Who We Are in Christ

VERSE MATTHEW 11:6

AND TELL HIM GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO DO NOT TURN AWAY BECAUSE OF ME.

THE VERSES PRIOR TO THIS ONE TALK ABOUT HOW JOHN THE BAPTIST, WHO AT THE TIME WAS IMPRISONED BY HEROD, SENT TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES TO ASK JESUS “ARE YOU THE COMING ONE, OR DO WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER?”

JOHN KNEW WHO JESUS WAS. HE HAD PREACHED ABOUT HIM IN THE DESERT AND WHILE HE BAPTIZED JESUS HIMSELF, GOD THE FATHER CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS THE CHRIST.  BUT NOW HE IS ABOUT TO DIE.

AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, JOHN HAD FORGOTTEN HIS IDENTITY.  FOR A MOMENT HE FORGOT WHO HE WAS AND WHO HE SERVED.  AT THAT MOMENT HE NEEDED TO KNOW THAT IF EVERYTHING HE BELIEVED WAS REAL.  IF THE LIFE HE LIVED WAS A WORTH THE PRICE HE WAS ABOUT TO PAY.  JESUS ANSWER TO HIM CONFIRMS EVERYTHING HE BELIEVES BUT THE LAST SENTENCE MAY SEEM A LITTLE STRANGE.

I’M SURE JOHN’S DISCIPLES DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID THAT, BUT WHEN JOHN HEARD IT, HE UNDERSTOOD.  JESUS KNEW THAT JOHN WOULD DIE SOON AND HIS ANSWER TOLD JOHN DON’T STOP BELIEVING, DON’T STOP TRUSTING GOD, THAT EVERYTHING GOD HAD REVEALED TO HIM WAS TRUE EVEN THOUGH AT THAT MOMENT HE HAD FORGOTTEN HIS IDENTITY.  EVEN THOUGH AT THAT MOMENT TO HIM IT DIDN’T SEEM THAT WAY.  HE WAS HAVING AN IDENTITY CRISIS.

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST YOU MAY ASK? JOHN WAS A PROPHET OF GOD.  A MAN WHO HAD FOUND HIS IDENTITY IN CHRIST AT A VERY EARLY AGE.  JOHN HAD NOT PLACED HIS TRUST OR FAITH IN ANYTHING OF THIS WORLD.  HIS IDENTITY WAS SEALED IN JESUS.  AND THOUGH HE WAS HAVING AN IDENTITY CRISIS, JESUS REMINDED HIM WHO HE WAS.

YOU SEE THE ENEMY WANTED JOHN TO DOUBT HIS MINISTRY, TO DOUBT EVERYTHING HE HAD LIVED FOR AND BELIEVED.  HE WANTED JOHN TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAD WASTED HIS TIME FASTING AND PRAYING IN THE DESERT, THAT HE HAD WASTED HIS TIME PREACHING REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, THAT HE HAD WASTED HIS TIME BELIEVING THE MESSIAH LIVED AMONG THEM.

AH BUT JESUS IS ALWAYS ON TIME AND NEVER LATE.  HE REMINDED JOHN ABOUT WHAT HE PREACHED AND HOW IT WAS COMING TO PASS!  THE DEAF HEAR, THE LAME WALK, THE MUTE SPEAK, THE SICK ARE HEALED AND THE GOSPEL IS BEING PREACHED TO THE POOR.  BUT HIS LAST SENTENCE DIDN’T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE TO THE MESSENGERS DELIVERING THE MESSAGE TO JOHN.  BECAUSE IT WAS FOR JOHN AT THE TIME AND TODAY IT IS FOR US IF WE ARE GOING THROUGH SOME KIND OF IDENTITY CRISIS.

WHEN WE KNOW WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST, HE IS NOT OFFENSIVE TO US, HIS WORD IS NOT OFFENSIVE TO US, AND THE CROSS IS NOT OFFENSIVE TO US.

IN THE WORLD AND EVEN IN THE CHURCH, PEOPLE BASE THEIR IDENTITIES IN WHAT THEY DO, OR WHO THEY ARE, HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY ARE OR HOW POPULAR THEY ARE OR HOW MUCH THEY KNOW.  FOR EXAMPLE PEOPLE BASE THEIR IDENTITY ON THEIR ROLE AS A SPOUSE, OR PARENT.  THEY BASE THEIR IDENTITIES ON HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY ARE AT WORK OR SCHOOL.  BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SPOUSE IS GONE, THE CHILDREN ARE GONE, THE JOB IS GONE, THERE IS NO HIGHER EDUCATION THAN WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE?  WHO ARE YOU THEN?

AS CHRISTIANS, THE ENEMY WANTS US TO FALL INTO THE TRAP OF DEFININING OURSELVES BY ALL OF THESE THINGS MENTIONED.  FOR SOME OF US HE WOULD WANT US TO DEFINE OURSELVES BY WHO WE USED TO BE AND WHAT WE USED TO DO.  WE MAY LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND NOT LIKE WHAT WE SEE AND IF WE HAVE ACCEPTED THE LIES OF THE ENEMY AS TRUTH, THEN WE WILL BE OFFENDED BY CHRIST, WE WILL BE OFFENDED BY HIS WORD, WE WILL BE OFFENDED BY THE CROSS.

WE MUST KNOW WHO OUR ENEMY IS AND HIS TACTICS.  HOW HE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF OUR SITUATIONS TO TRY TO ROB OF US OF OUR JOY, STEAL OUR PEACE AND DESTROY GOD’S PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES.  THAT’S HIS PLAN.

BUT JUST LIKE JESUS REMINDED JOHN WHO HE WAS IN CHRIST, SO JESUS REMINDS US WHO WE ARE IN HIM.  IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR IDENTITY, LET ME REMIND YOU.

YOU ARE CHOSEN BY GOD, YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD, ROMANS 8:37 SAYS YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR THROUGH CHRIST WHO LOVED YOU.  PHILIPPIANS 4:13 SAYS YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU.  1 PETER 2:9 SAYS YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT.  2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 SAYS THAT IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST YOU ARE A NEW CREATION, OLD THINGS HAVE PAST AWAY AND ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW.

I CONCLUDE WITH THIS, IF THOSE WORDS DON’T STIR UP YOUR IDENTITY THERE IS MORE THAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOU AND WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST. IT'S IN HIS WORD. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MIRROR IS BUT WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR, SAY TO YOUR REFLECTION, I AM MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, LOVED BY HIM AND HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE.  NOTHING WILL TURN ME AWAY FROM THAT.  AND BLESSED IS HE WHO IS NOT OFFENDED BY ME.

GOD BLESS YOU!

New Posts Coming Soon!

Dear readers,
It has been quite some time since I last posted a blog.  Life has a way of sidetracking you sometimes and God has a way of making you see things from His perspective.  In the 4 years that I have not posted, I have graduated college, changed jobs, moved, lost a loved one, and so much more that I cannot write about at this time.  A very wise young man recently encouraged me to return to my writing/blogging.  I have decided that it is time to return to my post.  As time permits me, I will post a blog based on the Scriptures once a week and will be adding a new feature.  I don't know how I'm going to do it yet but I'm sure the Lord will direct me, I will post in both English and Spanish.  It may require me to change the name of the blog to reflect both languages but I'm sure you will be blessed as I will be by it.  I'm looking forward to this new adventure and can't wait to see what the Lord gives me to write about this year.  God bless you and be encouraged for the Lord is your strength and your portion.  If you are not yet a believer, be also encouraged!  If God has brought you to this page, He will speak to your heart and when you make the decision to serve Him, get ready for the ride of your life!  Until next time, God bless!

Chris

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6


As we are drawing near the end of another year, I have to reflect on the blessings of the Lord.  In just a few days I will graduate college with a degree in management and I could not have done it on my own.  I am grateful to the Lord for giving me strength and bringing me to this victory.  I have not blogged since the beginning of this year and now towards the end it seems fitting to reflect on God's goodness and His tender mercies.

At times I thought that I wouldn't make it but my Father always reminds me, I am not alone, He is with me.  And because He is with me I am able hold my head up and press forward. The above verses reflect those moments when God reminded me that He is in control.  There will be times when you may feel frustrated and desperate enough to think that you have to rely on your own understanding, but God will remind you to trust Him.  In those moments of desperation when you trust Him, He will show you that you've made the right choice, the only choice, because relying on yourself is not going to cut it.  He will show you how wonderful it is to trust Him and what seemed impossible or not to have an answer will look like a dot in the sky as if it never were a problem.

In moments were I have felt alone and that God had forgotten me, His rainbow would shine as if just for me, to remind me that He is faithful and He keeps His promises.  Don't give up on what He has promised you because He is faithful to keep His word.  Trust in Him and acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

I am acknowledging Him in all my ways for He will direct my path.  Amen!

Time is Precious

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Yesterday, I listened to a message about getting closer to God in 2011. The minister that preached has a unique way of bringing forth the word. He says that when he reads the bible, he visualizes what he reads and he presents it as a story. Needless to say his message was very inspiring and at the end of his message 99% of the church went up for prayer. I want to try to tie in that message with today’s inspiration.

The above verse has a significant meaning. It is telling us that we should seek God’s guidance in how we should spend our time because like all things must come to an end, so time must come to an end. In all that we do, we must take time out for God. Quality time to spend seeking Him and talking with Him and listening to Him; after all this is how we get closer to Him.

The preacher brought an illustration of how Barthemaus wanted to hear Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood wanted to touch Jesus, Zaccheus wanted to take Jesus home, John wanted to be close to Jesus at all times, and Paul wanted to be so close to Jesus that they would be fused together and it would no longer be Paul but Jesus in Paul. I don’t know about you but I want to be so close to Jesus that it is no longer I but Christ in me. This illustration is relevant to verse 12 of Psalm 90 because the more time we spend with Jesus, the more Christlike we become.

It is believed that Psalm 90 was written by Moses during the 40 years that the children of Israel wandered in the desert. The Israelites wandered in the desert those 40 years because of their unbelief and their murmuring against God. During these 40 years the older generation died off. The children of Israel could not enter the Promised Land until all the people of older generation had died because God said they would not enter because of their unbelief. We cannot compare what God is doing in our lives with the past or how our lives used to be. This will cause you to regress and not progress. It also shows lack of faith in God when we look back and wish that our lives were the way they used to be.

I will be the first to tell you that being a Christian is not easy but compared to the life I used to live I wouldn’t change it or trade it for anything in the world. Yes I go through trials and yes there is suffering but there is also an unspeakable joy that outweighs all the trials and the suffering. Besides that trials prune our characters and brings out those things in us that God wants to use to bless us and others. Time plays a major part during trials and times of suffering. You are probably asking how and why. I will tell you. When we are faced with hardships, anxieties, problems that seem to have no solutions, it is then we should seek God’s guidance and maintain that closeness with Him because He will give us the strength to make it through that difficult time. During the times of rest we should maintain that intimacy with God and during times of blessings and abundance that intimacy should be more intense. This prepares us and strengthens our faith when we go through trials.

Moses asked God to help us to number our days – in other words, help us to be mindful that tomorrow is not promised and we should not waste precious time on things that don’t matter. In eternity, time is not a factor. There is no time in heaven. In this same Psalm, Moses says that to God a thousand years is like a day but here on earth man is bound to time. Time is of the essence because soon our Redeemer will return for His bride and we must be ready! If we don’t spend time with God and are satisfied with just hearing Him the first time He spoke to us then how will we ever know who He truly is? If we are simply satisfied with His touch when we go to church, how will we be sustained on the days when we don’t go to church? If we take Him home but don’t talk to Him, how will we experience a real relationship with Him? Like John, we must walk and talk with Him and be close to Him at all times. Like Paul, we must desire and seek an intimacy with Him that fuses us to Him.

The second part of the verse says – that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. The New Century Version reads this verse as such: “Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise.” The second part of the verse gives the reason why we want God to show us how short our lives are so that we can use our time wisely. So that we will value the time that we have on earth and use it to glorify Him. So that we will live our lives seeking to be so close to Him that others will see Him in us. So that we will not waste time seeking after material things that perish but the spiritual things that last forever. Praise God!

I want to draw closer to God in this New Year. I don’t want to waste anymore time worrying about what will be or what could be. I want to seek God while He can be found and be so close to Him that Christ is revealed in me. How close do you want to be to God? Are you satisfied with just hearing Him? Do you prefer His touch? Do want Him in your house or would you rather walk and talk with Him? Better yet would you be more satisfied if you were so close to Him that you could enjoy all of the above and be one with Him? Reflect on these questions and I pray that this year be a year of intimacy with the Lord for you. Don’t waste anymore time! Time is wasting and God is calling His people to draw near.

God bless you.

Joy to the World

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:11-14

It is December already and the count down is on for a new year. Where did the year go? Many people this time of year are focused on getting ready for Christmas and preparing for their traditions. Some people have family gatherings on Christmas Eve where a banquet is prepared for the invited relatives and gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Others go about it as if it were just another day. Some spend it alone because they have no relatives close by and still others dread this special day because of some pain or loss they experienced during this time some years ago.

For me, from the time I was 18, Christmas was always bittersweet. When I was a child, I counted the days till Christmas but after my 17th Christmas it became a time mingled with joy, sadness, and loss. Joy because it was Christmas! My favorite holiday! Sadness and loss because there were certain people I would not be able to share the joy of the holiday with. Funny thing, I didn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas then. I knew what it was or what it was supposed to be about but I didn’t understand. As a child it was a day where we would see relatives we hadn’t seen all year, open gifts, and eat good food. Now that I understand what the reason for this holiday is, I can step back and appreciate all the gifts I’ve been given through out the year; The gift of love, health, family, and most importantly salvation.

The day that Jesus was actually born is not certain but December 25th is the day that has been designated to remember His birth and what His birth meant to the world. His birth along with His death and resurrection, are a demonstration of God’s love for us. There is a song that says: How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured their heart to
Romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me.
These words perfectly describe the reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus. When we consider all that He left behind to come and live among us, die for us, and ultimately save us, we can do nothing but be amazed. God’s love for us is so great that He sent His only Son to redeem us. Praise God!

Now as a married adult, the only tradition that my husband and I have on Christmas is that we get each other 3 gifts each and they are usually things that we have been wanting all year. Recently though, this past week to be precise, God has reminded me that material gifts are not important as long as you have Him. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (KJV) My husband and I live in Florida with no immediate family close by. So it is pretty much just me and him. He never celebrated Christmas before he met me and I was used to being around family and the whole big shindig that comes with it. Since we have been in Florida it’s been just us and sometimes I feel the ache of having family close by to visit and share what God has been doing in our lives. Of course we call each other and send each other messages but it is not the same as seeing a dear face and squeezing them tight. It has been in my heart for many years to connect with my father’s side of the family but I didn’t know where to start and I didn’t have much information about them. In the past couple of days, God has given me that desire. I connected with my sister through Facebook and found out that my paternal grandmother and uncle live closer to me than I thought! God is amazing!!

This morning as I drove to work, I meditated on all that God has been doing in the past year in my life and I had to weep in His presence because He has been more than wonderful. I am filled with so much love and gratitude that I can barely contain it! This Christmas meditate on the blessings God has bestowed upon you and love on people – family, friends, someone you may not know but is in desperate need of it. Christmas is about sharing the gift that God so generously gave us – His son, His love. Tell others about Jesus and show them Jesus with love. Reflect on the goodness of God and His mercy on you and your loved ones. Whether or not you get those material gifts you wanted is not important when you see how much God loves you and how He keeps you. Share the joy of Christmas with others and treasure those moments God gives you with loved ones.

Merry Christmas!!

God bless you!

When Two Become One – A principle of Marriage

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5

I want to touch on a subject that perhaps you have encountered or perhaps not yet - temptations in marriage. Perhaps you are married and have not encountered temptation – praise the Lord! Perhaps you have. Either way, I want to focus on the different areas that temptation can enter and not just the obvious one although that is an important one. The first two verses speak about the body and how it belongs to your spouse. When you get married you become one with your spouse. The bible says in Genesis 2:24 that "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." The reason for this is because whenever a man and a woman come together sexually, the man deposits of himself in the woman and the woman receives him, making them one. So the husband's body belongs to his wife, and the wife's body belongs to her husband. There is no more "my body"; it becomes "his body" or "her body."

We cannot dress the way we used to because now we dress to please our spouse, not ourselves. We cannot neglect our bodies (we shouldn't anyway) because our bodies are no longer ours but our spouses. We can go on and on about what we can and cannot do with our bodies because we no longer have authority over it, as the Scriptures tell us. It is also one of the reasons why we cannot and should not commit or practice adultery. We cannot give away what is not ours to give. Our bodies are not ours to give when we are married and God clearly speaks against this behavior. (Exodus 20:14)

I want to bring your attention to verse 5 which tells us: "Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." I want to focus on this verse because here is where we will see what kind of temptations can arise and why. Obviously, the verse is speaking about depriving each other of sex but when we deprive each other of sex the temptations that arise are more than sexual ones. For instance, there is the temptation to despise your spouse because of neglect. There is the temptation to be angry and bitter. There is the temptation to mock or speak ill of or to your spouse. Now this is something that you would see in a marriage without Christ but clearly the Apostle Paul is speaking to believers. Why? Because Satan doesn't tempt the unbeliever, he already has control of the unbeliever. It is the believer that Satan tempts because he wants to make the unbeliever fall.

To deprive one another can be more than sexual as well. You can deprive one another of companionship, affection, love, friendship. Clearly Paul is emphasizing sexual deprivation because this can lead to the temptation to fulfill your needs elsewhere. As a Christian, this is not an option and doing so will cause you to fall, yet many fall into these other temptations I mentioned above as well.

When you find yourself facing these temptations the first thing you must do is pray. Pray for your marriage, pray for that passion to return to your marriage. Pray for your spouse if that's where the negligence is or pray for yourself if it is on your part. Whatever you do, DON'T GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION. Study the word of God and what it says about the tongue and how you should speak blessings over your home. Pray over your home and if your temptation is sexual pray for your desire to be for your spouse and do what you must to engage your spouse. Remember the word says that if you are going to hold out on each other, it should be consentual for the purpose of fasting and prayer; for the purpose of setting yourself apart for God only. Anything else is no excuse. So be aware, be careful, and pray for your marriage and your spouse so that temptation does not catch you in a moment of lack of self control.

God bless!

Have You Abandoned Your Post?

"So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. ¹⁰ "Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: 'Thus you say, "If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?"' ¹¹ Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?' Ezekiel 33:7-11

Have you abandoned your post?

Definition of watchman – a person who keeps watch; watcher – one that sits up or continues awake through the night.

In the Old Testament the watchman was usually a prophet, the person that God used to speak to His people. Today the watchman is the church. You and I. We are responsible for letting the world know that there is salvation in the name of Jesus. We are responsible for letting the sinner know that they need to repent and be saved. We are responsible for teaching our children the way of the lord and correcting them when they go the wrong way. We are watchmen in our homes, our jobs, and our churches.

The role of a watchman –

Spiritual – the watchman is always on alert for the wiles of the enemy. A watchman can be man or woman, not necessarily a prophet, though in the Old Testament the prophets were called watchmen. She/he is the one who warns the people of spiritual dangers, the one who warns the world that there are consequences for sin and that they should repent. If the watchman does not warn the people and they die in their sin, the watchman is held accountable for their blood.

Military – In a military sense, the watchman is the one who stays up all night standing guard. She/he is the one who sounds the alarm when they see the enemy approaching. If this person did not blow the horn when danger was approaching and the people died, the blood of those people was on the watchman's hands.

Characteristics and responsibilities of a watchman -

Watchmen must have vision – she/he has to be able to see the enemy for who he is and know his tactics. To do this we have to keep our eyes on Jesus and live a life of worship.
Watchmen must be alert – she/he should not let her/his guard down but must constantly be on guard so as not to let the enemy sneak up on her/him. To do this we must develop a consistent prayer life. By consistent, I mean we must spend time in prayer everyday. Prayer is very important for the watchman. We must also fast for clarity and discernment.
Watchmen must speak – the watchman has to open her/his mouth when danger is approaching. She/he has to let the endangered know that danger is coming and in our case what to do about it.
The watchman is held accountable for what she/he does or does not say.

Reasons a watchman will abandon or neglect his/her post –

Fear - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fear is a tool the enemy uses to keep us from being all that we can be in the Lord. It keeps us from speaking out against injustice, sin, and unrighteousness. Fear will cause you to question yourself and say "let somebody else do it, who am I to judge?" But God speaks specifically against this by reminding us that He has given us power, love, and a whole mind (my emphasis) never fear! If God gives us all these things then why do we allow fear into our lives and let it detain us?

Weariness - "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)

The NLT reads it like this - "If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

How does this apply to what we are talking about now? If you become weary and abandon your post, how will you deal with the greater things God has for you? He cannot give them to us until we have learned to stand firm no matter how weary we become. He is our strength and our sustenance. Weariness can cause us to make bad decisions. It can blur our vision. When we are weary we must go to the One who said "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest." We cannot rest on our own knowledge. We cannot rest in our family, friends, or anyone else. We cannot rest in our money, our job, or anything else but the One who created all things and called us to our post!

Wounded - He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

Many times when we are hurt, we forget our purpose, we forget who called us, we forget our responsibility and we dwell. We focus on our wounds and how much it hurts and we forget that there was One who was wounded far worse that we can ever be wounded. We forget that He suffered everything we suffer and we forget that He is with us in our suffering.

Distraction - But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." ⁴¹ And Jesus
answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42)

Ahhhh, distraction is a tactic the enemy uses to sneak up on you. When you are distracted you cannot be alert. You cannot focus on your post. Your primary mission is sidetracked. There are many things that can distract us. Anything that occupies too much of our time and takes time away from God, is a distraction. Sometimes we get distracted by things we aren't even aware of.

Reclaiming your post - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

If you have experienced or are experiencing any of these symptoms, I have good news! First you are not the first to experience this! Second, God has a remedy for each of these ailments! If you are wounded, cry out to him and he will heal you, restore you, and make you whole. If you are distracted, examine yourself and set aside the distractions – seek god and spend quality time with him. if you are fearful, take your fears to him and he will remind you that fear is not of him and he has given you what you need to proceed. Take courage! God is with you. When you are weary – don't give up!! He will give you rest!

I will leave you with this verse from Joshua 1:9 as motivation to reclaim your post. Assume the responsibility the Lord has given you and march forward in all that he puts in your hands because one day we will have to give account for everything we say and do. I would like to hear him say "well done, my good and faithful servant."

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

God bless!

Watchman Video/Chris Preaching

God’s sacrifice

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13

The reason I chose to use both of these verses for this week's devotional is to show how they both relate to the sacrifice that God made for us through His son Jesus. I will explain what I mean but first I want to say that this week's blog is dedicated to all those who are struggling with doubt, loneliness, questions about who God is and if He is even real. I want to tell you that God is very real and He cares a great deal for you.

The first verse explains why He sent His Son – because He loved us. He loved us so much that He sent the one who was most precious to Him because it was the only way to save us. Let me explain what I mean by the only way to save us. You see, when God created man, He created him perfect, in His image. God also created man with free will. In other words He gave us the right and privilege to be able to choose between right and wrong. You may ask why He would give us free will when He is God and can just make us serve Him. Well the reason for that is because He wanted us to love Him by choice and not because we have to. He also gave man dominion over the land and everything in it. Now man has free will and he is confronted with a choice to obey God or disobey Him. There was a tree that God gave Adam strict instruction not to eat from it. The serpent (the devil) then tempted Eve to eat from the tree. Man (Adam and Eve) chose to disobey God's commandment and ate from the tree. Once they ate from the tree, they were in disobedience to God (sin) and they had handed over their dominion (land and everything in it) to Satan. Because of this the land was cursed and every man and woman since then is born into sin. (Genesis chapter 3 for the account of Adam and Eve).

Since man is born into sin, salvation cannot come from him because the sacrifice has to be sinless. Here is where Jesus comes in. As God's only begotten son, He was with God, in God, and is God. He came in the form of man as a sinless sacrifice for the redemption of mankind. Simply put He lived as man but he did not sin. He was crucified on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Not only the forgiveness of our sins but also for our health, to give us life. Here is God the Father's sacrifice – He sends His only son, who when He is carrying the sin of the world, has to be separated from Him. God cannot look at sin, so when Jesus was on the cross, He was separated from His son for that moment. Can you imagine the tremendous pain of being separated from your child? But we were also His children, He created us in His image, and He had been separated from us for a long time. God wanted a way to bring His children back to Him.

Now the second verse is Jesus speaking to His disciples. These 12 men, who believed that He was the son of God, and followed Him, had become His friends because they had a relationship with Jesus. He was telling them this to make them aware of His purpose on this earth. He was letting them know that soon He would give His life for them so that they would have eternal life. How many of us would give our life for our best friend or even our family? I dare say not many. Jesus was letting us know that His love for us was so great that He was laying His life down so that we could become His friends by way of a relationship with Him through His Holy Spirit.

Now these two verses work together because God loved the world (us) that He gave His only son (Jesus), Jesus (God in the flesh) gave His life so that we could become His friends because He was the only one who could bring us back to fellowship with our Father.

For those of you that are not in a relationship with God, I challenge you today to think about the sacrifice that was made for you and me and your need for the love and mercy that God offers. I am not saying that your life will be all peaches and cream, but I will tell you this – since I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ almost eleven years ago, I can honestly say that my life is better. My life has purpose and though there are trials, God is with me through all of them. He never leaves me alone.

Your life has a purpose – will you seek that purpose in God or will you let the opportunity pass you by? If you are feeling God knocking on the door of your heart right now, don't let the opportunity pass you by. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you need God and then ask for His forgiveness and invite Him into your heart and life and see how He will transform you. You can say this simple prayer to receive Christ into your heart:

Jesus, forgive me for my sins. I believe that You are the son of God, who died on the cross and rose on the third day for the redemption of my soul. I believe that you are alive and want a relationship with me. Come into my heart and wash me clean. Write my name in the book of life and transform my life. Show me how to live according to your will and strengthen my faith every day so that I may please you. Thank you Lord for the forgiveness of my sins. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you have just prayed that prayer, welcome to the family of God! You will need to get yourself a bible and study the word of God. Also find yourself a church that preaches and teaches the word of God so that you may grow in the Lord. If you do not know how to go about doing this, please respond to the blog and we will help you with resources depending on where you are as best we can. God bless you!

 

 

God is Near

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Psalm 51:10-13

I have found myself drawn to this passage of Scripture many times when in affliction. It is one of my favorite Psalms, but these verses in particular have resonated in my heart in mind in the past months like never before. Many times we pray and ask God to change our heart but do we know what we are asking for? To ask God to give us a clean heart requires an examination of ourselves and our motives. We need ask ourselves are we honoring God in all that we do? Are we walking in obedience to Him? Are we spending enough time with Him or are we spending time with Him at all?

The past year had its challenges and opportunities; challenges to our faith and who we are in Christ and opportunities for us to draw closer to our Father. For some of us, myself included, it has been a tremendous struggle to stand firm and planted but God has been faithful to give us the strength to keep pressing forward. Personally it was a time of drought. A time where I literally felt like I was gasping for air and clawing my way forward yet by the grace of God, here I am. Specifically in this time I have cried out to God to "create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."

You see, there are times when we as Christians, will go through periods where we may think that we are alone and we don't hear God speak to us, we don't see Him moving for us, or like me, feel very far from Him and His presence. That does not mean that He is not there! In these moments of loneliness, despair, and intense pain, Jesus is right there with us. Our human nature does not recognize that He is there because we are hurting, frustrated, angry even, and we cannot see past our situation to know that He is there yet He is.

This year I have determined to seek God with pure motives – with all that I have, all that I am, and all that is in me. I have determined to teach the transgressors His ways so that sinners may be converted. The Psalmist David was going through his own personal struggle when He wrote this Psalm but God renewed a steadfast spirit in him and lifted him up because he humbled himself and cried out to the only One who could help him. Today I have renewed strength and I am going to press even harder in the Lord and I pray that you do to. Be encouraged if you are struggling, you are not alone. And if you're not struggling, praise God because He is good!

 

God bless!

 

His Word is not Void

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11

I love the comparison in these verses. God does not think as we do. He knows the future and He knows the plans that He has for us. His ways are not like ours. We make mistakes, He doesn't. One thing is for sure, God is faithful.

In these verses, God is telling us that what we have in mind for ourselves is nothing close to what He has in mind. He has created us with purpose and He has a plan for our lives. What we have planned for ourselves is not what God has planned for us. The methods that we use to achieve and accomplish our goals are not the methods that God uses.

He compares it to a process of nature. When it rains or snows, the water or frozen ice come from above and water the earth. In the winter that snow remains on the ground but in spring it begins to thaw and that water gets sucked into the earth. The same with the rain; the rains comes down and waters the earth and new life begins to spring forth from the ground.

God's word brings life into your spirit. Whatever He has promised you, it shall come to pass because His word does not return to Him void. He cannot lie and what He says He will do, He does. It's like the rain that waters the seeds that are planted in the ground. It nurtures the seed till it brings forth its fruit. The word that God planted in your life will bring forth its fruit!

You will be what He says you will be. You will do what He has called you to do. He will bless you and strengthen you, restore you and use you to bless others, just as He said He would. His word always has a purpose. It is not empty or without worth. His word does what He sends it to do. It does not return to Him without first accomplishing what He sent it out to do!

Isn't that awesome?! To know that no matter what your current situation is, God made you a promise and He will keep it. He does not lie!! It's not in His nature! He is a life giver and a promise keeper. His word is faithful and true and you can count on it coming to pass. His word gives life!!

Did you know that when God speaks a word into your life it gives you purpose? That word must be fulfilled! And it will because it cannot return to Him void. Be encouraged. Whatever God has spoken into your life will be because He loves you and has mercy on you. He forgave you, washed you, gave you new clothes, and transformed you into who you are now. He will finish the work He started in you. Believe it, receive it, and count on it!

God bless you!

Calling on Jesus

NAMES OF JESUS

 

ATTORNEY

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

1 John 2:1

LAMB OF GOD

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:29

THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life.
Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

John 11:25

SHEPHERD AND GUARDIAN OF SOULS

Once you were like sheep
      who wandered away.
   But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
      the Guardian of your souls.

1 Peter 2:25

JUDGE

And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.

Acts 10:42

LORD OF LORDS

For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

1 Timothy 6:15

MAN OF SORROWS

He was despised and rejected—
      a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
   We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
      He was despised, and we did not care.

Isaiah 53:3

HEAD OF THE CHURCH

For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

Ephesians 5:23

TEACHER

Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Matthew 8:19

TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS

"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning
of God's new creation."

Revelation 3:14

ROCK

And all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4

HIGH PRIEST

Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:20

DOOR

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.
They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

John 10:9

LIVING WATER

Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."

John 4:10

BREAD OF LIFE

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 6:35

ROSE OF SHARON

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Songs of Solomon 2:1

ALPHA AND OMEGA

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Revelation 22:13

TRUE VINE

"I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener."

John 15:1

MESSIAH

" Know therefore and understand,
      That from the going forth of the command
      To restore and build Jerusalem
      Until Messiah the Prince,
      There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
      The street shall be built again, and the wall,
      Even in troublesome times."

Daniel 9:25

HOLY

Saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!"

Mark 1:24

GOOD SHEPHERD

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

John 10:11

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

John 8:12

MEDIATOR

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

BELOVED

To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:6

BRANCH

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
      And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Isaiah 11:1

CARPENTER

Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.

Mark 6:3

IMAGE OF GOD INVISIBLE

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:15

THE WORD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

CORNERSTONE

Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:20

SAVIOR

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

SERVANT

"Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
      My Beloved
in whom My soul is well pleased!
      I will put My Spirit upon Him,
      And He will declare justice to the Gentiles."

      Matthew 12:18

AUTHOR AND CONSUMER OF OUR FAITH

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

ALMIGHTY

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelations 1:8

ETERNAL FATHER

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

LION OF JUDAH

But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

Revelation 5:5

I AM

Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

John 8:58

BRIDEGROOM

And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Matthew 9:15

KING OF KINGS

Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:15

PRINCE OF PEACE

Isaiah 9:6

ONLY BEGOTTEN SON

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

ADMIRABLE COUNSELOR

Isaiah 9:6

IMMANUEL

"Behold,
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Matthew 1:23

SON OF MAN

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

THE AMEN

Revelation 3:14

KING OF THE JEWS

And the inscription of His accusation was written above:
      THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mark 15:26

PROPHET

So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

Matthew 21:11

ANCHOR

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.

Hebrews 6:19

MORNING STAR

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

Revelation 22:16

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:6

 

 

What's in a name?

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

We live in an age where we meet people with different, unique, and even strange names. Names that sound nice or are uncommon but few people take the time to investigate the meaning of that name.

In ancient Israel the name of a child was important because it had a specific meaning. You could say that the meaning of your name caused you joy or shame in those days. The Bible recounts different men and women who's names caused them shame. 1 Samuel, chapter 4, the bible tells us of a woman who gave birth during a time of tremendous stress and grief. Her husband and her brother-in-law were dead and she had just received news that killed her father-in-law - the ark of the covenant had been captured by the Philistines. When her father-in-law heard this news, he fell back and broke his neck. This poor girl, from the grief and stress of losing her family and worse yet the glory of God had been taken from Israel, she gave birth to her son whom she named Ichabod. Ichabod means "the glory of God is departed." Can you imagine going through life with a name that means that the glory of God is not with you?

Jacob in the book of Genesis was the son of Isaac. He was the father of twelve sons that later became the twelve tribes of Israel. His name means usurper or trickster. Yet when he called on the name of the Lord and consecrated himself to the God of Abraham and Isaac, the Lord changed his name to Israel. Just as the Lord changed Abram's name to Abraham - father of many nations.

In the case of Jabez, the bible describes him as more honorable than his brothers, yet his name brought him shame. His mother named him so because she may have had a very hard time delivering him or the family may have been going through some financial set backs and it was not the opportune time to have another child. Or maybe she was grieving the loss of a loved one as Ichabod's mother was, and named him in her grief. But notice what Jabez does - he knows what his name means, he probably believes that he was the cause of his mother's pain at the time of his birth, I imagine that while he was in school the other kids made fun of him because of his name, yet he calls on the God of Israel. In his shame and in his pain, he calls on the One who can change his status. He calls on the One who can change the meaning of his name or change his name altogether. The bible doesn't say that God changed his name, only that He granted his request.

Let's look at his request - "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil, so that I may not cause pain!" It was a cry for God's mercy and grace. He did not want to be what his name meant or said he was. He wanted to be a blessing! He wanted to reach others with the love of God! He wanted to please God. And here's the best part - GOD GRANTED HIM HIS REQUEST!! He enlarged his territory! He blessed his socks off! He became a blessing for others! The Lord protected him! What does this mean to us?!

We don't have to be who the world says we should be. We don't have to become our namesake. Our future does not depend on the circumstances of our birth or our upbringing! With God all things are possible! He is the lifechanger and the lifegiver! He determines our future! And when we call on Him as Jabez did, and allow Him access to our hearts and our lives, He will bless us, enlarge us, and protect us. Let us ask the Lord to bless us indeed, enlarge our territory, that His hand be with us and He keep us from evil and we WILL NOT cause pain but be blessings to others and a living testimony of the power of the Almighty God in our lives.

God bless you and be encouraged.

New Posts coming soon!

To those who have been following this blog, my apologies for the time I haven't posted. Just want to let you know that I will be posting again very soon. Thank you for your patience.

Christine

Are You Using Your Talents?

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Matthew 25:14-15

If you have not read this parable of the Talents, you can find it in Matthew 25:14-29. It is a parable of a merchant who gave his servants money to double for him. In banking terms he made an investment in his servants and expected to double his investment in return. To one he gave five talents, to the other two and to the last one he gave one, according to the abilities that he knew they had to make profit of his investment and went on his trip. When this merchant returned to settle accounts with his servants, the one he gave five to had doubled his investment. Likewise the servant whom he gave two talents to, doubled his investment, but the servant to whom he only gave one talent, hid in the ground and did nothing with it.

God gives each and every one of us a talent. It may not be an obvious talent like some but nonetheless it is a talent. A talent is something that you can do and do very well; a specialty so to speak that you may have. For example, some people have the talent of hosting. People can go to their house and they will make them feel as if they are in there own home or at a luxurious resort. That is a talent not everyone has. Some people have the talent of calming situations so they don’t escalate into something ugly. These are not very obvious talents but they are effective and necessary talents nonetheless. If they weren’t necessary why would God give them? God gives us these talents to use for His glory. If we host, we host for Him, if we pacify a situation, we pacify for Him. Whatever your talent is, you are to use it, practice getting better at it, and multiply it. How do you multiply it? By using your talent to bless others. I know a newlywed couple who have several talents and they use them all to glorify our Father, hence I have been witness to the multiplication of those talents. Not only do they sing, they host, they direct, they preach, and they lead and there are probably more talents I have seen yet in them. The point is that they are multiplying that investment that God made in them by blessing others. If you hear these two sing together or individually you will be truly blessed.

The first thing you need to do is discover your talent. Once you discover your talent, you have to develop it or put it into practice. It can be an obvious talent such as singing, preaching, or teaching, or it can be a talent that is not seen in crowds or the general public. A talent is a talent, however obvious or unobvious it may be. Is that a word?? You have to use it. As you develop your talent and become good at it, you multiply it. You cannot hide your talent and do nothing with it. God gave it to you for a reason. He gave it to you to bless others and to bless you and in so doing you are honoring the One who gave you the talent. If you allow fear and other elements to prevent you from using your talent you can lose it. Now let me be clear on what I mean about losing it – you will lose the desire, you will lose the ability to do it well, it is like a flower that receives no sunlight or water and dies. It is like a muscle that is not exercised and grows weak to the point where it is useless. A talent in monetary terms is equivalent to 10,000 shekels. In American money that would be about $1500. Jesus used the monetary example so that the people would understand but He was actually talking about those deposits that God makes in each and every one of us.

If you read the verses where he came to the last servant who he gave one talent to, you will see that the servant did nothing with his talent. He knew he had it, but he didn’t develop it and he didn’t multiply it because he was afraid. He was considered wicked and lazy by his master. Fear, insecurity, low self esteem, complexes and other elements can prevent you from discovering and developing your talent. A low self esteem will make you think that there is no way that you could have a talent but you do. Fear will say, you can’t do it, what if you fail? Insecurity will say you’re not that good, so and so can do it better, let them do it. These are all obstacles the enemy puts in your path to keep you from your full potential. You have to step over those giants and remind yourself, if God gave it to you it’s because He knew that you had the ability to do it. You see, verse 15 says “to each according to his own ability.” Not according to so and so’s ability but according to your own ability God gave you a talent or 5 talents or 10 talents or more! It is up to you to discover them, develop them, and multiply them!

I want to hear the Lord say “well done, my good and faithful servant”; how about you? Verse 29 says: ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” If you don’t use your talents they will be taken away. Let us use those gifts God has given us to further His kingdom so that we can hear the Lord say “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
God bless!

The Sanctity of Marriage

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Ephesians 5:22-31

This is for those who are married and those who will get married. I don’t pretend to be an expert on marriage – far from it – but there are some things I learned in the course of my marriage to my wonderful husband that I would like to share and may help someone in need.

First – IT CAN BE DONE! The society and age we live would have us believe that marriage doesn’t work. So many people are terrified of the commitment of marriage or are hostile toward it because of past hurts or the wrong example of the marriage of someone close. The statistics of the divorce rate in the 21st century alone are scary and at the highest they’ve ever been. 50% of married couples in America end in divorce. A person who marries more than once is more likely to divorce sooner than the first time. The sanctity of marriage is no longer regarded in today’s society. It was every little girl’s dream to have a beautiful wedding and spend the rest of her life with the man waiting for her at the altar. Those dreams can still come true! It is God’s design for man and woman to live in the intimate relationship called marriage. Of course the world has a twisted and warped view of what marriage should be. It is more challenging today to marry and stay committed to that union than it was 50 years ago, even 20 years ago, but it can be done. Marriage is not a fairy tale where you marry the person of your dreams and live happily ever after. It requires an investment of time, patience, sacrifice, compromise and commitment. It is a decision to love when life is just like a fairytale and when it’s not. A decision to love when you realize your spouse is not perfect and you can not change him/her. The good news is that you can be a vessel that God uses to mold him/her. Marc and I will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary on June 29th, a little more than 2 months away. It has not always been easy and there have been times when one or the other wanted to throw in the towel but God continued to remind us that it can be done, we could make it work if we put Him first and build our marriage on His foundation. 8 years is a victory!!! Praise the Lord!!! I’ve noticed that each year that we’ve been married, God has taught us something new about marriage, about ourselves, and we’ve grown as individuals and as a couple. This brings me to my next point.

Ladies, WE CAN SUBMIT to our husbands. Not only can we submit but our Heavenly Father tells us to do so. Growing up and in the first couple of years of being married I had a terrible misconception of what it meant to submit to my husband and I believe many woman as well as men share this misconception. The dictionary’s definition of the word submit reads as so: to give over or yield to the power or authority of another. My understanding of submitting was different and when you grow up in a home where the woman does everything it’s hard to see yourself submitting to someone else. I thought that submitting to my husband meant that I had to be a doormat for him to walk all over and/or be his slave. So my attitude was, “no man is going to walk all over me.” As I began to grow in the Lord and as a wife, God began to teach me what submission to my husband truly is. Ladies it has absolutely nothing to do with being his slave or him telling you what to do and you have to do it. It’s about giving him the respect he deserves as a man and as the head of your home. Men yearn for respect from their wives and sadly today there aren’t many marriages where the husband is respected by his wife even in the church. When God created woman, He created her to be the helpmeet of man. He created her to help him in his walk with God, in his struggles as a husband, father, friend, brother and as a man. Of course we cannot relate to some of the things men struggle with, but we can be supportive and give them the respect they need that will encourage them to keep pressing forward. You’d be amazed at the difference it makes when you show a man respect. Your respect motivates him to do all that he can to keep your respect and your trust.

Gentleman, YOU CAN LOVE your wives. This is what you are called to do in your relationship with your wife. The woman is usually more emotional than the man so it is in her nature to love. That is why God does not tell her to love her husband because she is going to do that anyway. It’s how she is wired. That doesn’t mean that men cannot love, they just don’t show it the way women do. Women want to feel loved by their husbands. Sometimes that requires showing affection, telling her that you love her, or doing little things to make her smile that let her know you care. Some men have a hard time showing affection. They may have brought up to think that showing emotion is not manly, but gentleman we love it when our men show us how they truly feel and when God is at the center of the marriage it is so much sweeter! In the past few months, I have experienced and continue to experience the gentle side of my husband that made me fall in love with him in the first place. The side of him that lets me see how he is feeling about me and our life together; the side of him that comes out when God is the center of his life. Guys, when you allow your Heavenly Father to have His way with you or as I like to say, invade your mind, soul, and spirit, your heart is open door. He can then go in and do spring cleaning in those dusty closets inside your heart that have stuff you probably didn’t even know was there collecting dust and hindering your spiritual life! When your wife allows herself to be the vessel that God uses to mold you and you allow yourself to be molded, beautiful things happen in your marriage. Your wife has to feel loved; she needs to feel secure in your love. Without the demonstration of this element, the wife feels unloved, unwanted, and can become quite bitter. This does not mean that you don’t love her, but if you are not showing her, she will think that you don’t. The same way you men need respect, we women need to be loved.

The Bible describes the love/respect relationship between the husband and the wife as the relationship between Christ and the church. The church/the bride submits to her beloved Bridegroom/Christ. The Bridegroom/Christ loves His bride/the church. Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5 that the husband should love his wife as Christ loves the church. He goes on further to say that the husband ought to love his wife as he loves is body. The church is the body of Christ, Christ is the head of the church. The husband and wife become one flesh when they are married. The bible says that when a man marries, he will leave his mother and his father and cleave to his wife. This simply means that he becomes one with his wife.

The world would have us believe that it is okay to marry and divorce and marry again. That it is okay to have more than one spouse. That it is okay for men to marry men and women to marry women, defiling the sanctity of marriage as God intended. But the Bible is very clear on the marriage relationship. Genesis 2:24 says: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The marriage relationship was meant for one man and one woman per marriage. Not one man and one man or one woman and one woman or one man and three women or one woman and three men, but one man for one woman and one woman for one man. Only a man and a woman joined in marriage can become one flesh. All other substitutes just don’t work! Those of us who know the Bible or who have understanding or know of the Word of God, let us keep the sanctity of marriage as it was meant to be; holy before God, to be fruitful and to multiply. Wives respect your husbands, husbands love your wives. Every year that you celebrate a wedding anniversary with God at the center of your marriage is a victory! God bless you!

Called to Love

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9

God is love. We have heard it said many times and have read it many times. The very thought alone that He would give up all He held precious to Him for us to be reconciled to Him, demonstrates that love. Jesus as a man was love in the flesh. Everything He did, He did in love. Everything He said, He said in love. Even when He got angry in the temple, He got angry but still there was love. Even when He rebuked His disciples, the Pharisees, and the scribes, He rebuked them in love. He poured out His love on the disciples and the people every time He healed, spoke to them, delivered them from demonic oppression. He taught the disciples what love is and how they should walk in love. John spoke about this love in his letters years after the crucifixion. He was the embodiment of God’s love for us and He gave His life for us because of that love.

So now that we are saved and sanctified we have to walk in that love also. The same way He loved us, and still loves us, we have to love others. Like Pastor was talking about yesterday in the message about Juan and his co-workers, only a person filled with the love of God can withstand abuse in that way because his desire is to please the Father and the Father is love! When we deal with people who have been hurt, abused, betrayed, who don’t trust anyone and have walls thicker than El Yunque in Puerto Rico, built up in their hearts to protect them from being hurt, love is the only thing that can penetrate those walls. Love is the only thing that is going to help that person trust again, open up, receive love, and give it in return. God’s love that abides in us is what penetrates those walls.

In our walk with Jesus, we will encounter many such people but if we are not walking in love they will never see Christ in us. They will only see the religious acts of going to church, praying, and reading the Bible but they will never see the transformation and renewing power of the Holy Spirit in us if we do not walk in love. We are getting ready for a new dimension in the Lord. Anytime God gets ready to move His people into another dimension in Him, He prepares them for it. God is calling us to love as He loves. God is telling us that there are those that are hurting and wounded and they will only be reached in love. God is telling us to walk in His love, abide in His love, and let His love shine in us! It is a requirement for where He is taking the church and what He is going to do and is doing.

Jesus came to mend the broken hearted, comfort the grieving, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, release those who are in prison from their bondage; He did it because He loved us so. Now we are called to love the loveless, give hope to the hopeless, comfort the grieving, and do everything Jesus did because we are His ambassadors here on earth. He empowers us to love those we thought we could not love. He empowers us to comfort others in their pain and lead them to Him because He reveals His love to them in us. We should ask the Lord to fill us with His love daily. Let us abide in His love as He abided in the Father’s love. The Father loves Him with all that He has and all that He has He freely gave to Him. He gave His most precious to show us the true meaning of love. The Father’s love heals, restores, revives, reinstitutes, reestablishes, reaffirms. The Father’s love was all it took to bring humanity to a place where they could reconnect with Him. Because of that love Jesus gave His life to become the bridge between the Father and humanity. Praise God for His everlasting love!!

Heavenly Father,
We come before You this morning recognizing that You are love and that we need more of You. We ask You to fill us with Your love this morning so that everyone who encounters us today will feel that love and see that love. Father we ask that if anyone we come across today and everyday is sad, lonely, broken hearted, rebellious, or has walls built around their hearts to keep from feeling pain, that Your love in us would penetrate those walls, heal the broken heart, turn the sadness into joy, turn the rebelliousness to submission to You and let them know that they are not alone. Father let us be Your vessels and show us how to love the way You do. In Jesus mighty name, we thank You because You first loved us and because You showed us love, we can love You in return. Allow Your love to reflect in everything we do and say that others may feel You and come to know You through Your love in us.

In Jesus name,
Amen!