The Password

1 John 5:11-12 (New International Version)

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

These days it seems we need passwords to access so many things. Online shopping requires one. Our bank machines require one. In fact so many things require passwords that keeping track of them all nearly drives me nuts.

Passwords are important however for they serve the purpose of protecting what is valuable to us. If we did not have them anyone might, simply by using our name, have access to our bank accounts, credit cards and other personal information. Even with passwords sometimes fraud occurs due to people's ability to outsmart the system.

No one however can outsmart God. And one day God, our Father, will call each of us to stand before him and he will require the password above all passwords from us to grant us access to His eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Do you know the password? It is one which God himself has set for each and every individual. And though it is in essence the same password for all, each one must know and embrace it uniquely for themselves. It is a password that cannot be broken or misused. Not even the cleverest of clever minds can outsmart it for God and God alone knows the heart, mind and soul of every individual and whether his password has been accepted and embraced in our lives.

The password is: I Have the Son.

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12 .

Passwords are important in today's society. Our eternal password however is of far more value than tongue can tell. Do you have yours?

Dear Lord thank you that you so loved the world that you gave your one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Thanks You for being our password. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Mustard Seed or Tomato Seeds?

Luke 17:6 (New International Version)

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

I remember reading online about an articlein the "Reader's Digest" about a company who mailed out some special advertising business post cards with a mustard seed glued to it with the following caption that went something like this: "If you have faith as small as this mustard seed in our (particular product), you are guaranteed to get excellent results and be totally satisfied." -- Signed, The Management

A few months later one recipient of this promotional piece wrote back to the company and said, "You will be very interested to know that I planted the mustard you sent on your advertising card and it has grown into a very healthy bush producing wonderful tomatoes!"

Faith is an essential ingredient for fulfilling living. But we need to have faith in the right object, the right person, and in the right God otherwise what we have is presumption but not faith. There are many false prophets and many false gods --all of whom are man made. And if god is manufactured and empowered by man, what kind of a god would that be? Certainly not the god I would want to revere, worship or follow.

In a very real sense, Jesus the one who gave us Christmas, puts our faith to the test as he did to his disciple, Peter, when he said to him, "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." -- Jesus (Matthew 16:15-16, NIV)

If Jesus were to speak to you face to face today and asked you the same question, what would your answer be?

Dear Lord we pray that we would not be led astray by false information. We pray that our answer would be, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.

He Has Left a Light on For You.

Psalm 38:15 (New International Version)

Lord, I wait for you;

    you will answer, Lord my God.

It was an exciting day when Ruth Priscilla married the handsome Thomas Alden Colbath, a jack-o-all-trades from a nearby town. She had been born and raised in the same house in Passaconaway Valley, New Hampshire, and it is in this same house that she and her new husband made their home. Her dreams had come true!

One day, however, in 1891, as 41 year-old Ruth was preparing dinner, Thomas left the house, telling her that he would 'be back in a little while.' She had no idea where he went, but she was sure he would be returning that night and would need a light to guide him home. So she lit an oil lamp and placed it near the window.

But he didn't come home that night. Nor the next nor the next. When days turned into weeks and weeks into months, she began to get discouraged. Where could he be? Had he been hurt? Did he still love her?

But he had said he would be back, and she never doubted his word. They had a bound that couldn't be broken!

For the next 39 years of her life, Ruth placed a lamp near the window every night. Often she would gaze out of that same window with longing, ever anticipating Thomas' return. At such times she would dream about that day. She imagined the tender embrace, the tears of rejoicing that would be shed. She couldn't wait for the day her Thomas would return!

And Thomas did return. Three years after Ruth's death. He had been away for 42 years. No one ever learned why he had been away for so long, but all he found upon his return was the mound in the burial plot near the house where she lay.

As she faithfully awaited her husband's return, Ruth truly learned the meaning of the word patience. May we learn that same kind of patience when we ask for guidance from the Lover of our soul. Too often however, when He doesn't reply according to our time table, we forge on ahead, acting on our assumptions, and usually regretting the results of our actions, results that could have been avoided.

But to tell the truth, we probably relate more with Thomas, the wanderer. He loved his wife, have no doubt about it, but his priorities led him away from what was truly important to him. Imagine the day he returned to find his house deserted, with only a tombstone bearing his wife's name to greet him. It was too late to appreciate the one he had come back for!

We, too, tend to wander away from what is truly important to us. No one has ever shown us such love! Our Saviour, dying on a cross, for us! Unimaginable, but true! And we love Him, but the priorities of our lives tend to drive us away from Him, robbing us from the time we could spend discovering how awesome He truly is. Our society isn't geared for God!

But one day, we, too, will die. One day it will be too late to wake up from our stupor. One day we may regret the life that we led while we were pretending to know the One who came to save us, but in reality, we didn't know Him intimately at all.

Maybe today is the day for us to wake up and realize what truly matters to us. Tomorrow may never come! If you are one of the wandering ones, remember that the Lover of your soul has a Light in front of His window shining quite brightly, for He, too, is waiting patiently for your return. He loves you!

Dear Lord we thank You that You do love us and that even when we wonder You are there with a light on waiting for us. Help us not wonder but be faithful to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hudson Taylor's Prayer

1 Corinthians 14:15 (New International Version)

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.

Hudson Taylor was a man of great faith in God, as well as a great missionary. When he first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of a cannibal island the ship was becalmed, and it was slowly drifting shoreward, unable to go about, and the inhabitants of the island were eagerly anticipating a feast. The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray for the help of God.

"I will," said Taylor, "provided you set your sail to catch the breeze."

The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling sails in a dead calm.

Taylor said, "I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails."

And it was done. The missionary retired to his stateroom to pray. While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at his door.

"Who is there?"

The captain's voice responded, "Are you still praying for wind?"

"Yes."

"Well," said the captain, "you'd better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can well manage."

And, sure enough, when but a hundred yards from shore, a strong wind struck the sails of the boat, so that the inhabitants of the island were cheated out of their human prey.

Dear Lord we thank You that You hear our prayers. We thank You for always being there for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thoughts During Our Youth Pool Party

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (New International Version)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Today we had our annual KBC Youth ministries swim party.  As I sat back and watch as the youth Ate hamburgers , jumped, splashed and just had a great time It made me think of one of the greatest US Olympians (Besides Freddie)  US swimmer Michael Phelps. He makes millions of dollars in endorsements. He has been on cereal boxes, appeared on late night talk shows and Got Milk commercials. He will never be lacking in funds. He’s got an amazing story.

As we look at him we can learn some important lessons

1. Never Give Up
On a Friday afternoon; Phelps beat Milorad Cavic by 0.01 seconds. He had lost the race, it was virtually over, but Cavic decided to finish by reaching for the wall off the strength of his legs. Phelps pushed one last time, and the last half stroke propelled his arms forward. That one last push was heard around the world.

2. Be Patient
When he was 11, swimming experts predicted that Michael Phelps would one day rule the world of swimming. He’s 27 now, so for more than 16 years he’s been in the pool. He’s been patiently training and growing and learning under his mentor, Coach Bowman. He practically grew up in a pool and now we, the world, are seeing the dividends of that willingness to work hard all those years.

3. Do What You Were Born to Do

Outside of the pool, he’s kind of a goofball. When you see him in interviews, you are not struck by the degree of fear and dread he seems to give his competitors. But in the water, he’s a machine. Every part of him seems sculpted with a purpose, and that purpose is to win gold medals. You can’t help but watch him swim and feel you are watching someone do what they were born to do.

What great lessons we can learn even when sitting by a pool watching young people have the time of their life. Never give up, Be patient and Do what God has designed you to do.

Dear Lord we thank for life and for the things before us.  We thank You that You have a specific plan for each one of us, we pray that we would strive to do our very best to accomplish that plan. In Jesus name, Amen.

God Provides a Way Out.

2 Peter 2:9 (New International Version)

If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

On June 2, 1995, Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady was flying an F-16 fighter over NATO's "no-fly zone" over western Bosnia. Suddenly a Serb surface-to-air missile ripped through his aircraft. Reaching for the eject handle he remembers praying: "Dear God, let it work," and it worked.

Floating down some 26,000 feet, the Serbian soldiers were quickly moving to where he was going to land. Scott prayed again: "Lord, let me at least have someone know I'm alive and maybe come rescue me."

Landing on a hill, Scott began his evasion. Bosnian Serb search parties tried to flush him out by firing rifles into the bushes where he was hiding. For the next five days Scott was constantly praying. He moved from place-to-place at night, sending out short messages letting others know he was alive. He subsisted on leaves, grass, and ants, and catching rainwater in Ziploc plastic bags. Though he was hungry and cold, he knew that a superpower would be working to save him.

Then early on June 8, O'Grady's prayers were answered. He reached a safe place and radioed for help. Headquarters immediately dispatched about forty planes for his rescue. When the helicopter landed in the clearing near where O'Grady was hiding, he didn't relax in the brush. He shook off fatigue, fought through bushes and with every ounce of energy he had, ran to the escape that had been provided for him.

We are often thrust into hostile situations in our own lives. But in each instance, the Lord is faithful to provide a way of escape, if we only look to Him and we take it. Today in prayer, thank Christ for His faithfulness that in every temptation, He has provided a way out for us.

Dear Lord we thank You that You are always there. We thank You that You promise us that You will never give us more than we can handle with Your help. Help us remember that when we come into those hard times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hurricane Season is Like Christmas?

Mark 4:35-39 (New International Version)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.


This is the first day of hurricane season and we have already had 2 named storms.  In honor of the 2012 hurricane season I thought it would be fun to compare Hurricane season with Christmas. 


Top 10 Reasons Hurricane Season is Like Christmas


10. Decorating the house (boarding up windows)
9. Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season (camping gear, flashlights)
8. Last minute shopping in crowded stores
7. Regular TV shows pre-empted for "specials"
6. Family coming to stay with you
5. Family and friends from out-of-state calling
4. Buying food you don't normally buy...and in large quantities
3. Days off from work
2. Candles
And the number one reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas...
1. At some point you know you're going to have a tree in your house!!!


Al kidding aside, we can take great comfort in knowing that God has complete control over the weather. As we head into this storm season let us remember to pray.


Dear Lord we thank You that You are in control. That all You have to do is speak to the wind and the rain and it will seize. We pray for safety this hurricane season. We pray that when the storms do come that we will be willing to let You use us to help others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.