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Higher Power?

Pastor Jim Kilby • Feb 06, 2024

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14, NKJV)

Friends,


I’m working with a young person who has been hospitalized three times during the last few months.  They have really strong anxiety issues which drive them to a place where they feel completely out of control.  When I dig down to understand what’s the catalyst for all of this anxiety, the reasons are myriad:  Gender identify issues, suicidal ideation, unresolved anger against parents, siblings, friends, teachers, etc., etc.  During their hospital stays, psychiatrists and counselors recommend one drug or another to solve the problems.  As you can imagine, drugs won’t help with the real issues behind the anxiety.  The bottom line is this young person refuses to even consider a thought of a “higher power”.  Talks of Jesus’ are met with laughs and smug replies.  They seem to think they’ve got it all figured out, when in reality, they have nothing figured out.  Their life is a mess!

 
When I think about all this further, I realize this exact situation seems to be where the whole world is.  Young people are surrounded by drug abuse and addiction.  The recent legalization of marijuana in many States, including Ohio, isn’t helping with that either.  Instead of looking to God for knowledge, many young people are happier to spend their days vaping, drinking and fornicating.  And why wouldn’t they? Isn’t that what virtually every media source points them to?  Godlessness abounds!  Thanks to laws rapidly changing in Ohio and other states, abortion is now a constitutional right and abortion pills are “on demand”.  Last month in Ohio, our Republican Governor went against his own party, vetoing a bill that would have made gender reassignment surgery illegal.  Now, the opposite is true. When you think about it, hardly anything is getting better for young people.  Potential jobs are being automated. The economy seems to be in crisis.  The cost of higher education doubles again and again. Thanks to hard hearts and no-fault divorce, families are as broken as they’ve ever been.  Even those raised in good churches are not immune.  And so, our mission continues.  And while we can’t help everybody, we can help those the Lord brings into our circles.  The Gospel remains the only answer that will change a heart, a soul, and an all eternity!  Thank you for your prayers and support in so many ways.


Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Jim Kilby

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Leading or Following?

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 26 Apr, 2024
There are some who like to sin in public. They are open about all types of abominations they commit and are often quite proud of them. As terrible as this may seem, it's not any more terrible than a seemingly upstanding person whose sins are more quiet, or are simply hidden better. We tend to be judgmental about the obvious sins of commission, while at the same moment overlooking our own sins. Jesus warned about such judgement quite often. Still, the early church had a problem with it, and I'm sure we still do today. Christians can be some of the most judgmental people on the earth, and often even more blind about their own failings. I've certainly been guilty of both... Painful as it may be, I praise God when He graciously points out my hypocrisy. Sin is ugly from every angle. Why make it worse by standing in the middle of it all the while pointing the finger of judgement at others? "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them." 1 Timothy 5:24 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Fools?

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 25 Apr, 2024
For someone who's walked with the Lord for years, this may seem like a silly statement, but I'm dumfounded when I hear someone say they don't believe in God. I simply cannot understand atheists. How could someone look into the cosmos or into the inner sanctums of his own heart and not see the workings of God. No matter whether I watch a baby be born or look at a DNA string, I see God's handiwork. They, on the other hand, see nothing more than chance. I think they're fools... and I thank God that He had was gracious to remove the blinders from my own eyes. I can't say I ever doubted there was a God... but I certainly had myself sitting in His seat! "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Psalm 14:1 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Tick, Tick, Tick...

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 24 Apr, 2024
No doubt anniversaries of horrible events like September 11th will drive emotions to the surface for many. Thousands killed for what seems like no reason. And as terrible as that is, think of all the other nations withpeople being killed and martyred in even greater numbers. From mud slides to infanticide, death is everywhere--none will escape it. This nation threatens war against that one, another threatens retaliation. Earthquakes increase on an exponential level. The earth grows hotter. Some have drought, some have floods. While some have more than enough, others have nothing. Insane? Yes it is! And it's all a direct result of the sins of mankind. It won't be long now my brothers and sisters... it won't be long now. "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." Matthew 24:6-8 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Easy There!

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 23 Apr, 2024
The story of Jesus clearing the temple with a whip inspires many a would-be strong Christian leader to "kick-butt and take names" when necessary. Frankly, there probably are times when that is exactly what needs to happen. Most of the time, however, gently rebuking someone will probably do the trick if it is done in love. It's been my experience that pastors and priests usually do pretty well in this area (though surely not all of them), but many of the churches I've visited and attended have had quite a few lay people who seemed to "rule the roost." Cross these folks and you might just get your head handed to you. It's as if the church has ceased to be the "Body of Christ," and has instead been personally handed to a few folks. Did Jesus personally put them in charge? Christian leaders (even at the lowest level) must be careful to remember who they work for, and how much He loves the folks they're screaming at. One day we will each give an account of every single word. "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out of you will be destroyed by each other." Galatians 5:14-15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Light!

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 22 Apr, 2024
Some might say that light is the opposite of darkness, but they would be wrong. Darkness and light are no more opposites than God and Satan are. Even in the darkest of places, light always overcomes darkness. Likewise, Satan is nothing compared to Almighty God. If you are walking with the Lord, then the Light will shine from you, driving out darkness before it. Even a glimmer of light illuminates a dark room, and even a glimmer of the Spirit of God will provide Light to a world lost in darkness and despair. Don't cover your Light, this world needs it badly! "ARISE, SHINE, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rides upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." Isaiah 60:1-2 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Defeated!

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 19 Apr, 2024
When I was a kid there was a great TV show called the Six-Million Dollar Man. In the show, Lee Majors was an Air Force pilot who had almost been killed in a terrible crash. He was "rebuilt" with bionic legs, and other body parts which, as the show touted, made him, "better, stronger and faster" than other men. As Christians grow in the Lord, two things generally happen. One group grows more Christ-like, while the other group is deceived into thinking they are somehow superior to other Christians. Sometimes it's because they've been given high-ranking ministry positions, and sometimes it's because of other prideful assumptions like a "better knowledge of the Bible," but the truth is that no Christian is any better than any other. Without Christ we were absolutely hopeless, and "in Christ" we are righteous--but not of our own doing. In my estimation, the Christian who truly is "better, stronger and faster" is the one who realizes what he has is only by the grace of God and then becomes the greatest servant to those around him. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:22-23 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Better, Stronger, Faster!

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 18 Apr, 2024
When I was a kid there was a great TV show called the Six-Million Dollar Man. In the show, Lee Majors was an Air Force pilot who had almost been killed in a terrible crash. He was "rebuilt" with bionic legs, and other body parts which, as the show touted, made him, "better, stronger and faster" than other men. As Christians grow in the Lord, two things generally happen. One group grows more Christ-like, while the other group is deceived into thinking they are somehow superior to other Christians. Sometimes it's because they've been given high-ranking ministry positions, and sometimes it's because of other prideful assumptions like a "better knowledge of the Bible," but the truth is that no Christian is any better than any other. Without Christ we were absolutely hopeless, and "in Christ" we are righteous--but not of our own doing. In my estimation, the Christian who truly is "better, stronger and faster" is the one who realizes what he has is only by the grace of God and then becomes the greatest servant to those around him. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:22-23 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Good Enough!

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 17 Apr, 2024
"Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." 1 Corinthians 10:25 The Apostle Paul's words spoken through the power of the Holy Spirit have a similar ring to the "golden rule" spoken by Jesus. "Do unto others the way you would have them do unto you," must be the most quoted words of Jesus, even though few probably know they are quoting a portion of Matthew 7:12. Still, as often as it's quoted, I wonder how many people, including Christ followers, could honestly say they always put the "other guy" first? When Paul wrote the similar phrase to the Corinthians, he was speaking about having freedom but making sure that we didn't cause a brother to stumble because of our freedom. Whether it's a brother, sister, or even a total stranger, the command remains the same. Put other's needs ahead of your own. Wow, what a world that would be! Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Good...Well Done!

By Pastor Jim Kilby • 16 Apr, 2024
I read an interesting quote in an old Bible commentary recently. "Not only should we do good, but the good we do should be well done." How true the statement is, but also I fear, it is often not well kept. Whether we are paid a daily wage for a job well done, or if we are servants and are only laying up treasure in heaven, every job needs to be well done. A large number of teens I know (and quite a few adults) will do the absolute minimum about 90% of the time. Often their minds are on other things, or they just want the job to be "over and done with!" But the fact remains that anything done shabbily not only speaks of our walk with Christ, but if it is done shabbily FOR Christ, it speaks of our relationship with Christ. My mother used to say, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well." I agree, and I believe God does as well. After all, it's Him who promises to give us the strength to carry on, no matter how tough the job! "If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:11b Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
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