In our last presidential election, change was the word. Americans wanted a new direction for thier country, and elected someone with a new vision.

Change is happening to KOGF also. No, we are not electing a new leader. Our leader has been and always will be God.

Today Easter April 12th will be the last service @ KOGF for some time.  We suspending our Sunday and Wednesday activities, for the foreseeable future.

Why? KOGF  was started years ago to provide guidance to the un-churched and those that did not have a church home.  We feel that we did a great job over the years helping to change peoples lives.  We also know we can do more.  We will be using this time as reflection, evaluation and planning for the future of KOGF. 

KOGF is NOT closed. Like our children, they need guidance in their lives from parents.  We need guidance also, from God.

If you need prayer or guidance, you can always contact us.

Posted: April 12th, 2009 under Admin.
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Jesus kicked off His official ministry with the statement: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matt. 4:17); 15″The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14).  If said so, where is it?  Why can we not see it and live in it?

In my opinion, if Jesus said so, it is, period.  So if the Kingdom is here, it is here right now, full stop.  The problem isn’t that the Kingdom hasn’t come yet, it is that we do not accept that and do not live as if it is true. 

 Anyone waiting for “the Kingdom to come” is going to be waiting for a long time, because the boat has already left the dock.  The Kingdom is here NOW!  Live it!  Love it! (As McDonald’s has taken lately as their new tag line, although they would like you to feel that way about their particular food).  We don’t see the Kingdom and we don’t live in the Kingdom because we are looking for something and waiting until it comes before we live the Kingdom .  STOP WAITING!!!

You need wait for NOTHING before you live in the Kingdom of God!  Start living in the Kingdom RIGHT NOW!  Go out and be Jesus in this world, and you will be living in the Kingdom.  Go out and be a light, go be a voice, go be an ear, go be a helping hand, go be a loving touch.  GO BO THE KINGDOM RIGHT NOW!!  THe Kingdom of God is close at hand, is here! 

Posted: January 9th, 2009 under Kingdom, Life in Christ.
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Some people align their lives by the calendar; thus, today (or last night at midnight, if your particular) is a new day, a new year, time to begin something new, end something, be someone different.  (Hence the influx of diet and exercise commercials we will be subjected to; advertisers know this about us.)

 Some people follow another calendar; the church calendar.  By this calendar, the new year for Christians began almost five Sundays ago, at the beginning of Advent; for Jews, it began in September at Rosh Hashanah.  Both are similar to the calendar, but not the same.  Most everyone else follows some sort of calendar or marker; everyone has a time in the year that they consider the year to begin anew, and they respond with their lives in some form or fashion, anew.

This year, take a tip from Jesus (who always gives good advice, really) and really, truly, begin a new year, change your life, be someone new; whether you count by the calendar, the church, or the community, or just your personal quirk, now is as good a time as any.  This is a year of beginnings becoming real and fleshing out.  Step up! 

Posted: January 1st, 2009 under Kingdom, Life in Christ, Recovery.
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The day after - after Thanksgiving, after an accident, after a big announcement, after an election, after Christmas - there is something about being the first day of something new, isn’t there?  Today is the start of something new, too!

 It’s the big day after in America - the day after Christmas.  Time to dig into leftovers, time to put away all the stuff you received, time to hit the stores for the last really big discount day of the year.  This year, especially, it seems, is the day to shop.  Retailers have been having (like everyone else) a rough financial year, and they are always on the lookout for another reason, other than their own desperation, to have a sale. 

 There are major stories on major internet sites about where to go for the best and deepest deals, stories about how many percent off you can expect, and on what items.  This now counts as news?  It does, to retail and commercial America, where getting stuff is the most important thing.  That is what runs this country - consumers and sellers and all their stuff.  If you listen to politians, whether retailers have a good season is of primary importance.  Is it is primary importance in your life?  Is it of primary importance in this world? 

For some people, the answer is honestly a “yes”.  What happens in their store today is intricately tied to their income, and whether or not they will be able to pay their bills.  But for some, for too many, it is not so much about whether they are getting by, but about more;  how much more can they get.  They say you, the consumer, want more, so here it is, and on sale, too, at 70%! off! 

Do you need more?  Yes, you do.  But more what?, is really the question.  I woke up this morning really wanting to take a walk, then get back into reading my Bible and other devotional materials.  I have quite a few books I want to delve into.  I woke up wanting more God.  I woke up wanting to know more and see more and be able to share more. 

What did you wake up wanting?  Is it enough to support your life on?  Is it enough to get you through everything in your life, todya and tomorrow?  It’s never too late to dig into God.  His hand is always held out and open.    It’s the day after the coming of God to mankind, Emmanuel, Jesus;  what do you want today?   

Posted: December 26th, 2008 under Kingdom.
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So today we have a new world;  that’s what everyone is saying.  Barak Obama has been cleanly and quickly elected President of the United States, and a new day is coming, full of change. 

 All that sounds good, and change IS good.  If we aren’t changing, we are stagnating, which leads to rot and ruin.  Our world is in a bad way, as they used to say, and we need to do something about it.  We are humans - we must fix it, and because we are human, we must be able to fix it.

 In the end, it doesn’t matter who sits in the Oval Office;  the problems are the same, and the changes made are just changes.  We humans need to understand that, while we are capable and very likely to cause such problems and dilemmas in this world,  it is not in our capability to fix such things.  If we could, don’t you think we would have done it by now? 

 The only One who can change the world is God, as He changes the world into His Kingdom.  That is the only change that will help, that will provide truth and hope and peace.  Seek not the things of this world, but seek first the Kingdom of our God.  Pay attention, but keep focused and working for Him who made all things and keeps all things in the palm of His hand.   

Posted: November 5th, 2008 under Kingdom.
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What makes something a crisis?  What is a difference between change and chaos?

Our world is in the process of a big change.  The President finds it necessary every day to get on TV and the media outlets tell us and the world we are in trouble and in danger, and that things will soon be very bad.  But from what are we in danger? 

I know there are people who are losing things in their lives, but isn’t that a normal part of life?  And didn’t most of them, at some point, have a choice about their decisions and actions?  Maybe this foreclosure business is more a matter of consequences of bad choices.  We are all for criminals to face the consequences of their crimes; why are other people more special?  Aren’t we all responsible for our choices and actions?

In America today, we live a life that is unparallelled on compared to the rest of the world.  It’s almost shameful how much we have.  Perhaps this economic downturn is a re-arranging of things.  Maybe we are being told to change our habits, our choices, our desires, to something less material and something more valuable.  Perhaps this is not a crisis, but a creation of a new way of doing things, a new way of living and choosing and valuing.

Fear-mongering is a time-tested way to get people to panic and make more bad choices.  What we need is to take a step back and look around.  What things in our lives can we change?  What actions can we take to make a difference for the better?  Do we really need to be afraid? 

When God comes to earth, his first words are always: FEAR NOT. Even when the situation looks appalling, alarming, frightening, it’s always FEAR NOT. 

So FEAR NOT, for God is coming down into this world.  Hallelujah!

Posted: September 30th, 2008 under Kingdom.
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It doesn’t take a genius to see that the news this week has gone from bad to downright scary.  Institutions that were bulwarks of the economy for decades sink because of bad decisions.  Politicians infighting over minor details and refusing to make any decisions.  Leaders stepping in and saying that drastic action must take place for disaster to be averted.  That’s all just fear working. 

 I’m not saying that we don’t need drastic action: we do.  We need what politicians all “change” right away.  What we don’t need is the change they say we do.  We need a change not in what we do with all the things we have in this world; we need a change in how we live our lives. 

Let me explain: We have spend so many years focused on stuff, on money, on possessions, that we have lost sight of what is really important: God and other people. 

 If we focused on other people, there would be less pain, less fear, less loneliness, more love, more peace, more community.  Instead of wandering around a store looking at stuff to kill time, why not go and talk to people you meet along the way.  Take a walk, and smile at everyone.  Go find a friend or acquaintance and listen for a while.  Go love your neighbor. (It’s free, too!)

Now, that doesn’t mean you should ignore your money or business issues: be responsible and timely, just not obsessive.  Get what you need and nothing more.  I know they say that if we stop buying, the economy will get worse, but in fact it will get better, because it will adjust to what is really needed, rather than just more.  Then there will be more room for people activity. 

There is only one “more” we need these days: God. Go find Him, talk to Him, introduce Him to someone else.  Know Him.  Be His child.  Live in the Kingdom.

Posted: September 26th, 2008 under Kingdom, Life in Christ.
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“The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together.”  Isa 40:4-5.

I don’t know about you, but I hate road construction. I recently took a 2,500 mile trip from Dallas to Minneapolis and back and encountered all kinds of road construction. The construction included typical road repairs but also bridge repairs and even bridge replacements. It was in all states in big cites and small towns. It was easy to get caught off guard when traffic signs are placed in unusual places and the natural flow of traffic takes you off the main road onto bumpy surfaces.

Sometimes God takes us through our own life re-construction project. Our lives get disrupted, we can no longer depend on the things we did before, and we don’t have control over our circumstances or timetable. God is doing major construction.

However, even in the midst of the re-construction the glory of the Lord is revealed in that place. For some, it is the first time they’ve ever seen the hand of the Lord in their life to the degree that this process allows them to experience Him. It is a process they would never choose to go through voluntarily, but it is an experience they can value for the rest of their lives because the glory of the Lord is revealed in the process.

Once the process is complete, things begin to flow better. Just as the new roads allow you to drive on a smooth, more spacious area, so too God paves a way for you to move into an expanded place with Him. Isaiah tells us: “He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows” (Isa 30:23-24).

Be patient with God’s re-construction project. You will like the finished project.

Posted: September 12th, 2008 under Life in Christ, Recovery.
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It’s easy to be tempted to give up on a goal, prayer or desire when it seems as if the answer isn’t coming as quickly as you would like. Yet, at these times, dare to learn how to hope even more in God. Usually, our battles seem the darkest just before the dawn. Just like a woman experiences birth pains right before the birth of her child, we too experience intense moments before breakthrough. Yet, we must not give up prematurely during these heated times. In Hebrews 10:35 it says, “Do not cast away your confidence for it will be richly rewarded.”

As faith-filled believers, we must keep hoping, keep believing and stay faithful. Many times, we are closer than we think to victory. God is faithful to His promises.  When God says we will be richly rewarded for keeping our confidence in Him, that should give us a second wind, giving us fuel to keep up the faith. Don’t give up today on your dreams and your hope in God. By developing the attitude, “I’ve come too far to stop now” and learning how to be full of hope, expecting God’s favor daily, you’ll see God begin to do amazing things even in the midst of trying times! You are closer than you think to victory. Dare to hope in God and His promises. You will not be disappointed!

By Joel Osteen

See him at http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx

Posted: August 15th, 2008 under Admin.
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If Paul in the New Testament letters started all his letters to his kingdom family with the words “Grace and peace to you,” why is it all we can manage is a “hi”?  Do our friends and family (in the sense of both our blood and Christ’s blood) mean so much less than Paul’s family did to him?  I think not.

 Perhaps we have less understanding of the meaning of these words.  Grace is a free gift of God that comes in conjunction with mercy.  If mercy forgives our sins, grace gives us the power to enact that change of heart in our very lives.  Do you want some change in you life?  Does this gift of God sound like a good deal to you?  Then take it with joy.  Then take it one more step further up and further in:

Try sharing it with others.  Tell someone “Grace and peace to you” when you meet them.  See what happens.  Go on.  Take the challenge.  If grace and peace is in you, then it’s time to share.  If you are still working on grace and peace (and who frankly isn’t?), then giving it away, like love, makes it more real for you. 

 To all of you who share a love of and in Christ who join our community here at KOGF:

GRACE AND PEACE TO YOU NOW AND ALWAYS

Posted: August 8th, 2008 under Admin.
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