SCRIPTURE
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews 13:15-16
OBSERVATION
In this scripture, it says that we are to give praise to God continually. But that as we praise Him it would be a sacrifice of praise. Also in that same sacrificial heart, we are to do good and share with others.
Sacrifice gives a picture of an offering, a giving of something despite any circumstance. What I observe in this passage is that we are to give praise to God as a sacrifice, despite any circumstances that may confront us. Likewise we are to treat others good and share with them despite the circumstances that may confront us.
APPLICATION
I can’t help but think of Sunday morning worship when I hear this. It is as if this Word is yelling at me in direction and encouragement for both me and the worship team, and our congregation who come, to bring our sacrifice of worship. Lately we’ve been so focused on the sound and how loud or soft it is, that we can sometimes forget that despite all the physical obstacles, the Lord desires to meet with us right where we’re at. He doesn’t care about anything else but our hearts and our worship whether or not it does feel like a sacrifice.
Today, it seems that we all need to come back to the heart of worship and begin to realign our focus upward toward our father in heaven, resetting our thoughts to please God no matter what the physical circumstance.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for loosing sight of my worship to You. Remind me daily of this sacrifice that You desire, that I would confess with my lips, Your great Name, and offer my praise and worship to You no matter how I feel. Ultimately, it’s not about me but about You. I love You. In Jesus name, Amen.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
SACRIFICES OF GENEROSITY. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Hebrews 13:15-16
OBSERVATION
Our faith in Jesus is the key to offer a continual sacrifice of praise to God. With the same breath, the writer of Hebrews proclaims that equally important is to be engaged in generosity towards those in need. This reinforces the dual dynamic of our worship with both our faith ad our good works. They go together. They cannot be real without each other.
APPLICATION
Generosity toward those who are in need is one of the most difficult things to do, not because our heart does not want to, but because or selfish nature is against it. The majority of people that I know want to be generous and look for the day when they can have a lot of money to share it with others. But abundance is not a requirement for generosity. We need to start sharing what we have, as small as it is, before pretending to share what we don't have.
Recently the Lord has asked me and my family to be more intentional about being generous and to share what we have with others in need. Honestly, we don't have much, but we can share what we have. And as we made decisions to be generous and share what we have, we feel a great peace, knowing that God takes care of our needs. But, I can see how my selfish nature is uncomfortable and restless. It tries to make me anxious and tries to reason why I should be worried of sharing what I have. But I must persevere and not give up living out my faith through generosity and acts of kindness.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for reminding me about generosity and for giving me so much that can be shared with others in need. Please help us to continue making our selfish nature very uncomfortable. We want to offer a living sacrifice of praise to you. Give me wisdom and discernment how to increase generosity and share more of the blessings you have given to us so generously. I love you Lord. Amen!
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Hebrews 13:15-16
OBSERVATION
Our faith in Jesus is the key to offer a continual sacrifice of praise to God. With the same breath, the writer of Hebrews proclaims that equally important is to be engaged in generosity towards those in need. This reinforces the dual dynamic of our worship with both our faith ad our good works. They go together. They cannot be real without each other.
APPLICATION
Generosity toward those who are in need is one of the most difficult things to do, not because our heart does not want to, but because or selfish nature is against it. The majority of people that I know want to be generous and look for the day when they can have a lot of money to share it with others. But abundance is not a requirement for generosity. We need to start sharing what we have, as small as it is, before pretending to share what we don't have.
Recently the Lord has asked me and my family to be more intentional about being generous and to share what we have with others in need. Honestly, we don't have much, but we can share what we have. And as we made decisions to be generous and share what we have, we feel a great peace, knowing that God takes care of our needs. But, I can see how my selfish nature is uncomfortable and restless. It tries to make me anxious and tries to reason why I should be worried of sharing what I have. But I must persevere and not give up living out my faith through generosity and acts of kindness.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for reminding me about generosity and for giving me so much that can be shared with others in need. Please help us to continue making our selfish nature very uncomfortable. We want to offer a living sacrifice of praise to you. Give me wisdom and discernment how to increase generosity and share more of the blessings you have given to us so generously. I love you Lord. Amen!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
FAITH THAT PLEASES GOD. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE
"All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that Gd had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that thy would not reach perfection without us."
Hebrews 10:39-40
OBSERVATION
Every time I read about the hall of faith and all the amazing men and women that are mentioned in this chapter, I cannot avoid to focus in the fact that their fame has nothing to do with their accomplishments. They are recognized not for what they did, but for their faith in doing it. We can do great things without faith. Without faith we cannot please God. Great accomplishments do not please God, unless they come because of our faith. This principle is very important because in our human nature we are prone to see for the end results, not the process of faith. And God is looking for people of faith, that may not receive everythng God has promisd them, but that never give up having confidence that what they hope for will actually happen.
APPLICATION
Faith is such an important concept in our relationship with God, yet we don't understand it very well. Very often we determine someone's faith by their accomplishments. We look into a successful ministry and we immediately conclude that they have great faith. With the same attitude we look at a small ministry, and we assume that they lack faith. I need to be careful not to misunderstand faith. Small obedience and consistent confidence in God's promises can make a faith giant out of me. If I'm not careful about this, very easily I can depend on my results and deceive myself about he true condition of my faith. Actually my faith is bigger when I don't receive what I beleive God has promised.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for refreshing my mind about what true faith is all about. Please forgive me for setting my eyes in the results, not in the condition of my faith. Help me to trust your promises for my life, specially the ones that haven't come to complition. That's where my faith grows and becomes strong. That's where you are pleased with my life, when I believe that you can use me in great ways, when I believe that you can heal my son, when I believe that you can restore the unfixable and bring to life what has been long dead. Let me please you with my faith and give me strength to pass all the tests that will come.
"All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that Gd had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that thy would not reach perfection without us."
Hebrews 10:39-40
OBSERVATION
Every time I read about the hall of faith and all the amazing men and women that are mentioned in this chapter, I cannot avoid to focus in the fact that their fame has nothing to do with their accomplishments. They are recognized not for what they did, but for their faith in doing it. We can do great things without faith. Without faith we cannot please God. Great accomplishments do not please God, unless they come because of our faith. This principle is very important because in our human nature we are prone to see for the end results, not the process of faith. And God is looking for people of faith, that may not receive everythng God has promisd them, but that never give up having confidence that what they hope for will actually happen.
APPLICATION
Faith is such an important concept in our relationship with God, yet we don't understand it very well. Very often we determine someone's faith by their accomplishments. We look into a successful ministry and we immediately conclude that they have great faith. With the same attitude we look at a small ministry, and we assume that they lack faith. I need to be careful not to misunderstand faith. Small obedience and consistent confidence in God's promises can make a faith giant out of me. If I'm not careful about this, very easily I can depend on my results and deceive myself about he true condition of my faith. Actually my faith is bigger when I don't receive what I beleive God has promised.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for refreshing my mind about what true faith is all about. Please forgive me for setting my eyes in the results, not in the condition of my faith. Help me to trust your promises for my life, specially the ones that haven't come to complition. That's where my faith grows and becomes strong. That's where you are pleased with my life, when I believe that you can use me in great ways, when I believe that you can heal my son, when I believe that you can restore the unfixable and bring to life what has been long dead. Let me please you with my faith and give me strength to pass all the tests that will come.
Monday, July 13, 2009
SOLO FLIGHT. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing.
Hebrews 10:23-25
OBSERVATION
How easy is to loose heart in a long distance race! You put a lot of enthusiasm and energy in the front end, but you can run out of gas half way. Discouragement settles in as the finish line seems so far away. In our relationship with God we experience the work of His power in our daily lives based on his promises. But the reality is that those promises are not fulfilled overnight. And if we are not careful, in the midst of delay we will loose our trust in God. The solution is a small Christian community. The Christian walk is not meant to be a solo flight. We need brothers and sisters with visibility in our daily lives that can motivate us to keep going. When a Christian walks away from God, the real tragedy is not that individual's failure, but the church community's failure. Apostasy is the result of isolation.
APPLICATION
There is no more dangerous path that the one you are walking alone. When you are alone, you process alone, you struggle alone, you suffer alone, and you are vulnerable alone. That's why God, from the very beginning, said, "It's not good for man to be alone." In isolation, we have the tendency to become our own advocate, prosecutor, jury, and judge. We will not be objective, we will not be encouraged, and we will easily give up in the middle of the race. We need to fight our tendency to deal with our issues on our own. We need friendships that go beyond the superficial social things, and go deeper in the matters of the heart.
For the church, it's imperative that we create a structure and a culture where building the smallest big church is a priority. I can see how God has been leading us to that place and I'm very excited about it. However, this is something that cannot be just taught. It has to be reproduced. I must have deep relationships in a smaller community of believers where encouragement is granted freely, where accountability is sincere, and where endurance and perseverance are nurtured.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the relationships you have given me during the last five years. You have answered my prayers about this and given me friends that are more than brothers to me. Help me to nurture those relationships and to initiate new ones where encouragement and growth are never absent. Please lead our church during the next months and years as we build the smalles big church. Amen!
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing.
Hebrews 10:23-25
OBSERVATION
How easy is to loose heart in a long distance race! You put a lot of enthusiasm and energy in the front end, but you can run out of gas half way. Discouragement settles in as the finish line seems so far away. In our relationship with God we experience the work of His power in our daily lives based on his promises. But the reality is that those promises are not fulfilled overnight. And if we are not careful, in the midst of delay we will loose our trust in God. The solution is a small Christian community. The Christian walk is not meant to be a solo flight. We need brothers and sisters with visibility in our daily lives that can motivate us to keep going. When a Christian walks away from God, the real tragedy is not that individual's failure, but the church community's failure. Apostasy is the result of isolation.
APPLICATION
There is no more dangerous path that the one you are walking alone. When you are alone, you process alone, you struggle alone, you suffer alone, and you are vulnerable alone. That's why God, from the very beginning, said, "It's not good for man to be alone." In isolation, we have the tendency to become our own advocate, prosecutor, jury, and judge. We will not be objective, we will not be encouraged, and we will easily give up in the middle of the race. We need to fight our tendency to deal with our issues on our own. We need friendships that go beyond the superficial social things, and go deeper in the matters of the heart.
For the church, it's imperative that we create a structure and a culture where building the smallest big church is a priority. I can see how God has been leading us to that place and I'm very excited about it. However, this is something that cannot be just taught. It has to be reproduced. I must have deep relationships in a smaller community of believers where encouragement is granted freely, where accountability is sincere, and where endurance and perseverance are nurtured.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the relationships you have given me during the last five years. You have answered my prayers about this and given me friends that are more than brothers to me. Help me to nurture those relationships and to initiate new ones where encouragement and growth are never absent. Please lead our church during the next months and years as we build the smalles big church. Amen!
Friday, July 10, 2009
SCRIPTURE
18 Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Micah 7:18-20
OBSERVATION
Micah closes his book with an uplifting message of hope. He is very clear confronting and pointing out the sins of the people, and equally clear proclaiming the grace of God to forgive their sins. In this translation, it says that God overlooks our sin. This should not be confused with pandering. Many Israelites believed that God would pander them simply because of their lineage. What Micah means here is that once God forgives our transgressions, He does not keep looking at them to continue angry at us. He overlooks our past record of failures and sin. He puts His foot on our past sins and throw them into the depths of the ocean, where they cannot be remember or brought back anymore. God focuses in His grace and unfailing love.
APPLICATION
The enemy of our soul tries to make us believe, consciously or unconsciously, that God still remembers our past record of sins - that God is still angry at us and that He enjoys bringing the hammer down to those who have fail Him in doing His will. The problem of believing such a lie is that we sabotage God's plan for our lives. And instead of mastering our sin, we allow our sin to continue mastering us. Very often I find myself dealing with my own sin the wrong way. Rather than asking for forgiveness, repenting, and staying away from falling again, I go through a spin of guilt, doubt, and hopelessness. I think that I will never be able to master my sin, that God does not like me, and that He is angry at me. Ultimately, our faith weakens and the enemy gains some ground in the battle for our minds. And whoever wins the mind, the high ground, wins the heart.
I rememebr one time while I was in prayer, asking God for forgiveness about a recent sinful episode, that I staretd to bring the same instances from the past. I was saying, "Oh God, rememeber when I did this in the past?" And almost immediately I felt in my heart as if God was saying, "No! I don't rememeber. Why you bring back those things I forgave you for?"
I need to believe with all of my heart that Micah's words of hope are 100% true. Once my sin is forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus, God overlooks my sin. He truly forgets my past record of wrongdoing. My filth is in the deepest depth of the ocean.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, your unfailing love is real and effective to restore my soul. Who am I to bring this stuff back before God with my insecurities and lack of faith? Please forgive me for the many times I bring back things from the past. I know you are not angry at me anymore. I know that as long as I stay repentant at the foot of the cross and willing to be molded according to your image, I will experience your forgiveness and the power of the resurrection in my own sinful nature. Let me master my sin with faith and trust in your grace and power to save me. Amen!
18 Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
Micah 7:18-20
OBSERVATION
Micah closes his book with an uplifting message of hope. He is very clear confronting and pointing out the sins of the people, and equally clear proclaiming the grace of God to forgive their sins. In this translation, it says that God overlooks our sin. This should not be confused with pandering. Many Israelites believed that God would pander them simply because of their lineage. What Micah means here is that once God forgives our transgressions, He does not keep looking at them to continue angry at us. He overlooks our past record of failures and sin. He puts His foot on our past sins and throw them into the depths of the ocean, where they cannot be remember or brought back anymore. God focuses in His grace and unfailing love.
APPLICATION
The enemy of our soul tries to make us believe, consciously or unconsciously, that God still remembers our past record of sins - that God is still angry at us and that He enjoys bringing the hammer down to those who have fail Him in doing His will. The problem of believing such a lie is that we sabotage God's plan for our lives. And instead of mastering our sin, we allow our sin to continue mastering us. Very often I find myself dealing with my own sin the wrong way. Rather than asking for forgiveness, repenting, and staying away from falling again, I go through a spin of guilt, doubt, and hopelessness. I think that I will never be able to master my sin, that God does not like me, and that He is angry at me. Ultimately, our faith weakens and the enemy gains some ground in the battle for our minds. And whoever wins the mind, the high ground, wins the heart.
I rememebr one time while I was in prayer, asking God for forgiveness about a recent sinful episode, that I staretd to bring the same instances from the past. I was saying, "Oh God, rememeber when I did this in the past?" And almost immediately I felt in my heart as if God was saying, "No! I don't rememeber. Why you bring back those things I forgave you for?"
I need to believe with all of my heart that Micah's words of hope are 100% true. Once my sin is forgiven and covered by the blood of Jesus, God overlooks my sin. He truly forgets my past record of wrongdoing. My filth is in the deepest depth of the ocean.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, your unfailing love is real and effective to restore my soul. Who am I to bring this stuff back before God with my insecurities and lack of faith? Please forgive me for the many times I bring back things from the past. I know you are not angry at me anymore. I know that as long as I stay repentant at the foot of the cross and willing to be molded according to your image, I will experience your forgiveness and the power of the resurrection in my own sinful nature. Let me master my sin with faith and trust in your grace and power to save me. Amen!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
THE PATH FOR FULFILLED PROMISES. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life last, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.
Hebrews 6:10-12
OBSERVATION
The Bible recognizes the human tendency to give up when things get difficult and expectations are not met quickly. False expectations and lack of endurance will cause many people to loose their faith and trust in God. If we are not careful, we can conclude that God is not fair, and that there is no point in doing good. But once again, the Scripture goes against our human grind and with raw honesty reminds us that God's promises are fulfilled through faith and endurance. Faith must be tested over time. God can do instant miracles and He loves to bless us. But He will not spoil us. He will protect our relationship with Him. He wants us to depend on Him. He is God, we are His servants. He will not allow us to make Him our own personal Genie that must obey our commands as soon as we pray our requests. Faith and endurance are the path for fulfilled promises.
APPLICATION
Our impatience is counterproductive to our blessings. How long are we willing to wait for God's promises to be fulfilled? We may say with the best intentions, "as long as it takes!" But as days and weeks pass by, our resolve cools down, and our impatience takes over.
There are so many promises God fulfilled in my life after years of waiting for them. Our church did not came forth overnight. My marriage and my friendship with my wife took years to develop. By now, I should be used to be patient, to endure and pass the tests of my faith, trust for God's perfect timing, and wait for God's blessing. But It seems that I haven't get used to the process. Sometimes I want to give up, concede defeat, compromise my faith, and find solutions on my own. Sometimes I'm just like Abraham and Sarah, who decided to take God's plan on their own hands and try to conceive an heir through a slave woman. Rather than waiting for God to deliver the blessing in His perfect way, I try to find fulfillment of the promise on my own. I need to stay i the path of fulfilled promises, which is always marked with faith and endurance.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, you are so faithful to fulfill each one of your promises in my life. You have never fail me. So please, forgive me for being inpatient and for demanding a quick fulfillment of your promises. Help me to trust your perfect timing. Help me to endure doing the right things. You are always just and you will reward me according to my faith and works of obedience. Give me an undivided desire to stay firm in the path of faith and endurance so I can arrive to the place of the fulfillment of your promises. I love you Lord. Amen!
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life last, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.
Hebrews 6:10-12
OBSERVATION
The Bible recognizes the human tendency to give up when things get difficult and expectations are not met quickly. False expectations and lack of endurance will cause many people to loose their faith and trust in God. If we are not careful, we can conclude that God is not fair, and that there is no point in doing good. But once again, the Scripture goes against our human grind and with raw honesty reminds us that God's promises are fulfilled through faith and endurance. Faith must be tested over time. God can do instant miracles and He loves to bless us. But He will not spoil us. He will protect our relationship with Him. He wants us to depend on Him. He is God, we are His servants. He will not allow us to make Him our own personal Genie that must obey our commands as soon as we pray our requests. Faith and endurance are the path for fulfilled promises.
APPLICATION
Our impatience is counterproductive to our blessings. How long are we willing to wait for God's promises to be fulfilled? We may say with the best intentions, "as long as it takes!" But as days and weeks pass by, our resolve cools down, and our impatience takes over.
There are so many promises God fulfilled in my life after years of waiting for them. Our church did not came forth overnight. My marriage and my friendship with my wife took years to develop. By now, I should be used to be patient, to endure and pass the tests of my faith, trust for God's perfect timing, and wait for God's blessing. But It seems that I haven't get used to the process. Sometimes I want to give up, concede defeat, compromise my faith, and find solutions on my own. Sometimes I'm just like Abraham and Sarah, who decided to take God's plan on their own hands and try to conceive an heir through a slave woman. Rather than waiting for God to deliver the blessing in His perfect way, I try to find fulfillment of the promise on my own. I need to stay i the path of fulfilled promises, which is always marked with faith and endurance.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, you are so faithful to fulfill each one of your promises in my life. You have never fail me. So please, forgive me for being inpatient and for demanding a quick fulfillment of your promises. Help me to trust your perfect timing. Help me to endure doing the right things. You are always just and you will reward me according to my faith and works of obedience. Give me an undivided desire to stay firm in the path of faith and endurance so I can arrive to the place of the fulfillment of your promises. I love you Lord. Amen!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
NO BITTER HEARTS. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE
Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant - I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
Psalm 73:21-24
OBSERVATION
The psalmist in this psalm describes his thinking process when comparing his life with those who are noticeably wicked. He starts by pointing his efforts to keep his heart pure and to walk in God's ways while the wicked does not care about God. Subjectively he realizes that the wicked prospers and the righteous suffers pain. He concludes that his choices to keep his heart pure were not as rewarding. Then he describes how he comes to his senses when coming before the presence of God. He understands that God is just and that His justice comes sooner or later. And then is when he pens his awareness about the true condition of his heart. He realized that while he was trying to have a pure heart, by fixing his eyes on others, he developed a bitter heart. And yet, God was faithful to be with him, to guide him, and to lead him to a great future.
APPLICATION
I truly believe that each one of us walk through the same process in our minds. We make good choices because we want to honor God, yet our lives seem full of pain and disappointments. And if we fix our eyes on others that don't care about God's ways, we see how they prosper and have a pain-free lives. The first time this happened to me, I was in College. I was the "good boy." Some people called me, "The Priest." I was guarding my heart from immorality and the things of this world. However, my friends who embraced the partying and the ways of this world, had a great life. I have to recognize that I was miserable. I felt that God's rewards were not good enough for me. I was becoming bitter. Now, years later, I can see that God has truly blessed my life, and my college friends have started to experience the consequences of their past choices. God is just and his rewards come sooner or later.
This is a good reminder for me because the same temptation to fix my eyes on others and compare my fate is still available. I need to guard my heart from bitterness, from having a sense of entitlement of God's blessings. Every time I think that I missed some of the fun this world brings because I made godly choices in the past, I'm facing this temptation. I cannot let my mind dwell on that. I must be In God's presence and remember that He is just and He rewards those who are faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the bitterness I allow in my heart when I start thinking you are not fair in blessing me more than those who are not obedient to your ways. let me to fix my eyes on you, not on others. You are just and fair, and sooner or later, people get the rewards they deserve. Let me continue planting seeds of righteousness in my life and have no regrets about that. And when the ungodly prosper, let me pray for them so they can find you and repent from their sin. Amen!
Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant - I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
Psalm 73:21-24
OBSERVATION
The psalmist in this psalm describes his thinking process when comparing his life with those who are noticeably wicked. He starts by pointing his efforts to keep his heart pure and to walk in God's ways while the wicked does not care about God. Subjectively he realizes that the wicked prospers and the righteous suffers pain. He concludes that his choices to keep his heart pure were not as rewarding. Then he describes how he comes to his senses when coming before the presence of God. He understands that God is just and that His justice comes sooner or later. And then is when he pens his awareness about the true condition of his heart. He realized that while he was trying to have a pure heart, by fixing his eyes on others, he developed a bitter heart. And yet, God was faithful to be with him, to guide him, and to lead him to a great future.
APPLICATION
I truly believe that each one of us walk through the same process in our minds. We make good choices because we want to honor God, yet our lives seem full of pain and disappointments. And if we fix our eyes on others that don't care about God's ways, we see how they prosper and have a pain-free lives. The first time this happened to me, I was in College. I was the "good boy." Some people called me, "The Priest." I was guarding my heart from immorality and the things of this world. However, my friends who embraced the partying and the ways of this world, had a great life. I have to recognize that I was miserable. I felt that God's rewards were not good enough for me. I was becoming bitter. Now, years later, I can see that God has truly blessed my life, and my college friends have started to experience the consequences of their past choices. God is just and his rewards come sooner or later.
This is a good reminder for me because the same temptation to fix my eyes on others and compare my fate is still available. I need to guard my heart from bitterness, from having a sense of entitlement of God's blessings. Every time I think that I missed some of the fun this world brings because I made godly choices in the past, I'm facing this temptation. I cannot let my mind dwell on that. I must be In God's presence and remember that He is just and He rewards those who are faithful to Him.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the bitterness I allow in my heart when I start thinking you are not fair in blessing me more than those who are not obedient to your ways. let me to fix my eyes on you, not on others. You are just and fair, and sooner or later, people get the rewards they deserve. Let me continue planting seeds of righteousness in my life and have no regrets about that. And when the ungodly prosper, let me pray for them so they can find you and repent from their sin. Amen!
Monday, July 6, 2009
RETURN TO ME. By Pastor Jan Tomai
SCRIPTURE
“I also withheld rain from you... So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
Amos 4:7,9
OBSERVATION
Here God is using natural disasters to reveal sin; yet, He expresses His anguish of the people not returning to him. He reveals Himself to them in a vulnerable and seeking way that they would return. Yet, they seek out other refuges to feed their thirst. What incredible love God gives them!
APPLICATION
When God reveals my sin, do I seek out another refuge to feed my thirst? I can hear my self rationalizing that it isn’t serious sin so this little side step of living life without God is really OK, Right? Honestly, I have heard God in a still small voice tell me to ”return to Me“ when I have put Him on hold while I feed my thirst of self-centeredness, selfishness, laziness, sorrow. And, it has been scary where I was headed. How do we thank a God that is so faithful He never leaves us ”alone“?
PRAYER
Lord, please continue to keep me on the straight and narrow. Forgive me for looking to satisfy my thirst elsewhere and never, never give up on me. The bread of my life is you and you alone. Your ”return to Me“ saves my life.
“I also withheld rain from you... So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord.
Amos 4:7,9
OBSERVATION
Here God is using natural disasters to reveal sin; yet, He expresses His anguish of the people not returning to him. He reveals Himself to them in a vulnerable and seeking way that they would return. Yet, they seek out other refuges to feed their thirst. What incredible love God gives them!
APPLICATION
When God reveals my sin, do I seek out another refuge to feed my thirst? I can hear my self rationalizing that it isn’t serious sin so this little side step of living life without God is really OK, Right? Honestly, I have heard God in a still small voice tell me to ”return to Me“ when I have put Him on hold while I feed my thirst of self-centeredness, selfishness, laziness, sorrow. And, it has been scary where I was headed. How do we thank a God that is so faithful He never leaves us ”alone“?
PRAYER
Lord, please continue to keep me on the straight and narrow. Forgive me for looking to satisfy my thirst elsewhere and never, never give up on me. The bread of my life is you and you alone. Your ”return to Me“ saves my life.
OCD HEART CARE. By Pastor Fernando.
SCRIPTURE
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
Hebrews 3:12-14
OBSERVATION
Our passion and excitement about following God's ways can be minimized, even extinguished. By the work of Christ, we are free from the power of sin, not from the presence of sin (yet). And because sin is still present, we can be deceived by it, and slowly compromise our desire to follow Christ. When we don't trust firmly in God's ways, we will end up missing all that belongs to Christ. It's an eroding process that starts with small compromises, turns into sinful habits, evolves into a deceived mindset that excuses our godless behavior, hardens our hearts against God, and ends up ruining and destroying our rewards and blessings in Christ. It's not worth it to compromise and be involved in this process of decay. For that reason, we must be vigilant, attentive, OCD about protecting our heart from compromises.
APPLICATION
The Scripture instructs to guard our hearts, above all things, because from it the spring of life flows (Proverbs 4:23). The picture here is of a highly valued treasure, the fountain of life and blessing, that is heavealy guarded from the enemy. Having this fountain polluted will bring devastating consequences. We cannot have corrupted centries or a vulnerable security system guarding it. We need to be obsessive about it because our lives depend on it.
Very often we neglect the proper care and protection of our heart. We allow anything to come closer to it. We think that small things cannot affect the heart. So we poorly expose our hearts to words, images, and thoughts that will evantually start the eroding process. This doesn't happen overnight! And if we are not careful, our heart will be exposed to a series of destroying agents that will slowly pollute it and eventually harden it. Our heart is to precious! It's the souce of blessing and life for our lives. From it the good intentions and actions come from. From our heart, God works through us to bring His glory in this world. We cannot put it at risk! We need to be obsessed compulsevely about guarding our heart. The stakes are too high. We cannot afford caring poorly for our heart.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times I neglect guarding my heart from small compromises. Every single space I give to sin, it will be used against me mercilessly. Please give me an obsessive compulsion to guard my heart from the presence and influence of sin. Let me guard my eyes, my ears, and my mind from anything that tries to pollute my heart. Make me smarter than the enemy in order to discern and reject every time there is a bridge of security in my heart. Help me to keep my heart pure, passionate, and on fire for you. Amen!
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
Hebrews 3:12-14
OBSERVATION
Our passion and excitement about following God's ways can be minimized, even extinguished. By the work of Christ, we are free from the power of sin, not from the presence of sin (yet). And because sin is still present, we can be deceived by it, and slowly compromise our desire to follow Christ. When we don't trust firmly in God's ways, we will end up missing all that belongs to Christ. It's an eroding process that starts with small compromises, turns into sinful habits, evolves into a deceived mindset that excuses our godless behavior, hardens our hearts against God, and ends up ruining and destroying our rewards and blessings in Christ. It's not worth it to compromise and be involved in this process of decay. For that reason, we must be vigilant, attentive, OCD about protecting our heart from compromises.
APPLICATION
The Scripture instructs to guard our hearts, above all things, because from it the spring of life flows (Proverbs 4:23). The picture here is of a highly valued treasure, the fountain of life and blessing, that is heavealy guarded from the enemy. Having this fountain polluted will bring devastating consequences. We cannot have corrupted centries or a vulnerable security system guarding it. We need to be obsessive about it because our lives depend on it.
Very often we neglect the proper care and protection of our heart. We allow anything to come closer to it. We think that small things cannot affect the heart. So we poorly expose our hearts to words, images, and thoughts that will evantually start the eroding process. This doesn't happen overnight! And if we are not careful, our heart will be exposed to a series of destroying agents that will slowly pollute it and eventually harden it. Our heart is to precious! It's the souce of blessing and life for our lives. From it the good intentions and actions come from. From our heart, God works through us to bring His glory in this world. We cannot put it at risk! We need to be obsessed compulsevely about guarding our heart. The stakes are too high. We cannot afford caring poorly for our heart.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times I neglect guarding my heart from small compromises. Every single space I give to sin, it will be used against me mercilessly. Please give me an obsessive compulsion to guard my heart from the presence and influence of sin. Let me guard my eyes, my ears, and my mind from anything that tries to pollute my heart. Make me smarter than the enemy in order to discern and reject every time there is a bridge of security in my heart. Help me to keep my heart pure, passionate, and on fire for you. Amen!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
ALARM CLOCKS AND SNOOZE BUTTONS. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE
12 What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
14 I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people
Psalm 116:12-14
OBSERVATION
The psalmist answers one of the most important questions we have in our relationship with God. How can be thankful for everything God has done in us and for us? The two-fold answer is very simple: we worship Him, and we keep our promises to Him. Sounds easy, but it's not, especially the second part. Keeping our promises to God is one of the most difficult things to do because we are by nature unfaithful. We make rush vows with our emotions, but we don't follow up with actions. We are inconsistent in what we say and what we do. But if we want to be thankful to God, we need to learn how to keep our promises and fulfill our vows before Him.
APPLICATION
One of the greatest inventions of the last century has to be the alarm clock. Because of it, we can get up on time and we can steward our time better. But somehow, someone came along with another idea that ruined the potential of the alarm clock - the snooze button. Why would someone sabotage the alarm clock that way an add a device that every 9 minutes will give us an excuse to change our minds? This invention illustrates how our human nature works as we build a relationship with God. In our desire to follow Him, we make promises and we embrace new disciplines. We get the alarm clock to remind us about our new commitments. But then, once the alarm rings and rocks our world, we find an excuse not to do what we set our hearts to do. We snooze our original desires for growth, we postpone action and change, and we sabotage our own progress. If we are truly serious about following God and about fulfilling our vows to the Lord, we must learn how to ignore and avoid snoozing.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, how silly and counterproductive I am when I snooze your instructions for me. Please forgive me for not being serious in my commitments to you. Teach me how to ignore the many excuses I can make to sabotage my own progress. Give me a true desire to be quick to listen and obey your ways. let me live always thankful to you. Amen.
12 What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
14 I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people
Psalm 116:12-14
OBSERVATION
The psalmist answers one of the most important questions we have in our relationship with God. How can be thankful for everything God has done in us and for us? The two-fold answer is very simple: we worship Him, and we keep our promises to Him. Sounds easy, but it's not, especially the second part. Keeping our promises to God is one of the most difficult things to do because we are by nature unfaithful. We make rush vows with our emotions, but we don't follow up with actions. We are inconsistent in what we say and what we do. But if we want to be thankful to God, we need to learn how to keep our promises and fulfill our vows before Him.
APPLICATION
One of the greatest inventions of the last century has to be the alarm clock. Because of it, we can get up on time and we can steward our time better. But somehow, someone came along with another idea that ruined the potential of the alarm clock - the snooze button. Why would someone sabotage the alarm clock that way an add a device that every 9 minutes will give us an excuse to change our minds? This invention illustrates how our human nature works as we build a relationship with God. In our desire to follow Him, we make promises and we embrace new disciplines. We get the alarm clock to remind us about our new commitments. But then, once the alarm rings and rocks our world, we find an excuse not to do what we set our hearts to do. We snooze our original desires for growth, we postpone action and change, and we sabotage our own progress. If we are truly serious about following God and about fulfilling our vows to the Lord, we must learn how to ignore and avoid snoozing.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, how silly and counterproductive I am when I snooze your instructions for me. Please forgive me for not being serious in my commitments to you. Teach me how to ignore the many excuses I can make to sabotage my own progress. Give me a true desire to be quick to listen and obey your ways. let me live always thankful to you. Amen.
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