New Hope Diamond Head Staff Daily Devotions & Journal Blog

UNCOMFORTABLE

2011-10-12T09:23:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE
As they studied the Law, they discovered that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month.
Nehemiah 8:14

OBSERVATION
As the people studied the Scriptures, they realized about God's command to Moses to build shelters and live in them for seven days to celebrate their exodus. With this festival, God wanted to remind His people that during their time wandering in the desert, when things were very uncomfortable, He always provided for their needs and took them to a place of safety, peace, and comfort. Almost immediately they set their hearts to obey and they follow the instructions for the festival. They built these little shelters made out of branches and lived there under these uncomfortable conditions during the celebration.

APPLICATION
Even though I love the outdoors, I'm not a camping person. I like a comfortable bed to sleep and a restroom nearby, with a shower. So when I think about what the people of Israel did here, I have to deal with my sense of obedience to God, specially for the things that are uncomfortable for me. Even though sounds silly, this is really a big deal. God wants me to depend on Him, but I will never learn how to if I keep my life safe and comfortable. He wants to challenge me by taking risks in uncomfortable areas. Rather than ignoring His instructions towards the uncomfortable, I should be more willing to trust and obey Him. Comfort is one of the most common idols in our culture. We cannot serve two masters. We must choose God's instructions over the comfort this world offers.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for ignoring and running away from your instructions that take me out of my comfort zone and into a challenging situation. Give me a genuine desire to trust and obey you. Forgive me for feeling entitled to comfort. Remind me that no matter the situation you are always with me and you will always provide for my needs. Help me to live as if my true comfort comes from knowing that I obey your instructions. Amen!

THINK DIFFERENTLY. By Pastor Fernando.

2011-07-11T18:59:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE
The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. (NLT)
Isaiah 8:11

OBSERVATION
During this season in Isaiah's life, the people of Judah, starting with the leaders and the priests, were morally and spiritually corrupted. And even though God was warning them over and over about the consequences of their behavior, they refused to change their ways, and continued walking according to their own thoughts. Their ways were far from God's because their hearts were far from Him. And their hearts were far away from Him because their thoughts were far from God's.

APPLICATION
There's a pattern in our lives that can either bring life or death. This pattern starts with our minds, goes through our hearts and ends in our feet. The way we think determines the desires of our heart, and the desires of our heart will determine the way we walk in life. People try to deal with their behavior and emotions, but they fail each time when they don't deal with the mind. first. We cannot underestimate what's going on in our thoughts.

During this new season in my life God is warning me to think differently in three main levels. First of all, I cannot think like this world thinks. This may be easy and logical for a follower of Christ, but I must recognize that there are many instances where my thoughts are not God's but this world's. The reason why many Christians today do not look really different than the world is because we marinate our minds in the same cultural mindset. Just as I take good care of my body by protecting it from harmful things, with greater zeal I must protect my thoughts from the mindset of this world.

Secondly, I must think differently than the vast majority of my peers. As a church leader, I must tap into the creative skills God has given me to reach those who others are not reaching. Copy and paste is overrated. Borrowed anointing does not bring fresh bread to my flock. The kingdom of God needs the unique gifts God has given me for His glory.

And finally, I must think differently than myself. Today I'm in front of a completely unused canvas. I cannot rely on the glory form the past. I will never be able to be creative if I keep using yesterday's manna. It is time to walk by faith and take my imagination to wherever the Holy Spirit wants to take me. This is not just about thinking outside the box, but about blowing the box away. The best ideas are yet to be conceived. The best songs are yet to be written. The best sermons are yet to be preached. It's is time to take seriously God's earning and not to think like everyone else does.

PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, you are the essence of creativity. Let me surrender all my thoughts to your Holy Spirit and help me to marinate my mind in your ways, not in this world's. Give me humility to think beyond the limits and believe the impossible. Help me to lead creatively and courageously. And help me to leave my past behind, the failures and the great victories. Give me a resilient conviction to move forward to what's new. Burst my old wineskin so I can taste the new wine you have for me. It's all about you!

GOING ROGUE. By Pastor Fernando

2011-04-23T10:35:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 1 Samuel 27:1-2, 8-11

1 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” 2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath...

8 ...Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

10 When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” 11 He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

OBSERVATION

This passage reveals a season of weakness for King David. Motivated by fear and lack of faith in God's promise to deliver him from Saul, David decided to make his own plan and live in Gath, among one of the many enemies of Israel. King Achish gladly offered him shelter and even gave him a city. In order to survive, David ended up raiding other lands with great violence and bloodshed. During the entire chapter there is no mention of God. David is not seeking God's instruction. He simply moved according to the reasoning of his own heart.

Few years later, when David tried to build a temple for God, the Lord did not allowed him because of violent past and the blood in his hands. I personally believe that God's judgment here is not about the many times David fought Israel's enemies under God's direction, but about seasons like this while David lived in Gath and went rogue.

APPLICATION

Going rogue may look very courageous but it has its consequences. In the case of David it did not took the kingdom away from him, but it took away the privilege to fulfill a personal dream (the temple). David was able to defeat his emotions in the past while being persecuted by Saul, but in this ocassion his guard was down, he relied only in his reasonings, probably had one way conversations with God, and made decisions motivated by fear.

I believe there are times when we need to lead courageously, bring change, go against the status quo, and take a maverick stand. However, we must be aware that in these circumstances we must depend on God more than any other time. Going rogue blurs the lines that keeps us away from a rebellious heart, and if we are not careful, rather than changing the status quo, we end up camping with the enemy, receiving its favors, making emotional choices, and behaving out of control.

Currently I have in front of me a couple of situations in my spiritual family that need bold leadership to bring change in a way that is both courageous and discerning. But bringing such necessary change is not easy, mostly because the decision making process rests upon a large group of people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and styles. It's normal for this process to be slow and frustrating. While being in this process, I'm surprised, even disappointed, to see some of my brothers reacting emotionally with much courage but very little discernment or consideration of the consequences. They are going rogue, and they have a following. Rather than being part of the solution, they are becoming part of the problem. But what is worst, they may be forfeiting the fulfillment of one of their dreams. Because of their rogue behavior, God may say, "You will not do this because there's blood in your hands." I wish I can stop them and speak good sense to them, but it seems they have made out their mind to continue in their renegade stand. All I can do is pray for them, and to set an example with my own life of how to be a maverick and change agent.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, you are my example of the most effective change agent and maverick in history. When you came from within a system that lack effectiveness to restore our relationship with God, you did not rebelled against it, but you embraced it, fulfilled it, and reformed it. You proclaimed the truth boldly, and even caused commotion when chastising the money changers. But you remained faithful to the end until every single part of the law was fulfilled. Instead of bringing change by pressure, I want to bring change by faithfulness. Don't let me ever dwell in the reasoning of my own heart. Please warn me when my emotions and hurt and frustration becomes the fuel that motivates me to bring change. Let me be not only patient, but more than anything meek. Have mercy on my spiritual family and lead us according to your perfect plan.

WITHOUT A TRACE. By Pastor Fernando

2011-03-03T06:57:00.005-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Numbers 33:50-53, 55-56

50 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, 51 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 52 drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. 53 Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess....

55 “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56 And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’”

OBSERVATION
God was very clear to Israel about his expectations to get rid of anything that could destroy them in the future. They had to drive out the people that wouldn't submit to Israel's way of life and get rid of any kind of idolatry paraphernalia. God also warned them about allowing the enemy to live among them. No concessions nor compromises were allowed. Failure to follow God's expectations would result in Israel's punishment, not because of their own fault, because to their proximity to the enemy. When the blow, sharpnel will wound those around them.

APPLICATION
When we are set free from our past and delivered to a new life we must be aware that there are still traces of the past ready to stay around. We are forgiven from our past sins, but the flesh has a way to go back to what it's familiar. We cannot be gentle when dealing with our sins. We must be radical and determined to get rid of whatever causes us to go back to our old nature. Otherwise, it will bring us down form where God wants us to be.

I am aware of some "traces"of my old selfish nature that have a way to cripple in here and there. Very often I'm quick to get rid of them, but sometimes I ignore them and allow them to be comfortable in my heart. When I allow the old trace of sin to take root again in my heart, it always brings a fruit of pain and shame. It will take over my heart, rule again over me, and will possess what God has call me to possess. God doesn't want me to be mastered by anything. I need to keep my life without a trace of the old. I need to be courageous and deal with it head on.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for allowing the old nature to take root again and to make it feel comfortable and unchallenged in my life. Give me a passion to live without a trace of the old decaying and sinful nature. You have done it all for me to be free. Now I need to do my part and walk in the freedom you provide at the cross. In Jesus name, Amen.

WAITING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT. By Pastor Fernando

2011-01-27T12:21:00.004-10:00

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

2011-01-14T11:47:00.001-10:00

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

2011-01-06T06:58:00.003-10:00

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.

GOD'S MERCY. By Pastor Fernando

2010-12-02T06:57:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Romans 11:32

For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

OBSERVATION

In this passage Paul answers the question, "How do we get to know the mercy of God?" It would be impossible to experience God's mercy if we never drift away from His ways. The proper punishment for our sin is death, but God's mercy is revealed through our disobedience so no one can claim is their own doing. His mercy and grace abounds even more when we disobey His ways.

APPLICATION

Lately I've been having the same conversation with many people about why God doesn't take our weaknesses away. We may be obedient for a while but then our sinful nature kicks in again and we end up walking in disobedience. We hate the process because it makes us feel like we are not growing or being set free, or even worse, that God doesn't care. One person asked me, "Does God enjoy allowing the enemy causing me to fall in my sin?"

This passage reveals that one of the reasons why we continue struggle in our walk with Christ is the revelation of God's mercy. We have experienced the love and mercy of God in our salvation, but God knows we need to be reminded that His mercy is not a one time deal, it's a constant flow of love from His heart to us. We cannot experience mercy unless we disobey. That's why God allows the many thorns in our flesh because in our weakness He is strong. It's not about us being good, it's always about God being merciful. Is this a license to continue living in sin or to abuse God's mercy? Of course not! It's actually a motivation to stay closer to God in obedience. But when God notices that we are getting self reliant confident in our own efforts, He may allow some temptation so we can rely on his mercy, not only to be forgiven, but also to be empowered to overcome temptation.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, during this season of reflection I have a new appreciation for your mercy in my life. I understand than when I fall I have an opportunity to experience your mercy once again.

THE PRICE FOR THE PRIZE. By Pastor Fernando

2010-11-11T06:59:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

OBSERVATION

Paul highlights here the importance of self-discipline in order to walk with Christ. This is a process of surrendering our comfort consistently for what is best for the advancement of the Kingdom of God in our lives. Paul uses the illustration of an athlete as a parallel to our journey with Christ. We cannot go through the motions of Christianity, running aimlessly, but we should run with purpose, knowing that what we do in training will eventually produce a great result in the race. Without an intentional regimen of self-discipline we will be disqualified for the race because we have not been diligent developing what it takes to run to win.

APPLICATION

Even though I enjoy playing sports, I've never been attracted to become highly competitive. And even though I like to win in sports, I'm not interested in paying the price that requires to get to the top of the podium. I'm simply not competitive. Now, when it comes to my health, I know the importance of daily exercise and balanced diet. But I avoid exercising like a plague and once in a while I eat too much of what I shouldn't. I'm simply not diligent.

The problem with this attitude is that when it comes to our race of life and living the way that God intends, I could easily ditch self-discipline and go through the motions. Training is not fun for those who are not jazzed about winning, but it's everything for those who want to succeed. If I'm serious about becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ, I need to be serious about being intentional applying a regimen of self-discipline in daily prayer, devotions, personal Bible study, character development, and leadership training. I know that the Holy Spirit is doing a huge work in me, but I must also partner with Him and do everything possible in my life so He can bring genuine spiritual growth in me.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, please forgive me for my laziness and lack of intentionality in being diligent with my spiritual regimen. I want to grow, but I'm not paying the price for the prize. Let me become more competitive in this run so I'm not running aimlessly but with a clear purpose, training hard, devoted to the spiritual disciplines when no one else is watching, but growing in your image more and more. I love you Lord. Amen.

THE SUPREMACY OF GOD'S WISDOM. By Pastor Fernando

2010-11-08T09:56:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

OBSERVATION

Paul reveals his philosophy of life and ministry as he writes to the Corinthians. A sincere sense of humility is at the core of Paul's values. He recognizes that the wisdom of God cannot be compared to the wisdom of this world. In fact, what this word considers important, the wisdom of God disregards as meaningless. God's methods are sometimes opposite from the world's methods. And even though God has called to himself people that are wise in the world's standards and wants to use them in His kingdom, Paul is concerned that there is too much of the world's wisdom in the way the church lives and operates. He uses his own life and ministry as an example of God's power working through in amazing ways when we simply prioritize and embrace God's wisdom.

APPLICATION

In the same way Paul was concerned about the church in Corinth, I'm concerned about the way I prioritize the wisdom of this world over the wisdom of God. Starting with my own life, I usually follow the advice of what in our world is considered "wise." I have my favorite financial advisers, health and fitness advisers, parenting advisers, etc. I personally believe that following their wisdom will bless me, but it will be never at the level that God's wisdom can bless my life. Following the world's wisdom requires common sense but following God's wisdom requires faith. Am I willing to challenge my human common sense and that risks by placing my faith in God?

When it comes to my ministry, I know that my success has nothing to do with my personal abilities. I'm a living example that God uses the foolish things of this world. As I honestly assess myself, I can see shortcomings in many areas that by common sense we would consider as crucial and important to succeed. But God's wisdom has been revealed in my own life and His favor in my ministry declares that it is by HIS power, not mine. There is a balance to keep between our human wisdom and God's wisdom. We need both. However, there are times where I favor human wisdom over God's wisdom. I may make good decisions that way, but I miss the opportunity to make optimum decisions that will bring more miracles and blessings in my life and ministry.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for speaking so kindly yet so firmly about this lack of balance in my own life. I cannot live tilting the balance on the side of human wisdom. I must live more on the side of your wisdom, which requires a greater amount of faith. Please forgive me for relying more on common sense rather than on faith in your promises. Help me to be very good at living a life and ministry where the wisdom of this world is often embarrassed because your ways are more fruitful, everlasting, and effective. Give me the leadership gifts to motivate our church leaders to never disregard their human wisdom, but to pursue and prioritize your wisdom above everything else. I love you Lord, Amen.

REMOVING THE STONES. By Pastor Fernando

2010-11-04T07:04:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Mark 16:1-4

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

OBSERVATION
A group of women want to anoint Jesus' body and they made preparations for it. They got the spices and all the ingredients necessary for the task. They rose early that day to do their service to the Lord. Everything seems in order until they realize on their way to the tomb that there was one problem they did not planned for... who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb? But they neither went back to find help nor stop to discussed the possibilities. They moved forward in faith and they got there the problem was already removed.

APPLICATION
Very often we go through situations where we have good intentions to do what God is calling us to do. We prepare and plan as best as we can, and we start the journey hoping to get things done. But almost without failing, we find challenges and roadblocks we did not planned for and we feel powerless to remove. We encounter a stone blocking us and we realize we don't have what it takes to remove it. Our tendency is to either give up and go back in disappointment or become paralyzed and try to find a solution on our own. These women did the right thing. They became aware of their shortcomings, but they move forward in faith, hoping to find the answer on their way up.

These women are very encouraging to me today. When I see the kind of things God wants me to do and I become aware of the roadblocks ahead, I recognize that certainly I don't have the wisdom, the stamina, the resources, and the strength to roll away the stones blocking me. Normally I don't give up, but unfortunately, I get numb, paralyzed, thinking and processing a lot, but not moving forward. It's at those moments where I need to move forward in faith. I need to trust that God's vision always comes with God's provision. I need to move forward knowing that God is going to meet me with a miracle of provision.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for revealing to me today that I'm missing so much because I'm stuck trying to move stones on my own. Please help me to put my complete trust in you, to move forward in spite of all my shortcomings. Certainly the new ventures you are calling me to requires a greater faith. I recognize that I don't have what it takes. I'm not enough to move the stones ahead. But you have all the wisdom, all the strength, all the resources to make it possible. So in your name, I will be moving forward, trusting each step of the way that you will meet me with miracles and removed stones.

WHO'S ON STAGE? By Pastor Mark Olson

2010-10-29T12:25:00.001-10:00

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.

HARDSHIPS ON THE WAY. By Pastor Fernando

2010-10-21T06:57:00.002-10:00

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.

SEARCHIN FOR CORNELIUS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-10-19T08:04:00.003-10:00

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!

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. By Pastor Mark Olson

2010-10-14T15:25:00.001-10:00

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.

MY DELIGHT! By Pastor Fernando

2010-10-14T06:58:00.003-10:00

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!

THE DECEPTION OF RITUALS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-30T06:55:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Zechariah 7:9-10
"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'"

OBSERVATION
The people of Israel got used to many religious rituals like fasting in certain months, but lost the purpose and the significance of them. In fact, they neglected the most important things of the Law. And they were more concerned in doing the rituals rather than becoming what God instructed them to become, a people that reflected God's glory through justice, mercy, compassion and sincere love for others. Sadly, they did not listen and continue neglecting what really mattered. In Jesus' time we see the same happening with regard of the Sabbath. People were more concerned about the rituals than helping people on the day of rest.

APPLICATION
It's easier to reduce our relationship with God to mere rituals rather than focusing in what God wants us to become. With a ritual we can check the box and have the impression that we accomplish what is required. Rituals can be very deceptive. But when the real test is who we are and who are we becoming, the reality of God's will reveals our shortcomings.

There are more rituals in my daily life than ever before: doing daily devotions, praying for the needs of others, having communion once a month, doing water baptisms every two months, etc... All these rituals can be deceiving and become meaningless if the main purpose of doing them is neglected. And that purpose simple stated is that I become more like Christ.

Today I'm challenged to look beyond all the rituals I practice into the reality of who I am becoming. Rituals are not necessarily bad, but they are not the end of the means. They are means to an end. And if I'm not arriving to the character of Jesus, to the Fruit of the Spirit, then I need to evaluate those rituals and get rid of those which are not helpful in becoming a man after God's own heart, full of passion for God and compassion for people.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for your faithfulness in my life. This morning I'm remembering the song, "I'm coming Back to the heart of worship," when it says, "I'm sorry Lord for this thing I made, when it's all about You!" Please reveal to me when my rituals become a deception and a distraction for what really maters. Bring more of the Fruit of the Spirit into my life and if a religious ritual is on the way blocking my progress, give me the courage to challenge it and get rid of it so your anointing flows like a river and I can become more like you. Amen!

THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY. By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-28T07:57:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Zechariah 3:7
"This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: if you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my Temple and its courtyards..."

OBSERVATION
Zechariah is ministering to Jeshua, the high priest, and delivers a prophetic word containing an amazing promise from God. This promise is about a divine flow of authority over the things of God, but it comes with a condition. It requires obedience and faithful service to the house of the Lord. And in verse 8, Zechariah says to Jeshua... "you are symbols of the things to come." Just like many passages of the OT, this verse has important implications today for all those who serve the Lord.

APPLICATION
I like to be in authority over my house, not becasue I'm a control freak, but because I can see God's anointing flowing through me to provide emotional security, spiritual direction, and physical resources to my family. There is harmony when authority is steward well. But when I've been a guest in someone else's house where I'm not in authority, and there is chaos all around, I want to take over and lead. However that authority hasn't been given to me. The same principle works in the kingdom of God. Authority flows from God when we line up in his will through obedience and faithful service.

As an individual, I need such authority to rule over God's temple, my body, my mind and my heart. The fruit if the Holy Spirit is self-control, and it easily flows when we are under authority. As a head of my family, I need such authority to love and serve them like Jesus would. But I could easily loose my command post if I walk away from the flow of divine authority. And as a shepherd of God's people, I need that authority, no to manipulate others, but to guide them to the fresh waters and green pastors God wants us to go.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for setting effective principles to live blessed lives. I have to admit that I violated this principle and I have lost grip of my authority. I may not loose my title or position, but the authority, the favor I have with people to motivate them and mobilize them. Please restore my heart so self-control flows naturally in my life.

THE PROMISE OF GREATER GLORY. By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-27T11:46:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Haggai 2:9
"'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty.'"

OBSERVATION
In this passage the Lord is promising an amazing blessing. For years the people of Israel prioritize the reconstruction of their own homes, but neglected the temple. But if the people prioritize building the Temple, God promised to pour out His glory in a greater way than before. And the former glory experienced at the Temple when Solomon dedicated it was over the top. God always wanted to give greater blessings to His people. as long as they submit to His plan and will.

APPLICATION
In my own understanding of this passage, I cannot avoid thinking that in the New Covenant my soul is the living temple of the Holy Spirit. As we look at the condition of such temple, we need to look for places of differed maintenance, areas where neglect is evident, and situation that defile and bring corruption to the temple of the Lord. This ear God gave us the blessing of purchasing a home. We are very thankful for it. However, the past owners neglected some issues of maintenance in this house. Slowly we have been taking care of this issues one by one. It's a lot of work to do, but if we want to keep our home livable, we need to be intentional about taking care of it.

In my own temple, I can see many areas where my own neglect has become evident. In the past I experienced amazing moments of God's glory, and sometimes I think that I would never reach that level again. But this promise in Haggai gives me hope to expect a greater glory than the former. There is more form God for my life. And as I become more intentional about restoring this temple, I will see God's promise being fulfilled in my on life.

PRAYER
Dear Heavenly father, thank you so much for this promise that brings me hope for greater things ahead. Please forgive me for the differed maintenance in your house, for allowing corrupted things in your house, and for neglect the proper care of your house. please renew my heart and stir my will to prioritize the ministry of my own heart. Make my heart your home once again, and let it be more glorious than ever before. Shine your face upon me and bring me to new vistas and greater intimacy with you. I love you Lord. Amen!

POSSESSIONS. By Pastor Mark Olson

2010-09-17T11:37:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Ezekiel 44:28

I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.

OBSERVATION

Ezekiel is telling the people of Israel about the various things he saw in his vision. One of them pertains to the priests – how they are to minister, dress, etc. Here he tells the priests that the Lord is their inheritance and they are to own nothing in land or possessions.

APPLICATION

I am finding that preparing to move to Haiti is hard on my flesh. Every day I go home for lunch to go through a box or two - and every day I have to choose whether to sell, save or toss various things I own. It’s an exciting time, but a hard time. Going through your entire life and making decisions about getting rid of stuff is not easy. Mementos from my childhood, family photos – even my Boy Scout uniform and my high school letter sweater ! - all of which I have to deal with!! I admit, I am saving and packing away some of those things, but others I am getting rid of and I don’t want to.

The priests were told that they could have NO possessions. Wow ! Imagine that. They could have nothing at all and had to depend on God for absolutely everything in their life. God was their possession and inheritance. Yet, as you read the scripture, the priests had it all ! They lived in the temple, got to eat the first fruits and the best of the gifts to the Lord. They ate the grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings. And everything devoted to the Lord was theirs to use (verses 28 – 30).

What is it about us that we must have stuff that belongs only to us and not to anyone else. Even when God provides things for us to use, we still seem to want to have them for ourselves – we want to own them. Our natural, selfish tendency is to heap up possessions and “treasures” in this life to hold on to. Even though we say we don’t heap up treasures here on earth – we do, or at least we want to ! Though we don’t often admit it, we are selfish. And the truth comes out when the treasures have to be disposed of or are physically taken away. Am I willing – am I able – to let go of my possessions for God’s call to Haiti ? It’s fairly easy to let go of the “duplicates” and the stuff I don’t care about much, but as I get closer and now am going through personal things to get rid of that I really love (my camping gear, my tools, things I’ve had for many, many years, etc.), the reality of my selfishness comes out. Letting go is hard.

Someone yesterday said I should sock away a bunch of money in the bank for when I return to “civilian life” after the mission field. He said I would need it to get started again in the “regular world”. Little did he know that I don’t have any money to “sock away”, but the interesting part is that his comment made me nervous. Should I try to hold onto something for the future ? Or should I just trust that God will take care of me when I am in the field and when I return to the regular day to day world (assuming I won’t be in the mission field the rest of my life). The fact that I got a little nervous, again shows my selfishness and also my incomplete trust in God to take care of me.

It’s amazing that an obscure little scripture in Ezekiel would cause me to think so hard about my life and what is really in the depths of my heart. God has a way of showing us our own heart and bringing out the darkness that’s down deep for us to see. Hard to deal with those emotions. But I am also reminded that no matter what “possessions” I don’t have, or have to get rid of, I have it all in Christ. God owns the “cattle on a thousand hills” as the scripture says and I don’t have to worry because I have a God who loves me, who died for me, and who will take care of me in every situation. I need to remember that piece of this scripture – I have everything I need in Christ !!

PRAYER

Lord, You are everything to me. Help me to live that out in my day to day life. You are my inheritance, my possession. If I don’t have something that I think I need, you will either provide it for me somehow, or I don’t need it ! Thank you for showing me the selfishness inside me. Cleanse my heart and make me more like you. In Jesus name, Amen.

FAITHFUL REWARDS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-16T06:56:00.007-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 128:1-4

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.

OBSERVATION
The fear of the Lord has great rewards in eternity, but also in this world. Walking in God's ways prepares an atmosphere where blessings are abundant and family relationships thrive. Many men, even non believers, would love to have such lifestyle. They want the rewards but they don't want to pay the price. Somehow we want to walk on our own ways and expect the rewards of those who walk in God's ways. What a great deception!

APPLICATION
Sometimes I wonder, "What did I do right to be so blessed?" I enjoy what I do for a living, God has given me unprecedented favor with other people, my family life is very rewarding, and generally speaking, my life overflows with blessings. Certainly, the decisions I made in the past about living according to God's ways has paid off. However, today's decisions and tomorrow's decisions could change my life's outcome in a swift way. The great blessings I have today can be spoiled if my fear of the Lord - my desire to walk in God's ways - is compromised. Every day I face decisions where I must choose my way of Gods way. And my way is usually easier and more appealing, but it will damage my relationship with God. I need to stay away from anything that has the potential to ruin my relationship with the Lord.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for all the amazing and abundant blessings you have poured into my life. I don't deserve your grace and mercy. Yet, because of your unfailing love, you have given me more than I could ever imagine. Please help me to steward well all those blessings by staying closer to you, by following your ways, not my ways, and by staying away from the things that could separate me from you. My decisions affect the lives of those who I love the most. And out of love for you and for them, keep me always in your ways. Let me surrender my fears, my flesh and my sinful desires before you. Let me become a man after your own heart. Amen!

DRY BONES. By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-14T07:58:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Ezekiel 37:4-6
4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

OBSERVATION
This prophecy from Ezekiel is one of the most significant ones in the the history of the people of God. Ezekiel foretells the undeserving outpouring of God's grace over Israel as God himself brings life again to the nation of Israel. In Jewish mindset, dry bones were the strongest sign for desolation, hopelessness, and godlessness. This strong picture describes perfectly where they were emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. But God's promise challenges that reality.

APPLICATION
During this season in my life I want to look into the areas where it feels like a field of dry bones. What it used to be alive and functional has become dead. But I have hope today. I need a powerful blow of the breath of God in those areas. I need to come to life as the presence of God does a miracle of resurrection. My devotion for God sometimes feels like a field of dry bones. The only way I can come to life again is not by my own efforts and religious routines. I truly need an infuse of the Holy Spirit into my life.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, today I come to you seeking more of your presence in my life. Please breathe on to me the breath of life. Turn my dry bones into a new healthy body that gives glory to your name. Give me a new heart so I can follow you wholeheartedly. In Jesus name, Amen!

WITH DESPERATION. By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-09T06:49:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Lamentations 2:19

Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.

OBSERVATION

Jeremiah is grieving over the destruction of Jerusalem. Everything that once was dear was devastated. As he laments for this tragedy, he encourages the people to seek the Lord now like never before. He warned them about this destruction before it happened, hoping for them to repent and change their ways. But they continued in their rebellion. Now he hopes that after the destruction of the city and the fulfillment of his prophecies, their hearts are soften and ready to seek the Lord. But he instruct them to seek God once again with an increasing passion an desperation.

APPLICATION

Our tendency is to seek God with passion and desperation when we are in major trouble. We shouldn't wait for destruction to come at our doorsteps for us to seek the Lord. We need to develop a heart that is always willing to seek God, not only when we are facing difficulties, but also when we are enjoying fruitfulness.

In my own life my tendency is to be desperate for God when I'm desperate about life. Sometimes I wait until the last minute to pour out my heart like water in the presence of the Lord. I need to learn how to be more proactive in seeking the Lord with desperation, to remain in the offensive and not in a constant defensive mode.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for not seeking you in the way I should. lately, I've been very passive about what's going on around me. This season is crucial in several fronts in my life, so I've been fasting and praying. But my intensity spiritually needs to go to next level. Help me to seek you with such passion and desperation now, and not just when difficult times arrive. Amen.

GOD IS JUST! By Pastor Fernando

2010-09-01T08:32:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Ezekiel 18:29

Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

OBSERVATION

A bitter sentiment among some people of Israel arouse when the consequences of their sinful lifestyle caught up to them. In their reasoning God wasn't just. In their minds they followed the rules, but God still allowed devastation. They had another opportunity to repent, yet they decided to justify themselves and condemned God. Rather than recognizing their fault, they passed blame to the Lord.

APPLICATION

How easy is to pass blame for the consequences of our wrong actions! Very often when a tragedy occurs is normal to ask why this is happening. In our grieving is natural to think that God has abandon us, or that He didn't care, or that it is His fault. But when we are objective and genuine, we will discover that God is the one giving us comfort and peace in those difficult times. We discover more about God's love and we draw closer to HIm.

However, there are other times when people are very quick to blame God and they refuse to be objective. Their external tragedy becomes internal and corrodes whatever amount of faith they had. At this point, God continues giving opportunities to repent, but sadly, many people choose to walk away from God. In their reasoning, they are doing something great, challenging the Almighty because they have proof that either He doesn't exist, or if He does, he doesn't care about our suffering.

What do we do when we go through difficult times? I've doubted and I've question God's motives, but I cannot see myself going that far as to justify myself and blame God. However, there are thousands of people around me that feel that way and need to be brought back to the understanding of God's fairness and justice. They certainly need a new heart and a new spirit.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please continue building in me a pure heart that will humble himself before you and will never blame you for what this world brings into my life. Give me also wisdom and understanding of how I can guide people that continue justifying themselves and blaming you. You have so much mercy on them. Please use me to help them see the light of your love for them. Amen!

HARP AND BOWL. By Pastor Fernando

2010-08-31T07:50:00.005-10:00

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

2010-08-12T11:24:00.003-10:00

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

2010-08-12T11:11:00.003-10:00

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

2010-08-12T11:00:00.004-10:00

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

2010-08-09T11:01:00.006-10:00

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!

THE BEST FOR LAST. By Pastor Fernando

2010-07-31T12:46:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - John 2:9-10

Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

OBSERVATION

In this passage the Holy Spirit though John's writing wants to communicate a principle rather than just a story. And this principle is based in God's progressive blessing in our lives. When the master of the banquet tasted the superior quality wine, his comment reveals that Jesus' work doesn't rely in the glory of the past, but leaves the best for last. When Jesus touches our lives we go from glory to glory, from better to much better. Once we are enjoying today's blessings, we have a tendency to become comfortable and complacent. But Jesus wants us to expect more from Him.

APPLICATION

In my personal life and in my ministry I've seen the Lord doing great and amazing things. Through the years I've seen a progression in His blessing over my life. But for some reason, lately I've been feeling stuck and relying more in the blessings of the past. This nostalgia causes me to crave some old blessings rather than the new and better blessings ahead. My past blessings are helpful to remind me that God has always been faithful, but I should not rely in yesterday's blessings. I should be hungry and thirsty for the choice wine that Jesus always leaves for later. My best days are yet to come.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for relying in the past and for focusing more in yesterday that in tomorrow. You are a God that leaves the best for last. You love to increase more and more blessings as days go by. Please help me to see the future applying this principle, knowing that you are not done with me and that I've not seen or heard the awesome things you want to do in my life. Please bring me closer to you like never before. And help me to expect the most fruitful season in my relationship with you as new days come. I'm looking forward to the choice wine you have prepared for me. I love you Lord. Amen!

CHEERLEADERS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-07-14T21:29:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 12:1-4

¹Therefore, 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. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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 stop running. 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

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 callig 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 God’s Kingdom in Taiwan and China in amazing ways.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for all the people in my life that have been cheerleaders, encouragers, and heroes of the faith. I owe them so much. Let me be a cheerleader for others as well, encouraging always, speaking God's purpose into their lives, and supporting them form the sidelines. Amen!

BUILDING GOD'S KINGDOM WITH FAITH. By Pastor Fernando

2010-07-13T15:16:00.006-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

OBSERVATION
Reading this passage today has a very special meaning. It's my first day in Taiwan, following God's instructions to come and serve a dear group of brothers and sisters that are called to plan a New Hope church here in Taipei. They are following a pattern that each Bible hero had to follow for their generation. It's the pattern of faith. All the amazing things we read in Scripture came because these men and women simply believed God's promises. Regardless the opposition the encountered and the impossibilities ahead of them, they simply trusted in God's promise and they made a huge difference.

APPLICATION

I remember when we launched our church at Diamond Head. We only had the promises of God to rely upon and God did great things in us and through us. However, there's more to be done, things that go beyond our footprint in this generation. This is the only way to please God: by believing in His promises and by continuing doing what God has called us to do. I know that I'm a small part in God's plan for Hawaii. I'm just a another brick God is using to build His church in Hawaii. But as insignificant as my work is, I'm able to build upon what others have built and others after me will continue building upon what I build.

I believe that this season for my brothers and sisters in Taiwan is very special. They are called to engaged in a journey of faith. They are building upon the faith of many other great servants of God before them. And I believe that their labor of faith in their generation will cause more of Gods kingdom to be built among the Taiwanese and Chinese people.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for bringing me here to Taiwan to serve these amazing group of faithful brothers and sisters to build your Kingdom. Please anoint our team to serve them effectively and practically so they can continue giving their lives for the cause of Christ in Taiwan and China. Please help us to follow this pattern of faith that truly pleases you so we can continue building your kingdom. Amen.

HELPING A BRUTE BEAST. By Pastor Fernando

2010-07-07T07:27:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 73:21-26

²¹ When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,

²² I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

OBSERVATION

This passage reveals one of the most amazing facts about God's grace and patience with His people. God knows that our flesh and our heart fails, causing us to be embittered, senseless and ignorant, like a brute beast. This description may not be pretty, but it's very accurate. We all have our "brute beast" moments. We often fall into a funk and struggle in our faith, convictions, and even compromise in our behavior. But God's promise is to never leave us and never forsake us. He is the strength of our heart and our portion forever.

APPLICATION

What I love about this passage is that I can relate completely with the description here. I have my times when I behave and think like a brute beast, letting my raw natural instinct direct my ways into the wrong path. Those are the moments when my heart and my flesh fail. But even then, when I walk away from God's presence, I have to say that I don't feel completely alone. Even though I feel ashamed, I honestly sense the presence of God calling me back. His right hand is always ready to guide me back to His perfect will. His crazy love for me overwhelms me, helping a brute beast like me to find strength once again in my heart to become faithful to Him.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for never leaving me alone, especially when my heart and flesh fail me. I don't deserve your faithful love and I could never do anything to deserve it. Please help a brute beast like me to become a faithful and willing servant. Be my strength and my portion forever. Help me to live out my faith, so when I say that I love you, it's truly a testimony of my daily life. Amen!

IN THE DESERT. By Pastor Fernando

2010-07-05T11:35:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Hosea 2: 14-15

¹⁴ "Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.

¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

OBSERVATION

The book of Hosea reveals the heart of God towards his sinful people. God's mercy and grace are available towards a stubborn Israel. He conquers people's hearts not by force but with His love and compassion. People worship God as a response of His love for them. God initiates, provides, and secures this kind of relationship because of the nature and power of His love.

This passage reveals how God deals with our propensity to sin. He allures us to the desert to change our hearts and to restore us with his tender voice and faithful care. When we experience the desert we are more prone to experience God. What amazes me about the Lord is that He speaks his greatest revelation to his greatest servants while they are in the desert. It's in the midst of exhaustion, loneliness, barrenness, heat, and thirst that our hearts become sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. It's in the desert where we find our true purpose in life, hope for living, and joy to endure the tests and suffering this life brings. The question is, "Do we run away from the desert, or do we run towards it?"

APPLICATION

Deserts come in different shapes and forms. Those seasons when we feel lonely, tired, frustrated, ineffective, hopeless, and meaningless, are great opportunities to experience the power of God's love and to hear His tender voice. In my own life I've only heard God's tender voice in the midst of deserts. When I was lonely God spoke to me about building true friendships and serving people. When I was barren and ineffective in my ministry, God's love allured me to give up my rights, to surrender to God's plan, and I heard God's instructions that led me to a place of fruitfulness and effectiveness. When I felt far away from God and deeply convicted of my selfishness and repetitive sins, God came with the power of His grace to restore me, to heal me, to lift me up, and to show me that no matter what I do, His love for me is real, strong, and eternal.

What is interesting about all these experiences is that even though the deserts in my life have been the places to conceive fruitfulness, hope, growth, and significance in my life, I'm still afraid of them. I don't want to go through them. I want to run away from them. Nobody likes to experience the symptoms of a desert season. But I cannot forget that in the deserts of my life I will find more closeness to God and I will experience His love and grace in a transforming way.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please give me strength and purpose when facing the unavoidable deserts of my life. I cannot say that I enjoy these seasons, but help me to see their purpose and give me the endurance to persevere, to wait, until your tender voice is heard and your loving power is displayed in my life. I need to be different. There's so much that needs to be changed. And today I realize that you may allure me to the desert to answer my prayer. I cannot deny that it's scary. So please help me to fix my eyes on You, because when I do that, all my fears go away. Help me to trust you and in your ways to speak truth and light into my life. Take me to the desert and mold me according to your perfect will. Amen!

LIKE A GARDEN. By Pastor Fernando

2010-07-01T07:14:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Titus 3:3-8

³At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

OBSERVATION

When Paul writes to Titus about the essence of our journey with Christ, he clearly points out that our past should not interfere with our present or future because the saving work of Christ in us. In the past we were dominated by our sinful cravings. When we accept God's love and freedom secured by the cross, we are born again so we don't follow the same pattern of the past. We used to follow the pattern of selfishness of the flesh, but now we follow the pattern of godliness by the Holy Spirit. However, we must be careful that our new pattern is not altered by the old pattern. We must devote ourselves to do what s good. We need to be intentional about nurturing the new seeds of righteousness, otherwise the old weeds of destruction will grow and ruin what God wants to do in our lives.

APPLICATION

In a very simple way, our relationship with God is like a beautiful Garden. On our own, our hearts grow wild, selfishness overgrows everything, chaos reigns, and dangerous creatures find a home. But when the Holy Spirit comes to reveal the love and grace of God, trees are pruned, beauty is nurtured, and order is welcomed and restored. But it doesn't stay that way. That's why we must be careful to keep doing what is good, especially, by never neglecting our interaction with the Holy Spirit. Doing daily devotions is one of the most effective ways to keep our garden in good shape. We may not see huge positive results everyday, but we keep ourselves from feeding what once destroyed our lives. This lifestyle requires also lots of faith on our behalf. We need to believe that as wee seek the Lord and focus in godliness, our selfish nature becomes weaker, even dormant.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many opportunities I have wasted, not nurturing my relationship with you, neglecting seeking you, and allowing the things from the past to start growing again. Let me take care of the garden of my heart by constantly seeking friendship and companionship with your Holy Spirit. Help me to be diligent in my devotions, in doing things that edify me, and by avoiding things that distract me from this purpose. I love you Lord. Amen!

TWO IMPORTANT THINGS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-06-24T06:51:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 2 Chronicles 24:17-19

¹⁷ After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. ¹⁸ They abandoned the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God's anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.

OBSERVATION

King Joash had a great start as a leader because he was surrounded by great advisors like Jehoiada the priest. He made great decisions and his relationship with God was thriving. But once Jehoiada was dead, there was a vacuum around the king that was filled by new and ungodly officials. They used flatter and started to feed the pride of the king. As a result, they neglected their relationship with God and engaged in idolatry. But what made things really bad, is that when confronted by godly prophets about their sin, they ignored it, did not listen, and even killed them to silence them. The gravity of this incident was so deep that even Jesus brought this matter up when confronting the Pharisees.

APPLICATION

When we neglect our relationship with God and fall away from his ways, God's mercy always calls us back and the doors for repentance and restoration are wide open. But when we continue in stubbornness, we are setting our lives for major disaster and for extremely painful consequences. Because of my human nature there will be times when I will sin, and even neglect my relationship with God. If I reuse to listen and keep distancing myself from the Lord, I will end up surrounded with the wrong people, doing the wrong things, heading straight to the wrong place.

I believe that what has kept me under God's hand of favor all these years are two things: godly people around me and the willingness to repent when I fall. I cannot let these two important things disappear from my life. With everything in me I need to continue building relationships with godly people and I cannot compromise in confession and repentance from my sins. I need to keep fighting the good fight, even when I receive the blows from the enemy and my own flesh. I need to endure by pursuing godliness. I cannot give up! I may have a good start, like Joash. But just like him, I could end up in a mess if i don't focus on the finish line.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, please help me to endure the blows, to get up each time I fall, and to continue fighting the good fight. Please help me to keep always godly people around me, really close to me, and give me discernment to stay away from the wicked, from those who flatter and feed my pride. Let me walk in integrity, always seeking honesty, humility, and holiness. I love you Lord. Amen!

PUT ON THE ARMOR. By Pastor Fernando

2010-06-10T06:48:00.006-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Ephesians 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

OBSERVATION

Paul recognizes that the journey of Christianity will bring battles against the forces of darkness that oppose everything God wants to do in our lives. The enemy will use whatever possible to discourage us, to steal, to kill, and destroy. So Paul echoes the Scriptures' plea to be constantly on the alert. This time, he illustrates our readiness with an armor. The advantages that armor brings into a fight are too great to ignore. However, many people go through life neglecting using their spiritual armor. As a result, there are many Christians frustrated with constant defeat, disappointed at their vulnerability, ashamed of their weakness, and even hopeless about their condition. Nobody likes to be wounded regularly. That's why Paul urges us to wear the armor with diligence.

APPLICATION

I can clearly identify the main reason for all my struggles and defeats against the enemy - It's my negligent use of the spiritual armor. Even though the enemy is crafty and has a way to get to me, the damage could have been minimal if I was ready and on the alert wearing my armor. When I was in the army wearing our modern armor was uncomfortable, and sometimes meaningless. Many of us will try to gain some comfort by not wearing part of it. But our superiors were extremely emphatic about always wearing our armor. The enemy will always look for our weakest point and constantly shoot his darts of fire in those areas. Our enemy is patient and smart, and we should be smarter. Our spiritual lives are on the line. We need to be more diligent in keeping our armor up all the times and never give one inch to the enemy.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times where the enemy had easy access to my life because I neglected wearing the armor you graciously gave me. Forgive me for thinking that I could resist the enemy on my own strength, or that you somehow will always cover up my negligence and protect me from attacks. It's not fair with you when I think this way. You have given me everything I need, but I need to use it. You are the provider, but I am responsible for using diligently your spiritual weapons. Help me Lord to keep my journey always aware of the enemy schemes and on the alert. Amen!

DESIRES. By Pastor Jan Tomai

2010-06-10T06:45:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Ecclesiastes 9:18

“Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”

OBSERVATION

More then once in the old testament, we read about God dealing a heavy blow to “one sinner”, and how, the consequences of their sin affected many around them for generations. God’s actions were quick and decisive. God knows our human nature to destroy good with evil no matter how much wisdom we have or “think” we have.

APPLICATION

Because of God’s generous heart, it is almost too easy to have wisdom. And “yet” sin. I think about Solomon or David...both men after God’s own heart. Solomon gave into pride, David lust and disobedience in not raising up his own household to follow God. Instead of feeling hopeless in the inability to be sinless, I must reach out over and over again to God to make sure that I stay connected to Him. It is a constant discipline to follow God before everything else. For whatever reasons, David and Solomon forgot about God, maybe only for a moment, but that moment or moments of planning and scheming for their own desires ended up destroying generations. I never want to think that it can not happen as easily to me if I do not stay connected to God.

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for the message this weekend that brings home the need for the surrender of my time spent with God first. Help me to be faithful to you and not pulled in by my own desires.

SUSTAINED BY THE LORD. By Pastor Fernando.

2010-05-11T08:01:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 55:22

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

OBSERVATION
David was going through a very stressful season. His son Absalom betrayed him, the integrity of his kingdom is in peril, his army commander Joab is abusing his power, and the pressure keeps mounting up. So many difficult circumstances came to him at once. Anyone would loose his mind in his situation. However, David survived it and was sustained by God because he knew how to cast all his cares on the Lord.

APPLICATION
We all have seasons of lots of pressure. Sometimes it comes from all fronts: emotional, spiritual, physical, internal, and external. And we think things are bad, it gets worse. These are difficult seasons where our ability to cast our cares on the Lord is tested. What do we do? We usually fight or flight. When we fight we try to solve them on our own, adding more stress and anxiousness, which results in making decisions and acting out according to what we consider is best. When we flight, we go in hibernation mode, we hide for problems, and we swipe them under the rug expecting they will go away.

Either way, fight or flight, we are sustaining ourselves. We need to remember that these trials are not for me to experience stress or isolation, but to experience God love sustaining my life. In those difficult moments, if we cast our cares before God, trust in his wisdom and act according to his righteousness, we will pass the test and be sustained by the Lord.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for taking me through seasons where my character is tested under fire. I need to remember that I must cast my cares on You. I cannot deal with those situations according to my own understanding. I need to listen to your voice, make decisions according to your ways, and act with courage and faithfulness knowing that you will prevail. Please forgive me when I retain my cares on my side and please help me to give them away to You. I love you Lord. Amen.

2010-05-06T07:02:00.002-10:00

2 Samuel 12:12

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David committed a series of sins when no one else was watching. he schemed to cover up his iniquity by misusing his authority and taking advantage of others for his personal gain. But God is always watching. Sooner or later God was going to convict David of his multiple sins. and God revealed the whole thing to Nathan. The Holy Spirit gave him wisdom to confront the king and led him to a place of repentance. But God's judgment was already in place. regardless of his sincere repentance, David had to suffer the consequences of his behavior.

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how naive we are when we think that we can get away with hidden sin! what we do in the secret sooner or later will become evident in public because that's the way sin works. sin promises all the rewards up front and leave the pain at the back end. for that reason, we need to be on the alert when we are tempted under the retention that nobody is looking.We need to be aware of our tendency two isolate ourselves so nobody can watch our sinful decisions. What we do in private will sooner or latter become public.

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Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the grace and mercy bestowed over me. I have my share of hidden sins that you have covered with your blood because I realized I cannot run from you. but before the secret sins happen, please make me aware of the set up I build for myself with isolation.

RELATIONSHIP ABOVE REVELATION. By Pastor Fernando

2010-05-03T12:21:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURES - 2 Samuel 7:3, Psalm 2:8

Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you." 2 Samuel 7:3

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm 2:8

OBSERVATION

David has plans to built a majestic temple for the Lord. Nathan encourages him to go ahead and do as he wants because God is with him. But God interrupted their plans and gave clear instructions about His plan. But God's plan is much better and the blessings are greater. David was humbled to discover the favor that God had for him and totally surrenders to God's revelation. He understood that God wants to bless us beyond our wildest dreams. He wants to give us even the nations of the earth, if we ask for them and if we follow His plan to get them. But relationship with God is always a priority above a revelation from God.

APPLICATION
As I've been praying about reaching out and increase our impact beyond our walls for the church during this year of harvest, I've been very surprised by God's revelation. My plans were good, but His plan is much better. Ive seen the hand of God leading me to the right opportunities, to the right people, and to the right resources. I've seen the heart of the homeless ministry thriving in our community and I've seen His direction to take us into new ventures in Taiwan and Thailand. I'm humbled to see God's hand over my life and I want to remain dependent of his direction through more intimacy with Him.

Recently my friend Don Horner reminded me about God's way to reveal His plan for us. If God provides all the parts of the puzzle, our human tendency is to do it on our own without dependency on His presence. But when God gives us glimpses of it, we are challenged to seek him, to depend on Him more and more, and to trust that His plan is much better that ours. We cannot trade revelation for relationship. Relationship with God is always first. When we walk closer to God, He will always reveal His plans just like He revealed His intentions to His friend Abraham.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for reminding me about the importance of prioritizing my relationship with you over a revelation from you. Forgive me for being more concerned about revelation rather than relationship. Let me seek you more and more as you continue giving me snopshots of your amazing plan for my life. Bless our efforts in our community and give us the souls of the nations as we continue building a long term impact in the places where your hand guides us. Let me surrender my plans to embrace yours. But more than anything, let me depend on you daily and grow closer and closer to your presence. Amen!

ARE YOU AWARE? By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-29T06:58:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

OBSERVATION

David is asking God to make him more aware of the true condition of his heart. David knows that when we go through trials and our character is tested, we will discover our hidden anxiety and sinfulness. David understands the importance of being objective about the condition of his heart and totally depends on God's sovereignty to be aware of his weaknesses and blind spots. This kind of prayer should be taken seriously, especially when God answers it and we are tested.

APPLICATION

Building relationships with people that are not aware of their true condition can be very frustrating. Only when we are tested the truth comes to surface. And even when confronted with the truth, some people play defensive and don't want to admit what they see in the mirror. For whatever reason (fear, insecurity, lack of trust,) people keep going through life unaware of their anxiety and offensive ways. And such condition doesn't help them to build healthy and rewarding relationships.

But a worse scenario is when the person through trials becomes aware of the true condition of his heart, has good intentions, but does not grow out of it. It may be stubbornness and unwillingness to change. It could also be self-deception. Whatever reason or excuse, the enemy is behind any plan to keep us from growing in character and building healthy relationships.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I need to stay closer to you every single moment so you can reveal the true condition of my heart. Let me be aware of who I am and of who you are. I am broken, but you are my healer. Please search me and reveal my anxiousness and sinfulness as I go though life's tests. And as I become more aware, give me the humility to repent and grow. Also help me to be gracious with others the same way you are gracious to me. When they are not aware of their compulsions, let me guide them with faithfulness and let me speak the truth in love. Amen.

LIKE WALKING ON WATER. By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-27T08:18:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Matthew 14:28-30

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

OBSERVATION

Peter is like many of us... full of emotion and excitement when experiencing novelty, but fearful and doubtful when tested to follow trough. He is walking on water, but soon enough, as reality becomes evident, he looses focus and sinks. Jesus in a loving way reveals to Peter that we need faith to start and faith to finish.

King David had to trust in the Lord to accomplish the impossible task to conquer Jerusalem. He started with faith and follow through with faith until the city became the City of David. He knew that walking with God is process where faith sustains you all the way through, just like walking on water.

APPLICATION

In many areas of my life I'm starting to walk on water, but as reality sinks and I realize how amazing is to take the first steps of faith, doubts and fears are gaining momentum. I'm living one of the best seasons of my life, experiencing abundance and harvest beyond what I could ever think or imagine. But to be honest, I'm not sure if I have what it takes to keep walking on water. The wind is gaining speed and the waves are starting to raise. And even though I'm not drowning now, I know that I must grow my little faith. I need the Lord more than ever before. I cannot loose focus at this moment. I must fix my eyes in Jesus to sustain me and build my faith as I follow through.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, as you promised to me several years ago, I'm conquering my own Jerusalem. Despite all the opposition and impossibles, yu have been faithful to provide a way to conquer the city. I've been walking on water, but I need you more than ever before so I don't drown. Please come to my rescue and build in me a faith I never had before. Help me to keep walking in faith as I follow through with your plan for my life. You are the source of my faith, so let me increase my love and devotion for you. Don't let me go. Draw me close to you so I can fix my eyes on you as we together walk on water. I love you Lord. Amen!

DEALING WITH FOOLS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-22T07:05:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 1 Samuel 25:25
May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name is Fool, and folly goes with him.

OBSERVATION
Abigail's appeal to David was full of wisdom and humility. It caused David to relent from an angry response to Nabal's insults. It's amazing when the power of persuasion is used in a way that brings good and blessing. David had to deal with a fool like Nabal, and his first response was not the appropriate. Abigail had more experience dealing with fools. She knew how to handle Nabal, not to take the insults of a fool personally, and how to let God take care of the situation. Her good judgment brought righteousness and avoided unnecessary bloodshed in David's hands.

APPLICATION
Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Nabal was a fool. His name means "fool." Abigail was married to him, but she did not become a fool. Having fools around will not make you a fool, but because of proximity to their lives, we are vulnerable to the consequences of their decisions. Nabal's foolishness almost had all the men in his household killed. That's why when we are in proximity with fools, we have a higher propensity to suffer harm.

Abigail knew how to deal with fools and we must learn from her. Fools are people that know the difference between right or wrong, but they don't care and still do whatever they want. They know that treating their spouse in a certain way is wrong, but they don't care. Fools are all around us. Maybe wee live with one of them, or we work with some of them, and certainly, we go to church with some of them. How do we deal with them? We do what Abigail did. We do not pay attention to their folly, we do not take their insults personally, and we prepare for the worse to avoid the shrapnel that comes when they blow up. We need to trust in the Lord to deal with them, and certainly, we need to invest more in building deep relationships with the wise, not with fools.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to learn from Abigail how to deal with fools. Give me the grace and good judgment to treat them the way you treat me when I act foolishly. Please surround me with people that are wise. Help me to develop a tough shell but keep a soft heart to deal with the sharpnel that fools will spread when they blow up. I love you Lord. Amen!

THE HEART OF A FINISHER. By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-08T06:52:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 2 Corinthians 8:11

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

OBSERVATION
As Paul encourages the Corinthians for their generosity and good intentions, he exhorts them to go beyond and turn their intentions into complete actions. He wants them to have the heart of a finisher, to follow through, and to carry the ball across the line. He also makes sure that they have all they need so there is no room for excuses for incomplete actions.

APPLICATION
One of the greatest problems with our culture is that people are usually coming up with good intentions, but very few carry them through. We think about it, we prepare about it, we dream about it, but at the end, we end up delivering only a portion of what we intended to do. I have so many stories in my own life that follow this pattern. The first one I can remember, when I was 16 years old, I was learning electronics in high school and I took apart an old TV with the intention to fix it. I kept the parts in a box for several moths until I had to throw it away. And just like that project, my life has a large collection of unrealized good intentions.

This morning I feel exhorted by the Holy Spirit to take a look at those things that God has put in my heart and that have been started, but have not been followed through until completion. I need to develop and apply the heart of the finisher in all those good intentions. I cannot allow opposition or setbacks derail me from what God has put in my heart to do. If something doesn't happen, it will be not because my lack of resilience. I need to match my good intentions with completed actions according to my means. And I'm confident that as I give everything I have, God will come up with what is lacking.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for being so patient with me when I get excited at the beginning of a project, have good intentions, but then those intentions cool off and become one more box of unfinished business. I've been cluttering my life with those lately. In your mercy, let me revisit those projects and help me to carry them through to completion. Show me how to give everything I have according to my means, and give me the faith to keep trusting in your provision for what I don't have to complete them. You are faithful. The good work that you started in me, you will be faithful to complete it. You are a finisher. Please give me your heart, the heart of a finisher.

FAITHFUL PRIESTS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-07T06:46:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE

"And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always."

1 Samuel: 2:34-35

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

OBSERVATION

The two sons of Eli were a disgrace for the priesthood and for the people of Israel. They took advantage of the people to satisfy their own selfish cravings. Their behavior was out of control. They were not even shameful about it as their actions were done in the light and everyone knew about them. Eli confronted them, but they wouldn't listen. They did not know that God cannot be mocked and they reap what the sow. For the sake of righteousness, God promised a new and improved priesthood. Going beyond Samuel's priesthood, God here is talking about the High Priest Jesus. Years later, the apostle Paul recognizes the importance of all disciples (priests) of Christ to keep a pure and holy life out of reverence for God.

APPLICATION

Reverence is more than having good manners in religious events. It's a lifestyle of obedience, surrender, and humility, especially when God has called us to serve His people. We belong the priest line of Jesus and He sets the example of how we serve them. For that reason, we need to be aware and get rid of any behavior and mindset that contaminates the purity and holiness of our calling.

In the life of a minister there are three big tests: power, sex, and money. We cannot afford to fail any of these three tests. Otherwise, we will follow the patterns of Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's sons. Constantly we need to keep cleaning our hearts from any propensity for self-centeredness and surrender our lives and give it all for the cause of the Gospel. We cannot allow ourselves to become comfortable with and cherish sin like Psalm 66:18 says. We need to keep seeking holiness, not because we have to, but because out of our sincere love we want to honor God, the One who gave it all for us.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for calling me to serve your people and to follow the patterns of servant-leadership set by Jesus. I cannot do this on my own. I need more and more of your Holy Spirit to be able to serve people in this sacrificial way. Please forgive me for the many times I entertain sin and become selfish. Help me to become a faithful priest, that ministers according to your heart and mind. I love you Lord. Amen!

DISAPPOINTED BUT NOT DISCOURAGED. By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-06T08:06:00.005-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 2 Corinthians 6:11-13

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

OBSERVATION
Paul was disappointed about the way the church in Corinth had responded to his love for them. But Paul didn't give up on them. He continued focused in God's calling for his life, even when he faced all kinds of setbacks and roadblocks from outsiders and even insiders of the church. He is not letting the Corinthians' cold shoulder discourage him.

APPLICATION
Very often we will open our hearts to people and we will invest in building relationships that give God the glory. But very often, people will respond in a way that may disappoint us, but should never discourage us from doing what is right. Our tendency is to give and invest as much as others do. We want to be fair and be treated with fairness. But life is not fair, and we cannot determine our attitude by the response of others. We must continue focused in our calling to love and shepherd people. We cannot give up on them even when they give up on us.

The enemy wants to destroy and undermine the essence of God's love in our relationships. We need to persevere and pay the price with our sacrificial love. It's easy to love when we receive the same love. But the real test is when people respond with suspicion, with unfaithfulness, with arrogance, with defensiveness, with lack of appreciation, or simply when they ignore us. Our goal should be the same as Jesus, who regardless of our response, gave it all to love us.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for encouraging me today to love others regardless of their response to my affection. I may be disappointed when people don't treat my love with fairness, but I will not be discouraged or stop investing my love. I will continue pouring out my life as an offering until these people are conquered by my love. Let our church be a place where we continue loving people regardless of how they treat us. Let us love our community, even if we are not appreciated. Gives your heart for people, a heart that never fails and never gives up. Amen!

RELYING ON GOD. By Pastor Fernando

2010-04-01T07:01:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

OBSERVATION
Through transparency, Paul reveals his struggles and ministers with hope to the people in Corinth. He openly shares about his hardships because he understands God's purpose when life is not smooth. Life is not fair, but God is always good. Paul knows that his trials helped him to rely not in himself, but on God. Rather than eating away his faith, his troubles increased his faith. He knew how to handle problems and use them for God's glory.

APPLICATION
One of the signs of a mature character in a believer is his or her ability to deal with trials. God allows those uncomfortable moments in our lives to create a greater dependency on Him. We get closer to God when life throws its punches. But our human nature has the tendency to either fight or flight. We try to fight with our own strength or we run away ignoring what's going on. But in Christ, we can face all our trials with faith and hope because the power of the resurrection is available through our communion with the Holy Spirit.

Very recently I realized that are still many areas of struggle in my life where I rely on my own strength and not in the power of God. The more I surrender to His will and power, the more freedom and healing I will experience. And even though I believe firmly in transparency, sometimes I'm afraid of sharing my struggles with others. I need to press on and rely more on God's power, love and grace for me.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the trails and struggles that are allowed in my journey. I know that they are not there to stop me, but to propel me into a greater faith and closeness with you. Please forgive me for the many times I deal with them in my own strength, relying on my own. I surrender all those things to you and I pray that I will have the courage and strength to walk according to your plan, not mine. Amen!

APPEARANCES. By Pastor Mark Olson

2010-03-25T13:52:00.000-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Joshua 22;11,12; 1 Cor. 10:23,24

And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.

Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others

OBSERVATION

When the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went home on the other side of the Jordan after completing the wars on behalf of their brother tribes, they built an altar to the Lord on their side of the river. If they had used it for sacrifices it would have been rebellion against the Lord. The rest of Israel heard that they had built this altar and assumed rebellion. They then prepared for war to attack and destroy their brothers thinking they were in rebellion. In the end the brothers were not in rebellion, but only wanted to have a connection to the Lord since they were so far away from the real altar of sacrifice.

APPLICATION

The Israelites heard their brothers had built an altar on the other side of the Jordan and immediately assumed they were sacrificing on it, in direct violation of God’s laws. The ten tribes prepared for war and gathered all the fighting men together. They must have spread the word throughout the nation that their brothers across the river were in rebellion and they got the entire nation riled up, talking about it and then suited up to go to war. They all gathered at Shiloh and were ready to cross the river and “do them in”. Then it appears that someone finally had some sense and decided to send Phineas over to check it out. He inquired what the altar was for and only then did they avoid war with their brothers. Looking at the other side of this situation, though, maybe the Reubenites, Gadites and half Manasseh should have told their brothers ahead of time what they were doing since building an altar would obviously have been controversial.

What a great example for me on “appearances”. I know I do this a lot myself and I am sure many others do it also. We see something – a person, a situation – and we make assumptions and judgments about that person or situation based on our own preconceived ideas, thoughts, etc. And we often assume the worst. We seldom assume the good. Whatever interpretation I gain from my limited observation, I usually will assume something negative.

In 1 Cor 10:23,24, Paul is beginning his explanation about freedom by talking about “appearances”. He says that we have tremendous freedom in Christ, but that we can’t always use that freedom because it will appear to others like we are doing something wrong and it may injure them. He further explains that we don’t want to cause others to stumble - inside the church or outside the church by our actions (v 32).

Such a good balance in these two sections of scripture. We need to be aware of our actions so they don’t cause others to make wrong judgments (as the Israelites did) or cause others to stumble like Paul is talking about in 1 Cor. But we also need to not make those judgments toward other brothers and sisters when they appear to be doing something wrong without first checking the details to see what is actually going on.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus. Help me to live a balanced life. Living a pure and holy life before you and avoid using my freedom in ways that might cause others to stumble. And help me also to not make judgments of others when they may appear to be doing something “off track”. Help me to love them, maybe inquire as appropriate and then pray for blessings on them as they also grow in Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

STEWARDING GOD'S GRACE. By Pastor Fernando

2010-03-25T06:48:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 1 Corinthians 10:6-11
6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

OBSERVATION
Paul reveals that the accounts recorded in the OT about the wanderings of the people of Israel for 40 years in the desert are not just cute stories for Sunday school. They are more than that! They are clear illustrations of what could happen in our own personal journey with the Lord. We may think that because God's grace manifests in His provision and blessings over our lives, we can do whatever we want. Israel had the miraculous provision of food, shelter, and protection. Yet, they practiced idolatry, immorality, ingratitude, and rebellion. And even though God's grace was upon them, God was not pleased with them. What happened to them is a warning to us. We cannot take God's grace for granted. We need to examine our hearts and repent from any weakness of character as we travel our journey with the Lord.

APPLICATION
Sometimes we think we can get away with our consistent sinful behavior because God's grace has no limits. We are sorry, we make a prayer of repentance, but we don't live in repentance. We go back again to the same sin like a dog goes back to its vomit. And sadly, we think this behavior is not a big deal. This is the reason why so many people walk with God's grace but without pleasing the Lord.

In my own personal life I see this sinful tendency as well. I believe in God's grace and I proclaim it every time I can. But I can see in my behavior how sometimes I think I can give up in temptation because of God's grace. Well, first of all, God's grace is not for me to keep on the same sins. On the contrary, God's grace gives me the opportunity to walk away from them in freedom and victory. God's grace purpose is to set me free from my sin, not to keep me slaved to my sin. And what happened to the people of Israel in the desert could happen to me as well. I could walk enjoying the blessings of God's grace, and still miss the promised land because I'm displeasing the Lord.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, this morning I realize how easy is to take your precious grace for granted. Please forgive me for the many times I gave up in temptation because I knew that your grace would cover my faults. Let me not only enjoy your blessings, but also please you with a life of obedience and constant surrender to your ways. Let me avoid idolatry, immorality, grumblings, rebellion, and ingratitude. My heart is to have a life that pleases you, and today, once again, I commit to live such a life. Please allow me to use your grace correctly in such a way that every thing in me is pleasing to you. Amen!

LEFTOVERS. By Pastor Jan Tomai

2010-03-23T10:04:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Joshua 16:10

“However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.”

OBSERVATION
During this fast, left overs have become even more of a “fall back” for quenching my hunger...rice, fruit, anything to stop the desire. I am on a constant hunt for the thing that will stay the cravings for the former things. God knew that the Isrealites would constantly hunger for what they shouldn’t have and wisely instructed them to “drive out” the inhabitants of the land. But, they did not obey.

APPLICATION
It is far too easy to hunger for the former life, former diet, former habits. We think we can control these urges by putting them in slavery to our wants and desires. But, if left to germinate, like a seed of mistrust, our hunger and thirst for the “old” overtakes the new land that God has placed before us for our inheritance. My son, Emmett, shared with me why he was teaching his boy, Evan, to quickly obey...no hesitation, dallying, no excuses. Evan would be put in time out. Lecture and explanation would not be necessary because Evan had been told ahead of time what to expect regarding disobedience. Emmett said: “If Evan can not obey me now, how will he obey God in the future.” This oversight of not obeying is so subtle that I am often down that road before the full impact hits me. It is not the path that I want to take, and it will start with just one act of disobedience. The aftermath is a life shackled to this earth instead of free and walking with God.

PRAYER
Lord, help me to see clearly when old habits, hungers, and desires are overtaking your Word of direction. That it is disobedience no matter how subtle or small...sin is sin. Lord, do not let me stray so far.

AWESOME GRACE! By Pastor Fernando

2010-03-18T07:08:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE
If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24

OBSERVATION
David understood something amazing a bout God's grace. Even though it's a gift from God, it comes when God finds delight in my ways. Now, my ways are not perfect. I will slip once in a while when the desires of my selfish nature overcome the desires of my spirit. I stumble in my walk with the Lord, yet God is always there because somehow He finds delight in me. This is very humbling. I don't deserve God's blessings because of my constant stumbling. But God is faithful to His covenant of love, even when I'm not faithful.

APPLICATION
God's grace is humbling. It always puts me in a place of awe towards God. He wins my heart bacause of his steadfast love never ends. And even though He finds delight in me, I don't want totake this for granted. I want to stay away from stumbling again. I want to be faithful because of His love for me. I'm not sure what I've done right to have God delighted in me. All I can say is that His grace covers a multitude of wrongdoings.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, today I come to you with my heart broken once again because of the many time I stumble in my selfish nature. As a wretched sinner I come so humbled by your infinite grace, not with a heart to take advantage of it, but with a sincere desire to praise you and honor you. Your love for me motivates me be more passionate about fighting my selfish nature. Please help me during this season to put the works of my flesh at the cross adn to experience the power of the resurrection in my personal life. Let me walk in obedience and devotion to your ways. Keep me closer to you and guide me in the way I should go. Amen!

GOD'S WAY IS ALWAYS BETTER. By Pastor Fernando

2010-03-09T09:03:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Deuteronomy 12:4-7
⁴ You must not worship the LORD your God in their way. ⁵ But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; ⁶ there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. ⁷ There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

OBSERVATION
God was very clear with the people of Israel about the way He wants to be worshiped. He Himself established the patterns of true worship. He does not accept alterations made by man. God chose the way to do it and the place to do it. Unfortunately, the people of Israel came up with their version. They were worshiping God but according tho their way. The chose a different way and a different place. Such behavior caused them over time to loose the blessing of God over their lives. It started very subtle, with good intentions, perhaps to make things more convenient. But at the end, it ended up so far away from God's plan.

APPLICATION
In our sinful nature there is a tendency to always do things our way, especially our worship to God. Some people think that being a good person gives them access to a relationship with God, but they define in their own terms what a "good person" is and it is usually far from God's design. Others surrender to God's ways, but after a while they realize that things can be simplified according to their personal taste. Thy have their own version of obedience and create an alternative to be in compliance with God's Word. They hide behind grace to worship God in a way He does not want to be worshiped. They make their own version of what a church is, of what tithing is and how is given, etc. Influenced by this mindset, I have heard people making excuses for immorality, greed, unforgiveness, pride, and even abuse of power. That's why is better to always air on the side of God's Word and follow God's patterns of worship.

In the past I remember rationalizing God's Word to make it fit to what was convenient for me. I was completely deceived by my selfish nature and sin. And even though this happened many years ago, I can see this tendency keep lurking in my heart, trying to derail God's will for me, and replace it it in a subtle way with a man made version. I cannot give up to what is convenient for me. I must surrender everything to God and walk in full obedience to His word.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please give me strength to follow your ways without twisting them and without making them more convenient for me. The truth is following you is not very easy at times. It requires a constant attitude of surrendering and yielding. I don't think you want things your way because you are unreasonable. Our thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways. You want to be worshipped in a certain way becasue your plan is better than ours. Our best variations will never be better than your worst instructions. Please help me to stay faithful to your patterns and always humble and obedient to your instructions. Amen!

WATCHING? By Pastor Mark Olson

2010-03-09T09:02:00.000-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Mark 13:33-36
Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

OBSERVATION
At the beginning of this chapter Jesus and the disciples are leaving the temple and the disciples point out the beautiful stones. Jesus replies by telling them that in the future the stones of the temple will be torn down. When the disciples ask when this will be, Jesus proceeds to tell them all about the end times and concludes with the importance of being on guard for we don’t know when those times will come.

APPLICATION
Every morning I wake up as the most spiritual man on the planet ! I have all kinds of ambitions to serve God with everything that is in me. I intend to get up, do my devos, pray, and attack the day for God. My heart and mind are fully committed and I am ready to go for it ! Then I get out of bed ……. !

I am pretty consistent about doing my devos in the mornings, but I am also easily distracted by what’s going on around me. Even this morning, I got distracted during devos by the sprinklers going on - they were just repaired yesterday and this is the first time they’ve worked on their own in over a year. I had to get up and go see them. Then the trash truck came and I had to get up to see if he dropped some of my trash since the can was really full. Then I realized Shadow (my dog) had gone over the fence and was running around the neighborhood so I had to look out the window to see if I could see her. I didn’t bother to go get her (after all – I’m supposed to be doing my devotions ! Ha !), but I was preoccupied by her absence. Then I had to get that second cup of coffee, and on and on …….

I finally finished reading and started writing this journal entry and began to realize that I am not alert, not watching, not paying attention to God like I should – even during my devos. What a mess ! It’s become like brushing my teeth. I can brush my teeth in the morning and be thinking about something completely unrelated. I finish and leave the bathroom and don’t even remember being in there. That’s how devos are sometimes. I’m doing the task, but not being attentive to what I’m doing. I’m like the one who Jesus assigns to be at the front door and watch (in verse 34) but instead of watching the front sidewalk to see when the master of the house is coming home, I’ve turned aside to watch what’s going on in house or in the neighbor’s yard or somewhere else. That’s pretty sad.

We (or at least me) are so easily distracted in our Christian life. It’s not that we do horrible things all the time. But we are not attentive like we should be. We get so easily distracted by petty details that are minor and have no importance in comparison to God’s kingdom and his calling in our lives. As the result of one simple question from his disciples about when the prophesy will be fulfilled and the temple torn down, Jesus warns them very strongly to pay attention, be on guard, be alert and watch ! His admonition must be important. I need to pay attention. God wants to speak to me all day, every day, not just before I get out of bed in the morning !

PRAYER
Lord Jesus. My heart and mind are constantly distracted. I admit that things in the world around me draw my attention. Help me to stay focused on you. Help me to listen for that still small voice every moment of every day. Speak to me and remind me of your word as I go about the tasks of the day. Keep my heart and mind fixed on you. In Jesus name, Amen.

DESPERATE MEASURES. By Pastor Fernando

2010-03-04T08:04:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Mark 11:15-17

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

OBSERVATION
The system of the temple after years of religious activity lost its purpose and mission. Rather than being a house of prayer, the temple became a money exchange floor. The religious authorities were blind to that fact because of their greed and love for power. That's why Jesus does something radical. He breaks the protocol imposed by men rather than the law given by God. He overturned the tables of money changers and created panic. But he left people thinking about what matters the most. For some people Jesus became a hero, and for others he became a menace. Very sad that the temple system was so broken that Jesus had to do something that dramatic to make a point.

APPLICATION
Recently I found out about the radical actions of another pastor in our denomination. For several years, he work hard trying to make our denomination more effective in accomplishing its mission. The work was difficult and exhausting. He felt ignored as his recommendations were not taken seriously. When a recent negative report about the effectiveness of the denomination became public, he had enough. After 33 years of faithful compliance to the denomination, he challenged one of the instructions given in our bylaws and consciously made a decision to not follow through with it in some way. This is a common practice by many pastors in our denomination, but nobody really speaks openly about it. But this pastor did something different. He informed a large group of peers about his decision and explained his reasoning for it. Great controversy was created in the group listening. Some people considered him a courageous leader, others considered him impetuous, and even others considered him borderline rebellious.

What saddens me the most about this episode is not that this pastor made this decision, but that our systems can become so difficult to work with that causes good people to take desperate measures to create positive change. While many others just heard the part the he was not following through with a bylaw, others were listening to his plea for a better system, where the house of the Lord becomes what it is supposed to be.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, I'm not a judge to determine this pastor's actions as sinful or righteous. All I know is that I don't want the systems I'm involved with, our denomination, our networks, church, and other ministries, to become so religious and difficult to correct that I have to make drastic and desperate measures to bring positive change. Please save us to become that way. Give me endurance and wisdom to bring your will into our movement and to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. This will be an uphill battle, but I want to fight honorably all the way to the finish line. Many pastors in my denomination are tired of trying for decades and they are taking desperate measures. Please help the new generation of leaders to never consider those options because my generation takes responsibility to fix it and make it effectively missional again. Amen!

STEWARDING GOD'S FAVOR. By Pastor Fernando

2010-02-25T06:57:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Numbers 27:5-9
5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites."
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

8 The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his own staff.

OBSERVATION
Very often God may choose few among the many in order to let his will be understood. Among all the leaders of Israel he chose Aaron in order to extinguish the grumblings of the people against the leadership. Aaron's staff sprouted, budded, blossomed and produced almonds overnight. This miracle was a sign that Aaron's success came from the Lord, not from his own efforts. And people had to recognize and agree that the Lord's hand of favor was upon Aaron to do the ministry he was called to do.

APPLICATION
I love the way the Lord chooses and blesses those in leadership. Many are called but few are chosen. He determines and separates those he wants to have a unique calling. He will bring a supernatural harvest in their lives so people can see that their blessing comes form the Lord. So when I see someone else's staff sprouting and giving fruit supernaturally, do I become jealous or do I give the honor and respect that person deserves? What about my own life? I can see God ringing a supernatural harvest in my ministry while other faithful people that are better and smarter than me are still waiting. In my flesh I may want to brag about it, but in my spirit I have the the desire to respond to God's favor with more faithfulness and sacrifice in the ministry.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for your undeserved favor in my life and for the supernatural way you have blessed my life and ministry. Certainly I cannot earn so much blessings. I may not understand the reasons why you favor me, but my heart is to remain faithful to you, humble before you, and living as if your favor depends on it. Please never let let me become arrogant about your favor, or to feel entitled to your blessings. Please use the fruitfulness of this season to touch other people around me. Use me to inspire other leaders. We are all special and we have favor before you. Help me to motivate them to expect a supernatural harvest in their own lives. Amen!

BLAMELESS. By Pastor Jan Tomai

2010-02-18T10:36:00.000-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Acts 25:27

“For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

OBSERVATION

The governor of the province, Porcius Festus, had to write up charges against Paul. But, he could find no blame in this man! To relieve himself of this responsibility, Festus took Paul to various other people for confirmation of his findings. Festus was in a quandry...he did not know what to do. Faced with truth, Festus searched for redemption in his position as judge everywhere but in Christ. Festus judged Paul as “out of his mind” to protect himself.

APPLICATION

Even though I try my hardest, I know that there are times when put under the stress of a situation and in my own efforts to avoid confrontation, I do not hear someone out. Once that happens, I have lost part of the truth of any given situation. Decisions are made on a partial truth which really is not truth at all. Paul was blameless. I want to be blameless as well in making decisions in Christ and not in my flesh.

PRAYER

Lord, help me to hear others clearly and completely. Sharpen my listening abilities so that my decisions reflect the whole truth and not my flesh. Strengthen me to trust You in confrontation and not myself. I know that You can teach me this if I will but listen.

ATTITUDES OF BLINDNESS. By Pastor Mark

2010-02-18T10:35:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Acts 22:10-11

What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' ¹¹My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

OBSERVATION

Paul relates his conversion experience to the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem. As part of that story, he tells them how he was struck down to the ground and blinded by an intense light. His response to this event and Jesus speaking to him in verse 10 is significant. He says to Jesus “ What shall I do, Lord ?”

APPLICATION

Paul’s blindness was caused by the intense brilliance of the light of Christ shining into his life. Imagine you’re on a trip, doing what you think is the work of God like Paul was - when suddenly you are struck down to the ground and blinded by someone who says – “Heh, Saul, why are you persecuting me ?!” Saul’s first reaction seems pretty typical – “who are you ?!” I would want to know that as well. But then when he finds out who it is, he asks a significant question - “What shall I do Lord ?” Remember, Paul wasn’t even a believer yet. He was on the way to persecute the Christians in Damascus. Yet he asked - “what shall I do Lord ?”

I know in my own life, even though I am a believer and I have the Holy Spirit living in my life, when something traumatic happens to me, my first question often is - “Why, Lord ?” I don’t always react the way Paul acted – immediately asking the Lord what to do. My attitude is somewhat similar to blindness. I am blinded to God’s working in my life and react with the same attitude the Jewish crowds had - with anger, thrashing out against whatever is interfering with my plans. I mean, if I had been on that road to Damascus, I probably would have said something like – “Heh, Lord, what’s the deal ? I’m on the way to take care of those awful Christians who are perverting the scriptures and going against the law of Moses. Why are you messing with me ?!!”

Paul was blinded in his eyes by the intensity of God’s light. But much worse is the blindness in my heart when I close up to what God is trying to do in me. I am blinded in my heart and don’t allow him access - to mold, shape and change me into the man He wants me to be. When things happen in my life that may cause some discomfort, I so often ask the question “why Lord” instead of asking the much more appropriate question – “what should I do Lord ?” I forget God’s loving purpose in my life – working all things in my life to accomplish his perfect will - changing me into the image of Christ. I must learn to remember that as I walk along the “road to Damascus”.

PRAYER

Father in Heaven, help me to stop asking the “why” questions when something happens in my life that I don’t like. Help me to turn toward you with the same question that Paul asked – “what do you want me to do, Lord ?” Keep my heart open and searching for you all the time. Don’t allow my heart to grow blind to you and forget your loving grace and mercy in my life. Keep my spiritual eyes open, in every single thing that comes my way in this life you have called me to. In Jesus name, Amen

BLAMELESS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-02-04T06:53:00.005-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 19:13-14

Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

OBSERVATION
In this Psalm, David recognizes the magnificence of God in nature and in the perfection of His precepts. He realizes that his best way to respond to God's greatness is to become a blameless man. So he prays for God to keep him from intentional sins, and requests that his words and thoughts become pleasing to God.

APPLICATION
I always admired this portion of Scripture as a goal for my life. Unfortunately, over and over again my spiritual journey has been tainted with intentional, willful sins. Certain sinful habits have ruled over my life and I have felt disqualified from becoming a blameless person. It's almost as if the enemy has convinced me that this cannot be done. But then David recognizes that God is our Rock and Redeemer. This is huge! First of all, God is more interested in me than in the law. So even when I walk in disobedience, He is my Rock and my Redeemer. He wants to restore me so I can become blameless once again. The key is for me to run and be safe under the shadow of His wings. In Him I can find refuge from the consequences of my sin and assurance that my wrongdoing has been forgiven and forgotten. And my proper response is not to abuse such amazing gift of mercy and keep sinning willfuly. Rather, my response should be more surrendering to His perfect will.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, your love and mercy always leave me speechless. Every time the enemy wants to make me believe that I cannot be restored and healed from my compulsions, you come with your grace to destroy all those hellish arguments. Please continue your work of redemption over my life. You are my Rock and my Redeemer. My trust is in you, not in me. Let me walk blameless before you not because I have to but because I want to. And give me a consistent victory over the things that have ruled over my life in the past and that continue taunting me every day. I love you Lord! Amen.

PRESERVATION. By Pastor Jan Tomai

2010-02-02T12:56:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 16:1-2

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’"

OBSERVATION
We think about preserving food, time, ourselves in health and beauty, possessions and even memories. Sometimes, a lot of time and money is spent on exercise, looking just right, education, vacations, therapists. There is an overwhelming need to control our minds, bodies, and emotions. Philanthropists abound adding accomplishments to their names. But, God cuts to the quick...no matter how diligent we are at preserving what we see as ours, there can be nothing good that comes from ourselves. Only God brings the good.

APPLICATION
Sometimes, I think that I so desperately need to preserve things...especially memories, certain sounds or smells. I am not saying that memories are bad, but they do not necessarily bring good into life. In fact, some memories bring regrets, deep unbearable sorrow, and can even paralyze one’s ability to act. What if I used the yardstick of good coming from the need to preserve? What part does God play or is God apart of me in these endeavors? I think finding refuge in God would then become more a part of my life. It is something I greatly desire. For me, it is much like sitting in a dark room, comforted and content with nothing but God’s presence. Bathed in peace with no need to think at all...

PRAYER
Lord, help me to take refuge in You. To lay aside trying to do so many things apart from You. My only hope of preservation is in You and having favor in your eyes. Thank you, Lord, for being my Savior.

JESUS, MY INTERCESSOR. By Pastor Fernando

2010-02-01T10:42:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Exodus 32:9-14

⁹ "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' " ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

OBSERVATION

Israel was quick to forget the Lord's provision of protection and deliverance. The amazing miracles and demonstrations of God's power were not enough to soften their hardened hearts. So at the first opportunity, the Israelites quickly turned away from God and made a golden calf to worship. God's anger was so strong that he decided to destroy everyone. But Moses here intercedes for the people in such persuasive way that God changed his mind.

APPLICATION

In my daily life I often forget quickly who I am and fall back into temptation and sin. Even though I don't walk away from God, I feel like I have disappointed Him. I'm sure that my sin grieves the Holy Spirit and angers the heart of my Heavenly Father. My only hope is in the current ministry of Jesus, interceding on my behalf before the throne of God, just like Moses did for Israel. Jesus is my High Priest, with direct access by the power of His blood, to redeem my life and secure forgiveness and mercy for my life. This is confirmed in the book of Hebrews...

⁵Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. ⁶But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. Hebrews 3:5-6.

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the ways I fall back into my sinful behaviors and satisfy my selfish nature rather than your will for my life. I have nothing to say on my behalf, but to trust by faith in the ministry of my Savior Jesus Christ, who is faithfully in your presence defending me from my accusers and hiding me by the power of His blood. You love me, regardless of my sinful choices. And even though I'm aware of the consequences that my disobedience brings, I can rest assure that my trust in Jesus will give me the victory as new trials and temptations come in the future. Please Holy Spirit, forgive me for grieving you and for resisting you. Restore unto me your anointing and continue guiding me, convicting me, strenghtening me when I'm weak. I need you more than ever before. In Jesus name! Amen.

BOLD BEYOND REASON. By Pastor Tj Gorum

2010-01-28T10:54:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

OBSERVATION

Here we have the disciples before the elite and literate of the time. These uneducated scrubs sit before this council because God has chosen to use them. Now if it was me and any joe smoe I would expect these uneducated men to cower in the presence of the wisdom of this world. Surely they would be refuted by the articulate responses of the religious leaders. Surely they would be silenced in light of the quick quips these men would give. Yet these uneducated men look more like gladiators than fishermen. They stand tall, heads held high before their accusers. Not in mockery or arrogance, but alive in the simple fact that they their source of strength and power is beyond them. They have the power of Christ. Not they know about the power of Christ or have heard about it, they have it. And it shows. Everyone knows it. What strikes people about what they see in this instance is their confidence goes beyond them. They know they were with Jesus. When Moses would leave the presence of God people could see it. It is this intrinsic familiarity that cries out to them. God’s fingerprint in creation recognizes its own.

APPLICATION

I was listening to a sermon by Andy Stanley the other day talking about the life of Joseph. He was talking about how Joseph stood out in the midst of adversity because God was with him. His question for everyone in the room was-If someone was in your exact circumstances of life, with your resources and your abilities, but knew 100% that God was with them, what would they do? Or in essence, what would you do if you knew that God was with you?

It changes everything. Normally we look for God after we look through our circumstances. But now it is a matter of looking for God’s presence than the circumstance. God was with Joseph even in prison. Joseph stood out because God was with him. In the same way I know that this is what I need to focus on. If I focus on manifesting the presence of God in my life than I will have this same confidence because if God is for me, than nothing can be against me. I used to rely on this but somewhere along the line it became about my skill or perfect plan. IF the conditions were right then God would show up. Now I do my best to prepare and then fully expect God to be there because it isn’t about my skills or abilities but if He is there. Where He is change and transformation happens. Hearts change at a moments notice, chains are destroyed, and life abounds.

In this season of life I now lead from the standpoint that God is with me. In the coffee shop, God is with me. In my finances, God is with me. I need to “gird” myself by preparing and doing my part, but HE will come through. As Joseph built storehouses in order to house the abundance, God is the one who brought the bountiful harvest. Today I choose to build my storehouse in full faith because I know that God is with me and I have heard his call. I walk in authority now knowing that indeed he will work and walk before me and after me.

As a leader, when men look at me they must see my confidence. Not in the fact that I am capable or smart. They must look at me and see the confidence that I have the power of Christ and have been with him and He continues to be with me. From this point forward I want to walk in expectant faith rather than reluctant obedience.

PRAYER

I would rather walk through the darkest valley with You by my side than to walk on the highest peak on my own.

REFRESHED BY THE SPIRIT. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-28T07:02:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Acts 4:29-30

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

OBSERVATION
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the disciples experienced a real transformation. They went from uneducated to articulate, from ordinary people to extraordinary, from timid and fearful to bold and decisive, and from faithless to faithful. They are turning the world upside down and the religious establishment is very uncomfortable. They are persecuted and threatened by the religious leaders. As they pray, this passage reveals their heart. Rather than asking God to make things easier for them, they ask God for more boldness to speak the message. And also they asked for more supernatural power to backup their proclamation.

APPLICATION
The Holy Spirit does a real work of transformation in our lives. Very recently I've been asking the Holy Spirit to renew His anointing over my life and over the ministry of our church. We are asking the Lord for more boldness to proclaim the message with power and for more miracles to touch those who are hurting, lost, and hopeless. Of course, this power comes from God. But I think that on my side, I must surrender and rely more and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. I need to fight constantly the default nature of depending on my own strength. Just like the disciples, we need to live expecting God to do powerful things as we take bold steps to proclaim the message and walk by faith, not by sight. We need to risk more, trust more in God, increase our faith, and expect supernatural things in our natural world.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the many opportunities we have to proclaim the message of life and hope in Christ Jesus. Holy Spirit, please fall fresh upon us and give us a unique boldness to proclaim your Word in a way that break the walls of unbelief and brings new hope in people's lives. Let us see more and greater miracles in our society, even if it challenges religiosity and traditional methods. Make us effective in reaching the lost and in making fully devoted followers of Christ. Amen!

BEWARE OF FALSE HUMILITY. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-22T10:16:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Exodus 4:10-14

Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. "The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses...

OBSERVATION
After several years of desert living, God restored Moses' calling to lead the Israelites in a supernatural way. God appeared and spoke to him to confirmed his calling to set the Israelites free. But Moses had lost all his confidence and was filled with insecurities about it. He went from being overconfident enough to kill an Egyptian, to being extremely insecure and hesitant. God gave him a supernatural provision and a supportive promise to back him up in his quest. But it wasn't enough for Moses. He even tried to pass this opportunity to someone else, which it may seem very noble, but it was clearly an expression of unbelief, distrust, and false humility. Such attitude caused God's anger against him. And even though God was angry at Moses, The Lord continued affirming him and providing him with more resources to accomplish God's plan.

APPLICATION
The Scripture declares in Numbers 12:3 that "Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." But such humility wasn't granted from the get go. It was developed through all the circumstances Moses went through. Like a pendulum swinging between overconfidence and false humility, Moses' life went through both extremes until finally he found himself in a balance, resting in God's plan for his life, and with a humble heart.

In my personal life I want to find the balance of true humility. I'm aware sometimes I struggle with overconfidence. But more often, and especially recently, I see myself struggling with insecurities, hesitance, and false humility. God has been promoting me to places, opportunities and positions of influence I never saw possible for me. Quite honest, I feel unqualified for most of them. And even though this is healthy for my character, I can see how the pendulum wants to go over too far on the side of false humility. I know that God resists the proud and rejects the arrogant and overconfident. But also in this passage we see God getting angry to those who practice false humility, the insecure, the hesitant and the under-confident.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the extremes I often practice as I struggle to develop a true sense of humility in my life. Today I need to ask you to forgive me especially for a sense of false humility that has been trying to find a secure footing in my heart. Please bring balance to my life so I can become truly humble before you and before men. I don't want to make you angry. I want to glorify your name. So help me top think in a healthy way about the calling you have for this season in my life. Help me to be courageous to do what you want me to do, confident in your provision and promise, and secure in your power to use me. I love you Lord, Amen!

GOOD INTENTIONS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE WRONG MEANS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-21T07:07:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Exodus 2:11-14

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."

OBSERVATION
Moses grew up with a desire to do something for His oppressed people and bring change. In his young and naive years, he tried to bring freedom on his own way, by killing an Egyptian. He did it in the shadows, like a vigilante. He probably felt good about it and even confident enough to exercise some leadership among the Hebrews. But some of them knew of his secret murderous ways, confronted him sarcastically, and dismissed his intent to lead. As a result of this, he felt disqualified from the original intent of becoming a liberator, ran away from Pharaoh, and went into exile.

APPLICATION
This week I have learned a very important lesson that is confirmed in this passage of Scripture. In Christian leadership, those who are called to lead most of the times have good intentions to bring positive and necessary change. At the start line of the race we have pure motives, creative ideas, and good intentions. We can visualize the finish line with great results that bring blessing to people and glory to God. So we start the race, but very often something happens on the track. As we find obstacles, our insecurities, selfishness, fears, compulsions and character flaws become evident. And if we don't know how to handle them properly in the presence of God, we could deceive ourselves, believe that the means justify the ends, and eventually end up behaving unethically, just like Moses did. When that happens, people around us are going to notice that something is not quite right and they are going to ask questions. Our tendency is to avoid the answers about the ethics of our means, and use our intentions as an excuse. We say, "My intentions are pure. My motivation is good."

This week I realized how easy is for leaders to follow this pattern of self-deception. It makes me sad to think about those around me who started with good intentions, but disqualified themselves from the race because of unethical behavior. But this morning God's Word gives me hope that just as Moses was restored and became the most humble man that ever lived, these leaders who I love can also experience God's restoration and purification of their calling to lead and finish the race well.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please keep my heart pure from wrong motives and from unethical, unbiblical, twisted, and compromising solutions. The means cannot justify the end. Let me walk in integrity and run the race the right way, never risking to be disqualified because of impatience or frustration. Show me how to bring discernment into the process so we keep it clean, honest, transparent, and honorable in such a way that brings blessings to people and glory to your name. Amen!

MONEY BUYS RELATIONSHIPS. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-16T10:49:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Luke 16:8-9
"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."

OBSERVATION
Jesus here points out that people in the world are willing to take more risks and loss than the people of the light in order to keep relationships healthy. They use their wealth to build bridges, not walls. Jesus implies that our money should be used to strengthen relationships. Generosity has the power to unite people and we should be looking into ways to use money to gain friends.

APPLICATION
A very practical way to use our money is to build and maintain relationships. Very often we scheme about how to keep more money for ourselves, but Jesus encourages us to scheme and find ways to share more resources with others. Healthy relationships have a price, and very often that price is monetary. Generosity will open doors and it will create credibility, especially if our intent is not self-centered. I've seen this principle working in our ministry in India. Our generosity there has opened doors for us in so many ways. We are using some of the money God gives us to help others and our influence grows among them. We should look into other ways we can use monetary resources to build and nurture new healthy friendships.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly father, thank you so much for your faithfulness and provision. Give us wisdom about how and where we should share our blessings so we can build strong alliances for the kingdom of God. Keep our hearts pure so we build friendships without selfish motives. Amen!

ANXIETY. By Pastor Jan Tomai.

2010-01-14T10:50:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE
“Therefore I ell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.” Genesis 12:36

OBSERVATION
Anxiety can be such a blessing in our lives. God made us to have this “quick” fight or flight response to danger! How else would we react at the right time to things that physically, emotionally, and mentally threaten our lives? God made us to be sensitive to our environment as a means of protection. How often must we avert physical danger whether driving, running, or doing something as simple as cooking? Then, there is the constant risk of emotion trauma from loss, discouragement, others, or possibly abuse. Mental danger exists all around us as we are bombarded with moral impurity trying to seep into our souls through constant media exposure.

APPLICATION
Now comes the catch. I find myself anxious about things that are not threatening my mental integrity, physical well-being, or emotional health. It would be nice to blame Satan for all of it but the truth is my flesh plays a big part in enlarging on God’s natural defense system for human’s in pursuit of purposes that often escape me. I think I am suggesting that it is not God’s plan but my design converted toward something I want, need, or desire. If there is going to be true self-awareness, then it will have to start in the midst of my selfish anxiety. I must learn to give every moment to God retiring to that quiet spot in my heart where He and I can abide. I must learn to find life worth living on God’s terms not my own.

PRAYER
Lord, help me to remove myself from the noise of everyday life that tries to call me away from you. My unhealthy anxieties can only be reduced through a constant awareness of your intended protection and realization that all else is Me seeking what you have not designed. Life is nothing without you, Lord. Let the moment to moment reflect your glory. Help me to shed unneeded anxietyand dress in the promises of Your Word.

RESTORING A DECEIVER. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-14T07:02:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE
After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel.
Genesis 35:9-10

OBSERVATION
Jacob, as his name indicates, was a deceiver. We moved up in life by deceiving his father, his brother, his uncle, and many others. Some of his sons grew up to be like him and became deceivers. They deceived Hamor, his son Shechem, and the men of their city. Ruben deceived his father by sleeping with his concubine. And later on, the ten older brothers would deceive their father about the whereabouts of Joseph. Certainly, when you consider Jacob's life, this name change event while in Bethel is very significant. God is dealing with the sinful nature within Jacob. God himself declares that Jacob will not be known as a deceiver, but as Israel, a man who struggles with God. Jacob was the man who wrestled with the Angel of the Lord until daybreak and it seems that his new name reflects that event.

When reading the way God changes Jacob's name, I would expect a better name, something like, "the man of truth" or "the honest man." But the name God gave him was Israel, "he who struggles with God." Certainly, the reality of Israel from that point forward was of struggle and the same struggle continues even today. I seems that the path towards living in the truth has to go though struggles first.

APPLICATION
I don't want to have a relationship with the Lord where I'm constantly struggling with him. I want to have a relationship where I surrender to Him. The root of deception is still deep in my heart. My sin is a reality that manifests with self-deception, with lack of honesty, with a spin of the truth, and with compromise. Just like Jacob, the temptation to move up in life through deception is very real. And certainly, when we want to walk with Christ, we will struggle with Him and His ways. We want our will and He wants His. We wrestle with God in our minds. And when El Shadai, the God Almighty, pins us down on the mat, we have two options: to let our faith be weakened and resent God, or surrender to Him fully convinced that God's ways are better than our ways.

That's why my relationship with God through Christ makes the whole difference in the world. The Holy Spirit will always point out my deception to set me free from it. And even though is natural to struggle and wrestle with God, at the end I hope always to surrender to His ways.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to always surrender to your ways, even when I call you on the mat for things I don't understand. Right now I don't understand why the people in Haiti are suffering so much. Even though you didn't cause this disaster, I know you are in control and you allow it to happen. I believe you have a great plan, but it seems very hard to see the good side when there is so much devastation in front of my eyes. I choose to trust you. But there are millions of people right now struggling, wrestling in their hearts with you about this. Please guide them to surrender and to trust in your ways. Help us to put our trust in you and to the promise of one day bringing the entire world under your dominion. And help us to be restored from our own deception until we can live in the full truth of your will. Amen!

UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-07T07:03:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Luke 7:6-10

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

⁹When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." ¹⁰Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

OBSERVATION
The Centurion was a good man that feared God and understood the principles of authority. He knows how it works and how it can be exercised. For him, just a word from Jesus is enough to do the miracle that he requested. The centurion recognizes that Jesus has authority over all things, including the health of his servant. So his faith is based simply on what Jesus says. He knows that just one word from the One with authority suffices. He recognizes who Jesus is and He does not doubt in the authoritative power of His words. Jesus was very impressed with this kind of faith coming from a Gentile and elevated it above all the other people of Israel.

APPLICATION
We can build our faith as we understand and apply the principles of authority. One word from the Lord should be enough. What His Word says should be the only thing that we depend on to believe in a miracle. He says it, and so it goes! However, I can see very often that His word is not enough for us. He want something else and request a confirmation, a proof, an emotion, a feeling, or a manifestation, so our faith can grow more. By God's grace, God sometimes gives us more than His word, and yet we walk in skepticism. Our faith is not developed and we continue to struggle believing what God says.

We need to recognize and understand that Jesus has authority over every single thing in the universe. His word created everything from nothing. I need to rest assure that what He says is going to happen. His word should be enough for me. I don't need any proof. His word is all I need because He has the authority to make it happen. He has power over everything, including the spirits of oppression working around me and in the lives of those who I lead. He has the authority and all things submit to Him. I need to build my faith more and more as I understand the authority that the Father has given to Jesus to rule in power.

PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the authority you have given Jesus to rule over every challenge, every sickness, every principality, and every situation in my life and in the lives of others around me. Help me to have a faith like this centurion - a faith where your word is enough for me to run confident. This year help me to see more miracles as I minister under your authority and with your authority. Amen!

MANIPULATED TRUTH. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-05T09:27:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Genesis 12:10-16

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. ¹¹ As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."

¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. ¹⁵ And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

OBSERVATION

Abram had great faith in leaving everything behind in order to follow God, but had fears about what others can do to him. In one hand he has great courage to blaze new trails, but on the other he worries too much. His anxiousness causes him to manipulate the truth while in Egypt. So he conveniently hides his marriage with Sarai but reveals that she was his half sister. He saves himself from scrutiny, but places his wife in danger. At first, everything seems fine. Abram gets a lot of stuff, what many would consider a "blessing." But behind Abram spin came along a curse that was affecting Pharaoh's household.

APPLICATION

Manipulating the truth is a dangerous yet very common practice in our 21st Century filled with immediate information and multiple media outlets. Data is exchanged so fast that the truth gets buried, sometimes intentionally, and often times unintentionally. At the same time, people grow suspicious and skeptical because they do not trust the sources of information. We don't know anymore what's the truth, what's spin, what's manipulation, and what is intentional misinformation.

In my personal life I can see myself struggling the same way Abram did: having faith for great things, but anxious and fearful about other things. Honesty is compromised very often not out of malice, but out of fear. And if I'm not careful, I will manipulate the truth just as Abram did. I could think that I'm safe, while the reality is that others will be vulnerable and in great danger. I could get immediate rewards, but at the end I may experience terrible consequences. For that reason, I must always have a strong commitment with honesty. Sometimes living in the truth is more painful that living in a spin of the truth. But at the end, the truth always prevails and rewards those who hold her dear.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for the lack of honesty that sometimes comes in my life out of fear. Please set me free from anything that makes me anxious and causes me to compromise the truth. Let me discern between the truth and manipulated truth. Satan loves to twist the truth and I don't want to be like Him. He is the father of lies and I don't want to be related to him. I want to be your child and live in the light, embracing the truth, as painful as it is at times. Amen!

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. By Pastor Fernando

2010-01-04T10:16:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Luke 4:13-14

"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit..."

OBSERVATION

After a difficult time of testing in the desert, Jesus did not compromise His convictions and commitments and came out of the temptation in the power of the Spirit. Jesus put aside His divine powers and became fully human human, vulnerable to all kinds of temptations. The enemy was trying to ruin Jesus' calling, but the Lord resisted each trial and proved Himself worthy of the empowerment of the Spirit. As a human being, Jesus did not took His divine powers back, they were granted by the Father as a reward for His courage and determination to obey God's Word. The enemy tried to tempt Jesus over and over again when the Lord was the most vulnerable, but Jesus remained faithful, securing a constant flow of the Spirit's power in His life, not only to do miracles, but to keep moving forward towards the plan of God for His life.

APPLICATION

This passage always reminds me that in order to live empowered by the Holy Spirit we need to remain faithful to God's ways. We have an enemy, a tempter, that is constantly pushing our buttons, taking advantage of our weakest moments, and capitalizing in our failures. It would be depressing to think about all the opportunities for empowerment I missed because of my failed tests. However, the good news is that Peter was a disciple that also missed many opportunities because of his unfaithfulness, but that God restored and empowered when he increased in faithfulness and trusted God.

I'm aware of the many missed opportunities that I let go because of my sin and lack of faithfulness to God's ways. But I'm also aware that my life story is still in process. The first chapters may have a lot of failures, but I'm convinced that many things are yet to be done. I need to uproot any seeds of sin that I planted and sow seeds of obedience in my life. Each test will be difficult, but as I remain faithful, I will be endowed with more power in the Spirit to glorify God, to be used by Him for supernatural purposes, and to fulfill the calling He has for my life.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, once again I come to you in repentance for the many seeds of sin I have planted and continue nurturing in my life. Please help me to uproot them and to plant seeds of obedience. I need your strength when the tempter comes. I want to remain faithful and reap the reward of a consistent empowerment of your Spirit in my personal life and ministry. Help us to never miss opportunities for miracles because of our unfaithfulness. And let your name be glorified in our lives. Amen!

RAISING THE DEAD. By Pastor Mark Olson

2009-12-21T11:41:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE - John 11:44

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

OBSERVATION

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he’d been in the tomb four days already. When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was alive but still covered with grave clothes and needed assistance from the others to get the grave clothes off and release him to life again.

APPLICATION

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he walked out of the tomb still covered in his grave clothes. And Jesus instructed his followers there to take the grave clothes off Lazarus so he could walk on his own. Lazarus must have looked like a “dead man walking”. He was alive – Jesus has just given him life. But he still looked like a dead man.

Sometimes, I feel like I am covered in grave clothes. I know I have a new life that Jesus gave me, but I still feel bound up by the grave clothes – the reality and consequences of my past failures. I can’t seem to go on sometimes when my past seems to rise up to haunt and entrap me. And those failings of the past seem like grave clothes binding me and keeping me from walking the walk God has called me to. What am I to do with this mess ?! How can I walk when I am bound up like this ? Jesus called on his followers to assist Lazarus to take off the grave clothes and “let him go” so he could walk and live again. How does that work in God’s kingdom ? How can I help others to shed the grave clothes of their past and allow them to walk freely in the life God called them to live. And how can I shed my own grave clothes and walk the way You want me to, Lord ? Is there a piece of this life I am missing ? Maybe my brothers and sisters in the faith are more important than I thought ? Maybe, as Paul compares us to a physical body, the other members of the body of Christ are so very much more important than I realized. We need them to help us shed the “grave clothes” – the things in our past that bind us up and keep us from walking the path God has called us to live. Maybe God is telling us we cannot live this new life without them. It is impossible to live the Christian life without my brothers and sisters walking along side and helping me shed the clothing of the grave.

There are times with I have my towel all rolled up and ready to throw it in and walk away. But I know I can’t. As Peter put it in John 6:68 “Lord, to whom shall we go?” In other words, there is no one else we can go to, no one else to lean on, no one else to worship, to follow, to give us eternal life ! We may often want to return to the grave, because walking in grave clothing is hard ! But as we learn to lean on our brothers and sisters in accountability, in fellowship and to help us shed those grave clothes of the past, we can begin to be released to live this life God has called us to here on earth.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus - Help me to walk in this new life you have given me. Help me to shed the grave clothes that may still bind me from walking fully in this life. Help me to lean on my brothers and sisters to assist in shedding the grave clothes of the past. I commit to following you, Lord. I commit to walking freely in newness of life. There is no one else, other than You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

SCARS OF HOPE. BY TJ Gorum

2009-12-18T07:48:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

OBSERVATION

Scars stories are fun to listen to sometimes. Sometimes people have scars that look like they got into a knife fight but really are from something stupid like getting head butted while playing football (not me of course ;-) Other times though theses scars are trophies that come from a battle. They act as reminders of triumphs or lessons learned. The clearest picture of this would be a war hero general. If you were to look at some of the most successful combat heroes they will probably not be perfect and untouched, but rather carry brands in their flesh from near death experiences. During the time when the wound happened it was one of the most painful times in that persons life, but they experience they received from it was life changing. Some people may say that these scars are reminders of their mistakes, which may be true sometimes. However, let me ask you this question...would you rather follow a general into battle with scars on their body and experience or a unblemished inexperienced general with a perfect record? I’ll take the scared general any day. Many times I feel like we would try to answer and say both, I want a general who is proven and has no scars. Yet these generals don’t exist. The reality of life and battle is that you will get wounded, sometimes because of your own fault, sometimes because of things beyond your control. But the confidence and experience a scared soldier has is priceless. They know what works in real battle, not just what works in the classroom. When they experience victory because of their experience they learn to trust the method and not the feeling.

A first time warrior is petrified of battle. It is the nature of man to be that way. Questions and doubts flood their mind that never have before because in real life they have everything to lose. What if this doesn’t work? What if we made a mistake? What if I am wrong? They can then deviate from the plan, disqualify themselves or worse, lose faith. But the solider who has seen the battle plans in action is able to face battle with much more confidence, not just because they know what can work in battle, but because they have the scars and experience to prove it.

APPLICATION

With the Christian life it is the same. Christians who have suffered and have scars from it have way more confidence in God. Yes, when they were in the vally and suffering it was/is the hardest times in life. BUT when you see God come through in these hard times and bring you out from death you learn to trust who God is vs. what you feel. The problem with many Christians today is that we want to walk with as little pain as possible. We don’t want to suffer. We don’t want to put ourselves on the line. What we want is to talk about our great faith without ever having to exercise it. We aren’t warriors of faith anymore. We are historians of faith. We talk about what others have done.

Today I realize what Peter says that when you have proof of your faith-a spiritual scar, than it is worth more than Gold. You don’t just know about God’s faithfulness, you KNOW GOD. When you face future battles you aren’t relying on a book but rather a source of power that you know actually works. In the beginning of my walk I wanted to not suffer and know God. Now that I have suffered I found that without it I’m not sure I would have ever known Him.. Was it painful? Yes. Do I want to experience that stuff again? NO. Is it worth it and would I do it again if I knew where I would be today? YES

PRAYER

Father, thank you for being faithful. THank you for my spiritual scars. Help me to be a warrior of faith and to not be afraid to suffer and wage war for you. Help me to lead others into battle and would you prove yourself to them that they may know you. Amen.

ABOUT SUFFERING. By Kamu Sing

2009-12-18T07:43:00.000-10:00

Scripture
1 Peter 5:8b - Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Observation
As followers, believers, disciples of Jesus, we are destined to suffer. It is inevitable that we will be persecuted by those who do not share the same belief and faith. We will be pointed at for the small things because we don’t resemble what the world looks like in the big things.
Paul writes about suffering on how we are to conduct ourselves when it comes. He doesn’t say if...it’s when. As a Christian, we are to consider ourselves blessed if we face trials of suffering because we identify with Christ.
What stood out to me is one advice that Paul gives when suffering, is to remember those who are sharing the same trials that we are all around the world. In my own experience, when I suffer, I have a huge tendency to be very inward focused. A lot of my thoughts, feelings, sometimes even actions are geared toward what is happening to me. As Paul shares this word of advice to look out, I can really see the value of focusing on how others are suffering too. This way, it helps to keep our flesh, our selfish nature, the evil in us away from the unhealthiness of thinking that life should be easy and fair and comfortable.

Application
For me personally, I feel like I’ve come to a point where suffering isn’t a surprise in life. It is a clear indicator that I must be doing something that the enemy doesn’t like. I must be in some way on the right tract. Now, I don’t want to imply that every moment of suffering means that we’re doing good or right. Sometimes God allows suffering in my life to correct too. But suffering isn’t all the time, everyday of the week. As we begin to hear God clearly and act in obedience, suffering isn’t so much a bad thing than a type of discipline that God gives to us. It’s kind of like a baby learning through trials and circumstances. When a child is doing something they shouldn’t, like trying to stick a metal object into an electrical outlet, the parent will discipline pretty severely so that the child will understand that this is not to happen ever again. The child suffers for a period of time and then learns the lesson. If that child doesn’t learn the lesson and continues in the same action, either the parent will increase in discipline or the unfortunate circumstance will take it’s place. Likewise for us as children of God. He will allow suffering to happen to sometimes teach us certain lessons.
Many of us as believers will focus on the suffering and lose sight of the lesson. As we take the first step to refrain from being inward focused, I know that there is so much to learn that God wants to show in that suffering.

Prayer
Lord, I am truly grateful for your continued Truth that allows me to remember and respond correctly. As much as I might not want to remember this lesson, it is very important to meditate on this and live it out when suffering happens...not if, but when. Thank you for guiding me where I am in my life. I look forward to more of this adventure that You’ve already set before me. I love you. In Jesus name, Amen.

THE MIGHTY EIGHT. By Pastor Fernando

2009-12-17T06:56:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE
⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
2 Peter 1:5-9

OBSERVATION
This is Peter's version of the fruit of the Spirit when we truly become fully devoted followers of Christ. The change in our lives is reflected by an increase of these eight virtues. Faith is the starting point and love is the goal. In between, we need to grow in goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness and brotherly kindness. Peter suggests that they work together as one overflows over the other. The more faith I have, the more goodness I will develop. The more goodness I have, the more knowledge I will have, and so forth. The reverse process is also true. I cannot have a measure of love greater that my measure of brotherly kindness. I cannot have a measure a measure of brotherly kindness larger than my measure of godliness, and so forth.

APPLICATION
As I prepare for what has for next year and for the future, looking at Peter's mighty 8 provides me with a clear idea of who I want to become and also a strategy to accomplish that. Just like a pyramid, the base of faith must be vastly large. On top of that I must build goodness, and on top of that knowledge, etc. I think my problem is that I try to work in all these virtues separately, not as unit. I need to realize that the work must be comprehensive, one building upon each other and feeding from each other. I cannot be strong in godliness and week in perseverance. I cannot say that I lack self-control but I abound in love. Only if I focus in all eight of them and increase my measure in each one of them, I will see my life thriving and growing, giving glory to God, and showing that He truly lives in me.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please let me fgrow in each area of the mighty eight. Help me to understand more and more about the way each one of them build on each other and feeds from each other. I want to honor you with my life and reveal to the world that you live in me by the way I grow in your image. I love you Lord Amen!

LOVING MY NEIGHBOR. By Kim Matsukawa

2009-12-15T11:21:00.000-10:00

SCRIPTURE:
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. James 2:8-9

OBSERVATION:
James gives instructions on how not to commit sin by the law of “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Reminding us that we need to treat everyone equal, whether they are rich or poor, have a mansion or live in a box. What a humbling thought, reminding us that as Jesus put it in Matthew 25, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

APPLICATION:
I am totally guilty of giving preferential treatment to certain people. I would like to think that I have a purer heart, one that accepts everyone just the way they are, however, know that is not true. Reading this scripture with Matthew 25:40 as well as “you’re your neighbor”, reminds me that when I treat, or don’t even acknowledge those that I am not comfortable with; they too are God’s creature and I need to treat them as such.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, forgive me for my selfishness of not sharing with those less fortunate as much as I probably could. Your humbling scripture reminds me that I need to love everyone equally and without thinking of what could I get out of it. I ask You for a heart of unabounding love for others who hardly get a chance to receive it. Help me to know what to do when approached and when I need to approach someone else. Amen…

TRUSTING GOD. By Pastor Fernando

2009-12-14T10:33:00.005-10:00

SCRIPTURE

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"^{Hebrews 13:5-6

OBSERVATION

The writer of Hebrews has a great sense of urgency to pass down to his readers the most important values of a fully devoted follower of Christ. Among them he points out sexual purity, hospitality, generosity, justice, and mercy. And also he has a warning about greed and loving money. He accurately describes lack of contentment as a dangerous root in our lives because ultimately steals away our trust in God's love, provision, and protection.

I recently heard Chris Rock, a well known celebrity, confessing how Americans worship money because of what it has to offer in this world. We live in a money loving society that even though has enough and more than everyone else, still is not satisfied and craves for more. If we are not careful, such mindset can invade the heart of a follower of Christ and cause him/her to have divided loyalties. Jesus said that we cannot have two masters. We cannot serve God and money. We must make a choice almost in a daily basis. And if we choose to love God above money, then we will grow trusting more and more in his provision, protection, and plan for our lives.}APPLICATION.

^{Currently I'm looking at the future of my family and the church. In both fields I see the potential for a greater blessing. At home, even though we have more than enough, we are looking to buy a house and we are very excited about it. However, we also must be cautious about it. Our heart is deceitful and very easy we could become ungrateful and greedy. We want to remain faithful to God and to our calling to be servants and spiritual leaders with integrity. We want to keep an above reproach lifestyle and a sense of authority when it comes to live simple lives for the sake of the gospel.

With the church we are facing a great opportunity to have more and to do more for the kingdom of God. And it's very easy to allow greed and pride to creep in. I want to lead our church in faith for great things to happen without being pretentious and arrogant. We don't want to trust in our abilities, or past experiences. We want to simply trust God and follow His direction. We want to dream for better things without being ungrateful about the current things. And by God's grace, we will have such heart coming into those important decisions.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, please give me a pure heart as I approach important decisions about my family and about your church. Please reveal any trace of ingratitude and greed in our hearts so we can get rid off it and walk into this season with a clean heart. We want to walk into better things not because we are unhappy, but because we are following you. We are happy with what you have given us, but if it's your will to have more, give me wisdom about how to walk into it and also give me grace to receive with humility what you have prepared for us. I love you more than anything!}

MOMENTS LOST. By Pastor Jan Tomai

2009-12-11T18:36:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.” 2 Timothy 2:24-25

OBSERVATION
Quarreling does not seem to solve anything. Just as Timothy shares, it renders one close to being foolish. The worst part of quarreling is how it leads to deception. The harder we fight for something, the more we think we are walking in doing what is right. Manytimes, the issue is of no consequence when compared to people hungry, hurt, and lost without Jesus.

APPLICATION
Occasionally, I find myself drawn into something that really is of no importance but here I am arguing. The arguing comes not so much from a heart-felt stance as from a need to defend myself against some invisible unknown enemy from my childhood! My natural tendency is to avoid quarreling at all costs. I grew up as a youngster with nothing but contention in my family and home. My family took pride in quarreling loudly and perversely. I ran from it then and run from it now. I am immediately hit by the futility of the situation. However, it is very important that I learn to step-back, stop feeling attacked and being defensive. Only then, will I stop running and use those words of gentleness you put in my heart.

PRAYER
Lord, speak to my heart when I feel contention in the air. Give your voice to my words that there is true humility in kindness and gentleness. Restore to me those moments lost due to my shortcomings. Thank you for bringing me out of darkness into your light.

TRUE HUMILITY. By Pastor Fernando

2009-12-10T06:32:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
2 Timothy 2:20-21

OBSERVATION
Paul has a very practical philosophy of life. He believes there's two kinds of people: those used by God for noble purposes, and those who are not used for noble purposes because of their current ignoble use. Gold and silver vessels were used for very important occasions. Wood and clay vessels were used for day to day stuff. In fact, wood and clay articles were used for something dirty because Paul implies that they needed to be clean. And once the cleansing happens and the ignoble things are gone, then the vessel becomes holy in the hands of the Master and used to do good things.

APPLICATION
Without a doubt, Paul calls each one of us to a reality check about our lives. We all start in our journey with God as vessels of wood and clay, dedicated to ignoble purposes, wasting our true potential, engaged in things that the Master doesn't use. That is our nature. But such nature can be altered when we take the responsibility to cleanse ourselves. Nobody can do the cleansing for us. We need to self-initiate the process and continue keeping our lives clean from impurities.

For some reason I always thought that God will take my wood and clay and turn them into gold and silver. The problem with this mindset is that we give then room for feeling entitled, regardless of our true condition. Better being a clean wood and clay article used by the Master for good things than being a god and silver article filled with filth and discarded by the Master. I find that it is more healthy to think about my own life as wood and clay than needs to be cleansed regularly rather that gold and silver that seems to be so righteous. True humility is not defined by what others perceive in me but by what I harbor in my heart. And if I find something filthy in it, I need to cleanse myself right away from anything that would hinder me as a useful article in the hands of the Master to do good things in this world.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for clarifying this illustration in my heart. Forgive me for the many times I felt entitled to your grace and forgiveness, having a false sense of humility, thinking that because you have used me in the past for noble purposes, automatically I will be used in the future. Help me to remain faithful and humble at your feet, always thinking about my own life as insignificant, unless you use me. Give me a clean and pure heart, and the diligence to keep it clean from the selfish and lustful desires of my youth, being always ready to be used by you, my Master., to bring glory to your name. Amen.

THE UNDESIRABLE CROSSROAD. By Pastor Fernando

2009-12-09T09:35:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Titus 3:1-2

OBSERVATION

Paul's words of instruction are very clear. Even though Titus was a high ranked leader in the church, he was instructed to remind the people that God had appointed leaders above them. Regardless of their performance, such authority must be respected by displaying godly character, by being ready to do whatever is good. This is not a command to become gullible and easily manipulated by ungodly rulers. This is clearly a command to confront with respect, to respond with wisdom, not to react with emotion, to stay away from personal attacks and to focus on the issues.

APPLICATION

Very often we forget that our spiritual leaders are human beings, vulnerable to mistakes and to the distractions that this world offers. When they under perform according to our expectations, we are quick to criticize without the character Paul reminds us all of us to display. We dismiss relationship for task and we neglect love for the sake of justice. We forget that Jesus sets an example of balancing both, grace and truth. So when our chance comes to make a difference, we have a choice - to tilt the balance on the side of dishonor or on the side of what is good. Do we let our emotions rule, or we let the fruit of the Spirit to become evident?

Recently I've been experiencing this common and undesirable crossroad where a few of my leaders have made poor choices. Standing here is interesting what I can see. I can see the loyalists trying to excuse their behavior and even determined to protect and perpetuate those who were negligent. I can see the angry mob arming themselves with pitchforks to fight against them. I can see the opportunists, masters in manipulating the naive, positioning themselves sometimes from the shadows, sometimes out in the light. The funny thing is that they all think they are doing what is right. I wish I can see in the midst all of this mess more people like Jesus - those who respectfully can speak the truth in love without slandering, those who can spearhead and bring change with sacrifice, not with manipulation, and those who are practitioners of true humility. Where are they? I hope I can find them around me, but most important of all, I hope I can find one of those inside of me.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, thank you so much for the honor and privilege you give me to lead your people and to be led by others. As you give me the opportunity to lead, please let me reminded at all times of the right character we must have when dealing with the mistakes of those in authority over us. Let me display a true humility very similar than Jesus'. Let me speak the truth in love at all times by keeping the perfect balance between grace and truth. Give me favor during this new season in my life as I become more involved in serving your people and your kingdom. Build your character in mine. Let me be more like you. Amen!

DRESS CODE. By Pastor Fernando

2009-12-07T10:06:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE

¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14

OBSERVATION

As Paul declares the kind of fruit that results from a genuine faith, he uses the illustration of clothing. We put on, we wear certain things that affect the way people perceive us, but most important, reflect who we really are. Paul mentions some virtues that are consistent to other biblical passages. He talks about compassion, kindness, humility, etc. He encourage us to deal properly when others offend us. But above all things, Paul points out love as the virtue that binds all things together. Loving people in Paul's eyes is the fulfillment of all the commandments.

APPLICATION

When reading this passage I cannot avoid to see a template for my personal growth in he next season of my life. Growing in love for others is God's plan for me. The clothes I wear every single day, meaning the attitude I chose to put on in my daily affairs, are the key to be more fruitful in this area. There is nothing more uncomfortable that being wrongfully dressed for an occasion. I remember when we went to Argentina few years ago, the temperature was in the low 50's, and a bunch of Hawaiians were wearing t-shirts and slippers. I remember also attending a dinner, not following the dress code, feeling awkward, and even disrespectful towards the hosts. Certainly, in our walk with Christ and as we relate to others, we need to be extremely aware of the dress code. I cannot keep wearing the wrong attitude. I must learn from Jesus and how He dresses. He puts on the right garments, He makes others feel loved, and He truly displays the fruit of the Spirit in all His interactions.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I want to learn how to dress properly so I can be a reflection of who you are to those around me. I want to get rid of the wrong and inappropriate garments. I want to wear your compassion, your holiness, your humility, and your honesty. Let me be a man that put on your Son Jesus every day. Let me walk with Christ and as Christ in this world. Please make 2010 a year to grow in love for you and for the people you place around me. In Jesus name, Amen!

Heart Felt Living. By Pasotr Jan Tomai

2009-12-03T07:50:00.001-10:00

SCRIPTURE
“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." Romans 6:18

OBSERVATION:
God must sometimes tire of our lives. It isn’t the thoughts that we think but the the words that we speak about others and the actions we perform that tells of this inability to overcome sin in our lives. I think that is why God gave grace to each of us--to sustain our life when we do what we do not want to do and to protect our thoughts, words, and actions toward others when they do what was not meant as an offense. Our sinful side wants to assume that others’ intentions are not meant for good.

APPLICATION:
So many times, I can think about things I have done that I did not want to do causing unintended offense. If the grace were not there, I would find life futile and un-meaningful for where would I go to find forgiveness. And, how would I keep my thoughts, words, and actions pure before the Lord when others offended me? At first it seems complicated, but it isn't. It is the daily walk to hear God and receive freely what He gives us.

PRAYER:
Lord thank you for your relentless, undeserved grace. Help me to use it with love and heart-felt intention not allowing a place for the enemy to reside in my life.

Renewing Me in Him. By Kim Matsukawa

2009-12-03T07:49:00.000-10:00

SCRIPTURE: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2

OBSERVATION: The price of Jesus paid was a high one and all that He asks for in return is a sacrifice of our body and mind to Him. He asks us to take care of ourselves and to constantly renew our minds.

APPLICATION: The season before brought me to question how much I have missed because I failed to take care of myself in mind and body. So in this season, I became more physically active and took a critical thinking class. Paddling became a great help in my ability to lose a few pounds, giving me confidence in myself. The class has allowed me to think outside of my own little world and giving me the fervor to want to learn more. Each of these things would not have been possible without knowing that God's got my back. He can help me through anything. As I continue to renew myself in Him, I yearn for more knowledge about Him.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank You for being with me every step of the way. I ask forgiveness for taking so long and ask for Your continued guidance in the season to come. Thank you for this season of helping me to grow. I look forward to spending more time at Your feet. Amen

BUILDING BRIDGES. By Pastor Fernando

2009-12-03T06:31:00.005-10:00

SCRIPTURE
⁵May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, ⁶so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6

OBSERVATION
In the context, Paul wants to make sure that relationships among brothers and sisters in the church are thriving and are not affected by differences of opinion in non-essential matters. The people in the church in Rome needed a message about preserving unity. Regardless of difference of style, they all could have one heart and one mouth to worship the Lord. They were making a big deal of small things, not realizing that it was causing division. Paul's sobering instruction instructs them to focus in the essentials and to grow together in their devotion for God.

APPLICATION
One of the saddest things I've seen in the church is the division that differences of opinion create when people prioritize dogma over love. I love a quote that has been attributed to St. Augustine tha says, "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity (love)." The problem is that many times we make non-essentials the essentials. We use our personal convictions as an opportunity to grow apart. We sacrifice unity for being right. But at the end, we result being wrong, very wrong.

As I grow in my call to lead the church, I need to have much wisdom to always be a bridge builder, not a wall builder. I want to help people to get along, but also I need to get along with those who have differences of opinion with me. The tendency is to walk away and hide from them because we are afraid of their judgment, or of their attempts to convince us of their positions. I'm sure God's calling in my life is greater than that. Building bridges, especially among people that believe in Jesus Christ as God, Lord and Savior, is a noble task worth while to pursuit.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to always think and act as a bridge builder. Give me endurance and encouragement to build a spirit of unity among the church and other churches. Amen!

OBEDIENCE THAT COMES FROM FAITH. By Pastor Fernando

2009-11-30T10:12:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE

⁵Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. ⁶And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:5-6

OBSERVATION

As Paul starts writing his letter to the Romans, from the very beginning he reveals his purpose to call people to the obedience that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. He is the prime defender of salvation through faith. But he also clarifies that true faith always results in obedience to God's ways. In other words, our faith is validated by our level of obedience or resistance to God's instructions. The quality of our faith is determined not by what we believe but by the way we live.

APPLICATION

The greatest struggle in my life is to live according to what I believe. For years I tried and tried to live up to my convictions, to defeat my compulsions, and to honestly have a lifestyle that reflects my faith. The second greatest struggle in my life is to call out people to live that way. As a pastor my greatest worry and what keeps me awake at night is the frustration of seeing people that believe in God living as if they do not believe His Word. God's grace and mercy has been covering me during my own struggles with unwavering obedience. His patience and kindness has lead me to repentance. And even though sometimes I fall again, I still find his forgiveness available as I repent constantly.

However, I'm troubled in my heart for so many dear people I know that continue living stubborn lives, doing whatever they want, and not doing what God clearly instructs them to do. I must have the same patience and mercy that God has with me. I must find ways to motivate them to obey and never give up trying.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for your grace over my life. I'm doing better living out my faith trough sincere obedience. But now I need your help in helping people to live out their convictions as they trust and obey your ways. Give me a special anointing to motivate, guide, and disciple people in this way, to become faithful and committed followers of your son Jesus. Amen!

SHEEP OR GOATS. By Pastor Fernando

2009-11-26T09:49:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Matthew 26:31-46

³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

OBSERVATION

In this passage, Jesus makes a clear distinction between sheep and goats. The sheep are people who develop a compassionate and merciful heart towards those in need. They do not much, but the little they do makes a difference in the life of others. Their lifestyle may not look very spiritual and their labor may be unnoticed by others, but Jesus Himself takes notice of their compassion. On the other side of the spectrum, you have the goats. They are indifferent to the needs of others and deny mercy. Even though we are given access to God through faith and not our works of mercy, our faith becomes real as we are compassionate towards others. Jesus is clear about this.

APPLICATION

I'm convinced that we need to ask ourselves regularly where we stand, on the right side with the sheep, or on the left side with the goats. The tricky part is that we can easily deceive ourselves and think that we are sheep when in reality we are goats. Who am I feeding? Who am I caring for? Who am I providing roof for? These are tough questions. An the real answers determine where we stand. We cannot pretend to be sheep and stand with the goats. Jesus can see through all the stuff. He will separate who is who.

I need to stand on the side of the sheep. But most important of all, I need to do the things that sheep do. I cannot neglect my work of compassion, helping the needy to have a better life. As we celebrate today the holiday of thanksgiving, I cannot avoid thinking of those in need that by the grace of God we have been helping in the recent years. I think about the Compassion children we have been sponsoring in Colombia, Tanzania, and the Philippines. I'm also thinking about Ashish and the kids in India. We are so blessed to help them, but there is so much more to do.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, today we are specially thankful for all the blessings you give us, specially for the grace to help others who are in need. Please help us to stand always at your right, among the sheep. Help us to find creative ways to take care for the needs of the poor. Give us a special anointing to become a "resource" church that helps the needy. Teach us how to increase our generosity and be more externally focused, especially with people that lack the most basic needs. We are thankful for all your blessings and we pray that we will continue sharing those blessings with others. Amen!

MY SOLID ROCK. By Pastor Fernando

2009-11-23T10:36:00.006-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Matthew 16:13-18
¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"¹⁴They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."¹⁵"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

¹⁷Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

OBSERVATION

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Hermon Stream Natural Reserve (Banias) in Israel where the ruins of Caesarea Philippi are located. I was standing on the area where it's most likely Jesus spoke these words to His disciples. I was amazed of how this passage comes alive by looking around the visual context. This city was an interesting place of pluralistic worship. Several temples of different deities were standing here in the days of Jesus, one right next to each other.

The Temple of Pan had it's back wall toward a huge cave that it was called "the gates of hell." In Pan's worship, people would bring their babies and smash them against the rocks of the cave.

But the most amazing thing is that there is a huge rock above all this temples that completely overwhelms everything around it. This rock is massive! Maybe 400 feet wide and 80 feet tall. Jesus was using this rock to illustrate how our faith in Him can overcome anything else and that even the so called "gates of hell" cannot overcome our faith.

APPLICATION

What Jesus said in Caesarea Philippi meant a lot to His disciples. Like 2000 years ago, we are surrounded by a pluralistic society that worships so many idols (celebrities, humanism, other religions, tolerance, possessions, power, etc). And when asked, many people say that Jesus was a good moral teacher, a compassionate prophet, or a champion for the poor and outcast. But above all these, there are many poeple like Peter who recognize Jesus as the Son of the Living God. In our culture, this may not seem very significant because people of a genuine Christian faith are looked down as ignorant, intolerant, and even arrogant. In a certain way, we may be threaten by the way other faiths are growing in popularity. But we should not fear, because our faith stands on the rock, on solid ground, and nothing, not even the gates of hell will prevail.

Very often I feel that my faith goes against the grind and that there is little hope to see the kingdom of God advancing in my oen life and in the lives of those who I shepherd. That's why this passage is so meaningful now to me. My rock, it's way more greater and powerful, and solid, and everlasting, than any other force around me. The great testimony of what Jesus said is confirmed today, 2000 years later. All these other temples are in ruins, but The Rock is still firm and strong.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the opportunity to see the context of what this message means for us. Give us the confidence to continue advancing your kingdom in our culture and society today. Not even the gates of hell can prevail. You are greater than anything else and we will not be overwhelmed by anything in this world. Our faith has been solid, is solid, and will remain solid for eternity. You are the Christ, the Son of God, My Solid Rock! And in the midst of all kinds of pagan worship around me, my faith is in you. Amen!

MY CAPERNAUM. By Pastor Fernando

2009-11-19T07:35:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE. Matthew 4:12-16

¹²When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. ¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
¹⁵"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."

OBSERVATION

Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, most exactly in the city of Capernaum. According to the prophetic word of Isaiah and the report of Matthew, the people of this city were living in darkness. It was the land of the shadow of death. Jesus intentionally decides to shine His light in the darkest places. It was there where He found His first disciples. From there, His healing ministry became notorious and His fame spread until Syria.

APPLICATION
As we chose to follow the ministry of Jesus, we need to find our own Capernaum, a place where darkness seems to have domain, and shine the light of Christ's love with faithfulness. We cannot be afraid of the darkness. We need to be in the midst of it. Many Christians want to stay in the light always because they fear the darkness will overpower them. We need to find our Capernaum so we can make a difference in this world.

Last night my good friend from church invited me for dinner with one of his colleges from work. He warned me that his friend was kind of... lost. And it was true. This guy is close to professional success, but afar from the restoring love of God. His conversations were filthy and his mindset was covered by darkness. What a contrast! All day I was surrounded by pastors in a conference, and at the end of the day I was with someone living in the darkness. I realized that I was in Capernaum, and that I like to be in Capernaum.

I enjoyed my dinner with this gentleman. We did not talked about Christ, but he said that our time together was the highlight of his trip. The Lord reminded me of the importance to be around people that are living in darkness. How else they are going to see the light? We cannot hide the light under a bushel. We need to shine God's light, like a city on a hill.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the Capernaum moments you give me to shine your light. Please give me a passion to always seek opportunities to shine your light in dark places and to give people living in darkness a taste of what it means to walk with you. Amen!

2009-11-10T08:01:00.002-10:00

SCRIPTURE - 1 Corinthians 7:35

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

OBSERVATION

The apostle Paul is really intentional in helping the believers to focus in loving God rather than in doing things to earn His love. He wants to be honest about his convictions so he makes a distinction between God's Word and his own preferences. Being single helps him to focus more in the work of the Lord. A lifestyle that avoids eating food sacrificed to idols helps him to be a better servant, specially to weaker believers. The key is to distinction between putting restrictions and giving instruction. They are not the same.

APPLICATION
Today I came back form an amazing and life-changing trip to Israel. I know myself and I can see how I'm going to ask evry believer that I know to go to Israel. Certainly it's great if every believer can spend few days in the Holy Land, seeing, smelling, touching what we read about in the Bible. However, this is not a requirement for a sincere faith. It helps a lot, but it doesn't make us better Christians nor give us a special favor with God.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, help me to communicate my passion for the Holy Land without bringing guilt or making restrictions to people. Even though I consider very important to be there, especially for pastors and teachers, give me wisdom and grace to motivate people in a way that honors you. Amen.

IMPRESSIONS. By Pastor Fernando

2009-11-03T08:19:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE

As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Mark 12:38-40

OBSERVATION
Jesus disliked profusely the false impression that the Pharisees were giving to the rest of the people. Their religiosity was a facade. They were inconsistent in their beliefs and behavior. And worse of all they thought their prideful and selfish behavior was godly. Jesus was very cler about this. Punishment comes to those who live to impress others with lies.

APPLICATION
Its crazy how many times my sinful nature wants to impress a false me rather than to impress Christ in me. Its very important for me to catch myself doing that, repent, and let the truth come through. This is at the core of my struggle to pleasing God rather than pleasing people. The sense of urgency and importance is great because of the consequences it could bring.

PRAYER
Dear Lord, please help me to avoid false impressions and embrace your impression of Christ in me. Let me be true and true! I loe you Lord. Amen!

THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. By Pastor Fernando

2009-11-01T09:07:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE

³ He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:3-8

OBSERVATION

This is one of my favorite promises from God's Word. Interesting I'm reading this on my way to Israel. God's love for His people is amazing and you can see His passion to bless them and protect them. However, the tendency when we read this passages is to think about "Israel" as a territory or a nation. Even though this piece of land is covered under the promises of God, God's heart is for the people of Israel, those who worship the God of Abraham and inherit his promises.

APPLICATION

I cannot describe the amount of anticipation I have for this trip. For years I've been dreaming with visiting the holy land and its sites. My heritage and bloodline to Jewish ancestors runs deep and I'm very excited about getting there. However, the Holy Spirit wants to bring sobriety to my emotions. It's not about the piece of land, but more about the people. The apostle Paul cried to God for the people, not for the nation, and surely not for the real state. My excitement of being in the holy land must always be bellow my excitement of ministering to holy people. I need to enjoy this trip and capture the moment, but my focus as I go to Israel should be the people that God loves so much and wants to bring closer to Him.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for this opportunity to travel and visit the Holy Land. I'm so excited to visit the land of my blood ancestors and more than anything, my spiritual ancestors. Please give me a heart for the people above anything else. Bless my family and the church back at home. Amen!

GRUDGES by Pastor Mark Olson

2009-10-30T10:51:00.010-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Mark 6:19

So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,

OBSERVATION

Herodias was upset over John the Baptist calling her marriage to Herod unlawful so she was angry and held a grudge against John. And we see that the grudge led her to have John killed.

APPLICATION

Grudges can be such a terrible thing to allow to grow in our hearts. We may often try to dismiss them as “no big deal”, but they can be one of the most destructive things we can ever allow in our hearts. The scripture says she “nursed” the grudge. Such an interesting word. It’s like she took care of the grudge, feeding it, encouraging it, helping it to grow just like a little pet, or a plant. Eventually it matured and “blossomed” into a horrible plan to have John the Baptist murdered. Whenever I am offended or upset over something someone says to me or about me or someone does something in my life that hurts me, I need to deal with it immediately before God to make sure that offense doesn’t settle down into my heart and grow into a monster that eventually overtakes me and causes me to do things I would never think of otherwise. It doesn’t always mean I have to talk to the offender, but I must ask God to “kill that seed” of the grudge in my heart before it starts to grow and develop. If I don’t, the end result could be very destructive to me and to those around me.

PRAYER

Father, help me to remember the lesson of Herodias - nursing a grudge will only lead to destruction. Make me sensitive to the beginning of a grudge settling in my heart and remind me to bring it to you immediately for forgiveness and cleansing. You are the judge. You are the one to deal with offenses. Help me to forgive as you have forgiven me. Thank-you for your word speaking to my heart. I love you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

SOFTENED HEARTS. By Pastor Fernando

2009-10-30T08:51:00.003-10:00

SCRIPTURE

Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Mark 6:50-52

OBSERVATION

The disciples were experiencing amazing miracles but they could not understand them. The explanation Mark gives is that their hearts were hardened. So many miracles happened right under their noses and they were not able to see beyond the greater blessing that was being revealed to them. The Son of God was living among them and they were clueless because their hearts were hardened.

APPLICATION

I wonder how many times I experienced miracles but missed the full blessing because my heart was hardened. When we become skeptic and even sarcastic about what God does in our lives, our hearts are suffering a hardening transformation. Instead of finding purpose and an increased intimacy with God, we move along as if nothing special happened. For people with hardened hearts there is a sense of entitlement that steals a sense of awe of who God is. They also focus in the miracle, not in the source of the miracle. For them, the extraordinary has an explanation, but there is neither hunger to explore it nor desire to find out the depth of its meaning.

We need to keep our hearts softened at all times. We cannot lose a sense of awe and amazement when God works His miracles around us. For many outsiders, we may be perceived as naive, ignorant, or even crazy when we refuse to have hardened hearts. Who cares! More about God hides behind His amazing works. Why don't explore it?

PRAYER

dear heavenly Father, thank you for revealing that there is more about You behind your amazing works in my life. I don't want to stop in the miracle. I want to find my amazing in the Author of miracles. Please soften my heart in those areas where I have become entitled, or sarcastic, or skeptic. Let me find you and let me grow more and more in my love for you. Amen!

THE HARVEST IS COMING. By Pastor Fernando

2009-10-29T07:23:00.004-10:00

SCRIPTURE

²⁶He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
Mark 4:26-29

OBSERVATION

In this parable Jesus is talking about the progression of how the kingdom of God grows and advances. The kingdom grows from an insignificant and lifeless seed to an abundant harvest. The key is that the man is only responsible of two actions: to plant the seed and to harvest the grain. The in between part the process is natural, done behind the curtain, by the divine hand of God.

APPLICATION

God's kingdom advances in a process where I partner with God. I plant the seed, He takes care of the next steps, until it's time for me to harvest the grain. We cannot give up planting seeds of the Gospel around us. And as we plant seeds, we need to trust God to take care of the rest. We may be tempted to put our hands in the in between stage. We want to intervene in a part of the process where only the Holy Spirit has the access. I plant the seed, but he alone can develop the stock, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. I must be patient and let Him do His work at His pace. But once the harvest is ready, I need to get engaged again and work hard reaping the harvest.

Recently the Lord has put in my heart and keeps confirming that next year will be a "year of the harvest" for our church. All the seeds that we have planted during the first 5 years have been growing and now are about to give everlasting fruit. This means that all the efforts we have been patiently invested on, and all the situations we have endured, will come to fruition according to the will of God. All the people we have exposed to the truth of the Gospel will finally surrender, repent, and obey God's ways. The harvest is coming and I need to be sharpen the sickles and be ready to reap what the Lord has done behind the scenes.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for working the night shift, for being so diligent behind the curtains, doing the part that no one else can do when advancing your kingdom. Help us to continue planting seeds, to be faithful and patient, and also diligent and ready to reap the upcoming harvest. In advance, I thank you for the harvest of initiatives that will be achieved, for the met goals, for the souls reached, for the ministries that become more effective, for the new leaders that will be empowered and deployed, for the transformed lives around us, for the restored relationships, and for your vision to become clearer. I cannot wait to reap this upcoming harvest! Bring it on Lord!

QUESTIONS ? by Pastor Mark

2009-10-24T15:31:00.000-10:00

SCRIPTURE - Acts 17: 11b -

….. for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

OBSERVATION

When Paul preached the word to the Bereans, they began to search the scriptures every day to determine if what Paul was saying about Jesus was true.

APPLICATION

In our New Life Construction Discipleship series we are learning about the importance of God’s word. That the Word is life to me as a Christian and I need it every day – just like I need physical food every day. But here, the writer points out that the Bereans searched the scriptures every day for answers. They had questions. They wondered if this stuff that Paul was preaching was true and dug into the scriptures to find out. Makes me realize that God is not afraid of my questions. In fact, I think He welcomes them, just like a loving father welcomes the questions of their child when they come and ask – “Daddy, what about …... ?” I always loved when my daughter asked me questions and I was able to impart some small gem into her life to help her grow. Even now, as a 26 year-old woman, my daughter comes to me with questions. Earlier this week she called me from Florida to ask how to stain and varnish an old dresser she bought. Not a very “spiritual” question, but I loved it just the same ! That’s the same desire that God has for us. He loves to show us truth. He waits for us to come to Him just like I love to get those phone calls from my daughter. So if I have questions, I shouldn’t be afraid to ask God for answers. He waits for us to come to Him with questions and He loves to provide answers to our questions as we search His Word.

PRAYER

Lord, help me to remember that you are like a loving father - yearning to teach and train me, like a small child. Your desire is that I come to you with my questions and seek the answers in your Word. Help me to grow as I search the Word for answers and help me to remember I need to seek you out daily, just like the Bereans did, searching the scriptures in Acts 17. Thank-you for this reminder. I love you, my Father. In Jesus name, Amen.