How Fleeting is Life

-by Andrew Strom

Most of us heard the sad news last week that in one day two
pop icons passed away. Farrah Fawcett was 63 and died
after a long battle with cancer. Michael Jackson the "prince of pop",
aged only 50, died in even sadder circumstances. How tragic that
even the vast machinery of fame cannot shield its many lost sons
from a lonely, miserable existence and an unhappy end.

No doubt Farrah Fawcett could look back on the glory years when
young women around the world imitated her hairstyle and her "look".
I can remember as a kid watching "Charlie's Angels", though I have
to admit far preferring "The Six Million Dollar Man" as a 10-year-old.
She will be remembered as a battler to the end, an icon of her era.
But oh, how fleeting is life. And oh, how empty is fame. And oh,
how pointless is earthly success when eternity stretches before all.

Michael Jackson could have looked back on years of pop glory
and superstar fame - when his dance moves dazzled the whole
world. But then came the surgeries, the bizarre behaviour, the ugly
allegations, the court cases, the hundreds of million$ of debt.

Like another famous "prince" of pop (actually - his father in law -
Elvis Presley), he seemingly died unhappy and alone, his
"comeback" unrealized, his fame a chain around his neck, his
death a shock in one still so young. Elvis died at 42, and now his
son-in-law Michael at 50. Fame seemingly does not take good care
of its own when they pass their "use-by" date. And so the ephemeral
idols of our shallow culture continue crashing down.

"For what is your life?" asks the apostle James. "It is a vapor that
appears for a little time, and then vanishes away."

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, "All is
vanity... All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to
dust again."

If it is one thing we can learn from the life and death of every 'icon'
on this planet, it is that we all must live with eternity in view, not
the fleeting charade of this present world. As Leonard Ravenhill so
eloquently asked, "Are the things you're living for worth Christ dying for?"

Make it a great day!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

God is good! In spite of so many people being on vacation, we had a wonderful crowd this morning and a great service. I really appreciate Brian and the choir. They did a great job leading us into the presence of the Lord this morning. Tonight, we had a great time of worship and heard some very inspiring testimonies. I enjoyed preaching on Job and just how limited Satan is in what he can do to us. I gave out the laminated TMZ cards to everyone in attendance. Hopefully, if you weren't there tonight, there will be some left over for you to pick up later.

I ran across the following web article on the Mary, Mary web page. I really do pray that this is true. Praise the Lord!

Good News----RIP MICHAEL JACKSON
Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch. Three weeks ago Sandra and Andre' spent some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson. Michael asked Andre` to play, "It Won't Be Long And We'll Be Leaving Here." Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he's singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!

Everyone have a wonderful week!

-Pastor Randy

Some Saturday Thoughts...

Today I ministered at Bill Hundley's funeral service. Bill and Deila are former members of Kings Point. Bill used to clean our baptistery faithfully. Bill also was known for taking young men under his wing and taking them fishing and just spending time with them. Bill was not one to seek recognition. He was rather quite but a man who was faithful in the small things. Last week I prayed with Bill and upon the profession of his faith in Jesus Christ, I know he is in heaven with his Savior today. Please remember his wife and his son, Ronnie, in your prayers.

After the funeral, I was able to scoot over to the church where people had finished up prayer and were preparing to go out and be a witness for Christ. Several teams went out today and approximately thirty people came to Christ in less than an hour. I was able to pray with one man who is suppose to be with me in church tomorrow. Please join us in prayer for these new believers.

The next scheduled time we have to go out as a church will be Saturday, July 11th, at 11:30 am. Please try to join us. I know its scary for some of you but that's okay. We will prepare you and God will give you the power you need and He will go before you as well and prepare the hearts of the people you speak with. God will use you to lead someone to eternal life...it doesn't get any better than that.

I want to thank Ron Thomas and Bob Dooley and those that went with them this morning to feed and minister at City Gospel Mission. What a privilege to minister to "the least of these" - Jesus.

I hope to see you at KP in the morning. I sincerely believe God is going to meet with us in a great way tomorrow. Please come expecting God to do anything and everything!

-Pastor

The Necessity of the Mountain Experience

Check out this testimony from last week's TZM revival..,
Last night and this morning's service here at the Youth Conference in Baton Rouge has been great. The kids here from KP have had a great few weeks of God's revelation being deposited within them. I am sure the same is true for those KP kids that have attended youth camp. Revival and renewal experiences are vital to us all. The truth is we all get dry and weary from time to time. We all go through valleys, but thank God for the mountains. But many times YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE MOUNTAIN IN ORDER TO GET OUT THE VALLEY AND HAVE MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES. Hiking up the mountain isn't easy, but its imperative that we make the journey. Many of you last week experienced a life tranforming week not because Tommie Zito is a powerful minister (which he is), but because you GOT ALL IN...you sacrificed and denied the flesh by coming to the services and coming to the morning sessions no matter how scared or tired you were. You gave of your finances, your homes, your time, and chose to burn in your heart for souls and God blessed you mightily. The same happens with the encounter weekend for many of you. The end result is a mountain top experience with God. I know you don't like leaving the mountain but eventually you have to. Mountains are not built to live on. We have to get back down to the valley. Even though the valley can be frightful and dangerous, we learn a lot in the valley. We learn to rely on Christ and so much more. Well, I got to go. I know my thoughts weren't to spiritually insightful today, but I hope you received something. We head back tomorrow so I may not be able to blog. Have a wonderful Friday and I hope to see you this weekend in God's house. -Pastor

God is Looking for Some Left Handers

I just came in from the first night of Bethany's Annual Youth Conference in Baton Rouge. I heard an awesome, strong message tonight from the speaker whose name escapes me. But he preached from this text in Judges 3:14-15,"So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab."

He talked about how when God's people cry out and get serious about being rescued, God always raises up a deliverer...this time it was a man named Ehud who was a Benjamite and who was left handed. Now this was kind of ironic because in the Bible, Benjamin comes from the Hebrew name Binyamin which means "son of my right hand", or "son of the right hand." Even though he came from a tribe known as "sons of God's right hand," God raises up a deliverer for Israel who is left handed.

Isn't that like God, just when we think we have him figured out, He throws us a curve out of nowhere (and from a left hander at that). As the story goes God used Ehud to destroy "the fat man" Eglon, which brought deliverance to Israel. The preacher tonight talked about how God is looking for some left handers to bring deliverance to a generation that needs rescued from the power of the devil ("the fat man").

I did notice something as I was reading ahead of the speaker tonight. In Judges 3:21 "And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly." Notice, Ehud took his dagger out from under his right thigh. The thigh is significant because we see Abraham several times make covenant with different ones by the person placing their hand under his thigh. I think the thigh represents intimate covenant. God delivered up a left hander from His sons on His right hand to bring deliverance to Israel who are in intimate covenant with him.

What does all this mean Pastor? I believe there is a powerful prophetic word here for today's church. I sincerely believe God is looking for left handers today to bring deliverance to a generation who is crying out for deliverance. These left handers are not from the institutionalized, dead, do-things-the-same-way, play-it-safe, rigid church. But the left handers that God has called out today are unique, different, noncompromising, and untamed. They act out of an intimate walk with God, not what man thinks is best for them. They are made of the same stuff of John the Baptizer...they don't like playing church and tickling people's ears. They have come to bring deliverance to the captives like Jesus did...to kill the fat man (the devil).

Are you a left hander?

-Pastor Randy

Celebrate!!!

On Father's Day today we celebrated the fact that over 700 people were introduced to their heavenly Father this week through th esaving power of Jesus Christ. The Testimonies were awesome. I will play some of them for you on the blog this week. THIS WEEK AS YOU SHARE JESUS WITH OTHERS...PLEASE E-MAIL ALL OF US AND TELL US YOUR BRIEF STORY. I am headed to Baton Rouge with some youth and we will do the same as we share Jesus down there and back. I hope you like the new web site. Jon Rhoades did a great job along with his company. We are working on out audio and video sermons still. We hope to have it up and running within the next few weeks. Also, note the devotional page and all the pics. We will have even more pictures in the future. Well, everyone have a great
week! -Pastor Randy

TMZ Week Concludes with Nearly 700 Saved!!!

What a week it has been. This time last week as I was preparing a cook out for TZM team, little did I realize how this week would forever change and transform so many people. To be honest, I am a little numb right now. It's been a wild ride of a week, but what a ride it has been. Today the final team of around thirty-five people went out after a teaching and instructional time they came back with 112 souls added into the kingdom. Praise God...for a total of 692 for the week (it would be nice if everyone would help us get at least eight more before tomorrow morning's service).

Its one thing to go fishing for souls like we did every this day this week (except for Monday), but its another thing to teach men to fish for souls for a lifetime. Personally, I think that was the greatest accomplishment of the week...probably a hundred different people this week were taught to fish for souls (or share Christ)for life. The last person that I spoke with today before I locked the church and left told me their life has been forever changed...they said to me "I will never be the same again or see people the same again." She was just one of many who are saying the same thing.

Every morning people showed up with knots in their stomach this week before they went out. Some were so nervous that they were sick and near vomiting. But they came anyway...they battled emotionally, physically, and emotionally through their fears and pushed themselves out onto the streets. Every one of them was nervous when they read the card to their first person, some were met with acceptance and some with rejection. But nonetheless, they did it! They won! Jesus was glorified no matter how sick they felt in their stomach...no matter how the person on the other end received it. No doubt the second time was a little easier and the third a little easier and so on. But the bottom line is they did it..they died to self so that Christ could be made alive to others. And the more they do it, dying to self to share Christ - the easier it will come.

I can't cover it all in one blog article...and besides that my brain is in a shrunken fetal state right now anyhow. So I will share more about this great, great week with TZM over the next few days. As you know tomorrow is Father's Day but we will be sharing lots of exciting testimonies during the AM service. There are some real humdingers...you won't want to miss it!

Love you all! Again, I have never been more proud of the KP body of believers!

-Pastor Randy

In Three Hours...Nearly 400 Come to Christ!

Its been a pretty amazing week! Really unless you have been around, its hard to believe what has happened this week. But for a few seconds, let me summarize up to this point...
~ we have had nine worship services and teaching times
~ we have had an estimate of over 1,000 people in the worship services
~ we have had three hours of sharing Christ out on the streets
~ we have had over 120 people go out in those three mornings
~ WE HAD OVER 120 PEOPLE TRAINED AND EQUIPPED IN KNOWING HOW TO SHARE JESUS INCLUDING APPROXIMATELY 50 CHILDREN
~ we have had a very conservative estimate of 3,000 that have heard the gospel
~ we have had nearly 400 people receive Christ
~ we have served the TZM team ten meals this week
~ we have housed seventeen people from the TZM team this week

And of course, thats all the outside stats and doesn't include all that God has done in hearts and lives. I guess I could go on but you get the point...its been a great week! We have two mornings left and one service. Its not too late...please join us.

- Pastor Randy

Wednesday TZM Report

Wednesday was a great day filled with lots of salvations...153 in total. Teams went everywhere Wednesday...Loveland, Morrow, Fields Ertel, U.C. campus, over-the-Ryan, and throughout Cincinnati. In addition to the 153 that responded by accepting Christ, many did not. However, the seed was planted and the Lord of the Harvest will water it and watch over it. Our job this week is to sow.

As I said last night, I am so proud of KP. You have given sacrificially this week in various ways. God has blessed our church greatly and I know you have been blessed in different ways as you have given. We have several days left and its over. Yes, we will continue to go out and sow the seed. But TZM will be moving on. Please come out and join in the final mornings we have left. The nursery will be available both Friday and Saturday for anyone that would like to go but have infants. They will be caring for them between 10 am and 2 pm. We want everyone to be able to go out and share Christ!

Its been a great, great week!

-Pastor Randy

First Day...115 Saved!!!

Wow! Last night was exhilarating. The testimonies were inspiring. Yesterday, it was beautiful to see so many lives impacted by the sharing of the gospel. Over one hundred people received Christ but over twice that number or more heard the gospel and saw it in action. And to see all the children used of God to share Christ...that was so cool. Again, I encourage you to come out and join us today. You will be amazed at how easy it is. TZM offers the best training I have ever seen in how to share the gospel. They make it so easy and simple...all you need to do is just do it. They will give you tools to not only share it with people you don't know but also you will feel better equipped to share it with friends and family.
Join us tonight at 7 pm. This is real revival because true revival is when the church is revived enough to go out and share the gospel with the lost. We still have three nights and four days left. Come join us while you can!

-Pastor Randy

Join Us As We"GO YE" this Morning

Hey this morning we hit the streets. Come go with us! Today we will go to the areas that are ripe...where people are hurting and in need. Remember, there were places that Jesus went that would not receive Him and there are still such areas today. Sad to say, many of the "religious" crowd that need him the most are the very people that won't receive him. But today will be great. You will walk with a TZM team member that is experienced and anointed and as you do God will give you "his heart" for the people...if your heart hasn't begin to burn yet, it will today for lost and hurting people. We will not be going to door to door, but we will be going where the people are...where the people are waiting for someone to come and tell them about Jesus.

Last night, after the TZM team and I finished eating in a restaurant. I tried to tell one of the workers about Jesus. He was ripe, hungry. He had never heard about Jesus before. He was from China and could barely speak any English. It was so frustrating for me and him. I told Gabe when we left, "I am going to fine a dvd in Chinese that tells the story of Jesus and play it for that man. One way or another we are going to break that barrier so that he can learn about Jesus." How sad it is that many people within a rock's throw of the church have never heard about Jesus and what He has done for them.

Man the services have been awesome! Last night we bask in the presence of God for three hours. The glory of God was so thick in the house it was incredible. Tonight, will be just as great as well. Great testimonies will be shared tonight of what God did on the streets this morning. You won't want to miss it! Please join us!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

Great weekend! I appreciate everyone who helped us with food, hosting homes, etc. Especially those ladies that ministered to the Kilburn family this weekend. I wasn't able to go because of my duties at the church in getting ready for TZM, but I heard everything went well. I am sure in that grandstand in heaven Debbie was "very grateful" at what you did for her Susie and her family.

Sunday's services with TZM is the Acts 2 before Acts 3 and beyond. It is the empowerment before the mobilization to go. Tonight, we will focus even more on the mission, then Tuesday through Friday evening you will hear some of the greatest testimonies you have ever heard in your life...many of which will come from some of you! It should be great!

Well, I have a lot to do so I can't write much today. Have a great day. Even though you are tired, please try to come tonight. You will be glad you did!

In Christ's love,

-Pastor

Friday Countdown...to maybe the greatest week in KP's history

I don't believe I'm sensationalize this. Its not because Tommie Zito is coming and bringing his team, but it depends on our obedience to our Lord's call go go forth into the harvest. If you and I just treat it as a week long revival and come to about half the services or less and not come to any of the morning services...then we will have wasted a lot of time and money this week. Additionally, we will have missed out on a great opportunity to see many people saved and lives changed. However, if you will make a sacrifice this week and be faithful to the evening services and be willing to hear and obey the call of God this week...KP will go to another level and never be the same.

I know I don't say it enough, but we have a great church with great people. God has given Kings Point a great staff with wonderful leaders. But we do live in a very, very recreational area in the summer time and its easy to become very laxed. But if we truly believe that judgment is near whether it be the coming of the Lord or through some national tragedy...we cannot afford to be "sitting out" the summer as a church. Yes, I will go on vacation like I do every summer and enjoy the great weather. But I also plan to live and act as if our days are running out.

How about you? So many Christians today are so comfortable in this world they don't want Jesus to come. As I said this past Sunday the alarm is going off. Jesus is sounding out the warnings now. Like in Noah's day, people kept eat and drinking, partying "...marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." [Matthew 24:37-38] Only eight of Noah's family pulled themselves away from the world long enough to get on the boat. What about you? Are you really living like judgment could come in anytime? Do you really believe that your unsaved friends and family could die and go to hell or miss the coming of Jesus?

You might think I'm fanatical and I'm sure some of you do, but one day if you are not prepared the Holy Spirit will remind you that you were warned by me and others. Please, please, start living and acting like time is running out! Don't just say it or Amen me in worship services, really believe and live like it while the alarms are still sounding.

-Pastor Randy

American Christianity: Incredible Lightness of Being

As I was doing some research for a book that I am working on in the area of discipleship, I came across this article by Dick Staub that I thought was worth sharing.

(Originally Posted October 2004)

The other day my class at SPU got feisty on me when I argued that American Christianity is shallow and superficial. It occurred to me that to me this is so obviously true, that I often fail to explain how my position evolved to this resolved point of view.

I suppose the easiest way to illustrate would be an experience seven years ago. I had just visited persecuted church members in China including a pastor who spent 18 years in prison camps. He was beaten, had purple grooves in his wrists from the chains—he had been told his son had committed suicide and his wife was about to do the same. All that was required for his release was to renounce Jesus.

He tearfully shared that whenever he was tempted to forsake Christ his mind was drawn to Philippians 2.

“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.”

We were all moved by his story and strengthened in our resolve to serve Christ in our own country.

The day I returned from China I found at the top of my pile of mail, a postcard from a local “seeker’ sensitive church.” It pictured a man in a ball and chain and asked: Does church feel like jail time to you? When I turned over the card I read how the church offered comfortable stadium style-seating. Popcorn, balloons for the kids and “talks that will never preach at you---will only help you become successful at who you want to be and already are.”

I asked myself. Is this a different religious faith than the one I saw in China? Or is this simply a cultural adaptation of the same faith?

A few months later I heard Dallas Willard make the comment, “Jesus never called anyone to be a Christian, he only called people to be disciples. American Christianity makes Christians not disciples!”

I had already been sensing dissonance between the faith I saw in Scripture and the version I saw in American church-life, but the combination of these experiences made it clear to me that deep Christian faith is patently different from the superficial version I see all around me.

Here for food for thought are ten marks of deep faith.

1) Pursues God as 1st Priority
2) Commits to Jesus over self
3) Spiritual
4) Thinks
5) Behaves Like Jesus
6) Pursues God in the Community of Friends
7) Follows Jesus into the World as a loving, Loving, transforming, presence
8) Resists the Dark Side
9) Enriches the Culture
10) Goes the distance

Whaddya Think?

Yours for the pursuit of God in the company of friends, Dick Staub.


Have a great day!

-Pastor Randy

Your Destiny and Your Burden for the Harvest

A few weeks ago on Sunday morning, I concluded a message asking people to come forward who would pray for a compassion for the harvest. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THIS IS A GREAT NEED IN THE CHURCH TODAY. Pastor Tim Oldfield said tonight in his camp meeting message that "your destiny can be determined by your burden for the harvest." I really believe that! When I look at my own life...the churches that I have planted...the believers that I have discipled, equipped, and sent out...it would have never happened without a burden for the harvest.

I admit, my burden for the harvest is not always what it should be. At times, I find myself weeping and having the compassion of Christ when I see the lost multitudes. Then, there are too many times that I find myself judging "those that are without" (unbelievers)and caught up in my own world to the point where my burden is lacking for the lost. Nonetheless, we as God's church must pray and cry out to God that we may have His heart for the souls of lost men and women.

One way that happens is to go. AS WE GO AS WE PRAY, THEN GOD GIVES THE BURDEN. This is what we will do next week as a church...we will pray and go to the lost in our Jerusalem (Maineville, South Lebanon, Landen, Lebanon, Loveland, Cincinnati). We just came out of a weekend where we focused on missions...reaching people around the world. But it starts here at Jerusalem. As we do this God will send us forth into our Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.

I really do believe that God is raising people up at Kings Point that He will soon send out. I believe this is God's plan for us in the next few years. But you won't go until you get a burden for the harvest..."He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him]." - Psalms 126:6

What about you? Are you willing to go? Do you really have a burden, compassion for the harvest? If so, you will willing to go with us next week as Tommie Zito comes with his team to lead us out into our Jerusalem. I can't wait...I'm excited!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

Greetings everyone! Our Mission Conference wrapped up today. In spite of the poor attendance, I believe God ministered to us powerfully in the four services over the weekend. Friday night was wonderful. The Haddix family did a great job. Afterwards, we all had a great time of worship and lots of fun with Burning Bush. The night climaxed with four children coming to Christ. One little boy, Adam, blessed my socks off. He was the first one to come forward. It took a great deal of courage to do what he did, but he was very sincere. He came to receive Jesus into his life. Later, we anointed him and prayed for him. He has a tumor on the side of his head. Please stand with us in faith for Adam's healing.

Saturday night was different than Friday, but just as good. Brother Brinson, Southern Ohio's Mission Rep, shared a great report and message. The video stories he showed us from around the world were powerful stories of how God uses our mission dollars to change lives. The presentation to Tom, our Chinese brother, was beautiful. I commend Carmen McBeath for making that happen. Her and Chris just did a super job again making the missions conference a success.

This morning, Sister Miller, shared her heart with us. I appreciate the Holy Spirit through Sister Miller backing what I had said earlier. Sister Miller's words, "I don't believe the American people realize how bad things are" was a prophetic statement. She was not speaking about America economically or politically, she was speaking about our spiritual condition. And I concur, most of the church in America is so intoxicated with the world, that we are failing to reach the RIPE harvest that is right under our nose. This is why our response to what will happen next week is so important. This our chance to be stirred, prepared, and sent out to share Christ with a hungry and ripe lost people. As I said this morning, we have no business doing encounter weekends, if we can't take the time next week to be involved in this vital week of ministry. I'm excited about the people that will be saved next week because we have small groups and encounters to point them too.I don't believe I am exaggerating when I say that next week may very well be the most important week in Kings Point's history. Please be praying with me and making plans to be involved.

I love each of you. I know sometimes I'm pretty transparent and straightforward. But God knows my heart and He knows I have you in my heart and in my prayers. Have a wonderful week. I hope you can join us in Camp Meeting this week.

-Pastor Randy

Countdown Friday...Sunday Begins Tonight!

Well, actually Sunday begins tonight, so I guess there is no countdown this weekend (at least for most of you). I hope you will join us tonight for the Haddix Family Concert at 7 pm and the Burning Bush Concert around 8:30 pm. Even though both styles of music are at different ends of the spectrum, they both lift up the name of Jesus...that's the bottom line. A lot of people have really worked hard and contributed a lot to make tonight happen. Especially, Chris and Carmen McBeath, our mission ministries coordinators; and special thanks to Doug and Heather Taulbee, Corina, Debbie, Brian, and others. The purpose of tonight's concerts are to glorify God by raising funds to plant a Church of God in Santiago, Chile. Below, I have posted a letter from Church Planter, Humberto Valenzuela. After reading it, please begin to pray in how you might financially and prayerfully support them this year as they plant this church. Whatever you can give...it might a few dollars a month will make a great difference.

I was born and grew up in Santiago, Chile. in 1983 I became an engineering student at the University of Santiago. In 1985 I started a singing career, with the title role of Jesus in the popular Lloyd Webber`s musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1986, I appeared in the popular international show "Sabado Gigante". The same year I became a Christian. In 1989, answering to a personal call into the ministry, I came to the United States to prepare myself for the ministry at Christ for the Nations Institute, Dallas, TX. .
In 1993 I graduated from CFNI. In 1986 I graduated from Dallas Baptist University holding a bachelor of Applied Arts and science. 1999 I graduated from Amberton University , in garland TX, holding a Master degree in Human Relations and Business.
From 1992 until 2003 I have served as a music minister, single minister and interim pastor in the Dallas Fortwoth area, and toured extensively through North America and Europe with "Celebrant Singers"
In the year 2000, in one of my trips to Chile, I met my wife Alicia, then a preschool teacher (now she is the director of a preschool facility). By 2004 I had moved back to Santiago, Chile to serve as an associate pastor at Metropolitan Church of God, (my current position). In 2006 I got married to Alicia and on February of 2009 my only begotten son Natán was born.

Blessings and thank you very much!
In His service,



Humberto Valenzuela

Associate Pastor, Iglesia de Dios Metropolitana

Tommie Zito Ministries Coming June 14-20

Get Ready Kings Point! Begin to pray now for this great "move of God" thats coming in less than two weeks! Prepare now for God to use you and your children to lead people to Christ. CHECK OUT THE TESTIMONY BELOW.

Have a gread day!

-Pastor

James on Vimeo

James on Vimeo: "http://vimeo.com/4783538"

How Accommodating is the One, True God?

How accommodating is God? Really, ask yourself that question. And maybe we need to clarify, I'm talk about the God of the Bible...not the god of self that many Americans serve today. The word "accommodate" is to make fit, suitable, or congruous.

Many American church members think of God as very accommodating. A whole generation, maybe two now, has been led to believe that we serve a "very accommodating God." If your child's got a soccer, basketball, or baseball game during a church service, "that's okay, God understands." Or, "I have to stay with Aunt Susie in the hospital today (Sunday morning). I can't come to church."

"I can't go to church on Sundays, because I got to work. God understands. He knows I have to provide for my family."

"Revival services? Weeknight cell meetings? I can't come, pastor. Tuesday night is bowling night...golf on Monday, softball on Thursday. And of course, we have date night on Friday."

Sometimes they just don't show and don't tell me about the real reason they can't make it. Why? They're too ashamed to say anything. By the way, that just doesn't happen to pastors. It seems to be the way many people do everything today...irresponsibility.

Aren't you glad your god is so accommodating and certainly doesn't want you to be inconvenienced? "But pastor, you don't understand, I put my fair share time into the church. I'm there two or three nights a week. I tithe. I need time with my family, or time for myself."

As a pastor, I have never been one to care when people miss a service or two. But the enemy is far more wiser than what we think sometimes. And if our view of God is one that He is "an accommodating God"....I think you need to look at the scriptures a little more closely.

I love David's words that I used for a text Sunday morning, "I will not offer God anything, that does not cost me something [paraphrase]."

Men's hearts must be captivated to God's word, not God's word accommodated to men's hearts.

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

As I preached Sunday night, many of Jesus disciples left Jesus and chose not to follow Him more. These had left families, jobs, and homes; but they decided that was it. They had reached their limit, they were going back.

I see it constantly, Christians today "fitting God's Word" around their schedules, sports, hobbies, etc. The god of America and the American Christian for millions is the god of "self." If the God of the Bible gets in the way then we just work around that until we can "fit or accommodate" what self wants or needs.

This can be a fatal practice. I've seen Christians (people that I have pastored) over the years serve their accommodating god until they have become unfruitful and "like chaff" in the kingdom of God. The winds (trials) then come along and "blow them away." There is no foundation, no commitment to Christ. Their relationship with the real God has been accommodated to death.

As I have already stated, we are not taking the summer off here at KP. We really believe that time is short and Jesus is coming. We want to be found doing kingdom work when he comes. As the pastor, I will be held accountable to God real soon for how we have used our time, telent, and gifts as a church to win and make disciples. If church members don't like it, that's okay. I have to answer to Almighty God. I sincerely believe that we are going to see great things this summer. People saved by the hundreds. Lives changed. People delivered and set free. But if you choose to accommodate self and are afraid of your faith "COSTING YOU SOMETHING," then you will miss out.

Make it a great Wednesday!

-Pastor Randy

How to be a Success

2 Chronicles 17:3 The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals 4 but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. 5 The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. 6 His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

I am amazed how God blesses a life that walks in obedience. Jehoshaphat is a great example of this. The passage above says "he walked in the ways (of God)" he was taught. He didn't go along with everyone else, he was bold in following the commands of his God. His heart was devoted to the Lord and he wasn't afraid to remove the idol gods of others worshippers in Israel. He wasn't worried about offending others. For this, God blessed him greatly. "The Lord established his kingdom" and the entire nation brought gifts to him they loved him so much. He received great wealth and honor.

Even though Jehoshaphat was considered blessed and favored by Almighty God, today he would have considered fanatical, a bigot and a hate-monger. He wouldn't have been King long in a country like ours. He would have been impreached in no time.

Jehoshaphat's devotion to the one and true God is rare in public life today. This is no doubt the reason why we see very little long-standing success today. Its really pretty simple...walk in obedience and God will bless you. This is a very obvious principle throughout the Old and New Testaments. Obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings about the curse.

Have a great day!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

As you might have notice, we are rebuilding our website. It should take a couple weeks for it to be done. I think you will like some of the new things we will be making available. As you can already see, it will feature a nice "flash page" as you open it up. Jon Rhoades is doing a great job with it while putting lots of hours...many of them without compensation. Jon has formed a web design company recently with Mark Hughes and one other partner. We appreciate Jon as a new believer already using his talent and gifting for the glory of God.

Yesterday's services were great. I'm not just saying that, I really mean that. I was battling a congested head and sore throat all day, but God really helped me. To Him the glory!

The work on the fountain has begun. The sidewalk was a lot thicker what we thought. But they got over half of it broken up and hauled off yesterday.

I will be using the blog this week to introduce you to our church planter in Chile that we will be sponsoring this year. I have put a picture and brief greeting from them below. They will be planting a church in Santiago, Chile. Please keep them in your prayers.

We would like to express our gratitude to you and congregation for giving your support to this unprecedented project in Santiago, Chile. We pray that God will continually inspire you and your team to be His hands and feet and such a great visionary Church. We certainly, look forward to establish this new partnership relation. Please, let me know if you need anything else.

Blessings, and thank you very much!
Humberto & Alicia Valenzuela


Have a wonderful week!

-Pastor Randy