memorized and used at the right time to help others know the Lord, which is good. But the truth is that they never truly understand the depth that is contained in those words and the saving power that Christ spoke with. These are His words and they alone can save if you just open up your ears and listen. This verse says that if you believe in the Son then you are saved. So if you believe in Him isn’t that trusting the words that he says, wanting to be more like Him every day, loving Him for the gift He gave, spending time to build your relationship with Him, wanting to be less like the world and despise the sin that He despises? Or do you believe so you can escape the punishment for your sin? 1 John 2:3 (HCSB) “This is how we are sure that we come to know Him; by keeping His commands.”  The commands are simple love God the most above all else and love everyone else as yourself.

            We come to know Him by believing. But what does your belief stem from? Fear of hell or love for God?

Can you walk the talk you talk?

This is an excerpt from Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love":

   "Here me clearly in this, because it is vital - in fact, there is nothing more important or eternal: Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to him is more important than any other thing or person in you life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?
      If the answer to those questions is yes, then let your bet match your talk. True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity."

We say a lot of things about being a Christian but do we walk that talk we talk? John clearly states in 1 John 2:6 "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (NIV) Also James says that faith without actions is dead; not that we have to do good works to be saved but that being saved produces good works James 2:14-17. The proof of those works being an example of our salvation is the motivation of why we do them. If the motivation is not love then they truly are nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

The problem with the American landscape of Christianity is that we spend more time practicing a religion that living in a relationship! I know once we, all as those who have put trust in Christ, start to love without conditions, boundaries and limitations the world will truly change, but most importantly we will change. The reason God wants us to love and be full of His love is that is drives out the evil desires and the wants of this world. When we are full of Him there is nothing else to want. Even though we all say that can we truly look in that mirror and say that we see Jesus and not us? I understand how hard this is in that I struggle everyday to meet His standard!

I do get it now! I do understand truly what God wants! I know he wants me to do two things; Love Him first, the most, and with everything I have, and love everyone else as I love myself! You don't believe me check out Matthew 22:37. Jesus says do that because everything depends on those two things; kind of like saying if you do this then everything will start lining up in your life.

Live life loud full of love; and never let you get in the way of God.

In Christ
Keith

Random Thought 1

God is great! He opens the doors that we think are welded shut. He tills the grounds of the hearts we think are too hard to ever hear the Gospel. When we think that the world is without miracles, God shows up and performs a miracle that takes our breath away. 

           

            God opens the doors. Will we walk through? 

            God performs the miracles. Will we believe?

            God tells us to go. Will we listen?     

Remembering

November is a great month. I mean - my youngest was born, I got married, and then there is the greatest day of remembrance outside of Christmas and Easter. There is Veteran’s Day. I spent most of my young adult life engaged in service for our country. To be exact, just at 12 years. I knew that I had an obligation to serve the country that gave me so much. I knew later on in my life that this was one of my services to God as well. This country was set up to have a freedom to worship the one true God as each person saw fit. On November 11^th Veterans all over the country should be remembered, thanked, and appreciated. All your freedoms today are in place and active because of the service of countless men and women. Our freedom to worship without persecution, our freedom to choose our leaders, to have our voice heard, and to enjoy a wealth that no other nation truly knows. I regret that I was not able to serve my country for the time that I wanted; I had planned to serve 20 years at least. I know God has His plans for each of us and I am thankful, but that was the importance of the service to me.  We so often overlook what these men and women have sacrificed. I remember the day I walked the cemetery in Normandy, France, and how unworthy I was next to the sacrifices that all those men had made. I remember shedding tears for men who I would have never known and men that had to relation to me. Looking over the beaches where so many men lost their lives in order to save so many. Then I think how we overlook Christ and the sacrifice He made. I often find myself in that same place when I think about Christ; how unworthy I am for the sacrifice that He made. This Veteran’s Day please thank a Vet and talk to them. But most importantly thank the original Veteran of Freedom Jesus Christ. He gave us the truest of all Freedoms; he gave us freedom over death and sin. 

In Christ
Keith

Our past vs. God's Love

As I was surfing the internet one day I came across a headline “Footage of Sadaam Hussein’s execution” and being the human being I am, I clicked to watch. Now I have seen many a movie where people were executed or killed, I thought this would be no problem then as he was dropped through the floor and the noose tighten I realized that he was not coming back, there were no special effects. On that day many people rejoiced over the death of Hussein and being prior military and seeing the evil that this man preformed first hand I had an urge to rejoice too, until that one thought occurred. Did anyone take the chance to tell him about the Lord Jesus Christ? Did Sadaam ever get one last opportunity to give his life to God?

            Now I know right now there are a lot of people steaming about the mention of Sadaam even having the chance to be saved but the reality is that God loved him just like me and you. I am about positive that Sadaam had heard of Christ and was presented the gospel at some point, but was he provided that one last opportunity.  Though Sadaam’s life was filled with tyranny and evil that was not the reason why Sadaam’s eternal existence is being lived out in Hell. The sole reason is that he never accepted the grace of God Given through His son Jesus. Yes, I know what Sadaam’s life was and how he lived it but it is not just about Sadaam. It is about every single human on this planet. We are so quick to condemn someone because they do these horrible things but Jesus calls us to be more than this. Youth are being condemned because of the music, clothes, hairstyles, and mannerisms. We must remember that Christ didn’t call us to judge but to love everyone. On the day of execution a criminal, a thief, a man whose crimes were so heinous that he was being crucified looked up and asked if he would be remembered when Jesus got home. And Jesus simply said today you will be with me in paradise. Christ did not care about the past His focus was on the future. What if Christ said to us that our past was too bad for Heaven? Could you have changed what you done?  Today we need to be like Christ and love everyone just not the Sin. We have to spread the Word to all not just the ones we think worthy. But in the end we just need to love no matter the cost, because that is what Jesus did for us.   

A picture of worship or should I say a sound of worship - Anthony Skinner - Beauty for Ashes

Won’t you walk into the room
And bring us love

Beauty for ashes
Joy for mourning
Praise for heaviness
I am, for your glory

Purpose Part 5 Ministy

The difference here is that ministry is a personal ministry. We are not talking about whether or not you will become a pastor or Sunday school teacher but how you carry out the Great Commission. Some of the greatest misconceptions are that once you are saved and you start in your discipleship phase you automatically think you have to fill a ministry position but on the contrary your ministry position is out in the world spreading the Word of God. Our purpose of ministry is to help the youth discover their personal ministry; whether through speaking, music, art, drama, or just simply witnessing through testimony.

I wrote in the April newsletter about our purpose statement and quoted Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, people will perish” (KJV), and in the process of cultivating that statement I have described the purposes that form that statement. This statement is what defines the Revolution FOUR12 Youth Ministry. It provides the vision for everyone who is to work within this ministry, but most importantly it states what we are here for. We have to change the perception of what a youth ministry is; we have to show that this is not just a place where teens gather to goof off, hang out, and socialize. This is not a place where teens are dropped off so their parents can get some time alone, or a place where they are being watched while their parents are in church. This is a place where the Great Commission is being fulfilled. In order to clearly communicate that to everyone that is affected by this ministry this purpose statement was formed.

We exist to to display the love of Jesus to the youth so they may understand His love, accept His love, grow in His love, and share His love.

This is why we are here and what we do.

In Christ
Keith

Purpose Part 4 Discipleship

Discipleship is probably the hardest of all the purposes to actually follow through with and the most frustrating. Once a kid is plugged in to a ministry it is no longer just a church thing. It becomes an all the time thing. It takes more than your local church to disciple a youth. It takes the youth themselves to be self sufficient and the parents to follow up with them on a daily basis. Discipleship is the growth that leads a person into their personal ministry. When we sit back and wonder why people have no heart for serving God it can usually be traced back to the discipleship phase of their growth in the Lord.

We have to start making disciples of the ones who are new in Christ. We as the mature Christians have to follow up with our spiritual babies. This means everyone not just the youth. We have to instill in them daily Bible reading and devotions. We have to put our daily focus on God first then everything else. We need to encourage and uplift the new believers that their choice was not unwise. We have to show them our lives in a way that does not make us Hypocrites. If it was just up to the church to make the disciples some of you would never be able to serve God in your personal ministry. It takes a complete effort from all of us to grow and build our youth and others who are new to Christ into the spiritually mature. Let’s show our babies that Christianity is more than opposing things in this world but standing for the one who died for us. I leave you with this quote from the book Unchristian by David Kinnaman:

“As Christians we have become more famous for what we are against than who we are for.”


In Christ
Keith

Purpose Part 3 Fellowship

Fellowship is usually the purpose that all of us enjoy, but not just fellowship in general, a fellowship among believers. When we come together in corporate worship, youth group, Sunday night studies, those are the fellowships that help us grow. We plug ourselves and others into the body of Christ a group of like-minded, like faith people. When we skip our opportunities to come together in this environment we rob our spirit of interacting with people who encourage us and care for us with a righteous and loving heart. We have the responsibility to be among the world and spread the word, but we also have a BASIC fellowship responsibility. BASIC fellowship quite simply means fellowship among Brothers And Sisters In Christ. If we make a habit of missing this time, we tend to start a habit of missing our fellowship with God. Our relationship with others is a direct reflection of our relationship with Christ. Usually when we put a hold on our relations with fellow Christians we have already put a hold on our fellowship with God. Now most of you who read this are probably not in this category but we still need to encourage others into joining us. Fellowship is an extension of worship which those who fellowship are brought there through an act of evangelism. All the purposes work together to carry out the Great Commission. God never leaves us, Jesus is always beside us, so let’s do the same for Them!

Purpose Part 2 Evangelism

We teach our children about God; we tell them how they have to go to church. We impress on them about making good grades, hanging out with upright and moral people, and staying out of trouble; but do we tell them to GO.

Last time we talked about the purpose of worship. The premise that everything we do, we do for God and that nothing comes before God. This month we will look at the purpose of evangelism. Evangelism is nothing more than the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus left us the Great Commission as a command. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus simply says “GO”, in Acts 1:8 he says “you will be My witnesses.” No gray area there. We as followers of Christ are supposed to go and tell others and help them become followers. Simple right? Then why aren’t we doing it? What is our fear with evangelism? Is it the fear of rejection, the fear public speaking, the fear of the unknown? Have you ever had the opportunity to witness and backed down because the person looked different? Do you feel that logic should play a part in who you choose to witness to? We have opportunities everyday to witness to someone but will you accept the challenge.

Last time when I said that worship becomes second nature I believe evangelism will also. When you love God more than anything else then you will want to tell everyone. If you found a cure for cancer would you hide it away or would you tell the world? So why do we hide God’s love? Just remember that the love God gives is perfect and it is for everyone and can change anyone. So when someone says that their LIFE IS GOOD. Remind them ETERNAL LIFE IS BETTER!

Purpose Part 1 Worship

As we start to shape the mission for the youth ministry, we have to understand the purposes of the ministry. Those purposes are worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and ministry. This month we will look at the worship purpose.

Worship is a widely confused concept amongst Christians today. We think that worship is the music or the choir. We so often say, “I really didn’t like worship today, I mean the music wasn’t my style,”or“It is just too loud, how I am supposed to worship.” So often we forget what worship is. Jesus was asked what is the greatest among the commandments and He told us in Matthew 22:37 and the first part of the great commandment explains worship; Jesus simply says love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Wow nothing simpler than that, love God more than anything else. Often times we forget the purpose of worship, and we try to make worship what we want. Though the point of worship is Jesus, it is all about Jesus. Matt Redman’s song The Heart of Worship says it all; “I am sorry for the thing I made it. It’s all about you Jesus.” It is about knowing the object of your worship which leads you to worship. See worship starts with making God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit first in your life before everything else. When that happens then worship is second nature. So the next time you are in church and the music starts up; just look up to the heavens and give all your heart, mind, and strength to the One that gave you everything.

In Christ
Keith