What a year 2011 has been! While obviously I couldn’t begin to list all of the things that happened, I thought I would devote a day to recalling some of the notable events of this year.
To begin with – I’m going in chronological order – on January 3rd I was informed that my favorite Christian artist, Rebecca St. James was engaged to marry a man named Jacob Fink (the actual wedding was in late April). I have been a fan of Rebecca since the year 2000 and I’ve always been very impressed with Rebecca’s voice for God and her Christ-like example. She decided that she wasn’t going to force God to adhere to her schedule for marriage, she was going to wait and let God lead in His own timetable. In His providence, God led her to Jacob Fink. I am so thrilled for Rebecca and Jacob! The Bible actually says, in Isaiah 64, that God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
The next notable occurrence was an event that I had an opportunity to attend on April 9th with former Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam as the speaker. I was struck with the large amount of Christian apologetics that Jason presented that day. In fact, I later blogged about it and I mentioned how important it is for a Christian to practice apologetics (check that blog out it was on 4/31, I entitled it “The Importance of Apologetics”).
The third highlight was on July 27th when John Stott died. He was 90 years old. You might find it odd that I call this a highlight. To be sure, many grieved him, but I still consider this a positive development simply because of the eternal bliss that John has been enjoying in Heaven since Stott had a right relationship with God through Christ. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That’s where John Stott is now and for those of us who know Jesus Christ as Savior, that’s where we will one day be as well!
The final highlight is that Tim Tebow became the starter of the Broncos on October 23rd. I don’t mention this because of something as trivial as the game of football. To the contrary, I mention this because of how God is using this young man – he’s only 24 years old – to bring glory to Himself. Surely you have noticed that at the end of every game, whether it’s a win or a loss, Tim says, “first and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” I’m aware that this rubs some people the wrong way, but Tim is simply being the person that God made him to be. While Tebow himself is not perfect (as he himself has previously admitted), his lifestyle glorifies God just as much as anything he says after a football game. John Elway has publicly announced that Tim is going to stay a Denver Bronco, and so it seems safe to assume that Tebow mania is going to continue.
While it’s been quite a year, I’m looking forward to what will happen in 2012!
Kevin
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The most wonderful message of all
I’ve noticed that during this time of the year there are some who will bring up the fact that Jesus was born, but they don’t like to focus on how this same Jesus didn’t stay a baby; He grew up. The reality is Jesus lived the greatest life that anyone has ever lived. According to the Bible, He lived the perfect and sinless life that you and I could never live (John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:21-22). He preached the most remarkable sermons (Matthew 5-7 is devoted exclusively to one of them); He performed amazing miracles; He loved people even if they were social outcasts, and on and on we could go. Ultimately Jesus died a bloody, painful death by crucifixion, and three days later, He literally and bodily rose from the grave; victorious over death itself!
Near the end of the book of John, the writer makes this statement, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). When John says “believe” here, he doesn’t mean to give some kind of intellectual, cognitive assent or agreement. It’s not like if someone were to ask you, “Do you believe the sky is blue?” The word “believe” in the Bible means to trust or to rely upon. It is used other places in the Bible. For example, in Acts 16 someone asks the Apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” His answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (verse 31). He means “trust and rely on Jesus and you’ll be saved from your sins.”
That’s why I mentioned Jesus’ death and resurrection earlier. You see, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Not one of us can claim to be without sin (1 John 1:8). This sin separates us from God and excludes us from entrance into Heaven. We need someone to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ, God incarnate – God in human flesh – was the only one qualified to pay the price for our sins. On the cross, He actually cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Greek word Jesus used here conveys the idea that Jesus was saying, “The price of sin has fully and finally been paid.”
After all this, Jesus confirmed that this death on the cross wasn’t just like any other death by rising from the dead! He had predicted numerous times that He was going die, but that this wasn’t going to be the end, He was going to be resurrected (see Matthew 16:21 for just one example). He showed that He was no liar, because it all happened just as He said it would.
To be clear, everyone does not have an automatic pass to Heaven simply because of Jesus’ work on the cross; we have to make the decision to put our faith and trust in Christ. I invite you to read these words as if for the first time: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes (notice that word "believe") in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
It's interesting that John 3:16 is frequently cited, but the powerful subsequent verses are not quoted nearly as often. Look at verses 17 and 18 of John 3: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Christmas Day is a great time to ask this question: have you ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever put your faith and trust in Him to save you from your sins? If not, don’t delay; please do it now. So today, Christmas Day 2011, it is a great time to ask this question: have you ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever put your faith and trust in Him to save you? If not, don’t delay; please do it now. You may think I’m exaggerating, but the honest truth is it would be the privilege of my life if just one person saw their need for Jesus, and through simple words in a blog, someone chose to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s my earnest hope and my sincere prayer.
Kevin
Near the end of the book of John, the writer makes this statement, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). When John says “believe” here, he doesn’t mean to give some kind of intellectual, cognitive assent or agreement. It’s not like if someone were to ask you, “Do you believe the sky is blue?” The word “believe” in the Bible means to trust or to rely upon. It is used other places in the Bible. For example, in Acts 16 someone asks the Apostle Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” His answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (verse 31). He means “trust and rely on Jesus and you’ll be saved from your sins.”
That’s why I mentioned Jesus’ death and resurrection earlier. You see, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Not one of us can claim to be without sin (1 John 1:8). This sin separates us from God and excludes us from entrance into Heaven. We need someone to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ, God incarnate – God in human flesh – was the only one qualified to pay the price for our sins. On the cross, He actually cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Greek word Jesus used here conveys the idea that Jesus was saying, “The price of sin has fully and finally been paid.”
After all this, Jesus confirmed that this death on the cross wasn’t just like any other death by rising from the dead! He had predicted numerous times that He was going die, but that this wasn’t going to be the end, He was going to be resurrected (see Matthew 16:21 for just one example). He showed that He was no liar, because it all happened just as He said it would.
To be clear, everyone does not have an automatic pass to Heaven simply because of Jesus’ work on the cross; we have to make the decision to put our faith and trust in Christ. I invite you to read these words as if for the first time: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes (notice that word "believe") in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
It's interesting that John 3:16 is frequently cited, but the powerful subsequent verses are not quoted nearly as often. Look at verses 17 and 18 of John 3: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Christmas Day is a great time to ask this question: have you ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever put your faith and trust in Him to save you from your sins? If not, don’t delay; please do it now. So today, Christmas Day 2011, it is a great time to ask this question: have you ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever put your faith and trust in Him to save you? If not, don’t delay; please do it now. You may think I’m exaggerating, but the honest truth is it would be the privilege of my life if just one person saw their need for Jesus, and through simple words in a blog, someone chose to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s my earnest hope and my sincere prayer.
Kevin
Thursday, December 22, 2011
A song to help us celebrate Christmas
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Oh Holy Night.” I want to encourage you to look up the lyrics to this marvelous song and soak in its truth as if you’ve never heard the song before. I say this because it’s easy to listen to a Christmas song – I suppose this is true with any song – and not stop and think about what it is that is being said. We get so familiar with some songs that we just go on mental auto-pilot so to speak, and we don’t even give any thought to what we are singing.
The truth is “Oh Holy Night” is a wonderful song that points us to the true meaning of Christmas. Incidentally, I didn’t include the link as I probably should have, but I recently heard the most phenomenal rendition of “Oh Holy Night” by Carrie Underwood that will really brighten your Christmas celebration. It’s obvious that has God gifted her with the most remarkable singing voice. Check it out at you tube.com.
Kevin
“She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins” - Matthew 1:21
The truth is “Oh Holy Night” is a wonderful song that points us to the true meaning of Christmas. Incidentally, I didn’t include the link as I probably should have, but I recently heard the most phenomenal rendition of “Oh Holy Night” by Carrie Underwood that will really brighten your Christmas celebration. It’s obvious that has God gifted her with the most remarkable singing voice. Check it out at you tube.com.
Kevin
“She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins” - Matthew 1:21
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Television show recommendation
Today I want to
endorse a new game show that fits in well with the spirit of the Christmas
season. It’s called “You Deserve It.” It’s a game where
the contestant doesn’t play for himself or herself, they are actually playing
on behalf of someone else; a person that they feel is worthy of the sum of
money that they accumulate. The catch phrase is, “This
is the show that believes it’s better to give than to receive.” I love watching game shows, but I’ve never
come across a game with this kind of concept!
I had the
chance to watch it for the first time the other night and I can say that I
will be a regular viewer of the show. I hope it stays on the air for
a long time. Of course, they are absolutely right: it is better to give
than to receive. This is found in the
Bible; specifically Acts 20:35.
Update: Not
surprising, this show only lasted for one season. R.I.P. “You Deserve It.” You were a rare jewel and you should have had
a longer run than you did. But the
culture apparently didn’t enjoy something that was all about giving, and
considering others. At least you did
have a short lived run, where you were able to convey an important message.
Kevin
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Focus on Jesus
I must confess that, at times, the commercialization that has overtaken Christmas is frustrating to me. Some of the traditions that we practice year after year have absolutely nothing to do with the real meaning for the season. To be clear: I’m not against any of these traditions per se. I love the Christmas trees, seeing the beautiful lights carefully adorned on the houses, the Christmas parties can be fun, and the gift-giving tradition encourages us to be more generous.
However, wouldn’t you agree that there is so much, too much, that needs to be done in December just to fulfill the Christmas tradition expectations? It can be absolutely exhausting. What’s more troubling to me is that in all of this hustle and bustle it’s very easy to lose our focus on the actual reason for the season: celebrating Jesus Christ.
I want to encourage all of us, in the midst of this very busy time of the year: let's slow down, take a deep breath and choose to focus on the birth, life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The external traditions of this holiday are great, but we can’t allow them to distract us from Jesus Himself.
Kevin
"Let us fix our eyes of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" - Hebrews 12:2
However, wouldn’t you agree that there is so much, too much, that needs to be done in December just to fulfill the Christmas tradition expectations? It can be absolutely exhausting. What’s more troubling to me is that in all of this hustle and bustle it’s very easy to lose our focus on the actual reason for the season: celebrating Jesus Christ.
I want to encourage all of us, in the midst of this very busy time of the year: let's slow down, take a deep breath and choose to focus on the birth, life, death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. The external traditions of this holiday are great, but we can’t allow them to distract us from Jesus Himself.
Kevin
"Let us fix our eyes of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" - Hebrews 12:2
Friday, December 16, 2011
An unusual occurrence
Yesterday afternoon, by God’s providence, I was able to be a Good Samaritan to someone. I was getting gas at a King Soopers when I heard a lady (perhaps in her forties) talking with the King Soopers attendant in a frantic tone. She was saying that she had locked her keys in her car. What’s more she didn’t have her cell phone to call a locksmith – you guessed it, the phone was also in her car. The employee was able to call a locksmith and ask them to get over there.
This lady's car was right next to mine so I walked over and offered to help in any way I could. She explained that the locksmith was on the way, but she would be greatly appreciative if she could use my cell phone to call her work and tell them that she would be late. Gladly, I gave it to her. She thanked me several times, and when I saw that there was nothing more I could do, I wished her well and went on with my day.
I tell you that story not to draw attention to myself (regular readers of this blog already know that’s not the kind of person I am), but rather to try to inspire you to do the same thing. The Bible says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). I’ll level with you: a part of me didn’t feel like getting involved. I had things to do, and places to go. But I decided to jump into action when I was struck with the thought that if I were in her position I would want someone to come over and see if I needed help. So that’s what I did.
Let me issue one important warning particularly for the ladies who are reading this (but this also applies to the men as well). It is important to use discretion and common sense before offering to help someone. We live in a dangerous, twisted world where bad things happen every day. Before you offer to be a Good Samaritan assess the situation as best you can. Be prudent and use your best judgment. Stay safe. Jesus said, "Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
That said, God has granted me the opportunity to be a Good Samaritan several times before; I can tell you that not only does the person being helped receive a tremendous blessing, the person offering the help also has their spirits lifted. You’ll have to contend with a number of things such as your schedule, fear, indifference, a bad day at work, and so on. Even so, I encourage you to be a Good Samaritan whenever God grants you the chance.
Kevin
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others” – Philippians 2:4
This lady's car was right next to mine so I walked over and offered to help in any way I could. She explained that the locksmith was on the way, but she would be greatly appreciative if she could use my cell phone to call her work and tell them that she would be late. Gladly, I gave it to her. She thanked me several times, and when I saw that there was nothing more I could do, I wished her well and went on with my day.
I tell you that story not to draw attention to myself (regular readers of this blog already know that’s not the kind of person I am), but rather to try to inspire you to do the same thing. The Bible says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). I’ll level with you: a part of me didn’t feel like getting involved. I had things to do, and places to go. But I decided to jump into action when I was struck with the thought that if I were in her position I would want someone to come over and see if I needed help. So that’s what I did.
Let me issue one important warning particularly for the ladies who are reading this (but this also applies to the men as well). It is important to use discretion and common sense before offering to help someone. We live in a dangerous, twisted world where bad things happen every day. Before you offer to be a Good Samaritan assess the situation as best you can. Be prudent and use your best judgment. Stay safe. Jesus said, "Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
That said, God has granted me the opportunity to be a Good Samaritan several times before; I can tell you that not only does the person being helped receive a tremendous blessing, the person offering the help also has their spirits lifted. You’ll have to contend with a number of things such as your schedule, fear, indifference, a bad day at work, and so on. Even so, I encourage you to be a Good Samaritan whenever God grants you the chance.
Kevin
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others” – Philippians 2:4
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Happy Birthday, Mark!
Today I just want to say a few words about my younger brother, Mark, because today is his birthday. First of all, look at this picture, it was taken a few months ago back on Father’s Day. (Mark is the one on the left, Dad is in the middle, and I’m on the right).
I’m so thankful for my brother for many reasons. I’m thankful that he and I are still friends even after all these years. We spent a lot of time together growing up so you’d think that would make us sick of each other! I’m thankful that he and I have several of the same interests. For example, I can talk to him extensively about superheroes or video games without fear of thinking I’m boring him. I’m thankful that whenever I spend time with him, he makes me laugh. We all have our gifts, and Mark is definitely funnier and has better comedic timing than I do.
One thing I wanted to make sure I highlighted today is how my brother selflessly serves his family (Mark was married back in 2008, and it was a tremendous blessing for me to be his best man). Since then, I have observed how he serves his wife and their children tirelessly. I’m so proud of my brother for how he sacrificially gives of himself over and over again for the welfare and happiness of his family.
I love you, Mark. Happy Birthday; I’m glad you are my brother!
Kevin
I’m so thankful for my brother for many reasons. I’m thankful that he and I are still friends even after all these years. We spent a lot of time together growing up so you’d think that would make us sick of each other! I’m thankful that he and I have several of the same interests. For example, I can talk to him extensively about superheroes or video games without fear of thinking I’m boring him. I’m thankful that whenever I spend time with him, he makes me laugh. We all have our gifts, and Mark is definitely funnier and has better comedic timing than I do.
One thing I wanted to make sure I highlighted today is how my brother selflessly serves his family (Mark was married back in 2008, and it was a tremendous blessing for me to be his best man). Since then, I have observed how he serves his wife and their children tirelessly. I’m so proud of my brother for how he sacrificially gives of himself over and over again for the welfare and happiness of his family.
I love you, Mark. Happy Birthday; I’m glad you are my brother!
Kevin
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