Be a Witness for The Lord

According to the Pew Research Center, we have more than 2 billion Christians in the world (2010 report).

Christians we will grow much faster and reach more people for Christ when every Christian is a witness for the Lord.

Here is a simple format to present the gospel message:

God's Love (John 3:16).

Our Human problem (Rom. 3:23).

God's Solution (Rom. 5:8).

Our Human Response (Rom. 10:9-10).

Christian's we do not win people to the faith through violence, coercion, crafty aurguments full of proof texts, or by deceit.  We simply present the message about Jesus in the Power of the Holy Spirit, and we watch God draw people to a meaningful relationship with Himself (Rom. 1:16).

Here is a helpful prayer for each of us:

Lord thank You for the person who shared the life-changing gospel message
about Jesus with me.  Lord, I also thank You for giving me the privilege to
share this powerful message with others.  Lord, please forgive me for the
times I neglected to share the gospel with someone who needed Jesus.  Fill
me afresh with Your Holy Spirit, so that I will look for opportunities to
boldly share this life-changing message, and help others come to know Jesus,
just as someone helped me come to Jesus.  I love You. Amen.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

mtzionontario.com

Today is a Great Day to Worship

Get up and make your way to the house of prayer.

Focus on worshipping God in a right spirit before God, and in the truth of God found in His Word (John 4:23).

One more thing: consider someone that you can encourage to show love (care and concern), and to do good works (Heb. 10:24-25).

Today is a great day to start or continue the spiritual discipline of worshiping God with other saints of God.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy,

mtzionontario.com

Sometimes We Are The Problem.

Sometimes we are the problem.  When we humbly face ourselves and allow God to reveal our problem, and the consequences for our actions, we need to cry out to God.  God will answer us and reveal the corrective action we need to follow.  Joshua 6 & 7 paints a nice picture of what I just described.

Here is a great prayer to get us back on track.

Lord, I realize that You have rock solid standards, and I want to obey You

and not think of myself as an exception to Your standards.  Lord show me if
I am stuck, or if my progress is stunted because of some willful
disobedience in my life.  Lord, fix my heart as I cry out to You each day,
so that my heart is pure before You.  Keep my ears open to hear You speak
corrective action into my life and help me to respond to You with
unquestioning obedience.  Lord, if I need to be pruned, I know You are
merciful and gracious and will make me better as you trim away the people
and things in my life that are preventing me from full productivity.  I
submit myself to Your loving touch.  In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. 

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

Mtzionontario.com

Happy 93rd Anniversary Mt Zion

On Sunday September 20, 2015, Mt. Zion in Ontario, Calif, celebrates 93 years of ministry.  

In June of 1922, I am convinced that Founding Pastor Aurthor Seaton, and other founding members ask God to bless Mt Zion, and use Mt. Zion.

In answer to their prayers, God made Mt. Zion a blessed church, and God has kept His hand upon Mt Zion.

Join us tomorrow for our 8:00 or 11:00 am services, and for the concert/celebration at 3:30 pm.

At 3:30 we will not only have a concert, but will hear from Pastor Joshua Beckley, and we will ordain several deacons and ministers, and meet some 18-35 year old, next in line leaders.

We will praise Him for the things He has done.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy

Mtzionontario.com

Refuse to Change God's Standards for Your Life

People work overtime to figure out ways to change Christian Standards.  Every serious Christian should feel this pressure.

According to Rom. 12:2, the pressure will continue.

So what do we do?  Refuse to be pressed into the mold of the worlds system.  Instead of changing your Christian Standards, be transformed by your Christian standards.

Let God change your thinking through His Word so that your life will change, and you will know God's good and acceptable, and perfect will for your life.

Rom. 12:2:

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Here is a prayer to help:  Lord, I realize that You have rock solid standards, and I want to obey You and not think of myself as an exception to Your standards. Lord protect me when I am tempted to forget about others and get carried away with the forbidden, and help me to focus on the established standards found in Your Word. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Face Your Overwhelming Odds in Worship

Just as Josuua faced Jericho (overwhelming odds) from a place of worship, you too face your Jericho from a place of worship.

When God unusually shows up to reassure you, as Ge do for Joshua, then you fall on your face and worship Him (Joshua 5:13-15).

From your place of worship, God will speak to you and give you instructions for you to obey all the way to your victory (Joshua 6:1-5).

Here is a suggested prayer as you practice facing your Jericho from a place of worship:

Dear Lord, I thank you for giving me principles to help me worship in the

face of overwhelming odds like Israel's Jericho.  Lord, in the face of my
Jericho, I do not want to fear, panic, doubt, complain, get angry, or take
matters into my hands, but to naturally get quiet and worship You.   Lord,
take me far beyond worshipping You on just Saturday or Sunday.  Lord, take
me deeper with You each day, so that in my place of worship I am reassured
in You, and from my place of worship I go much deeper in my obedience to
You.  Lord, give me victory in my worship, and keep me consistently
conscious of Your presence and Your power.  In the name of Jesus I pray,
Amen.

God Bless

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.
Mtzionontario.com

Avoid Self-Centered Individualism

Christians, we must resist being pulled into the self-centered trap of  individualism where our lives are centered around me, myself, and I.

As cases similar to the Kim Davis, case in Kentucky, becomes more common, we need to realize more than ever our connection as one body in Christ.  Do not for one second believe the Kentucky case is an isolated incident with extreme Chriatian resistance to the same sex marriage law in America.  

Even non-Christians, and hopefully some proponents of same-sex marriage see America going too far in locking up her citizens for practicing religious freedom.

Keep in mind that the laws in this country, except for same-sex marriage law were based on the Bible.  

Christians, revisit how we are connected to each other in I Cor 12:14-21: 

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now there are many members, but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." Passivity, will only lead to the empty depths of the me, myself, and I syndrome. If nothing else, or until this issue comes to your front door, recognize your connection to other Christians, and please pray for God to guide this nation beyond persecuting Christian citizens with jail time for a law that conflicts with our religious freedom. God Bless, Pastor Kennedy Mtzionontario.com

Pray for America

Pray for Kim Davis of Rowan County, Ky., who was jailed for acting upon the Religious Freedom that we are supposed to have in America.  The problem we have today is our Supreme Court stepped outside of their judicial role and assumed a legislative role and intentionally instituted a law that that conflicts with God's Word.

Now we have a Christian in jail in America for following the clear teaching of the Bible; for exercising her religious freedom, which is supposed to be protected under our constitution.

What will happen when Muslims, Jews, Mormons, and others express their religious freedom in this area?  

America, has taken another step to formally shake her fist in the face of God and declare that she will not honor God, nor His Word.

In America, we will have learned to love, and get along with individuals who hold different moral and religious views than what is in the bible. Why now all of a sudden does our government have to put us in jail while we are trying to sort out the mess they created?

Just as using excessive force is wrong, shooting officers for revenge is also wrong.

Pray for families of citizens shot and abused by police officers who deliberately used excessive force.

Let us also pray for families of fallen officers who willingly put themselves in harms way to protect and serve our communities.  

Everyone serious about prayer for America should watch the movie "War Room."  Try to overlook the insulting emphasis on the Black females stars smelly feet.  Totally insulting humor and unnecessary to the storyline.  Yet the message in the movie is undeniably powerful, and will change this country if we practice the biblical principles for prayer in the movie.

God Bless,

Pastor Kennedy,

Mtzionontario.com

Love Drives our Actions

How do we use the freedom we have in Christ?

 

For instance, the Bible does not say, "thou shall not drink."  The Bible says: "do not get drunk..." (Eph. 5:8).

With this knowledge how do you handle your witness for Christ?  How do you live before young Christians, who come out of the "wild party life," where getting "wasted" was a weekend treat?

How do you live in front of the skeptic, who says all Christians are hypocrites, and Christianity is a crutch for the weak?

In I Cor. 8:9, look at what God says about how you use your freedom in Christ: 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak (I Cor. 8:9). Pastor Kennedy, do I drink tonight or not?  Do I dance? Do I play the secular music and dance to it?  What do I do? God gives us the guidelines for using our freedom in Christ for every area in our lives: 1). Let love drive your actions to build people up versus cause confusion and weaken their life before God: "Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies" (I Cor. 8:1). 2). Make sure people see God in what you are doing: "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31). Pastor Kennedy, tell me what to do! Your follow the guide from God's Word and you will know what to do. God Bless, Pastor Kennedy Mtzionontario.com

What are Your Non-Negotiable Values?

Christians, no matter how the culture changes, despite the new styles, new
beliefs, new non-beliefs, and the new laws, certain things for God's
children are non-negotiable.  Set your heart to honor God, and refuse to
compromise your Christian values. 

Here is a prayer to help, based on the non-negotiable principles found in
Joshua 5, when The Children of Israel were barely in the Promised Land.

Lord, I am committed to practicing non-negotiable Promised Land Behavior.
Identifying with You is non-negotiable (I will be clearly identified as Your
child wherever I am). Celebrating to remember Your persistent love is
non-negotiable (I will celebrate the Lord's Supper as a reminder of Your
love as the Children of Israel celebrated Passover). Continuing my daily
dependence on You is non-negotiable (I will depend on You to provide for me
each day), and Reverencing You is non-negotiable (I will worship You each
time You reassure me of Your power and promises).  Father, I am Your child.
Keep my heart set, and my mind made up to never compromise the things that
are non-negotiable.  My Heavenly Father, I anticipate You uniquely showing
up in my circumstances, and when You do, I will worship You.  I love You.
Amen.

God Bless

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, 

Mtzionontario.com