"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34 Those of the Jewish faith had (and still have) a serious problem with Jesus. Not only did He rock their religious establishment, but they were looking for a different kind of savior. They interpreted Scriptures that indicated the Messiah would come to destroy their enemies as proof that no "passivist" could be their long-awaited Messiah. Even though He sometimes talked about destruction of their enemies, He seemingly did nothing! Where was the sword? Where were the mass graves filled with Israel's enemies? Although there are some fringe groups who believe otherwise, true Christians (like the Christ they follow) do not need to kill or mock those who don't believe like they do. We are not like governments around the world who put those of other faiths to death. We live in and among many who think and believe differently than us. We don't drive airplanes into buildings to kill many and intimidate others. None of us are called to machine-gun others because of their faith! We are called to use a different type of sword. It's the one that Jesus brought that remains largely unnoticed by an unbelieving world. Oh, His enemies will fall by the sword alright, but not by one made of steel! They will fall by the sword He left for us to read, study, and become experts at yielding! Honestly, have you picked up your sword lately? "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:12-13 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) Dear Friends, Have you ever asked, “Why is this happening to me?” or “Why do the righteous suffer?” If so, you’re not alone. This question echoes through the ages—from Job’s cries in the Old Testament to the quiet prayers of believers today. Jesus never promised us a life free from hardship. In fact, He said quite the opposite: like in John 16:33 (above). We often expect that doing good should shield us from pain. But Scripture reminds us that suffering is not a sign of God’s absence—it’s often where His presence is most deeply felt. The Apostle Paul, who endured beatings, imprisonment, and shipwrecks, wrote: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed... struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) Why does God allow suffering? Sometimes it’s to refine our faith, to draw us closer to Him, or to allow His glory to shine through our weakness. Other times, we may not understand the reason this side of heaven. But we can trust that our pain is never wasted. Jesus Himself, the only truly “good” person, suffered more than we can imagine. He was betrayed, beaten, and crucified—not because He deserved it, but because He chose to bear our burdens. His suffering brought us salvation.  So when trials come, remember: you are not alone. Christ walks with you. And though this life brings sorrow, it also brings hope—hope anchored in the One who overcame the grave. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby

What do you spend most of your time fighting? In the course of any given day I'll wind up fighting the craziest stuff; my copier for example, traffic, people who don't see things my way, and I even seem to fight with myself a lot, too. But is that where Christians are supposed to be waging war? In this life there's not going to be any end to the stuff we need to put up with day-to-day, but win or lose, is any of it really important in the spiritual sense? And, if we are fighting against the world, then why are we doing it with anything less than spiritual weapons? If we could have fought the Satan and his angels by ourselves, Jesus wouldn't have had to die to break the bonds of sin! I'm convinced that we (the church today) has a very shallow view of prayer and of the powers of darkness in this age. It's almost funny that just about any New Age, Buddhist or Wicca follower would know more about the spirit world than we would. Forget about your worldly troubles and get serious about praying for God's will to be done. You just might be blown away at how God breaks down what lies before you! "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"I just can't do it!" Do those words sound familiar to you? Maybe you've even said them yourself. I get a good amount of mail from teens (and even some adults) who are seeking advice on an issue of sin in their life. I research the item biblically, and then I respond with the appropriate Scripture, and usually some words of encouragement. Often, I'll get a reply in a few days with the "I can't!" statement. I guess I'm rarely surprised by it because I was once in the same boat. Several bad habits and some persistent sins were just impossible for me to gain any real ground on. And then one day everything changed. I stopped focusing on what I needed to stop and started focusing on what I needed to start. First, I embraced God on His terms, repenting and accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior--my only hope! Then I began to attend church and to study His Word daily. Before long I developed a habit of prayer, and before even I knew it, nearly all of my old ways had faded away. It's quite simple really. We need God to make us new. Until we're born again, we just can't seem to get away from our old heritage--the heritage we have with Satan. When we scream "I can't," we're probably right! "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:26-27 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Would you believe that some people get these devotionals for years and just love them, and others get them for one or two days and can't wait to hit delete? Would you be surprised to know that even though these devotionals have always been free, some people still don't want them? In fact, they wouldn't want them if they were paid to read them! So what's the difference between the two groups of people? Sometimes there are just style issues; sometimes there are theological issues, but most of the time people don't want them because they don't want anything to do with Christianity. When people ask me why God would send anyone to hell I often use the whole "free devotional" analogy to explain it. Even at free, some people don't want them. And, even if Salvation through Jesus Christ is absolutely free for the asking, some people still don't want anything to do with it. They'd rather do things on their own... and so God grants their request. Ultimately, they pay for their own sins eternally separated from the God they wanted nothing to do with. "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Acts 2:21 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way." Proverbs 19:2 I was in the bank one day when a woman walked up to the teller next to where I was standing and said in one of the loudest voices I've ever heard, "ARE YOU SAVED?!! I MEAN, ARE YOU BORN AGAIN?!" The poor teller didn't know what to think. Startled, she must have said, "no," because the woman then shouted, "WHY NOT... DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HELL?" I've remembered that day a long time because even as a believer I was a little embarrassed. I've dubbed that experience the "12-Gage shotgun approach to evangelism!" Frankly, I think it probably did more harm than good. I'm not saying that we should not be bold when the opportunity arises, or that we should not search out opportunities to share our faith, but I honestly do not believe Jesus wants us to steam-roller people or try to embarrass them into heaven! Instead, look for opportunities to serve people and to genuinely befriend people. Give when you have the opportunity and the means and love your fellow man deeply. Be the shoulder people seek out to cry on when they're hurting and the ears they look for when they need to talk. Your opportunities to witness for your Lord will abound, and unlike the well-meaning but overzealous sister in my example, I believe you'll find your witness is effective as well. "You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed." 1 Thessalonians 2:10 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"I demand justice!" Even the worst sort of human will demand justice if wronged sufficiently by others. Steal a nicotine addicted ax murderer's cigarettes for example and you'll see what I mean. I find it almost laughable that those who commit even the most heinous crimes demand they be given justice. Even if it's found in the form of a legal loophole, they'll scream for justice! But doesn't justice demand just that--justice! As human beings we are quite warped in our understanding of, and our demands for justice. It's as if we think that God owes us something. God owes us nothing, and God needs nothing from us. In J. I. Packer's book, "Knowing God," he puts it this way. "We can only claim from him [God] justice--and justice, for us, means certain condemnation. God does not owe it to anyone to stop justice taking its course. He is not obliged to pity and pardon; if he does so it is an act done, as we say, 'of his own free will,' and nobody forces his hand." In this simple truth we find the incredible nature of God's gift to us in the form of "grace." Grace is what we were given when we deserved condemnation. What was due US was placed on Jesus, and what Jesus deserved is given us through His blood. It is free from anything we could ever do to earn it and available to all who ask. Merry CHRIST-mas to all who will receive Him! "Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification." Romans 5:16 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

What is it that drives you? What is it that makes your heart jump for joy and consumes all of your days? For most, it's the pursuit of happiness. Happiness that they might find for sheer moments, but that never lasts long enough to be worth the chase. For those driven by the Spirit of God, the desires for material wealth and worldly pleasures are overshadowed by the things of heaven and the work He has given them to do. I quite often bump into brothers and sisters in the Lord who tell me the Spirit is urging them to move forward with Him, but they just can't seem to leave this or that behind. What holds them, though it may seem dear at the moment, is nothing compared to the glory that awaits those who will let go. Is there something that's holding you back? My guess is that it is something that only the sinful nature desires. Let it go today! "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:5 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate