Facts or Feelings?

The growth of a generation driven by their feelings is not new.  The same exact thing happened in Judges 21:25:

"In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes."

The problem with doing whatever seems right in one own eyes is our society cannot survive with everyone driven by their feeling.

You do not want your pilot to follow her feelings ("I am not feeling Ontario right now, I feel like flying to Seattle").  Pilots driven by their feelings will create havoc in the sky and in airports, disrupt businesses, and destroy airline credibility.

You definitely do not want an engineer to claim he no longer has feelings for bridge inspections and declares all bridges as safe.

Christian's, our children and youth will not automatically grow up with principles that produce a healthy society.  We must teach them the facts found in God's Word so they will know and feel things consistent with God's Word.

Let us learn a lesson from Joshua, the successor of Moses.

As long as Joshua led the people and taught them the Word of God they were successful and enjoyed God's  blessings (Joshua 24:31).

What was Joshua's secret?  Joshua made sure everyone, including the children knew the Word of God.  

Look at Joshua 8:34:

Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction.

35 Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.

After Joshua died, the Children of Israel slowly abandoned God's Word as their standard, and people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).

People pursued their feelings.  Whatever they felt, they followed.

This is where many Christians are today.  We are following the culturural practices of today (feelings driven), versus the Word of God (facts driven).  

This was also the point of disconnect from God's blessings to God's curses upon Israel.  This is the same point of disconnect for us today.

Christian's determine that you and your children will be driven by the facts found in God's word versus feelings.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

Think and Function Intergenerationally

When the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River, into the Promised Land everyone crossed together.  The youth or children, or 18 through 35 year olds (millennials) were not left behind because of generation gaps.  No one was left behind in the wilderness.

Everyone was also taught and they followed one authoritative standard which was God's Word.  "There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them" (Joshua 8:35).

Christian's, as we live and move about let us remember our children and youth.  Yes, we have to take extra time to relate to them, and they must take extra time to relate to us.  But we are responsible for connecting with them and bringing them along with us in every area of our lives.  They too are members of the body of Christ (Rom.12:4-5).  We need them, and they need us.

By the way, this involves more that our grandchildren and family members.  We need to look out for and be family to all of our children and youth.  We must encourage them and fight for their success according to God's Word, and they must do the same for us.

Christian's together we stand and divided we fall.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

Courage to Represent Our God

Joshua is one of the Great Leaders in scripture.

He trained under Moses, and was a dependable spy and military leader, and he was loyal to God and to Moses.

Joshua was the right successor for Moses.

But his job was beyond human description.  The number of people to led  was  in the millions, and sometimes they obeyed God and sometimes they rebelled against God.  They said they would obey the LORD, and did at times, but they were easily distracted and would fall into idol worship and immoral behavior.  

Joshua witnessed the spiritual ups and downs of the people for over forty years.

Before Moses died, Moses appointed Joshua to lead the people as God commanded.

Here is a great highlight.  We never read where Joshua was afraid, or tells God he did not want the assignment.

What we read is God's repetitive encouragement for Joshua to be courageous (Joshua 1).

Today, the overt push in our society to leave God and the Bible out demands that Christians have courage to remain faithful to our mission to make disciples of Christ.

In doing our mission we need courage to stand firm in our faith, stick to God's standards from the Bible, love unconditionally, and do good toward others, and deal with the inevitable persecution because we represent what people reject.

When these actions and characteristics are displayed by Christians, non Christians pay attention and are drawn to God (Matt. 5:16).

Christian's, our God given way is unpopular, and narrow, but it leads to life eternal (Matt. 7:13-14).

Christian's, let us take what God gave to Joshua, and let us courageously do our work in the world around us ("Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go") - Joshua 1:9.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

Fight for Prevention

The lessons we learn from King David's life in II Samuel 11-12, are powerful.  Instead of pointing our fingers at David and declaring how awful he was, we look at ourselves and realize how vulnerable we are.  

We must learn what he failed to do, and vow to prevent that from happening in our lives.  David, the godly man, who loved God had a season of life without prayer and he got into big trouble.

Christian's, without spending time alone with God in prayer and and in His Word, and allowing God to transform us into the image of Christ, we too can fall into sin.  Pride will become our guide, and we will go deeper and deeper into our sin.  We will easily forget about our calling, and what God has blessed us with, and get caught up in moments of pleasure.

Prevention is powerful.  Better to prevent a crisis, than to have to respond to, and correct a crisis.

Christian's, make it your business to get alone with God and His Word and pray.  Here is a prayer to help.

Dear Lord, I thank You for this powerful lesson from David's life.  Father, please forgive me for overlooking the numerous
blessing You have given to me.  Lord, forgive me for being dissatisfied and
unthankful while watching You provide for me.  I was selfish, short-sighted,
and simply did not trust You to have my best interest at heart.  Lord, please help me to get to my quiet place where I can be in Your presence, and talk with You, and be transformed by You. I want more of You each day.  I love You deeply. In the name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.  

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy

The Power of Established Absolutes

With a variety of world views thrown at us, an intimate relationship with God through Jesus, and practicing Christian principles provides stability amid rapid change, economic, political, and social volatility, disappointments, tragedy, etc. (John 14:6,21).

In a culture striving to remove biblical absolutes, learn the profundity of simplistic absolutes:

1). Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:28-30).

2). Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).

3). Treat people the way you want to be treated (The Golden Rule) - Matt. 7:12.

Despite the numerous misuses of the Bible, complaints about the Bible, and disbelief in the Bible, if you open your heart to God and allow Him to speak to you as you read the Bible, your life will change (Heb.11:6).  You may not understand everything that God does or allows, but you will understand enough to know that God loves you and has a plan for your life (Jer. 29:11).

1). God's Word will remain forever (Matt. 24:35).

2). God's Word is alive and powerful (Heb. 4:12).

3). God's Word gives us a guarantee for success (Josh. 1:8).

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

What are You Planning This Weekend?

Christian's, the church in North America growing slower than we would like, but we are still growing.

The church is exploding in Asia, Africa, and South America.  "In 1900 there were fewer than 9 million Christians in Africa.  Now there are more than 541 million" (Article, The Church is growing, and here are the figures to prove it, Christianity today, March 5, 2015).

How exciting to be a part of God's supernatural movement of eternal kingdom growth.

The question for you to answer is, do your plans this weekend include God's church?  Will you be in worship service to join others in worship?

Will you volunteer or work in some area of ministry this weekend?

Are you actively sharing your faith, by sharing the gospel, offering to pray for, and showing the love of Jesus in practical ways to non-Christian's?

Who are you inviting to church to hear the Word of God taught and preached and to be in worship and fellowship?

How are you contributing to keeping the church growing?

Even if you are on vacation, contribute to the kingdom.  Smile and be loving to non-Americans if you are out of the US. If you are non-American, be loving to Americans (many of us will smile back and positively respond to your kindness).

American Christians, we can show love to non-American customer service representatives over the phone.  Ask them at the end of your transaction if they know Jesus (witness to them). 

How are you including God in your weekend plans?

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.

Make Sure You Stop to Pray

King David, the famous king over Israel, had a season in his life when he did not pray.  You can check out this series at one of the weekend services or on Ustream (mtzionontario.com).

Life without pray is very dangerous to believers.  Therefore we must stop allowing what we think is so important to overshadow our prayer life.

Here is a prayer to help:  Dear Lord, thank you for the real life examples in the

Bible of how People who loved You, made mistakes.  Father, You said David
was a man after Your own heart, and You chose to reveal what happened when
David did not pray so that I can learn about the danger of life without
prayer. Father, life comes at me very fast, and I need You to help me stay
in prayer so that I get to You before the lust of my eyes feed the lust of
my flesh, and the boastful pride of life infect me with "Igotthisitis."  I
am depending on You to lead me and guide me along the way.  Lord, if You
lead me, I will not stray.  I love You, in the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.
mtzionontario.com

The Sunday after "Easter"?

For some church leaders, the Sunday after "Easter" is considered "let down Sunday."

People crowded worship services last weekend to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Therefore the thought is many of those people were not impacted by the worship, and the preaching of the Word of God, and will go back to life as normal.  They will go back to doing everything but worship at church.

Christian's, if we put the same effort into every Sunday Service that we put into "Easter" Service, people will take another look at the Person of Christ, make a commitment to Christ, and make church a way of life.

What exactly can we do to maintain quality and high level worship services?

1. Keep praying for:  

People to give their hearts to Jesus. 

For backsliders to return to the Lord.

For God to encourage the faithful.

2. Ministers, we must prepare and preach just as hard as we did for "Easter."

3. Music ministries, ushers, greeters, teachers, parking attendants, and all church leaders and members (everybody on deck), serve, and pray just as hard every week as you did "Easter" week.

4. By all means, continue to enthusiastically invite people to church.

Pastor Kennedy, you are asking too much!

What did Jesus give to us in being arrested, beaten, rejected, disrespected, and hung on the cross in the cold for six hours?

What does Jesus give us each day as He advocates for us before God?

As you make your way to church this weekend and as you serve this weekend keep in your mind the standard that Jesus set in everything you do.

Here is the good part.  Watch God give you the strength you need to be pleasing to Him (Phil. 2:13).

Watch God grow and maintain His church (Acts 2:42-47).

God Bless,

Pastor Brian E. Kennedy, Sr.