A Friend of Caesar

John 19:1-16
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. ² And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” ⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. ⁹ He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” ¹² From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” ¹³ So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” ¹⁵ They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” ¹⁶ So he delivered him over to them to be crucified."

So, last night in my personal study time, I was reading the story of Jesus' death. You know, I have often times felt bad for Pilate. He was put in such an awkward position by the Jews that wanted Jesus dead. It was obvious that he believed that Jesus was who He claimed to be. You could tell he was conflicted and didn't want to sentence Jesus to be crucified. Every time I read the story, I can feel his pain. But....last night I felt sorry for him in a different kind of way. I felt sorry for him because he was not brave enough to stand up for his beliefs. He was threatened with losing the support of Caesar, and because he didn't want to lose his status, he betrayed Jesus and sent Him to be sacrificed.

Power, greed, status & the fear of losing his own life motivated this poor man to kill the Son of God. This breaks my heart, not only for Pilate and the guilt he had to live with every living day of his life thereafter, but for the people of this world today. Just look around you. We see it everywhere we look. Heck, I am guilty of doing this very thing from time to time. Any person who says they are not is not being truthful with themselves.

In Matthew 10:33, Jesus says "but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." What do we do with this passage? Do we just read over it and shrug our shoulders and go on about our business? Or do we read it, acknowledge it and put these words into action? It is far better to be despised in our lifetime here on earth rather than being damned to hell for all eternity. Who's with me?

N24

Crossroad Youth is going through some amazing and exciting changes! The Holy Spirit is moving and it's so wonderful to be able to experience it first hand!

The leaders met a few months back and we talked about why we exist. I mean, what is our purpose and what do we want out of our group? What do we expect from our youth? Can we hold them accountable? Are they ready to grow? Do they want to grow? I believe that God has led us right to where He wants us! We decided that we needed to change our group name from 'Impact Student Ministries' to 'N24' which stands to iN 2 Christ, 4 His glory! Now we are coming up with a new logo so that we can get tshirts made and get this group out into the community and serve serve serve!

We now have Sunday School which is just known as N24, then on Wednesdays we have N24-"D" which stands for discipleship, and on Sunday nights, we now have N24-Live! which takes place of the 'Collide' that we used to have on the 3rd Wednesday of every month! speaking of which.....I better get going! Gotta prep some food for tonight! 2 hours til we go LIVE! 

Wrong Worship?

Hi friends! I know it's been a while! I've been trying to find time to post, but life has been busy! Kids went back to school today, so let's see if I can find more time here soon!

Anyways, a girlfriend of mine posted this on her facebook and I thought it was worthy to share. I really hope and pray that this is not me on stage, and I pray that it's not you either. This is why I like to pray that God makes me disappear and reveals Himself on stage on Sunday mornings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJp98hoqy5I&feature=player_embedded

Blessings~kel

He Knows My Name

So I went through a discipleship series with one of my mentors recently, and am now privileged enough to be discipling two other women. There are twelve lessons total and we are currently on the 2nd one. Lesson 2 is about The Word and how to read it and make it apply to your life. It is also about learning Who God is. We need to know His many names, the lesson calls for us to make an A-Z list of the names of God. We also focus on the fact that, not only are we to know His name(s), but He already KNOWS our name(s). Here is a little segment that we write out in our notebooks and I thought it would be nice to share with you.

God Knows My Name: Isaiah 43:1

(I am Family)

"I know your name"

"I am Your God" Isaiah 41:10

"I am in your corner"

"I will strengthen you....(insert your name here)"

Isaiah 40:31 "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary. They will knock and not faint."

I will take hold of your hand....I will help you."

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you 'Do not fear, I will help you.'"

I must know His name!

Psalm 9:10 "Those who know Your name trust in You."

I must love His name!

Psalm 5:11-12

• We will be blessed by Him
•  Surrounded with His shield of love
•  And therefore, filled with joy

God describes Himself in Exodus 34:5-7

How Great Is Our God

I know God answers prayer, but it never ceases to amaze me when He answers so quickly! See, two years ago Crossroad Church took a huge hit in losing our youth pastor. Our budget just couldn't afford him any longer, so he was asked to resign. Although that was painful, it was wonderful to sit back and watch God's hands on the entire situation. The youth pastor we had to let go went on to be the head pastor at a local church where he and his children were accepted with loving arms. It's been wonderful to see them recover from what appeared to be a strenuous hardship. God has blessed them and He has blessed their church tremendously! Losing Pastor Kent was an incredible hit for our youth group. It seems that when he left, everybody fell apart and we lost half of our group. It was then that I and the current youth leader were asked to step up and lead the group. What an honor that was for me. It felt like a huge accomplishment that God would finally entrust a group of teens to my care. I've always known, since I was 16, that my calling was with the youth. I never knew to what capacity until a couple years ago, but that is for another story. So, I was asked to be the female youth leader and I JUMPED on it!! I was ecstatic! Thrilled beyond all measure and I am still thrilled to be there.

It has, however, become aparent over the past year or so that the leaders we have in youth right now, including myself, are fillers. We are filling a spot that so desperately needs to be appointed by whoever God really has called to be there. When times get tough and there is a need, people will do what it takes to fill that void, but they are not neccessarily the appointed ones. Our youth group is in dire need of revamping and...well...REVIVAL! We need a leader that is called into the position. The kids deserve to have someone that is readily available to them. At their accesss at all times. Someone that is able to invest time and effort into their lives. A husband/wife team that are working on the same page with the same purpose in mind. I have been praying for God to deliver this man to us, and I believe He is answering my prayers!

Last Wednesday night I was introduced to a precious couple that were interested in the youth. I invited them to come and hang with us and they did! He is a marine that is currently going to seminar with the goal of becoming a youth pastor. He and his amazing wife have a sweet 1 year old baby girl. During our lesson, he asked if he could expound on the lesson and of course I was thrilled to hear what he had to say! As he spoke, I could not help but allow my jaw to hit the floor!! I KNEW!! I knew at that very second that this was the man that God had in plan for us! They said they were going to visit a couple other churches and pray about where God would have them be. They met with Pastor D and today I was told that they felt that God is leading them to us!! HOOORAYYYY!!!

We have a few wrinkles to iron out before they just jump right in, but praise God for answered prayer!!

Saving The Best For Last...??

You know the saying...we've all heard "I'm saving the best for last," but when it comes to quality time with God, isn't our first the best? In the Bible, on multiple accounts, we are called to bring God our "firstruits." When we tithe, we are to tithe from our Gross income, not the Net....firstruits. The same goes for our time spent in His presence. If we think we are saving our best for last and waiting until bed time to come into the presence of the Lord, we are doing a great disservice to ourselves and to the Lord. What happens when we wait until the end of our day to spend time with God? By that time we are beat up from the stressful events that took place during our day and we are exhausted. Our minds are so filled with the memories of the day and trying to get our thoughts in order that we are scatterbrained and cluttered making it nearly impossible to truly focus on Who exactly it is we are speaking to. I have found that if I wait too long I become very drowsy and will fall asleep mid prayer. If I don't fall asleep first, my mind will wander and suddenly I am thinking about things that are so far off topic that I forget that I was even talking to God. On the good days when I've had an essentially stressfree day and I feel energized by the time I get around to my devotional time, I find that if I had only started my day off with that scripture passage, what a difference it would have made in my day...in my attitude...in my encounters with those in need. 

It takes 21 days to create a habit....I challenge you.....for 21 days, instead of hitting the snooze button repeatedly, get up the first time your alarm rings and give God your firstfruits. Go make some coffee or tea and take it with you to a quiet place that you can be undisturbed. Spend 20-30 minutes reading the Bible and listening to what He has to say to you. Write it down and share it with at least one person during the day. 21 days...can you do it? I believe that you can!  

The Great Commission

Crossroad Church has been blessed so much this past year, and I am incredibly thrilled to be a part of it! There is so much growth and healing in our midst and it's very exciting! This year we were blessed to gain David and PJ Yount into our church family! They are incredible sheppards and have introduced our church to an incredible discipling tool. It is a series of 12 lessons that they wrote and published themselves. The series is titled 'How to Grow' and focuses on discipleship of new believers and old believers alike.

I began my own discipleship on 12/2/10 and today, I began descipling my eldest son's girlfriend Meg. She is such a sweet girl and I just love her to death! She was the first that came to mind when I was told I would become a discipler after completing my own series. At first I was hesitant because I feared a conflict of interest with me being her boyfriend's mom, youth leader and friend; however, I could not shake her from my heart and mind. I am so glad I did not pass this up! We had such an amazing lesson today and were able to share so much, so freely with eachother. We laughed, we cried, we got serious...it was everything I hoped it would be and more!

As of this very moment, I am discipling 2 women, and have one that we're just waiting to find a good meeting time. This, I have come to realize, is what this life is all about! This is the great commission! Matthew 28:19-20 says:

 "19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

I am honored and thankful for this wonderful opportunity to do what I was created to do! I love my ladies and look forward to growing relationships and many years to come of faithful service to the One I love most! Thank You sweet Lord, for loving me and allowing me to love You in return! ~Amen

This House-Edison Glass

I just want to share this video. I can't watch it without crying. It is by one of my favorite Christian Artists, Edison Glass. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLYmBRgO7uU

The Vilest of Offenders

Today is such a beautiful day! It's a perfectly gorgeous, blue skied sunny Southern California day! I am so incredibly blessed to be here! It saddens me to think of all the days that go by that I just take for granted without even noticing the shade of blue or indigo in the sky. tisk tisk.

Well, today in my quiet time I read a few chapters in my Bible. First I read John chapter 6, then I finished reading Matthew chapter 7 from yesterday. Although those 2 chapters are filled with beefy goodness, I was particulary struck by Acts chapter 9, the conversion of Saul. Now, Saul was the persecutor of all persecutors. This man was ruthless against Christians, and was singlehandedly responsible for more Christian deaths than any other. Saul was evil, through and through. In this chapter, we learn that Saul had an encounter with Jesus, and that Jesus spoke. Saul was blinded by a great light that came down from heaven and when he cried out "Who are you Lord?", Jesus repied "I am Jesus, who you are persecuting." Jesus then gave Saul some instructions on where to go to regain his sight. So he went down the road to Damascus to meet up with a man named Ananais, just as Jesus had commanded.

Now, here's where it gets tricky and my attention was caught. Jesus also approached Ananias to make sure he would be prepared for Saul. When Ananias heard this news, his immediate reaction was that of accusation. Beginning in verse

13 "But Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

He made sure to point out to Jesus just exactly who Saul was. Don't we do just that? Don't we look at people, and their vilest offenses, and think they are unworthy? Don't we look at criminals on death row and think they don't deserve another chance? Don't we look at child molestors and rapists and think they should be doomed? Saul was going around killing people for no reason other than that they were Christ followers. Ananias obviously thought he was unworthy. But listen to what Jesus says picking up in verse 15 "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel." Saul was a chosen vessel! The Lord took the vilest offender and CHOSE him to be His witness!

Let's think about this. Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus and revealed Himself. Didn't Jesus already know who Saul was? Didn't Jesus already know of the things Saul was accused of? Did He need Ananias to give Him the rundown of who this man was? Even though Christ knew who this man was, He still chose to use him. Who are we to judge, or even voice our opinion about who deserves to know Jesus? Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY deserves the opportunity to make their life right and come to know the Lord. He uses people with unpleasant testimonies in a mighty way everyday. Do we look back on our past and forget that we were guilty, too? I am so thankful for Jesus seeing past the ugly and giving me the chance I never deserved! Let's practice compassion and forgiveness. Let's not play God. We are commanded as Christians to tell the world about Jesus. It's not up to us to pick and choose who to tell....we are to tell everyone!

*Heavenly Father, I pray that You will give Christians around the world the boldness to get out there and share Your love with even the least lovely. ~Amen*

Up From the Depths...the Renewal

Well, it's seems it's been forever since my last blog post. In looking back on where I was, and I'm going to try to keep this blog a bit more personal and authentic. No more copying and pasting devotionals that I think are cool...unless they are really special. I'm challenging myself to dig in and create my own devos and journey into the real adventures of Kelli.

So many new and exciting things are happening in the life of Kelli. A new business venture is hatching and I am very excited to see what happens. It's actually to answer a calling on my life. About two years ago, God called me to full time ministry. For the past year I have been going to school working on my degree in Sociology: emphasis Human Services, in order to enrich my skills and understanding in the field of my business. I do not want to divulge too far in to details about the business other than it is to provide a safe haven and positive alternative to partying for teens.

I really have NO idea how it's going to happen, but I trust wholeheartedly that God will iron out all the wrinkles. I have been praying for Him to send the right peole my way. I need an attorney to help me form by-laws; I need an accountant to help with financials; I need go getters to help raise funds. I really just need a lot of love and encouragement right now. It becomes very difficult and overwhelming at times, but thank the Good Lord the excitement makes up for it all!

On another note, I am so super uber thrilled and excited to say that there is a fire within that has been rekindled and has brought me back to life! I once again have the passion and desire to not only know the Lord, but to share Him with the world! I'm sad to say that my pilot had gone out...but I'm back!! I just finished a course in discipleship and am now discipling 3 women. Well, 2 and 1 in the queue. It's funny how just a little time with God can bring you back from the dead and to share that with other women is totally rewarding! Thank You Lord, for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th...1,000th chances!!

Today before my math class, I spent some time in the Word. I read Matthew chapter 7. I believe this passage was meant just for me today. Maybe it was meant for you too?

Matthew 7:7-11

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and tho one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father whi is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

God loves us all so much and He wants the best of the best of the best for us. All we have to do is ask Him. Seek Him. Let Him in. What's holding you back?

TTFN~kel

The Invisible Bridge

The Invisible Bridge

This Devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.—Hebrews 11:1

In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy Jones takes a journey to find the Holy Grail – the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. Along his quest, he uses his father’s journal as a resource to guide and show him how to overcome the obstacles present in order to find his treasure. The last test he comes up against is a test of faith. He must step onto the “invisible bridge” in order to cross a cavern. Everything he read in his father’s journal told him it would work, but it is hard to put your life on the line for something you cannot see. It was not until he had put his full weight on the bridge and had taken a step that he discovered with certainty that the bridge was real.
Faith comes first in believing that God is who He says He is. John 3:16 says that whoever believes that God gave His son as a sacrifice for our sins shall have eternal life. The first step in being a Christian is to move forward in faith and believe. The second step comes in believing God will do what He says He will. It is about believing in God’s promises even when it doesn’t feel like they are promises. It is trusting in Him, even when those around you think you are crazy.
Hebrews’ chapter 11 is known as the Hall of Faith. It documents amazing people of the Old Testament who lived out their faith. It was by faith Noah built an ark; it was by faith Abraham left his home and his inheritance; it was by faith Sarah had a child in her old age; it was by faith Moses’ parents hid him from the Egyptians when he was born; and it was by faith the people of Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry land. There are many stories of people relying on their faith in God, even when it didn’t make sense.
Sometimes, taking those steps of faith is difficult. It is hard to step forward into the things unseen and to rest in faith. The great news is that we have a letter from our Lord. A letter that tells us that we are loved children of God. A letter that confirms that our faith is based on truth, a letter that tells of the blessings the Lord has for us when we are willing to take a step of faith. This letter is the Bible. No matter what part of the journey you are on right now, God is with you and He is for you. Take a step of faith in Him; put your full weight onto His promises. He will not let you down.

Devotional by Greg Laurie

Hey there!! Seems it's been a little while since my last post!! I received this devotion today, and I thought I'd share it with you...it was written by Pastor Greg Laurie, and here it goes:

He Is Greater
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.— 1 John 4:4

The devil can gain a foothold on your life in many ways. I think one way is through drugs. Sadly, we are seeing a real revival of drug use today. Another way I think you can open the door to demonic power is through these occult activities that people dabble in today. You may think of them as innocent, but they open the door a little bit.Now, can demons tempt Christians? Absolutely. Can demons harass us? Without question. Even the great apostle Paul spoke of a demon power that would come and buffet him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). But God won't let you face more than you can handle. He always will put His hedge of protection around you.
The Bible clearly promises that when Christ comes in your life you are free and protected. Jesus Himself said, "'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed'" (John 8:36).When Jesus comes into your heart, it is not in a timeshare plan where He occupies the heart part of the time and the devil part of the time. No, Jesus takes control and He is there to stay. Christ made this clear when he proclaimed, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (John 4:4).But, if you are not a Christian, if Christ is not living in your heart, you are open game for the devil. Maybe you are not a drug addict or an occultist. But I will tell you this—you are still a sinner. Everybody has sinned and broken God's commandments (see Romans 3:23). Reach out to Jesus now. He is greater than the devil. He will forgive you. He will transform you.

FAITH

In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to go to Heaven? Let's consider how the Bible answers this question....it's a matter of FAITH....

F is for Forgiveness
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness.
(Ephesians 1:7a) In Him we have redemption through His blood...

A is for Available
Forgiveness is available.
It is-Available for ALL
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life
But it is NOT automatic
(Matthew 7:21a) Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" to Me will enter the the kingdom of heaven...

I is for Impossible
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven
-Because of who he is: God is loving and just. His judgement is against sin
(James 2:13a)..because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful
-Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner.
(Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?

T is for Turn
Turn means repent.
Turn from something- sin and self
(Luke13:3b) But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Turn to someone: trust Christ only
(Romans 10:9) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved

H is for Heaven
Heaven is eternal life.
Here...
(John 10:10b) "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly"
and Hereafter....
(John 14:3) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you may also be where I am"
How? How can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Lord and Savior? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for forgiveness.

Here is another acrostic you can use for FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him.

If you would like to take that step of FAITH right now, please pray this prayer with me wherever you are:

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have sinned against You in many ways. I believe You died for my sins and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask you to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I want to follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

If you just prayed that prayer for the very first time, welcome to the family! You are now "Born Again" and you are now my brother, or sister in Christ. It is VERY important that you tell someone!! Find someone you know that is a Christian, so that they can pray with you, and for you, and help you get dialed in with a Bible, and help in getting you plugged into a church. If you need help in any of those areas, please let me know! You can contact me by leaving a comment for me! And please, leave me a comment anyways, and just let me know of the decision you just made so that I can be praying for you! God Bless you...

God Provides A Way Out

God Is So Good!!

key verse: 1Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

This has always been one of my favorite Bible verses. I learned it very early when I first invited Jesus to be the Lord and savior of my life. When I first gave my life to the Lord, I was leading a very sinful life. I had a very personal and life changing experience when I met God, but alot of the normal everyday temptations were still there! I used to beat myself up about it, and the devil used to use it as a way to keep me down! One of my mentors then showed me this verse, and I have never forgotten it! When life happens, and you just begin to feel a struggle, or you feel like dragging your feet because you have been lured into sin.....just pray for God to help you, and recite this verse! Remember that He will never abandon you, and He will never put you to your limits! Not only will He not give you more than you can bear...He will never give you more than HE can bear!! He will always provide a way for you to get out of any harmful situation!!
If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior...there is no time like the present! All you have to do is admit that you are a sinner, believe that God came to this Earth in the form of a man, who was Jesus Christ. Believe that He was born and live a perfect and sinless life, then was crucified to cleanse us of our sins. If you believe that, then all you have to do is confess with your mouth and pray this simple prayer right now:
"Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that You died on the cross for me. I pray that You will cleanse my heart and make it white as snow. I pray that You will forgive me of my sins, and be the Lord of my life. I surrender my life unto You. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family, and please send me a comment, I would love to be able to pray for you. You need to tell someone...maybe a friend, or someone you feel comfortable with that you know to be a Christian. I can help you find a church to go to if you need my help. I pray that God will bless you richly!!