Ken's Spiritual Diary

See How Much God Loves Us!

2010-05-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

See How Much God Loves Us! I don't know the source of the following quote, but it really caught my attention: "God would rather go to hell for us - than to go to eternity without us!" And that is of course jsut what He did when Jesus, God the Son, experienced hell for us on the cross as He cried out "My (Father) God, why have you forsaken me?" Be sure to remember this the next time you are questioning God's love!

TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT MONEY

2010-03-12T08:46:00.001-08:00

Teaching Children About Money: This past Thursday's FOCUS ON THE FAMILY radio programs (from 3.11.10) had one of the VERY BEST programs on the subject of helping children and teens learn about and understand the value of money and work that I've ever heard so it's my "Pick of the Week!" The program interviewed Dave Ramsey, a Christian speaker who is well known for his financial advise and who has several radio and TV progrms of his own. Among his many tips and great advice was a great new insight about why Mr. Ramsey doens't believe in giving "allowances" to children. To hear the 30 minute program, simply go to http://www.focusonthefamily.org/ and click on "Listen to today's Radio Broadcast", then locate the program from 3.11.10 about Family Finances!

Then Jesus Died Needlessly!

2010-02-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

THEN JESUS DIED NEEDLESSLY! The Pastors & DCE’s from our Circuit are currently reading the book: “The Seduction of Extremes” by Peter Kurowski. In it the author makes some very profound statements including that: “The sad reality is that the only thing human beings contribute to salvation is their sin.” He goes on to state that it is “Jesus, our perfect Savior, and not our perfect faith that saves us.” And finally that in Galatians 2:21 the “Apostle Paul argues that if righteousness could come any other way than Jesus, then Jesus died needlessly”!

I Am Not Ashamed

2010-01-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

The new “I Am Not Ashamed!” campaign being launched by the ANSWERS IN GENESIS ministries in response the culture’s increasing attacks on Christianity and the rejection of the Bible - and Christianity’s burden to be “salt” and “light” to our world! The campaign will include billboards, television spots, magazine and newspaper ads, etc., with messages such as “I am not ashamed ... of traditional biblical Marriage, for it is written: “He who made them at the beginning made them male and female” (Matthew 19), “I am not ashamed ... of believing in God’s Creation, for it is written: “In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.”, (Exodus 20), “I am not ashamed ... of being Pro-Life, for it is written: “For You formed my inward parts; You knit we together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139), etc. To learn more and/or to help support this campaign go to www.IamNotAshamed.org.

Forgetting What is Behind

2010-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND: In Philippians 3:13-14 we read: “Forgetting what is behind

and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. In a Bible study this past week, we talked about how dwelling on our past sins and/or failures can often sap the joy out of our lives and keep us from moving ahead in our spiritual life. Resentments, regrets, and guilt are among those things which we are called to get rid through forgiveness - and then forgetting what is behind, move on with God’s grace and fresh a start!

Why I Believe in Creation

2009-12-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

PICK OF THE WEEK! The “Why I Believe In Creation” series that is currently being aired on the “Life

On The Edge” daily radio program is excellent. You can listen to it on line by going to www.LifeOnTheEdge.org, and then clicking “Broadcasts”, “Listen Online”, and “Daily Broadcast”. The speaker has done an excellent job of summarizing many of the main points as to why believing in creation makes so much more sense than evolution not only because a special creation is what Holy Scripture teaches (which should be enough

Trusting the Old Testament & Moses

2009-12-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

TRUSTING THE OLD TESTAMENT & MOSES: These days there are people who like to

create doubts about whether the Bible can be trusted - since it’s “such an old book”. These same people often suggest that the Bible is just a collection of myths and that the Old Testament especially can’t be taken seriously. Really? Well, that’s certainly not what Christ thought! For example, Jesus Himself quoted the OT often including Genesis 1:27 “from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” and Genesis 2:24 “a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife”. He also taught about the Genesis flood and referred to the Old Testament “days of Lot and the city of Sodom (Luke 17:26-29). Jesus had a word for the unbelievers of His time - and it’s the same for those of our time: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believe me: for he (Moses) wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?” John 5:46-47 One more very important thing: Notice that Jesus affirms that men and women were there at the “beginning of creation” rather than coming along some 4.5 billion years later as some evolutionists teach today! (These thoughts taken from the November 18, 2009 Portals of Prayer Devotion.) You can pick up a free copy of Portals of Prayer devotions in our gathering area.

Held His Hands Up

2009-03-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

“HELD HIS HANDS UP”: I was struck by a radio program I heard earlier this week. It recounted the biblical account of when Moses held up the staff of God during a battle against the Amalekites as recorded in Exodus 17:8-15. Here are some selected verses from this reading: “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword ... Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.” Two very important lessons are found in these verses: One is obviously that the real power is from God above. But there’s another important truth here as well: Aaron and Hur held Moses’ hands up! So whose hands can you help hold up today? While this can be done by us in a number of different ways as we reach out to help our neighbors; the speaker on the radio program was comparing what Moses, and Aaron and Hur did to “intercessory prayer”, that is praying for someone else. These three men of God were calling on God’s power for the sake of Joshua and his army. And God answered with his power in a visibly evident manner! Whenever Moses hands were lifted up - Joshua and his army were winning - and just the opposite happened whenever Moses hands dropped down. You don’t get a much clearer indication of where the power comes from than that! And so I ask again, who can you and I be lifting up in prayer today?

Two Birthdays

2009-02-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

TWO BIRTHDAYS: As I am writing this week’s UPDATE today (Thursday, February 12), I am reminded that this is the birthday of two very famous people: Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. Abraham Lincoln is best remembered as one of our country’s most famous presidents - especially for his work to end slavery in our nation. Charles Darwin’s name is connected to the popularizing of the theory of evolution as summarized in his book “On The Origin of Species”, of which this is the 150th anniversary of it’s publication. The consequences of both men’s work have made tremendous marks in history - one which lifts up the sanctity of all God-created human life, and the other which theorizes that mankind is simply the accidental, mutational evolution from simpler animal forms - dismissing God’s creation of mankind in His own image as nothing more than a fairly tale. As most of you know from my years of teaching at our church, I have had - and continue to have a special interest in the topics of creation and evolution. Even if these topics didn’t fascinate me personally, I would find myself conscience bound to study and teach about them as a called Director of Christian Education because of the tremendous impact that the teaching of evolution has had on people’s beliefs. Although there are a growing number of people who try to reconcile the teachings of a Creator God with the evolutionary process by theorizing that yes, there is a God, but he must have used evolution to bring everything about (a theory called “Theistic Evolution”); most people still recognize and believe that it’s either one or the other. While space doesn’t allow for me to explain why the Bible absolutely does not allow for “theistic evolution”, I would greatly appreciate having the opportunity to share this with anyone who asks! Not only my trust in the truthfulness of Holy Scripture (placed in me by the Holy Spirit) - but also my study of the historical and scientific evidences - bring me to a belief that everything happened just like Bible says tells us! While there are certainly many scientific theories which currently seem to disagree with a 6-day miraculous creation of this world, I for one believe that they will all eventually be shown to back up Holy Scripture. I also want you to know (if you don’t already) that some of history’s greatest scientists have accepted the God of creation, a literal 6-day creation and a young earth (thousands of years rather than billions). From my readings and study, it appears to me that through the work of great organizations such as Answers In Genesis and the Institute for Creation Science, etc., there are also an increasing number of present scientist who are moving back to the position of an “Intelligent Designer” as they observe the evidences of marvelously intelligent design in everything they study! We of course know who that “Designer” is, the God of the Bible!

If you wish to study more of these evidences for yourself, I invite and urge you to stop by our library and/or my office and select from a number of wonderful resources on this increasingly important subject. In the mean time, I urge you not to get caught up with the current hype of “Darwin Day” and his theory of evolution. Theories come and go - but the word of the Lord remains true forever!

Sanctity of Life is Foundational

2009-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

SANCTITY OF LIFE IS FOUNDATIONAL! Since our church is celebrating “Life Sunday” today, I

thought I’d share a very important Breakpoint Commentary article written before our last election by Mark Earley, President of the Chuck Coleson’s ministry of “Prison Fellowship”. (Note: Underlining &bolding are mine.)

“Followers of Jesus are being asked by politicos, pundits, and even some pastors, to abandon abortion as a decisive and vital issue in this year’s election. Instead, we are being urged to cast our votes based on other justice issues such as poverty, protecting the environment, and bringing the troops home from Iraq. There are three problems with this line of thinking.

First, the sanctity and dignity of life (which abortion destroys both physically and conceptually) is the cornerstone upon which all justice is built. All human rights are predicated first upon the right to life. Thomas Jefferson understood this clearly when he wrote, and I quote ‘The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government.’ For the believer, the value of each human life, no matter how young or old, derives from the belief that all humans are created by God and stamped with his image.

The second problem with abandoning the right to life issue for the sake of others is the nature of the disagreement between candidates on these other issues. All candidates agree that poverty should be ended and the environment protected - the debate surrounds the strategies to be used. Likewise, even the strongest supports of the war in Iraq want to bring our active combat troops home - the argument is about how, under what circumstances, and when. But abortion is different. On this issue, many candidates are diametrically opposed. There is no common ground. Their records are clear, and the contrasts are sharp.

The third reason we cannot lose focus on protecting the unborn is that so much work remains to be done. Despite a positive shift in public opinion on protecting unborn children, despite the addition of th Supreme Court justices who seem to believe in the right to life, despite the passage of the Partial Birth Abortion Act and many parental notification and consent laws, the fact remains that abortion on demand is still the law of the land. And the death toll continues to rise every single day.

Since the passage of Roe vs. Wade in 1973, more than 48 million unborn children have perished - and only 7 percent of the women who had those abortions cited medical concerns, rape. or incest as their reasons. And those who promote abortion - they are flexing their muscle as never before. In Fiscal Year 2006-1007, Planned Parenthood took in over $1 billion in donations. They provide 20 percent of all abortions in the U.S., and took in $336 million in government funds - that is your taxes!

Believers must press candidates on the right to life this year. The so-called single-issue, pro-life voters are not single issue at all. Why? Because the dignity and sanctity of human life is a thread that connects virtually all humanitarian causes. They recognize that unless our country protects the most vulnerable life, all other issues touching upon human dignity are in peril - whether it is human trafficking, mental health, AIDS, poverty, victims rights, prisoners’ rights, or health care, just to name a few. Indeed, if the life of the most innocent and defenseless among us - the unborn child - is not work protecting, I ask you, my friend, whose is?”

Does God Ever Forget Our Prayers?

2009-01-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

DOES GOD EVER FORGET OUR PRAYERS? When our prayers don’t seem to get answered, we are (or at least I often) tempted to think that God has forgotten about them. (And, to be even more

truthful, at times I feel betrayed by God and proceed to tell Him how unfair He is to me - but of course that’s my weak faith expressing itself - and I’ll save that for another spiritual journal entry.) This past Monday at our church staff meeting we read the day 4 devotion from Walter Wangerin’s “Preparing for Jesus”, in which he points out that “God doesn’t forget our prayers”; but rather “It is in the fullness of time that he answers them”. And not only that, but - and here’s the new insight (for me) - that “the particular and ‘seeming’ private prayer becomes, in God’s omnipotent answer, a universal benefaction. Wangerin gives the example of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayers to bear children (which they most likely began praying for when they were first married). But it isn’t until now - in their old age - that their prayer is answered with the birth of John the Baptist, God’s chosen ‘messenger’ to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord - and all “in the fullness of time”, in God’s timing!!! Wangerin adds “The child they wanted was also the man God wanted, and what the Lord gave to that particular couple He also gave to the world: a prophet filled with the Holy Spirit! Oh, what a vast answer to a tiny prayer!” The gracious answer to these two people - many years after their prayer - now becomes “grace for the whole world”! So, the next time we feel that God as forgotten one of our prayers - may we remember that “even as we pray it, the prayer lodges with God - eternal, omnipotent, God only wise - never to die but rather to find it’s holiest, most blessed expression - in the fullness of time!”