Mentors Desperately Needed; by Rick Kendall: correspondent News Article  9/1/07

 A mentor can be a teacher, but not all teachers are mentors, because mentoring goes beyond information and instruction on into coaching, guidance, and interactive and progressive training in each step of growth.  Mentoring is not focused on “telling people what to think”, but it’s about helping make them think. A mentor may impart knowledge, but the heart of a mentor is to be a human archeologist that helps people dig into their purpose and bring forth treasure they didn’t even know they had.

 In this time of high tech gadgets, people can access all kinds of knowledge from anywhere in the world, and many young people have allowed themselves to be tutored by proxy through indirect internet mentors who stir their imaginations at the expense of their destiny. The potential talent of this generation to produce excellence is wasted on making and posting internet videos with no purpose but to shock and get attention.

 A young man made videos of setting himself on fire and jumping into a vat of water from a second story house window, and when asked why he did this his response was; “I did it for the rush!” Young girls are making home videos of themselves dancing seductively and posting them on the web and when asked why most say; “It makes me feel wanted and pretty.” Teenagers and young adults have an amazing amount of energy and adrenaline, but most of these who do these stunts and degrade themselves are crying out for someone who will just take the time to believe in them and help them see where they’re going.

 There was a great campaign a few years ago with the slogan; “Just Say No to Drugs”, and while that has to be part of the equation there needs to be a declaration of the things young adults can say yes to. Many popular teen idols are landing in jail or recovery centers because nobody took time to mentor them and yet their example is indirectly mentoring kids that want the glitter of seeming success these stars promote.

 Parents should be the first and primary mentors to their children, but many times they  allow the computer, TV, or cell phone to baby sit. The key is not taking away their ability to imagine and dream, but it’s to provide a mentoring framework to help put those dreams into the context of their genuine purpose and destiny.

 There are still some selfless mentors out there but there’s such a need for more as 1Timothy 4:12 says; “Let no man despise (or count less than important) the youth, but be an example, (a mentor) in dialogue, actions, life, faith, and purity.” Let’s hear the cry of this generation, their heart and help them move in their progressive destiny.

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Praying for the peace of Jerusalem

By Rick Kendall correspondent
May 1, 2004

Psalm 122:6 says to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee."

What does that mean for us today? There is a lot of confusion and controversy about Israel these days. Although peace is the goal, there are many definitions of peace and even more opinions on how it should be achieved.

The psalmist paints a picture of Jerusalem as the house of the Lord, a city that is the gathering place for the tribes of the Lord. God named the Jews as his chosen people, not to become an exclusive club, but to show his love to people of the world.

The psalm also emphasizes that those who love Israel will prosper. Mind you, that cannot be a love motivated by only wishing to prosper; it cannot be a selfish love, or a simple desire for financial gain. The love described by the Scripture is that of a kinship on a spiritual level, a partnership of the heart.

And it is a similar relationship that must be developed between Christians and Jews. It's clear there have been some misunderstandings between Jews and Christians in the past, but that is rapidly changing.

Jews and Christians are not in competition, but they are starting to recognize a beautiful complement in each other's roles. If Jerusalem is a city chosen to welcome nations to God's love, then a grafting between the traditions must take place.

This grafting is not designed to compromise or weaken the distinct place of the Jewish people, but to celebrate their vital role as a chosen people. Jesus said he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.

The years of persecution and suffering Jews have endured are a lesson of consecration to us all, as they have continued to move toward the restoration of their destiny as a nation. A bond is developing between them and the Christian community and it's exciting to hear the dialogue between us as though it were two pieces of a puzzle coming together.

Perhaps that's what the psalmist was referring to when he sang about Jerusalem, that it is in a constant state of restoration. Jerusalem, that tiny little spot on the map, is a major focus of people all over the world, and it must be about more than real estate. So I will continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. If we do that, we'll be enriched by a genuine love for Jews that goes beyond the current political agendas.

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CHECK THE INGREDIENTS

By Rick Kendall correspondent
January 24, 2004

My wife has done extensive research on eating the right foods and doing the best exercises to develop a healthy body. She has me drinking protein shakes and taking the right vitamins and supplements to cleanse my system.

Along with this, she bought a massive exercise machine that offers about 65 different ways to work out. Just assembling the machine (that came in about 1,000 tiny pieces) built up my arms. In my quest to watch my eating, I looked to the health food rack in the store and found "Power Bars." On the label was a picture of a muscular guy and girl with big smiles on their faces while they flexed for the camera. Subconsciously, I hoped to look like the folks on the label after eating the energy bar, but at the very least, I hoped that eating the protein-drenched bar would give me a boost.

Then I looked at the ingredients. I recognized some of the items listed, such as granola, trail mix, and so on, but then I saw stuff like sucralose, maltodextrim, hydrolyzed collegen, and even a word that was so long I couldn't spell it. I was sure I saw the word "methane" in the middle of one of the ingredients. These things might even be healthy, but I had no idea what they were or how they could be "all natural."

It is one thing to look on a cereal box and see ingredients that only nuclear scientists would understand, but you'd like to think a protein power bar would be a trusted friend. First Corinthians 5:6 says that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Leaven is an ingredient that consists of old dough in a high state of fermentation. When leaven is mixed with the new dough, it causes it to puff up and swell. The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made to the Lord in the Old Testament. Was this just another legalistic rule? No, it was representation of a vital principle concerning purity and commitment to God.

Daily, we need to be discerning about the ingredients of things in our lives. The label might say "all natural," but the ingredient list exposes the true content. This applies to the foods we eat, but also to things we hear, what we see, and anything that we consume physically, mentally or spiritually. Someone might have the label of "preacher" or "rabbi," but when you listen to what he or she says, you might find the leaven of compromise, acceptance of alternative lifestyles or even vain philosophies.

God's love reaches everybody, but it washes the leavening sin out so people can find their destiny with healthy ingredients for living. We should never buy something because the label looks great. Check the ingredients and compare them to the principles of the Bible — God's Word.

Rick Kendall is co-founder of The Body Network, a Port St. Lucie-based interdenominational fellowship of Treasure Coast churches and ministries.

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Can You Hear Me Now?

By Rick Kendall correspondent
November 1, 2003

Deuteronomy 4:29 says: "When you seek (call on) the Lord thy God, you shall find Him (and connect) if you seek Him with all your heart."

This verse reminds me of cell phone technology.

I remember standing in line at the doughnut shop one day with a man who had his hands in his pockets and seemed to be talking to himself. And he was speaking loudly. I started to feel sorry for this guy; I wondered if maybe he had lost his marbles.

Then, just as I was thinking of alerting the police officers who were also in line, this fellow pulled from his ear a plug that was attached to a thin wire. He then pressed a button on a tiny cell phone that had been concealed in his jacket.

That was a wake-up call for me. Now I see people all the time who look as if they're talking to themselves. Still, it is a bit unsettling to have someone standing behind you in line who's staring out into space, perfectly quiet, and then without warning burst into laughter or say: "So, how's it going?"

Or there are the times in restaurants when suddenly a cell phone blurts out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" or the theme from "Star Wars." You watch as people fumble to find their phones. Then they find that they can't hear who's calling, jump up out of the seat and make a mad dash out the door to go to get a better signal.

And we call this "convenience"?

A cell phone commercial comes to mind. It shows a man walking in every location imaginable and repeatedly saying; "Can you hear me now? Good!"

All of this cell phone business relates to our faith. There is a call from heaven you should be getting directly in your ear and heart. No accessories needed. No calling plans or roaming charges. No static. Just a clear signal in which God is speaking to His kids.

Remember the verse from Deuteronomy? We don't have to try to yell through cell phones to talk to God.

Instead, it is through the work Jesus did for us that we can access a clear signal to God. He shed is blood on the cross as a clear signal that God loves and forgives his children. All we have to do is seek Him and we will find Him. We will get through every time.

That signal overcomes the distractions and interference of every-day life. You should opt for that plan because God loves His children and He's calling to remind us that He's there for us.

So when God says, "Can you hear me now?" you'll be able to answer "yes."

"Good!"

Rick Kendall is co-founder of The Body Network, a Port St. Lucie-based interdenominational fellowship of Treasure Coast churches and ministries

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Reality Check, by Rick Kendall Article for News: September 6^th, 2003

Over the past few years there’s been an influx of “reality” TV shows. These are called reality only because they are really happening to real people, but in fact, there’s very little reality in any of these programs. First there’s the “reality” TV show that gathers a few dozen beautiful women together for one bachelor to choose from. That’s reality? Then there’s the one where a bunch of average people race by walking, biking, running, swimming, crawling, and skiing their way fifty two thousand miles to reach a goal and a prize. That’s reality? Well, come to think of it, it does sound a little like I-95 at rush hour. The “reality” program that is really strange is the one where contestants are locked up in a house for a few months to live together and interact as total strangers. Well, then maybe that describes a lot of families these days, but seriously these TV programs are a lot of things, but reality is not one of them.

There used to be a saying when things got out of control, and it was; “It’s time for a reality check!” Reality, in that connotation meant; “Let’s get a grip on some priorities and some foundational footing.” The reality (TV) being promoted these days is more like fantasy being thrown at both the viewer and the contestant, to make money. We are living in a day when it is hard for some to determine reality from fantasy. Even movies are promoting scripts as depicting reality, wanting us to believe what we’re viewing is normal life. Most of the time parents are being displayed as idiots while teens are being depicted as gangsters or sex objects with no regard for morality. Most scripts have a bed scene between two people who are not married as if to say this is normal with no moral or emotional complications. Even the music industry, across the board (in all styles), are writing lyrics of adultery, infidelity, drugs and violence as though it were painting a reflection of everyday normal life

You may say; “Hey, wake up, some of that really is going on”, but there is a difference between reality that’s a current fact, and reality that’s an eternal truth. It’s a fact that marriages are suffering with almost half ending in divorce, but the truth is that God has foundations in His Word to manifest a solid unbreakable bond between husband and wife, and those discovering this reality are growing strong families. The facts say that some teenagers and older people are becoming statistics of rape, drugs, and sexual diseases, but the truth is that God has established absolute destiny that brings life, and success to those choosing His path. The facts are that the world is in sad shape, but the truth is that it doesn’t have to be that way for who choose God‘s reality.

Some have faced reality through circumstantial facts, and become bitter and depressed, but others have overcome the statistical facts with reality based in God’s revealed truth, and enjoy principles God set forth to overcome facts. Jesus said; You shall know the truth (genuine reality) and the truth shall make you free (from current facts due to sin). So, the next time you turn on the TV and see someone depicting reality by eating bugs or being dropped in a pit for big prize money, just smile and realize no matter how weird the world gets, the truth is that God has given life more abundant that really stands sure in shaky times.

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