"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' And they struck him in the face." John 19:1-3 As you celebrate Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) this weekend, please remember that before Easter's incredible message of salvation and rebirth comes the dark and dreadful death of God's only Son. Easter Sunday means nothing without Christ paying our penalty on the Friday before it. Why would He undergo such torment and ridicule... the Holy Scriptures say He did it just for YOU! "So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle." John 19:16b-18 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 So maybe your dad's not perfect at this (none ever are), but if he knows the Lord, hopefully he's trying. So exactly what does this mean he's supposed to do? The Greek work "paideia", which means "training" really means three things together; instruction, discipline, and personal guidance. Dad's all go about this differently, but no matter how they do it, they are supposed to conduct themselves in such a way that their children don't get a negative attitude. If they do, that attitude can keep them from learning anything. Since I'm writing to teens, please don't go throw this verse in your father's face if he's making mistakes here. To do so would be to go against the commandment to honor your father (and mother). Instead, work on your attitude and you might just learn something even if his methods need work. And remember, Daniel served under a pagan king and still honored God every day of his life. I bet your dad's not as bad as King Nebuchadnezzar! Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I ran across some pretty shocking statistics about where people are going for advice and counsel these days. It seems that horoscope readings are at an all time high--some people buying the entire newspaper just to get the horoscope. I noticed that the larger mobile phone providers even offer to send your horoscope to you via text message each day. It also seems that many people (Christians included) are opting to forego time with pastors and licensed counselors to instead get counsel from spiritists, palm readers and the like. No doubt holistic medicine is on the rise, much of which has roots in ancient Pagan religions. And if that's not bad enough, the numbers of people who read the Bible, attend church, or even receive a daily devotional like this one are at an all time low. So, if people are more interested in listening to things taught by demons than those taught by God, how do they continue to surmise that they are "OK" with their heavenly Father? "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." 1 Timothy 4:1  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I get a good amount of mail from teens who feel like their Christianity is getting in the way of their friendships. Their friends don't want much to do with them any more since they've decided to be "down with the God thing!" It makes them want to change their standards or at least hide them from people in order to keep their friends. On the other end of the spectrum, I talk to many parents, leaders, and teachers who feel like the Christian standards they set make kids angry and even wind up making some of them run away from God. My take on the problem is the same in both instances and I attack it with a couple of simple questions. 1. Would God offer to become less holy because we don't like Him that way? 2. Does Truth change to fit the circumstances of the moment? The standards are where God put them, and that's what Christ followers try to achieve. If others don't like it, then we love them enough to tell them we won't change our standards for them. We make it obvious to everyone that our relationship with God is preeminent in our lives. You might find, as I have, that the same people who complained so much and ran away might come running to you for answers when things go bad in their lives. "LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart." Psalm 15:1-2 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Many who find selfish ways to spend all of their income (and even more in some cases) openly claim they'd love to give to God's work, if they only could "make it rich." The truth is that rarely happens. When people are selfish with a little, they'll be even more selfish if they have plenty. The opposite is also true--those who are generous with what little they have are always much more generous if they have extra. The poorest people in the world give a much larger percentage of their income to God's work than those who are wealthy. It's a simple but undeniable fact. So, if you've only got a little, thank God for what you have and give generously to His work. You might just find that the less you care about money the more He may be able to trust you with. You may also find that He uses what He teaches you on earth to prepare you for managing heavenly wealth. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldy wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 16:10-12) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I was browsing through some Bible commentary the other day and discovered something I hadn't noticed before. The Hebrew word sometimes translated "witness" can also be translated "servant". Interesting, I thought, since they are quite frankly the exact same thing and because I'm so quick to forget it. What we do says much more than what we say, and what we say has a lot to do with how the world watches to see if we're servants. "Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you." Acts 26:16 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I sometimes wonder if many Christians understand God's prohibition against idol worship. Clearly we are not people who carve blocks of wood into "gods" so that we can set them on altars or worship them. Although, as stupid as it sounds, God's chosen people have done just that through the generations (that one golden calf is a great example). It seems we believe we've evolved beyond that type of insanity. But have we? Our technological advances in physics, plastics, manufacturing, electronics and the like have created a whole new level of idol. We no longer call them gods, but we still bow down to them. We prefer to use more politically correct names like "car" or "stereo system" or "Porn site." We say they are for transportation or stress relief, or ministry, or just for fun, but we often lie to ourselves and our God. I ask you, are our newest desires any less idols? Is our love for them any less worship? Is our worship of them any less an abomination to our God? "Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, 'Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.' From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, 'Save me; you are my god.' They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, 'Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?" Isaiah 44:16-19 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27, NIV) Dear Friends, During a worship service last week, I sensed the Lord was talking specifically to me. Every time I tried to pass it off as silliness, the same message came back, again, and again, and again. So, I whispered, "Is this for me, Lord?" The feeling I received was overwhelming. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. As believers, we are called to walk closely with the Lord, being sensitive to His voice and direction. Yet in our busy lives, it can be easy to miss His whispers. How do we cultivate a heart that is tuned to the Holy Spirit? God primarily speaks through His Word. The more we immerse ourselves in Scripture, the more clearly we recognize His voice. The psalmist reminds us, " Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105). We also need to create space for stillness. The Holy Spirit often speaks in the quiet moments. In 1 Kings 19:12, Elijah hears God not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. When we quiet our hearts through prayer and reflection, we make room to hear the Lord's guidance. Also, we've got to consider that prayer is not just all talking to God. It is also listening. When we pause and ask the Lord to speak, He often places a thought, a Scripture, or a sense of direction on our hearts. Jesus tells us in John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth." So we need to be still at times, and wait as the Holy Spirit nudges us in various ways - through conviction, a sudden thought, or even through other believers. It's important to test what we hear against Scripture and seek confirmation in prayer. When He speaks, James 1:22 tells us to be "doers of the word, and not hearers only." Then, when we sense the Lord's leading, we step out in faith. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby