SCRIPTURE - Mark 1:7-8
And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
OBSERVATION
John the Baptist preached one of the simplest messages ever. Repent and get ready for the Lord’s coming. In this verse John spoke a lesson we all need to heed in our lives. He pointed to someone else who was coming soon and always spoke about that other person - Jesus.
APPLICATION
Accolades are a real potential downfall in ministry. When you devote your life to serving God in ministry, you begin to be more visible - and because of the visibility, people sometimes compliment you, thank you for serving, and even look up to you more than they might if you were not in full time ministry. The natural tendency of my human nature is to accept those compliments and allow it to build my ego. Sometimes that can help my confidence for ministry, but mostly it gives an opportunity for Satan to build a “house on the sand” in my heart where I can begin to think I actually am something ! Ha ! If I’m not careful my “success” in ministry will be the downfall of my ministry ! What a strange dynamic - success can lead to failure !
John the Baptist was a perfect example to follow in this regard. He never talked about himself – he just pointed people to Jesus. Everything about him was pointing to someone else coming soon. And John was very aware that his ministry was going to grow smaller and eventually disappear while Jesus ministry was going to grow and become more and more “successful” (John 3:30 – “he must become greater; I must become less”). John eventually was arrested, spent time in prison and then beheaded – not a real successful end to his life in the worldly sense. How do I feel thinking that someday I might end up as an old man, living in a tiny rented room somewhere, going to a small church and no one even notices me ? Can I deal with that possibility ? Is my love for Jesus and commitment to his work so deep and real that I can deal with my life eventually becoming “nothing” ? Test that thought in my heart and see how it feels. If I don’t like that thought, then maybe I need to examine my heart as to what it is that really drives me to serve God. Is it partly because it gives me a platform to receive praise ? I hope not.
Ministry success (or ANY success) must be attributed to Jesus, accolades must be turned over to Jesus for praise and honor to Him. No matter how much “success” anyone sees in their ministry – full time service, or volunteer - or even in business, or sports or education or whatever, we must always look at Jesus – point to Jesus as the author of our success. Everything I say and do needs to point others to Jesus, never to me or anyone else.
PRAYER
Lord, Help me to point to Jesus in every single thing I say and do and even think. Help me to not allow any accolades to come to me without me turning them back to YOU. I love you and don’t want to try to take center stage in anything. In Jesus name, Amen.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
HARDSHIPS ON THE WAY. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE - Acts 14:21-22
They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.
OBSERVATION
Paul and Barnabas found all kinds of hardships as they traveled preaching the Gospel. They went through disappointments, trials, and life-threatening situations. Paul almost died by stoning. Yet, all these hardships couldn't stop them from doing their mission. Every time they got knocked down, they got up again. They understood that their assignment was crucial and bigger than their own comfort and safety. They persevered in their efforts, and as a result hundreds and thousands of people came to know Christ and history was radically changed for the glory of God.
APPLICATION
Sometimes I forget that hardships are always on the way towards fulfilling our mission. Sharing the Gospel and living the Gospel is not easy. We have a spiritual enemy that spews hate towards the power of the Gospel in people's lives and will oppose in all possible ways the advancement of the Kingdom of God. I shouldn't be surprised when doing the right thing brings trouble.
So if we are going to be effective advancing the kingdom in our own lives and in others, first of all we need to be aware of hardships and expect them. As we prepare for them, we must remember that our conflict is spiritual in nature and we must face off those hardships with spiritual weapons. Secondly, we need to be willing to persevere. Victory may not come immediately, so we need to be prepare to stay firm on our ground until the enemy is defeated. We must encourage one another in our hardships because when our enemy uses them to destroy us, The Holy Spirit is using them to make us more like Jesus. Hardships are not just inevitable. They are also necessary.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, as I move forward to get closer to you and see more of your kingdom in my personal life, I've been forgetting of the hardships I must endure first in order to succeed. Why do I act surprised when trials come? Why do I assume that something is wrong when in actuality hardships are a sign that everything is the way is supposed to be? Please give me the endurance and perseverance to stay firm on the course. And as we proclaim the Gospel and make crucial decisions to be more effective, help us to face our hardships in a way that glorifies your name. Hardships will come. It's not a matter of "if they come," but of "when they come." Whatever comes against us, please prepare us spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. The cause of the Gospel is worthwhile the sacrifices we have to make. Amen.
They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.
OBSERVATION
Paul and Barnabas found all kinds of hardships as they traveled preaching the Gospel. They went through disappointments, trials, and life-threatening situations. Paul almost died by stoning. Yet, all these hardships couldn't stop them from doing their mission. Every time they got knocked down, they got up again. They understood that their assignment was crucial and bigger than their own comfort and safety. They persevered in their efforts, and as a result hundreds and thousands of people came to know Christ and history was radically changed for the glory of God.
APPLICATION
Sometimes I forget that hardships are always on the way towards fulfilling our mission. Sharing the Gospel and living the Gospel is not easy. We have a spiritual enemy that spews hate towards the power of the Gospel in people's lives and will oppose in all possible ways the advancement of the Kingdom of God. I shouldn't be surprised when doing the right thing brings trouble.
So if we are going to be effective advancing the kingdom in our own lives and in others, first of all we need to be aware of hardships and expect them. As we prepare for them, we must remember that our conflict is spiritual in nature and we must face off those hardships with spiritual weapons. Secondly, we need to be willing to persevere. Victory may not come immediately, so we need to be prepare to stay firm on our ground until the enemy is defeated. We must encourage one another in our hardships because when our enemy uses them to destroy us, The Holy Spirit is using them to make us more like Jesus. Hardships are not just inevitable. They are also necessary.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, as I move forward to get closer to you and see more of your kingdom in my personal life, I've been forgetting of the hardships I must endure first in order to succeed. Why do I act surprised when trials come? Why do I assume that something is wrong when in actuality hardships are a sign that everything is the way is supposed to be? Please give me the endurance and perseverance to stay firm on the course. And as we proclaim the Gospel and make crucial decisions to be more effective, help us to face our hardships in a way that glorifies your name. Hardships will come. It's not a matter of "if they come," but of "when they come." Whatever comes against us, please prepare us spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. The cause of the Gospel is worthwhile the sacrifices we have to make. Amen.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
SEARCHIN FOR CORNELIUS. By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE - Acts 10:30-33
30Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
OBSERVATION
The Holy Spirit reveals in amazing supernatural ways that the Gospel is not exclusive for the Jews but reaches all peoples, including those who were considered unclean. Cornelius was a good man and a spiritual man, but he was a Gentile. This was a huge revelation for the early church. They struggled with this, some opposed it, but the Holy Spirit prevailed.
APPLICATION
There are many Cornelius types of people around us. These are people that do righteous works and even sympathize with spirituality in one way or another. They know that there is a God and they try their best to honor and live according to His will. However, they do not have a full understanding of the Gospel and need someone like Peter to deliver the good news. This sounds like an easy job. But in reality it is not. Just like Cornelius, there are many people that Christians consider "unclean." They are compassionate and somehow spiritual, but their lifestyle doesn't reflect sound doctrine or the foundations of the scripture. Unfortunately, many people in the Church deal with them without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These well intended people are more concerned to prove they are right rather than being the light. And instead of bringing them closer to God, they end up moving further and further form the truth of the Gospel.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, I'm aware that there are some many Cornelius out there and very few people like Peter, willing to break the stereotypes, and become effective presenters of the Gospel in a way that brings them closer to you. My prayer today is that you will anoint me and our church to be effective reaching those who are ostracized and considered unclean. Give us favor among the communities that are often overlooked by the church and use us to bring them closer to God. Let your Holy Spirit speak to them and to us just like you spoke to Cornelius and Peter. In Jesus name, Amen!
30Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
OBSERVATION
The Holy Spirit reveals in amazing supernatural ways that the Gospel is not exclusive for the Jews but reaches all peoples, including those who were considered unclean. Cornelius was a good man and a spiritual man, but he was a Gentile. This was a huge revelation for the early church. They struggled with this, some opposed it, but the Holy Spirit prevailed.
APPLICATION
There are many Cornelius types of people around us. These are people that do righteous works and even sympathize with spirituality in one way or another. They know that there is a God and they try their best to honor and live according to His will. However, they do not have a full understanding of the Gospel and need someone like Peter to deliver the good news. This sounds like an easy job. But in reality it is not. Just like Cornelius, there are many people that Christians consider "unclean." They are compassionate and somehow spiritual, but their lifestyle doesn't reflect sound doctrine or the foundations of the scripture. Unfortunately, many people in the Church deal with them without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These well intended people are more concerned to prove they are right rather than being the light. And instead of bringing them closer to God, they end up moving further and further form the truth of the Gospel.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, I'm aware that there are some many Cornelius out there and very few people like Peter, willing to break the stereotypes, and become effective presenters of the Gospel in a way that brings them closer to you. My prayer today is that you will anoint me and our church to be effective reaching those who are ostracized and considered unclean. Give us favor among the communities that are often overlooked by the church and use us to bring them closer to God. Let your Holy Spirit speak to them and to us just like you spoke to Cornelius and Peter. In Jesus name, Amen!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. By Pastor Mark Olson
SCRIPTURE - Nehemiah 7:2
I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.
OBSERVATION
Nehemiah’s job of overseeing the building of the wall is done and he is now tasked with establishing the leadership of Jerusalem and putting into place the plans for the next phase of rebuilding the city. He appoints his brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem and provides the reason for his choice – “he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most.”
APPLICATION
One definition of leadership is “the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. That’s pretty straight-forward and easy to grasp. And when we think of leaders we often think in those terms - able to influence people, able to get others to do things to accomplish a task, getting people to rally around a cause. All are important and are a part of what we would normally ask for in a good leader.
It’s interesting that when Nehemiah appoints his brother as the leader over Jerusalem he also provides a reason for his choice and it’s not the reason you might expect if you use the Webster’s definition of a leader. Maybe Nehemiah had to justify why he appointed his brother (nepotism), but more likely he wanted to define the qualities a true leader should have. In any case, the reasons he gave were that Hanani was a man of integrity and feared God more than most.
Integrity is someone who steadfastly adheres to a strict moral or ethical code. They are unimpaired by distractions or temptations, undivided and focused. Hanani was this type of man and was chosen, in part, because of his integrity. But secondly, Hanani was chosen because of his relationship with God. He feared God. When we fear someone (in the way the Bible defines fear of God), we pay close attention to what they say and what they have already said before. That “fear” influences our decisions - how we act, how we think and the choices we make.
The two statements about Hanani are very similar – both indicate a solid, rock like character that will not be easily influenced by distractions, by shouting of special interests, by bribes and by the power of his position. These qualities were within Hanani and those two characteristics made him a good candidate to lead. Yes, we want a leader who is able to influence others, but we more want someone who is able to hear God and stand firm on God’s word and God’s direction when the distractions are shouting loud in their face. In this political season, we have plenty of people who are good at influencing others, but men and women of integrity, who love and fear God, are somewhat hard to find.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be a man of integrity and a man who pays attention to what You say. Help me to lead by those qualities as you place in my heart. In Jesus name, Amen.
I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.
OBSERVATION
Nehemiah’s job of overseeing the building of the wall is done and he is now tasked with establishing the leadership of Jerusalem and putting into place the plans for the next phase of rebuilding the city. He appoints his brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem and provides the reason for his choice – “he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most.”
APPLICATION
One definition of leadership is “the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. That’s pretty straight-forward and easy to grasp. And when we think of leaders we often think in those terms - able to influence people, able to get others to do things to accomplish a task, getting people to rally around a cause. All are important and are a part of what we would normally ask for in a good leader.
It’s interesting that when Nehemiah appoints his brother as the leader over Jerusalem he also provides a reason for his choice and it’s not the reason you might expect if you use the Webster’s definition of a leader. Maybe Nehemiah had to justify why he appointed his brother (nepotism), but more likely he wanted to define the qualities a true leader should have. In any case, the reasons he gave were that Hanani was a man of integrity and feared God more than most.
Integrity is someone who steadfastly adheres to a strict moral or ethical code. They are unimpaired by distractions or temptations, undivided and focused. Hanani was this type of man and was chosen, in part, because of his integrity. But secondly, Hanani was chosen because of his relationship with God. He feared God. When we fear someone (in the way the Bible defines fear of God), we pay close attention to what they say and what they have already said before. That “fear” influences our decisions - how we act, how we think and the choices we make.
The two statements about Hanani are very similar – both indicate a solid, rock like character that will not be easily influenced by distractions, by shouting of special interests, by bribes and by the power of his position. These qualities were within Hanani and those two characteristics made him a good candidate to lead. Yes, we want a leader who is able to influence others, but we more want someone who is able to hear God and stand firm on God’s word and God’s direction when the distractions are shouting loud in their face. In this political season, we have plenty of people who are good at influencing others, but men and women of integrity, who love and fear God, are somewhat hard to find.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be a man of integrity and a man who pays attention to what You say. Help me to lead by those qualities as you place in my heart. In Jesus name, Amen.
MY DELIGHT! By Pastor Fernando
SCRIPTURE- Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
OBSERVATION
This psalm reveals the key for genuine success in life. Delighting in the Word of God and not in the patterns of this world brings rewards that overflow into eternity. Makes sense to apply this principle into our lives. However, this is not an easy task. The patterns of this world have a cunning way to infiltrate our mindset and convince us that they are delightful. Sometimes we walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit with the mockers completely unaware. This happens because we do not allow God's Word to bring a daily alignment of our thoughts.
APPLICATION
I have a big front yard and and even bigger backyard that requires a lot of maintenance. There are daily routines like watering that need to take place. We need to pick up leaves regularly, cut the grass every two weeks, and prune trees consistently. When the work is neglected, weeds take over and the yards get pretty messy. Last week I neglected the daily work on my yards, so this week I had to spend 7 hours pruning them and cleaning them to get it back to ideal shape. It's hard work, but the end result is very rewarding.
Every time we neglect our devotions and the daily input of God's Word, we are letting our flesh grow wild. The yard of our minds become overwhelmed with the mindset of this word, which never stops to influence us. God's Word has the power to uproot all the junk this world offers by revealing the truth and the life that God brings. Even when we read passages that we don't understand, the Holy Spirit is planting seeds of righteousness in our hearts and uprooting the weeds of decay this world so effectively infiltrates.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, let me embrace with greater responsibility my daily devotion to your Word. Let me be like a tree planted besides a stream of waters. Let my mind be constantly manicured by the power of your Word and make me aware of the influences of this world. Remove all the weeds that this world tries to plant in my heart in a regular basis. Let me walk with the wise, stand with the righteous, and sit with the compassionate. Amen!
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
OBSERVATION
This psalm reveals the key for genuine success in life. Delighting in the Word of God and not in the patterns of this world brings rewards that overflow into eternity. Makes sense to apply this principle into our lives. However, this is not an easy task. The patterns of this world have a cunning way to infiltrate our mindset and convince us that they are delightful. Sometimes we walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit with the mockers completely unaware. This happens because we do not allow God's Word to bring a daily alignment of our thoughts.
APPLICATION
I have a big front yard and and even bigger backyard that requires a lot of maintenance. There are daily routines like watering that need to take place. We need to pick up leaves regularly, cut the grass every two weeks, and prune trees consistently. When the work is neglected, weeds take over and the yards get pretty messy. Last week I neglected the daily work on my yards, so this week I had to spend 7 hours pruning them and cleaning them to get it back to ideal shape. It's hard work, but the end result is very rewarding.
Every time we neglect our devotions and the daily input of God's Word, we are letting our flesh grow wild. The yard of our minds become overwhelmed with the mindset of this word, which never stops to influence us. God's Word has the power to uproot all the junk this world offers by revealing the truth and the life that God brings. Even when we read passages that we don't understand, the Holy Spirit is planting seeds of righteousness in our hearts and uprooting the weeds of decay this world so effectively infiltrates.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, let me embrace with greater responsibility my daily devotion to your Word. Let me be like a tree planted besides a stream of waters. Let my mind be constantly manicured by the power of your Word and make me aware of the influences of this world. Remove all the weeds that this world tries to plant in my heart in a regular basis. Let me walk with the wise, stand with the righteous, and sit with the compassionate. Amen!
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