I was raised in an old country church named Mt. Olive Baptist.
I was saved by God's
grace at about the age of ten years old. My Grandfather was the pastor of the
church all of my whole childhood. At the age of nineteen I got out of church for several years until the age of 26 the lord brought me back.
I made it right with the Lord and also asked the church to forgive me because I had not only done God wrong I also had done the church wrong. I was enjoying attending church and began to lead singing and was being blessed for it.
Then the lord had more
for me to do. He was calling me to preach his word and I began to run from it
for over a year and a half. For this year and a half I was a miserable person and and wasn't very happy because I did not want for a while to do this. I was very scared to know that I was going to have to do this.
Then one Saturday night
my Dad and and two of my sisters and two other friends from our church was
going to a Singing to sing because we had been singing together for a while.
There was an elderly lady that was up singing the old song "Amazing Grace". I remember while she was singing , I said to the Lord that I would do whatever he wanted me to do and that I would let the church know that he had called me to preach his word. Then he opened his windows of heaven and poured out a blessing that I could not Contain. My cup ran over.
I announced my calling on June the 7th and stood for the first time on June 14th 1988. I was ordained on September 24th 1989. I met my to be lovely wife at my home church after her Dad became the pastor of the church. Her name was Karen and I know the Lord sent her to me.
We were married and three years later had our first child and what a great blessing
from the The Lord he was! Then three years later our 2nd son Joshua came. The Lord had answered all my prayers at this time in my life by sending me a wonderful, loving wife and two wonderful boys.
If you are reading this I hope it is a blessing to you. If you are reading this and you don't know the lord by the free pardon of your sins, I pray that you will seek him while he maybe found.
May God bless you.
Rev. Ken B.
A word with Ken
Elijah and the Widow
8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to
Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded
a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the
city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to
her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may
drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I
pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful
of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering
two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat
it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make
me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee
and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste,
neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain
upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he,
and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
The lord had just told
Elijah to go down to Zarephath that he had commanded a widow women to sustain
him. Christ spoke of this same widow woman and ask the question was there not
many widows in that day. (Luke 4: 24 -25)This widow had been praying to the
Lord for help because there was a famine in the land as she and her son was
going to die. She was hungry for food and was needing help.
The
lord sees our desires and our wants. A lost person has to become hungry and
thirsty for the salvation of the Lord. She was needing the Lords help and the
Lord had heard her prayer and was sending help.
God
sees all of our needs and wants. He said in the word that he was the bread of
life and the widow was needing to hear from heaven on what she must do and God was sending the message by Elijah.
God
has to send the message and the messenger, the word teaches us and a lost
person has to have the want and the desire to hear from the lord. This woman
was out gathering two sticks and was going to prepare her last meal.
Notice that this was all that she had. A sinner has to be willing to give it all unto the lord. Elijah said to her "fetch me a little water in a vessel" and the widow woman was quick to obey the message from heaven through Elijah. A sinner has to obey to receive the salvation of the lord.
She
then was told to bake him a cake and she told him that this was all that she
had. Then the man of god told her to bake the cake first for him. A lost
person in seeking the salvation of God has to put God first because the word says to seek ye the kingdom of God first and his Righteousness and all these
other things shall be added unto you.
After
she obeyed she received that from heaven and it wasted not all of her days. The real salvation of the lord will last forever. Paul said that that he had
committed unto the lord he was able to keep unto that day. She committed all
that she had unto the lord.
This
widow heard the message of God and also was a doer of the word and message that God sent to her. A lost person will have to hear the gospel and also be a
doer of it. There is a lot of good thoughts in this chapter that you could
write a book on it. Read this chapter and desire to grow in his grace and he
will give. May God bless you.
Rev. Ken B.
1 Kings chapter 10.
The Queen of The South.
¶ And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8 Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
LUKE 11-31
31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
This chapter in the book of kings is one of the most beautiful pictures of the plan of life and salvation.
Remember that the old testament was shadows and figure of greater things to come. Solomon was king of Israel and a very wise man.
Christ was king of kings and lord of lords. He has all power in heaven and earth and is king of the spiritual Israel and has all knowledge and wisdom.
Here we had a woman that was a queen of the South and Christ even used her as an example to the people of what she has done would even judge the generation in that day and time and not only that generation all generations even unto the end of the world.
Because of the act of what she done in that day. Christ said that she came from the utmost parts of the earth. This woman came from a far off to see Solomon,
Jerusalem was a city that was in the Far East and this queen came from the South because she had heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the lord.
Notice that it was because that she had heard of the fame concerning the lord. Someone had came from Jerusalem which was the holy city where the people of God dwell. Someone had went to great pains to carry the message all the way down to her.
Someone was showing a great love to go to such pains that the message would get out and be heard. We today as the church and the people of God need to be willing to suffer great pain to get the message to the lost and dying world that is in a far country in sin and darkness. Not only did this women hear the message she acted upon it. The word says that is is not a hearer that is justified but a doer of the word also.
She arose with great possessions and headed to seek this king. That's what a sinner has to do; arise and take it all unto the lord and give it all unto him.
We might have great riches in this world but that will not get us out of this world with eternal life.Jesus said what profit if a man gain the Whole world and what would he give in exchange for his soul.
They that know the lord are the richest people in this world and also the world to come. It says that she came to prove him with hard questions. In Other words she was asking for knowledge and seeking it also. To fear the lord is the beginning of wisedom. I believe the lord came and proved himself unto us and there will be no excuse for anyone that rejects him.
It also says that she communed with him of all that was in her heart. Other words she poured her heart out to Solomon and Soloman did not hide anything from her. A sinner has to pour his heart out to the lord and when they do the lord will answer their prayer.
When the queen had seen the wisdom of Solomon and also his servants that were happy to serve him and also the meat that was on the table and the attendance of his ministers and the apparel and also his cupbearer. These servants had a fine apparel on. When we repented of our sins our soul was dressed with the rightousness of Christ. These servants also were faithful. This woman seen something in his servants and in his cupbearers and also in his ministers.
Jesus said for us to be a light to the world and to be faithful servant and to come out from among the world and be a separated people. After she seen all these thing it says that there was no more spirit in her. Other word she had died. There has to be a death before a dead sinner can come alive. They have to die out of the love and the practice of sin. She also said that the lord had put him there as king and judge because he loved Israel forever.
She noticed the great love that God had for his people, for the word says that God is love. Notice that solomon gave all that was her desire of his royal bounty. When a sinner desires salvation the lord will give of his royal bounty of life. Notice hat she gave what she brought and she received much greater riches from the king. She was a doer of the word and her life is still judging this world today. I hope that you have enjoyed the thoughts that the lord has given me. There is so much the more that could be brought out of this scripture. But at this time this is all the lord wants me to bring out. May God richly bless you.
The Filling of empty vessels
II KINGS CHAPTER 4
1 ¶ Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Here in this wonderful passage of God's word we have a woman that had a deep concern for her children.It said that she was a wife of one of the sons of the prophets and her husband had died.
He was a servant of the man of God.This man of God was Elisha.He had ask for a double protion of the spirit of God.A man that had great power with the lord.She had great confidence in this man because she had seen and heard of the many miracles that he had done.
Our life as Christians should be the same way as this mans was.Other christains should have that confindence in us to be able to come to us and ask us to pray for their request to God.
Also Notice that she also had confidence in her deceased husband because he was one that had feared the lord.Her husband had lived a life that was still preaching a message after that he was dead and gone to be with the lord.
Revelations speaks that of the saints that have done gone on that they do rest from their labors but their works do follow them.We should have a desire to live a life that our works should still be there and be a help to people after that we have left this world.But lets get back to this great woman.
She had a deep concern for her children.We read in God's word in a lot of places that the woman represents the church.Our churches need to have a deep concern for the lost and such a great love for them that we should go to great pains to see them delivered for the hands of satan.
Notice that her children with going to be bondmen .If you look the word bondman up in the websters it says that it is a person that is in the bondage or slavery. When we came to the age of accountability we were in the bondage of sin. This woman could not pay the price for her sons so she went to the man of God for help. As we said earlier that this man had great power. The lord God has all power in heaven and earth and is able to do all things .
Elisha said to her what shall I do for thee? Jesus said "ask and it shall be given,seek and ye shall find,and knock and it shall be opened unto you". What a great promise that the lord has made unto his people and is able to give us the desires of the heart. He asked her what do you have in your house? She said I have nothing in my house save a pot of oil.This pot of oil probably would seem very small unto the world but it was all she had in her house and was the most valueable thing that she had. Friends, we have within these earthen houses, that, that is of a great value to us but to the world it seems so small.
The man of God told her to go borrow vessels abroad. Abroad meaning to go a great distance and gather every vessel and bring it in. These vessels that they brought in were empty vessels. When we came to the age of accountibilty, realizing we were lost, our vessels were empty, void or we could say desolate.
This great plan that God setup was for whosoever will.You see they went abroad to gather these vessels. God's plan was for the whole world and it is not his will that any perish. Notice that all these vessels that were empty were filled By that (one))vessel that was in her house. Out of that one vessel was the others filled. Jesus said he that hungers and thirsts for righteousness that they shall be filled.
All these vessels were filled from that one pot.There is only one way and Jesus said I am the way the truth and life. He said that he was the door and there was in the building of the ark only one door or entrance into the ark. Also the word says that there is one lord, one faith and one baptism. If people ever get filled with the anointing of the lords grace it will have to come from Jesus.
Notice that when these vessels were filled that they were set aside.When we were saved we were set aside.The lord said that he would put his sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left hand.This happens through regeneration and we are put at the right had of the lord.
When the vessels were full she said bring me yet a vessel and he said unto her there is not a vessel more and then the oil stayed.There is coming a day that the last one will be saved before the coming of our lord and then it will all be finished and no more will be saved. God the father will tell his son to a rise and go get his children. When Christ has risen off of the mercy seat then no one else will be saved.He will go get his angels and also the souls of them that have gone on and then will he come and get his people.
Then when he splits the eastern skies the souls that he brings with him that soul and the body will unite and all they that remain will be changed in a moment of the twinkling of an eye and be caught up to be with the lord forever.What a great hope that the vessels that have the oil in them have. But also what a awful day that will be for the empty vessels .
It will be a day that will never end in the lake of fire were the worm will not die and the fire will never be quenched.Therefore be ye ready for the great day of the lord knowest no one but the father himself. Notice that it was that oil that was sold that brought her son out of bondage.there was a great price paid on the cross so thet we could be bought out of the bondage of sin.May god bless you all.
Rev. Kenneth B.
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook