Get out of your "cave!"

Elijah was a great prophet of God in the Old Testament. He was known for battling the false prophets of Baal. He was a miracle worker through the power of God. He was fed by ravens. Having fasted 40 days, he became a front runner of Jesus Christ himself. If anyone in scripture had reason for great, unswerving faith, it must have been Elijah!

Yet, we find in 1 Kings 19:9-18 a story of the mighty prophet basically whining that he was all alone in following Jehovah God. He says in verse 10, "...I am the only one left..." He claimed his own people, the Israelites had rejected God's covenant and torn down the very alters where they were to worship Him. And to top it all off, they were out to kill him!

This is when God intervenes and has Elijah "Go out and stand on the mountain" so that He might pass by. You are probably familiar with the story. First, there was a "Great Wind" that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks, but God wasn't in the wind. Then there was a "Earthquake" but God wasn't in the earthquake. This was followed by a "Fire" but God was not in the fire. Finally, there came a "Gentle Whisper" the kind that required silence and a cessation of activity to hear. This is where God finally spoke to the prophet.

We've always focused on the aspect of silence and solitude as necessary in our lives to hear God's voice. And while this is truer now more than ever, I am curious what it was that God said to Elijah after he got his attention.

"What are you doing here?" God asks Elijah

When God spoke to Elijah with the "sound of a gentle blowing" (NASB), He asked, "What are you doing here?" Leading me to look back at the passage to see where he was. Verse 13 says that Elijah "went out and stood at the mouth of the cave." But wait a minute, wasn't Elijah instructed to "go out and stand on the mountain?" How did he get back in his cave!! The very same cave he was staying in before God spoke with him! If we look even further back in the context, we find that Elijah was even suicidal, praying that he might die. So in this context, God asks Elijah, "What are you doing here" in this cave?

In summary, Elijah claims he was the only one still zealous for God. Saying that everyone else has left the faith and deserted him. What Elijah didn't know was that there were still thousands of faithful followers of God. He was not alone! God's word to him was then, get back to work. Don't hide your light in a cave! Get back to the business of a prophet by anointing Hazael King over Aram. I'll take care of your enemies.

Today, you may find yourself in your own "cave" cowering from family members, co-workers, or just the world in general. You may feel you are all alone in your faith in God. And that everyone is out to attack you. You may feel beaten down, overwhelmed, and tired out. Your "cave" is the only place you feel secure.

Well, first of all you need to know that you are not alone. God has Christians all over your town, your country, and the world who still seek to follow Him with all their hearts. 

Secondly, Christians are not reborn through the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ to just hole up and live quiet lives of isolation and seclusion. Jesus compares us to a light shining His love for all to see.  And salt permeating our surroundings with the seasoning of a life changed.

Venture out of whatever "cave" you may find yourself holed up in today, and know you are not alone. Get back to church. Talk with God through prayer. Be available when the Spirit prompts you to action. You'll find your life suddenly filled with a new light and love that transcends anything this world can offer!

Kalkaska Team takes mission trip to Sonlight Ministries in Haiti

A team from Kalkaska, led by Tim and Anita Severance, recently returned from the third-world country of Haiti on a short-term missions trip. They ministered with Sonlight Ministries, one of several missions supported by the Kalkaska Church of Christ. Sonlight Ministries includes an English Immersion Academy for grades Preschool through 12th, Sonlight Bible College, and Sonlight Church which recently moved into their new facility, the SonCenter.

Stobert Dental in Port-de-Paix, Haiti

The team supplied dental care to over 300 students, workers, and others in and around the mission. The dental team was led by Drs. Troy and Carrilyn Stobert and assisted by Michelle Price and Anita Severance.

Matt Price, Mike Fitzgerald, and Scott Severance all worked alongside Mission Founder, Roger Alexander, to provide maintenance to the mission.

Veryna Flores, Charla Reimer, Sidney Price, Kaylin Severance, Emma Price, and Kyra Stobert all assisted in the Sonlight Academy classrooms during the week.

The afternoons were spent exploring and experiencing the country, it's culture, language, and people. 

Monday the team traveled by Haitian taxi (motorbike) to the Market downtown where they witnessed a funeral procession, visited the Catholic Church, and experienced the state run hospital.
Tuesday, a mountain hike proved to be more than anyone bargained for when the small group came upon a voodoo ceremony and were even allowed to photograph part of it!
Wednesday, they took a tap-tap (pick-up truck) to the House of Hope where they held babies and played with children.
Thursday, the group visited KCC's Familystuf/Kidstuf's newly sponsored child, Jemima Jonquille, at her home.
Friday, the team visited a Haitian home and went on a fishing trip with the locals.

Here are some of the team's comments from Facebook about the trip.

"This country is so full of beautiful people, beautiful culture, and beautiful land. I cannot wait to return!"

Sidney making faces with Preschooler Elizabeth

 - Charla Reimer

"Beautiful country, beautiful people."

-Sidney Price

"What a great experience this trip was!!"

-Mike Fitzgerald

"I can't look at things the same ever again. Monday at work was rough. There is so much we take for granted in this country. While we live in our own little bubbles of comfort there is real poverty and suffering out there. The poorest family I know would be rich in Haiti. I mean I got to see kids play with Legos for the first time and they were 1st graders! 

Veryna tutoring Sonlight Academy students

It was amazing! People with no shoes, covered in dirt, and hungry were everywhere. There's no trash pick up and waste just flows out onto the streets while little kids walk barefoot through it. 

Haiti has my heart. The people are friendly and loving, people are close, the children have respect and many have a deep love of God. The place is beautiful, and people cherish the small things and stick together. I found myself wanting to stay there forever."

-Veryna Rogers (Flores)

For a more detailed report on this mission trip and a Haiti Medical mission trip with Dr. Richard Hodgman, join us Sunday morning, November 16th at 10:00 AM at the Kalkaska Church of Christ.

Are You Just Attending?

The current sermon series at KCC is entitled: I Am A Church Member. I was thinking about this the other day. What does it look like to be a member of some organization versus just attending the organization or event? Here's a contrast between attending vs. joining. 

You attend a game; You join the team.

You attend a concert; You join the band.

You attend a movie; You join the cast.

You attend a wedding; You join the wedding party.

Joining and committing to membership means becoming an intricate part of a group. On the other hand, attending implies your presence is not necessarily so important to the function - you are usually just there to sit and listen. 

Attending is easy. Just show up. Attending is short-term. You can do this until you tire of it. Attending is non-committal. No commitment required. Attending takes no practice, no preparation, no cost, and no sweat! 

Joining or becoming a member is much more involved. It's not usually easy. It's long-term and takes commitment to the other members. They depend on you, as you depend on them. There is a cost. Time is involved and sometimes lots of sweat and tears are shed. 

Jesus never called anyone to attendance. Jesus accepted no compromise. Remember Luke 9:57-62 where three different men sought to follow Jesus? Each one had something a little bit more important than committing 100% and following Christ. Jesus words to them were, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." In today's terms you might say, "Once you begin formatting that hard drive, don't disconnect the power." There's no turning back.

Today, Jesus is still looking for full fledged followers who are totally sold out for Jesus Christ and His Church. Don't just attend a church, let them know they can count on you and join it!

Black Jesus

After receiving this email from "Lewis and Nanette at Christian Entertainment Alliance" instructing me to petition a new show called Black Jesus on ADULT SWIM, I wrote this reply. However, the email address from which the original came from doesn't exist. So, I will post my reply here in hopes that some may see it.

Lewis, 

I'm not sure how I got on your mailing list, but please, please LEAD WITH LOVE in speaking with those who don't share our Christian faith. Build a bridge with those you are offended by. Love them first. Then share your concerns. Your efforts to "Defend Jesus" may do more to disgrace Christians than "Stop the sinners." Please use wisdom in your efforts and your leadership along with the teachings of Jesus himself (Matthew 5:39).

I will not participate in a petition since Jesus never used this type of strategy in trying to reach the lost or in defending himself. I believe it does more harm than good for the Christian faith. We cannot legalize Grace and Love.

Finally, please be aware that "our ways are not always his ways." When the disciples thought they were doing what Jesus wanted, over and over, He had to correct them because they weren't (Luke 9:54; John 18:10).

Pray for these people and their families. Have compassion on them and seek to share the real Jesus with them (Matthew 5:44).

In His Love,

Tim Severance
Associate Minister
Kalkaska Church of Christ

Top 10 Christian Communicators

"When are we gonna to eat?" my 11-year old daughter asks my wife and I. We hear that question on almost a daily basis. Truth is that we actually eat three times a day often with snacks in between! Yet, my daughter's tank quickly runs dry. Our weekly visit to the grocery store keeps the kitchen cupboards filled with food. My wife is an excellent cook. She's endlessly serving meals up for the family.

In addition to eating at home, we also enjoy dining out. Taco Bell is my daughter's favorite restaurant. My son enjoys pizza ANYWHERE. I like the steak houses. Still, every day, we desire to eat more. It's natural. That's the way God made us.

Perry Noble from Newspring Church

In the same way that physical food is essential to our bodies, a regular intake of God's Word is critical to our Spiritual life. If I only ate once a week, say on a Sunday morning, I would end up weak, lethargic, and unable to function properly on a day to day basis.

As Christ followers, we should desire a steady diet of God's Word. Bible reading is the primary source of spiritual food. A daily time in God's word ought to be a priority for every Christian. That goes without saying.

Another means of ingesting God's Word is through Godly communicators. Men and women who have devoted their lives to preaching and teaching the Gospel can supplement our daily reading of the Bible.

I have assembled a list of my top 10 Christian communicators. These are preachers and Christian authors who have influenced my life over the years. Check them out and "snack" on God's Word through their ministries!

Tim's Top 10 Christian Communicators

10. Randy Alcorn - Author of "If God is Good" and "Heaven." I actually fell in love with Randy's writings after reading "Money, Possessions, and Eternity." He fully develops his subject matter using scripture and engages easily with his audience.
9. Max Lucado - Max's gift is writing with over 27 books to his credit. His style is simple, yet poignant and applicable to the Christian life.
8. Judah Smith - I was first intrigued by Judah when I heard him read scripture. His ability to dissect the Word and teach truth is exciting and fresh.
7. Rene Schlaepfer - I first heard Rene speak on the now defunct Church Communication Network. His exceptional usage of illustrations, stories, and quotes make listening to him a joy.
6. Craig Groschel - Craig pioneered the Multi-Site Church model with his video teaching. Craig and wife Amy, have 5 children, homeschool, and make their own butter! (Just kidding on the last one.)
5. Rick Warren - Best known for his New York Times bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life," Rick's heart is committed to building great churches through obedience to the "great commission."
4. Mark Driscoll - Mars Hill in Seattle, Washington. Mark is a dynamic teacher fearlessly speaking bolding with no regards to man's opinion.
3. Francis Chan - Anyone who will sell their house, leave a mega church pastoral, and move his family of 5 to Asia for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Gospel is worth listening to!
2. Andy Stanley - Author and Pastor of Northpoint Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Andy teaches with down to earth conviction and passion for the local church and the message of Jesus. 
1. Perry Noble - Dynamic, influential, and pastoring one of the fastest growing churches in the nation! Perry's style doesn't appeal to everyone, but there is no doubt he is all about winning people to the Lord!

Be Still

Cartoon Network has a new app that allows you to Play Games and Watch TV AT THE SAME TIME! No longer will our youth be restricted to just the flashy, mind-numbing, unintelligible sights and sounds of Adventure Time, but they can also simultaneously play Ride 'em Rigby on the same screen.

Now, honestly, that's not a novel idea because my son has already been doing that for some time! He will watch his iPad Netflix app with ear buds all the while playing Minecraft on the computer. We used to think just checking email and working on a spreadsheet was impressive, but that was novice multitasking compared to what's ahead for today's youth.

Parents and teachers alike are concerned about the effects of technology on the brains of young people. Many claim they are being rewired, and not in a good way. Attention spans are diminishing. Recently it was reported that the average young person's attention span is 9 seconds - the same as a goldfish!

We lost electrical power the other day. It became quiet and all the lights were off. It was strange, almost a foreign feeling. It felt unnatural. But should it? I stepped outside on the back deck where I simply sat down in a lawn chair. I could hear the birds chirping. The squirrels scampered along the ground. Then a question popped into my head.

Do we ever "turn it off" anymore? You know, just unplug?

I'm reminded of a verse in Psalms. "Be still and Know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Be still? Be still. Stop. Unplug. Turn off. For how long? What if...? Yeah, I know, it's hard. Yet, I'm convinced God is being pushed away by all our technology. The busyness of life keeps us...well, busy. And if we're always busy, fluttering from pixel to pixel, when is there any time for God?

Now I'm the last person to be anti-technology. But I see the need to take breaks from it. Jesus didn't have tech like we do today, but he was a very busy man! What did he do? He took breaks. Luke wrote, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

Jesus went off by himself to be alone with the Father. He removed the distractions from His routine life. He "unplugged." He was "still."

It behooves (love that word!) us to do the same!
Turn it (fill in the blank) off for a little while.
That app isn't going anywhere.
Your phone calls will go to voicemail.
Your emails will sit patiently in your inbox.
Your show can be watched on demand, from the DVR, or online.

Take the time to "Be still" today. In fact, I would encourage you to do it every day, if even for 5 minutes. Protect that time. No interruptions. You might have to go away somewhere quiet and lonely like Jesus did. But do it.

Who Do You Think You Are?!

How do you define the Kalkaska Church of Christ? What kind of church are we? Not what type of denomination. Not whether we are Catholic or Protestant. But what's our focus? There are many pairs of buzz words out there to describe churches in regards to their focus. Missional vs. Attractional.  Inward-focused vs. Outward-focused. Evangelistic vs. Teaching. On what side does KCC come down? It seems like we have to pick a side. But do we have to be one at the exclusion of the other?

Truth is we need to be both! Both sides of the coin are necessary to function as a church. It's a delicate balance that must be maintained to function in the culture we hope to influence today.

First of all, the church must be mission minded. It must be reaching out to new people in order to experience growth. Growth is important because it's the next generation that will carry on the mission of the church. Without growth, any living organism dies. Jesus stated that he came for the "sick" and the "lost." Surprisingly His focus was not on the core "healthy" Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees.  He wasn't saying they weren't important, although they did need to modify many of their man-made concepts of the law, but He was saying we must reach out to others with God's love.

Secondly, the church must also be healthy and that comes from feeding the body. Teaching, preaching, and discipleship are vital to a healthy spiritual body. These inward-focused feedings are found through the Sunday morning gathering and at Small Groups both on Sundays and during the week.

The balance is that we must be both inward-focused and outward-focused. Leaning too far to one side or the other can be detrimental to the church. One blogger has said the church should be "upward-focused." This makes a lot of sense. It's not totally about people whether they are inside or outside the church. It's actually about Him!

I'm very excited about an upcoming sermon series entitled, "Just Jesus." In this series we will explore the life of Jesus and see how He evangelized the lost through his stories and parables as well as how he took care of Himself. He maintained a balance of outreach while at the same time kept spiritually fed through prayer, fellowship, and worship. So, the next time someone asks you what kind of church we are, just tell them we're a church all about Jesus!