Pastor Karen Kepkay

No matter what storms of life you might be going through, or feel like you cannot “get back on your kayak”, you can always have an assurance of His hope if you have Jesus as your anchor and put into action some of the steps above by faith.

What a wonderful trace of the Grace of God through history and imperfect people, messy lives, and scandalous reputations. You might identify with Jesus’ relatives in his family tree, or perhaps you wonder if the skeletons in your family’s closet precludes you from God’s love. The good news is that the same grace is available to you and I – the unmerited favor of God, where He takes initiative to pursue us despite our sins, and expresses his love in the action of sending Jesus to pay for the penalty of our wrongdoings. His grace remedies our inability to become righteous and allows us to be born again as new creature in Him. Grace has a name – His name is Jesus who came to this earth through a very human lineage so he can identify in our weakness but redeems for eternity.

At first read, this verse sounds like a great contradiction. How can someone who mourns be blessed or happy? Where does the promise of comfort come from? The kingdom of God is an upside-down Kingdom compared to the world’s. Jesus leaves us in the beatitudes not only a set of attitudes to take on but He gives us a sure promise that we can receive when we fully embrace His ways.

At different points in our lives, it is possible to feel overwhelmed by unchangeable circumstances. At the moment, we are trying to make sense of global issues such as the COVID pandemic, Russia-Ukraine conflict, global inflation, food insecurity and climate change, to name a few. At a more personal level, we might be feeling pressed down while waiting for a new turn of events, or the fulfillment of a promise or purpose. Though these circumstances are seemingly out of our control, we rest in the assurance that “God works everything for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:2*). God is sovereign over all, but in all these things He calls us to pray and persevere.

We all have experienced that feeling after saying something that did not sit well either in our heart or in someone else’s heart. We end up thinking “Did I just say that?”

What is the biggest fear you have had to face in life? No matter what season or times we live in, we will all face difficult situations to which we will need courage and strength. It could be a change in jobs, a new venture, a new career, or new relationship. Returning to a new normal after more than a year of being isolated looks like a new territory for many of us.

Have you ever felt as if your past mistakes, glaring flaws, and life circumstances have led you to a dark place limiting you from receiving something from God?  Perhaps these have paralyzed you with inaction and wondered, “am I good enough to receive all that God has for me?”

Sometimes in our brokenness, imperfection, and past experiences, we ask ourselves if we can ever be used by God and whether we matter to Him. We might feel like a shattered pottery piece beyond hope and repair.

While exploring a nice neighbourhood last week, I noticed a house with a run-down façade, and big nailed plywood sheets covering the windows. Its garden was fenced and unkept, and of course it was not inhabited. I wasn’t sure if the house was deemed condemned or was being prepared to be torn down. Then I wondered about the fate of this property. Would it be destroyed to build something new or would it be bought by someone to restore it?

Joy comes when we experience the goodness of God in the midst of circumstances. The Psalmist reminds us that believing in His goodness and presence are the antidote of despair.

This Father’s Day I can’t help but to reflect on the love of my Heavenly Father and my earthly one, and how it anchored me ever since being in a relationship with Him.

In the Garden of Gethsemane and at the cross, Jesus himself experienced apparent loneliness and abandonment from God, which can be described as his darkest hour. In the midst of chaos, and facing pain, Jesus knew that in all these things God was in control.

It does not get better than this! Becoming all that God wants us to be – whole and holy – is not a work we can muster up ourselves, but of the Holy Spirit. He is committed to empower and renovate us in spirit, soul, and body, progressively!

Prayerlessness comes in when we regard prayer as a ritual or task. Prayerfulness enters in when we center our hearts on Jesus and getting to know Him, setting our affection upon Him.

God has no favourites! He is ready to reveal the fullness of Him to anyone who draws near to Him (James 4:8); He sure will draw near to any heart who is sincere.

So, what if God has shown you a dream, a calling, or destiny for your life, but years have passed, and nothing has come to fruition?

For every destiny, there’s season of testing and waiting. At that point we often feel as if the dream that God has put in our hearts is far from sight.

I really don’t remember how old I was, maybe 7 years old, but I do remember vividly the feeling of desperation after I had woken up to a lonely apartment on a tropical day. It was a habit for my mom or my dad to wake me up, during off-school season, to take me with him or her, to either restaurants they ran (our family owned 2). That particular day, they did not communicate to each other who would take me early in the morning, and both assumed the other brought me to their respective workplace.

Just in a month, my sister is getting married, and our family is “all hands on deck” to make that day special for her and her fiancé! From the tiny decoration details, to ceremony timeline, it has been encouraging to see my sister and fiancé, and respective families being in agreement on important matters as they tie the knot. Without such intentional agreement, no decision would be made for the day, and for those of us helping, we wouldn’t be able to act on their behalf to get things done.

“How do you do it? How do you manage to oversee leadership development at church, while finding time to work at your family’s coffee shop, spend time with family, and remain content and not go crazy?”These are some of the the questions I get asked lately. Looking outside in, I suppose it’s a common question for us pastors and leaders.