GRUDGES by Pastor Mark Olson

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

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

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

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.

PROTECTING FROM DISTORTED TRUTH. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Acts 20:27-31

For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

OBSERVATION

Paul's final charge to the leaders of Ephesus was given with a sense of urgency and as a warning. Having a well established role of spiritual father and shepherd, Paul exhorts them to follow his example of always relying in the truth declared in the Scriptures. Starting with themselves, the leaders must watch over the flock. If the leaders are not in the truth, the flock will not be in the truth. People from outside will come like wolves to distort, to deceive, to pull away, and to devour the flock. Even some insiders will raise up full of jealousy and selfish ambition to build their own flock by distorting the truth. So full ef emotion, Paul exhorts them to be on guard, to be willing to die for the flock, to keep warning people about distorting the truth.

APPLICATION

The Holy Spirit in this passage is also charging us, those who God called to be shepherds of the flock, to be on guard and always protect the flock from any form of distorted truth. Day after day I can see how trueish beliefs start affecting the flock I oversee. The way information becomes available in the 21st Century also contributes to the way trueish beliefs spread so fast. So starting with myself, I need to guard what comes to me. Not all Christian books contain the truth. Not all Christain leaders live the truth of the Scriptures. I need to protect our church from any outside influence that brings a different message that the one clearly declared in the Scriptures.

but when the threat comes from within, it's a little more difficult. I've already encountered people in our church that believe in a distorted truth, become deceived, and try to pull away people in their deception. With great sorrow in my heart, I have been firm standing against them, patiently showing them why thy are walking away form the truth of the Scriptures. I need to keep my guard on becasue there are more coming today and they will keep coming in the future. That's why I have an urgency to preach and teach the Word of God, not my own opinions or the opinions of others. What God says is what it goes in my life and in our church.

PRAYER
Dear Holy Spirit, please reveal any distorted truth among us. Help us to unroot any trueish belief in our own hearts first, and then among the flock. Give me discernment and boldness to confront the volwes. Also give me wisdom to teach the truth in such a way that poeple are capable to refute trueish beliefs on their own. Have mercy on those who unintentionally do not understand the truth and distort it to deal with their own insecurities, personal hurts, and fears. Help them to be open and submitted to your truth. Amen!