Straighten Up by Trusting God.

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In the medical world right now there’s an epic shift concerning HOW they do business. Doctors are no longer treating DISEASES that happen to be in people. NOW, they are treating PEOPLE who happen to have diseases. Check this out! Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath when He SAW a WOMAN who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus SAW HER, He called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then He touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. She thanked and praised God!

The cartoon/photo that’s attached to this devotion is a temporary fact in my life right now. I do walk bent over. However, that fact is NOT the TRUTH. The truth is I am IN HEALTH and prospering in my life and in my soul according to 3John 1:2 in the Bible. If Jesus healed the woman in this story, and she didn’t even ask, then I believe He will do it for me! My TRUST is in God because… JESUS demonstrated that PEOPLE come before subject matter. And that means YOU are more important to God than anything you are facing today!

In Him,

Pastor Kevin Kinchen

Copy That…

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Whenever I have something of value, that isn’t working right, I contact the people that made it. If they made it, they can fix it. Simple right? Of course. Soooooo, I often wonder why people don’t apply this same principle when they aren’t “working” right. If I am fearful, down, disappointed, worried or whatever, I return myself to the One that made me. By now, I’m pretty sure when God hears me praying….. it goes like this,

Jesus: “Who called our direct hotline just now, Father?”
God: “Guess…”
Jesus: “Kevin?”
God: “Yep, when I was listening to him I heard the rustling of paper in the background.”
Jesus: “Too funny…. he’s looking through our warranty again to see if he’s covered. I’ll take care of it!”
God: “Copy that. Oh, tell him, again, the warranty never expires, it’s eternal…. and the deductible was paid 2,000 years ago, and YES, WE ARE in his network.”

We can always go to the One who made us. Like this Scripture says, He will be our God for a lifetime, until our hair is white with age. He will care for us because He MADE us, and He will carry us along and save us!

I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isaiah 46:4 NLT)

In Him,
Pastor Kevin Kinchen

There is more to the story of Easter…

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THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY OF EASTER….
There’s an unnoticed part of the Easter story that I think is important. At every Passover festival the governor would free one prisoner that the crowd wanted. When Jesus went before Pilate, a man named Barabbas was also on trial. Barabbas was a well-known criminal who was in prison for rioting and murdering. This was no coincidence. It was a divine setup.

The name, Barabbas, is a combination of two words, Bar, which means “son of” and abba, which means “father.” But, “abba” also shows intimacy, similar to us saying, “daddy.” So, Barabbas was not just “the son of the father,” he was “the son of his dear father.” In fact, Jesus had just used the word “abba” in the Garden of Gethsemane when He cried out, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” (Mark 14:36)

The crowd of angry people shouted for Pilate to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. And that’s what Pilate did. Barabbas, the prisoner and murderer, was released AND Jesus Christ, the one who was innocent, was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Though it seems so wrong and unfair to us, Jesus was obeying the plan His Father had given Him. So, what’s the unnoticed part of Easter? Read this carefully………

HERE YOU HAVE BARABBAS, the “son of his dear father” that was a sinner, to the extent of rioting and murdering, and deemed guilty; who deserved to be crucified.
THEN YOU HAVE JESUS, the “Son of His dear Father“ that had never sinned, to the extent of loving everyone, and innocent; who did NOT deserve to be crucified.

So why did these two men end up in “each other’s shoes” so to speak??? LOVE. YES, LOVE. It was all about love. It was about His love for you and me. As Barabbas walked toward his freedom, Jesus walked toward his death. Barabbas didn’t deserve freedom, Jesus didn’t deserve death. But, Jesus chose death so you and I would never forget….. no matter how much we’ve sinned, no matter how much we deserved, we are always a “Son (or daughter) of our dear Father“ because of Jesus. He “wore our shoes“ so we wouldn’t have to wear His…. to the cross. And when we invited Him into our heart, He forgave our carnal life, as natural men and women, so we could embrace His spiritual life as children of God.

So, be thankful this Easter Weekend, that OUR FREEDOM, OUR NEW LIFE, didn’t come from an angry crowd shouting for our release. Our freedom and our new life, came because a passionate loving Father, and His obedient Son paid the ultimate price… for everyone who believes in Him.

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16)

In Him,
Pastor Kevin Kinchen

Who gives YOU strength?

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“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT)

Married for 37 years today…

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HAPPY 37th ANNIVERSARY, MARGIE KINCHEN! You are the best wife I’ve ever had!

What’s Our Secret For Marriage?

1. We have never had an argument; we just have lots of Intense Fellowship.
2. We have never gone to sleep mad at each other; however, we have gained a spot in The Guinness Book of Records for staying awake with no sleep for a week.
3. We have never had a physical altercation with each other; we saved that for disciplining our kids when they became teenagers.
4. And last, we have a “date night” every week; Margie usually goes shopping or to a movie. and I just watch Transformers on the TV in my office.

OK, that’s not our real Secret for Marriage. But, THIS IS how we’ve made it this far………

“Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent GOD’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction, It’s the child he loves that GOD corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.” (Proverbs 3:5-12 MSG)

In Him,

Pastor Kevin Kinchen