"You've been walking with me all this time"

It dawned on me that this year marks a milestone: I’ve been a Christian for 35 years now.  I gave my life to Jesus Christ when I was 6, and I’m 41 years old.  Wow.  First off, seeing that in word form makes me feel old. 

Over the years, as I have shared my story of how I became a Christian, some have dismissed this.  They have contended that I was too young to really know what I was doing.  Certainly I didn’t know everything from A to Z.  But even at that young of an age, I knew that I was a sinner, and I knew that I needed Jesus to be my Savior; because He was the only One who was qualified to save me from my sins.  In the late 1980s, I made a choice that changed me forever – to surrender my heart and life to Jesus.  It was the best decision I have ever made.

Furthermore, I found a fascinating paragraph on someone being saved as a child that I found so helpful that I want to share it here.  In an article on some reasons why a person might doubt his or her salvation experience, this author writes,

“Some people, especially those who were saved at a very young age, doubt their salvation because they don’t remember their conversion very well, and they wonder if the decision they made as a child was genuine.  Such feelings are common in adults who were saved as children.  In such cases, it is good to review the promises of God and remember that Jesus invites children to come to Him (Mark 10:14).  Salvation is based on the grace of God and faith in Christ, not our knowledge, wisdom, or sophistication (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Jesus promised that those who are His will “never perish” (John 10:28).  If doubts persist about the genuineness of your childhood conversion, make sure of your faith.  Regardless of what you did as child, do you believe now that Jesus died for your sins and rose again?  Are you placing your faith in Him alone?”

(You can find the entirety of this article - at this link)

If someone were asking me those questions: today, do I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose again?  And am I placing my faith in Him alone? I would answer with a wholehearted yes.  Earlier this month, I shared that I recently went through a very difficult season of life.  I actually described it as one of the most difficult chapters of my entire life.  It was during that season that was so dark, shattering, and painful that I learned an invaluable lesson.  Corrie Ten Boom, who was miraculously released from a Nazi concentration camp, put it best: “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.”  Hebrews 13:5 says, “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””

In conclusion, as I was putting all of this together, a song came to my mind.  I hadn’t thought about this song for quite a while now, as it was released back in 2012.  But Britt Nicole sings of her salvation experience in the song “All this time”.  She describes when she was “hiding in my bedroom.  So alone; I was doing my best, trying to be strong.  No one to turn to, that’s when I met You.  [Chorus] All this time, from the first tear cry to today’s sunrise, and every moment between, You were there.  You were always there.  It was You and I; You’ve been walking with me all this time.  Ever since that day it’s been clear to me that no matter what comes, You will never leave.  I know You’re for me, and You’re restoring.”  For all of these years, God has been walking with me too.  All the glory, honor, and praise belongs to Him.

God bless,

Kevin

"The Flash" finishes its run

This week, the series finale of the TV show “The Flash” aired.  Or as I said in the title, "The Flash" finishes its run (and there’s a built-in joke there; I hope you got it).  While I have not seen the entire 9th season yet, I did have the chance to see the finale.  I wanted to share some of my thoughts.  I do this because, from what I’ve seen online, the reaction to the finale seems to be lukewarm.  My opinion is that this series finale was good – not great by any means – but certainly not bad.  Let me begin to unpack why I think the reception has been mixed.

Number one: I think it is a possibility that there were casual viewers who knew the show was ending, so they tuned in, only to be completely lost as to what was happening.  To fully grasp how good Flash’s finale was, you had to have knowledge of prior storylines, some of them going back all the way to the first season! There was an episodic structure that took years to build.  Even the finale itself wasn’t really a standalone story; it was an epic four-part saga titled “A new world”.  It would be like trying to watch “Avengers: Endgame” with little knowledge of the cinematic universe that had already transpired.

Secondly, I think some tuned in expecting Flash to have an epic fight with his greatest enemy – the Reverse-Flash.  But that battle actually occurred at the conclusion of season 8 (don’t forget the writers didn’t know if season 9 was even going to happen at that time).  Yes, Reverse-Flash did appear in the finale, but in my opinion, his appearance was just a distraction.  Both he, as well as past evil speedsters from the series mysteriously reemerge, but they all felt like glorified cameos to me; they really did nothing but serve as a plot point for the main villain of the finale – the formidable Cobalt Blue.

Furthermore, once again let me state it for the record, the finale actually took four parts.  And part 1 of the saga, subtitled “reunions”, had Barry sent back in time.  While there, who should he run into but Reverse-Flash?  Incidentally, I think this first story is absolutely incredible.  I could go on and on with it, but I wouldn’t dare reveal any more surprises.  Ultimately, Barry outsmarts Reverse-Flash.  Therefore, someone looking for a satisfying standalone Flash/Reverse-Flash battle in season 9, should look no further than Part 1 of the finale, “Reunions”.

Number three: the last battle in “The Flash” was powerful.  Being careful to avoid spoilers, the alter ego of Cobalt Blue was a good man (I’ll call him John Doe just for a placeholder name).  ‘John Doe’ was corrupted by a dark entity that had promised him limitless power.  The last battle saw Cobalt Blue mercilessly pummeling The Flash.  But, our hero didn’t fight back, despite an unusual amount of his blood being shed (a Christ-like allusion perhaps).  Instead, Barry appealed to ‘John Doe’s’ goodness; to the man underneath, not Cobalt Blue.  ‘John’ listened to Barry’s words, and in an amazing moment of selflessness, this man rejected and destroyed the dark entity. 

As I contemplated this stirring moment, I was reminded of the wise words of Peter Parker in “Spider-Man 3”.  He said, “Whatever comes our way; whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice…It’s the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what’s right.”  Interestingly, this is also a message that Barry Allen has communicated to us so many times in “The Flash”.   

To sum it up for today, the series finale for “The Flash” was good.  No, it wasn’t as good as other shows, like the series finale for “Arrow” for example – which was great.  Flash’s finale had a few moments that were confusing.  For instance, in the final five minute of the show, Barry inexplicably tosses lightning into the clouds above, so that three random people would be struck, and presumably have superpowers.  And these characters were so obscure that even a superhero fan like me didn't know who in the world they were.  And I was left thinking, "Um…OK, sure."  But, despite its flaws, the finale displayed the truth that one person can make difference.  Best of all, you don’t even have to wear a mask to do so.

God bless,

Kevin

"You turn graves into gardens"

I recently saw someone who was wearing a shirt with this caption on the top: “Life is good”.  Then on the bottom, it simply said “grateful”.  (The number 8 was in the middle of the word “grateful”; making it look a little like a sports jersey; this makes me think of the NBA playoffs, and I say “go Nuggets”).  I had mixed emotions as I contemplated the message of this shirt.

First off, one thing I hope to be part of the legacy of my life is my gratitude.  Not too long ago, for example, I had a conversation with someone about the gift of life; I said that every day is a gift and I’m here to remind people of this fact.  She agreed and encouraged me to continue on with this message.  I want to have an attitude of gratitude.  I don’t want to be a person who carps and complains about everything.  There is always something to be grateful for.  As a Christian man, even when it’s a bad day, I have a reason to sing praises to God.  Why?  Because my sins are forgiven, and I’m in friendship and fellowship with the Lord (see Psalm 32:1-2).

Having said that, for all its benefits, I confess to you that life has actually been very painful for me lately.  Thankfully, nobody close to me died or anything like that.  But it has been one of the most difficult chapters in my entire life.  No, that’s not hyperbole at all.  The opening words of Danny Gokey’s song “Tell your heart to beat again” captures my feelings of this time well: “You’re shattered like you’ve never been before.  The life you knew in a thousand pieces on the floor.  Words fall short in times like this; this world brings you to your knees.” 

However, as painful as it has been, I wouldn’t consider going back in time and working it out so that I could somehow escape this difficulty.  God has used this season to develop my character; to teach me so many important lessons that I would not have had the opportunity to learn, had they never happened.  In the coming days, perhaps I will get into some of these lessons, but for today, check out this passage from Psalm 34 that has fortified and comforted me:

“I sought the Lord and he answered me, and he delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.  This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (verses 4-6).  It’s interesting to note that this concept of God delivering from trouble is found multiple times in this Psalm.  It’s found again in verses 17 and 19.  Both verses are powerful, but I love verse 19 in particular: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous [I’ll say “amen” to that] but the Lord delivers him out of all of the them.”

Paul Asay, in his tremendous book on Batman that he titled: “God on the Streets of Gotham”, offers this insight: “When we put aside the “why” and push on with the challenges that lie before us, that’s often when we can see the path God has set in front of us better – see with more clarity the role he has in mind for us.  The pain sharpens us, molds us…and sometimes forces us to become more than what we are.”

Let me end my thoughts for today with worship and praise to God from a popular song by Elevation Worship titled “Graves into gardens”.  “I’ve searched the world but it couldn’t fill me, man’s empty praise and treasures that fade are never enough.  Then You came along, and put me back together…You turn mourning to dancing; You give beauty for ashes; You turn shame into glory, You’re the only one who can.  You turn graves into gardens; You turn bones into armies; You turn seas into highways, You’re the only One who can.”

God bless,

Kevin

40 plus years later

After a month away from blogging, it feels good to finally be back.  I didn’t necessarily intend to be away that long, but things happen.  I have a lot I want to write about, but for today, I celebrate a milestone.  I missed blogging about it on the actual day, but April 24th is an important date in my history.  Let me briefly share the story.

When I was less than a year old, I developed a terrible disease called infantile spasms.  This basically means having seizures as an infant.  For months, my parents had to deal with difficult season.  Then one day in April – April 24th – I died for three minutes.  But God intervened.  He breathed life back into me; and what’s more I didn’t have a hint of the infantile spasms!  Last year marked the 40th anniversary of living seizure-free; now it’s been 41 years.  I’ll never stop giving God all the praise, honor, and glory for this.

Since it’s May, it is fitting that I give another illustration from the TV show “The Flash”; I say this because later on this very month, this series will end after 9 years.  In an episode from season 5, a member of Team Flash was contemplating looking into the truth about her father’s mysterious disappearance, but she was reluctant.  She said perhaps she should just forget about the past.  Ralph Dibny persuaded her to go for it; he gently stated, “Some things are worth remembering.”  I get that sometimes the past can be very painful (in fact, that’s a topic I plan to bring up in the next blog, Lord willing), but there are also wonderful memories; things worth celebrating.  That’s what I do today.   

Psalm 103 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases” (verses 1-3).  God has healed me from diseases – and I’m so grateful.  But I’m also grateful for the truth in the previous line in the verse, it states God forgives iniquities.  Later on in the chapter, we read, “As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (verse 12).  He did this in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, who died a criminal’s death on a cross to atone for my sin – and yours. 

In conclusion, perhaps what best sums up what I’m feeling can be captured from the song “I thank God” by Maverick City Music.  “Wandering into the night, wanting a place to hide… And just when I ran out of road, I met a man I didn’t know, and he told me I was not alone.  He picked me up; He turned me around.  He placed my feet on solid ground.  I thank the Master; I thank Savior; I thank God.  Because He healed my heart; He changed my name, forever free, I’m not the same.  I thank the Master; I thank the Savior; I thank God.”  

Kevin  

Easter Monday, 2023

It struck me that the day after Easter – sometimes called Easter Monday – is sort of like the day after Christmas.  You had the big celebration; you partied like it was 1999, as the Prince song said (maybe that’s party like it’s 2099 or something now, I’m not sure).  You had all the egg hunts, but then after the dust settles, and the music fades, you are left to yourself and your thoughts.  Or perhaps it’s like the day after the Super Bowl; you are left thinking, “That was really something.  But now what?”

Candidly, I didn’t envision writing this blog today.  But I really felt God prompted me to do so. Isaiah 55:1-2 says, “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat...why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?”  Perhaps God has been drawing you and wooing you to “yes” to His offer of salvation from sin.  Only God satisfies; nothing else will quench the thirst.  If you haven’t already maybe, in the aftermath of Holy Week, now is the time to choose to surrender the fight and say “yes” to God.

I had in mind that someone maybe will be reading this who thinks that they can’t come to God because of their past.  I recently heard the story of a girl who stated that she felt like she was the prodigal child from Jesus’ parable in Luke 15.  But in her case, she felt like she couldn’t even decide to go back to the father because of the guilt and shame.  She likened it to the father in the story going to find her with the pigs, picking her up, and cleaning her up.  Today, the peace and joy from God is evident in her countenance. 

This is a beautiful modern-day example of the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 – a story told prior to the prodigal son.  Here Jesus said if someone had 100 sheep, but lost 1, he would go and leave the 99, find the 1, and “when he has found it, lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (Luke 15:4).  It’s never too late.  Perhaps you need to let Him come and pick you up, clean you up, and do His wonderful work on you.  Or maybe you’re a believer, but you need to come to back to Him, after running from Him after years of doing your own thing.  He won’t react to you with apathy or anger, but with love and open arms. 

One of phrases I’ve been saying a lot lately is life is chapters.  In conclusion, let me illustrate this statement: Two months ago, the Denver Broncos leadership team announced that they had finally found their newest head coach – the seasoned veteran, Sean Payton.  In the press conference, Payton used an analogy that has really stuck with me. He said,

“You come with your standards, but you’re not coming in indicting anyone else’s.  You’re just coming in with, ‘This is how we’re going to teach.  This is how we’re going to meet.  This is how we’re going to practice.’  And I’m not too familiar with maybe how that was [with the Broncos] in the last few years…you really knock the rearview mirror off the automobile.  We’re just moving forward"  (You can find his words at this link from you tube; the time stamp for the quote is about 34:33).

While it remains to be seen what will happen with this year's Denver Broncos (I remain optimistic; I say Denver made a great hire for their new head coach), one thing is clear: it is no longer the dumpster fire that was the Broncos of 2022, it's a new chapter.  In the same way, the life we led before Christ is gone; it's a new chapter, a new page, a new day.

Kevin

Holy Week (Part 3 - "He rose again the third day")

On Friday, Jesus’ disciples had lost their master, teacher, and friend.  That’s horrendous enough right there.  I’ve lost a loved one to death; it is the most excruciating pain.  But they were also mourning what might have been.  This Jesus, who had wowed the masses with His incredible words and miraculous power, had His life cut short – at least from their vantage point.  With His death, their dream of Jesus overthrowing the Roman oppressors seemed impossible.  But their sorrow turned to joy that Sunday morning!  Acts 1:3 sums it up: Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs.”  Jesus had walked out of His grave!    

I’ve often referred to Easter Sunday as the Super Bowl for Christians.  I once heard it from a worship leader, resonated with it, and have used it many times since.  It is the Super Bowl.  Without Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, Christianity is just a bad joke.  Why?  Have you ever stopped to contemplate the words Jesus said, that we easily take for granted?  I mean, Jesus once said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). You and I don’t make statements like that.  If we did, someone would want say, to quote John Madden: “his elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top.”  Or how about this one…

“I lay down My life that I may take it again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay down My life of Myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:17-18).  It’s a bold, outrageous statement.  Jesus was actually claiming power over both life and death.  The onlooker might be tempted to ask Him what Lou Grant once asked Ted Baxter on “The Mary Tyler Moore show”; he asked, “Are you playing with a full deck, fella?”   But Jesus was.  He was telling the truth about His power and divinity; His resurrection proves it. 

Tim Tebow in his excellent book “Shaken” writes, “On the third day after Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead.  The Christian faith is meaningless without this fact.  Former atheist turned apologist C.S. Lewis wrong that Jesus “has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man…Everything is different because He has done so.”"

I love 1 Corinthians 15; it’s an essential chapter.  I’d love to delve deeply into it, but I won’t.  Instead look at these words: “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand…that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas [or Peter], then by the twelve.  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once” (verses 1,3-6).   

To conclude, Lauren Daigle has a great song titled “Thank God I do”.  She sings, “I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You.  I’d probably fall off the edge.  I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go, so keep me held in Your hands.  I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You.  Thank God I do.”  I say the same thing for myself.  My life story, in a nutshell, is that God, by His amazing grace, transformed my life from darkness to light.  A few verses later in that chapter in 1 Corinthians, we read what might very well be my life verse: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15:10; NIV).

Kevin

Holy Week (Part 2 - "Hallelujah for the cross")

When it comes to the events of Holy Week, some want to quickly move from Friday to Easter Sunday.  Yet each are important.  But let me back up.  Days after the events of Palm Sunday, Jesus was betrayed, arrested, subjected to a kangaroo court, and ultimately He was condemned to die, by way of crucifixion.  The day Jesus was murdered has been come to be known as Good Friday.  Why in the world would it ever be referred to as good?  I submit that it was only Jesus’ sacrifice that would atone for the sins of the humanity. 

Discovery Series put out an extremely helpful little booklet called “Why did Christ have to die?”  I could spend the rest of April blogging about this phenomenal resource, but I won’t be doing that.  Instead I want to bring up two points that are presented under the heading of “the principles of the cross.”  By the way, in the introduction, Martin R. De Haan II, states that this content is from various authors.  And the section I’m quoting from doesn’t give the author’s name.  I actually find the anonymity refreshing, as it puts the focus solely on Jesus.  Anyway, this first principle is what is referred to as, “the cross provided an adequate sacrifice.”

“By His death on the cross,” this author writes, “the Lord Jesus provided a once-for-all sacrifice for all our sins (Heb. 10:12).  He was the complete and perfect sacrifice.  It satisfied every demand of a holy God, and it brings salvation to all who trust in Christ.”  Three sub-points are listed at this point: 1) Jesus became a member of the human race.  2) He lived a sinless life.  3) He remained God.  “He [Jesus] was fully God and fully man,” the author continued.  “His goodness is what gave His sacrifice infinite value, making it adequate to pay for the sins of all mankind.”

Secondly, “the cross provided a necessary substitute.”  Here an incredible story from American history is told.  This author says in a tribe of Indians someone was stealing chickens.  The chief decreed that the penalty for this was 10 lashes.  The stealing continued, and so the penalty was raised 20 lashes.  The thievery persisted.  Eventually the penalty was raised all the way to 100 lashes, which would basically be a death sentence.  One day, the thief was finally caught – it was the chief’s own mother!  What would the chief do?  The mother was ordered to be tied to the whipping post.  The chief took the whip, then he took off his shirt, revealing his massive physique.  He handed the whip to his warrior aide.  He wrapped his massive body around his mother, completely enveloping her.  Then he ordered the aide to give him the 100 lashes! 

The fact of the matter is I have sin – and you have sin too.  This truth is difficult to swallow; I know it can go down hard.  But it’s true, nevertheless.  Further, we can’t atone for that sin.  No amount of good deeds we perform somehow magically works off the bad deeds.  We are stuck.  A few months ago, for some reason, I had a dream that I was trapped inside a building as a result of a massive avalanche.  Not only was I trapped, but several others were as well.  And we had no hope of escape.  Suddenly, someone from outside miraculously intervened, providing salvation to us.  Let me ask the question again: why refer to the events of that Friday centuries ago as good?  Because that day, Jesus, through His death, intervened in mankind’s helpless situation with salvation in hand.

In conclusion, the old hymn titled “Hallelujah for the cross” expresses the worship I feel in my heart right now: “Up to the hill of Calvary my Savior went courageously.  And there He bled and died for me; hallelujah for the cross.  And on that day, the world was changed; a final, perfect lamb was slain.  Let Earth and Heaven now proclaim: hallelujah for the cross.”  This second verse caught my attention: “What good I’ve done could never save, my debt too great for deeds to pay.  But God, my Savior, made a way; hallelujah for the cross.  A slave to sin my life was bound, but all my chains fell to the ground when Jesus’ blood came flowing down; hallelujah for the cross.”  Amen and amen!

Kevin