The Passionate Purpose Driven Pursuit for a Person AND Place

August 2, 2011

“My beating heart is bursting out my skin
To go further up and further in.
Whatever it takes to bring me somewhere higher
Be it rain or be it fire.

I’m climbing the fences, I’m crossing the sea, I’ll cover the distance,
I just want you to shine on me.
I’m laying down my life, cause I know what You’re worth.
I’m crossing the great line between heaven and earth.” Phil Wickham lyrics

Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated with the topic of Heaven. Growing up I had this void of the unknown and there seemed to be very little light shed on it. And I’m very curious in nature; so the desire to know kept me up at times during the night. The clichés that we’re often told left me bored and unsatisfied: there’s no more crying/pain, death, or darkness in Heaven…Or the wrong assumptions: we’ll instantly know everything, we’ll all have the same abilities, possessions, and we’ll be only spiritual realm leaving behind our physical attributes. Even the sermons I heard about it were dull, uninteresting, and frankly disturbing to me. I tried reading passages on Heaven, but found very little outside of the book of Revelation and thought perhaps there were no answers to be found. I was wrong…extremely wrong….

Then shortly after I graduated high school everything started to become clear. I discovered Randy Alcorn’s new book, “Heaven” and my life was instantly changed. All my worries, doubts, fears, and anxiety seemed to wash away. Next to the Bible, “Heaven” is the most life changing book I have ever read. I cannot thank Randy Alcorn enough for writing this book!….

But it hasn’t stopped there. As the years have gone by and I older I get– the more I see things for the way they truly are. I crave for Heaven a little more with each passing day. The past year or so it’s been at the forefront of my mind as I’ve been doing a lot of reading about it in books (i. e. Heaven Revealed, Heaven is For Real, Heaven and the Afterlife), hearing about it in music (Phil Wickham, MercyMe, Andrew Peterson, Hillsong), and receiving my first taste of death with my Grandma dying a year ago this August. The questions then flood my mind: Where does this obsession come from? Why do I long to go there? Is it wrong to be so heavenly minded?…

Hollywood’s image of Heaven is usually the following: floating in the clouds, an endless church service, having wings and halos on our heads, playing harps, and being bored silly. Is it any wonder than that we have no desire to go there? Whenever I see this image portrayed in a movie, television series, or any piece of media I shake my head and groan in frustration. Satan is more clever than we give him credit. He knows that if we have no desire to go to Heaven, then we’ll only live for the temporary, the here and now. And that will make ultimately useless for God’s kingdom as we fail to see the grander picture…

The wrong assumption is that desiring God and Heaven are entirely two different things. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The quote that sums this up perfectly is from one of my favorite authors, C. S. Lewis: “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” To desire Heaven is to desire God. You can’t have one without the other. To be with God is to be in Heaven. If we aim for Earth and nothing more than the temporary then this is the best of life we’ll ever get. Our greatest moments and memories will be here and then it will fade away forever. But if we aim for Heaven our greatest memories, moments, and triumphs have yet to come and that will continue throughout all of eternity. Each day will be better than the last! And when we aim for Heaven, we aim for God and His kingdom. Thus, we live life from the right perspective with a lens on living to our fullest potential now, but realizing that we need to store our treasures in Heaven not Earth….

I am excited to announce that next year around Easter(mid April) I will be starting an EPIC series on Heaven, Hell, and eternal matters that will cover more than just the bare basics. This topics deserve more attention, detail, and time. This series will run from Easter all the way through the month of October. And I’m going to change things up a little with this series, writing shorter blogs more than once a week. The topics that we’ll cover will be a vast in variety and we’ll look at some of the following questions, such as:

• What is our default destination?
• How do we get to Heaven? How can I be sure I’m going there?
• Why did God create Hell? Is it eternal?
• What is the Intermediate Heaven? How does it differ from the Eternal Heaven?
• Where is Heaven located?
• What will Heaven look like? Will it be familiar? Or foreign to us?
• Will we have bodies in Heaven/Will it be physical or just spiritual?
• What about Angels? Will we actually rule/co-reign with God?
• What will it mean to see God? How will we worship God?
• What will the New Jerusalem be like?
• Will we eat, drink, or sleep in Heaven?
• Will there be time? Space? Will we get bored?
• Will we know everything when we get to Heaven? Or not? And why?
• Will there be marriage, sex, friendships, or relationships in Heaven?
• What about animals? Extinct animals? Dinosaurs?
• Will there be sports, books, entertainment?
• Will there be work?

And that’s just a small sample size! I will largely be referencing Randy Alcorn’s book, “Heaven” but also I’ll be looking at material from Charles Spurgeon, C. S. Lewis, Jonathan Edwards, Mark Buchanan, St. Augustine, A. W. Tozer, Paul Enns and more. There will be plenty of songs, articles, media we’ll look at that relates to Heaven as well! Of course, the Bible will be the foundation of this in-depth study and my prayer is that by the end of our time looking at our eternal destiny your life and mine will be changed forever! After this seven month series we’ll conclude with a two month series on gaining an eternal perspective on how you view your life here on earth and living in light of what’s to come….

You may be asking: Isn’t that a bit of overkill on topics we have little information on? Does the Bible really have that much to say about Hell, Heaven, and our eternal destiny? There is another false assumption on these topics: that the Bible has little to say about it. It may not be laid out in a nice, neat travel guide approach–but it’s there. And God has a LOT to say about it! All we have to do is look a little deeper than the surface. I make this promise: If you study the Scriptures with me, read the blogs, apply the truths into your everyday life–it’ll change everything–how you view your money, your time, your relationships, nature, animals, your physical health, your relationship with God–EVERYTHING!….

I’ve been wanting to do this series from the very beginning of when I founded SHOUT IT Ministries, but I wanted to make sure the time was right. I believe that next year is the opportune time. With all the debate ragging with the existence of Hell, the heightening interest in Heaven, the incredible increase in NDEs(Near Death Experiences) documented, and the dangerous time period we live in–the time is now to go ahead and write about these topics. I’m thrilled, excited, passionate, and eager to get this series started next year and I hope you are too. Will you join me for the greatest adventure of all?

Thanks for reading.

~Kyle

Gratitude for the Gifts and Generosity Given

August 12, 2011

“I have asked the question why
But I guess the answer’s for another time
So instead I’ll pray with every tear
And be thankful for the time I had you here
And I wanna live my life just like you did
Make the most of my time just like you did…

I’m dreaming of the day when I’m finally there with you” Matthew West lyrics

**Dedicated to my Grandma**

I am extremely blessed. There are times when I doubt my self-worth. Times when I want to be someone else. And times when I ask the question: Why me? But then I am reminded of the people God has placed in my life and those thoughts seem quite foolish to even entertain. My Grandma, who passed away a year ago from today, was truly an extraordinary person who impacted me in ways I cannot begin to fathom….

Only my two younger brothers and my four cousins were blessed to call my Grandmother their own. She treated us with such devotion, love, and kindness that I wrongly assumed early on in my life that all Grandmothers were like this. But over the years, I began to see the truth of the matter–She was special, extremely special. During my first 26 plus years on this earth she left a profound legacy for me to carry on. The bar she set was extraordinarily high….

Why was my Grandma so special? For starters, my family and I always went over to her house nearly every week during my childhood. It was usually Sunday afternoons directly after church. She and Grandpa lived very close by making the drive easy to make. I would watch the Indians game with Grandpa, play wiffleball in her backyard with my brothers, and read a lot. My love for reading can largely be credited to her! I remember finding all kinds of different books to read while I was there….

My family was always welcome and the hospitality was truly felt. My brothers and I had sleepovers there many summer nights. Out time was spent playing board games, watching cable TV(which my family didn’t have at that time), and waking up to the smell of freshly baked bacon and pancakes! My brother and I were so spoiled! Out of all my childhood memories, those days are the ones that I cherish most dearly!…

One common display of love from my Grandma was her cooking. She was always cooking and her cooking was out of this world! From freshly baked delicious meals to her mouth-watering desserts it was a delight to sit down for a meal–breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My personal favorite dessert was cookie pudding–vanilla pudding with Oreo cookies–and she went out of her way to make it for me often! So good! What’s more is that she always making sure we had enough to eat and was usually the last to eat; putting our needs before her own. Her legacy of cooking eventually passed on to my Mom and I hope to one day continue the strong family tradition!…

It didn’t stop with just the cooking though. She was always there for me. At my choir concerts, ballgames, my high school graduation, holidays, parties–you name it. She took time to write me birthday cards each year and generously bought me gifts for every birthday and Christmas growing up. Her support and love left a lifetime of small imprints that have made me the person I am today….

Then there was her example of Christ that I can never express enough gratitude for. She instilled the Christian faith in my Mom and it helped shape the amazing family I would be blessed to call my own. Grandma showed what service in action was all about. If someone asks me what service for Christ looks like, I’ll give the countless examples shown to me from my Grandmother. Her words were always spoken with kindness and care for my well-being. She always was interested in what was going on in my life and took time to have meaningful conversations with me. And I could go on and on with more examples….

The last Christmas my family and I spent with her(2009), I’ll never forget. My cousin proposed that we make a photo collage along with personal messages to Grandma. We would give it to her as a Christmas gift from all of us. Here is part of the note I wrote to her:

“I want to express my deep gratitude for all you’ve meant to me. You have always been there for me throughout my entire life supporting me, guiding me, and displaying God’s love in everything you do. I have a lot to live up to, because you’ve set the bar so high! I want to express that I love you and I will always carry a special place for you in my heart. God has blessed me beyond anything I could ever ask for because of you…”

No one knew at that time that it would be the last Christmas spent together. The picture you see above was taken on that Christmas holiday day we spent together. Only 7 and half months later, she passed away leaving us with heavy hearts. But despite the tears, we expressed a deep appreciation who she was and the legacy she left behind in the days that would follow. It was hard to say goodbye, but the hope of every believer is the promise of Heaven and eternal life. I miss her terribly, but I know I’ll see her again as I enter the gates of Heaven! And we’ll have quite a bit of catching up to do! I guess it’s a good thing–forever is forever!…

I want to leave you this is thought: Never take your loved ones for granted. It’s easy to do at times, trust me I know. Always take time out of your busy schedule to be with them. Cherish the memories you have together. Tell them, “I love you!” in words and in action. Support and encourage them through the tough times. Express gratitude often for who they are and what they do for you. Remember that every moment counts. Make the most of the time you have with them. And when they pass on to God’s celestial shore you’ll be ready to carry on their legacy. And it’ll ripple across from one generation to the next. The lasting legacy of love….

Thanks for reading.
~Kyle

9/11: The Wake-Up Call that Cried Out for Change

September 11, 2011

“With ship wrecked faith, 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.” Casting Crowns Lyrics

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was already set to be a horrible and painful day for me. I was set to have my cavities removed and dreading getting up that morning. Little did I know that this was the least of my worries that fateful day. The day started off like any as I got ready for school and went to my First Priority club like every Tuesday (a Christian outreach in our school) , and then it was off to school like usual. Then around 9 AM-10 AM, as I headed to Elite Choir, my world was forever changed. It was like wildfire. The news came from every angle, first from our choir director, Mrs. McNamara, and then from students, teachers, radio programs, every single television channel–we were under attack and no one seemed to know what really was going on….

It had never entered my mind something of this magnitude could happen. Planes being flown into buildings? The World Trade Center falling in a heap of rumble? A nation held by the grip of fear? Even my worst nightmare weren’t this bad. But this was real. As I got home with Novocain numbness from my cavities being removed(not pleasant!), I felt helpless and full of fear. It seemed to be the end of the world and I was watching it unfold before right in front of me…..

The next days, weeks, and months that followed were surreal as everywhere I turned you were reminded of the horror of that day. We have experienced some very tough changes since then–a mix between the good, the bad, and the ugly. The economy has never quite recovered and we’ve stuck in a recession, the unemployment rate is rising by the day, airport security has soared to new heights, gas prices are astronomical, and the United States has been engaging in war with the Middle East with much bloodshed. And that’s just a small sample size….

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of that fateful day and we should honor and respect those who gave their lives in the aftermath of that day. We should also be grateful for the incredible freedoms and privileges we have as Americans. Today is a day of reflection and remembrance. There has been some vast changes in how we live our lives as Americans today…but taking a quick look at the landscape of our culture and society…. Something is missing. Take a closer enough look and you’ll find a cry that was never met. The cry for repentance, for rebirth, for a revival. A wake-up call that was never answered…

The interest in spirituality and religion in general skyrocketed in the weeks and months after 9/11. There was many questions asked: How could this happen? Why is there such evil in this world if a good and all powerful God exists? Is this the beginning of the end of the world? Church attendance rose, inspirational books reached the top-sellers list, and people in general seemed to take a general interest of faith in God. As time passed, though, we got caught up back in our old habits, our same old lifestyles, and the cry was unmeet. 9/11 will always stay with us, but did we really change for the better as a nation because of that day? The short answer, sadly is no…..

God uses everything in human history for His purposes; even the darkest, most evil days we encounter. September 11, 2001 was no different. I believe God used those terrorist attacks as a warning sign to wake us up from our slumber. Since then the United States has seen some of its most trying times in recent memory. It’s not been pretty to say the least… Natural disasters have wrecked havoc in nearly every part of the country with hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, floods, and extreme temperature changes. Plus there’s the ongoing recession, the job market, our massive debts to be paid, and then there’s our moral state. Tolerance over truth. Our culture’s obsession with celebrities, models, and pro athletes. Divorce is now an afterthought as inevitable, homosexuality is an accepted lifestyle, and the original design for a family has been shattered. Abortion and murder is rampant. Television shows are celebrating sin at an all-time high….

What’s more is that our churches in America have turned to the wealth and health gospel like never before. The church is now reduced to nothing more than a consumer based institution where we come to get our fill for the week and base our entire faith on whenever we feel happy or not. A solid example of this is America’s largest church, Lakewood Church, led by Joel Osteen which is bought into the lie that God lives to serve us. To make us happy. We’ve become weak without a backbone prone to follow whatever the latest fashion or fad that comes our way. No doubt about it, our nation is in the midst of a crisis and we’re running out of time…

A little over a month ago a conference called, “The Response” was held in Houston, Texas which was a cry for repentance, renewal, and revival for our nation. There is a growing realization recently that the past decade was a warning for a nation to turn back to God and we’re starting to see the bottom of the rubble for how far we’ve fallen. The question is now: What is the answer? What is the solution?…

First, we need to repent. Our pride has plagued us as a nation. It’s okay to feel pride as an American citizen; this is not the pride I’m referring to here. Instead I’m talking about pride in the sense that we don’t need God. We’re so caught up in our possessions, wealth, power, and comfortable lifestyles that it’s quite easy to forgot that we need God at every waking moment. It is God who oversaw and extended His grace to us as we became a nation 200 plus years ago. Without God the United States never would have come into being. It the Christian morals, values, and principles that helped shape us to the blessed nation we once were. Those blessings stem from God’s providence and protection because we as a nation turned to Him before ourselves. Both are being slowly taken away as we have given into our foolish egos and proclaimed, “We don’t need God! Only ourselves!” Unless we turn back to Him with remorse and a willingness to repent we will continue to crumble as a nation….

Along with repentance we need a rebirth in moral values. Stop pointing fingers at the government and political leaders and realize that the change begins with us. Make our voice be heard in making sound, godly decisions. Choosing love over indifference. Taking a stand against the filth we see on television and movies, the music that we hear, the foods we consume, how we spend our money, the words we speak, how we spend our time, and the comfortable lifestyles we settle into. Choosing to stop complaining and start doing something; anything against the injustice in the world. Being the solution instead of waiting for someone else to create a solution. And if we start doing this….we will begin to see something America hasn’t seen in the past 100 years….A national revival….

When I speak of a revival, I’m not referring to just the church, but our nation as a whole from top to bottom. People from all walks of life of all ages turning and crying out to God. Willing to change and recognize how far they’ve fallen. How do we reach a revival? As we’ve seen repentance and rebirth are critical to begin the process. But before anything else we need to pray, pray, and pray. Pray for our national leaders. Our government. Our school systems. Our churches. Our businesses. Every citizen boy, girl, man, and woman. No revival can start without prayer. A revival cannot be forced or voted upon. It begins with you and me. A change in the way we view the world, our nation, the body of Christ, and our lives. We cannot ignore the signs any longer…the time to act is now…before it’s too late…

I recently re-watched a powerful and gut-wrenching social justice documentary by the band, Hillsong United, called, “We’re All in this Together” that really has opened by eyes to how lost we are as the body of Christ today–especially here in America. You may not be able to change the world, but each of us has the power to change someone else’s world. Start with who you are, where you are, and most importantly who God is. We’re running out of time, but God is merciful and giving us time to see the error of our ways, to repent, and to once again rise as one nation under God. Today as the 10-year anniversary of one of the worst days in American history, is the perfect time to start. Together we think, we act, we love. Because we’re all in this together and we need God more than ever before….desperately reaching for Him….right here, right now.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Thanks for reading. Please pray for our nation!

~Kyle