I am the Greatest

I heard a song last night by Kenny Rodgers that grabbed my attention and the more I’ve thought about it the more I’m moved and the more I've laughed. The song 'The Greatest' reminds me of the importance of perspective and its a funny little picture into maybe why I’ve always heard that I should try to see myself as God sees me. But mostly, it reminds me of how God works all things to my good because I love him and I'm called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28) Here are the words.....

Little Boy, in a baseball hat Stands in the field with his ball and bat. Says I am the greatest player of them all Puts his bat on his shoulder and he tosses up his ball. And the ball goes up and the ball comes down Swings his bat all the way around The world's so still you can hear the sound.....The baseball falls to the ground

Now the little boy doesn't say a word Picks up his ball, he is undeterred. Says I am the greatest there has ever been And he grits his teeth and he tries it again. And the ball goes up and the ball comes down Swings his bat all the way around The world's so still you can hear the sound....The baseball falls to the ground

He makes no excuses, He shows no fears He just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers. Little boy, in a baseball hat Picks up his ball, stares at his bat. Says I am the greatest the game is on the line And he gives his all one last time. And the ball goes up like the moon so bright Swings his bat with all his might And the world's so still as still can be And the baseball falls....and that's strike three

Now it's supper time and his mama calls. Little boy starts home with his bat and ball Says I am the greatest that is a fact But even I didn't know I could pitch like that. He says I am the greatest that is understood But even I didn't know I could pitch that good.

We can probably think of more situations that didn't work out in our favor than the ones that did. If your like me, I want to ask why. "God, wasn't I good enough? God, don't you want me to be happy? God, don't you want me to be blessed?" So far, I'm still here. So far, God has known best. I've only been around 45 years so I'm no expert, but I'm still here. I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread (Ps 37).

The next time things don't go your way, think about the little boy in this song and ask yourself how God sees things right now.

God loves you and I do too,

John

I-Deal Auto Sales

Most of my blogs are along similar topics; Love, Family, Jesus, Faith.... Today is something different. I want to share a unique experience that I had this week. 

I have been in the market for a new truck for over two months. I've searched all of the car buying websites but didn't find anything in my range. I have a few friends in the car business, the best of whom is Tom Hodge. Tom and Steve Delcour at Cadillac of Knoxville have always bent over backwards for me whether it was service or trying to find a car. I called Tom this weekend about a truck and he directed his Sales Manager (because Tom was out of town) to give me the best deal on it and they did, it was a really good deal. Unfortunately, it was still out of my range.

I bought Kim's car from I-Deal Auto Sales last year so they were my next option. I called Jack Redmond on Monday and told him what I was looking for. By Tuesday morning he had located about 6 cars that met my standards. I looked at them on-line and told him which one I wanted to drive and he had it ready for me by Wednesday before lunch. I walked out Wednesday evening with a killer deal on a 2013 F150 with only 35K miles. 

Besides the truck, the next best thing was that the great deal allowed me to get shed of a Malibu that I was $4k upside down on (because Chevy changed the body style....again). Plus, I'm back in a truck!

A big thanks goes out to I-Deal Auto Sales, Jack Redmond, and Lana Coby for finding me a great truck, giving me a great deal, and making it painless.

If you are in the market for a vehicle, you should give I-Deal Auto Sales a shot.

My cool daughter Kalli

Four years ago I wrote a blog about my cool daughter Kassi. It's time that I brag on my cool daughter Kalli. In my blog about Kassi, I shared something random that she did.

Kalli lives a life of randomness picking one thing would be difficult. We never know what she is going to say or do next. She constantly makes me smile. Last night, her youth group came over for an end-of-the-year pool party. I was setting next to an adult while Kalli was with her friends. Out of the blue, she came over and started randomly dancing to an 80's tune. Now you have to understand mine and Kalli's random dancing; we act out the song with a dance...a very goofy one usually. She didn't care who was watching, she only wanted to make me laugh.

Kalli is a very pretty girl AND she likes looking pretty. But I love how she still will act like a little girl and get excited over the smallest things. This morning, Kim got up early and decided to wake the girls and take them to the new Waffle House. Kalli (and Kelsi) were so excited, Kim said "you would have thought I took them to Regas". Kelsi is 6 so her being excited about anything is understandable. Kalli is 15 now, she just got excited because it was the fun thing to do. On top of that, she went as-is. She didn't care who saw her. I think it was because she was with her mom who is just as big of a kid.

It amazes me and thrills me how her and her mother have grown so close this summer. Anyone who is close to the Knights know that we have had some family adversity for the past 2 years and it has really been stepped up the past 6 months. Kalli has really stepped in to be a comfort for Kim. Somehow she always knows how to make Kim feel good...to make her feel loved, an extra special mother-daughter love.

Kalli went on a mission trip with her Rio 180 youth group this summer to Panama. Because of the flu outbreak in Panama nothing went as planned. When you are on a mission trip in a foreign country and you don't have an agenda, it can be rough. Kalli didn't complain. There was adversity and Kalli handled it very maturely. All the while, she was doing ministry.

Kim, Kalli, and Kelsi went to Girls camp this weekend with our church and with RIO Central. There were at least 40 kids there and most of the pictures that I saw with Kalli had her sister Kelsi in them too. She is such a good big sister. She has more motherly instincts than many mothers that I have met.

Oh yeah...and she made the Sevier County High School Dance Team this summer. I am so very proud of her and I am very proud to call her my daughter. Kalli and I are alike in many ways and I see a few contentious confrontations in our future but that's OK. Kalli and I are close and we can handle conflict. One of us will win and the other will say she (foreshadowing) is sorry. We'll hug it out and everything will be OK. Then she'll go tell her mom on me :) so she gets more hugs.

I love 'er (inside joke) and I just can't help it.

Thank you God for giving Kalli to Kim and Me.

Is laziness and lack of faith why there is so much sickness?

I have always been intrigued by John 9:1-4. In fact, I have preached a sermon at church based on that scripture. Until the last year or so my preferred Bible translation was KJV or NIV. They both read very similarly for this text:

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me."

This week I have been reading it in the NLT and I have been stirred and convicted.  It reads like this:

1As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us."

Verse 4 is what is getting me. In this translation Jesus seems to be saying that this guy is blind so that God can get the glory from his healing AND we must quickly heal him. Is the "tasks assigned us by the one who sent us" referring to healing the sick as well as other works. 

I would love to help heal all the sick people I know but the truth is that I don't have the faith or boldness to tell some body "be healed". Jesus tells us: 1) if we had faith the size of 1 small mustard seed we could move mountains (Matt 17:20) and 2) we have all been given "the measure of faith" (Rom 12:3). If the Bible tells me this, why don't I act? The sad fact is that I must not truly believe this, otherwise I would act.

Or maybe the problem is that I don't truly love. When dad was diagnosed with cancer, I fasted and prayed for 3 weeks. At the end of the fast, I went to his house and with no emotions or tears I prayed a short prayer of faith and told dad he was healed.  Every test after that showed no signs of cancer. He died 9 months later as a result of a fall but when he died he was cancer free. 

I loved dad so much that I was willing to step out in faith. Do I just not lover others? I thought I did. I'm in the middle of another fast, praying for a number of things. One of them being that God will teach me how to exercise the faith that he has given me.

My hope is that this post will stir you to prayer so that you will learn to exercise your faith too.

God loves you and I do too!

John

My 21-Day Fast

I've fasted before but I have never documented my methods, reasons, or results. This is my attempt to document my fast in hopes that it may help someone down the road.

First the reason: why fast?  The Bible is full of examples of fasting, commands to fast, and reason's to fast. If I tried to document the reasons why a Christian should fast we would be here for a long time. Daniel fasted and because of his fast, his prayers were answered. Jesus said certain spirits could only be cast out through prayer and fasting. My interpretation of that is greater power in Jesus.

Fasting works.  Three years ago, I went on a 21-day fast because my dad was diagnosed with incurable cancer. After my fast, I prayed for dad and from that point on, he proclaimed his healing.  His doctors weren't as convinced.  Finally, in July of 2013, Dad's doctor told him he was cancer free.

I am fasting now for a number of reasons. First is because I need to be closer to God, I believe if I fast, I will draw closer to him. Second is for a number of personal needs in my family. And my last reason to fast is because my wife (Kim) is going to.  I want to support her. The fact is it is easier to fast with a partner.

My methods: This fast will last 21 days starting January 4, 2016. I will be fasting meat, bread, and sweets. I will eat bread without yeast or lard (unleavened bread). I do plan to drink flavored water and diet drinks.

For anyone that is tempted to reply with how I am fasting wrong, please just take it up with God and keep it to yourself. I haven't found the "10 commandments of fasting" in the Bible which tells me that God is looking for self discipline.  If we are going to fast, God is trusting us to fast something that is meaningful.  So if you don't like the way I'm fasting, you can fast your own way....and I'll fast my way. I'll publish updates every few days.

Day 1:

Started the day with a brief prayer time.  Breakfast/snack is seedless grapes, carrots, celery stalks, and flavored water. My weight this morning was 243.2 lbs.

Snacked on carrots, grapes, and celery.  Had salad, mashed potatoes, and corn for lunch. Read John 7 and 8.

Kim made vegetable soup for dinner and also made some unleavened bread. The bread was interesting and it made a nice substitution for crackers. I drank diet mtn dew. I didn't get home last night until almost 9:00 so I didn't read or spend significant time in prayer. Day 1 didn't feel like a stunning success but I've learned not to go on feelings.

Day 2:
I had an interesting and very improbable to come true dream last night. But when I woke up all I could think about was "with God nothing is impossible" Luke 1:37. Banana and nuts for breakfast. 

For lunch I had rice and mixed vegies (all cooked in vegetable oil only) and a small salad.  I read John 9 and 10 at lunch.  I will probably re-read that scripture. It shows a great view into Jesus' personality.

For dinner I had leftover vegetable soup.

Day 3:
Banana and Almonds for breakfast.  I had eye surgery so I spent all my time in prayer for Dr. Cunningham during the surgery. Lunch consisted of fried onions and potatoes and a salad.

I wasn't allowed to read so I missed out on Bible reading.  I spent all day on the couch watching TV because I wasn't allowed to do anything so I meditated on God quite a bit. Potatoes, onions, and salad for dinner because they were so good at lunch.

**Right now, Kim and I aren't "feeling" like we are sacrificing enough for the fast but I want to research and pray about that.  Proverbs says that our feelings will lead us astray.

Day 4:
Banana for breakfast.  Nuts and carrots for snack. Rice and mixed vegies for lunch. Salad with fruit and nuts for dinner.  Tried to cut back today because I was feeling guilty for being full.  Hunger is my biggest enemy during a 3-week fast but I think, at least at times, it is essential.  I don't think that opinion is necessary biblical.

Tonight, Kim and I spent 2 hours researching the Russian Orthodox church because Kassidi is in the process of converting. We weren't happy with that decision before tonight based on our research. After tonight, the Orthodox Church's worship reminds me a lot of the Pharisees.

Day 5:
Banana for breakfast.  Nuts, grapes, and carrots for snack. The hunger is there but it isn't overbearing.  

Lunch was my rice and veggies main-stay. For dinner, we had oat meal. Today, I found out that Kassidi puts her hope and faith in Mary (Theotokos) as well as Jesus. I believe that this belief is unscriptural and anti-Christ. I now know what the focus of my fast is.

Day 6:
Banana and peanut butter for breakfast. Popcorn for a snack at TWC lady bulldog game.

Day 6 brought a scare with Kelsi almost getting electrocuted. We spent the evening at Children's Hospital but as I expected she was just fine, just a burn on her finger. I give God the glory for her being OK because the conditions were right for something more devastating. 

We had a b-day party to go to Saturday night. We were late because of the scare but we made it. Against my better judgement, I had pasta with cheese and salad. We didn't have meat but we didn't want to make a big deal to anyone there that we were fasting.

Day 7:
Banana and peanut butter for breakfast. Day 7 was our 10-year anniversary as a church at RIO 180. We decided that because this was a celebration with our church family, we would not fast at lunch. However, I did put on the brakes compared to what I would have normally eaten and I was not a glutton. Got home and the spring on our garage door was broke ($250)

Dinner was very good.  Kim made rice, veggies, and fried tofu.  Yes, tofu. Kim is an amazing cook. I've eaten tofu before and it was just awful. I told her not to make me any, I would be happy with rice and veggies. To keep from hurting her feelings and so the kids would try it, I tried it. It was really good, I mean really good. Like I said, Kim is amazing and can even make tofu taste like southern cooking. I love her so much!!

Took Kassi back to school tonight. Oh my!! If you read this, please pray for my daughter. she needs guidance. Please pray for me, I need wisdom.

Day 8:
Banana for breakfast with some nuts for snack. Weight is 240 lbs. I am not fasting for weight loss or health reasons. BUT, I sure thank God for the residual effects. I feel great! I'm not tired or lethargic like I have been on a full fast. I would like a burger and I'm often hungry but other than that, I feel great.

Rice and veggies for lunch at Chef's Asian Cuisine.  For Dinner, Kim made Chili with some kind of beans that act like meat. It was really good

Day 9:
Mixed nuts and banana for breakfast. Nuts and carrots to munch on during the day to keep my hunger at a minimum. Rice and veggies for lunch.

While at lunch I got a text from my sister saying that my mother is going to have to have open heart surgery. More to fast and pray about. Salad for Dinner.

Day 10:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Carrots and nuts for snack. I'm finding that I'm avoiding the craving for tasty foods by eating a lot of nuts, maybe too many. Rice and veggies for lunch.

Kim made a tasty potato soup for Dinner.  It was very good, it was hard not to over-eat.

Day 11:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Carrots and nuts for snack. Rice and Veggies for lunch. I'm almost finished with the book of John and it is highly entertaining. The Holy Spirit and Brad Bryant, pastor of RIO 180, has really helped me to read the Bible with a fresh perspective. 

Really struggling with my daughter's orthodoxy. My prayers are really focused on her. Their belief that Mary is equal to Jesus and that all grace and mercy comes from her is damnable in my opinion.

Salad for dinner. I don't know if you've noticed but I'm a creature of habit and not creative. Kim and I tend to eat the same thing over and over. I believe that this is helping the effectiveness of our fast by further denying ourselves pleasure through food.

Day 12:
Banana and nuts for Breakfast. Soup and salad for lunch. Had lunch with my good friend John Meyer. Salad for Dinner.

Day 13:
Oatmeal for breakfast.  Popcorn for lunch at Kassi's BB game. Kim made potatoes, onions, and salad for dinner. So, so good!

Day 14:
Cereal for breakfast. Great church service today! Chili supper after church but we passed because of our fast. Salad for lunch at Ruby Tuesday's. It was tough not eating any of their delicious croutons.

Soup for dinner. Kassi and her boyfriend came over. We had a hard, heartfelt conversation with them regarding Orthodoxy. I was so sad for Kim because she poured her heart out and Kassi was emotionless.

Day 15:
It's a good think that I'm not fasting to lose weight. Weight today is 239.6. Banana and nuts for breakfast. Nuts and carrots for snack. Rice and veggies for lunch.

Rice and veggies for dinner.

Day 16:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Carrots and nuts for snack. Potato soup and salad for lunch at Aubrey's. Although I do like rice and veggies and they are $3 cheaper than soup and salad, I'm finding that I might be growing a little tired of them. Finished the book of John and started Acts today. I can tell it will take me a while to read because it is so intriguing.

Vegetable chow-mien and rice for dinner. We ate out at Oriental Cuisine in Maryville. Although we don't eat out much, I do enjoy eating out with my family.

Day 17:
Banana and Nuts for breakfast. Banana, nuts, and carrots for snack. I added the banana to try to cut down on the nuts because even though I stay fairly hungry, I'm gaining weight.

SNOW DAY!! Left work early and it took an hour and 20 minutes to get home (33 miles). Salad for lunch. Played outside from 4:00 - 8:20 and had soooo much fun. Found out that Kelsi can ride a snow board really good.

Salad for dinner.

Day 18:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Nuts and carrots for snack. Mixed veggies for lunch. I'm thoroughly enjoying acts. If I haven't said so, lunch is my Bible time.

Egg noodles, salad, and green beans for dinner.

Day 19:
Banana and nuts for breakfast. Banana, carrots, and nuts for snack. Salad and potato soup for lunch. Acts will be a slow read for me because I'm re-reading almost everything. I'm loving how much Acts is talking about the Holy Spirit and how much He is important to our lives.

Baked spaghetti for dinner. No yeast or meat, although very tasty, met the requirements of our fast.

Day 20:
At this point I'm looking forward to a burger or chicken fajitas. Life cereal for breakfast. Salad for lunch. Got some really good Bible time today and continued to read Acts. Today is Saturday and I've been reading Acts since Tuesday and in 3.5 hours I've only finished 10 chapters because I'm soaking it in.

Soup and salad for dinner.

Day 21:
Even though this isn't a diet, final weight is 237.6 so I lost 5.6 lbs. Banana and nuts for breakfast. Rice and mixed veggies for lunch and dinner. I doubt I'll have rice and veggies for a long time :)

Brad continued his series on MOVE. It has been very inspiring. He is challenging us to try to grow in the fruit of the spirit that we lack the most. Kim says mine is gentleness (same as Brad's) and I can't disagree with it.

Conclusion:
Kim and I both agree that although this fast has been successful, we think we should have deprived ourselves of more things. The last 21-day fast that I did I fasted meat and all processed food except milk and juice. It was so hard that I ate a TON of nuts and gained weight.

The thing that I see that has changed the most is in Kim. She has grown in wisdom and her passion for the Bible. I'm amazed by her growth in just 3 weeks. I am so proud of Kim and I'm so lucky to have her as my wife and help mate. I can't emphasize how she is grown in the Lord in just 3 weeks

The Abortion Cross

I know that most of us have seen the Abortion Crosses in the yards of our churches in Blount County.  My church even puts them out for several weeks out of the year.  I wonder though, what message does this send?  "We are against abortions", "We are against murder".  It does say those things I guess but that can't be why the Abortion Cross is displayed.  If it is, we should put out Adultery Crosses and Lying Crosses because we are against adultery and lying.  Is the intent of the Abortion Cross to stop little girls from getting an abortion because they saw the love of Jesus coming out of the cross?  If that is the intention, we missed it badly.  Maybe the intended message is political.  Maybe the Abortion Cross is put up to try to sway voters.

Whatever the reason for the Abortion Cross, my opinion is that it does more harm than good.  The Abortion Cross doesn't scream love or even hope.  These crosses aren't symbols of resurrection of our Lord, in this case, they are symbols of graves.   They are reminders of "Look what you did".

I wonder if one hurting, crying, alone little girl ever attended a church because of the church's Abortion Cross display.  When talking to her boyfriend about what to do, did he say "why don't you go talk to someone at the church with the Abortion Crosses, I bet they will understand".  

What about the little girl or woman that had an abortion.  For the rest of her life, she is haunted by the decision she made.  It will never, ever go away.  Even when they have been forgiven, there will always be that hurt.  And when they are hurting and looking for help, will they go to the Abortion Cross church?  Absolutely not.  

I drove by my church a couple of weeks ago on a non-church day and saw the Abortion Crosses.  I then drove through the park and saw some teenagers.  I was taken to tears when I began to dwell on the remote possibility of one of those girls having had an abortion and now they have been reminded once again of what they did.  Many girls/women that have abortions never tell anyone.  Churches should be a sanctuary for hurting people and the the church shouldn't do anything to keep them away.

The bible says "There is therefore no more condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit", Romans 8:1.  If the church believes that, then why to we provide another tool for the devil to use all in the name of "standing up for what is right".  

In marriage, we pick our battles wisely.  I think it's time for churches to do the same.

I know most of you won't agree with me and that's OK.  This is my opinion, it doesn't have to be yours.  I just ask that if you are responsible for putting out Abortion Crosses, ask yourself "Does this really show the love of Jesus?".

I love you and God does too,
John Knight

Is this how Jesus sees us?

I'd like to share a text with you that Kim sent me yesterday.

"Epic morning with Kelsi this morning.  I love that little rascal.  She is amazing, she loves me so good and she is fun to love.  Unlike everyone else, she sees no flaws in me.  The older girls don't see me like she does.  One day, things will change.  But for now, she is my princess and I am her favorite queen."

 All of my life, I've loved the scripture that says "I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter in" (Luke 18:17 NLT).  I've always associated this with faith.  It takes childlike faith to be able to accept and believe the Gospel.  

Romans 14:17 tells us that the Kingdom of God is "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit". I don't think that is the only definition for the Kingdom of God.  Graeme Goldworthy  summarizes the Kingdom of God as "God's people in God's place under God's rule."  I like that summary, especially when I think about it in terms of Christ.  Jesus is saying that if you don't receive God's people like a little child, you can't be a part of God's people.

Back to Kim and Kelsi (mother & 4-yr old daughter).  Kim's text about Kelsi is exactly how Jesus looks at (receives) Christians that have been covered by his blood.  Kim has never done any wrong in Kelsi's eyes.  Not only that, she is Kelsi's favorite person...favorite queen!  Every meal Kim makes Kelsi is the best she has ever had.  Every moment Kelsi spends with her mom is spent as though it would be her last.

I was blown away when God revealed this to me.  Jesus is all-knowing, all-powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent.  He created everything including you.  Yet when he sees us, it's not through judgmental eyes wondering why we act this way.  He sees us with eyes of acceptance like a child.  He wants every moment that you will give him.  And like with our children, every moment you give Him will never be wasted.  But we can't stop here.

This is also how God want's us to look at and accept others.  He wan'ts us to ignore flaws as though we can't see them.  He wants us to forgive trespasses like he forgives us.  He wants us to give like we own it all anyway.

God loves us so incredibly much.  He desires a personal relationship with all of us.  He want's to be with you at home and at work, not just at church.

God loves you and I do too!

John Knight

What Dad's and Husbands want to say

As a father and husband, I too often don't have the words to express my feelings.  It's too easy to get caught up in budgets, work, chores, activities, and everything else that I let steal my attention.  I have a very loving family and they are very accepting of my shortcomings because they love me.  They deserve better.  

Today, while listening to "106.7 The Light", I heard something that every husband and father wishes they could convey to their wife and daughters.  This is my message to my family.

Kim, Kassi, Kalli, and Kelsi this is for you.  Watch the video below to see what I want you to hear from me every day.  I love you!!

You are AWESOME!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi5iXnguTU

God loves you and I do too!!
John Knight

The Treasure Chest

I heard something on the radio yesterday that brought back some memories.  I don't know if all doctors are like mine was when I was a kid, but when I was a kid there was a treasure chest at the end of the hall at Maryville Pediatric.  I went to Dr. Marmon when I was a kid.  He was great and I wasn't afraid of him at all but I still, I didn't want to go to the doctor.  There was one thing that always made life better at the doctor....The treasure chest.  

No matter how sick I was and no matter how many shots I had to have, I knew if I was tough I would be able to pick a toy out of the treasure chest.  How I loved going through the treasure chest.  As a young boy, it seemed like there was a thousand toys in that chest.  And I had my pick of each and every one.  As we drove for what seemed like hours to the doctor all I could think about was what toys may be in the chest.  When I sat in the waiting room and another kid would come out with his awesome treasure, I prayed that it wasn't the last one.  The treasure chest provided me with hope; hope that no matter what happened, everything would be OK once I got my toy.

I rarely went to the doctor when I was a kid; once or twice a year if that.  I had a great childhood filled with football, eating, and playing.  But sometimes something went wrong and I had to go to the doctor.

As christians, we have our own treasure chest in Jesus Christ, in Heaven, in the hope of seeing our Heavenly Father face to face some day.  In this journey of life that we are on, many days are great and we get to bask in the Grace of the Father without grief or worry.  But then there are days when worry and grief clouds our eyes to the point that we can't see our hope.  There are also times of chastisement and reprovement when God has to teach us something in order that we grow.  Do you know what I mean?   It's during those times that we need to remember that Jesus has provided us a treasure chest at the end or our visit.  If you are a Christian then you have the hope and the promise of eternal life.  As a matter of fact, Jesus Himself is preparing a place for us in His Father's house.  In fact, He said in John 14:1-3:

“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Since dad died, saying that my heart has been troubled is an understatement.  I'm sad, I miss my dad.  But God is good, so good!  In my time of trouble He reminds me of the great promise that He made to me.  He lets me know that dad is digging in his proverbial treasure chest in heaven now.  Some day, I'll get to visit my treasure chest with Jesus.  But more that that!  He reminds me that there will be moments in life that will try us, but at the end of each trial, if we are brave and do what is right, there will be a treasure chest where He will reward us.  Our treasure on earth, if nothing else is hope.

God wants you to know that you have hope.  Even if you think there is none, there is hope.  So with that, I say hold on.  Hold on and never give up because Jesus loves you so very much.  He died for you.

God loves you and I do too!!
John

My Dad...

For the past 12 days I've wanted to write a new post to my blog so badly.  But each time I've thought about it all that would have came out is pure emotion, the kind that just comes off as being a whiner or victim or attention-getter and that's not who I am.  As most of you know, my dad died on 10/25/13. 

If you didn't know my dad and you spent some time with him, you would have thought that he was a bit harsh, sometimes rude, but always joyful.  I know that sounds like an odd combination but my dad was a simple man.  So simple, in fact, that he just didn't know better than to tell you what was on his mind.  He didn't mean anything by it, he just thought that the unadulterated truth was best.  Once you knew this is how dad was, it was enlightening to his behaviors.

You see, mostly what was on dad's mind was Jesus and he was going to tell you about it.  Dad loved Jesus with all of his heart.  He was so thankful that God had healed him from cancer (dad was cancer-free when he died, he died from a brain bleed).  Anyone dad met, he told them about his miracle.  If he knew you didn't go to church he would tell you that you need to go to church.  If he thought you may not be a Christian, he would ask you if you were going to heaven or not.

Dad is the only person that I've known to not have an agenda in his relationships.  What I mean is that he didn't love people expecting a benefit.  He had no ill will or malice in his heart so he just assumed no one else did either.  Dad taught me how to give people the benefit of the doubt.  

You had to be close to dad to understand this but dad just loved.  He loved every person that walked through his door because he knew they had came to see him.  He often cried when I got there and cried when I left.  Not because he was sad but because he was so happy to see me.  We enjoyed each other's company and we talked a lot but often we just sat.  So often, we (not just me but my brother Jody and our wives) would just sit.  Dad would sometimes doze off for a few minutes and when he woke up he would always say "I wasn't asleep, I was just resting my eyes".  We loved to watch football together.  We are both huge UT and Cowboy fans.  No matter how good or how bad our teams were, we loved watching them together....together.  If UT got down by as much as a touchdown, you could be guaranteed that dad would say "It's over, UT is beat".  Kim and I always got a good laugh out of that.

I miss my dad.  A couple of people have asked me if I would bring him back from heaven if I could.  To their surprise I said YES!!!  Are you kidding?  I would absolutely bring him back if I could.  Oh yeah, he would be mad at me because I took him away from Jesus but the way I look at it, he would get to go back.  I want him here with me.  I want one more fishing trip with him.  I want to hear him say "We're gonna catch us a whampus" one more time.  I'd like one more heaping bowl of ice cream with him.  Just one more time, I'd like to look at him sitting in his Lazy-Boy with his dog on his lap and him say to me in the most sincere voice "love you son".

I love you dad, see you soon.

John

Pretty Woman

Who would have thought that I could have been inspired by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman?  Pretty Woman is one of my wife's favorite movies and when she stumbled onto it this week she had to watch it.  What stood out to me was a moment in the film when Richard Gere was telling her how pretty and smart she was.  Then, he said something like he didn't understand why she couldn't see it.  She said "it's easier to believe the bad". 

That one statement spoke volumes to me.  As a father with three daughters, I'm always conscience of my daughter's self-esteem.  My wife is so very good at watching out for their self-esteem.  I try to say the right things but I just don't measure up to her.  We are fortunate to have three beautiful (inside and out) girls.  But I can't help to think about all of the pretty girls that I knew in high school that thought they were ugly.  Back then, I just wrote it off and assumed they just said that so they would hear someone tell them "you're not ugly, you're pretty".  Now that I'm older I can look back and see, based on the way some of them made decisions, they really did think they were ugly.

After all these years of Dateline reports, news reports, and other studies that I've been exposed to, mostly common sense stuff I guess, low self-esteem can cause a young woman to do things that aren't very Godly.  Low self-esteem is a tool that the devil uses against our teens to deceive them into making very bad decisions.  How many teenage girls have you known that have made some really bad decisions involving a boy that just didn't make sense?  I'll go out on a limb and say 99% of those bad decisions are because of low self-esteem.  Why?  Why does someone that is so pretty need to feel accepted by a boy so badly that they will do anything to win his approval?

The fact is that the devil will use one single thing to tear a teenager down.  For some reason, no matter how much good that has been said about you and to you, it only takes one bad thing to shake your self-esteem.  Like Julia Roberts said "it's easier to believe the bad".   That's why, as a parent, we MUST tell our children how good, pretty, or smart they are.  Starting from the day our kids can understand what we say we must give them positive reinforcement.  Because there is going to come a day when some immature boy or girl tells them "you’re not as pretty as you think you are" or they aren't going to win the starting position that they've worked so hard for.  You can be guaranteed that there will be times that will shake your child's self-esteem.  It happened to me and I bet it happened to you.  When that time comes, will there be enough good that it makes it at least harder to believe the bad?

Dad's, your daughters HAVE to know (not just think or wonder) that you think they are the prettiest girl alive.  They have to know that you believe in them.  Mom and Dad, they have to know that when the chips are down, they have parents they can go to who will help them and pray with them.  You must teach them what it means to be "fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalms 139:14.  I know it's hard but we have to teach them that God's acceptance is the only acceptance that they need.  Dad's, I know it's hard for us to pay compliments sometimes.  I don't know why, it just is.  But for your children's sake, we must do a better job of complimenting them.

And above all, pray, pray, pray.  Build a hedge of prayer around your children to help protect them from the bad that the devil is going to send their way.

I love you and God does too!

Is Divorce really what you want?

If you've been divorced this post may offend you. If it does, I'm so sorry because that certainly isn't my intent. But if you are married and especially married with children, this post is for you. We know what the Bible says about divorce and I think so many have heard it so many times that they may tend to ignore it; mostly because, I think, people know that God will forgive them when they do wrong. Given that, I'm not going to reference God or His will. I just want to focus on marriage.

Book after book has been written on this subject so I'm sure that I may not have any original thoughts. Tonight, Kalli and I went to Olive Garden and a lady with her two young girls was eating beside us and she didn't have a wedding ring on. Does that mean she is divorced? No. But going with the odds, she probably is. They were happy and having a fun time but I thought about how sad it was that these girls daddy wasn't with them.

When you first got married and were in love, did you say things to your newlywed spouse like "if we stay together" or "I hope we make it"? I doubt it. Those newlywed emotions run deep and hot, so hot that they tend to cool off after a while. That's no surprise and certainly not a profound statement. What's left when the newlywed feelings aren't so hot is marriage. Too many couples focus so hard on those newlywed feelings that they lose sight of why they have those feelings. They have them because they are with the one that they love and it's exciting to know that you will have them the rest of your life. That is the phrase that too many couples let go of so quickly; "the rest of your life". If your wedding vows were like mine and Kim's they included a "till death do us part" and "through better and/or worse". That is one heck of a commitment, a life-long commitment.

So when couples with children get divorced, what do they teach their children? First, they teach them that it is OK to quit on what is important. We teach our children to not quit. If they start something they can't quit. The more effort a kid puts into something, like sports, the more we encourage them when things get hard. We tell them something like "you've put so much into this, you've worked so hard, please don't quit now or you will regret it for the rest of your life". A friend of mine had a son who wanted to quit a sport during his senior season. He told him that the decision is his son's but he encouraged him not to quit and explained in great detail the impact it would have on the rest of his life. Even though it was hard and his situation didn't get easier, the boy stuck with it. He was glad he did and had no regrets for it.

A divorce also teaches kids that things worth having aren't worth working for. We teach our kids "if it's worth having then it's worth working for". How is the biggest commitment that you've ever made not worth working for? We teach our kids that if you want to be smart, you have to study. If you want to make better grades, you have to study harder. We all want a better marriage yet so many aren't willing to put any more effort into it.

In my opinion the problem boils down to two simple things; pride and selfishness.  I know this isn't new information but I can't stress how important these two things are and how they have no place in marriage. So if I'm telling you to work to keep your marriage, what work do you do? From my own experience, Kim and I spent a lot of time "working" at keeping those newlywed feelings. We spent years trying to get back that newlywed passion that we had. But if you want that fire back in your marriage or if you just want to keep your marriage the work shouldn't be spent on kindling passion and emotions. When you work at those things, you are trying to do work on your spouse. If it doesn't work then you may blame your spouse instead of yourself. The real work that needs to take place in marriage is the work that you do on you.

Most people, if not all, don't want to admit they are selfish. But you show me a failing marriage and I'll show you a marriage where one or both spouses are selfish. What is being selfish? Being selfish is simply putting your wants and needs ahead of your spouses. I'm not talking about serving yourself before your spouse. I'm not talking about spending your money on your spouse instead of yourself. What I'm talking about is when your feelings, your happiness is more important than your spouses. If you are struggling in your marriage, I encourage you to look inward at yourself first. Are you putting your happiness ahead of your spouse? Are you not giving your spouse what they want because "God didn't make you like that"? It's all about effort. Your spouse needs to see that you are willing to do ANYTHING for them, even if it's out of your comfort zone. And I'm really talking about meeting emotional needs not physical needs. Physical needs are important but emotional needs are so much more important. Your spouse needs, I mean really needs to know that you love them and they really are important enough to you that you committed the rest of your life to them.

What keeps people from being unselfish? Pride. Plain and simple, pride keeps you from doing the things your spouse needs and wants. When was the last time you said you were sorry when you really weren't? When was the last time that you held your tongue instead of saying what was on your mind? If you tend to say what is on your mind, even if it starts a fight then you have pride issues. If you never apologize just to keep the peace, especially before a fight starts, then you have pride issues. We teach our kids to take pride in what they do and we should. That kind of pride is good. When was the last time you thought about taking pride in your marriage? Or more, when was the last time that you took pride in your spouse? When was the last time that you felt proud to be married to them?

Marriage is hard, I know. Divorce rates are at 50% or higher inside and outside of the church. You can't worry about statistics and you can't use them as an excuse. A long time ago, I learned that if you wanted to succeed at anything you had to avoid "relative comparisons". Relative comparisons are when you compare what you're doing to someone else. It's when you say "I may not be great but I'm better than my neighbor". In marriage, we can't do that. The only thing that is important in marriage (outside of God) is your spouse. IT'S NOT YOU. You married the person that you're living with (or separated from) with the intention to be with them until you die. So you can't settle for a failing marriage and justify it because it hasn't failed yet like your neighbors did.

Love isn't that passion you felt as a newlywed. Love is the commitment you made to your spouse. Love is "till death do us part" and "for better or worse". If you want to teach your kids one of the most valuable lessons they could learn, show them how to love.

I know it is hard to do these things when your spouse isn't. But I can almost guarantee that if you put in the effort to work on yourself, your spouse will notice. If you haven't seen the movie "Firerproof" or haven't seen it in a while, watch it and watch it soon. Like I said, my thoughts aren't original they just can't be said enough.

I know there are times when divorce can't be avoided like spousal abuse. If your spouse is abusing you, I encourage you to get out now. However, there is a difference between being insensitive and being abusive.

I encourage you, I beg you, to strive for a prosperous marriage. I know you think your spouse is the problem and you may be right. However, if you will look to be a better spouse your efforts won't go unnoticed. It may take a while but it will be well worth it in the end. I can't think of a time when I said to myself "I wish I would have started that fight instead of holding my tongue".  If you need prayer about this Kim and I would be happy to pray for you.  You can reach me at johnkn.home@gmail.com.

If you live completely for Jesus today, you won't regret tomorrow what you did yesterday.
I love you and God does too!
John

Does Bad Company Really Corrupt Good Character?

Bad company corrupts good character.  That's what my mom told me.  That's what I've told my children.  That's what I've told converted Christians that wanted to witness in bars.  But does bad company really corrupt good character???

When I think about the life of Jesus I have to answer "not all of the time".  Jesus was our perfect example and, other than the disciples, He hung out with bad company.  Where did Jesus eat many of his meals?  He ate with tax collectors who were considered the worst sinners because they generally stole from the poor.  Tax collectors like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and Matthew (Matt:9-11) hosted Jesus.  But according to Matt 9:10,11 there were plenty of sinners there.  Sinners like tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees.  In Matt 9:12 Jesus went on to say that "It isn't the healthy that need a doctor but the sick", referring to "bad company" as the sick.

So bad company only corrupts good character some of the time.  Really?  I wonder which times that is.  This just doesn't make sense to me.  Jesus is our perfect example, our moral compass if you will (WWJD).  Jesus said that the "bad company" are the ones that need a physician so we need to know which bad company will corrupt good character and which ones won't.

The problem with my thinking is that I'm focusing on the bad company as being the problem.  Really, the problem with bad company corrupting good character isn't the bad company.  Bad company is bad company, we shouldn't be surprised when sinners sin.  Good character on the other hand is a different story.  Good character isn't supposed to go bad.  

When Jesus went to the men with leprosy (Luke 17:11-19) Jesus didn't catch it.  He healed them.  When Jesus hung out with sinners He didn't sin, His good character was incorruptible. In my opinion, the reason for this is because everywhere that He went He looked to serve in as humble and loving way possible.  I'm not saying that He served up booze, porn, or drugs.  What I am saying is that He served with love, providing what the bad company really needed, with love.  He didn't tell the prostitute and tax collectors "YOUR GOING TO HELLLLLL".  That's what He basically told the Pharisees.  

So with all of that, I have to make the declaration that bad company does NOT corrupt good character!  However, I will say that "bad company corrupts average character" or "bad company corrupts mediocre character".  

The type of ministry that Jesus did is not for the faint of heart.  We like to compare ourselves to the disciples and hope that we can find similarities.  The fact is that Jesus did not let His disciples minister to "bad company" unequipped.  Jesus told them to wait on the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, John 14: 16,17) after He was crucified.  The reason was He knew that they must have the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to endure and maintain there good character.

God has called us to witness in the highways and byways (Luke 14:23).  He wants us to server others.  You've heard the saying that "love is a verb", well Christianity should be an action word too.  Am I telling you to go to a bar alone to witness?  Absolutely not!  However, you should listen to the Holy Spirit and go where He draws you.  If you find yourself in a situation where you aren't serving the "bad company" that you are around, you should probably ask yourself why you are there.

Live for Jesus completely today so that tomorrow, you won't regret what you did yesterday.

God loves you and I do too!

The One Who Sins Will Die!! What??

As unexciting as it may be, I've been reading almost completely out of the Old Testament for the past few months.  You can't beat the Gospel in the New Testament but I love going back to the stories that I learned in Sunday School as a little boy.  Most of them came from the Old Testament.  Many scriptures are jumping out at me as I read but the ones that are really resonating with me seem to be those of redemption and forgiveness.  

Today, I was eating lunch and reading Ezekiel, when I got to chapter 18 the heading said "The One Who Sins Will Die".  

Now I don't know about you but that got my attention...real quick!  It's funny how the editors of the different Bible editions know exactly how to catch someone's attention.  It's funny because that really isn't the important message, it isn't what Ezekiel 18 is about at all.  Yes, Ezekiel 18 spends a good deal of time focusing on a sinner.  But it also focuses on the righteous and, more importantly to me, the the repentant sinner.

For some reason lately, I've really had repentance and forgiveness on my mind when I've been reading the Bible.  Partly, I'm sure, because of Prison Ministry.  So anytime I get to read a verse that backs up what I believe, I think it's awesome.  Maybe I'm the only person that the devil still tells during those tired times that "you aren't saved".  Or "none of this would have happened if you were really saved".  Of course I know better but that still doesn't mean that the devil doesn't come at me with that crap.  Ez. 18:21 (NIV) says;

 "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die".


That verse really excites me.  When I read it I just said to myself "that's me".  I was a wicked person but I turned away from all the sins that I committed and I keep the decrees of the lord.  I do what is right and just.  I have repented.  That's me!

Is it you?  Are you the new man in Ez. 18:21 or are you the man depicted in Ez. 18:24in which God says;

"But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live?  None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered.  Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die".

The great thing about God is that he always makes provisions.  If you happen to be the person described in Ez. 18:24 (righteous turned wicked), God sent His son Jesus to die for your sins.  Simply turn from sin and do good and seek forgiveness from Christ and you will be the person described in Ez. 18:21.  As for me, I've been wishy-washy like the Ez. 18:24 man in the past but my commitment to God is to never be like that again.  Our walk with Christ and our eternal fate is much to important to ever turn back on God.

If you live for Christ today then tomorrow, you won't regret what you did yesterday.
God loves you and I do too!