We have spent way too much time “dwelling on what has happened in the past… both GOOD and BAD!” How is that for an opening statement? Regardless, it’s the truth. We must forget all the bad stuff we have been through. It’s OVER! Oh, we can still remember the lessons we have learned and the wisdom we gained from all those experiences. BUT… it’s time to STOP talking about “how hard it was” or “how much it hurt” or even “how hard it will be without feeling the pain of it all…” Come on now, YOU can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens you!

We cannot afford to dwell on what happened in the past because God wants to do something NEW! He cannot bring the NEW into our life when we are still rehearsing the past. God is going to do something so incredible that we won’t even REMEMBER all the bad, painful and hurtful things we endured. WE need to open our eyes and SEE what God is doing in our lives. In the Bible, the Pharisees and the Scribes were EXPECTING a KING to come like the ones they had read about in the PAST. Unfortunately, THESE PEOPLE MISSED JESUS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM! He was this KING they were expecting but they missed Him because they were looking backward instead of forward. So, HOW do we stay fresh, how do we SEE the NEW thing God is doing?

Easy, just STAY CLOSE TO JESUS BY SPENDING TIME WITH HIM. We do this by reading and studying the Word of God, by talking to Him through prayer, and by spending some time “being still” which allows us to HEAR what God wants to say. If we will put our relationship, with God in that #1 spot in our life, then we won’t miss what HE IS DOING! The Pharisees and Scribes had LEFT their walk with God. They were serving Him with lip-service. No passion. No heart. No actions. No compassion. Therefore, they didn’t recognize Him. You and I are CALLED to fellowship with Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:9)

I pray ALL of us will embrace that calling so we can know Him more, and SEE His plans for us.

In Him, Pastor Kevin Kinchen

“… After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” (1 Tim. 6:7)

This verse says, “… we brought nothing with us when we came into the world.” That should be obvious. But, then it says, “… and we can’t take anything with us when we leave…” Basically, we brought nothing and we leave with nothing. Think about that for a second. If my child went to 1st grade with nothing, and after 12 years, at graduation, they leave with nothing. I’m going to say, “Well THAT was a waste of time and money!” Right? So, are we just a bunch of nothings to God? Of course not.

You see, our life is not about what we bring into the world, and it’s not about what we take when we leave. It is all about what we LEAVE before we “graduate.” The Bible says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” And that’s what He did; He LEFT us His LEGACY of salvation, a salvation to accept and to share. Imagine this… What if Jesus was able to rally all the people who believed in Him while He was still on earth, and He took all of them with Him when He ascended to heaven. That’s great BUT, Jesus was only here for 33 years. With His legacy of salvation, people have been accepting and sharing salvation for 2,000 years!

OK, what about you. Where is your focus? Do you have a REALationship with God? Are you trying to stuff your trailer with worldly things? Or, are you investing time, prayers and/or money into the furthering of God’s Kingdom? Take some time to search your heart and make adjustments if necessary. Remember, God is on your side.

In Him,
Pastor Kevin Kinchen

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

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