#2 — GOOD NEIGHBORS, BOATS, AND HELICOPTERS, OH MY!

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#2 — GOOD NEIGHBORS, BOATS, AND HELICOPTERS, OH MY!
“He reached down from heaven and rescued me; He drew me out of deep waters.” (2Samuel 22:17 NLT) OK, maybe it wasn’t “deep waters” like it said in that Scripture, but when it’s running through your house it seems like a tidal wave.

Here was our situation. Margie and I were babysitting (Because Harvey wasn’t going to do anything, remember?) little Adalie, who was about to turn three. As the storm progressed it became obvious that we “might” encounter some water. I was still believing that everything was going to be alright. I reminded Margie of the time when the disciples were freaking out in the middle of a storm, while Jesus was sleeping in the boat. I asked her, “Are you going to be like the disciples or like, Jesus?” I don’t remember all of the things she said, but I do remember her saying, “I TOLD YOU I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS… WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT A LONG TIME AGO!” I muttered under my breath, “God, why does she ALWAYS get to be right?”

By now, it’s probably 4 a.m. Sunday morning, and I wheel over to my front door to check for water. And there it was. I asked Margie to get some towels… and within the next 15 minutes our entire house was flooded and rising. Several of my neighbors appeared out of nowhere and they carried me, my wheelchair, and Adalie upstairs. Courtney and Jayce, with their baby, Judah, were stranded at Josh and Lauren’s house. His house didn’t flood but the water was so high that nobody could get in or out. AT THAT MOMENT, I felt 100% helpless. I’ve never had such an overwhelming, paralyzing, and vulnerable feeling. Here I was, upstairs, in a wheelchair, with my granddaughter Adalie. Margie is trying to move a few things upstairs, and in my eyes, there’s nobody that can help us. Maybe some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. BUT, remember the verse in 2 Samuel. It says, “HE drew me out of deep waters.” Who did it? God did it. I should have remembered that God always has a plan… whether we see it or not.

By mid-morning Courtney had put us on the 911 list to be rescued, my two sons were calling their friends with boats and big trucks, and we had at least 12 men standing in the water that was flowing in our foyer. One of the guys, Dustin Drew, found out that you couldn’t drive to my house because of the high water. So, he pulled over and walked almost a mile through high water while pushing a small boat. (Which was perfect for Adalie) Another guy that lives maybe 5 houses down “just happened” to work for Coast Guard. He was talking to the HELICOPTER hovering over my house. What??? I turned it down though, too many memories with a backhoe, right? Then a flatbed boat showed up at my front door. My neighbor, Lawrence, took charge and the men loaded me, with all my breathing equipment into the boat. Adalie loved the “adventure” in her boat and Margie walked behind my boat. (A story in itself.) So, here’s this crowd of friends, paramedics, Coast Guard, neighbors from near and far… and EVERY ONE OF THEM WERE FOCUSED ON OUR SAFETY AND OUR LIVES. It was an epic moment as people worked from their HEART, instead of working from their POCKET.

Oh, remember that overwhelming, paralyzing, and vulnerable feeling I had? It is long gone! God ALWAYS has a plan and HE will never leave us! Never!

In Him, Pastor Kevin Kinchen

#1 — THAT VOICE ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR BRAIN

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#1 — THAT VOICE ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR BRAIN

Well, as you might already know, I haven’t posted much since Hurricane Harvey came through town. I haven’t posted much because there is so much to post. So, I decided to start writing and post whatever comes out.

I have lived in the Friendswood, Alvin, Dickinson area for 55 years and I have never been flooded, never told to evacuate (voluntarily or mandatory) and, certainly, never had to be rescued from my home… “because the only ones who have to be rescued are the people that don’t have a clue or they’re not paying attention. RIGHT?” W-R-O-N-G. Sooooo, wrong!

You know that “voice” on the inside of your brain, the one that showed up in your late 40’s or early 50’s, yeah, that one. I’ve heard it can show up in the 20’s and 30’s too. Regardless, that “voice” is NOT God. That’s an imposter trying to convince you that you still have “it,” whatever “it” is. “It” made sense to me. Our house never flooded, and in fact, no one ever floods in our entire subdivision. PLUS, we have a two-story house so we could always live up there. After all, I’m the man who takes care of my family… well, OK, she has to bathe me and dress me, but I’m still… well wait, she also feeds me through a tube, but I could do it if I wanted too….all I would need is two new arms. So, we’re OK. Umm, one more thing… I can’t walk, so the upstairs might not work out for us. Oh, and I need help in the bathroom, my medicine, my breathing exercises…. AND THAT, MY FRIEND, is when I realized “we should get help.” And help came from everywhere, by everyone. I will tell you about that in the next one.

In Him, Pastor Kevin Kinchen

 

No more excuses, alright? Alright.

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In 1 John 2:24-28, the New Living Bible has the phrase “in fellowship” repeated 4 times, within five consecutive verses. It must be important. Right? Check out these four verses. First, John is all about us “remaining IN FELLOWSHIP with the Son and with the Father.” He also said, “IN THIS FELLOWSHIP we enjoy the “eternal life” He promised.” Next, “remain IN FELLOWSHIP with Christ.“ And last, John tells us, “remain IN FELLOWSHIP with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage, and not shrink back from Him in shame.”

Let’s get real for a minute. I’ve heard people say things like, “I’m not ready to give my life to, Jesus. But don’t worry, I will do it eventually.“ Some even say, “I’m too busy, I don’t have time to do the church thing and the read your Bible thing.” Really? When that CASE-580 backhoe ran over me, lengthwise and face-up, there was not enough time to throw out a “Jesus save me” prayer. Thankfully, I had already secured my eternal destination. However, Jesus gave His life for more than just Eternal Life. He also gave His life so we could have FELLOWSHIP with Him and His Father. Think about that for a minute. You and I, as human beings, have an open invitation from the Creator of the universe, God, and His only Son, Jesus Christ. And get this, they WANT to have a relationship with us! But… wait for it, there’s more! He (God) loves us sooooo much that HE wants US to become PART OF HIS FAMILY! WHAAAT?

Now, what were those excuses I mentioned earlier? Surely, someone could make time for an invitation to fellowship with the Creator of the world, and His Son, Jesus, who paid the ultimate price by giving His life for our sins and eternal life in heaven… because they are FAMILY, right? Right? RIGHT???

In Him, Pastor Kevin Kinchen

In the last days…

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“You must understand this: In the last days there will be violent periods of time. People will be selfish and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no respect for what is holy, and lack normal affection for their families. They will refuse to make peace with anyone. They will be slanderous, lack self-control, be brutal, and have no love for what is good. They will be traitors. They will be reckless and conceited. They will love pleasure rather than God. They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them. Stay away from such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 – GW)

For those who think the Bible is not relevant in the world we live in, those Scriptures should make you think again. I watch the news every morning to get updated on major issues. However, if I want the WHY or the HOW of those issues, I just look in my Bible. Listen up… NOTHING surprises God. And when you know that, and believe that, there’s a “peace” that consumes you beyond what your brain could ever imagine. Do yourself a favor. Whenever you find yourself worrying or in a panic, run it through the filter of your Bible. Find out who God is, and who you are in Him. Learn about His protection, His solution and HOW to pray. I could go on and on. Finally, a daily intimate relationship with God is THE most important relationship you will ever have. If you have that, everything else will fall into place.

In Him, Pastor Kevin Kinchen