HARP AND BOWL. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Revelation 5:9-10

And when he (the Lamb) had taken it (the scroll), the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

OBSERVATION

In this chapter there is a common theme of sincere and passionate worship. There are three songs that come in waves of greater intensity, building a crescendo, performed by three different groups: the 4 creatures and 24 elders, the myriads of angels, and every creature in the world. The first song is rendered by those who are the closes to the throne of God, the 4 creatures and the 24 elders, who worship the Lamb of God for the great things He has done. And as they worship, they each carry a harp and a golden bowl full of incense. John tells us that they are the prayers of all the saints.

APPLICATION

Today I'm reminded of a powerful pattern of proper worship before the Lord. A harp and a bowl of incense must be at hand when bowing before God in intimate worship. With the harp we express our most deeper emotions and true self. We need to connect our heart with our worship to God. We cannot go simply through the motions. We also need to bring before God a golden bowl full of incense, the prayers of the saints. My prayers before the Lord are precious enough to be in golden bowls, and I need to regard other people' prayers in the same way.

On Wednesday we are calling people to come and pray before God and expect a powerful move of the Holy Spirit in their lives. We are combining it with worship because of the patterns we have discovered in the Scripture. But more than anything, we must come with a sincere heart heart attached to our worship. Very easy to be distracted and loose focus. Also we need to have a high regard for the prayers of people. Worshipping God in such powerful way will create a welcoming atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to glory Jesus and to release His mighty power in our lives.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, help me and our church to understand the patterns that create a powerful environment for your glory to dwell. Help me to prepare myself and our people to expect a powerful touch form you as we worship you with sincere hearts and bring our prayers with faith. Give me a greater sense of focus and purpose as I lead people in prayer and worship before your throne. Holy Spirit, please come and join us in our worship so you glorify Jesus among ourselves. Amen!

RUNNING WITH HORSES. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Jeremiah 12:5

"If you have raced with men on foot

and they have worn you out,

how can you compete with horses?

If you stumble in safe country,

how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?

OBSERVATION

This passage is God’s response to Jeremiah’s question, “Why do the good people have to suffer so much while the wicked enjoys the things of life?” God’s answer provides unique insight about this issue, which is rooted in God’s divine purpose for our lives. God’s desire for His people is to do the impossible -- the things that only men can do when in close relationship with God. God wants them to run and compete with horses. But if they get weary racing other men, they will never become what God wants them to be. So God will take them into situations, some of them extreme, when they learn how to depend on Him and on His strength to do amazing things for the glory of God. God will not let them move around in the safe country side. He will take them where there are enemies and hazards so they can seek to God for help and experience His power to do the impossible.

APPLICATION

Like Jeremiah, very often I complain about the trials of my life and I find it unfair when I compare myself to ungodly people that have easy lives. But once in a while, it’s important to remember that if we want to run against horses, we need to graduate from running against mere men. We need to embrace God’s difficult training and painful situations that will help us to seek Him and depend on Him to live a life that goes beyond our imagination. God has a great destiny right in front of us and we may miss it if we continue struggling on our own with our present situations. We need to learn how to surrender to God and trust him to help us conquer the current issues. Only then, God will take us to greater playfields and enlarge our vistas to soar like never before in our lives.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me that you want me to live an extraordinary life, an impossible life, where I run against horses, where I can soar like the eagles. Please help me to put my trust in you and depend on your strength and wisdom for all the issues in my life. GIve me a passion to graduate soon from the struggles of running against men so I can truly soar and embrace the supernatural life of running against horses. Let your will be done in my life. Amen!

A VOICE OF ENCOURAGEMENT. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

OBSERVATION

Following Christ is not just a walk around the park. It’s more like a competitive race, full of energy and excitement. Great rewards and satisfaction are on the line when we endure to the end. That’s why we need to persevere, ignore our tiredness, find strength in the Lord, avoid distractions, and stop paying attention to the voices that want to slow us down.

APPLICATION

As I take a look into my own life I can see how easy is to slow down. When facing distractions, discouragement, and tiredness, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one who endure it all: criticism, exhaustion, pain, suffering, fears, doubts and even betrayal. By following Jesus’ example we will overcome and we will run non-stop towards the finish line.

In the past I had many people around me cheering me up to keep running in spite of the difficulties. If it wasn’t for these people, I would have become lethargic and miss great blessings in my life and ministry. I knew I’m surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, the heroes of the faith, cheering us from heaven. But also I have a great cloud of loving and encouraging people that motivate me to move forward, running with great passion towards the goal. I’m very thankful for these people.

During this season in my life I feel God’s calling to be an encourager and cheer other pastors that are struggling in their race of ministry. Being here in Taiwan this week I can sense God using me to encourage pastor Stephen to keep running towards the goal, fixing his eyes on Jesus. I’m so privileged to stand on the sidelines and cheer him and his team on. There’s no doubt in my mind that they will advance Go’s Kingdom in Taiwan and China in amazing ways.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to be a hero of the faith and an encourager of those who are running the race with me. Help me to run aside Steven and Joyce during this season to be an ally in their race. Use my life to help other pastors that feel tired and need a voice of encouragement. Amen!

JESUS' CORE VALUES: SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 5:7-10

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

OBSERVATION

In this passage of Hebrews, the Holy Spirit reveals the core values of our Lord Jesus. For Him, submission to God’s plan and obedience to His ways was paramount for His assignment in life. The greatest miracle that Jesus performed was to completely submit and obey God. And this miracle was not easy because required lots of suffering. But it is the most effective miracle because it made Jesus the source of eternal salvation for all who believe and put their trust in Him.

APPLICATION

Certainly we would like to perform great miracles to reveal the glory and power of God. Healing people, raising the dead, accurate prophecies about the future, all of them are very impressive. But none of them compare with the miracle of a life fully submitted and obedient to God’s ways. It’s easier to heal someone than to fully submit and obey God’s ways. We don’t see Jesus in the Gospels crying out to God with loud petitions and tears to heal someone. He only does that when facing the challenges of God’s will, when facing the suffering that comes when we have to chose between our way and God’s way.

In my own life I can recall many times when I’ve been crying out to God to use me to do great things in people’s lives, but very seldom I cry out with intensity for the miracle of full submission and obedience to His ways. When I struggle between what I want and what God wants I don’t seek the Lord with loud cries and tears, and I choose the option with less suffering. Maybe it’s time, as I grow as a follower of Christ, to embrace this passion for righteousness, and to seek the Lord with fear and trembling, asking Him to do the greatest miracle in me, to lay down my life and my plan, and to embrace God’s perfect will for me.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, here I am renewing my mind to conform to yours. Help me to have this intense desire and passion to become more submitted and obedient to your plan and will for my life. I want to grow in the fear of the Lord. Please help me to stay away from whatever damages my relationship with you. Let your core values be mine. Amen!

SOMETHING SMELLS! By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE: John 11:39

“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

OBSERVATION

Jesus is angry in His spirit because the people, including Martha, can neither understand nor comprehend His power and assignment. They had Lazarus' dead body inside a grave decomposing, but Jesus insists to open the grave and expose it. Martha's main concern is the smell. She doesn't want to deal with it! It's unpleasant and uncomfortable. She resisted the Lord's command and protested. But eventually Jesus got what he wanted. There was truly a stench inside that grave, but His power was more than able to restore that was decaying. Jesus was able to bring life and hope where there was death and despair.

APPLICATION

Sometimes before a miraculous act of God we must be willing to expose what is rotting. Many of us we cannot experience the amazing miracles of God because we are like Martha, we resist and protest the unpleasant act of uncovering the smell of decay around our lives. Sometimes our secret sins or our most embarrassing issues are kept hidden for no one else to know about. We tapper wear them hoping for them to go away. But unless we expose them and deal with them in the open, they will remain in our hearts advancing the decay.

What amazes me about this story is the way John reveals what was going on inside Jesus' heart. The Lord felt angry to the point of crying. It really bothers Him when we lack faith in His power to deal effectively with the stench around our lives. It bothers Him when we protest dealing with them and when we insist in leaving things the way they are because we want to avoid the uncomfortable. As I walk with Christ and grow in my relationship with Him, this issue becomes more and more important. I need to let Jesus deal with the decay and bad smell because He will make something amazing out of what stinks in my life.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, there are somethings that are hidden in a grave in my heart that if uncovered, they will certainly stink. I cannot fool myself any longer. I need to let you deal with it. And even though I'm scared and fearful of what the unpleasant smell can do in me and others around me, what I fear the most making you angry and disappointed. I want to honor you, put my hope and faith in you alone, because you can effectively deal with the things that stink in me. Give me the boldness to open those graves and give me the courage to trust in your mighty work. you alone can bring hope and life in those areas. Do what you have to do in me. Amen!