I Can Do Better

Our reflection upon the work of God is a refreshing reminder that we can always do better. God said we had this kind of stuff in us: Titus 3:3: For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. Despite our mess, God graciously showed His kindness upon us when we were unable to help ourselves (besides Titus 3, see also Rom. 5:6). We cannot work for God's gracious gift. God chose to not give us what we deserve (mercy) and through our faith in Jesus, initiated the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit inside of us and today we are spiritually alive (born again or regenerated).  We are able to do better. Christians, let us joyfully stand on the powerful explaination of what God did in us through Christ: Titus 3:5-7:

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. I pray that today your heart is filled afresh with the joy that comes in our love relationship with God the Father, Who loves us deeply, and Jesus, the Christ, Who died for us, and lives for us, and the Holy Spirit, Who constantly works inside of us to make us better each day. With all this divine coverage we should just feel better as we do better for His glory. God Bless, Pastor BKennedy (MZO)

Adult Examples

Why complain about the violence, idolatry, and immorality among children and youth today when they are simply following adult examples.

Children do not produce, promote, and sell pornography; adults do.  Children do not make guns, nor do they automatically know how to use guns to shoot innocent people.  Children do not design, produce, market, and sell violent video games.  Children do not produce, nor are they born knowing how to abuse and sell illegal drugs.  Children are not born rude nor are they born ignoring adults to play video games and spend hours watching television and using electronic devices.  They get it from us, the adults.

Children having sex before marriage and living together as married before marriage came from adults.

Children and youth pursuing same sex relationships is not an inborn trait (not one legitimate study proves that we are born into homosexuality or lesbianism).  Aduts are promoting and pushing hard to legalize what God says in both testaments is wrong.  Rest assured that God also says that He loves all of us such that He sent Jesus to die for us to make us right and help us live right before Him (John 3:16; I Cor. 6:9-11). By the way on this issue, Christians must show love and patiently minister to homosexuals and lesbians just like we do with anyone else.

My main point today is what we see in children and youth today is passed on to them by us, the adults, the older people.

God speaks to how to change this issue in Titus 3:2-8.  Adults, we are to live right before our young people and teach them what is right based on our godly example.  Our words alone are not enough.  Our right words, plus our right actions influence children and youth to change and do the right things.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Guidelines for Success

Every successful organization and organism (the church is an organism) and every successful individual uses written or unwritten guidelines for success.

As a Pastor I use among others, the four guidelines in II Tim. 4:5:

5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Possess a well balanced mindset Persevere when hardship happens Prioritize proclaiming the gospel Perform all the duties of your calling I do not need to test the validity of these principles because they come from God's word.  My challenge is to consistently practice these practical guidelines which will make me a successful Pastor before God and humankind. As you look to the Bible for guidelines for success rest assured that the Bible comes alive for Christians as we prayerfully spend time in silence allowing The Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.   The Bible is full of universal axioms such as what we sow we will reap (Gal. 6:7-8).  Hence, we need not let our "push back" culture, the distractions, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, to keep us away from the rich and eternal treasures found in "our book" the Bible. God Bless, Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Refreshment

Absolute Truth From God in the form of the Holy Bible is the center of fiery debate today.  One recent example was the removal of the 10 commandments monument from an Alabama Supreme Court Judicial Building in 2003.

Despite human attempts to remove God's word from society, God's word still remains alive and powerful (Heb. 4:12), and God's Word will never pass away (Matt. 24:35).

God's Word gives clear direction for our lives and tells us what God expects from us.  God's Word also takes the guess work and personal opinion out of what is right and wrong. Here lies the rub.  

We do not like to be told what to do and we definately do not like to be told that what they are doing is wrong.  Hence in our desire to operate independently of God, we attempt to remove the primary reminder of God, which is the Bible.

People think of the Bible as an old outdated book that is no longer relevant.

Yet the Bible is self-refreshing and timeless and it gives humankind what God says from the beginning throughout eternity.  

Please enjoy a refreshing "Word" from the pages of ancient scripture:

II Tim. 3:16-17:

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. We cannot for one second allow people who discount or deny God's Word, to shake our love for, our belief in, and our commitment to understand, trust, and obey God's precious Word. God Bless, Pastor B Kennedy (MZO)

The Faithful Produce the Faithful

Where do we get those deacons who lead the church spiritually when the church is looking for a new Pastor, and those worship leaders who learn new songs and lead the church in worship week after week, those audio visual people, those ushers, those set up and tear down saints, and on and on?

According to II Tim. 2:2, faithful Christians produce faithful Christians.  That is, we teach with words and through our lifestyles principles from the Bible.

Disciple making is not accidental.  We pray about someone or a group of people who are willing to learn and we pour our lives into their lives through regularly scheduled meetings and with growing in Christ as the agenda (remember the Word of God and prayer are essential ingredients).

Jesus proved the effectiveness of disciple making by producing the numerous believers who followed Him (many of which were killed for following Jesus).

Loyal Followers of Jesus exists today as living proof that the process works.

The question is will Christians today continue making loyal followers of Jesus despite the numerous agendas before the church today (ref. Matt. 28:18-20; II Tim. 2:2).

Who are you turning into a loyal follower of Jesus so they can turn someone else into a loyal follower of Jesus?

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

The Antidote to Fear

In his first inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his timeless quote on fear to encourage our nation while we were still dealing with the Great Depression: 

"This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

Did you pick up President Roosevelt's definition of fear after his famous quote?

Fear is the terror that paralyzes what we need to turn from retreat and advance to victory.

God outright declares that the fear that paralyzes us and holds us back did not come from Him.  Look at II Tim 1:7:

7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

In a culture that is the hostile toward Biblical values, and intent on eliminating absolute biblical truth, and insists on leaving God out of our "nations business," fear of persecution can silence our voices.  Fear can force us into a corner with hands up and mind convinced "there is nothing else we can do."

The antidote to unfreeze us into the right actions in the midst of hostility is God's love, God's power, and God's sound-mindedness.

Church, as long as God is in control (and He is), we have hope, and our work to spread the message of Christ and all the liberating and bible based life-changing principles is not in vain.

Let us move forward all over the world with the love, power, and sound-mindedness that God provides.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

The Christian and Wealth

Christians are not generous by accident. We are generous because God gives us principles to guide our giving and help us enjoy the wealth He provides.

Eight of the numerous biblical principles regarding wealth are found in I Tim. 6:17-19.

1. Do not be conceited because of wealth (v. 17)

2. Do not hope in the uncertainty of wealth (v.17)

3. Hope in God, Who provides us wealth to enjoy (v. 1 7)

4.  Do good with wealth (v. 18)

5.  Become wealthy in good works (v. 18)

6.  Be generous with wealth (v. 18)

7.  Share the wealth God provides (v. 18)

8.  Store up many good works that God will honor and reward in the future (v. 19)

Why get caught up in an unfulfilling and destructive love relationship with wealth 

(I Tim. 6:6-10). 

Money cannot hug you when you are lonely and money cannot heal you when you are sick.  Money is simply a medium for the exchange of goods and services.  With much money, we can get much more goods and services and still have plenty to share to build God's kingdom.

Because of the generosity of Christians, countless individuals worldwide have a personal relationship with Jesus and their living conditions are improved.

Because of generous donations from Mt. Zion In Ontario, members, and others, I witnessed adults, youth, and children pray the prayer of salvation in Tchula Mississippi and receive resources to improve their oppressed living conditions over the past seven years.

When I served with Prison Fellowship, I witnessed prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their family members come to see and know the love of Jesus and grow in their walk with Jesus, and improve their living conditions because of generous donors who supported our work.

When I traveled to Unganda, and Rwanda, with our missions team, I constantly thanked God for the generous Christians who obeyed God and gave to help the least of these.

As Christians, let us commit ourselves afresh to obey God in every area of our lives especially generous giving to reach people for Christ and improve their lives.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

What if the Church in America Prayed?

With the Red Sea in front of us, and Phaorah's army behind us we only have one meaningful option for deliverance from our ongoing moral decline, which was evident in our early history as evidenced in our participation in slavery, and how we treated the Indians who were already here.  

The church in America must fall on her knees and pray for healing and deliverance (II Chron 7:14).

Most Christians in America would agree, but do we agree on praying for all of our leaders, including the President, and for spiritual outcomes versus just economic outcomes?

Look at I Tim. 2:1-2:

1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties andprayers, petitions andthanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,

2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. What if American Christians prayed for a  more peaceful, godly in what we do, and full of respect for all,America? We would see huge reductions in violence, crimes against humanity, families would stabalize, Christianity in America would clearly reflect New Testament Christianity. As we continue reading I Tim. 2, we discover that the men are to assume the major role in leading the church in prayer ( I Tim. 2:8).  Yes!!  Godly men, who live holy and do not have things in there lives that hinder our prayers. Pastor, what do we do? Church, we do not need another movement that requires a 501 c 3 tax determination letter, and staff, and budgets, and fund raisers.  We simply need to obey God's Word in every church (I Tim. 3:15). God Bless, Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Fight the Good Fight

With so many people who are spiritual seeking to distance themselves from the confusing image that is connected to Christianity today, we still have to fight the good fight!   The book entitled, The Rise of the Nones, by James Emmery White vividly describes the people who are distancing themselves from what is really cultural Christianity. I content that distancing ourselves from who we really are and trying to blend into nothingness does not correct our problems.  We must seek to better understand and establish New Testament Christianity in America verses the cultural Christianity that dominates the airwaves, television, churches, politics, and communities around America today.  Jesus has not changed the fact that we are salt and light (Matt. 5:11-16). In a similar context where some Christian false teachers were teaching strange doctrine and turning away from absolute truth and turned to fruitless discussions, Paul told the young Pastor Timothy to fight the good fight. Since there is nothing new under the sun, we can see the backdrop and the future for the "Rise if the Nones" in Rom. 1:18-32. In July AD 64, when the Emperor Nero blamed the fire in Rome on Christians and tried to marr the image of "Christians" and persecuted Christians with horrible torture and executions, the early Christians did not try to disassociate themselves with Christianity, but continued to fight the good fight. The persecuted church in Africa and the Christians struggling to spread the gospel in the mist of the crisis in the Ukraine, must go beyond what the American "None" is feelings and engage in the dangerous, yet rewarding work of spreading the good news about Jesus. Followers of the Way, my fellow Christians, we must fight the good fight in America and around the world. Fighting the good fight involves understanding the trends, and fighting to be who God made us through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ: (I Tim 1:18-19) 18.... Fight the good fight..... 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (I Tim 6:12-16) 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

I

14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of Lords,

16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. God Bless, Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Motive for Boldly Sharing Jesus with Non Christians

Boldly sharing Jesus with non-Christians is just that.  We speak truth in love with Holy Spirit boldness.  

What is great about the gospel is we never have to force Jesus on anyone because our message has built in power (Rom. 1:16).  

One of my motives in witnessing is found in II Thess. 1:7-10:

6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,

8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. Although you may not believe in eternal punishment, God says in His word that eternal destruction exist and Jesus will lead the charge. Bottom line: I do not want to see anyone experience what God calls the Lake of Fire. Happy witnessing today.

Here is the tire shop after our repair team painted.

Our good work in the world is also a witness for The Lord.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

PS. Pray for our van pool as they travel back to California.  They all did great ministry for Jesus.

Tchula Ministry Pictures

This is a plantation called Egypt.

This is a close up of the cotton grown on the plantation.

Rev. Burnes, the Civil Rights organizer and leader was our tour guide at the plantation.

Reggie Kennedy, from St. Paul Baptist Church, in Sacramento standing next to 

Engineered corn grown for fuel.

This is another painting project for the repair team.  This is a before picture.  Wait until you see the completed project!

Who sees your changed life?

Check this out: 

9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God  (I Thess. 1:9). An entire region know about the change the people in Thessalonica made.  Their lives when they turned to Jesus.   What were they "into"preacher?  They were deep into idol worship.  As my professor Dr. Henry Holloman, would say, idololtry has a twin sin called immorality.  You get it?   When people worship idol gods they will practice things that God considers ungodly behavior (a good list of such behavior is found in I Cor. 6:9-10.  Do not forget the deliverance part in I Cor. 6:10). The early Christians demonstrated their Christianity in a hostile environment through their changed life and others even outside of their city recognized their change. What change do others see in you? He used to be a drunk! Her mouth uses to be foul! He was the king of clubbing! She was a wicked gangster!  She used to lie every time she opened her mouth! He left a string of broken hearts! Now that you have given your heart to Jesus, what clear change do people see in your life? God Bless, Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Pictures of Tchula Missions Trip

Teams members at one of host Pastor's home (Pastor and Sister Carthan).

We had a debriefing on what God did in each ministry.

We are growing as we watch the people in Tchula grow.

Retired Pastor and Civil Rights organizer, Willie Burnes and Pastor Kennedy.

Pastor Burns established the first black headstart program in the US in Mileston Mississippi.  He was also the first black man to run for Sherif in Holmes County. This man is a living legend.  Praise God!!!

 

This is the first building our repair team painted.  Job well done.

Positive Thinking

When we constantantly tell ourselves we can't, we won't.

God is the inventer of positive thinking and gives us the secret to overcoming negative self-talk, lack of confidence, low self esteem, a critical spirit, etc.

God is right, we must think differently by thinking rightly.

In Phil. 4-6-8, we get some good stuff.  If we practice this good stuff, we will eliminate a lot of bad stuff in our personal lives and in the world around us.

Phil. 4:6:  God commands us to stop worrying and talk to Him about anything that causes us anxiety.  By the way stress can lead to medical problems such as high blood pressure.  

Have you noticed that when we are diagnosed with health problems, the doctor includes avoiding stress in our treatment plan.

The prescription to worrying and stress is: Talk to God about it (all of it).

Phil. 4:7:  God promises us an indescribable peace to guard or protect our hearts from the burdens of worry and stress.  Peace is calmness that comes from knowing that our resources in Jesus are more than enough to get us through every situation.

Phil. 4:8: God commands us to refocus our thinking.  Instead of worrying we need to talk to God (v. 6).

Instead of continuing along the same line of negative thinking, think on the positive.

Even in tough, sad, and devastating situations, find the positive and think on the positive.  Set your heart and mind on the positive and stay there.  Yes we need to see the negative and we need to see what can be improved, but we must set our thinking on the positive.

Here is the Phil. 4:6-8 passage:

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Young basketball players in Tchula

Tonight the basketball tounament started.

We start with young players and end with talented college and high school players.

During halftime we give a message of encouragement to the players and community.

The wood building below was a part of the first black school building with an indoor gym built in the State of Mississippi.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Wake up and work out in Tchula Mississippi

At 6:30 am Mississippi the community members and Mt Zion Members were up and exercising.  We encourage each other to be good stewards of the bodies entrusted to our care.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Knowing Jesus Involves Losing Self

The very thing that makes us feel like "all that" is the very thing we must lose to intimately know Jesus.

In Phil. 3, Paul'sconfidence in the flesh, involved what made Him feel righteous before God.  What made Paul feel so confident?  Paul's zealous practice of the law.  Paul knew he was good at being a Pharisee and was indeed a Hebrew of Hebrews (Phil. 3:4-6).

This confidence in human achievement was what Paul said had to go.  Paul exchanged all the human recognition, the religious and social prestige, and his proudest moments for the personal knowledge of Jesus (Phil. 3:7-11).

What in your life makes you shine, makes you feel proud, and poke your chest out and declair: "I did it!"  What human effort makes you secretly feel better than others and righteous before God?

This is what you must exchange for an intimate walk with Jesus.  That "thing" is the barrier that prevents your intimate experience with Jesus.

But Pastor, I worked hard for what I humanly accomplished and my blood, sweat and tears are in it!!!!   Paul put his all in all in his human achievement too.

How bad do you want to know Jesus at the deeper level?  

If you want to go beyond cultural Christianity (superficial and world based Christianity), exchange your confidence in the flesh for your personal journey with Jesus.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Tchula Missions

Tchula Team Members visit Good Hope Baptist Church, in Tchula Mississippi

From left to right: David Barnett, Frank Grossly, Pastor Brian Kennedy, Pastor Joe L. Jackson, and Bedford Matthews.

This is where Pastor Joe Jackson took one of four teams to lunch.

The three other teams visited Mt Calvary Baptist Church, Good Samaritan Church, and Zion City Baptist Church.

The Mind of Christ in a "Look at me Generation"

In Philippians 2:5, God commands us to take upon ourselves the mind of Christ.

In the verses that follow Jesus gives us an example of what the mind of Christ looks like in our actions:

1.  Jesus, who was 100% God came in the form of a human.

2.  Jesus did not wear a baseball cap labeled "I am God".  That is, Jesus never overemphasized His divine nature by putting Himself on display.

3.  Jesus chose to experience the limitations of humanity by not exercising all of His divine prerogatives (He became hungry, he became tired, He felt physical pain when the Romans beat Him, He became thirsty, and He did not call down a host of angels to fight for Him, etc).

4.  Jesus was obedient to His Father even to the point of His death on the cross for the sins of the world.

This is the mind of Christ in action.

The next time you get caught up in self, and you are tempted to do things to get people's attention, immediately ask God to help you connect with the mind of Christ.

Living with the mind of Christ is a powerful display of real Christianity.

Let us live selflessly, as we work in unity, and work out in our daily lives what God has worked inside of us to produce great  credibility, and so we more effectively hold forth the word of life in a crooked and perverse generation (Phil. 2:14-16).

Happy First Day of the week and God bless you and keep you.

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Christians Make the World a Better Place

Eph. 2:10, says that God is preoccupied with His Children.  We are like a special work of art, and we are created in Christ Jesus for good works which God intended for us to do from the very beginning.

Starting today, thirty three Mt Zion Ontario, Calif. members, and seven members from Ebenezer Baptist church in Athens Georgia, are joining together to serve the people in Tchula Mississippi for one week of spiritual, economic, and social outreach ministry (Tchula is in Holmes County, which has several of the poorest cities in America).  

In Gal. 6:10, God said: 

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Christians, we are called to make the world a better place by doing good to others. You might say: Pastor Kennedy, I am tired, and besides people do not appreciate me or what I do. God's response to you and the rest of us is as follows: do not become tired in doing good,for in God's own time He will bless us, we just cannot give up (Gal. 6:9). Today, do something good to make the world a better place (cf. Matt. 25:31-40). God Bless, Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Our Struggle

Why the struggle with relationships?  Why the struggle with bad habits and addictive and compulsive behavior?

Why so much conflict in our homes and outside our homes?

Look at what God says abuout our internal and external struggles in Eph. 6:12: (see also John 10:10: and               I Peter 5:8).

We have an enemy who works overtime to kill, steal, and destroy.  If someone gets on our wrong nerve and we raise our voice and express our strong displeasure in a way that is out of our character, the enemy succeeded and we lost.

God not only warns us about our enemies and their organized hierchy of evil, but God tells us how to stand against them and consistently get the victory.

Through God's armor listed in Eph. 6:14-18, God provides comprehensive spiritual protection and victory.

Your girdle provides truth for your every movement.

Your breastplate provides righteousness before God and enablement to live righteously from the heart.

Your shoes provides a firmly footed gospel message that produces peace.

Your shield provides a sure defense against Satan's vicious attacks.

Your helmet provides restoration with God and clear and progressive thinking.

Your sword provides divine enablement to cut a path forwarded to victory.

Prayfully put on your spiritual armor and never take it off.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

God's Will

God's will is God's desire for our lives.

God commands us to understand His desire for our lives versus acting foolish or clueless regarding His will (Eph. 5:17).

In the things of God, we must use wisdom and great caution because the days are evil (Eph 5:15-16).

A serious seeker of Gods will, starts with prayer (be quick to ask, seek, and knock -Matt. 7:7-8; Jer. 33:3).

In prayer ask God for a clear view of His will (desire) for your life.  As you pray, do the things you know are right according to God's word.  As you focus on obeying God and practice obeying God, God will reveal to you Himself, and His specific will for your life (John 14:21).

Be patient, stay in the Word of God and enjoy an intimate walk with The Lord.  God will always give you clear vision on the path you walk each day (Psalm 119:105).

Avoid frustration from God not giving you the whole picture with details today.  Be patient, God will give you His will for your life as you walk with Him by faith.

Throw out the search for a quick formula, and sincerely focus on your love relationship with God and watch your spiritual eyes get stronger.  You see more with stronger spiritual eyes (Psalm 119:18).

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy @ (MZO)  

Proactive Relationship Building

One of the most profound relationship building scriptures in the Bible is Eph 4:32:

32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Try to keep things simple on this one.

Be kind:  be nice and do nice things for others (including the people who get on your last nerves)

Be tender hearted:  let your gentle tone of voice and gentle actions flow from a tender heart.  Ask God to make your heart tender and keep your heart tender.

Forgiving one another:  keep a heart of forgiveness toward others because God keeps a forgiving heart toward you.  How can we fix our lips to tell someone we will not forgive them?  How do we grow unforgiveness in our hearts? Just as God forgave us, we must forgive others.  Ask God to open your heart so that your heart is tender and quick to forgive (this does not mean we ignore abuse but it does mean to release a person from holding harsh feeling for them because of the abuse or offense toward you).

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Internal Companionship

Are you happy?  Do you have joy?

One way to have ongoing happiness is grasping the mystery in Col. 1:27 (Christ in you, the hope of glory).

Christ in you, the hope of glory represents the internal companionship that Christians have.  We walk with Him and talk with Him along the way in life.  As we mature in Christ, as we learn principles from the Bible and apply them to our lives we grow and really appreciate the intimate relationship we have with Jesus.

Why go through life lonely and unfulfilled spiritually.  Enjoy Jesus and let Jesus enjoy your demonstration of love toward Him (Col. 1:27; Eph. 3:6; see also John 14:21).

You can hear the complete message on this subject on our website: mtzionontario.com.  Look for message on Sunday July 6, 2014.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Expectations

When we pray to God what should we expect?  

According to Ephesians 3:20-21, we can expect God to do exceedingly (far above and beyond anything in the human realm)  abundantly (much more than the norm or what is needed) above (God starts obove us) all (not just somethings) that we ask or think.

God does all of this not in secret but according the power that we are familiar with.  God's power works inside of us as evidenced by the changes in our lives (see Eph. 2:1-3).

As we pray and expect God to do more than we can ask or think, if we keep our eyes on Him we will see God get the glory in the church and involve Jesus in His dealings with us.

God is personal and inclusive.  God has you in mind (Eph 2:10), and all the members of the body of Christ (Eph 3:21).

Perhaps Gods prayer challenge to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:3, will bring extra perspective to this discussion.  "Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Enjoy your prayer time with God.

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Who is controlling you?

Why do we want control over our lives when our efforts apart from God produce immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Gal. 5:19-21).

How about trying a new way of life by intentionally allowing the Holy Spirit to take control.  We start by asking God to forgive us for operating independently of Him.  Then we ask the Holy Spirit to take control.  Then start a life long journey of practicing principles in the Bible, and constantly asking the Holy Spirit to produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in your life (Galatians 5:22-23).

This is easier said than done so get started on your meaningful and fulfilling journey.

God Bless

Pastor Kennedy (MZO)

Mt Zion, Ontario