Scripture:
My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.” Romans 15:20-21
Observation:
Paul’s ambition is to reach the outsiders and to proclaim the name of Christ where no one has been able to proclaim it. His ambition wasn’t fueled by his own inspiration or desire to be different. His ambition was fueled directly from the Scripture. He saw this plan laid out in Isaiah 52:15. Paul’s biblical strategy caused to have his eyes on the harvest, to reach for those who are lost, and to focus on people that haven’t been tapped by anyone else with the Good News.
Application:
As we continue in our journey serving God in the work of the ministry, it’s very easy to miss the plan laid out in the Scriptures. We may get comfortable with the people already reached and we forget to go to those who have not been touched with the Gospel. We may place too much attention to those who come from other churches. But we cannot forget about the harvest. We must be intentional about giving outsiders a clear and relevant presentation of the Gospel. We must strive to follow God’s plan to proclaim the Good News in a way that people understand it. We cannot give up! We cannot falter! We must keep our eyes on the harvest and set our focus on those who any church is reaching. There are thousands that are on the fence of their relationship with God and need us to bring them closer to God. That’s our plan. That’s our mission. That’s our assignment. We must never forget that!
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, this morning I want to refocus my life and set my eyes in the harvest once again. Sometimes is easier to forget our mission. Let me take our church into a new season where we will fix our eyes in reaching the lost. Let us not be distracted with what other churches have done or are doing. We have our assignment and we must be faithful to it. Give me wisdom and the right words to inspire and mobilize the church to bring more people closer to God. Let us follow the plan you have to present the Gospel in a relevant way to people so they have a fair chance to accept it. Please use our church to reap the harvest and give us the heart of compassion that we need to proclaim the Good News with effectiveness and power. Amen!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
RUNNIG TO THE CROSS. By Pastor Fernando.
Scripture:
I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that i dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: in my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Romans 7:22-25
Observation:
These words from Paul are probably the most real and easy to relate as followers of Christ. The greatest disappointment we encounter in our walk with God is when we allow sin to master again over our lives. Everything in our hearts is disrupted when sin comes in. No wonder Paul feels so miserable when that happens. And the cry for hope comes natural. Who can set us free? He answers, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is the magnificent truth that gets buried underneath our sinful behavior. We cannot see the cross and its power to set us free when we run towards self-pity and despair. We need to run to the cross, where God’s love and grace is waiting for us to embrace us, to cleanse us, and to set us free again.
Application:
Running to the cross is not the first reaction I have when sin temporarily masters over me. This past week I’ve been feeling miserable because my vulnerability to the enemy’s temptations. I’ve been very disappointed because some battles lost in the recent days. Instead of running to the cross, I’ve been running to condemnation. What a joy to hear these words from God in this particular season of my life. My friend Gregg reminded me over the weekend the strategy that the enemy uses to get the most advantage of us. Our sinful nature knows how to blow a lethal double punch. First, it jabs us with temptation. The enemy is relentless jabbing with the left, constantly alluring and seducing. Sinful natures says, “Don’t worry! One more time is not going to hurt.” Overtime, we become numb and our guard weakens. The jab connects. Then, like the best boxers, the enemy throws the second power punch, a right hook filled with accusations and condemnation. Sinful nature then says, “You are the worse Christian ever. God doesn’t love you anymore and He is going to be so mad at you.” At this point, we need to run to the cross for cover if we want to avoid a knockdown. In our corner we will hear God’s voice saying something completely different. At the cross we don’t hear accusations. We only hear God’s encouragement to keep fighting. And at the cross we also find grace and forgiveness.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, this morning I’m running to the cross for cover. You are my place for refuge when I get pounded my a merciless enemy. Please forgive me for putting my guard down and for letting sin master over my life. Thank you for the cross, for your forgiveness, and for being faithful to me, even when I am not faithful to you. Please me prepare me for the unavoidable battles I will have in the future. Help me to become a skilled boxer. Give me the endurance to resist the jabs of temptation that the enemy keeps throwing at me. Help me to keep my guard up at all times and let me stay free from the power of sin over my life. Amen!
I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that i dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: in my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Romans 7:22-25
Observation:
These words from Paul are probably the most real and easy to relate as followers of Christ. The greatest disappointment we encounter in our walk with God is when we allow sin to master again over our lives. Everything in our hearts is disrupted when sin comes in. No wonder Paul feels so miserable when that happens. And the cry for hope comes natural. Who can set us free? He answers, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is the magnificent truth that gets buried underneath our sinful behavior. We cannot see the cross and its power to set us free when we run towards self-pity and despair. We need to run to the cross, where God’s love and grace is waiting for us to embrace us, to cleanse us, and to set us free again.
Application:
Running to the cross is not the first reaction I have when sin temporarily masters over me. This past week I’ve been feeling miserable because my vulnerability to the enemy’s temptations. I’ve been very disappointed because some battles lost in the recent days. Instead of running to the cross, I’ve been running to condemnation. What a joy to hear these words from God in this particular season of my life. My friend Gregg reminded me over the weekend the strategy that the enemy uses to get the most advantage of us. Our sinful nature knows how to blow a lethal double punch. First, it jabs us with temptation. The enemy is relentless jabbing with the left, constantly alluring and seducing. Sinful natures says, “Don’t worry! One more time is not going to hurt.” Overtime, we become numb and our guard weakens. The jab connects. Then, like the best boxers, the enemy throws the second power punch, a right hook filled with accusations and condemnation. Sinful nature then says, “You are the worse Christian ever. God doesn’t love you anymore and He is going to be so mad at you.” At this point, we need to run to the cross for cover if we want to avoid a knockdown. In our corner we will hear God’s voice saying something completely different. At the cross we don’t hear accusations. We only hear God’s encouragement to keep fighting. And at the cross we also find grace and forgiveness.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, this morning I’m running to the cross for cover. You are my place for refuge when I get pounded my a merciless enemy. Please forgive me for putting my guard down and for letting sin master over my life. Thank you for the cross, for your forgiveness, and for being faithful to me, even when I am not faithful to you. Please me prepare me for the unavoidable battles I will have in the future. Help me to become a skilled boxer. Give me the endurance to resist the jabs of temptation that the enemy keeps throwing at me. Help me to keep my guard up at all times and let me stay free from the power of sin over my life. Amen!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
TEACHING GOD'S WORD. By Cheri Shiinoki
SCRIPTURE
13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
OBSERVATION
Throughout the Book of Corinthians, Paul talks about all of the false prophets that the people were following. What they were saying was smooth and may have seemed logical but was not consistent with God's Word. What happened? Did the false prophets start off being false? Did they intend to serve Satan instead of God? Surely, not all of them started their journey to deliberately mislead people. More likely, they were excited about the word of God, began to preach about it, and eventually became so confident in their knowledge that they "crossed the line," became arrogant, and stopped seeking the guidance of God.
APPLICATION
In the Children's Ministry, we are being trusted to teach children the Word of God. As a curriculum team and as teachers, we need to make sure that we are checking our teachings so that they are consistent with the Bible and that we are listening to God for the messages he wants us to teach. Prayer and discussion with God-seeking individuals about our teaching plans is so important to keep us from crossing the fine line between teaching God's message and teaching our message.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for cautioning us today about the great trust that we have been given to teach your young children. Please keep us humble, always seeking your message for the children, and always checking ourselves as we plan and teach. Keep us on your path, never crossing the line where we start believing our path of righteousness instead of yours. Thank you for allowing us to teach your children. We realize how much trust has been placed with us and ask you to help us steward that responsibility well, with love and always under your guidance. In your precious name, amen.
13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
OBSERVATION
Throughout the Book of Corinthians, Paul talks about all of the false prophets that the people were following. What they were saying was smooth and may have seemed logical but was not consistent with God's Word. What happened? Did the false prophets start off being false? Did they intend to serve Satan instead of God? Surely, not all of them started their journey to deliberately mislead people. More likely, they were excited about the word of God, began to preach about it, and eventually became so confident in their knowledge that they "crossed the line," became arrogant, and stopped seeking the guidance of God.
APPLICATION
In the Children's Ministry, we are being trusted to teach children the Word of God. As a curriculum team and as teachers, we need to make sure that we are checking our teachings so that they are consistent with the Bible and that we are listening to God for the messages he wants us to teach. Prayer and discussion with God-seeking individuals about our teaching plans is so important to keep us from crossing the fine line between teaching God's message and teaching our message.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for cautioning us today about the great trust that we have been given to teach your young children. Please keep us humble, always seeking your message for the children, and always checking ourselves as we plan and teach. Keep us on your path, never crossing the line where we start believing our path of righteousness instead of yours. Thank you for allowing us to teach your children. We realize how much trust has been placed with us and ask you to help us steward that responsibility well, with love and always under your guidance. In your precious name, amen.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
EXAMINING RELATIONSHIPS. By Pastor Fernando
Scripture:
...You should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. for if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are drinking and eating God’s judgment upon yourself. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
Observation:
The purpose of breaking bread and drinking the cup was to maintain a strong bond of unity within the body of Christ. That’s why the word “communion” was used as the people of God get together to remember the price Christ paid. The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross brings people together in a common union of harmony, sincere love, and respect. Every time that such communion is broken, intentionally or unintentionally, the members of the body become defiled and unworthy. Neither Jesus nor Paul intended to make the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup a religious practice. They wanted it to be an opportunity to examine our relationships, to strengthen the bond of unity that our flesh makes so fragile, to restore severed relationships, and to bring honor to God in such a way.
Application:
I often find disturbing how many people take communion lightly. Many of us come to celebrate communion offended, or right after offending others. We eat the bread, we drink the cup, and we never stop to examine our relationships, just like Paul instructed us. Sometimes we celebrate communion when there is no common union with others in the body. Healthy and loving relationships is what makes the body of Christ, the church, completely unique. The bond of unity that the cross provides shouldn’t be taken for granted. Our flesh will always come along to sabotage our unity as brothers and sisters. Our fears, our insecurities, our bad habits, our poor people skills, and our sinful nature in general will continue attacking the unity that Christ paid for at the cross with His precious life. That’s why as we examine ourselves and our relationships, we honor Christ and His sacrifice as we receive and give forgiveness, as we restore relationships, and as we commit once again to be ONE harmonious body before the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times I have come to the Lord’s Table unprepared, unworthy, and with grudges towards a brother or sister in your body. Please make me aware of the dynamic purpose of coming together to examine our relationships and to restore anything our sinful nature has destroyed. Let us honor your sacrifice by the way we love each other. Amen!
...You should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. for if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are drinking and eating God’s judgment upon yourself. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
Observation:
The purpose of breaking bread and drinking the cup was to maintain a strong bond of unity within the body of Christ. That’s why the word “communion” was used as the people of God get together to remember the price Christ paid. The sacrifice of Jesus at the cross brings people together in a common union of harmony, sincere love, and respect. Every time that such communion is broken, intentionally or unintentionally, the members of the body become defiled and unworthy. Neither Jesus nor Paul intended to make the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup a religious practice. They wanted it to be an opportunity to examine our relationships, to strengthen the bond of unity that our flesh makes so fragile, to restore severed relationships, and to bring honor to God in such a way.
Application:
I often find disturbing how many people take communion lightly. Many of us come to celebrate communion offended, or right after offending others. We eat the bread, we drink the cup, and we never stop to examine our relationships, just like Paul instructed us. Sometimes we celebrate communion when there is no common union with others in the body. Healthy and loving relationships is what makes the body of Christ, the church, completely unique. The bond of unity that the cross provides shouldn’t be taken for granted. Our flesh will always come along to sabotage our unity as brothers and sisters. Our fears, our insecurities, our bad habits, our poor people skills, and our sinful nature in general will continue attacking the unity that Christ paid for at the cross with His precious life. That’s why as we examine ourselves and our relationships, we honor Christ and His sacrifice as we receive and give forgiveness, as we restore relationships, and as we commit once again to be ONE harmonious body before the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please forgive me for the many times I have come to the Lord’s Table unprepared, unworthy, and with grudges towards a brother or sister in your body. Please make me aware of the dynamic purpose of coming together to examine our relationships and to restore anything our sinful nature has destroyed. Let us honor your sacrifice by the way we love each other. Amen!
CROWD PLEASER. By Pastor Fernando
Scripture:
So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify him. Mark 15:15
Observation:
Pilate was an insecure leader, unwilling to do the right thing if people would give him a hard time. He wanted to please the crowds above giving justice. He knew that Jesus was innocent and that the Jews were envious of Him. However, he made his decisions according to the flawed hierarchy of his values. Crowd pleasers make the worse decisions ever.
Application:
As a leader, I know the pressure that the crowd can bring to tilt decisions according to their preference. Especially in a culture where democracy is highly valued, people feel entitled to voice their opinion and manipulate leaders to do what the crowd wants. Many leaders protect their position and please the crowds. Other leaders protect their values and please their conscience. If I become insecure or if I start second-guessing what I know is right, the noise of the crowd will become louder and more important for me. Any moment that the hierarchy of my values change and places the will of the crowd above the will of God, I will certainly make decisions that I will regret bitterly. But when I make decisions, not to please crowd, but to please God, even if the decision is not highly successful, I will not live with regrets. My conscience will be clear and free from doubts.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to be secure in your calling, not in a position. Help me to walk in the integrity of my heart following your voice above the noise of the crowd. Help me to make decisions that are according to your will and acceptable in my conscience. Show me when I’m tilting towards the crowd and move me back to where there is solid ground. Let your glory shine in everything I do as a leader and as a follower of Jesus. Amen!
So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify him. Mark 15:15
Observation:
Pilate was an insecure leader, unwilling to do the right thing if people would give him a hard time. He wanted to please the crowds above giving justice. He knew that Jesus was innocent and that the Jews were envious of Him. However, he made his decisions according to the flawed hierarchy of his values. Crowd pleasers make the worse decisions ever.
Application:
As a leader, I know the pressure that the crowd can bring to tilt decisions according to their preference. Especially in a culture where democracy is highly valued, people feel entitled to voice their opinion and manipulate leaders to do what the crowd wants. Many leaders protect their position and please the crowds. Other leaders protect their values and please their conscience. If I become insecure or if I start second-guessing what I know is right, the noise of the crowd will become louder and more important for me. Any moment that the hierarchy of my values change and places the will of the crowd above the will of God, I will certainly make decisions that I will regret bitterly. But when I make decisions, not to please crowd, but to please God, even if the decision is not highly successful, I will not live with regrets. My conscience will be clear and free from doubts.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to be secure in your calling, not in a position. Help me to walk in the integrity of my heart following your voice above the noise of the crowd. Help me to make decisions that are according to your will and acceptable in my conscience. Show me when I’m tilting towards the crowd and move me back to where there is solid ground. Let your glory shine in everything I do as a leader and as a follower of Jesus. Amen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
