Read Good News

 

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. --Psalm 27:13

How comforting are the Psalmist’s words in the midst of times in which we hear about terror in the Middle East, violations of our privacy here at home and angry disputes at our southern border. The news reports are filled with stories of conflict and evil. How many more children will be abducted at the hand of slave traders? How many more suicide bombers will blow up innocent shoppers in a marketplace in the name of their god? Sometimes I think I would be better off if I didn't turn on the news or read a newspaper. It's always full of bad news!

That’s why the Ellis County Ministerial Alliance created in partnership with The Hays Daily News a GOOD NEWS publication called ONE. Pick ONE up at the Welcome Center in lobby this Sunday.

Who cares which movie stars are dating or twerking?  Who really cares if LeBron James plays basketball in Miami or on the moon? Will it change our lives in any significant way? I guarantee you that being captivated by vampire or zombie T.V. shows will bring no real good to anyone.

If I focus on what is good, really good, we like the Psalmist says, “will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Mike & Ashley Crain a delightful young couple visited with me some time ago about moving to Hays and joining C3.  Well, they are arriving this Thursday and are needing help unloading.  If you can help or know of someone you can send it would be greatly appreciated.

Their address is going to be 315 E. 5th.  They will be here between 2 & 2:30 pm on Thursday. 

Thank you in advance for you help

PK

 

America's Godly Heritage

I have shared with you in the past how much I love the 4^th of July holiday. I agree with John Adams who believed that the Fourth of July should become a religious holiday. He wrote, “ next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day the Fourth of July?"

Last Friday  I curled up on the couch and watched the 1972 movie musical “1776” and then the 7 hour long HBO mini series “John Adams”.  I love this stuff and because my wife loves me, once a year she puts up with my couch potato behavior. I’m not ashamed, I love celebrating our nation’s birthday because I believe all the evidence points to God’s hand being upon our nation from it’s inception. 

Last Sunday in a message to our Colby congregation I shared a message about “America’s Godly Heritage”. I believe that honest men and women cannot dispute the spiritual foundations of our nation's laws. The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson declared unequivocally that "all men are created equal ... [and] endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights..."  (Actually Jefferson penned inalienable rights, but John Adams who thought it was grammatically incorrect had it changed at the printers)

Did you know that inscribed on the walls of both the House of Representatives and Senate are the words "In God We Trust."

Engraved on the metal cap at the top of the Washington Monument is a Latin phrase “Laos Deo” which means "Praise be to God." 

When entering the National Archives to see the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence, you must first pass by the Ten Commandments prominently displayed at the entrance. 

And in the Supreme Court building, on the walls above where the justices sit, is a depiction of Moses holding the Ten Commandments.  It is no exaggeration to say that our Supreme Court judges literally sit in the shadow of Moses.

Even Thomas Jefferson, the president who once wrote a personal letter extolling the "wall of separation between church and state" (a phrase never used in any of our founding documents), wrote “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” .

America truly has a Godly heritage and I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A. one nation under God indivisible (or is it undividable?) with liberty and justice for all.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

America The Good

 

French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said,
"I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. 

I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless
Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of
America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!" S

Last Saturday I went to see the new movie America: Imagine the World Without Her” by author and producer Dinesh D’Sousa who asserts that the notion of the essential goodness of America is under attack, replaced by another story in which theft and plunder are seen as the defining features of American history—from the theft of Native American and Mexican lands and the exploitation of African labor to a contemporary foreign policy said to be based on stealing oil and a capitalist system that robs people of their "fair share". 

Our founding fathers warned us that, although the freedoms they gave us were hard fought, they could very easily be lost. America stands at a crossroads, and the way we understand our past will determine our future. “America” the movie takes 21st-century Americans into the future by first visiting our past.

I encourage you to see “America” and to continue to be “the good” that de Tocqueville saw as the greatness of America.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Mike & Ashley Crain a delightful young couple visited with me some time ago about moving to Hays and joining C3.  Well, they are arriving this Thursday and are needing help unloading.  If you can help or know of someone you can send it would be greatly appreciated.

Their address is going to be 315 E. 5th.  They will be here between 2 & 2:30 pm on Thursday. 

Thank you in advance for you help

PK

 

Independence Day

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…Declaration of Independence

On July 3rd, 1776 in Philadelphia, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife predicting that one day this newly formed nation would look back on the momentous events of that week and celebrate.

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

May God bless you and your family on this day that we celebrate the freedom God gave us and the nation He birthed to proclaim it.

Celebrating life, liberty and the pursuit of God from whom all blessings flow!

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Freedom

On July 3, 1776, the day before the signing of the Declaration of
Independence, George Washington wrote a letter to his wife, anticipating the hardships which would soon occur.

Here in part are his words,

"In a few days, you will see a Declaration setting forth the causes which have impelled us to this mighty revolution and the reasons which will justify it in the sight of God. I am fully aware of the toil and blood and treasure what it will cost to maintain this declaration and support and defend these states; yes, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory."

The next day in Philadelphia the Declaration of Independence was signed by 55 of the representatives  of the thirteen Colonies in the First Continental Congress, July 4, 1776. A portion of the  Preamble goes as follows:

         “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created       equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain

         inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit

         of Happiness.”

I am tired of hearing from secularists that our founding fathers were not men of God who believed in Divine Providence’s hand in the forming of our great nation. 

I challenge you to remember that this 4^th of July holiday is not about a country music festival or barbeques and firecrackers. This weekend we celebrate the freedom we enjoy that was framed by our nation’s founders 238 years ago. Every day we celebrate the freedom God has granted us through Jesus Christ.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle  

It is not too late to sign up for ECMA Golf Tourney TODAY at 5pm at Fort Hays Golf Course. C3 is just a few golfers shy of winning the traveling trophy for the most golfers. Just show up at 4:30pm.   

The Next Match

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 

Not ever being a soccer player I was never a real fan of the sport, but like most people, my interest gets peaked every four years when the World Cup rolls around. This year it seems that there are more people watching the competition. Yesterday during the United States' loss to Portugal in the round of sixteen I found it surprising to hear so many people talking on sports talk radio about the team’s poor performance. I didn't think that it was fair for those I heard to pass judgment after watching the team play only a couple of times.

That's when it dawned on me that it's the same way in our walks with Christ. We aren't defined by one event in our lives, whether it be victory or defeat. Those things are only temporary. People often get stuck on a single mistake that they've made and believe that Jesus could never forgive them of such an awful sin, but that’s not the case. Psalm 103:12 says that "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." When you make a commitment to Jesus Christ and hand your life over to Him, He wipes the slate clean. You're a "new creation." 

This goes for our ongoing relationship with Christ, too. Don't let a single sin drag you down or define you.  Acknowledge that you've made a mistake, confess it to the Lord, make reparations to those you have sinned against and make a valid effort to rid yourself of that sin claiming victory over it in the name and authority of Christ.

Then with your head held  high get ready for the next match.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

The Ellis County Ministerial Alliance will host the 11th annual “Swingin’ for Support” Golf Tournament this Thursday July 3^rd at 5pm at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course To register to play on one of the C3 teams contact me TODAY at kyle@celebratejesus.org or call 785-635-5943.

Attention All Golfers

The Ellis County Ministerial Alliance will host the 11th annual “Swingin’ for Support” Golf Tournament on July 3^rd at 5pm at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course, in conjunction with Wild West Festival. 

This is the major fundraiser for ECMA’s Second Mile Fund, which assists local Ellis County residents with food, rent, utilities and other emergency needs through First Call For Help. This year’s tourney will feature a new day, time and lower price. To avoid the heat and the need to take a day off from work to play in the tourney, this year golfers will be playing a nine-hole scramble format at 5 p.m., finishing up in time to enjoy Wild West festivities. 

You can register for this four-person scramble for $50 per player, which includes cart, meal and prizes. Each year the church that provides the most golfers gets to keep for a year a traveling trophy. Last year the First United Methodist Church beat out Celebration as the church with the most golfers. I would like to see us win the trophy back To register to play on one of the C3 teams contact me TODAY at kyle@celebratejesus.org or call 785-635-5943. 

Come be a part of this fellowship event promoting Christian unity in our community while at the same time raising much need money to help those local families in need.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,
Kyle