A sizeable number of Christians have a real hard time supporting their churches financially. I once had a young man tell me he was a Christian, but he didn't believe in giving money to the church because "It just let's them keep on with what they're doing!" Obviously he didn't see eye to eye with the way his place of worship was spending their money. Typically though, people don't give because they have other things they'd rather be doing with the money they have. Unfortunately, when Christians take that attitude it actually shows they have a foundational misunderstanding of how God works, and where their money actually comes from. The truth is God doesn't need our money, our time or our love. He just wants our hearts, and once He truly gets them, then we begin to understand that all of our time, our money and our love are the least we could give Him. Generally though, a person's willingness to give to the Lord's work financially is a far better barometer of their love for Him than all the "spiritual sounding talk" in the world. "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." King David (1 Chronicles 29:14) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Have you ever seen a really rich idiot? If you haven't seen one in person, you soon will. And if you can't wait, then just watch a movie or two. You'll see plenty of them there. People like to think money somehow makes a person better than others, but it just makes them a person with more money. Money doesn't make anyone better, and it certainly doesn't make anyone smarter. There are a lot of wealthy people who love the Lord, and there are a lot of poor people who love the Lord. Likewise, there are a lot of rich people who are flat out ignorant, and many people who have little or nothing who are wise beyond their years. In the end, I'd rather have wisdom and some sense of what was going on in the world around me than all the money in the world. And that wisdom, true wisdom, comes only from God. Anyone who thinks differently is an idiot. Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:10-11 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

The Scriptures repeatedly echo the sentiments "fear not," "be not afraid" and many others along those lines. I know these Scriptures well, and still I find myself struggling in this area. It's not that I'm sitting around shaking in fear or anything, but I sometimes worry how things will work out in financial situations, with my children, my church, and my friends. I used to think my inability to be fearless was something God would not be happy about, but that He would undoubtedly forgive me for. While that may be true, the Scriptures tell us that being afraid can also lead to other sins (like lying, stealing and more). So "fear" is not just a sin that stands alone, but one, like all other sins, that can and does lead to other sins. It's a vicious cycle that could easily stop by just trusting the Lord in the first place. Not only that, but someone who says he trusts in Jesus for everything and who is still afraid of anything undoubtedly looks like a total idiot to everyone around him. "That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, 'Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances...' David took these words to heart and WAS VERY MUCH AFRAID of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard." 1 Samuel 21:10-13  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. Luke 22:1-5 I guess this scripture proves Judas was an amazingly shallow friend, but I think there's more here. I believe Judas was also blind. Oh, I don't mean that he couldn't see to walk around. He could obviously get around on his own--he made it over to the temple without any help! What I mean is that he was blind to the truth. He traveled the countryside with God incarnate for three years, saw every kind of miracle imaginable, performed his own miracles through the sheer power of Jesus name, and still he couldn't see the truth. Satan entered Judas the evening he went to the temple, but whether Judas knew it or not, Satan had blinded him years before. My question to you is this... Have YOU seen the truth and turned away from it? Have you heard the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit and subsequently shouted them down with the sheer pace of activity in your life? If you have, consider spending some time in prayer today. No matter what you've done to betray him, your heavenly Father stands waiting with open arms. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Jesus of Nazareth (Revelation 3:20)  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

There is a belief among Christians that the biggest and the most effective church is the best and most Godly church. Believe it or not, there are actually churches in the world today that boast in excess of 50,000 members and more. While some of these churches are no doubt excellent and Godly assemblies, simply being big and strong doesn't mean a person, a ministry, or even a mega-church is about God's business. God quite often uses the weak, the small and persecuted to do His work. He can use the littlest church, the littlest youth group, and even the littlest person to change the world forever. In fact, He more often uses those who are being beaten down by others than those that are being applauded as being great! But he [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I [The Apostle Paul] will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

In the summertime, we get quite a few irritating mosquitoes around our house. We found this great repellant this summer that almost completely eliminates them. I guess they don't like the smell of the chemicals or something, so most of them stay away. Those that do get close die before they can bother us. Religion can be real similar. Religion that's not based on a genuine desire and love for Christ is always a repellant to those who are searching for Truth. Fortunately, the opposite is also true. Like moths to a flame, those who are searching for relevance in life and faith are always drawn to the joy that surrounds true Christian faith. I wonder... is your faith a repellant or an attractor for the Lord Jesus? "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence." Acts 2:28  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

When preachers start talking about how all the destruction from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and the like along with endless wars and famines are part of God's judgment, listeners almost immediately think they are crazy. I was watching the news the other night and they actually laughed after a minister suggested that recent disasters might be part of God's judgment on mankind. Honestly, I'm not surprised. If a person sees the world as a place where man evolved from nothing and the earth as nothing more than the sum of a few trillion accidents all coming together to form a place that could sustain life, then laughing at God's involvement seems only natural. But if a person knows that man himself has methodically ruined this planet with his sinfulness and that Jesus will actually soon return in the flesh, then it "ain't" so crazy sounding after all! Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 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. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:4-14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail over His church. He did not however say that the gates of hell wouldn't try! I often wonder if many of those who call themselves Christians have any idea just how far their actions are going toward eroding the foundation of that very church. Our rampant immorality is doing more for Satan's kingdom than any of our false morality is doing for Christ's. Sexual immorality among Christians is, at least from my estimation, at an all time high. And, I'm not just talking about physical acts, but what we watch, read, ponder and talk about as well. Others in the church see the immorality and they figure, "Hey, this must be acceptable in the church" or "I've got my needs, too." Those outside the church want nothing to do with it--Hey, even the blind can see it's not right! What's weird is that every one of these demonic themes were dealt with in the early church and are chronicled in the New Testament. We would do well by studying them today (See 1st and 2nd Corinthians for starters). But that not withstanding, even our own consciences and the Holy Spirit are undoubtedly active in convicting those who are talking about Jesus with one side of their mouth and serving themselves with the other. Why are we not listening? Do we really want to be on the wrong side of this battle, steadily helping with the erosion of the Church? We do not gain salvation by right living, but we certainly show we have it by honoring our Father with the way we live. Working to destroy the tenants of the Christian faith (as my grandmother would have put it) "Just ain't Christian!" We need to be busy being holy, and requiring the same of our brothers and sisters. "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate