Lord, We Need You Now

If We've Ever Needed You - Casting Crowns

Hear our cry, Lord, we pray

Our faces down, our hands are raised

You called us out, we turned away

We've turned away

With shipwrecked faith the idols rise

We do what is right in our own eyes

Our children now will pay the price

We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light

If we've ever needed You

Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now

We are desperate for Your hand

We're reaching out, we're reaching out

All our hearts, all our strength

With all our minds, we're at Your feet

May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives

Let Your church arise, let Your church arise

If we've ever needed You

Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now

We are desperate for Your hand

We're reaching out, we're reaching out

We're reaching out

If we've ever needed You

Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now

We are desperate for Your hand

We're reaching out, we're reaching out

If we've ever needed You

Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now

We are desperate for Your hand

We're reaching out, reaching out

We need You now

Revive us now

We need You now

Are you desperate for God to change you? I honestly don't know if I am yet. But I want to be. I want to have a passion for God that is stronger than anything else. I want to tear down any "idols" clogging up my heart and instead serve God with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.

We've turned away from God. But he hasn't forsaken us. He's waiting for us to want Him above all else. He's longing for us to return to our "first love" and forsake those pathetic substitutes. He's aching for us to cry out with broken hearts in true repentance and admit that we have failed and are helpless. Only then can He revive our churches, our nation, our world.

What if all of us prayed, "God I need You; I can't do this alone. Send revival, and start it in me." What if we meant it? What if we got sick of complacency; sick enough that we won't be satisfied until we are transformed by God's power? Or do we care where our nation and our world is headed? Do we care if we're living a lie?

We need God. More than we know. I need Him. Are we going to wait for another 9/11 before we decide to get serious with God? Before we actually start being the followers of Christ that we've been claiming to be all along?

JPK

Baggage

The Skit Guys: Baggage

Got some baggage in your life? You don't have to be controlled by it! Give it to God, trust in Him, let Him be in control; He'll do the rest. It's not easy by any means to give up our baggage--we seem to cling to it so tightly--, but is it worth it to try to handle it by ourselves?

Be honest with God. Don't hide what is going on. He already knows, but He wants you to come to Him and ask for His help. He is just waiting for you to want freedom enough that you're willing to let go and give Him control. 

Control. Ahh... we don't want to give that up. When we are not in control, we feel helpless and frail. Well... we are. And we need to stop looking at ourselves like the universe is revolving around us and our plans and realize that we are not capable of doing this on our own. Only through Jesus can we ever find freedom and victory over all the things that so easily get in the way and drag us down.

The invitation is open: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) ESV

When we finally admit, "God, I need You," He smiles and says, "I know, and I'm right here beside you."

JPK

Judge not...

"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:1-3) ESV


I don't know about you, but this is one thing I can't stand. When somebody judges me and tries to "fix" me, and I see the same things they are putting me down for so blatantly obvious in their own life. Naturally, I always think, "Fix your own problems first, then maybe you'll be justified in trying to fix mine." I mean, haven't people paid attention to Jesus's Sermon on the Mount? Talk about "the speck and beam principle." Excuse me? You seem to have a beam there in your own eye...


But, sadly, you know what I've found out? I do the same thing. That's right. It's so easy to see other people's faults, and maybe even point them out. But, according to this passage, the reason other people's sins and shortcomings bother me so much is because I am seeing myself. And I don't like it. So I get really annoyed and start thinking, "Somebody needs to shape up." Yeah, how about me?


Try it. Think of something that really annoys or disgusts you. Then look honestly at your own life and see if there has been a time that you did the same thing or something similar. I'm almost positive you'll find something, and it will probably hurt you to admit it.


For example, I get so fed up with stubborn people. People that always have to be right. Always. So, am I stubborn? ...Very. I want things my way, and it's so hard to admit that I'm wrong after all.


Moodiness gets on my nerves. Like, snap out of it! Quit acting so... blah! Ok. Reality check. I am a very moody person. Oh yeah... Well, my moodiness has good cause, right?


Pride. I can't stand it. So many people are full of it. In fact, if you're American... ummm... Anyway, pride just repulses me and I always think, "Dude, pride goes before a fall, and you are gonna fall hard." ...Wait a minute. Can't you just see the pride in that? Kind-of like the Pharisee who said, "Thank you, God, that I'm better than that filthy, rotten sinner over there." But God condemned him for his pride. He wasn't really any better. He was blind to his sin and refused to repent, while the publican truly repented and was forgiven. I'll admit, I'm full of pride. You may not see it, but it's there, and it doesn't want to leave. I mean, I was disgusted with myself because of some thoughts I had recently that showed I am completely the opposite of humble. I'm not saying the devil can't plant thoughts, but I was listening to them and agreeing with them.


So be careful. And don't get to the point where you are like, "Hey that person must have this sin in their life because of..." Then who's judging? Or we start judging those who judge us... And it gets confusing.


All I'm saying is... let God be the judge. He's the only one qualified. And if you judge anyone, let it be yourself. Otherwise, you're only fooling one person. That's right, the one in the mirror.


“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1, 2)


JPK

Maker of the Stars

Does it ever strike you how God still loves us even though he knows everything? He knows our darkest thoughts, our deepest secrets, our deceptive motives, our disgusting attitudes. Yet He loves us anyway--unconditionally. The only One Who is omniscient and would have every right to abandon us is the only One Who will never leave us or forsake us.


Maker of the Stars - Robert Pierre


You know my every thought
You know my every move
You know the motive behind all that I do
You know my deepest fear
You know when I shed a tear
And when I’m hurting you’re always there

You are the maker of the stars
The light in the dark
Your word will never fade
And you, you’ve known me from the start
You see inside my heart
You love me anyway

The heavens scream of the works
That are all of your hand
From the mountain tops of every land
You spoke and light came to be
You opened my eyes to see
And when I call to you, you answer me Lord

You are the maker of the stars
The light in the dark
Your word will never fade
And you, you’ve known me from the start
You see inside my heart
You love me anyway

This life throws me down
It tosses and turns ‘til I can’t feel the ground
But I know that I’m safe
Cause here in your arms, Lord, forever I’ll stay

You are the maker of the stars
The light in the dark
Your word will never fade
And you, you’ve known me from the start
You see inside my heart
You love me anyway

You are the maker of the stars
The light in the dark



Have you ever thought about Jesus hanging on the cross, dying for the sins of the world? The world. All of it. Every person that ever was and ever would be. Think about it. He took the sin of Hitler on Himself, knowing how much evil he would do, knowing that Hitler would never accept His free gift of salvation. Wouldn't He have been justified to avoid paying the death-penalty for all those who He knew would reject Him? It's like trading your life for a murderer on death row who has the opportunity to go free because of your sacrifice. But would you do it if you knew that the murderer was going to still pay the penalty for his crimes by his own choice? I don't think so. But Jesus did just that.


For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) ESV


Whoever believes. No one left out. That is crazy love. And the Son wants each of us to know Him and accept Him as personal Lord and Savior. He paid the ransom; we are left with the choice.


JPK

If...

"If" - by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son! 




I've been reading a lot of poetry lately for school. Let's just say, some of those Victorian literature poems are very difficult to understand what in the world they mean! Especially if you are reading the "Jabberwocky." Of course, it was meant to be logical nonsense, but I don't find much of anything inspiring about it.


But this particular poem caught my attention. And just because it was written for this man's son doesn't mean we can't get anything out of it. I think the advice given here goes for men and women alike.


This poem really gives a good picture of what it takes to make your life count for eternity. We get caught up so easily in living only for this life and forget that it's just for a moment. We need to be making a difference for Christ, not letting this world and all it's junk drag us and weigh us down. That's why it says in Hebrews 12:1-2 to, "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."


We have a race to run, and it's no picnic. There's no way we can do it alone. Just look at some of the stuff in the poem. And that's only a good start. Only through Jesus can we ever hope to be so selflessly dedicated to living for God and others rather than ourselves. And it's not easy being a real man (or woman) in a world full of people who seemingly never grew up. Rather than follow the bad examples set by the world, I want to be courageous and set a good example, a Christ-like example, even if it goes against culture. Easier said than done.


I used to do some running. I wasn't that great, but what really helped me was that my older brother would run with me. We trained together. And I actually won a 2nd place trophy for my age division (14 & under male) in 2007. Surprise! But I couldn't have gotten better at running on my own. I mean, by myself, I probably would have given up after the first run. I think we went either a half mile or a mile and I almost died. And I walked most of the way too. Pathetic. But my brother was a hard taskmaster. :) And I got to the point where I could do 5k nonstop at a pretty decent (well, for me anyway) pace.


The point is, we can get discouraged pretty easily. I know I do. But we're not in this alone! We have brothers and sisters in Christ to lean on when we feel like giving up. And if that's not enough, Jesus Himself is running along right beside us, going our pace! I think that's pretty awesome!


If Jesus came back today, would we be living for Him, or for ourselves? Would I? Life is too short to live for our own trivial pursuits; let's live our lives like eternity matters. Because it does.


JPK


p.s. now for a soccer game. sigh. i'm out of shape.

Broken Hands

These Broken Hands of Mine - Joe Brooks


Take a breath, I close my eyes
I am lost but try to find
What it is in this life that gives me strength enough
To fight for something more

Well, God knows my feet are aching
And I've got mountains ahead to climb

One way at a time I'll try to lend these broken hands of mine
Give me strength, be my light
One way at a time these walls will fall and fill our empty souls
Give me strength, help me guide these broken hands of mine

The sky is gray, it clouds your world
Clear the air, child, break the mould
I find a place in your heart
To build a shelter from this cold and winding road

Well, God knows you're barely standing
But you've got to carry this heavy load

One way at a time I'll try to lend these broken hands of mine
Give me strength, be my light
One way at a time the peace will grow and fill our empty souls
Give me strength, help me guide these broken hands of mine
Oh, these broken hands of mine

What if there's more
What if there's more
What if there's more than this
What if there's more out there?

One way at a time I'll try to lend these broken hands of mine
Give me strength, be my light
One way at a time the peace will grow and fill our empty souls
Give me strength, help me guide these broken hands of mine
These broken hands of mine




I don't know about you, but my hands are broken, useless, weak. But God--the Great Physician--is especially skilled at somehow using our broken hands and our messed-up lives for His ultimate glory!


You see, I just can't do it on my own. Not that I don't sometimes try. But it always ends in utter failure. The only way I can ever have the strength to do anything worthwhile in this life is through Jesus Christ alone. Without Him, my way will be dark, I'll get lost, and I'll fall.


I've been reading about the children of Israel and their journey in the wilderness. When they relied on God, everything went well--they conquered their enemies, crossed large bodies of water on dry ground, had an abundant supply of food. But there were many times when they took their focus off of the Lord and tried to make it in their own strength. Nothing but death, failure, defeat, and plagues met their foolish efforts. Then they would turn back to God and find out that they could have the victory through His strength. God would scatter the enemy, make a way, knock down walls, all kinds of stuff.


Reminds me of "Prince Caspian," the second Narnia movie. Peter was trusting in his own strength, trying to figure out a solution to all the problems. He thought he didn't need anybody's help--c'mon, he was the high king, he "had it sorted." But everything went wrong. His lofty plans came crashing down, causing many Narnians to be killed. Then, at his lowest point, he almost gave in to evil. Why? Because he thought he could do it by himself.


When he finally decided to trust his little sister and have her try to find Aslan--symbolizing God--that's when he finally became the hero he was trying to be all along. The strength he found wasn't of himself. And when he got the chance to kill Miraz, he was finally wise enough to know that he couldn't.


To me, that's a picture of our lives. When we finally quit running around trying to do it all by ourselves and start relying on God, our perspective changes, we are given the supernatural strength we need, and God can start using our broken hands to fulfill His master plan.


"God, use my broken hands, as worthless as they are, and please give me the strength to do whatever You have in store for me. I can't do this on my own; God, I need You."


JPK

Grace

   Grace

I was lost when You found me hereYou pulled me close and held me nearAnd I'm a fool but still You loveI'll be Your fool for the king of love
He gave me wings so I could flyAnd gave me a song to color the skyAnd all I have is all from YouAnd all I want is all of You
It's grace, graceI'm nothing without YouGrace, Your graceShines on me
And there've been days when I've walked awayToo much to carry, nothing left to sayForgive me Lord when I'm weak and lostYou traded heaven for a wooden cross
And all these years You've carried meYou've been my eyes when I could not seeAnd beauty grows in the driving rainYour oil of gladness in the times of pain
It's grace, graceI'm nothing without YouGrace, Your graceShines on me
You're grace, Your graceI'm nothing without YouGrace, Your graceShines on me, oh yeah
Shines on me, shines on meI'm everything with youShines on me, shines on meIt's Your grace
Shines on me, Your grace, ohYour grace it shines on meYour grace, Your graceShines on me, shines on meYour grace it shines on meYour grace it shines on me

God's grace is so far beyond what we can ever imagine. It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher than anything we know. It's power is not limited by the inability of our finite minds to comprehend it, meaning it works, even though we can never fully understand it!
His grace is what saved me from an eternity in hell, and if it's strong enough to save a disgusting, pitiful, worthless sinner like me, it's strong enough to save anybody. God's grace is limitless! It's powerful enough to not only save us, but to keep us saved, despite what we do. If Jesus' grace was conditional, depending on something we do or don't do, we would all be lost--hopeless.
Thank God it doesn't depend on our performance! Nothing we or anyone else can do will ever change His gift of grace. We only must accept it.
Remember, though, that we can't use the freedom God has given to us by grace as an excuse to sin or do whatever we want. "Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." (Galatians 5:13) God's amazing grace has liberated us from the chains of sin, but we should use that freedom to serve Him without reservation--wholeheartedly. If we keep on going our way, wallowing in the sin we could be free of, we're abusing the gift, like a criminal that has been pardoned who goes and commits another crime. We are mocking the Judge who freed us.
It's so unthinkable that God gives this grace so freely, knowing we would so often misuse it, spitting in His face. But He is God and far beyond figuring out.
I'll admit, it's easy for me to feel insignificant. I am. I'm nothing, absolutely worthless, on my own. But with Jesus in my life, guess what? I'm everything. I'm His vessel. And, through Christ, I can do all things. Wow!
JPK

Why Missions?

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)


What is the big deal about missions? Aren’t there enough missionaries serving the world by now? A deeper look into mission work will reveal the truth. In reality, mission work is vital for all of Christ’s followers if we are going to be obedient and fulfill the Great Commission.


One reason we should seriously consider being involved in some way with missions is because the potential “harvest” is enormous. There are so many lost that have never even heard about Jesus Christ, much less His gift to us. We are the ones called to tell them. In addition, there are so many who are earnestly looking for the truth. They will search for and try all the wrong things. Missionaries are simply those Christians who are seeking to find these people and point them to Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.


Sadly, there are few Christians that are actually soulwinners. It is estimated that 95% of the people that attend church will never lead anyone to Christ. How sad! Yet it's not hard to believe. To add to this obvious tragedy, the majority of Christians are poorly equipped to spread the Gospel. Without a thorough knowledge of God’s Word, they will be ineffective witnesses for Christ even if they do try to share their faith. Probably most Christians will quickly give excuses as to why they can’t witness. But we have Jesus' power within us! We must stop excusing ourselves and start willingly sharing God’s truth to the world. Remember, missionaries don’t have to go to a foreign country or leave home to witness to others. The mission field is all around us.


We, as Christ’s followers, are called and commanded to spread the Gospel message. A missionary is simply someone with a mission; soulwinning is our mission straight from God. However, whether God has called us to do it at home or abroad, we must realize we can’t do it alone. Without the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we will fail. Let each of us surrender fully to the amazing power and supernatural strength of God’s Spirit and start obeying Jesus’ command. There are many people from various “religions” who are passionate about sharing their faith. We need to wake up and realize that we should be far more passionate about witnessing because we know the truth.


We are the only ones who can shine Jesus’ light to the world. Whether we give to missionary work, pray for those in far-off countries, go ourselves and serve in a foreign land, or just stay at home and share Jesus with those around us doesn’t really matter, as long as we are where God wants us to be. If we claim to follow Christ, let’s not be ashamed to share the message of His salvation to all the world.


JPK

Class of 2012

Guess what? I'm in the Class of 2012! (gasp)


For lack of anything better to post at the moment, here's my biography (well, technically autobiography) I'm writing for the programs at my graduation. The problem is, it has to be 125 words or less. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sum up your life in 125 words? Any way to improve this? It sounds kind-of formal to me... Then again, if it didn't follow the English rules, people would think I never learned anything in school. (sigh)

The places where it says (edit) I cut out a word or date so not just any old person will know my private info. If you know me in real life, then you probably know what goes in the blanks anyway.

Graduation Biography

     Josiah (edit) Keener, son of (edit) and (edit) Keener, was born on (edit) (edit), 1994. The sixth child of nine, he was homeschooled for 13 years. At age 7, Josiah was privileged to begin taking violin lessons. He played for 5 years in the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra and 10 years in a
junior music festival held by the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs where he recently won a Grand Cup for accumulating over 75 points. In addition, he played community soccer and TEACH basketball. He enjoys singing, drawing, indoor soccer, blogging, and photography. If God opens the door, Josiah would like to pursue a career in voice. Philippians 4:13 is his favorite verse: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”




Lord willing, I will be graduating June 1. Am I ready? No way! I mean, school is going fine (as fine as school can go, anyway), but I don't know what comes after. And it's killing me. But that's where the trust comes in, right?


All my life, my "job" was to be in school like everyone else. Nothing else was really expected but learn, learn, learn. But now that I'm almost done, I feel like I need to move on with life as soon as I can. Not that I'll ever stop learning, but it seems like the learning should be concentrated in a specific area so I can begin learning how to work hard and preparing for the day when I will have to provide for myself (and, who knows?--maybe a family). Scary? Absolutely. 


I don't want to "leech" off my parents and be a bum when I get out of school, but I still am unsure of what I'm to do next. I pray--and I hope you will too :)--that God will show me in His perfect time. Hard? Crazy hard.


JPK

Who Will Love Her?

I really love songs that call Christ's followers to action. Rather than just saying, "This is how it is," I like songs that motivate change, with a message that will leave its listeners saying, "I'm going to help resolve this through God's grace and strength."


So, of course, I have attempted to write such songs...


Actually, the story behind this one is pretty cool. Several weeks ago, I came up with the original chorus (which is now only slightly modified) and thought, "This seems pretty good, I should write some verses sometime." But no ideas really hit me for awhile so I just let it sit in the back of my mind.


Then, a few days ago, I decided to try to write some lines before I went to sleep. But, naturally, being in bed, with only a dim light on, when it's late was making me really tired. So, I closed my eyes (telling myself I was thinking really hard) and promptly fell asleep.


I woke up unnaturally early, I think it was Friday morning, and found myself laying in bed on top of a pencil, some random papers, and my mp3 player. I remembered my failed song-writing attempt as I went to use the restroom. So I go back to my room, jump in bed, and just start writing. I finished the song in under an hour! Which is, like, really short for writing a song! And I've only made a few changes since then...


Scientists say that whatever you fall asleep thinking about, your brain keeps thinking on all night, and it will be on your mind when you wake up. And I've heard about people who have a problem thinking about it as they fall asleep and then waking up with the solution. Just shows the importance of thinking on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy!


So, anyway, I seem to have benefited from this cool phenomenon, although I can't claim that the song all came from me and my sleep-thinking (haha, I used to sleepwalk when I was a little kid, now I sleep-think:D). In fact, I hope that it didn't come from me at all, but was inspired by God, cause if it came from me, then it's probably worthless.


So, here it is. Sorry, but I don't have a tune worked out completely so you can hear it yet, though I have a few ideas.




"Who Will Love Her?" by Me

She does what it takes to fit in with those girls

She's starving herself cause she thinks it's the way

Just trying to be like the rest of the crowd

A beautiful girl throwing her life away

Who is gonna love her

So she feels like she belongs?

Who will stay beside her

When life is going wrong?

Who does she have to turn to

When she's at the end of her rope?

Will there be anyone left to trust in

When she's about to give up hope?

Her layers of makeup will never suffice

To cover the lies she’s forever believed

The cutting at night just can’t numb out the pain

Still crying alone from the scars she's received

Who is gonna love her

So she feels like she belongs?

Who will stay beside her

When life is going wrong?

Who does she have to turn to

When she's at the end of her rope?

Will there be anyone left to trust in

When she's about to give up hope?

Thinks she’s gotta hide the person inside

She’s been hurt too many times in the past

If she only knew that in Christ there is life

Who will dare to show her His love that will last?

Are you gonna love her

So she feels like she belongs?

Will you stay beside her

When life is going wrong?

Does she know of the Savior she can turn to

When she's at the end of her rope?

There’s nobody better to trust in

Don't just let her give up hope

Don't just let her give up hope

Give her hope

As you probably noticed, there's a lot of irony in this song. For instance, she's throwing her life away trying to fit in with everyone else so her life will be "better," and she's scarring herself physically to try to relieve the pain from emotional scars. I think it accurately shows how we so often think we can fix the problem with some artificial substitute, when Jesus is the only real answer. But many people will never know until somebody shows them.

Again, your thoughts would be radically awesome and totally appreciated!

JPK