In You (Jesus)

Posted: April 5, 2010 by oneofhis in Food for Thought, Things That Inspire Me, christian living
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Easter went by so fast yesterday. There is always so much anticipation and preparation that goes into Easter, that it kinda reminds me of Christmas. We so look forward to it and it is over just as fast.

The one big thing I take away from Easter is summed up in one word: submission. Jesus lived a life that was completely submitted and focused on doing the will of God the Father. His heart was completely in tune with the Father’s to where Jesus said He earnestly desired to eat the passover with His disciples. He knew the suffering He was about to face, but He faced the greatest onslaught of temptation probably ever known to man to where it caused Jesus to sweat blood, yet He did not waiver.  

God wants us to willingly give our hearts wholly to Him, but I think that people don’t think they get anything in return. In reality, we receive the greatest gift of all. We receive Him.  I wrote this poem this morning that expresses what I receive by giving myself wholly to Him:

In You

In Your Presence there is peace

In Your Praise there is joy

In Your Word there is power

In Your Love there is forgiveness

In Your Mercy there is a second chance

In Your Eyes there is a burning passion for Your people

In Your Hands there is provision

In Your Feet there is a firm foundation

In Your Arms there is comfort

In Your Nostrils is the Breath of Life

In Your Shadow there is rest

In You I find what I need.

In You is the answer to every prayer.

In You is the hope of every dream.

In You is my acceptance, validation, and confirmation.

In You are the beginning and ending of my days.

In You is the song I so desperately want to sing.

In You is a love I find so hard to put into words.

In You is the truth that stands through the test of time

In You is the strength to climb every mountain

In You

Kevin

The Escapism Mentality

Posted: March 30, 2010 by oneofhis in Food for Thought, God's Love, Life Experiences, What's Happening Now
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escapism 1. the state of having wandering and imaginative thoughts in order to escape from reality. — escapist, n., adj.
2. the practice of engaging in activities that enable one to avoid having to deal with reality, as the persistent attendance at science-fiction films, reading of fantasy literature, etc.

Life can be tough sometimes. No doubt.

Life can be unfair. Yes, this is true.

Sometimes we need a break, a sabbath time of rest from our labors where we can recharge our mental, physical, and spiritual batteries.

People have come up with a myriad of ways to escape from the constant stresses and struggles of everyday life. Some folks go mountain biking, some play games online, some veg out in front of the tv. Everyone has their “thing”. All these things can be beneficial when done in moderation.

This is not the kind of escapism I want to talk about today. I’m not even talking about the excesses that many indulge in today. The kind of escapism I am talking about is one of a different kind. A “spiritual” kind. This one can be just as dangerous as any other excess that people are involved in.

 Please follow me closely, cause I do not want to misunderstood here.

In times of trouble, (hopefully when things are good too) we draw closer to God. As God’s children, we should draw near to Him because we want relationship with Him. This is good.

The problem is when we get ourselves in a bad situation and we have the escapism mentality that God will pull our butts out of the fire.

I know the scriptures you may quote at me about God delivering people out of various situations in the Bible. I believe He still delivers us out of situations of our own making. The problem is when we expect there to be no consequences for our actions. We treat God like our “get out of jail free” card in the board game Monopoly. We throw down the “god” card and everything will be ok. We coat some Jesus over our problems and act like they don’t exist. This is escapism at it’s most dangerous.

God set forth the law of sowing and reaping ( Galatians 6:3-10). If you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. If you sow seeds of unforgiveness, you will reap bitterness.  If you give, it will be given back to you. So on and so forth.

I have reaped the fruit of a lot of bad decisions in my life. He has delivered me from some situations that seemed impossible, but certainly not all of them. Does that make God bad? Heck no!! Does it mean He doesn’t love me? If you think that way, then you don’t know God at all and you need to read your Bible.

Did God heal David and Bath-Sheba’s baby even though David repented of adultery? No. Did Moses get to enter the promised land even though he did everything right except one act of disobedience? No, he didn’t get to enter. Was this harsh of God to act in this way? No. This was the law of sowing and reaping. When you sow seeds of sin or folly, they will return to you. 

God may not deliver you so you are forced to make changes that you never would have made if God bailed you out.

Whether God delivers you or not, our hearts should constantly be drawn to Him. Not because we want God to help us, but so we might have the grace and strength to face whatever life throws at us, or we throw at ourselves because of our bad choices. He is always good. Always.

Kevin

Book Review: Free Book

Posted: March 26, 2010 by oneofhis in Book Review
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No, this is not a book giveaway. This is a review of “Free Book” by Brian Tome.

I picked this book up and put it down more times than I can count. I completely understood the book. I agreed with most of what it said. The problem is I would start reading, get into what was being said and the author would say something that would totally be so extreme I couldn’t read anymore.

Flaunting your freedom, and not being sensitive to the weakness of others is wrong. Paul said on multiple occasions that we should do nothing that makes our brothers or sisters to stumble. Just cause you have freedom, does not mean you should always partake in that freedom. (Romans 14:20-22)(1 Corinthians 8:12-13) In 1 Corinthians 12:21-26 we see that we should give honor to those “weaker parts” of the body of Christ, and that they ”are indespensible”.

There is a lot of truth and good stuff in this book. The chapter on the “Forgiveness Freeway” are powerful. I really respect the steps the author took in seeking forgiveness and restitution in his life. I also REALLY liked the chapter on the “Unbalanced Life”. These were my favorite chapters and I read them more than once.

I did not like the reference of the Holy Spirit being called “The Ghost”. He is Holy and to call him “the Ghost” for some hip ‘vibe’ is irreverant and disrespectful no matter what. To present Him as anything but Holy reduces who he is and puts Him in the same category as Casper.

If I could recommend chapters, that would be great, but to recommend this book would be difficult. I think some of the “freedoms” taken turned me off.

Kevin

This Is A Prayer We can All Pray

Posted: March 24, 2010 by oneofhis in Things That Inspire Me, prayer
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Thought this prayer of Thomas Aquinas was just incredible and wanted to share it with you all. I think it is still just as relevant today if not moreso in this day: 

 O merciful God, grant that I may desire ardently, search prudently, recognize truly, and bring to perfect completion whatever is pleasing to You for the praise and glory of Your name.

Put my life in order, O my God. Grant that I may know what You require me to do.

Bestow upon me the power to accomplish Your will, as is necessary and fitting for the salvation of my soul.

Grant to me, O Lord my God, that I may not falter in times of prosperity or adversity, so that I may not be exalted in the former, nor dejected in the latter.

May I not rejoice in anything unless it leads me to You; may I not be saddened by anything unless it turns me from You.

May I desire to please no one, nor fear to displease anyone, but You.

May all transitory things, O Lord, be worthless to me and may all things eternal be ever cherished by me.

May any joy without You be burdensome for me and may I not desire anything else besides You.

May all work, O Lord, delight me when done for Your sake and may all repose not centered in You be ever wearisome for me.

Grant unto me, my God, that I may direct my heart to You and that in my failures I may ever feel remorse for my sins and never lose the resolve to change.

 O Lord my God, make me submissive without protest, poor without discouragement, chaste without regret, patient without complaint, humble without posturing, cheerful without frivolity, mature without gloom, and quick-witted without flippancy.

O Lord my God, let me fear You without losing hope, be truthful without guile, do good works without presumption, rebuke my neighbor without haughtiness, and—without hypocrisy—strengthen him by word and example.

Give to me, O Lord God, a watchful heart, which no capricious thought can lure away from You.

Give to me a noble heart, which no unworthy desire can debase. Give to me a resolute heart, which no evil intention can divert.

Give to me a stalwart heart, which no tribulation can overcome.

Give to me a temperate heart, which no violent passion can enslave.

Give to me, O Lord my God, understanding of You, diligence in seeking You, wisdom in finding You, discourse ever pleasing to You, perseverance in waiting for You, and confidence in finally embracing You.

Grant that with Your hardships I may be burdened in reparation here, that Your benefits I may use in gratitude upon the way, that in Your joys I may delight by glorifying You in the Kingdom of Heaven. You Who live and reign, God, world without end.  Amen.

Thanks for reading.

Kevin

Coming Off the Mountain

Posted: March 23, 2010 by oneofhis in Uncategorized
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Luke 9:

28) Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29) And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30) And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31) who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32) Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33) And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”— not knowing what he said. 34) As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35) And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36) And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

When God manifests Himself to us, there’s nothing better. To have a mystery of God revealed or have a piece of God’s character become real and  made alive is a wonderful and powerful thing. When He reveals Himself to us, He draws us closer to Him and we feel closer to Him.

What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration was one of the most dramatic revealing of Jesus’ true glory, power, authority, and relationship to the Father while here on Earth. Can you imagine seeing the Son of Man call upon Moses and Elijah to have a powow with? To see His glory manifest itself like the sun even through His Earthly body? This is a wonderful and dangerous situation. So dangerous that God the Father Himself intervened. You say “Dangerous? How?’ Let me explain.

When God wants to manifest Himself to us or brings illumination of scripture, or an incredible worship experience, it is an awesome thing. The problem is when we don’t want to come off the mountain. We want to pitch our tents when in all reality our destiny lies on a rotting, bloodstained cross.

Moses went up to the top of Mt. Sinai and for 40 days, God gave him the commandments, but he had to go back down the mountain. There  he faced one of the greatest challenges of his life, leadership, and relationship to God. He received the greatest revelation of God to be revealed for hundreds of years. He was faced with God Himself offering to wipe out the people of Israel and start fresh, just Him and God. Moses chose to lay his life down, if necessary for those people. He had a choice to stay on the mountain or go to the cross.

The Father knew that Jesus’ destiny was the cross, and He would not allow anything to come between His Son and His destiny. It blows me away that the Father chose in that moment in time to personally intervene in the situation. The only other time in the New Testament that God the Father chose to reveal Himself was when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus Christ and He declared Christ as His Son. Wow!

It is easy to bask in His presence and glory but not so “glorious” to be stripped(humbled), beaten(face correction or persecution), or die (to our desires and self). Our flesh wants to be glorified, but its ultimate destiny is the cross. We must come down from the mountain. We must walk through the valley of the shadow of death if we are to ever know His life! Our destiny lies on the old rugged cross. The power of His resurrection lies there as well! His ultimate plan, His glory is truly manifested when we die to ourselves and the shadows fade away and we are truly one with Christ in all things!

Kevin

Going Back Through My Archives….

Posted: March 18, 2010 by oneofhis in Articles I Like, Things That Inspire Me
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I found this post that I wrote a couple of years ago and I thought would really challenge you who read these posts regularly:

http://kevinbarthelette.com/2008/08/05/active-faith-vs-passive-belief/

Check it out. Seriously.

Kevin

Passion for the Promise

Posted: March 12, 2010 by oneofhis in Food for Thought, Things That Inspire Me, What's Happening Now
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Joshua 14 (English Standard Version)

 6)Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. 7)I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8)But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9)And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ 10)And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 11) I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 12)So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”

This passage of scripture really spoke to me today. I don’t many people who have not been affected by the problems with the economy. Even my wife was laid off from her job so we are feeling the crunch like many of you out there. What really spoke to me this  morning was the passion and faith of Caleb.

We all have things that we are praying and believing for God to do in our lives, our family, or friends. Whether it’s physical healing, finances, or salvation, we all have something that we are claiming God’s promises for; asking God to directly intervene in.

How many of you have passion for God’s promise?

How many of you, like Caleb say “I am still as strong (passionate, dedicated to, expectant) today as I was the day that God promised He was going to …….(you fill in the blank). “No matter how long it takes, no matter what I have to go through, I am going to hold fast to His promise and know He will do what He said He will do.”

I know this is hard sometimes. I am right there with you. I truly feel your pain, but we who claim the name of Christ have a hope beyond our natural means, an expectancy that is seen through the eyes of the Spirit, and not with our natural eye. We have a God that works above the systems of this world and can intervene in any given situation at any given moment. We have a hope that goes beyond our own ability to make happen, manipulate, or coherce. We are in the midst of a stormy sea where only God can reach out and help us to walk on the water. Life is  not easy. It is hard to go where we have never been or believe for things that we don’t have any ability to attain, but this is what true faith is all about!

Caleb lived 45 years before he came face to face with his promise, but in that day, God gave him the strength at 85 years old to go into a land that was inhabited by those younger, bigger, and stronger and took what God promised Him. In 45 years he had plenty of time to doubt God, but he didn’t. He believed just as passionately as that day 45 years ago.

Will you?

Kevin

Imagery in Prayer and Worship

Posted: March 10, 2010 by oneofhis in Uncategorized
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One of the greatest untapped resources that God has given us is our imagination. Think of the imagination it took to make all creation. From the largest galaxies, to the atom, molecules, the strange underwater creatures that glow that after thousand of years we are just now discovering. This took imagination on a scale beyond our imagination. So, if God gave us the gift of creativity and specifically our imagination, why would we not use it to glorify Him, to grow closer to Him, and help others to do the same?

I think there are many who pray to and worship a nameless, faceless God. This was never meant to be the case since God had fellowship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Our sin brought a separation between us and God. Where man once walked and talked to Him like we are here, we no longer have that type of interaction but God did not leave us with nothing. Has anyone of you ever a relationship with someone you have never seen before? I’ve talked to people online before but once I knew what they looked like; it helped me connect with them better. It brought a new dynamic. God gave us a picture too. He gave us two things: His Word and our imagination. Let’s look at an example:

Psalm 18

 1I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
   my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
   my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I call upon the LORD, who is (D) worthy to be praised,
   and I am saved from my enemies.

 4(E) The cords of death encompassed me;
   (F) the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
5(G) the cords of Sheol entangled me;
   the snares of death confronted me.

 6(H) In my distress I called upon the LORD;
   to my God I cried for help.
From his (me) temple he heard my voice,
   and my cry to him reached his ears.

 7Then the earth (J) reeled and rocked;
   the foundations also of the mountains trembled
   and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils, [b]
   and devouring (K) fire from his mouth;
   glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He (L) bowed the heavens and (M) came down;
   (N) thick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
   he came swiftly on (O) the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his (P) canopy around him,
   thick clouds (Q) dark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
   (R) hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

 13The LORD also(S) thundered in the heavens,
   and the Most High uttered his (T) voice,
   hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his(U) arrows and scattered them;
   he flashed forth lightnings and(V) routed them.
15Then(W) the channels of the sea were seen,
   and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your(X) rebuke, O LORD,
   at the blast of(Y) the breath of your nostrils.

 16He(Z) sent from on high, he took me;
   he(AA) drew me out of(AB) many waters.
17He rescued me from my strong enemy
   and from those who hated me,
   for they were(AC) too mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
   but the LORD was my support.
19He brought me out into(AD) a broad place;
   he rescued me, because he(AE) delighted in me.

 20The LORD dealt with me(AF) according to my righteousness;
   according to(AG) the cleanness of my hands he rewarded

Can you see the imagery taking place here? This is how David saw God moving on His behalf in the circumstances he was in. He saw God in this way. God allowed this imagery to be placed in the scriptures so we could understand different aspects of who He is. The scriptures give us an image of Him that we can trust of who He is. We should be careful to stay within the context of the scriptures cause I have heard some really far fetched stuff, including people being intimate with Jesus and things of this nature so we do have to be sure that the way see Him doesn’t go outside of scriptural contexts. When I pray or I am in the midst of worship, I picture in my mind that I am standing before Him worshipping or talking or being hugged or comforted by God. All these things are scriptural, and they allow us to see the charcter, the greatness, and the love of God and therefore helps us to have a greater connection with Him.

 So I want to challenge you during your prayer, and your personal and corporate worship time to use the scriptures to draw on a picture of God. His scriptures were given to reveal Himself and His plan for your life.  If you have never done that before, it might seem a little weird at first but I believe that it will bring a whole new dynamic to your relationship with Him.

Afraid of Worship? (The Peception Factor I)

Posted: March 1, 2010 by oneofhis in worship
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As a worship leader, it is our responsibility to not just lead some songs, not to lead you where you want to go, but it is lead you to places that you need to go. Sometimes there are certain arguments have to be overcome to help you accept the path. Some can be explained through teaching and preaching, other times it may take the Holy Spirit speaking to you and revealing the truth to you.

Perceptions can be formed over a few minutes, or over a lifetime. They can affect the decisions we make and how we see things. As followers of Christ, these perceptions that we have built in our minds can affect how, if and why we worship. 

Abuse

I know of people that have been mistreated by their earthly father in terrible ways, and therefore have a problem with accepting God as their heavenly Father. It can greatly affect how they pray and worship. These kind of hurts may take professional counseling in some cases.  If you feel that your relationship with God is impeded by this type of abuse and mistreatment caused by someone close to you like a father, I would recommend that you go see a counselor and possibly get involved in a support group to help bring restoration to that part of your life that was scarred. While you are seeking healing for your soul, listening to songs that talk about God being our healer and the restorer of our souls will also help to change our perception of who God is. We must attack the lie that we are always going to struggle in our relationship with God and our worship of Him because you were abused.

Betrayal

This is another issue that plagues believers and their worship experience and that is the issue of betrayal. In paticular, a betrayal by someone in the church. This ranges from a betrayal of a friend in the church to in a lot of cases, someone in leadership. I could get into the topic of whether or not a person has truly experienced betrayal or just heard something they didn’t want to, but that is for another post. Wounds of a friend or person you trusted or admired greatly are tough to get over, but not impossible. The thing that brings separation between you and God is unforgiveness. It will hinder your prayers and your worship. It will keep you stuck. Many church folk are stuck in no-man’s land because they have allowed the unforgiveness of past hurts to plant their roots deep into their hearts. Jesus, in His first prayer that He taught His disciples, made sure that He talked about this topic:

Matthew 6:9

  “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10) Your kingdom come, your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11) Give us this day our daily bread, 12)and forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from evil.

  14) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15) but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Powerful words of Christ. He understood that unforgiveness brings separation and hinders our relationship with God. The reason you have held on to your unforgiveness is because you don’t have a true understanding of Christ’s forgiveness for you. When you grasp a revelation of his forgiveness, and what He has forgiven you of, it becomes almost impossible to hold on to your unforgiveness. Understanding His forgiveness gives us the freedom to forgive. 

Confess your unforgiveness to someone you can trust that will hold you accountable. Begin to saturate your heart on music that glorifies His forgiveness. Meditate on scriptures that talk about men like David who sinned big but understood that he was forgiven big.

I am not saying that forgiveness is always easy, but you have to make a decision whether it is worth your relationship with Him or not.

(to be continued)

Kevin

Latest Update from Pastor Michael in Haiti

Posted: February 25, 2010 by oneofhis in Uncategorized
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Here is the newest blog post from Pastor Michael in Haiti:

http://michaelkyker.com/2010/02/25/the-low-down/

Kevin

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