Men's Breakfast November 2011

November 2011 Men's Ministry

This month we had a good time of fellowship and as always, FOOD! I send a special thanks to those who were able to make it. To those who couldn't be there, we missed you and hope to see you next month! 

This month I spoke to the men in regards to the F WORD. Hollywood and the the media has been intent in recent times on saturating our minds and mouths with the F WORD.  Jesus Christ has been intent on saturating our hearts with his F WORD for over 2000 years.

FORGIVENESS.

Forgiveness is found in the bible 18 times in 18 verses. Forgive, 61 times in 54 verses. Webster’s Dictionary defines forgiveness this way: The act of granting relief from payment.

Webster also says - The word forgiveness was first noted around the 12 century.We know Jesus has been teaching about it for 2000 Years!

So what does the bible say about it? Let’s look at, what is forgiveness.....

1) What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to let go of the hurt due to wrong doings committed against us and to express this by acts of mercy and love toward the offender.

2) Are there any sins committed against me which I don't have to forgive?

No. The Lord calls us to forgive all sins — even rape, murder, abuse, adultery, etc. We never have the occasion to forgive others for their character, attitude, or motives. We are not to judge these things.

3) When I forgive, am I condoning sin?

No, the Lord forgives all our sins and condones none of them (see Jn 8:11).

4) Must I forgive if the person offending me isn't sorry?

Yes, for-giveness is before-giveness — to give pardon before asked forgiveness or even if never asked forgiveness.

5) Must I forgive if a person continues to hurt me?

Yes. While hanging on the cross, Jesus forgave His enemies even as they continued to spit at Him and blaspheme Him (see Lk 23:34).

6) How do I forgive?

None of us can forgive by our own power. "To err is human, to forgive divine," and we are not divine. However, the Lord promised us His divine power to forgive. Therefore, forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to forgive.

7) What if I don't want to forgive?

We should pray and ask the Lord to change our hearts.

8) What if I don't forgive?

1. We "give the devil a chance to work on" us (see Eph 4:27).

2. We are handed over to the torturers (Mt 18:34). These torturers are such things as fear, loneliness, depression, frustration, anxiety, and self-hatred.

3. We cut ourselves off from receiving forgiveness (Mt 6:12, 15), healing (Sir 28:3), prayer (Mk 11:25), worship (Mt 5:23-24), and Christian community.

4. We lose our appetite for prayer, the Scriptures, the Mass, and Christian fellowship. We become spiritually anorexic.

5. If we persist in unforgiveness, we cut ourselves off from God forever and thereby damn ourselves.

9) How do I know if I have forgiven?

Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision.

Forgiveness is not only praying for those who have hurt us or treating them better. We know if we have made the decision to forgive when we show it in acts of love and mercy to those who have offended us. For example, the father of the prodigal son threw his arms around his son, kissed him, gave him gifts, honored him, and celebrated his return (Lk 15:20-24). By God's grace, we must go and do likewise. Even if the persons we need to forgive have died, we should give love and mercy to their family members.

Right now, decide to accept God's grace to forgive all who have sinned against you in any way. Say: "By God's grace, I decide to forgive ___ for ___." Fill in the blanks and repeat this statement until you have forgiven everyone who has ever offended you. Then thank Jesus forever for the miracle of forgiveness.

During this months lesson, I used several different websites.... During our fellowship we got into a deep discussion about copyright laws. This in mind, lol. I forget which websites I used, but I did gather alot of information from several. So, there you go!

GOD BLESS

- Ken

To Trick or Not To Treat - HALLOWEEN - Part 2 - This Video from "MarksJourney"

I found this video. I couldn't have said it better. This will be my last post on this topic. I am very passionate about this issue. Though I struggle with many things in life, this will no longer be one of them.

The "F" Word.

Hollywood and the media has been intent in recent times on saturating our minds and mouths with the f-word. Jesus Christ has been intent on saturating our hearts with His f-word for over 2,000 years -- forgiveness

This will be the message at November's Men's Breakfast. Contact me for more info.

To Trick or Not To Treat - HALLOWEEN

This topic has been a huge debate in my family for years. I believe the way our society celebrates HALLOWEEN is dark and very contrary to the things we want to teach our children as Christian parents. This is a sensitive issue though as the big caveat comes (starting with the big 3 letter word), "But, Becky is a princess and lil Tommy is a fireman, they just want some candy. I say, Just look at the ghoulish decor and dark, evil decorations found at the "homes handing candy". 

Do we really want our kids to be anywhere near an environment full of Witches, Skeletons, Ghosts, Goblins, Devils, Demons, Vampires, Promiscuously dressed women, Murderers, Evil Characters and Characters with blood, guts, and brains as part of their attire. Your child may dress up to be a lady bug, frog, a super hero like superman, or even someone like Moses. But look around while you're out walking the streets in the neighborhood. What about those people who don't care, or think the evil stuff is ok? Do you want your children to see that kind of stuff? It's just not right. 

I am very passionate about this topic, it doesn't necessarily mean that I am right, it just means you're not going convince me otherwise.  I still believe allowing children to dress up and attend a "Fall Festival is way better than "trick or treating".

I looked up some info on Halloween. What I found is below. (Remember wiki is written by people and can be opinionated, but I have found a lot of times it's very informative)

Christian attitudes towards Halloween are diverse. In the Anglican Church, some dioceses have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions of All Saints’ Day, while some other Protestants celebrate the holiday as Reformation Day, a day to remember the Protestant Reformation. Father Gabriele Amorth, a Vatican-appointed exorcist in Rome, has said, "if English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that. In more recent years, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has organized a "Saint Fest" on the holiday. Similarly, many contemporary Protestant churches view Halloween as a fun event for children, holding events in their churches where children and their parents can dress up, play games, and get candy for free.

Many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely secular holiday devoted to celebrating "imaginary spooks" and handing out candy. To these Christians, Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors actually being a valuable life lesson and a part of many of their parishioners' heritage. In the Roman Catholic Church, Halloween is viewed as having a Christian connection, and Halloween celebrations are common in Catholic parochial schools throughout North America and in Ireland.

Some Christians feel concerned about Halloween, and reject the holiday because they feel it trivializes – or celebrates – paganism, the occult, or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs. A response among some fundamentalist and conservative evangelical churches in recent years has been the use of "Hell houses", themed pamphlets, or comic-style tracts such as those created by Jack T. Chick in order to make use of Halloween's popularity as an opportunity for evangelism. Some consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith believing it to have originated as a pagan "Festival of the Dead".

Just think, what would Jesus think if he saw you walking down the street in an evil and dark environment like I described above. Well guess what, He will see you. 

October 2011 Men's Ministry Devotional

“He is able to help those who are being tempted.”Hebrews 2:18

An estimated 40 million Americans view Internet pornography on a regular basis. The average age of exposure is 11. What’s worse yet is that 47 percent of Christians polled said that pornography on the Web was a major problem in their home.
In light of these alarming statistics, I wasn’t really surprised when I received a letter from a man who had given in to the lure of Internet porn. Broken and ashamed, he was desperate to climb out of the shame and sludge that Satan had lured him into. He told me that he finally decided to tape a picture of Jesus in the corner of his computer screen. With a sense of relief, he told me that seeing Jesus made his choices clear, and that he couldn’t go where he had gone before as long as Jesus was in clear view in the corner of the screen.
Pornography may not be your problem. But there isn’t one of us who doesn’t struggle with Satan’s pull on our desires. We all know how good it feels to gossip now and then. Taking out revenge on our enemies can seem very satisfying. And cheating on our boss or on our wife is an option that may at times be very alluring. I’m sure you could add a few of your own temptations to the list.
In the midst of it all, we need to remember that every temptation brings us to a critical crossroad. One sign points to momentary thrills that are like jumping out of a plane. Soaring through the air with no restraint can be a thrilling thing, but inevitably the impact of hitting the ground is devastating. Or, we can choose the Jesus road. It’s not always easy at first, but the rewards are out of this world! And perhaps the most important thing we need to know is that at the crossroad, the choice is not just between good and bad—because sometimes you’ll want to be bad. Nor is it just about not wanting to get caught. Satan will tell you that you are clever enough not to get caught. Or, worse yet, he’ll whisper in your heart, “Who cares if you get caught!”
Here’s the real deal: Choosing to sin is choosing to flaunt your desires in the face of Jesus. It’s like telling Him, “I’d rather do this than stay tight with You. I love my sin more than I love You!” It’s a personal thing, and He takes it that way.
At the intersection of temptation, choose Jesus! That person who offended you may not deserve your forgiveness; but Jesus deserves our loyal love, so we forgive for His sake. An affair, a small compromise here or there, overcharging to satisfy a fleeting need, lying to get out of trouble—all may seem very convenient, but all of them are a direct hit on Jesus.



So just say no to sin to show that you love Him more than whatever is luring you away from Him. In fact, you should want to be tempted once in a while just to let
Jesus know in real-life terms how much He means to you!
Jesus is always standing there at the crossroad of temptation. And, as Hebrews says, He is able to help you when temptation comes (Hebrews 2:18). In fact, He has been tested in every way—just like you—and will give you grace and mercy to
help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16)!
Look for Him. He’s in the corner of your screen of life, welcoming you to the pure joy of going His way with Him!


YOUR JOURNEY…

• Where do you need to place a picture of Jesus or a verse of Scripture to help you avoid temptation? On the refrigerator door, the dashboard of your car, inside your wallet, or somewhere else?
• Pray and ask Jesus to help you resist temptation in the very moment when you are tempted. Ask Him to help you live for what is right, instead of what feels good at the time.
• Read Luke 4:1-13. Make a list of observations about the temptation of Christ. Think of the area where you most struggle with temptation in your own life and compare the two situations. What can you learn from the way Jesus handled temptation?
  
  
  
  
  This Devotional really spoke to my heart and thats why I chose to share it witht the men of C4 this month.
  
  
  As always, We ate, we had fellowship, we prayed, we talked about this devotional, and then we ate again.
  
  
  Thanks to all the men who participated this month. Hope to see you all again next month! Remember, the second Saturday of each month at 8am at Camden Crossroads Community Church!
  
  
  **** AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF OUR YOUTHS, GARY, WHO LAST NIGHT DURING A YOUTH FUNCTION, DECIDED TO GIVE HIS HEART OVER TO JESUS CHRIST!!! PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO WELCOME GARY TO THE FAMILY IF YOU SEE HIM ON SUNDAY ****

Devotional Message for September 2011 C4's Men's Ministry Breakfast

There was a major fire that had broken out in the tire factory. People were frantically running out the doors fleeing the danger. One man, though, came running out the door and turned to run along the building. He ran to a valve on a huge pipe line that went into the factory. After turning the valve off, he briskly walked to a safe distance from the building. When ask why he took the risk to turn off this valve he told the interviewer that if he hadn't done so, no one would have been able to run fast enough or far enough to escape the explosion. The pipe line fed a gaseous chemical into the plant and had it not been turned off the fire would have caused this chemical to explode with such force that it could have taken out an entire city block. The man did not simply flee the danger, he ran with direction and purpose to save himself and others from it.

Many people try to handle the evil of the world like the people running from the fire. They attempt to outrun it. They know they should flee, but it is a frantic aimless run that ends up being futile. Telling children to "just say no" does not go far enough. It gives them no direction. Instructing people to "be responsible" in their behavior without defining what "responsible" is accomplishes nothing. The power of evil is too great and its ways too pervasive for us to outrun or handle responsibly. If history has taught us anything it has taught us that we are powerless to overcome evil by our own resources.

Paul instructed young Timothy to "flee the evil desires of youth." But it is important to note that Paul did not stop at this point. He went on to say, "and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22) This Scriptural mandate is for us as well as Timothy. Fleeing evil alone does not help. We must flee with direction and purpose. Like the man fleeing from the fire, we do not simply run from evil, we run from evil by pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Apart from the Holy Spirit's empowerment, this would be impossible. He instills the hunger and thirsting for the things of God, as well as the power to resist evil and pursue righteousness. Yet, must draw upon what He gives in order do the fleeing and pursuing.

This pursuing of righteousness is not to be done alone. The verse tells us to do so "along with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart." Scripture knows nothing of the privatized, isolated Christian living that is so prevalent today. The pursuit of righteousness is a corporate affair. To attempt to live isolated from the body of Christ is spiritually suicidal. There is strength, wisdom, and direction given through the body that is found no where else. Jesus designed His church this way. Alone I am vulnerable and susceptible to the attacks of Satan in a way that I am not when I am actively participating in the body of Christ. This verse, as well as many others in Scripture, makes it clear that active participation in the body is not an option for the Christian.
Beloved, do not see how close you can get to sin without sinning. Rather, flee evil by pursuing "righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart" and see how close to can get to God.

We also talked about our responsibilities as men in our homes, especially to our wives. We shared tips and pointers that has helped to strengthen relationships with our wives.

We shared little know facts about ourselves to one another and of course, as always, we had some morning chow....

I appreciate all who came to participate this month. If you couldn't make it this month, hopefully we'll see you next month as we continue our work connecting people to God, Each other, and The World.

- Ken

Almost an end to another month....

God does provide for us whether we see it or not. Simply waking up this morning was his divine provision. I haven't had alot of time as of late to write. However, I am excited because.... the more time that passes, the more I build up inside. I love you all and will get back to you soon. To my family at Camden Crossroads, see you tomorrow. 

Chewing on God's word.

I was thinking earlier this evening about my time in God's word. Pondering on the passages I had read last night and during my lunch break today.


Chewing. That's what I was doing.


I thought about how glad I was that I have an opportunity to do daily, something that is illegal in some parts of the world. Possess and read the Bible.


I am thankful to be able to sit, every Sunday under a pretty good group of Bible believing, Bible teaching men.


About that. Speaking of chewing. It's great to sit back and be fed the word. But, there comes a point when you have to take the spoon. You've got to learn to feed yourself. 


What I mean is, after you've heard a message at Church. Go home, open your bible and feed. Chew on something until you can swallow it. 


Look at is this way. What do you call someone who has to be fed every meal? Maybe a... baby?


It's simply not enough to go to church every Sunday and have someone feed you. You need time in the Word daily.


What would that look like in your life? For me it meant squeezing in several sessions a day. I think 4-5 chapters a day is decent. However, if you get on one verse and it really speaks to you, that's fine too.


Remember, it's not how many verses you read, it's how many you hear.

Green Beans - A short Story - Reposted from a few years ago. I love it.

The mother shouted for her young son. It was time to come to the dinner table. Mikey, the supercharged eleven year old comes to a screeching halt on his second-hand scooter near the kitchen table. “Hey mom, what’s for dinner?” The mother replies, “Chopped steak and mashed potatoes.” Mikey gets up from the table and walks to the stove. “No green beans mom?” the curious boy asks. His mother realizes that she forgot her only sons favorite dish. Green Beans. She quickly grabs a can from the cupboard and heats its’ contents.

Months go by as do many cans of green beans when Mikey comes home one day to ask his mother a question. “Mom, today at school teacher told all the students in my class that she was collecting canned goods for needy families, can I do it?” The mother nodded in approval and asked the boy what he wanted to donate. “I want to donate a can of my green beans so that someone can have them with Thanksgiving dinner!” The mother hands Mikey a can as he shuffles through a drawer and digs out a magic marker. “Mom, I am going put my name on the bottom so that someone will know I care!” The mother just smiles.

Days later the single mother and her young son are in town, making their selections, picking out everything they need for the Thanksgiving dinner to come. “Oh mom, don’t forget to get green beans, remember I donated my last can!” The mother acknowledged him as she scanned across different items. Once she saw cans of green beans she picked a can up. As she placed it into her basket, she could not hold back a tear when she noticed the bottom of the can said - “Mikey

ALL HAVE SINNED - This is an older paper I did last month

All have sinned
Ken Mckuhen
June 8th 2011

We’re going to talk about SIN.

 What is SIN
 Who is guilty of SIN
 What can be done about it?

The word SIN is found in the Canon of scripture we know as the bible in 394 verses starting in Genesis and spreads on from there.

Today to start, we’re going to be in the book of Romans.

(Turn in your bible to ROMANS 3:23) The text says: for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the word sin here lately. Today’s society has completely down played sin. Let’s take a look at:

What is SIN?

Here’s the definition of sin from a few different resources:

1. Any thought, word, desire, action, or omission of action, contrary to the law of God, or defective when compared with it.

2."Any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God"

I best describe sin as a failure to conform to the moral standard set by God. Whether in act, attitude, or nature.

Who is guilty of Sin?

Just recently Marianne and I with a few other couples were at Ruby Tuesday’s eating dinner. When the checks came to our table, ours appeared to be incorrect. We passed it back and forth and discussed where the error could have been. Once the waitress came back to the table, I elected to tell her I thought that it was incorrect. Had I have not said anything.... Would that have been stealing? Would it have been a sin to pay the cheaper check total? We could get legalistic and technical. Instead let us examine our own actions deeper. There are things that we do every day that can be constituted as sin.



• Have you ever made a joke at someone else’s expense Excusing it as “good clean fun”?
• Drove over the speed limit?
• Told someone you couldn't do something because you “have plans”?
• Called in sick to work when you were fine?
• Took office supplies from work?
• Spent money you knew you didn’t have?
• Told a “little white” lie?
• Lashed out at someone, maybe your spouse, kids?
• Looked another person’s life or situation and wished it for you?

What constitutes what is and what isn’t sin? Is it the Ten Commandments? Must we keep these commandments to enter Heaven? Let’s compare the BIG TEN against our daily lives. We see that the 10 Commandments not only prohibit sinful actions, but also wrong attitudes.

(Turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy 5:1)

1. You shall have no other Gods before Me - Do you think when we focus all of our efforts something; whether it is our jobs, our hobbies, our homes, our cars, or anything else. Are we guilty of this?
2. Make no engraved images – I have a few thoughts on this one but that’s for another time.
3. Taking the Lords Name in Vain - How many times a day in public do you hear the phrase: “Oh my God”. It really tears me up when I hear someone say it. Oh and if it is a child….watch out.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, keep it Holy - This is a commandment telling us to take a day off. We are so busy in our live these days; we can’t afford to take time to rest. I mean, this is a commandment to take a break and we are too stubborn to even do that.
5. Honor thy Father and Mother – Children, disobeying your parents, watch out.
6. Thou shall not Murder - I’ve debated this many times, skeptics like to hold to the “Thou shall not KILL version. The Bible states thou shall not MURDER. This one commandment could yield an entire sermon of its own. For now let me say All Murder is Killing, Not all killing is Murder.
7. Thou shall not commit adultery. Jesus taught us to look at a woman with lustful eyes was to commit adultery in our hearts. Just think for a minute about how common has it become to see and hear seductive and suggestive posters, advertisements, billboards, television and even radio ads. Human beings are visual creatures, especially men. I feel that this sin is one of the toughest for society and men. Sexual sin will consume a good person if they let it.
8. Thou shall not steal. – Is taking
9. Thou shall not bear false witness (Lying) -
10. Thou shall not covet. - I believe this is another sin that has become prevalent in our culture. The old “Keeping up with the Joneses” It may seem harmless to see someone else’s good fortune and wish it for your own. But does it stop there?


Just remember one thing about the BIG TEN.

The world is full of “good” people who have tried to keep the Law. Everybody has tried, and nobody has made it. We’re just not that good. People who try to keep the law do well, but at the end of the day there are no good people. Besides that, God did not give the Law to provide a way to get to heaven. Of all of the books with any of the 10 commandments, “Heaven” isn’t mentioned. There is no relationship between the law and your eternity.

Back on the topic of Sin.

Sin today is not a mere violation of the law of our constitution, nor of the system of things, but an offence against a personal lawgiver. Against a moral governor who vindicates his law with penalties. The soul that sins is always conscious that his sin is (1) intrinsically vile and polluting, and (2) that it justly deserves punishment, and calls down the righteous wrath of God. Hence sin carries with it two inalienable characters, (1) guilt (reatus); and (2) pollution (macula).

All people all are equally guilty before God. When Christians sin, our legal standing before God is unchanged but our fellowship with God is disrupted and our Christian Life is damaged.

 Insert here: Famous three letter word - But,

We’re Christians and we walk with Christ. Besides that, we live pretty good lives. Right? Well guess what, we’re sinners. We all are guilty of sin. As you were waking up this morning, just as you opened your eyes and before your feet even hit the floor. You were a sinner. Five minutes before that, you were a sleeping sinner.

Again, the scripture Romans 3:23 tell us that: All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

The word ALL in the original Greek is translated as the word “Pas”. It literally means ALL. It can be also be translated into all the forms of declension; it’s a primary word with many meanings not limited to; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), always, daily, every (one, way), as many as, thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.

So far we've determined that....... “For all” (meaning everyone) have sinned (Failed to conform to the moral standard set by God)

Just to double check the Word of God, it also says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: For there is not a just man upon earth, which does good, and doesn’t Sin.
Another similar passage Romans 3, Look at verse 10: As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one.


 But, I know people that are right with God. They're righteous and full of faith...........

.
The word none in the Original Greek is the word OU and is pronounced “oo”
It is a primary word; an absolute negative. None means NONE.

It is our goal daily to try not sinning. It is our human nature though. We must strive to grow closer to Christ daily. It’s like a game of tag, running behind him, chasing after him. Each time you feel you could reach out and touch him. Bam! He’s 20 feet ahead of you again!

You see, we’re human beings, born of the flesh with inherited sin; we cannot “not sin”. To be without sin is to be equal to Christ. I do not know one person that is equal to Christ. No not one. You don’t either. I heard it once said -” If someone says they are without sin, you can know for sure it is not them, because they’re lying.

There has been one man who has lived without sin. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. Therefore, he was born pure. During his life he was tempted in all ways just as man. Remember in the book of Mathew we are taught that while Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights Satan tempted him repeatedly. Jesus never waivers and absorbed the wrath of God for OUR sins. Remember in the Old Testament, you were required to sacrifice your best livestock. Not the weak or small. Only the best of what you had.

Jesus Christ was the BEST Sacrifice for our sins. He lived, He died He said in three days he would rise. He did. Today he sits at the right hand of God. Amen?

So, what can be done about sin?

This is the right time and question. Are you tired? Weary? Do you feel ready to give up? Maybe you want something more, something whole, and something that just feels right. Maybe you’ve never let go and cried out to Jesus.

Now is the time. It is clear in the word that if you confess your sins God and turn to him - He’ll move your sins as far as the east is from the west! If you know anything about the different poles of the earth then you know that is significant! The east never meets the west. If you’re going west…… you’ll always be going west. Same goes for going east. Should you decide to go north; at some point you’ll peak then be heading south…. As far as the east is from the west. You will be found blameless! God will choose to not even remember the sins you’ve committed prior to salvation. AMEN?

If you’re ready to make that decision. If your life is broken, The Lord will not begin to fix it until you give it to him. If you’ve not been as faithful as you know you should, if there are “skeletons” in your closet, if you just want to bring some things to the Lord. Let me know I’d love to pray with you.

C4 Men's Ministry Breakfast and Fellowship July 2011

I would like to say THANK YOU to the men who came out and participated in our Men's breakfast this morning.

We met at Camden Crossroads Community Church at 8:00 am. There was a decent spread of morning delights including: Cup Cakes, Cinnamon Rolls, Biscuits and gravy, Bacon and cheese quiche, donuts, and a few other pastries. There were three flavors of coffee and about four different juices.

After we chowed down, we had a good time of fellowship talking about: Family matters, marital bloopers, and illegal trash dumping. lol. Men.

Our main topic of discussion was our roles as men in the Church, Society, and at Home. We talked of how Jesus was our ultimate example of who we are to be for those in our lives.

We also talked about plans for future men's ministry events including: A day at the Range, Overnight camping with the youth boys, and service ideas to help build our community and show the love of Christ to those around us.

We closed with a wonderful time of prayer where each man present had an opportunity to speak to the Lord and intercede on behalf of each other, and those who couldn't be with us.

Then, in typical male fashion, we chowed down again.

Thanks again to all who participated whether seen or not. Because behind every good man, is a great woman.

God Bless.

Tips for washing feet.

When was the last time you washed someones feet?

Today I wanted to talk about our roles as men. Christian men within the Church.

I believe as men we're to look at the example we've been given in Jesus. I think if we're going to believe in Christ and profess a relationship with him, then we need to constantly strive to be like him.

I am sure most all of you have heard the phrase, "Lead by Example". Jesus did just that, he lead by example. This being said.

I'll read to you MARK 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

One of the most familiar stories of Jesus serving others is found in John chapter 13 where Jesus washed the feet of the 12 disciples.

The night he was betrayed, literally hours from the cross, Jesus took the place of a servant, and not just any servant. The foot washing was usually performed by the lowest of the low.

Then Jesus gave us the instruction that: "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you".

If that wasn't enough, look at it this way. It's a principle where, if something is true for a greater, how much more is it true for a lesser.

Here's what I mean by that: If Bill Gates uses virus protection on his personal computer, how much more should we? Or, If Steven Segal locks his door at night, how much more should we?

Jesus came not to be served, though he was worthy, he came and served. Shouldn't we?

A mature believer is involved at church and at home. You've got to serve. If you look at your life and can't really point out where your serving the Kingdom, then I just don't know.

And, I know we're all busy. Sometimes it can be real inconvenient. Guess what, I am sure the cross was inconvenient.

If we look at the opportunities to serve and only do what is easy and convenient, what makes us any different from the rest of the world?

We've got to do what needs to be done. There's an old saying that 20% of the people in the body do 80% of the work. Imagine what we could accomplish for the Kingdom if 100% of the people got involved.

I am realistic and know that we'll never have 100% participation, but ask yourself, if I don't serve, who will? We're disciples and servants. It's what we're told to do.

If you feel like you can't because your schedule is too full, can I challenge you to move some things around. Maybe re-prioritize. Just ask yourself, is this more important than the body of Christ or the Kingdom?

I'd like to see us reaching out to all the men in our lives. As a church, we're scattered all over and sometimes disconnected. We can fix that.

I'd love to see us getting together more often, building a strong men's ministry, and serving together so that we can strengthen each other spiritually and hold one another accountable.

There are ton's of opportunities to serve. Are you ready?

Ads on my Site / My beliefs

I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE DOCTRINES HELD BY THE MORMON CHURCH. I AGREED TO HAVE ADs PLACED ON MY SITE. HOWEVER, I DID NOT CHOOSE THEM. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BASED ON MY BELIEFS AS A PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN.

I have copied and pasted from www.camdencrossroads.com, the church's beliefs and doctrine. It is the most accurate compilation on my personal beliefs.

Please read and understand, that if you do not agree, I am sorry. Let my know and I will pray for you. But, I will not CHANGE.

Our Beliefs

We Believe . . .

In one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

That God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

That God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

That Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus-Israel’s promised Messiah-was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

That Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
That the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

That the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

That God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

In the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

That God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace.


Amen.

Scary but Exciting Ideas starting to come together!

Lets just say "whew".....

I have started to put into action, the next phase in my life....

Only my closest friends know about it. If you do not, no offense. This is something I am keeping real close to the vest until the time is right.

If you DO know, I am trusting you'll keep it between us.....

This is exciting and a little nerve racking, all at the same time....

Check back soon.......

God Bless,

Ken

www.hallelujahchorus.org/music/Hallelujah Chorus - Drumhiller Tribute - 05 - I Come to the Garden Alone.mp3

www.hallelujahchorus.org/music/Hallelujah Chorus - Drumhiller Tribute - 05 - I Come to the Garden Alone.mp3

There's one guy in every family that can change everything. DAD! PART ONE

Please Read in The Old Testament - Numbers 25:1-3

1-While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.
2-For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3-So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.

Do any of you guys remember a movie called "When a stranger calls". Basically the entire movie, leading up to the twist, a "stranger", a "bad guy" calls on the phone several times say only....."HAVE YOU CHECKED THE CHILDREN?" Near the end, you find out that he is actually IN the house. If you've seen it, you'll remember the line.... "HE's in THE HOUSE!!! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!

The point is, he was never outside. He was in the house the whole time.


In chapters before, We learn that the sons of Israel were closing in on Moab. Up to this point they have torn through all that got in their way. The King of Moab, Balak was really worried about what lied ahead for the land of Moab. So he hires the prophet Balaam to curse the sons of Israel for they were too powerful for the people of Moab.

Thing is, God wouldn't curse them. Balaam's task was never completed. Unfortunately, the Enemy was not Balaam. The enemy was IN the camp of Israel the WHOLE TIME.

The Men.

I believe that is a truth in the church today. The greatest threat to the purity and to the effectiveness of the church is not what's going on outside. It's not Darwin's Theory, Charles Manson, or even Marilyn Manson. It's what goes on in our own hearts.

If you're looking for the enemy in your house, if your looking for the greatest threat in your life, it's not a guy in a red cape. Look in the mirror. It's us. The choices we make and our propensity to sin. That's what we'll see in this chapter.

COMPROMISE IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO GOD's PEOPLE


I think the greatest danger in the church today are the men. I am sure women have their own way causing harm in a fellowship, but men not only have the power to cause harm in a fellowship, but also a family.

Of the different sins, I think men in most cases, not all, but most are more prone to compromise and commit sin in the area of sexual temptation.

Here are a few of the temptations talked about in the book of 1st John.

2:16 - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.

In the world of theater there is a term known as a "triple threat". A person who can sing, act and dance is known as a triple threat. In the realm of sin, sexual can be also be known as a triple threat. Sexual sin combines all three sins of the world. Lust of the flesh, Lust of the eyes, and Boastful pride of life.

Lust of the Flesh - Because as humans, our fleshly bodies are designed to eat, drink, sleep and yes, have sexual contact. Sexual relationships.

Lust of the Eyes - Especially for guys. Most times guys do not look at their partner and think - "She makes me feel safe". It's more like - "She's Hot!" A lot of it is looks. We're visual creatures. That is how God wired us.

Then there is,

The Boastful Pride of Life - "You think I'm Strong?".... "Really" "You think I'm smart?" It is the whole idea of cha cha cha...."She likes...me."

So there you have it. Flesh, Eyes, Pride. Triple Threat. It nails guys left and right and is a huge problem with in our society today even in the church.

Sexual sin is the number one thing that drag men down, destroys families and causes compromise in a man's heart.

One of the problems with this type of sin is, it's not ugly. You can look at a alcoholic and see that's not what you want to be. You can look at a drug addict with sickly bodies and teeth falling out and see that it's no good. You can see the ugliness in those things. Sexual sin doesn't look like that though.

I've been trying to teach my children, especially my son that sin is attractive. Just because something is fun and exciting, doesn't mean that it couldn't possibly be a sin. There are many things in our world today that are smoke screen tactics. We must be able to determine, through the word of God, what is and what isn't sin.

Sin often times looks great. Reading through these few chapters in the book of Numbers, you'll see the Midianite women bring the men of Israel down to the groves where they people of Moab worship little G gods. No doubt there was food, fun, ladies, and music. I am sure it was a real party.

We got to understand the enemy wants to destroy our lives, our witness, our credibility, and our families. He's not going to send a guy with a red suit and pitch fork to say "Hey, would you like to trade it all in?"

Doesn't work like that. It comes in very fun, very attractive ways. That's what happened to the children of Israel.

So. Israel joined, through the Midianite women, with Baal of Peor. Baal means lord. The lord of Peor. He was known to be a fertility god that they worshiped. As soon as the men joined with him, bowed down and worship. The anger of our Lord, our God was upon them.

Remember that Balaam was hired to curse the children of Israel but he couldn't. All he could do was bless them. That's it, we don't hear anything else of him.

What we do know is, in the book of Revelation (2:14), we're told that the whole idea of sending the Midianite women into Israels camp to stumble the men, came from Balaam. Jesus also taught people that Balaam suggest and came up with the plan to send the women saying. "You can't curse them, you do not have the power." "Satan is not going to curse them, but you can get God to deal with them if you can corrupt them. If you can get them to compromise and sin."

The problem lies in the choices people make. People make a choice to sin. Just like these people, Satan couldn't curse them. God looked at them and said, "I see no wickedness in Jacob." But what Satan couldn't do, the people did in a second by their own choice and compromise.

Now, Baal was a Canaanite fertility god. As time goes on he is a constant enticement to the people. They never really stop worshiping him until they are taken into Babylon.

In today's time, What would we call equivalent to the worship of Baal? Hollywood? Maybe. It is the worship of abundance. The whole reason they worshiped the fertility god through sex was to bring about prosperity. In those days better crops meant better money. Prosperity.

What they worshiped with and what they struggled with Sex and Success. What are we worshiping in America? I believe it's the same thing.

In Moab, the children of Israel gave in, and God was angry.





END PART ONE.

Resources:

NASB Bible

Numbers 22, 23, 24, and 25
1st John Chp. 2
Revelation Chp. 2
Blue Letter Bible.org
Pastor Jim Morgan study

Starting a new

Alot has changed since my last posting.....

I have recently took a new job working very close to home, within five minutes. This is an ultimate leap of faith. I have wanted in my heart, this job or something similar for a long time. I always had a reason not to pursue it. Though I don't want to admit it, I'll say I haven't fully trusted that God would provide for my family and I, all of our needs.

Actually, I am starting my third full week tomorrow. When asked "How do you like your new job?" - My common answer is: "I am happy. I have faith God will see that his children are provided for."

You see, I committed what some would call career suicide. I was working for a decent company. Making outrageous money. Received a lot of work related training and experience. I was going places. Although, I was away from home A LOT. Even when I was working in town, I was commuting at least two hours round trip daily. Grant it, where I chose to live is my deal. But, here it is, six years after moving to our community, we've planted roots.

Ultimately, I have a lot more time for the things that matter most in my life. GOD, Wife, and Kids. You can see, my job isn't even in the top three!

I am excited that I am gonna be able to commit more of myself to whats important. I have decided to kick up my biblical studies a notch. I plan on blogging my thoughts on each study.

See you soon. God Bless.

Ken