WAITING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Acts 1:4

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait..."

OBSERVATION

This is the passage that promises the Holy Spirit outpouring in power over every believer. This has huge significance in the history of the church and in our personal relationship with God. But this verse is also very practical. It's scope is not just wide enough to include the baptism with the Holy Spirit but also focused enough to cover the intervention of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. What we must understand is that the prelude of God's amazing power displayed in our daily lives is to wait. It's almost mandatory! Jesus gave the disciples not a suggestion but a clear command to wait mostly because our tendency to rush and make decisions according to our own understanding.

APPLICATION
Waiting has never been an easy season to embrace, especially when the pressure to make decisions increases. Lately I've been in many situations where important decisions need to be made and I don't have a clear direction from God. Well, that's not true! God is simply saying, "wait!" Waiting on the Holy Spirit us highly rewarding, but very challenging. The best decisions in my life have come after seasons in the waiting room. Yet, when the pressure is on, I become anxious and restless. I'm not waiting in the Holy Spirit, and I've been cheating myself form God's very best. I need to learn to enjoy the waiting room that God sometimes puts us in before entering into the blessing room.

PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for not waiting on your Holy Spirit to guide me. I need to be patient and let you show me the way. Help me to be still and wait on You. I love you Lord.
Amen.

NURTURING HUMILITY

SCRIPTURE - Luke 14:10-11

"Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your hosts sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!'Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

OBSERVATION

Jesus here reminds us of the blessings and divine favor we receive when remaining humble. The rules of God's kingdom are very different from this world's. This paradox in God's Kingdom always favors the lowest, those who are intentional about nurturing humility as a lifestyle.

APPLICATION

Nurturing humility is a daily intentional process that could be easily neglected when being distracted with the ways of this world. It's easy to plant seeds of humility when you come from the bottom, when you are the underdog, when no one gives you importance or attention. But when success and relevance comes, there's a tendency to trade seeds of humility for seeds of self-preservation. When we have the titles, positions, honors and recognition, our sinful nature will become stubborn in doing whatever it takes to protect them and will scheme to attain even more.

I can see this tendency in my own life. Today 14 years ago I moved to the US from Colombia with nothing but two suitcases, a guitar, and a call to become a pastor. It was easier back then to seat in the back and plant seeds of humility. I was very humbled when I was struggling to speak English, to find my way in this complex culture, and to walk in God's plan for my life. I can declare with my own life how God exalts the humble.

Now 14 years later I have more "success" that I could ever imagine for this stage of my life. I have a wonderful marriage, a loving family, loyal friends, and a thriving ministry. But honestly, the temptation to fight for self-preservation and to go straight for the seats of honor to achieve "more" success and relevance is always present. I need to be intentional now more than ever in planting seeds of humility in my life.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, today I'm motivated to never neglect nurturing humility not because I can be more exalted, but because you bring closer to you those who are humble in heart. Never let me forget where I come from. You are the One who has raised me up. It's your favor in my life that has placed me in seats of honor. Please reveal clearly where I'm exalting myself, where I'm planting seeds of self-preservation so I can plant seeds of humility once again. Amen.

GUARDING MY HEART. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Luke 6:45

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

OBSERVATION
Our heart is like like a reservoir tank where we get our water from for survival. We depend on this tank to be well nourished and hydrated. If something different than pure water comes to the tank, it will contaminate our vital source for survival. It could be that at first we don't notice the pollution. But slowly it starts affecting our body. Symptoms consistent with poisoning will appear. And if the supply is not purified again, our very lives are at high risk.

Jesus addressed the importance of what comes into our heart. We must be aware that what we allow in our hearts has a huge influence in the outcome in our lives. Our attitude is affected by what we store in our hearts. Our speech is affected by what we store in our hearts. If we allow junk to come in, why we are surprised when junk comes out of it?

APPLICATION
Life is very simple. It is ruled by certain unchanging principles. One of those principles is "Cause and Effect." If we bring in junk into our hearts, certainly we will be producing what is consistent with our intake. Very often I'm surprised with my negative or sinful attitude and I wonder where is this coming from. A careful look of the recent past will reveal that I've been storing in my heart unproductive or damaging stuff. I polluted the content of my heart and I did not do anything to reverse the effects. Now I'm drinking and others are drinking what I have been storing.

Our hearts are too important to neglect them. They need a constant and careful guardian eye, making sure that what comes in has a pure source. If all I watch and listen is junk, then sooner or later I will behave and speak junk. I must be very aware of what I allow to come into my heart. Proverbs says that above all things we must guard our hearts because from it life spring out. Sometimes we are really good keeping away from bad things, but we become complacent with unproductive things. We may not fill our hearts with impure contents, but we fill our hearts with air. Either way, we will not have a reliable source for life. The only way is to fill our hearts with what pleases God.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, thanks again for reminding me about the importance of guarding my heart. Please forgive me for the junk and the air I allow in it. Help me to fill my heart with the treasures of your Word. Amen.