Could You Please Pass the Pink Stuff?

I’ve been sick for a long time. Now, before you rush off to the store to pick up a nice get-well card, I’ll tell you that it’s not a constant thing. For many years, I’ve had on-again, off-again bouts of stomach trouble. I’ve been poked, prodded, and medicated, and once I go to the doctor next week, I’m sure a whole new round of fun will begin. And that’s okay with me; I think a person would have to be one meatloaf short of a potluck dinner to be as sick as I was a few weeks ago and want to repeat it.

Now, I’m fairly certain you didn’t come here to read of someone’s gastrointestinal difficulties, but I do have a point. There is nothing better than illness and pain to bring you closer to the Lord.

One evening as my family and I were enjoying dinner at a local restaurant, I became seriously ill. My wife, in-laws and the waiter wanted to call an ambulance, but I, in my infamous stubborn way, refused. Needless to say, while at the restaurant and subsequently at home, I did a lot of praying. And I believe my prayers worked.

I know that many people, when the going gets rough, begin to pray, whether they are a Christian or not. But for some, once the issue has passed (in some form or another), they go about their routine, giving God little if any thought. For me, though, my prayer was not only about getting better, although it was a ‘ginormous’ part of it. My illness had the potential to impede my ministry.

There have even been church services where, in the middle of delivering a message, I would have a flare-up. There have been times I needed to attend to some member of my congregation and was unable to do so. I believe this was the deciding factor in setting up a doctor’s appointment.

Throughout it all, though, the Lord has been with me, seeing me through. And while I don’t enjoy those moments of intense, unexpected and unpredictable pain, I am glad the Lord can use them to bring me closer to Him. He does this by giving me the grace to see me through those moments, as well as think of “something else,” some bit of Scripture or spiritual principle to occupy my mind. And the wealth of illustrative material it has given me is unbelievable.

So, what’s the point of all this? Never allow circumstances to get in the way of your Christian growth. Even during the worst of times, the Lord can show you what He is capable of doing. Early this morning, a member of my congregation passed into eternity. While his family, and others who have recently lost loved ones, will experience the hurt of such loss for the rest of their lives, it is now that God can truly show them what His grace is all about.

It is okay to hurt. It is okay to grieve. But never turn loose of the Master. Hold to Him when things are great, so you’ll know how to find Him when things fall apart. He will never let you down. Give Him the praise for seeing you through. Let someone know how much you love Him and how much He loves you. There are great opportunities in our lives, and we should take advantage of every one of them.

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Who's that handsome guy in the mirror?

I implore you to bear with me through this beginning. I do have a point, and it’s not what it seems by reading the first portion of this entry. I’m really not like this. Really.

I enjoy a plethora of interests: reading, writing, movies, fishing, discussions, ministry, computers, photography, and other sub-categories of these. But of all the hobbies that keep my attention, of all the things that bring me enjoyment, of all the stuff that occupies my time, on thing stands out; there’s one subject that means more to me than anything else.

That subject is me.

If we were really honest with ourselves, I would venture to say that all of us are very dear to our own hearts. I mean, if it came down to getting a $10 billion check or getting served with an arrest warrant, which would you rather have the guy next door get, and which would you rather receive? See? We like ourselves, and sometimes we think it’s great to just sit back and ponder just how much better we are than so-and-so down the road.

I believe you should give people an occasional “pat on the back.” If they help you, if they do you some good, tell them how much you appreciate them. I have received some wonderful compliments over the years, and while I can’t list them all, some hold a special place in my heart and a vivid place in my recollection.

Now, if you’ve managed to make it this far, allow me to desist with the self-aggrandizement and return to reality, however skewed my own reality may at times become. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m really not like the person I described above. Yet I do feel that those who are indeed important in your life (in whatever manner that might be) should be told what you think of them.

I have a dear friend, Jason Miller, who for all that we potentially disagree upon (you can check out his blog to see for yourself; parental advisory—sorry Jake!), I wouldn’t trade for the world. Well, maybe for a nice pie recipe and a pinball machine. Anyway, last year Jason gave me one of the best compliments I’d ever received. He hadn’t been thrilled with my decision to go into the ministry nearly a decade before. But he said, “I’ve given it a lot of thought [over the last eight or nine years], and I’ve finally decided that I respect you.” That did, and still does, mean a lot to me.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to help in leading a woman to the Lord. After we had prayed, she said, “You know, when I listen to you, it’s not like you’re preaching at me or to me. It’s like you’re talking to me, like you’re teaching me.” That, she said, is what made the difference in her decision to accept Christ. That I made the Word of God easy for her to understand and practical enough to apply to her life was a compliment any pastor would love to hear.

But to these and other positive comments, I would like to say something. It’s not about me. If I am of benefit to anyone, if any of my words make some impact on a life, it is because the Lord has used me for that purpose. God has been so good to me, and I feel that anything I can give in service to Him makes my life have meaning. The Lord deserves all the praise and glory, not me.

I would be lying if I said that some little part of me wouldn’t like to have my name up in lights, or that I wouldn’t like to say or do something that would be remembered through the ages of time. That would be nice. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter whether the world remembers your name. What matters is that God remembers your name.

Contemporary Christian artist David Phelps has a song called Legacy of Love (album: Life Is A Church), and one part of the lyrics speak of my thoughts on this topic:

And as I look into the eyes of my daughters and my sons,
I hope I’ve stood for something that they’ll want to carry on.
‘Cause life is far too short not to finally realize
That it’s long enough to make a difference in someone’s life.

One day my time on earth will end. On some headstone in some cemetery, some wanderer will see my name carved in marble, a date of birth and a date of death. These dates will be separated by a little dash, one tiny hyphen. It is that hyphen that will symbolize my life, the choices, the triumphs and tragedies, the difference I made in some life. Some may think that I gave up a lot, or too much, in giving my life to the ministry. But another song on the latest album by the Gaither Vocal Band, Give it Away (same title as the song, by the way) sums up my feelings:

If you want more happy than your heart will hold,
If you want to stand taller if the truth were told,
Take whatever you have, and give it away.
If you want less lonely and a lot more fun,
And deep satisfaction when the day is done,
Throw your heart wide open, and give it away.

My desire is to make an eternal impact. To change one life for the better, to offer a word of encouragement, to be there as a source of strength or to lend a shoulder for crying, I can think of nothing better, nothing more fulfilling to me. I hope that my contribution to this life means something to someone, and that my children and grandchildren might one day look at my life and say, “I’d like to be like him.”

If I go unnoticed in this life, that’s okay with me. I’m only here for a little while, anyway. But to know you’re making a difference somewhere is really what keeps me going. Allow the Lord to guide your steps, no matter where you happen to be walking, and let Him show you how you can be there for someone else. You’ll be hard-pressed to find something to compare to it.

Also stop by CREEations, a great blog by Chris Cree. I’m sure you’ll find some encouragement and maybe a laugh or two! You might not see everything eye-to-eye with him, but he will stir your interest in your Christian relationship.

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock...BZZZZZZZZ!!!!!

Time has a way of getting the best of all of us. How many times have we said something like, “Where has this week gone?” In all that we have to deal with these days, it’s easy to look back and say, “I just don’t have the time to do this.”

The modern way of looking at life is a philosophy of ‘more is better,’ and ‘more’ is seen in everything: hobbies, work, food, whatever. We cram our lives full of things that don’t really make that much of a difference. But there is one interesting thing that is often overlooked, probably because we’re too busy to realize it: as our lives get busier, the Lord is pushed further and further out of our lives.

I’ll admit, there are a lot of things that pull me in different directions. There are responsibilities that must be met as a pastor, as a husband and father, as a friend. There are responsibilities to myself and to my own personal well-being. With so many things requiring attention, some of the things I’d like to do just don’t get done when and how I’d like them to be. This blog, for instance, or our church website (http://westwoodchurchofgod.org , if you’re interested!) often take a back seat to everything else.

Some would say that’s perfectly understandable. Sure, there are lots of things to occupy my mind and my time. There are strategies to me made, sermons to prepare, visits to make, prayer and study time, meetings and counseling, and on and on. That’s just in one part of my life. What about the rest? The house and yard work, playing with my son, spending time with my wife and family and friends? Is there really just not enough hours in the day?

There are plenty of hours in the day. Everyone has 24, and each person has to decide how he or she will use them. We must prioritize and stick to our plan in order to fit everything in. But we must never allow ourselves to push God further and further away. It is our duty, our responsibility, and our privilege to give the Lord the first and best of all we have and are. We are guilty of giving Him what’s left, not what’s first. This takes determination and faith, both of which are increased the more we give to the Lord.

I might not be able to update this blog as regularly or as often as I would like but rest assured it is an important part of my life. I enjoy doing it, even if no one else enjoys reading it. I feel it is an outlet to express my thoughts and my views of life’s challenges, of Scripture, of practical applications of Godly principles.

No matter what your situation might be, I urge you never to allow life and its duties (even your Christian responsibilities) to come in between you and the Lord. Find time, make time to spend with Him, just the two of you. Let Him speak to your heart, let Him guide you, let Him strengthen you to do His will. Then, allow Him to organize your life, showing you what is truly important.

Someone once said, “Well, in a hundred years, what will it matter?” What we do on a daily basis might not mean much in a hundred years. But what we do spiritually can have an eternal impact on souls for years and years to come. Be faithful to the Lord, trust in and serve Him, and He will take care of you.

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

"V B Yes!"

Well, this year’s Vacation Bible School has come and gone; much too soon for the kids, and a bittersweet blessing to some of the workers. It has been about five years since we held a larger-scale VBS, and for a smaller congregation, it was highly successful.

The number of our kids at the church has never been very large, but this year we came together, overcoming some very large obstacles, and determined to do everything within our power to pull it off. My wife prayed, and the Lord led her to “prepare for 50 kids.” At the end of the week, when everything was tallied, we had 45 kids enrolled. Not only that, but we had around 25 people helping in some capacity (teaching, assisting, working, or praying).

Commencement was held yesterday morning, and it was a delight to all who attended. My prayer was that we would be able to touch the lives of the children, and perhaps gain some more families to start worshiping with us. The Lord answered that prayer as well, and eleven people (families with children) have said they have a new church home, with several more saying they were thinking about it. God truly blessed.

I was able to see a lot of growth in many of the people who helped us out, this being their first VBS, or first in a long time. During the week, I was able to talk with many of the workers about my feelings on VBS and similar events.

My belief is that VBS isn’t so much about teaching lessons to children that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Instead, it is about making an impression that will last the rest of their lives. On Sunday, I delivered a Father’s Day message, and something I said about the role of a father (also applicable to a mother) fits with this idea:

Children seldom learn as much through words as they do through observation. Therefore it is essential we give our children the right footsteps to follow. Be firm, be consistent, but most importantly, be an example. Why? Because children will respond to, remember, and imitate your actions long after they have forgotten your words.

After 30 years (or even 30 minutes), those kids might not remember the lessons their teachers taught them at SonTreasure Island. They will probably forget the words to “If We Turn” and “Around and ‘Round,” but that’s okay. But after that time, they will remember that there was a time when they learned about togetherness and about the Bible. They will remember that God’s true servants cared about them and about one another. They will recall that there is a place where they can feel at home and hear about the good news of God’s precious Son.

I pray that will be our legacy. So, if your church is doing anything for the children, anything for community outreach, don’t be afraid to get involved. You don’t know what kind of impression you’ll make, and that impression might just be the key to changing a life … or changing the world.

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.

A Brief Respite

Just wanted you, the readers, to know that I haven’t dropped off the planet … at least not yet!  I just returned from a nice vacation last week, and this week our church is involved with Vacation Bible School.  As soon as it is finished, I shall return with some new entries.  

So, until then, God bless you all!  Check back early next week, and we should be able to resume our discussions.

Part 10: The Armor of God

THE CONCLUSION

So, I am curious. I ask you, the reader, several questions: Did you enjoy the series on The Armor of God? What did you learn? Did you gain any insight that you had never thought of before? Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this series, and perhaps I can share those thoughts with the other readers in an entry of its own.

I wanted to spend just a moment in tying together everything in our series. Some people have said that the armor of God is something they consciously put on every day. They pray each morning, naming each piece of armor, asking God to help them use it. Others say they contemplate a particular piece of armor depending upon what they happen to be facing on a given day. So is it possible to sum things up, to find a commonality to make it easier to use the armor of God? Yes there is, and everything we have studied can be summed up in one word: JESUS.

You may be saying, “Great cop-out, Preacher. You’ll say everything can be summed up like that.” Well, perhaps (he says with a chuckle and a wink). Well, let’s go over the armor one last time (including the prior verses):

• Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might


• We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …


• That you may be able to withstand


• Gird your waist with truth


• Breastplate of righteousness


• Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace


• Shield of faith


• Helmet of salvation


• Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God)


• That …I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

All of these pieces of armor, like any pieces, must be attached to the body using some sort of strap (in today’s army, Velcro would probably suffice). Jesus not only embodies these things, but without Him, the individual pieces of armor cannot be properly used by or stay attached to us.

Allow me to explain. I’ll go over the first three items on the above list, as well as the last on the list, then I will go over each piece and show you how Jesus ties them all together.

• Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. All of us will acknowledge that we need more strength than we have within ourselves. If you don’t believe that, there will come a time when you will find your own strength lacking. Since we are so weak, each and every one of us, we must acknowledge that our strength must come from another source, a higher source. To be strong means to admit your own inherent weakness and seek the very strength and power of Jesus.


• We do not wrestle against flesh and blood … There are situations, circumstances, and people who challenge us and stretch our abilities and patience to the limits. Yet at the base of all this, we should see that there is another power behind it. Satan will do everything he can do to destroy us, to ruin our happiness, tarnish our testimony and weaken our faith. But God is still in control, and He allows these things to come into our life in order to build our faith and trust in Him. We can barely overcome the challenges of flesh and blood, but it is certain that we can’t overcome principalities, powers, etc. Again, Jesus is the only answer, and the only hope of success.


• That you may be able to withstand. We have already mentioned this, but repetition is sometimes used in Scripture to stress the importance of an idea. It was not said explicitly, but the theme was there in what was discussed. Therefore the restatement of the truth of our weakness and the need for Jesus to help us withstand merely underscores the thought.


• That … I might speak boldly, as I ought to speak. This phrase gives us a glimpse in the faultiness of humanity, in that there are things we know we ought to do, things we should say, that we simply don’t do or say. We allow apprehension, fear, doubt, and a thousand other excuses hinder us. So again, the only way to do and say what we ought, is to seek the power of Jesus.


• Gird your waist with truth. The waist is the middle of the body, it kind of holds everything else together. The truth, also, holds everything together.


• Breastplate of righteousness. The heart that is right with Jesus and at peace with God is the heart that is filled with righteousness. Remember that our righteousness is compared to filthy rags, but the righteousness of the Lord protects our heart, as well as everything else.


• Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The gospel message of Jesus will carry you wherever you want to go, and it is not a message of condemnation, but of repentance. It is not a message of hatred, but of forgiveness. It is not a message of despair, but of hope, and our duty is to live in that message, letting it transform us, then carry that message everywhere our feet take us.


• Shield of faith. Faith protects us, just as a shield does. The shield is typically carried in front of the body, but as the bearer sees the fiery darts flying toward him or her, the shield can be moved to intercept the incoming missile. No matter what form the attack of the devil might take, whether it is a person or a situation or anything else, allow your faith to confront and deflect the attack. Don’t be afraid to use it, because failure to use your shield of faith will lead to injury.


• Helmet of salvation. Live confident in your salvation. Satan will try to plant the seeds of doubt in your mind, and from there, it takes root and penetrates every part of you. Know in your mind (and heart) that Jesus died for you sins, ALL of them, and when you ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant soul, that gift of salvation becomes yours. There is no greater weapon with which to stand against the devil than the knowledge that Jesus lives within you.


• The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Get in God’s Word, find out what it has to say. Approach the Bible with a seeking and inquisitive mind, but don’t stop there. Ask the Holy Spirit to open the mysteries and magnificence of God’s Word to your mind and heart, that you can learn and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Only the Holy Spirit can do this for you, and the more of God’s Word you know, the better able you are to use this sword in your own and in other’s defense. Let the Word of God defend you, but remember it’s only as effective as the effort you put into it.

Okay, with this review behind us, I want to say again that all these things are tied together by Jesus. And truth be told, THEY ARE ALL JESUS. Yes, that’s right. Jesus IS the armor of God. How can I say this? Well, how is Jesus described in the Bible? What are the names or characteristics by which Jesus is known? Here’s a small list:

• Truth


• Righteousness


• Peace


• Faith


• Salvation


• Sword


• And The Word of God

So you see, when you put on the armor of God, you are actually putting on Jesus Himself. This is why the admonition to put on the whole armor of God is so important. We cannot afford to leave even the smallest part of Jesus out of our lives. We cannot afford to have the smallest vulnerability that can be exploited by Satan. Jesus is all these things, but we need to make sure all His characteristics are being put to use in our lives, making us stronger, making us better that what we are, enabling us to fight our individual battles, as well as pressing forward the kingdom of God.

This has been a very enjoyable series for me to put together, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Please don’t hesitate to let me know what you thought of the series, any insights you gained through it or your own studies. I hope you will continue to join me in the future as we explore other topics. Perhaps there will be an additional series or two waiting out there for us. No matter what, please know that I appreciate your readership of this blog, and look forward to exploring life’s challenges together with you. God bless!

© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.