Time rolls on. It waits for no one. Not Princes and Popes. Not the noted or the notorious. Not you and me.
It will not pause one hour. Not one minute. Not one second.
It will not even slow down just long enough for us to catch a breath.
It rolls and it rolls hard.
It will roll on tonight. At just a blink past Midnight the calendar will change. Not just a new year, but a new decade.
We like to think something magical happens.
Wouldn't it be nice if we really did have a clean and fresh start?
If we had bills at one second before 2010 we would no longer have them one second after.
If we were ill... If we were unhappy... If we were out of God's grace...
That's the one we should be concerned about ultimately. Being out of God's grace.
No one knows the date and time, but there is coming a day when Jesus returns and rearranges the furniture.
In a moment. In the blink of an eye, at the sound of a heavenly trumpet, at the parting of the clouds and the breaking of the plane of heaven, all of earth will see Him return.
What will be your first thought about the God who has not lived by our clocks and calendars, but who has only been concerned with His creation? Who had left us with a clear set of explanations, warnings, and instructions? Not to mention a Real Presence of His Holy Spirit. The God whom many have ignored, slandered, and yes...even crucified.
What will you think?
Will it be, "Oops"? Or perhaps, "Wow, Kevin Lynch was right after all!" Or, "I'm sure it will all be OK if I just say I'm sorry"!
Happy New Year.
It stands to reason that at least for tonight nothing will happen.
Rich or poor, sick or healthy, brilliant or dull witted, time will roll on and you will face tomorrow the same way.
We learn no great lesson by the tick of a clocks second hand. Unless we understand there is no break in the action.
Some of you will make your resolutions. Overwhelmingly most of you will break them within days.
More importantly we should be concerned about God's time.
On the continuum it is unlike how we tick off the moments and days.
He will be ready when He is ready.
Psalm 75:2 - "When the proper time has come [for executing My judgments], I will judge uprightly [says the Lord]."
The proper time. Fair and equitable for all. Never based on a whim, but completely upon how we have responded to Him, the Prime Mover of all that is.
I don't know when that is. If I was God it would have been a long time ago. I am glad He is patient.
I, like James and John before me, would have asked Him to call down fire and brimstone long ago.
I would offend the offenders. I would be the Dean Wormer of the Universe and mete out advice like "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son." ZAP!
No, even if we don't know when the "proper" time will be, one thing we can be sure of.
We can't be sure the banks will not fail. We can't be sure the health care system will run right. We can't be sure the housing market will stabilize.
We can be sure that one minute before and as many minutes after until He comes back, Jesus Christ is the lover of our souls.
That is the one sure thing in the universe today and it will be tomorrow.
Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages)."
He is the constant. The sun has a better chance of going dim than Jesus has of not loving us.
Take that into the New year with you tonight. It's the best news you'll hear. I'll guarantee it.
Be safe. Be renewed. Be happy.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
"Resolve To Become", by Pastor Kevin Lynch
Those who know me well understand that I am not a fan of making resolutions during the popular time of the year to do that.
New Years has become almost a pagan festival of change in behavior. People will resolve to lose weight, stop drinking, stop smoking, be a better anything one can become better at...etc.
Two weeks into the resolution they had been so passionate about changing they are folded up like a wet noodle, and more saddened and depressed because now they have an added failure to the list.
I don't do resolutions in the classic sense. I have learned to stop swearing to "do" or "be" something, and instead strive to "become" something.
There is a difference.
Take these examples from Jesus.
This one on marriage:
Matthew 19:5 - "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh".
On the turn of a word the entire success or failure of a marriage can rise and fall on whether a couple actually "becomes as of one flesh", or simply just goes through the motion of trying to mimic that and "do" marriage. When a couple "becomes" the marriage and are absorbed into each other the marriage is a bond that is unbreakable and lasting.
How about this one:
Matthew 18:3 - "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus is not saying we need to "act" like children, which would mean to "do" childlike things. He is saying we need to "become" like children, to take on the persona, the trusting nature of a child. To "do" would be to pretend. He wants us to "become".
One more:
Matthew 19:28 - "Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel."
Jesus is describing the reward of discipleship. It was reserved for those who had actually "become" His disciples, not those who claimed to "be". Remember the words of Jesus when He slices through the separation of the posers from the truehearts. "Many of you will say "Lord, Lord...". Saying don't necessarily translate over as "becoming".
Simply put, the declaration of the voice needs to be first established in the heart.
Posers don't make it. Fakes don't make it. Liars don't make it. Jesus sees through them like an X-Ray.
Those of us who "become" make it. We become His disciples. We become the Living Stones in the foundation of His Church. We become Fishers of Men.
We become His. We belong to Jesus.
Resolve to become, and don't present a cheap knockoff.
Happy New Year!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
New Years has become almost a pagan festival of change in behavior. People will resolve to lose weight, stop drinking, stop smoking, be a better anything one can become better at...etc.
Two weeks into the resolution they had been so passionate about changing they are folded up like a wet noodle, and more saddened and depressed because now they have an added failure to the list.
I don't do resolutions in the classic sense. I have learned to stop swearing to "do" or "be" something, and instead strive to "become" something.
There is a difference.
Take these examples from Jesus.
This one on marriage:
Matthew 19:5 - "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh".
On the turn of a word the entire success or failure of a marriage can rise and fall on whether a couple actually "becomes as of one flesh", or simply just goes through the motion of trying to mimic that and "do" marriage. When a couple "becomes" the marriage and are absorbed into each other the marriage is a bond that is unbreakable and lasting.
How about this one:
Matthew 18:3 - "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Jesus is not saying we need to "act" like children, which would mean to "do" childlike things. He is saying we need to "become" like children, to take on the persona, the trusting nature of a child. To "do" would be to pretend. He wants us to "become".
One more:
Matthew 19:28 - "Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel."
Jesus is describing the reward of discipleship. It was reserved for those who had actually "become" His disciples, not those who claimed to "be". Remember the words of Jesus when He slices through the separation of the posers from the truehearts. "Many of you will say "Lord, Lord...". Saying don't necessarily translate over as "becoming".
Simply put, the declaration of the voice needs to be first established in the heart.
Posers don't make it. Fakes don't make it. Liars don't make it. Jesus sees through them like an X-Ray.
Those of us who "become" make it. We become His disciples. We become the Living Stones in the foundation of His Church. We become Fishers of Men.
We become His. We belong to Jesus.
Resolve to become, and don't present a cheap knockoff.
Happy New Year!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
"Ghosts, Fears, And Future Dangers", by Pastor Kevin Lynch
These are the things that people battle. Most are classified as "intangibles".
They are not even real, or have not manifested yet, and we are already expending precious energy battling them.
Sleeplessness, irritability, inflexibility, nervousness, anxiety, melancholia, etc. Many times just the result of a suggestive thought or a word taken the wrong way.
Understanding the mind (or soul) to be the battlefield of the Body and Spirit, it is no surprise why mental torture is really at the foundation of many things that ail us.
Get your mind (soul) right and the rest of you will be much healthier.
Paul says in Romans 12:1 - "I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Yes, you can know the PERFECT will of God for your life. What is sad is that many do not know this "secret", or more sadly is they just don't care enough to implement it.
Read the passage and read it carefully. It is the pathway to change.
Paul is basically giving us steps to a productive and peaceful joyous life.
First, get born-again by accepting Jesus Christ into your life and relinquishing control over to Him by making a conscious dedication of your life to Him.
Second, bring your mind into alignment with what happened to your Spirit. Your Spirit is born-again, not your mind and body. You are responsible for what you think as a born-again man or woman. You have not become an automaton or a robot of God. He is not pushing your buttons or controlling you remotely.
Paul says you must TRANSFORM not CONFORM. You used to CONFORM to the world, now you must TRANSFORM to God's way.
This applies to every aspect of your life. Your physical world. Your finances. Your marriage. Your business. Your parenting. Everything.
If you are born-again and still thinking in the carnal, sensory oriented way, then you will be confused and your life will be disastrous. You are being led by your appetites, not the Spirit of God.
You must ALLOW the Holy Spirit to lead you. Walk after the Spirit not after the flesh! (Rom. 8:1)
If you are being haunted by your past ghosts, fearing every little thing that you think can go wrong in your life, and already fearing things in the future that may not ever happen, then you are unconsecrated to God and living in the flesh.
Think about this: Your fears are carnal. If you are affected by fear than you are not living according to the Spirit. Why is this true? Because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of Power! (2 Timothy 1:7).
As the New Year approaches, how about making a conscious effort to take charge of your mind (soul) and bring it into subjection to the Holy Spirit?
My dear loved ones, I am giving you the great secret of a happy life here. No...really. Do not blow this off. This is it. It can be found nowhere else so any future searching anywhere else will be futile.
It really is your only option for a serene and peaceful life in Christ.
Would I lie? C'mon, who loves you? Jesus does and so do I.
Be blessed.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
They are not even real, or have not manifested yet, and we are already expending precious energy battling them.
Sleeplessness, irritability, inflexibility, nervousness, anxiety, melancholia, etc. Many times just the result of a suggestive thought or a word taken the wrong way.
Understanding the mind (or soul) to be the battlefield of the Body and Spirit, it is no surprise why mental torture is really at the foundation of many things that ail us.
Get your mind (soul) right and the rest of you will be much healthier.
Paul says in Romans 12:1 - "I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Yes, you can know the PERFECT will of God for your life. What is sad is that many do not know this "secret", or more sadly is they just don't care enough to implement it.
Read the passage and read it carefully. It is the pathway to change.
Paul is basically giving us steps to a productive and peaceful joyous life.
First, get born-again by accepting Jesus Christ into your life and relinquishing control over to Him by making a conscious dedication of your life to Him.
Second, bring your mind into alignment with what happened to your Spirit. Your Spirit is born-again, not your mind and body. You are responsible for what you think as a born-again man or woman. You have not become an automaton or a robot of God. He is not pushing your buttons or controlling you remotely.
Paul says you must TRANSFORM not CONFORM. You used to CONFORM to the world, now you must TRANSFORM to God's way.
This applies to every aspect of your life. Your physical world. Your finances. Your marriage. Your business. Your parenting. Everything.
If you are born-again and still thinking in the carnal, sensory oriented way, then you will be confused and your life will be disastrous. You are being led by your appetites, not the Spirit of God.
You must ALLOW the Holy Spirit to lead you. Walk after the Spirit not after the flesh! (Rom. 8:1)
If you are being haunted by your past ghosts, fearing every little thing that you think can go wrong in your life, and already fearing things in the future that may not ever happen, then you are unconsecrated to God and living in the flesh.
Think about this: Your fears are carnal. If you are affected by fear than you are not living according to the Spirit. Why is this true? Because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of Power! (2 Timothy 1:7).
As the New Year approaches, how about making a conscious effort to take charge of your mind (soul) and bring it into subjection to the Holy Spirit?
My dear loved ones, I am giving you the great secret of a happy life here. No...really. Do not blow this off. This is it. It can be found nowhere else so any future searching anywhere else will be futile.
It really is your only option for a serene and peaceful life in Christ.
Would I lie? C'mon, who loves you? Jesus does and so do I.
Be blessed.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
Monday, December 28, 2009
"Peace Interrupted", by Pastor Kevin Lynch
All together now. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.
It's over. Another Christmas in the books.
We can all go back to living like civilized Christians now (said with tongue in cheek).
C'mon. You know exactly what I mean.
I don't even get caught up in all the thinly disguised hype wrapped in the package of false piety, and I still got affected.
There is so much stress floating around in the air it just sort of surrounds you like a morning fog in Seattle.
The typical free for all sadly labeled as "Christmas" harshes my mellow meditative celebration of the majestic miracle of the Incarnation by thrusting it in my lap.
Personally I'm glad it's over. Now I can get back to the business of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas every day.
My peace which was so rudely interrupted has now been restored.
Bring on Dick Clark and another Rockin' New Years Eve!
Seriously. If I had a nickel for every Christian I have observed just simply falling into a heap as a result of "pulling off" another stellar holiday extravaganza I'd have a bunch of nickels.
You see, for many that style of Christmas is never over. One is still left with the task of paying for it.
In the best Cousin Eddie to Clark Griswold, "It's the "gift" that keeps on giving".
Peace has definitely been interrupted. You almost have to marvel at the evil genius that created that facade.
Yet we (well, not really we, because I don't) will keep on going back for more. Don't take my statement as self righteous. I have the tee shirt declaring me as the worlds greatest Christmas sucker in my dresser. The difference is I learned and dropped out of the race. Not me. No more. Finito.
I wish I learned the lesson years earlier. Kids do fine with less. The electric company has learned to cope with my lower bill. And my artificial tree (complete with preset lights which I got on sale after one Christmas for $19.99) looks as good as a real one.
I have decided to make room for Jesus on the day we celebrate His birth. Sounds almost incredulous, doesn't it?
Well, that's because we have fell long and hard as a society of believers, and grabbed onto the tail of a speeding comet going in the opposite direction of where we think we were headed.
What we have witnessed and taken part of as Christmas is not the Christmas of the bible. And if we are celebrating something loosely based on the bible then there is going to be less peace and more stress.
It's a simple spiritual law.
John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]."
Not as the world gives, but as Jesus does.
Glad you made it. Be blessed. Be at peace.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
It's over. Another Christmas in the books.
We can all go back to living like civilized Christians now (said with tongue in cheek).
C'mon. You know exactly what I mean.
I don't even get caught up in all the thinly disguised hype wrapped in the package of false piety, and I still got affected.
There is so much stress floating around in the air it just sort of surrounds you like a morning fog in Seattle.
The typical free for all sadly labeled as "Christmas" harshes my mellow meditative celebration of the majestic miracle of the Incarnation by thrusting it in my lap.
Personally I'm glad it's over. Now I can get back to the business of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas every day.
My peace which was so rudely interrupted has now been restored.
Bring on Dick Clark and another Rockin' New Years Eve!
Seriously. If I had a nickel for every Christian I have observed just simply falling into a heap as a result of "pulling off" another stellar holiday extravaganza I'd have a bunch of nickels.
You see, for many that style of Christmas is never over. One is still left with the task of paying for it.
In the best Cousin Eddie to Clark Griswold, "It's the "gift" that keeps on giving".
Peace has definitely been interrupted. You almost have to marvel at the evil genius that created that facade.
Yet we (well, not really we, because I don't) will keep on going back for more. Don't take my statement as self righteous. I have the tee shirt declaring me as the worlds greatest Christmas sucker in my dresser. The difference is I learned and dropped out of the race. Not me. No more. Finito.
I wish I learned the lesson years earlier. Kids do fine with less. The electric company has learned to cope with my lower bill. And my artificial tree (complete with preset lights which I got on sale after one Christmas for $19.99) looks as good as a real one.
I have decided to make room for Jesus on the day we celebrate His birth. Sounds almost incredulous, doesn't it?
Well, that's because we have fell long and hard as a society of believers, and grabbed onto the tail of a speeding comet going in the opposite direction of where we think we were headed.
What we have witnessed and taken part of as Christmas is not the Christmas of the bible. And if we are celebrating something loosely based on the bible then there is going to be less peace and more stress.
It's a simple spiritual law.
John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]."
Not as the world gives, but as Jesus does.
Glad you made it. Be blessed. Be at peace.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
Thursday, December 24, 2009
"Have A Deeply Meditative And Heartwarming Christmas!", by Pastor Kevin Lynch
"Merry" Christmas doesn't really cut it for me anymore.
It doesn't go far enough.
"Merry", while not a bad term, doesn't go far enough in expressing the depth and importance of Jesus' birth.
While it's certainly not religious (which is good), it's also not sacred enough.
"Merry" expresses merriment, festiveness, fun, giving presents etc., and while that's all fine, it's only a part of Christmas, albeit the least important part.
For many however, the merriment IS Christmas.
For others like myself, merry is eclipsed by the joyfulness of the Incarnation.
Spiked eggnog cannot accomplish it, nor can an unleashed spending frenzy.
Maybe I am just getting old.
My Christmases now are quiet meditations and contemplations. My merriment is any chance I get to spend with family.
Christmas for me now is more of a lasting experience, not something to be merely endured until it's over.
So yes, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. If a warm crackling fire enhances that then I say you are fortunate to have one. Watch your children play with their gifts, and if you live in a small town take a walk and wish as many as possible a "Merry" Christmas!
There is a great joy in the world today!
Luke 2:11 - "For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord."
And in the midst of your merriment leave room for meditation and contemplation. Go deep in thought.
Luke 2:19 says that Mary "pondered".
Yes, let's ponder all of what Christmas means in our hearts.
Have A Deeply Meditative And Heartwarming And...Merry...Christmas!
See you all again on Monday!
Keepin' it Christmassy!
Pastor Kevin <><
It doesn't go far enough.
"Merry", while not a bad term, doesn't go far enough in expressing the depth and importance of Jesus' birth.
While it's certainly not religious (which is good), it's also not sacred enough.
"Merry" expresses merriment, festiveness, fun, giving presents etc., and while that's all fine, it's only a part of Christmas, albeit the least important part.
For many however, the merriment IS Christmas.
For others like myself, merry is eclipsed by the joyfulness of the Incarnation.
Spiked eggnog cannot accomplish it, nor can an unleashed spending frenzy.
Maybe I am just getting old.
My Christmases now are quiet meditations and contemplations. My merriment is any chance I get to spend with family.
Christmas for me now is more of a lasting experience, not something to be merely endured until it's over.
So yes, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. If a warm crackling fire enhances that then I say you are fortunate to have one. Watch your children play with their gifts, and if you live in a small town take a walk and wish as many as possible a "Merry" Christmas!
There is a great joy in the world today!
Luke 2:11 - "For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord."
And in the midst of your merriment leave room for meditation and contemplation. Go deep in thought.
Luke 2:19 says that Mary "pondered".
Yes, let's ponder all of what Christmas means in our hearts.
Have A Deeply Meditative And Heartwarming And...Merry...Christmas!
See you all again on Monday!
Keepin' it Christmassy!
Pastor Kevin <><
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
"The Cable Channel Jesus", by Pastor Kevin Lynch
Have you seen the shows about Jesus? The ones on the History Channel, National Geographic Channel, The Learning Channel, well, you get the picture.
I generally watch them all. Not to be encouraged, but to keep my finger on the pulse of anti-Christianity.
What I have found for the most part is a concerted effort by the producers of such shows to debunk and defame the Person of Jesus Christ and anything at all to do with the Holy Bible.
Each producer gathers a small group of "scholars" to be the "go to" people on points of knowledge. Usually they are professors of religion or some other spiritual sounding field, but attached to secular institutions of higher learning such as Boston College, Yale, USC, etc. They might sprinkle in a bonafide professor of biblical studies from a Christian school like Wheaton once in a while in order to keep it all "honest".
Well, there is nothing honest about it. The Scriptures are usually ignored completely, or so distorted and mixed in with non-canonical and apocryphal literature that the average viewer, even churched viewers, don't even realize that they are having the wool pulled over their eyes, and that the Cable TV Jesus is not the Jesus of the Word of God.
So far, I have seen Jesus portrayed as possibly being insane, gay, married, a womanizer, a political rebel, a con-man, etc. Rarely is He simply the Christ of the Bible.
See it for yourself. Scan your cable or satellite channels. Count how many shows are on tv on any given day about Jesus, devils, angels, the bible, God, Noah's Ark, the Temple of Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and so on. I'm talking the secular shows, not Christian channels.
Has the world all of a sudden taken a sudden interest in Jesus? Uh...no. What the world has taken interest in is using the airways to try to destroy Jesus and anything connected with Christianity.
The Word says that we should be wowed by the story of Jesus alone.
Luke 2:18 - "And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them."
The wow factor is being eroded by sensationalized fictitious nonsense.
Being told a sensationalized lie about Jesus doesn't astound me. It doesn't make me marvel, especially during a season when we should be connecting with the truth of who He is, where He came from, and why.
I marvel and am astounded by the truth without any external or peripheral embellishments.
God's Word is perfect and it doesn't need speculative "help".
So, connect with Him this grand Christmas season.
You'll know when you have been able to connect. You'll feel it in your heart. You'll be caught up in it. It may be exuberance, or it may be a warm fuzzy feeling. But you'll know.
"And all who heard it...".
Will you tell the story to someone today? Will you be a modern day "shepherd of the field"?
Will you pass on your excitement, your love, your warmth, your peace in Christ?
That's what Christmas is today.
Be blessed and alive in Him today!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
I generally watch them all. Not to be encouraged, but to keep my finger on the pulse of anti-Christianity.
What I have found for the most part is a concerted effort by the producers of such shows to debunk and defame the Person of Jesus Christ and anything at all to do with the Holy Bible.
Each producer gathers a small group of "scholars" to be the "go to" people on points of knowledge. Usually they are professors of religion or some other spiritual sounding field, but attached to secular institutions of higher learning such as Boston College, Yale, USC, etc. They might sprinkle in a bonafide professor of biblical studies from a Christian school like Wheaton once in a while in order to keep it all "honest".
Well, there is nothing honest about it. The Scriptures are usually ignored completely, or so distorted and mixed in with non-canonical and apocryphal literature that the average viewer, even churched viewers, don't even realize that they are having the wool pulled over their eyes, and that the Cable TV Jesus is not the Jesus of the Word of God.
So far, I have seen Jesus portrayed as possibly being insane, gay, married, a womanizer, a political rebel, a con-man, etc. Rarely is He simply the Christ of the Bible.
See it for yourself. Scan your cable or satellite channels. Count how many shows are on tv on any given day about Jesus, devils, angels, the bible, God, Noah's Ark, the Temple of Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and so on. I'm talking the secular shows, not Christian channels.
Has the world all of a sudden taken a sudden interest in Jesus? Uh...no. What the world has taken interest in is using the airways to try to destroy Jesus and anything connected with Christianity.
The Word says that we should be wowed by the story of Jesus alone.
Luke 2:18 - "And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them."
The wow factor is being eroded by sensationalized fictitious nonsense.
Being told a sensationalized lie about Jesus doesn't astound me. It doesn't make me marvel, especially during a season when we should be connecting with the truth of who He is, where He came from, and why.
I marvel and am astounded by the truth without any external or peripheral embellishments.
God's Word is perfect and it doesn't need speculative "help".
So, connect with Him this grand Christmas season.
You'll know when you have been able to connect. You'll feel it in your heart. You'll be caught up in it. It may be exuberance, or it may be a warm fuzzy feeling. But you'll know.
"And all who heard it...".
Will you tell the story to someone today? Will you be a modern day "shepherd of the field"?
Will you pass on your excitement, your love, your warmth, your peace in Christ?
That's what Christmas is today.
Be blessed and alive in Him today!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
"No Vacancy", by Pastor Kevin Lynch
I remember as a child being upset about the part of the Christmas account where Mary and Joseph could not find lodging to birth the infant Jesus comfortably and safely.
Of course the facts became a tale embellished with visions of ancient hotels and inns with "No Vacancy" signs and mean irascible inn keepers happily shooing the desperate couple away to their final destination of a smelly stable complete with all of the barnyard inhabitants.
OK, maybe it wasn't exactly that way, but one thing is for sure, and that's there simply wasn't any room in the world for Jesus. That's what it is about.
Here, look:
Luke 2:7 - "And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn."
BECAUSE ties it together. They had to endure whatever it was they endured BECAUSE there was no room for them. No room for THEM means no room for JESUS.
The entire Christmas saga boils down to that one simple truth.
Jesus came from heaven to be born into human flesh (Incarnation), and was NEVER welcomed from that day until the day He went to the cross.
He was run out of towns. He was pursued by angry mobs. He had various attempts made on His life. He was plotted against. He was betrayed by His closest confidants.
He was resurrected three days after His crucifixion and has still never been accepted into the vast majority of the human race.
He takes His acceptance where He finds it.
In the manger of the believer.
In the worlds eyes, we who truly worship the Christ (I say truly to differentiate from the hypocrite who praises Jesus on Sunday but uses His Name as a swear word the rest of the week), are basically guilty of harboring a criminal.
Jesus knew that was coming and warned us in John 16. He was hated. We will be hated.
I can live with that. Jesus knew what rebel He was getting when He came for me.
I could give a rip what opinions are directed toward me behind my back or to my face.
The love of Christ endures in my heart and carries me on waves of joy through it all.
When we get to that place forgiveness and understanding for the worst offenses by others flow automatically.
I hope your "Vacancy" light is on this season. I hope you have prepared a comfortable and easy access for Jesus to find His way to you. If you have then perhaps you can help someone else find their way.
There is a lot more room for Him in you than you realize.
My hope for you all is that Jesus becomes very large in your life.
Be blessed!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
Of course the facts became a tale embellished with visions of ancient hotels and inns with "No Vacancy" signs and mean irascible inn keepers happily shooing the desperate couple away to their final destination of a smelly stable complete with all of the barnyard inhabitants.
OK, maybe it wasn't exactly that way, but one thing is for sure, and that's there simply wasn't any room in the world for Jesus. That's what it is about.
Here, look:
Luke 2:7 - "And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn."
BECAUSE ties it together. They had to endure whatever it was they endured BECAUSE there was no room for them. No room for THEM means no room for JESUS.
The entire Christmas saga boils down to that one simple truth.
Jesus came from heaven to be born into human flesh (Incarnation), and was NEVER welcomed from that day until the day He went to the cross.
He was run out of towns. He was pursued by angry mobs. He had various attempts made on His life. He was plotted against. He was betrayed by His closest confidants.
He was resurrected three days after His crucifixion and has still never been accepted into the vast majority of the human race.
He takes His acceptance where He finds it.
In the manger of the believer.
In the worlds eyes, we who truly worship the Christ (I say truly to differentiate from the hypocrite who praises Jesus on Sunday but uses His Name as a swear word the rest of the week), are basically guilty of harboring a criminal.
Jesus knew that was coming and warned us in John 16. He was hated. We will be hated.
I can live with that. Jesus knew what rebel He was getting when He came for me.
I could give a rip what opinions are directed toward me behind my back or to my face.
The love of Christ endures in my heart and carries me on waves of joy through it all.
When we get to that place forgiveness and understanding for the worst offenses by others flow automatically.
I hope your "Vacancy" light is on this season. I hope you have prepared a comfortable and easy access for Jesus to find His way to you. If you have then perhaps you can help someone else find their way.
There is a lot more room for Him in you than you realize.
My hope for you all is that Jesus becomes very large in your life.
Be blessed!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
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