Tag: Rev. Dr. Ken Crawford

Seriously…

Dear friends, I urge you,
as aliens and strangers in the world,
to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)

This world is not our destination; it is our journey! There are many things here that can distract us from our goal and destroy our desire to complete our journey. These sinful desires actually are at war with us. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say “NO!” and live with confidence and character before our world that is trapped in darkness and so desperately needs God’s light.

The rest of the world is always watching Christians and waiting for us to fail so they can attack the faith. Some say we are a privileged part of society with benefits that are unearned… yes, they are absolutely right! Living up to our privilege is the tough part of this journey and people we don’t even know are always watching how we act and react. How do you live your life when you think no one is looking?

Empower me, almighty God,
so that I may grow ever closer
to your character and holiness.
Help me, loving God,
to live a holy life that is
attractive to my friends,
family, and neighbors,
so they may come to glorify you
by living your life, too.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

 

Let’s keep encouraging each other…

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.   – Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

Precious Father, God Most High, thank you for your patience, grace, and forgiveness. I want the Holy Spirit to lead me and empower me to grow in every way, but especially so that I can be more and more like Jesus in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank you for hearing my prayer offered in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amazing New Technology Will Rescue Airline Industry From Economic Failure

After nearly 30 years of offering customers the ultimate long-haul flying experience, Virgin Atlantic and its founder Sir Richard Branson are once again breaking barriers by announcing a world first in aircraft innovation. Almost a decade in the making, Virgin Atlantic has today announced that its world-class engineering team have been secretly working on the design and production of the world’s first-ever aircraft using new patented technology – flapology – to create the world’s first aircraft with flappable wings. To find out more please visit http://www.virginatlantic.com/Flapenergy and join the conversation at #flapenergy-april-fool

I wanted to share a little humor in these stressful times. Stay home and stay safe. Do not lose the joy in your life. Spend time with God, with family, and find things that bring happiness to your day. 

 “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”  – 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18

Blessings in God’s Peace,
Ken

Are You Headed in the Right Direction?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  — Proverbs 3:5-6

Everything that we know is subject to change without notice. Our values are tested in tough times and times of distress. It is vital to stay on course and move forward in the most difficult of circumstances. What do you use for your life’s compass? No matter how insightful, wise, experienced, or knowledgeable we may be, only God can guide our steps properly. God asks us to trust him and his wisdom even when we can’t immediately see the rationale behind it. He wants us to recognize his presence, guidance, and grace in all we do. As we trust and as we acknowledge his presence, we suddenly realize that our paths are a lot straighter and our destinations are a lot a closer.

Father in heaven, please give me courage to not lean on my own understanding. I know my thinking can be flawed and what I intend for good can blow up in my face. Please bless me with wisdom and insight as I seek to live for you in today’s confusing and immoral world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Child of God

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:2-9 NIV

Poor in spirit means meek in ego, and our ego is by nature tyrannical. All the tyranny is driven by the ego. When the ego is laid before God, in other words, when the ego is illuminated with the knowledge of God, it begins to fade; for it denies its limited being and it realizes the being of God.

An infant cries when it is hungry, and it is given food. So it is with the lovers of God, with the seekers of truth. When their desire becomes so deep that it makes them mourn, it is then that they are fed and comforted.

There are only two paths: the path of light and the path of darkness. The former leads to joy, while the latter leads to sorrow. Not everyone understands this, but the one who understands goes in pursuit of it.

The warmth of our feelings can take away the coldness from another person’s heart. We cannot receive mercy either from the earth or from heaven, unless mercy is awakened in our soul. Purity of heart is not only in thought, feeling, and action but the pure heart must be able to see and realize everyone as God sees them.

Those who make peace in life are unbiased, unselfish, and impartial because of the grace of God working through them. He bestows special gifts on those who follow the path of mercy and grace however, being a child of God is our greatest honor.

Father in Heaven,
Please help me to reflect the grace of Jesus
wherever I go and in whatever I do.
Open my eyes to the needs of others
and help me to ease their troubles.
The grace you have given me
is far more than I deserve
so help me to be gracious to
others without judgement or bias.
Allow me to be your humble servant
and keep me on the path of peace.
May Christ be glorified thought my life.
Amen

“Being at peace with yourself is a direct result of finding peace with God.”

For the foolishness of God
is wiser than man’s wisdom,
and the weakness of God
is stronger than man’s strength.
1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

God’s ultimate “foolishness” is his willingness to use the cross to bring others to him. At first glance, the cross is a hideous and horrible tool. This whole plan does not make sense to us. In our human wisdom, we could never visualize using a man crucified as criminal scum to capture the hearts of the world. But God does. The cross transcends cultural boundaries, overcomes language barriers, and reaches across racial differences. The cross is God’s demonstration of foolishness and weakness, and through it he conquers death and brings our heart to him. The weakest part of God is immeasurably and infinitely stronger than all of mankind combined.

On this day, Father,
I am powerfully reminded
of your incredible sacrifice
at Calvary with Jesus.
Words cannot express
how powerfully they have
touched me with your love
and filled me with the
assurance of your grace.
Thank you!
I am utterly amazed
that you would love me so.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

Reaching out to God.

“Here is my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.”
Isaiah 42:1

The last part of Isaiah contains what are often called the Servant Songs. Jesus claims several of these songs for his self-identity. The early church claimed several others, quoting them to define Jesus’ ministry and understanding them as prophecies of his coming. Not only were these words of prophecy inspired by God’s Spirit, but the Spirit also empowered Jesus as God’s servant to bring justice and display God’s mercy. The work of Jesus is rooted in the work of God’s Spirit in prophecy that foretells his coming, in his conception, at his baptism, at the start of his ministry, in the words he spoke, in the joy he experienced, through the power that raised him from the dead, and the gift he poured out when we came to him in conversion. The ministry of Jesus is so tied to Jesus and his work for us, that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another comforter,” like Jesus himself that Jesus would send when he returned to the Father. The work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are joined inextricably in God’s dance of grace that brings us life, hope, and justice!

O Father,
how can I ever fully grasp
the gift of the Spirit
dwelling in me?
I realize that the Spirit
is a bond that I share
with Jesus himself,
the power of the Lord’s
presence in my life.
Thank you for this grace, Father,
thank you for this gift, Lord Jesus,
and thank you for
your abiding presence, O Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name I thank you!
Amen.

Worth waiting for…

… While we wait for the blessed hope —
the glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us
to redeem us from all wickedness
and to purify for himself
a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:13-14 NIV

Some of the most basic and forward looking statements about Jesus are made in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. These letters are devoted to help pastor and mature churches in difficult places. They are incredibly practical, but also are rooted in the work of Jesus, his divinity, and his faithfulness. We are waiting for the Faithful One! We trust that he will come for us because of what he sacrificed to redeem us. While we wait, we honor his mission by being a people eager to do what is good, showing in our lives that he is our Lord.

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
“But I say to all of you:
In the future you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand
of the Mighty One and
coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:64 NIV

O God,
I find myself waiting for Jesus.
Because he loves me,
I know my life has direction
and meaning even
on those days that are long,
hard, and seemingly fruitless.
Fire my heart to wait longingly
for Jesus’ glorious appearing
and stir my desires
to only want
what is good and holy.
I want to see you!
But, dear Lord,
I also long to be like you!
In the glorious name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.