god – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Life Through the Valleys and Over the Mountain Tops.

January 9, 2026

A Bible Trekking experience.

INTRODUCTION

The preacher was not an ordained minister. He was the Vice-Principal of our local High School. He was at our church to thank members who assisted at the school and to encourage others to join them. His topic was mountains and valleys. He is the inspiration for this book.

In the mountains

Day One

“Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil: for you are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me.”

Psalm 23: 4

In the summer of 1975, I spent ten weeks in Pennsylvania. I was working as a summer missionary with the pastor of the Bolivar Road Baptist church in Bradford. My main responsibility was to serve as student pastor for the Hill Top Baptist Chapel in Gifford. I do not remember how many lived in that small mountain community at that time. It was so small that we walked to the post office to pick up our mail.

I taught a youth Sunday School class, preached in the morning, and led an evening Bible study. On Wednesday evenings, I led the prayer meeting. We were amid the Allegheny mountains, and many times that summer, I would take a walk into the woods. Early on, I purchased a flashlight that I took with me in the evening in case the sun began to fade before I returned to the house. It got dark early in the forest, and often I would turn off the flashlight as I stepped out of the trees.

Studying the Bible had been my life for over a year. I entered Southwest Baptist College as a junior transferring from a state school where I had been a creative writing major. My plan was to transfer to a different university to study journalism. God’s plan was for me to study His Word.

This was a mountain top experience in more than one way. I have lived all my life in the Ozark Mountains. Nothing in my experience prepared me for the Alleghenies.

If you have never been to the Ozarks, you don’t know that this part of the country is just hills. There are no true mountains in the Ozarks. Some refer to it as the Ozarks Plateau.

The valley is often looked down on by those that live in the highlands. David knew a great deal about hills, valleys, and mountains. He fought the lion and the bear as he protected the sheep. He played for King Saul when he was depressed. He killed Goliath and helped route the entire Philistine army but had to run from the King to save himself because of jealousy.

What causes you concern? Use His rod and staff to comfort yourself. His rod is what the shepherd uses to pull the lambs back from the edge of cliffs. The staff is the weapon that defends him and the flock from predators. We will continue to investigate the highs and the lows of following Christ.

The printer

January 6, 2026

This title could be a story about my friend Rick or my Uncle George. Both were printers by trade. Rick worked for the Springfield Newspaper for thirty or forty years, and George did the same at the Kansas City Star. Some day I may regale you with stories of these fine men, but that is not tonight.

God woke me up tonight to write as He does sometimes. When I walked into the living room, I noticed a light in our dining room. I went to see what I had left glowing when we went to bed and found our printer was lit up with an error message. In the dark, it is very bright.

During the day, you do not notice these messages, and that screen is often dark when we have not used it for a while. Tonight, in the dark house, it was apparent from the next room. You are probably asking yourself, “Where is he going with this thought?”

One of my categories is Tangents. That is what this is. These are wild, stray thoughts that come to my mind. As I sit at my laptop, I am reminded of Jesus’ words, “You are the light of the world.” I’m going to offer a non-theological commentary on this idea.

Light is a common thing in our world. During the day, sunshine illuminates most of the outdoors. If you are fortunate enough to have windows in your home, you can raise the blinds and move around inside without needing your electric lights. My wife, Cindy, likes to do this. My eyes are not as good as hers anymore, and sometimes I must flip a switch for the artificial light.

Jesus was referring to His followers as being a source of light in our dark world. This is a reflected light. That has been my ministry for over fifty years. I call myself a workplace minister because I’ve never pastored a church. My congregation was the people I encountered on a daily basis as I performed my different jobs.

I am a light in the darkness. I tell you about my Jesus and what He means to me. I share with you how He touches my life and speaks truth into it. That may seem strange to you, and that is fine. My Christian readers understand what I am saying. We are lights in a world that is full of darkness, as this room was tonight. A small shine from a printer control screen got my attention. This is our job. Shine a little brightness in the gloom and guide someone to Jesus.

You are not to be a glaring beacon from a spotlight. Just be a candle in the darkness. I’ve had some say that they knew I was a man of God or a religious person. They saw His reflected light in me. I don’t draw attention to myself intentionally.

Others notice something coming from us, and they go like Moses did when he saw a bush burning in the desert. It should have burned out quickly. It did not. Do not be a flash that no one can find when they need questions answered, be that light that brightens the darkness of their distress. Let them come to you and tell them what He has done for you. It is that simple.

Time of the year

December 19, 2025

The song you just watched says “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” I agree that the Christmas season can be a great period for some of us. For others, it is not that enjoyable. You may have lost someone, and the holidays are a reminder of that loss. If you are not watchful, you can be taken in by scams and fraud even more at this time.

That is what I want to talk to you about. Those people who use the most wonderful time of the year for not-so-fantastic experiences for others. I am not just addressing the criminals. Let’s talk about Christians. Some of my readers are like me and have been disappointed and given up on Church People.

First, I think we need to qualify what I mean by a Christian. If you mark the box that says Christian on a questionnaire, that does not make you a follower of Christ. Christian means Little Christ. Jesus, who is called the Chris,t died for everyone in the world. He did this because He loves us. When we do not love others, we cannot truly call ourselves by His name.

A follower of Christ can be broken down into two categories. The first is those who have accepted Him as their savior. I call this having fire insurance. Many have had a salvation experience, but may not have made the extra commitment that we call making Jesus our Lord.

When I was eighteen, I decided that while I had been a Christian since I was eleven, I needed to make the choice for Jesus to be my Lord and my Savior. Since then, I have been learning as much as I can about God, Jesus, and the Bible.

Describing Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year is not something that I normally do. Gathering with family and friends from Thanksgiving through the New Year is often a good time for us. I can make an argument that other holidays that bring us together are just as joyful.

For those of us who are born-again believers, all year is a blessed time. This was one promise He made to His followers. “I am with you always, even to the end of the Earth.” (Matthew 28:20) He also gives us joy throughout the year. (John 17:13, Galatians 5:22) Having this joy in our lives does much for us.

In the last year, several of my friends have gone home to be with our Lord. For their families and friends, I want to encourage them that they will miss them during these celebrations, but keep in mind that we are all together in the presence of our Lord with them. We just do not have a visual confirmation of that with our earthly eyes. (1 Corinthians 13:12, Hebrews 11:1)

If you have lost someone and do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, please contact me or someone that you know is a believer. We can lead you to a saving knowledge of this person we call Jesus, and when your earthly life ends, you will join us.

Who made you a disciple?

October 22, 2025

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples and teach those converts everything they have been taught by Him. Someone led you to Jesus. It may have been your parents, grandparents, pastor, friends, or others. A pastor friend of mine accepted Christ after watching a Billy Graham sermon on TV.

After this salvation experience, he was discipled by friends and family. When I met him, we were both in college as ministerial students. Others encouraged both of us to accept our calls to the ministry. After graduation, we went our separate ways. I cannot remember his name, but I know he has discipled many others as I have.

Consider your story. Identify the important people who have led your walk. My father was a licensed minister before I was born. We were raised in church and encouraged to accept Christ at an early age. My brothers and I remained at our home church after our parents and sisters began going to another.

This body was instrumental in my accepting my call to full-time gospel ministry. Sunday School teachers, pastors, friends, and family all discipled me for the next ten years until I graduated from college.

I worked with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board as a summer missionary while still in college and learned a great deal from that experience and the people I worked with for ten weeks. I have used many of the things I picked up that summer throughout my life.

The point I want to make in this column is that we all need help learning how to follow our Lord. Your job as a believer is to assist your brothers and sisters in Christ. Others are there for you. That is the idea of service that Jesus taught His disciples.

We all should think of the folks that we are familiar with and how we can guide them into a deeper relationship with our savior. Prayer, Bible study, and fellowship are all methods that can be utilized.

Jesus said, “As you go, make disciples, teaching them everything you know, immersing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Educate them in what Holy Spirit teaches you. I hope this column is a small help to you as you grow.

Do something

September 24, 2025

Someone’s name comes to my mind, and I talk to Jesus about them. It may be a friend or even someone like the President. I speak to my Lord about what this person needs. I do not ask about their desires. He may not tell me what the need is. Other times He gives me ideas of things they have said that triggers my thoughts

Since I am talking to the creator of the universe, I ask Him to give this to them or do it for them. This is what prayer is: communication with Holy Spirit. If you are not a believer and He is not your Lord, the only words He will receive from you are a request for forgiveness.

This does not appear to be much on my part. But I do something, I pray. If you are not someone who talks to God or Jesus frequently, it may sound strange. For those of you who know Him like I do, it is familiar.

When I see a person standing by the side of the road with a sign, I ask Him to give them what they need. I do not ask Him to give them money. They want money. This may be what they do for a living. Many of these are professional panhandlers. I’ve spoken of them before.

They need a desire to change the way they make their money. They need to do something constructive with their lives. And that isn’t to teach others how to beg. Many professional fundraisers do this for a living. They receive a portion of what they take in for charities as their pay.

In college, I worked for some of these people. One time I sold tickets by phone for a circus. We told the patrons that it was to help underprivileged children attend the event. I did very well at that. I stopped when I discovered that less than five percent of what they donated was used for these tickets.

When I say to do something for someone else, I want you to do it for them. If your motivation is merely for yourself, it isn’t for them, is it? We all do things for ourselves. I am talking about not thinking about what it will do for you.

There are always things that you can do to benefit another that do little or nothing for you. Pick up the check at lunch. I have family and friends who do this for us. It is appreciated. We return the favor or instigate the act. I often purchased meals for customers when I was in sales. You know what they say, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”

For me this was not true. My lunch was free as well. The company paid me to do this for them. They bought my meal. I did give up my lunch hour off the clock to enjoy a meal with them. When I was in purchasing, I accepted the pleasure of dining with my vendors. I used the time to get to know them better.

This was part of what I refer to as my ministry. I was a workplace minister for over forty years. If you do not know what this is, I will explain it. God called me to the gospel ministry as He does every born-again believer. He did not want me to be a pastor or evangelist, as some are called.

My service was to those that I encountered in the work-a-day world. I talked to coworkers, others I met during the workday, and even people I encountered off the clock and on weekends. I still do that. I am doing that now by writing these columns for you.

I am asking you to do the same. Do something for someone else. It can be family, friends, or people you don’t even know. When you are eating out, does the desire to overtip hit you? Do it. Have you heard of servers getting $100 tips? Sometimes they don’t know it until they take it off the table. Do something. Even if it is just $20 or talking to God about them.

Why we won’t laugh when Jesus tells a joke

June 27, 2025

When someone tells a joke, you have two choices. You can laugh at the joke or not. The or not is the one that can help or hinder a storyteller. If you at least smile, then they are encouraged to keep trying. If you frown, we know we missed your funny threshold. When you rudely escort us to the door, we know we really blew it.

Some people do not realize how often Jesus got a laugh from His disciples and others around Him when he spoke. One classic is the “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into Heaven.” What is funny about this statement, you may ask?

Imagine Jesus walking down the road surrounded by his followers, with many Pharisees and Sadducees with them. He is talking about who will go to see His Heavenly Father. “It is easier.” He says, holding His arms out. This is a sign of a word directly from God. “For a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” As He brings his arms together and the two fingers on His right hand are just separated. “Than for a rich man to enter Heaven.”

“But, Lord, who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus replies that what is impossible for man is not for God. You don’t get the joke either. His followers did, and they laughed at the rich Pharisees who were there. They thought being Jews would get them into Heaven. Being a Baptist won’t do it either. No wonder we won’t laugh.

Our Lord was not making fun of His opponents. As He was hung on the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” He was not just referring to the Roman soldiers. The Jewish Sanhedrin that condemned Him to death did not know what they were doing, either.

They wanted the conquering ruler to free their country. They did not know that the suffering servant had to die first. That sacrifice had to come back to life to conquer death, not just the Romans.

Israel is still in danger of being exterminated by those who have hated them for thousands of years because Jehovah loves them, and other nations do not. Iran, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria are a few examples.

The individuals needed salvation before the corporate group was set free to rule themselves again. Just as we Gentiles need to make a personal choice to accept the Messiah or the Christ and build a relationship with Him, the Jews are required to make a private decision. Have you done that yet?

Barnabas

May 4, 2025

In a previous column I began a discussion of Joseph who was called Bar-Nabas which means the son of encouragement. I spoke of him as being my selection as the one who may have written the book we call Hebrews. It does not read like a letter and yet it sounds a great deal like the apostle Paul’s teachings. My question is why?

The simple answer seems to be that some of Paul’s theology came from those in the church who influenced him over the years. Barnabas was the one that first accepted this new convert to The Way and brought him to the apostles. (Acts 9:26-27) A risky move on his part.

Here we lose track of Barnabas and Saul is sent away because the Jewish leaders do not like the man that was so vehement about attacking these believers in the Messiah becoming one of them. The disciples heard that they were going to kill Saul and sent him home to Tarsus. (Acts 9:30)

The book of Acts, written by Dr. Luke, continues with the actions of Peter and others until they need someone to go to Antioch to find out what is happening there with the Gentiles or non-Jewish believers. (Acts 11:22-25) As you read here you see that Saul is brought to Antioch to help with this work.

You may ask why Barnabas went to Saul after all this time. When he first brought him to the other disciples in Jerusalem, I am sure that he first vetted his conversion experience. We call this giving your testimony. This included Jesus’ call for him to go to the Gentiles with the gospel. (Acts 9:15) There was no one else that Barnabas knew who was called to this ministry.

Now you see why Joseph is called the son of encouragement. (Acts 4:36-37) Joseph was a common name in Hebrew families. Jesus pronounced He-sus, which is common among Hispanics and other cultures. I am sure you can think of other Josephs from the Bible, both Old and New Testament.

Remember Jacob’s son that was sold s a slave by his brothers and sent to Egypt ahead of the family? A Joseph is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:14 as being one of the priests at that time. Another is mentioned in Ezra at that same time in chapter 10 verse 42. We all should know that Jesus’ earthly father was named Joseph.

In the New Testament Luke tells us that Jesus had two ancestors named Joseph in Luke 3:24 and 30, These were in Joseph of Nazareth’s lineage. We also have a Joseph in Matthew 27:56 that was the son of Mary, Jesus’ mother. (Also Mark 6:3, 15:40, 47) He is probably the next oldest brother and was named after his father.

Then we have Joseph from Arimathea that asked for Jesus’ body and put it in his own new tomb. (Matthew 27:57-59, Mark 15:43, 45-46, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42). After the resurrection the eleven decided to allow God to select a twelfth Apostle to replace Judas. Two men were nominated. Joseph called Barsabbas and Mathias to decide who would be chosen by lots.

I have another thought about Barnabas that I will share with you in another column. Stay tuned.

Faith

April 23, 2025

This sounds like a good topic to talk about after Resurrection Weekend. What do I mean by this term? The secular world knows it as Easter. Most Christians do not know the origin of this holiday. When the early church was accepted by the Roman government, they changed the established holidays to be accepted by the followers of Christ.

The spring festival that honored the renewal of life during this season was changed to fall on resurrection day. The name remained the same. It recognized the Roman God responsible for life. It was thought to be appropriate because Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us new life when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

The problem I have is that my God does not want me to worship anyone except Him. That is why I refer to the holiday as Resurrection Day. The U.S. government recognizes our separation of church and state and records it as Easter which is considered a secular holiday. It is my faith that requires that I acknowledge it as a Christian celebration.

The book of Hebrews tells us in chapter eleven; verse one what faith is. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” My faith allows me to flip on a light switch to turn on lights in my house. When my grandparents were children, they could not do this. Their homes did not have electricity in them.

Today your faith lets you turn on your lights, television, phone, computer, car, and many other things they did not know about. You believe these devices will work and that is a substance that you use daily. That faith is your proof that those things will start when you need them. We were all disappointed when they failed to work.

Jehovah God has never failed me. I hope you can say the same. Life is frustrating enough without those we depend on failing us. But that is life. Jesus is also life. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) You can accept this on faith as I have.

Let’s talk more about this book in the Bible called Hebrews. Bible scholars have asked who the author was for years. In college, it was dealt with in a separate class. When I took the class on Paul’s letters the instructor added Hebrews as another class, he taught that was also probably written by the apostle Paul. Some theologians do not agree with this.

I am not a scholar. I am merely a student of Jesus and God’s word to us. I ask Him a lot of questions. Eventually He gives me those answers. Recently I learned that some believe Barnabas, the son of encouragement that was one of Paul’s early Christian friends may have been the author of this letter.

It sounds a lot like what Paul said in his other books. He did not use the style we are used to reading because he did not say that it was from him. This writer does not tell us who this letter is for. It does not read like a letter as others in the New Testament do. It is more expository in nature and begins by pointing out that Jesus was how God chose to speak to us at this time.

These are some of the reasons I believe Joseph called the son of encouragement or Barnabas wrote it. We will continue with more about him and who he was in the church. I think that you will find it interesting and you may learn some things that God has not shared with you before. See you next time.

God’s short shelf

April 11, 2025

In some factories around Springfield and all over the world, you will find the terms short shelf, short material, short stock or some other name that indicates that while the length or size of the product is no longer kept in inventory, there are still uses for it and it is not to be scrapped. As Christians, we need to think about who is on God’s short shelf.

Unlike steel or aluminum, which may be used using small pieces for certain jobs, children are small but will not always be too small to use. Kids grow and will someday be adults. Don’t scrap your children before they have had the chance to show what they can be. Everyone needs a job to do, even if it is as simple as putting napkins or forks, and spoons on the table before a meal. Take the youngsters off the short shelf and give them an easy task. Don’t stop there. As they learn to conquer the trivial, they will mature into teens, which will help.

Often our youth are treated as scrap when they need to be moved from the short shelf to a useful position. Find something that interests them. Middle school students often are left playing video games because an adult did not take the time to educate them on what needs to be done around the house. Older grandchildren can help in the garden, climb ladders to paint or clean, or accomplish many of the tasks that their unsteady parents or grandparents now have difficulty with. The difficult task is motivation. Rewards, not bribes, are useful here. More time spent on the computer, playing video games, or visiting friends on the phone or in person should be earned. You’ve lost the battle by keeping them in the scrap bin when laziness is accepted and not destroyed early.

Those who qualify for senior discounts may consider themselves retired or just tired. The stamina and energy of youth may have waned, but their maturity and experience count for something. One of the best ways to keep the retired folks off the scrap heap is to find their talents. Whether it is auto repair, cooking, telling stories, or just getting on their knees and praying, they are still useful. Advice is often precious in times of struggle, and the best counsel is from those who have been there before you. Don’t miss out on this resource.

The physically or mentally handicapped are often overlooked because it may be difficult to find a place of service for them. Their difficulties seem to be insurmountable. Often, those who are slower mentally are like children. They have enthusiasm and energy that need to be used on simple tasks. Stapling, folding, or sorting papers to lighten some other person’s load may be an answer. Do not look at the weakness of others. Look for their abilities and strengths.

God loves everyone and has called each Christian to service. Find your place, and when you have the opportunity, help someone else to find their niche. We are a body that should work together with Christ as the head.

Boomers go bust

April 3, 2025

As the years and the decades increase in your life span, you will notice that references that younger people do not recognize are readily caught by you and your contemporaries. My contemporaries are the kids of the baby boom. There is a lot of misinformation about this generation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau this group was born between 1946 and 1964. We are 79 to 61 years old. If you refer to those younger or older than this as boomers, you are making an error.

Just to let you know, we are not older than dirt. Our parents were familiar with dirt when they were children. They told us thousands of stories about getting in trouble when they were kids for getting themselves or the house they lived in dirty. Some of us even remember our grandparents talking about dirt before our folks were born.

We do not remember World War I or II, the civil war, or the Roman Empire. We are not as old as God or Jesus. Both have existed for all eternity. We know that you are not as intelligent as we are. Don’t prove to us how stupid younger people are. We try to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Keep in mind that whatever you say to your children about us will come back to bite you in the backside. The generations after you will repeat these fallacies and may someday refer to you as boomers, old fogies, or the ancient of days. We remember using these same phrases on our parents and grandparents.

I look forward to hearing my grandchildren insult their parents the way they criticized us. I remember when I was fourteen and thought that I was smarter than my dad because the highest he went to school was the eighth grade. I hope all of them will get their B.A. as I and their mothers did.

Master’s or doctorates would be even better. I won’t tell them they are stupid if they do not know who or what the Mercury Seven were as long as they don’t roll their eyes when I question who all the current movie stars, TV and music performers are. Even I can identify Lady Gaga. Your children will agree with us that she was just some weirdo.

We hate it that there are a lot of commercials for medications for our ailments, adult diapers, and supplements that are recommended for older people. Keep in mind that in five years the next generation will need to sign up for Medicare and they already can join AARP.

The only way any of you can keep from getting as old as we are, is to die. When President John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, we were told “only the good die young.” We know that was not true because we see bad people die in their twenties, thirties and forties. It is tragic, but it happens.

I wish you what parents have hoped for their children and grandchildren for centuries. To live long and prosper. We know where this quotation came from. Do you?

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Tag: god