Make Time for Personal Revival

On Wednesday - Friday (August 5-7, 2015), the Inland Valley Ministers Alliance, is hosting the annual revival at My Zion, in Ontario (224 W. Calif. Street).

Pastor Glenn Sheilds from Progressive Community Church, in Stockton, Ca, is the guest speaker.

With all the stuff that happened in the world just this year (especially to reported incidents of persecution of Christians), we need a Word from the Lord.

Please take time to come hear this man of God with a heart ready for renewal, increase, refreshing, insights, clarification, rededication, challenge, change, healing, and on and on.

Everyone is welcome and make sure you tell someone.

FYI, the alliance choir is leading us in worship.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian Kennedy,

Mtzionontario.com

Cross Your Jordan River on Dry Land

Everyone has a Jordan River to cross.

The 40 years of wilderness wandering is on this side of the Jordan, and The Promised Land blessing is on the other side.

This is also true for us.  All of our drama from our self-directed life needs to stay on this side of our Jordan River.

You will need a miracle from God so here is a prayer to help:

Lord, I do not want Your promises to be distant dreams, untouchable hopes,
and topics for empty discussion.  I want to experience abundant life by
crossing over from my wilderness wondering into my Promised Land blessings.
Lord, as I leave my wilderness wondering, please show me divine signs to
direct my steps, keep the things that pertain to You in my sight, and Lord
keep me consecrated so that I can see Your wonders, be in harmony with You,
experience a changed life, and gain deeper faith in Your miracle working
power.  Lord, as I cross my Jordan River, keep me sensitive to others, and
realize that my actions can hurt or help others.  I love You.  In the name
of Jesus, I pray, amen.  

God Bless

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.
pastorkennedyMZO.blogspot.com

Picnic in the Park

Mt. Zion Ontario is hosting our annual picnic at Homer Briggs park in Ontario, Calif. today.  This is a great time for us to get caught up and renew our commitment to the Lord and His church while eating, witnessing, and having fun.

If you are struggling with getting back into the Mt. Zion fellowship, let's find some time to talk today.

Everyone in the body is valuable and we need each other to fulfill the vision God have given for Mt. Zion.

Christians, God uses local congregations to do His work all over the world.  Get in a Christ-centered local congregation and use your spiritual gift(s) to advance God's kingdom.

Be more than a consumer of the ministries offered at church, be a contributor.  Give your God given time, talents, and treasures to make a difference in the world for Christ.

Trust me, every loving Pastor is looking to see the people entrusted to his care.

Refuse to make excuses and get to church, and get involved.

God Bless

Pastor Brian Kennedy, Sr.

Valuing Black People

During April 7th through July 15, 1994, almost one million black people killed black people in Rwanda, Africa, while the world (including the United States) stood by and watched.  Wait!  Before you get angry with the U.S., who did the actual killing?  Black people.

In 2007 to 2010, 270 school aged children were shot and killed (70% of them were black children).

Over 400 school aged children were shot in gang violence in Chicago in 2012, and 66 of them died (most of them black).

How could several years of the kiling of school aged black children continue in the most powerful country in the world?

I do not need to review the soaring numbers for black on black crimes in America. I definitely do not care to mention how Black people freely use the offensive "n" word toward each other in music, movies, and in public and personal interaction.

In America (July 2015), we have another Black person mistreated, and is now dead while in police custody (Sandry Bland).

Note: please do not blame the death of Sanda or others in police custody on the majority of hard working police, who willingly protect and serve us daily.

My point?  Until Black people start valuing black people, we will continue to undervalue each other, and continue to destroy each other, while the world stands by and watches.

If we undervalue and mistreat each other, why do we expect others to value us?

Christians (all skin colors), we can make a difference by intentionally showing the love of Jesus toward black people (I did not say cripple unaccountable black people with a bunch of handouts, but simply love black people like Jesus loves).

Christians, in Christ, everyone has equal value (including black people).  Look at just three passages on this issue:

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). 12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 7:12). Christians, we can change the age old practice of devaluing black people by using love, which is the most powerful force in the world (Rom. 5:6-8). God Bless, Pastor Brian Kennedy Mtzionontario.com

Be Encouraged

While we wait for our Lord to return, we have "The Helper" (the Holy Spirit), Who will guide us into all truth.  Everywhere we turn, all kinds of information gets in our face.  We live in the Information Age, and we need to discern truth from lies.  We also need to discern the ways of God from the ways of the world.

As we discern truth from error, good from bad, what is joyful and what is sad, and deal with the difficulty connected to our relationship to Our Lord, we have encouragement from our Lord.

33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

God Bless,

Pastor Brian Kennedy, Sr.

Mtzionontario.com

Continue to Pray

When we consistently use God's Word to speak to contemporary issues, and people move toward a relationship with Jesus, and the enemies strongholds are threatened, the enemy will fight to keep people in darkness.

Christians, spiritual warfare is fierce fighting and you can expect to come under attack as we speak truth in love.

Christians, we have experienced numerous enemy attacks on our missions trip here in Mississippi, but God has given us the victory each time.

Today is our last day of ministry for this trip.  Please keep us in prayer.  We are expecting God to work more miracles in people's lives today.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian Kennedy,

Mtzionontario.com

He must Increase, but we must decrease

John the Baptist was called by God to pave the way for Jesus.  As Jesus started His earthy ministry and was baptizing, John's disciples were a bit confused about all the people going to Jesus to get baptized versus John.  But John was not confused regarding the best way to fulfill his role.  John included in his reply our Tchula missions work theme for this week.  Look at John 3:30:

30 "He must increase, but I must decrease." When things get tough this week, decrease. When money and people get funny, decrease. Whatever happens that could cause you to step in the flesh, decrease.  You step down and step back, and let Jesus take center stage in your life, and handle your situation. Decrease! God Bless, Pastor Brian Kennedy Mtzionontario.com

Instead of Playing Superhero, Fast and Pray.

The way Easter handled the annihilation treat of her people with courage, and faith in God, and not as a superhero is noteworthy for the church today (see Esther 3 & 4). Easter, did not boastfully proclaim: as the favored queen, "I got this."  She did not come close to such overconfidence. Let us look at her words in Easter 4:15-17: 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

16 "Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die."

17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. Easter, the Queen needed God's favor so that when she approached the king, to interced for the Jews, the king would not have her killed for coming into his presence uninvited. Christians, we need God's favor in light of situations like then Sweet Cakes case in Oregan, where a Christian couple refused to bake a cake for a leasbian wedding due to their religious beliefs, and is now facing a possible fine of $135,000.00 (New York Post, 4/26/15). The religious freedom in this country is being challenged and seems to be moving to fierce courtroom battles to see just how free we really are in America. When a country full of God's people continues to legalize what God says is wrong, God becomes angry.   Therefore, Christians as we raise money to fight legal battles to enjoy the same religious rights afforded to Muslims, Budist, Mormons, Jews, and other religious groups in America, we still need to practice II Chron. 7:14. My fellow church leaders, we can  put in place an established time for local congrgations to fast and pray for God's favor and for the courage to do our part in reaching non-Christians with the message about Jesus, and wisdom to reclaim backsliders, and encourage the faithful to continue to grow spiritually. Christian's, although Jesus said not even the forces of hell can stop His church, does not mean that evil people will not try to stop the church (Matt. 16:18).  We see the spirit of anti-Christ working in America desperately trying to silence and stop the church. Saints, be encouraged, we the church have the victory, and we have the eternal love of God, through Jesus, the Christ (Rom 8). God Bless, Pastor Kennedy (MZO) mtzionontario.com

Help Spread the Message of Hope

Christians, let us joyfully share what God is doing in the lives of people who would dare admit the truth to living against God's plan, and share how God fulfilled them when they dared to submit to Him and His life changing Word.  Let us thank God for sisters like Jackie Hill-Perry for sharing how God transformed her life in a culture that frowns on discussing deliverance from homosexuality, but desperately needs to hear what she has to say.

See: https://YouTube.be/iD  -4iSRn6k.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy,

Mtzionontontario.com

What is your Commitment to God?

As churches are burned in South Carolina, and we are still dealing with the loss of 9 people being gunned down, and trying to get people to remove a huge symbol of divisiveness in the country (the confederate flag), what is your commitment to God?

Look at Ezra 7:10:

10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Despite the challenges in rebuilding life in Jerusalem, Ezra was a committed and prepared teacher of God's Word.

Christians, God has called each one of us to make our contribution to building spiritual health in our families, schools, neighborhoods, churches, for the good of our nation.

Stay committed and do your part (Gal. 6:9).

God Bless,

Pastor Brian Kennedy (MZO)

mtzionontario.com