I used to think that God only wanted to hear me praising His name and praying for people in my circle of influence. It took a while, but I eventually learned that God is capable of handling anything I can throw at Him. He wants to hear the tough things we're dealing with, the sins we're continuing to struggle with, and even our desperation at not hearing from Him as clearly as we may like. God is a Father that cares deeply for us and never acts harshly or judgmentally like our earthly fathers may do. Honestly, can we really call what we have with Him a "relationship" if we only talk with Him about the weather? Psalm 13 1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; 4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Although the word "narcissism" may be unfamiliar to many, the concept it stands for is alive and well today. Basically, narcissism is love of oneself. It is practiced best by those who can focus almost entirely on their own needs, in spite of the condition of those around them. A "narcissist" has no problem taking care of number one! Unfortunately there's far too much narcissism in Christian circles today. There are even throngs of preachers who preach nothing else! Jesus calls us to just the opposite type of focus and thinking. Honestly, is there any of this type of thinking in your heart that God needs to root out? "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Philippians 3:19 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

It doesn't take much channel surfing to realize that Hollywood has a growing fascination with mediums, spiritists and the like. Some people claim to talk to the dead, others to see into the future. They are ALL fakes, liars, demon-driven, or all three! The Bible says as much in many places. But what's probably worse is that many people who calls themselves Christians follow these crazy notions. Honestly, if Jesus died to give us direct access to the God of the Universe, why on earth would we seek out demons and sinners for advice and council? "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead [lost] on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! [the Holy Bible] If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness." Isaiah 8:19-22 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Humans are an ungrateful sort. I'm inundated with mail from people complaining God won't do this or that for them or griping about how He answers (or doesn't answer) prayer. One guy honestly challenged me to tell him one single thing God has done for him. My response was simple enough. "Did you make the air you're breathing all by yourself?" God is not some type of colossal candy man who does whatever we demand. He is much more interested in our growth and our Spiritual condition than He is what we think we need. "But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in this desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!'" Numbers 21:4b-5 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Israel once demanded God give them an earthly king so they could be like all the nations around them. Unfortunately for them, they got what they asked for. Saul, David and Solomon are no doubt familiar to just about everyone and each of them had their good and bad points. After those kings, however, most of the long list of their names aren't even household names in Israel! What's worse, most of them were terribly wicked. For generations they operated without even a hint of God's word (what Israel said they wanted in the first place). Then there came a day when a priest accidentally found a copy of God's Law and presented it to King Josiah. When Josiah heard the Word of the Lord, he did something very rare among regular people and even more rare among kings. He did what it said. He actually took God seriously and made the necessary life changes immediately and permanently. So I ask you this. When you heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, did you ignore it, believe and become a new creation or did you just morph the old self into a pseudo church-going look alike? "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did--with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses." 2 Kings 23:25 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Have you ever heard the saying "Talk is cheap?" Well, it's a true saying for sure. What's more, talking big without backing it up with hard work, will make sure the only thing you can afford is "cheap!" "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23 God!" Hebrews 9:12-14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

In ancient times God commanded His people to sacrifice all types of animals for the temporary forgiveness of their sins. People were always having to put their own animals to death to make amends for their imperfect deeds. While that seems like it must have been incredibly difficult, the Bible says that their sacrifices only cleansed them on the outside. My understanding is that God was simply showing them that sin causes death, and pointing to the time when He would give His Son for our sins. When that time came, Jesus laid down His life as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. What's more, His blood actually cleanses us not only on the outside, but all the way through. His sacrifice was enough to cleanse even our consciences so that we can forget about what we've done against Him and get on with His work here and now. If you're still hanging on to things you've done, give them to Jesus my friend and let His Blood cover them forever! The burden is heavy for you, but He can carry it without a care! "He [Jesus] did not enter means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:12-14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Now all I need is ___________" (Fill in the blank). When it comes to things I like to do, I really never have a problem getting motivated. On the other hand, when it comes to things I would rather not do, I can procrastinate with the best of them! My mind can come up with just about any reason not to get started picking up after my dog, for example! I've also seen that many who claim to be interested in starting a solid and growing relationship with Christ seem to come up with reason after reason why they just don't have all the things they need quite in place yet. They might say, "Well, I don't like the version of the Bible I have," but as soon as I get a Study Bible I'll get started reading every day." I find it interesting that a whole book of the Bible (Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament) was written at a time when Israel had overcome just about every problem they'd faced for generations. They were no longer in slavery. The Temple had been rebuilt, and the walls of Jerusalem had been put back into place. Still, God uses the prophet Malachi to speak boldly to them about their spiritual condition even in seemingly perfect circumstances! As for the rest of us, perfect circumstances will never occur. That's why we've got to get started anyway, and with whatever we have! Whole churches in China have as little as one or two pages of the Bible and they grow like crazy! The difference is not what we have or don't have, it's the condition of our hearts! "But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate." Ezekiel 3:7 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate