Harvest Blog

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 1 Corinthians 3:7

"When he (Satan) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44b (NIV) Dear Friends, I got a call from a young woman last week who was wondering why a beautiful butterfly had landed on her arm for a brief moment the day before. She wanted to know if I’d help her figure out which of her late relatives had visited. She had earlier posted the same question on social media and a flurry of “keyboard spiritualists” had convinced her she’d been visited by her grandmother who recently passed. For better or worse, I can be pretty blunt when I’m speaking the Truth to lies. And so I said, “You were visited by a beautiful bug!”. We went on to discuss how Jesus made it clear no one can pass from this life and then come back (Luke 16:19-31) (with the obvious exceptions of when He was involved in bringing someone back from the dead). I don’t think she actually believed me, but that’s likely because lies like this are so ingrained in our culture. What’s more, lots of well-meaning and sympathetic people who want to comfort grieving hearts perpetuate these lies without realizing they actually come from anti-Christian “new age” religions. What’s probably the saddest thing, in my opinion, is that so many young people have been so insulated from actual Biblical truth for so long, when they see it, they either immediately discount it or refuse to even listen. But some might ask me, does it really matter if she believes her grandmother visited her in the form of a butterfly. Yes, it does. Because it’s a lie, and all lies come from a root of evil. And… because it works against the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has been quite clear with us: “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby

Dear Friends, Last month I shared my woes with rupturing my Achilles tendon and how my surgeon told me to go "slow, slow, slow!" Well, I was trying! I really was! But that didn't help me when one of my crutches slipped on the smooth concrete in my garage and I fell...hard! I knew it wasn't good, but after a few minutes of catching my breath I was able to get myself back together and get into the house. A few days after that, increased pain told me something more serious had happened and that something was wrong. The doctor worked me into his schedule that very morning so he could take a look. With one glance, his concern was obvious. He told me I wouldn't be going home that day and I'd be having another surgery. As he put it, "this is the worst-case scenario!" "You've re-ruptured your Achilles and this time the surgery is much more invasive and quite a bit more complicated." And so, I'm back to the beginning of my healing process. This time the doctor called my bluff on how careful I told him I'd be, and he put me in a cast up to my knee. He also promised it wouldn't be coming off anytime soon! Now, I get more practice in going slow. Since there's no getting around it, I also get more work on my attitude and my patience. Although I'm very grateful for wonderful medical care, I would argue one point with my surgeon... This is NOT the worst-case scenario! For starters, I still have two legs, and some people don't have any. I go home to a warm and cozy house, and many don't have anything near that. Of course, the real "worst case scenario" would be never hearing or believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Of the reality of the Cross and of the Resurrection of my Lord and Savior, I have no doubt! And that my friends is an unrevokable gift from God, the absolute best case scenario there has ever been or will be! Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17)

Dear Friends, Some friends have been trying to get me to play pickle ball for a couple of years. Although I’d never spent any time playing racket sports, I’ve become okay at most sports I’ve tried, so I finally went and watched them. It looked they were all having fun and it seemed simple enough, so when they urged me to come and play the next week, I went. Honestly, it was more humbling than I thought. I was consistently standing in the wrong place, hitting the ball to the wrong spot and sweating more than anyone else. Still, I’m super competitive, so I had fun. When they asked me to come and play again, I did. Since I’d already did it once, this time I jumped in without warming up, stretching, or even giving much thought to the shoes I was wearing. All of that proved to be a mistake. Not three minutes into my second attempt I was trying to slam the ball back at my opponent when I suddenly fell to the ground. It felt like someone had crashed into me from behind or maybe hit me with something. As I lay there unable to get up by myself, I soon realized I’d ruptured an Achilles tendon. Soon, I was being carried to the closest exit. Within a week, I was having surgery followed by a hundred warnings by my surgeon, ”TAKE IT SLOW!!” “This is going to be a loooong recovery!” Currently, I’m getting a new shot at learning both patience and humility. Sure, I know what the Holy Bible says about patience. And I’ve read entire books about true biblical humility. But when you cannot get into or out of a shower, cannot go to the bathroom alone, and are forced to do even the most mundane tasks on a scooter, you have two options. You can become impatient and shake your fist at the sky, or you can learn to become more patient with yourself and others. And since you won’t be walking on your own either way, accepting the heavy dose of humility and learning to be more patient are the best options. In all things we must find a way to give thanks! So, I appreciate your prayers as I slow down a bit and thank God I didn’t break something more important! Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14, NKJV)

‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9, NIV)