Higher Power?
Pastor Jim Kilby • February 6, 2024
"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)
Friends,
I’m working with a young person who has been hospitalized three times during the last few months. They have really strong anxiety issues which drive them to a place where they feel completely out of control. When I dig down to understand what’s the catalyst for all of this anxiety, the reasons are myriad: Gender identify issues, suicidal ideation, unresolved anger against parents, siblings, friends, teachers, etc., etc. During their hospital stays, psychiatrists and counselors recommend one drug or another to solve the problems. As you can imagine, drugs won’t help with the real issues behind the anxiety. The bottom line is this young person refuses to even consider a thought of a “higher power”. Talks of Jesus’ are met with laughs and smug replies. They seem to think they’ve got it all figured out, when in reality, they have nothing figured out. Their life is a mess!
When I think about all this further, I realize this exact situation seems to be where the whole world is. Young people are surrounded by drug abuse and addiction. The recent legalization of marijuana in many States, including Ohio, isn’t helping with that either. Instead of looking to God for knowledge, many young people are happier to spend their days vaping, drinking and fornicating. And why wouldn’t they? Isn’t that what virtually every media source points them to? Godlessness abounds! Thanks to laws rapidly changing in Ohio and other states, abortion is now a constitutional right and abortion pills are “on demand”. Last month in Ohio, our Republican Governor went against his own party, vetoing a bill that would have made gender reassignment surgery illegal. Now, the opposite is true. When you think about it, hardly anything is getting better for young people. Potential jobs are being automated. The economy seems to be in crisis. The cost of higher education doubles again and again. Thanks to hard hearts and no-fault divorce, families are as broken as they’ve ever been. Even those raised in good churches are not immune. And so, our mission continues. And while we can’t help everybody, we can help those the Lord brings into our circles. The Gospel remains the only answer that will change a heart, a soul, and an all eternity! Thank you for your prayers and support in so many ways.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jim Kilby
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I've heard a lot of Bible studies and sermons where people are warned about living a faith where they keep God in a box. It's basically a warning against compartmentalizing our lives in such a way that God is only involved in the things we let Him out of His box for; like Sunday mornings, Easter and Mother's Day. Maybe I'm just dense, but it seems to me no matter how hard anyone tries, God will never be put into anyone's box! God is everywhere all at the same time (omnipresent), and He knows everything (omniscient), among many other "omni's" I might add! The bottom line is God is quite aware of every part of our lives, including the parts we try to keep Him out of. Those are the parts where we actually put ourselves in boxes and wind up keeping out His healing and His blessings. "He says to himself, 'God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.'" Psalm 10:11 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
If you're a Christian for long you'll quickly get the feeling that the world just doesn't understand you. What's more, when you speak of the things of God, many will think you're flat-out stupid! Don't do like some folks and argue with them because you'll be wasting your time. Pray for them, and ask the Lord to open their eyes. Without the Holy Spirit, the things of the Lord will always seem like foolishness. "The world cannot accept him [Holy Spirit], because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I [Jesus] will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:17b-18 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
Can you imagine if all of your thoughts and private sins were broadcast across the big screen at your church? There's not a person alive who wouldn't have things on the screen that would cause people to gasp in horror! I know I wouldn't want my thoughts up there. But then again, if they were broadcast across the big screen or on the television during primetime, a friend of mine recently said, "It would be the best thing that could ever happen to any one of us. It would leave us with nothing left to do but run to Jesus!" "Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." Hosea 5:15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
What is your first reaction when things aren't going your way? When you've had one of those days where nothing seems to go as planned and you just feel attacked from every side, where do you turn? Most people will complain, wail to anyone who's listening, or even strike out in anger. In the end, when things are really bad, most do the same thing--they go somewhere no one will see them and they cry and blame God. What we really need to do is to go to God in the first place and put it all in His hands. He's the only one who can handle it anyway! "They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds." Hosea 7:14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
I was chatting with a young friend once when the news came on about the war in Iraq. We listened to the headlines for a minute and then he exclaimed, "We should not be in this war!" When I asked him why, he didn't really have any reason other than the same one's I've heard coming from the same television for a couple of years. Most of them were far beyond his ability to even understand, and so I assume he's most likely just developing his opinion from things he's heard. With just a few probing questions from me, I had him questioning everything he believed. I've got plenty of other friends who are on the other side of the political realm and they don't have much more of an understanding of "why" than he does--They just hear things and repeat them. When it comes to Christianity or even things of other faiths, most people do exactly the same thing. They hear things, begin to believe them, never really investigating the truthfulness for themselves. When it comes to a time of testing (like high school or college for sure), they have no real foundation for their beliefs and they begin to doubt their faith. Friends, being a Christian means allowing the Spirit of God to change us from the inside out, teaching us every thing about Himself. That is most typically done through His Word. If we're never really reading it, how will our faith stand a chance in the time of testing that will soon come? "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
Have you ever said to yourself, "Why doesn't God do something about this?" Maybe it was in response to a huge problem that would seemingly take hundreds or thousands of people to deal with. Or maybe it was something smaller you might have been able to do yourself if you really put your mind to it. I believe many of the things God would have us do are either not done or wind up being done by another servant because instead of just asking Him to send us, we beg Him to send someone else. We're actually refusing to do it but pretending to hide behind our questioning or our doubt that we're qualified. No matter whether the task is huge or something small, with God we have enough resources if we'll just ask Him to send us! "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
Years ago, there was a tragedy in Atlanta, Georgia where a man killed a judge (among other people). A pastor friend of mine pointed out that the guy was obviously desperate, believing he was going to be convicted of another terrible crime. So he struck out when he saw the moment, killing who he believed was the person responsible for his situation--the man sitting in judgment of him. No doubt the criminal's conscience wouldn't let him see that HE was in fact the one responsible for his situation. He undoubtedly felt hopelessly trapped by the very situation that he got himself into. The truth is that although he may have gone to prison for a long time, there WAS HOPE! And that hope was (and still is) found only in Jesus! And while all of this may seem terrible far away from wherever you are in your life, the truth is that ALL of us will one day stand hopelessly guilty before the One who will judge the world--unless the Judge finds that Jesus has already paid for our crimes, that is! "For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds." Matthew 16:27 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” — James 1:5 (NIV) Dear Friends, “If any of you lacks wisdom…” One of the greatest temptations in life is to believe we can handle everything ourselves. When challenges come — financial stress, family struggles, uncertainty about the future, or simply the weight of daily responsibilities — our first instinct is often to worry, react, or try to force solutions in our own strength. Yet Scripture continually reminds us that God calls His people to approach life differently: prayerfully and humbly. At Harvest Youth Ministries, we see this every day. The young people and families we serve are often carrying burdens much heavier than anyone realizes. Some are searching for direction. Others are hurting deeply. Many simply need someone willing to stop, listen, pray, and point them back to the hope found in Christ. Real ministry happens when we slow down enough to seek God’s wisdom before our own, trusting that He is faithful to guide us through every challenge we face .As a ministry, we are continually learning to approach every challenge the same way — prayerfully and humbly. Whether we are helping a struggling family through Harvest Helps, mentoring young people, operating Harvest House, or simply listening to someone who feels forgotten, we know that lasting change comes from the Lord. We may not always know the next step, but we trust the One who does. Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support make that ministry possible. Because of faithful friends like you, we are able to continue serving young people throughout our community with compassion, practical help, and the message of the Gospel. Thank you for standing with us as we continue to trust the Lord - not just for answers, but for the wisdom and humility to follow wherever He leads. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby
