Dealing with the Destroyer

Exodus 12:23

It was the last night the Israelites would spend in Egypt as slaves. God was in the process of delivering His people with a powerful hand from their bondage to a cruel master from whom they had no power to deliver themselves—doesn’t that sound like what happened to each of us when Jesus saved us from the cruel master of sin?

John 10:10 says that the devil comes to do nothing more than to “steal, kill, and destroy.” The destroyer comes to devastate anyone and anything in its path. The destroyer does not care to what race or status you belong—even if you are part of God’s people. The destroyer looks for a way in to our lives to wreck havoc any way he can. Though we are redeemed by Jesus, and no one can take away our salvation, the destroyer looks to corrupt the good things that God is doing in and through us. He comes to bring sickness, temptation, divorce, lies, and fear that causes us to live in everything less that what God has for us. If the destroyer cannot touch our souls, he can at least limit our lives, our happiness, our effectiveness, and our futures. The destroyer looks to enslave us once again to our former master through lust of the flesh and the vicious and threatening lies of the devil that whisper to us “You’re mine and you will never be free.”

On this night of the first Passover, the destroyer was unleashed over Egypt. Before it came, however, specific instructions were given to Israel that they were to eat the sacrificial lamb and splatter its blood over the sides and top of the doorframe of their house and “[God] will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over the doorway, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.” (Ex. 12:23). Nothing would have escaped the destroyer except for those whose houses were covered in blood.

For the past few weeks sickness has plagued my house. Three of my kids have been sick off and on and my wife has had pain in her arm. We are healthy people and I understand that we still live in frail bodies that can get sick, but when the destroyer—a spirit of infirmity—comes against the family, enough is enough. Last night as a family we stood up to the destroyer. We took of the meal that Jesus instituted on the night of His last Passover—The Lord’s Supper. We ate of the Lamb of God, which is body of Jesus Christ, and the Blood covered us as we drank the cup—which you can do in your home, too! As we did, we rebuked the destroyer by the authority given to us in the blood and the Cross of Jesus Christ. The rest of John 10:10 says “But I [Jesus] have come to give life and life abundantly.” Whether you face the lies or temptation of satan, your marriage is on the brink of divorce, there is sickness, depression, heaviness in your house, or anything else that destroys the abundant life that is offered to us in Jesus Christ, come under the Blood of Jesus and God will keep the destroyer from coming to your home.

Under His Blood with You!

Pastor Kyle Bauer

Let My People Go
Exodus 10:1-12:13

At the end of the Bible reading this week, the story of Moses has been personally impacting to me. Time after time Moses confronts Pharaoh, “Let me people go so that they can worship the Lord.” This week in the revival that our church has experienced, we could see very clearly that when the church worships in freedom of the Holy Spirit, something in the spirit realm begins to change what had been negative into a positive and the Presence of God is made so real in the people that we practically don’t even want to leave the building. Three years ago, God showed me a vision that I shared in due time with Pastor Mark. In this vision there were many audio speakers in the sanctuary and I heard that through them was coming a heavenly atmosphere when the Lord spoke to me saying, “I am going to condition this church to the aroma of Heaven.” The aroma of Heaven is praise and worship. It is said that when a church is praising and worshipping the Lord, that a fifteen mile radius from the church is affected by that praise! Pharaoh was opposed to Israel taking the three-day journey into the wilderness to worship the Lord, and for that opposition he suffered severe consequences. It did not matter to Moses what Pharaoh thought or said because it was evident that the hand of God was freeing them.

I was not born a musician and for a long time I was sad that I did not have these talents until I began to understand what it means to worship and to be a worshipper. I didn’t need to be a musician. When I understood this everything changed. Since that time I have worshipped God with all my heart and when I am in the midst of music, my enthusiasm goes way up! What I want to say is this: nothing can replace worship—NOTHING! It is in worship when miracles happen, when the forces of hell are paralyzed, and when we can experience a spiritual freedom that is unequaled. God has begun to do something with us in 2011—His people have been “let go, so that we may worship Him!” Pharaoh asked Moses, “who will go?” Moses responded, “Everyone. The old and young. Even the animals.” This is the message of the revival here at Hillcrest—it is for EVERYONE! Hallelujah! Let’s transform our services into celebrations of worship and praise, and neither sickness or demonic forces will be able to afflict God’s people who are destined to go out into another place. Praise God that His revival has begun!

Dios los bendiga
Dr. Oscar camacho
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest

January 29

Exodus 7:25-9:35; Matthew 19:13-30; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverb 6:1-5

The world is full of people who want to do good and even try to do good, but that alone will not get them into heaven.

A rich young man came to Jesus and asked how he could have eternal life. He had followed God's commandments, but Jesus told him that wasn't enough. He had to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor, then follow Jesus. It was more that he was willing to do and he went away sad.

Jesus later told His disciples it is more difficult for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Perhaps that's because for many, wealth has become the most important thing in their life. It's their security...their comfort...their god.

Jesus didn't ask this man to sell everything because He needed the poor to be fed. It was the man's heart He was after. Christ expects to be our first love. We must be willing to lay everything else down if He asks us to. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt 6:21).

Jesus wanted the man to give away his possessions so he could come and follow Jesus. He would then  be free from life's distractions and responsibilities with nothing to keep him from sitting at the Master's feet.

As I mediate on this passage, I realize wealth isn't the only thing that can complicate our lives and take our focus off of Jesus. The busyness of life can easily become the squeaky wheel we're constantly oiling - at the expense of our relationship with the One who laid everything down for us.

I love what Jesus says a few verses later. "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt 19:26) If we truly desire to put Christ first and follow Him, God will help us make the necessary changes in our life so it IS possible!

In Christ,
Pastor Susan

January 28

Exodus 5:22-7:24; Matthew 18:23-19:12; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 5:22-23

Psalm 23. How it has changed my life. I have found this inspirational message that allows us to look at the psalm in a new way. I hope you enjoy.

PSALM 23 with thoughts, by Author Unknown

The Lord is my Shepherd - That's Relationship!

I shall not want - That's Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures - That's Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters - That's Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul - That' s Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness - That's Guidance!

For His name sake - That's Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - That's Testing!

I will fear no evil - That' s Protection!

For Thou art with me - That's Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me - That's Discipline!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies - That's Hope!

Thou annointest my head with oil - That's Consecration!

My cup runneth over - That's Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - That's Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - That's Security!

Forever - That's Eternity!

What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives!

God is the shepherd who offers help, protection, and care. But sometimes that help, protection, and care come through others. We must prepare our eyes, ears and heart to be aware of God's presence in every situation we encounter. God is here with us now. Because of that, we are called to shepherd other people, to make God's presence real in the lives of others, to love them as shepherds love the sheep.

Let's Pray
Lord, guide me to discover your presence in the fullness of life and to communicate it to others. Amen


Blessings,
Pastor David

January 27

Our Old Testament reading for today contains the second half of the story of the encounter Moses had with God at the burning bush and his call to deliver Israel from slavey in Egypt. Several things about Moses' call show us important principles about how God wants to reveal His plan for each of us.

First, God usually calls busy people. Moses was not sitting at home doing nothing when God called him. He was faithfully taking care of his father-in-law's flocks. If you want to find and do the will of God for your life, then begin your search by doing everything you can, where you are, with what you have, right now!

Second, God rarely tells us everything about Hs plan for our lives in one fell swoop. The revelation He grants us usually comes to us a little at a time. At the burning bush, God told Moses many things about his destiny, but not everything. It was as he obeyed God that he continued to be guided by God.

Third, God will confirm His plan for our life by speaking to other people. One of the most powerful promises God made to Moses on top of the mountain was that when Moses told Aaron and the Elders about what happened there, they would believe him because God had already prepared their hearts to hear what Moses had to say. When you say "Yes" to the will of God for your life, not everyone will agree with or affirm your calling but some will...! How many? Enough for you to have the confirmation you need in order to step out and do it.

When you receive this email, I encourage you to pray this prayer,

Lord, Please give me the strength, clarity, and wisdom I need in order to do your will. Bring the people into my life that I will need in order to fulfill my assignment. Give me confirmation regarding your plan by speaking to their hearts.Guide me day by day and step by step into your perfect will. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Pastor Mark

January 26--Fire!

Exodus 2:11-3:22 Matthew 17:10-27 Psalm 22:1-18 Proverbs 5:7-14

Fire!
See the Fire, Hear the Call, Here I am!

The smoke was still coming from the charred, wire-wrapped sticks and cloth as he held up the smoldering cross in his hand. "Open the door!" he yelled from my doorstep as I peered fearfully through the top of the front door of my house. I was a skinny 18 year-old. He was a big guy wearing leather and chains and holding a still-burning cross in his hand. The smoke from the cross, the fire in his eyes that cold New Year's night and his booming voice got my attention. I opened the door.

In today's reading from Exodus, we encounter the story of Moses and the burning bush. God sure got Moses' attention when he called to him from within that fire! Moses saw the fire, heard God's call and said the right thing, "Here I am." God went on to give Moses the challenge of his life, sending him back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and lead the people from slavery to "a land flowing with milk and honey." Moses would have to risk his life and put into practice the compassion he had shown at the beginning of today's reading when he killed the Egyptian. This time Moses had God's promise, "I will be with you."

When I opened the door that night, I knew I was risking my life. Yet I was moved by compassion. I was also a born-again Christian and I knew God was with me. It turns out that some KKK members had lit a cross in my neighbors' front yard just because they were black. The man at my door wanted revenge. As I opened that door and listened to him, his girlfriend spoke up like an angel from the shadow of the front yard tree and told him very firmly how my mother regularly read to their little girl after school there in my living room. When she said, "Leavem alone. Let's go." He left. I never forgot it and have always been deeply committed to seeing racial justice in our nation. Moses, it turns out, was called by God to a mission of racial justice, to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, out of slavery. God wants racial justice and He wants so much more! He wants justice and righteousness, freedom from all types of bondage for all people. He is calling us to respond today. Now, like then, he promises that we can do great things because He will be with us as we serve Him.

In our reading from Psalms we see foreshadowed the price Jesus would pay for our lives, "A band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing" (Psalm 22:16-18). In other verses from Matthew for today, we see that Jesus knew of what was to come. He said, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." Jesus faced torture and death for us, for our salvation, but more than that, he gave his life for us to have the power by the Holy Spirit to see God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus was faithful to the call on his life, and He calls us to be faithful, even in the face of potential suffering as we take up our cross to follow Him.

Right now, God is moving powerfully at Hillcrest Church! The bush is on fire! God is speaking to us from within the fire. In the past days, we have seen miracles of healing in numbers that we might have thought impossible. We have seen the Holy Spirit show up and minister to us like the fire of Pentecost. The previous few months have been dry--like the desert where Moses was tending sheep. Yet God has heard the cry of His people today as He did then. God wants to see salvation, healing, deliverance, transformed lives. He wants to see you and me bringing people to Him like never before. God wants us to have the faith to heal people and drive out demons. As Jesus said in our reading for today, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20-21).
Have we seen the fire? Have we heard the call? Let us be prepared to say, "Here I am!" As we enter into God's presence, as we hear Him say, "I will be with you." then we will see Him do mighty things through us. The problems of our present and past may look like mountains today, but nothing will be impossible for us. Join me in saying to God right now, "Here I am! Here I am! Here I am!"

Pastor Paul

January 25

Exodus 2:1-3

1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

When she could hide him no longer…

As mothers, we have a natural desire to protect our children. In the beginning, it is from enemies like cold, hunger, or sitting in dirty diapers too long. Later on we wish to protect them from kids who would make fun of them or friends who would be a bad influence. But there comes a time when we can hide them no longer. Moses' mother understood that. There was a terrible ruling that all baby boys should be killed so she hid him for three months.

There comes a time with our children as well when we can no longer protect them as we would wish. After preparing them the best that we know, we must send them on their way. For some of us it means leaving them in a day care or putting them on a yellow bus to go to school. For others, it means allowing the child to be with their father who has very different values than what we teach them in our home. In such situations, we prepare them, then we must let go… and pray.

Exodus 2:4-5

4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.

I remember the first time I needed to let my child go. He had a special language need that I simply was not qualified to meet. Thankfully, the place where he went had special glass windows that allowed me to see him though he could not see me. Even then, I couldn't see everything , all the time. I was so blessed! My child was taken care of by a "princess" who is one of the most gifted educators I have ever met. Only a few days after my child started this program, I was asked, "Can I talk to you?" Those were some of the most beautiful words that have ever been spoken to me.

I can't promise you that your story will turn out like mine, but I know that again and again, as Moms we still have to let go…and pray there will be a "princess" to help them on their journey of life.

Prayer for Moms: Lord, you know that I love my child so much. I wish that I could protect them from every evil and negative input in their lives. Since I cannot, please help me to prepare them, then let them go, trusting you to lead them. Lord, I know that You love them even more than I do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Teresa Brand

Today’s Reading

Genesis 48:1 – 49:33, Matthew 15:29 – 16:12, Psalm 20:1-9, Proverbs 4:20-27

“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths then all your ways will be sure*. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

My dad had the strangest saying that I heard more than once when I was growing up. “You always take the harder way.” The longer I know Jesus, the more sense that makes. It is not that we are going out of our way to look for misery as if that was a virtue, but “taking up your cross daily” really does cost us something and there needs to be an intentionality with which we live our lives. You also wonder if the path of most resistance isn’t a catalyst for greater growth. The more we have to work, the more our skill and strength develop.

Peter took the hard way. When Jesus told him to come out on the water, Peter had a choice: I can stay in the boat and play it safe, or I can take the impossible road along side of Jesus. As long as Peter kept his gaze fixed on Jesus, he was okay. The moment he looked away, he began to falter. In our lives we are to look toward Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. When we do that, our “ways will be sure.” The Hebrew connotation implies that our way will be “established, aimed, and prepared for us with provisions ready.”

It is easy to be either distracted by “things,” or to become comfortable with where we are in Jesus. It’s easier to stay home than go to church; to scratch the surface rather than go deeper in worship; to “veg out” rather than force ourselves to grow. It is easier to hold on to anger than to forgive; to fight than to make peace; to give in to what our sin nature craves than walk in the Spirit. This Proverb gives us specific direction in how to walk through life: we keep our gaze fixed directly in front of us while giving careful thought to our paths. Some people go through life with a “that-just-always-happens-to-me” attitude. I don’t want life to happen to me, I want to intentionally happen to life! I believe that God is calling us to go deeper into Him this year. This will require an act of faith from every person in our church: will we stay in the boat, or attempt the impossible as Jesus directs us? If He is inviting us out into the impossible, and we keep our gaze fixed on Him, that means He already has our path aimed properly, established in His will, and with full provisions available!

Walking together on the path of most resistance,

Pastor Kyle

*Italicized words are the ESV translation of the Hebrew for this verse, which is more faithful to the original language.

January 23

Genesis 46-47:31; Matthew 15:1-28; Psalm 19:1-14; Proverbs 4:14-19

We can be a historical example


Joshua 2:8 says, "Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten." The story of the people of God in the Old Testament and the story of the Christian church in the New Testament is full of characters who, with their lives, made a notable difference as they turned their lives into true testimonies of willingness, dedication and service to Jehova God. Joshua is a person who completely dedicated his life to the service of God. He did not have another job, nor did he have another profession, nor did he serve God part time while he had another full time job. No, no! Joshua is the exact example of a person 100% given to a mission from beginning to end.

It seems worthy to note that almost always the phrase "Joshua, son of Nun" appears. You may be asking yourself, "And this blesses me how?" To that, my response is this. God has always taken interest in showing himself as a Generational God and it's because of that that we find in the Bible, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." In other occasions the Bible uses phrases such as "the God of our fathers." Joshua impacts my life because he represents his father, Nun, and throughout the length of his life and his testimony, he holds high the family name. Later on we find a very important moment in Joshua when he gets to the high point of his life as a servant of God saying "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Where am I going with this devotional on this Sunday? Here is what I am getting at my precious brethren. Let's make a firm decision to serve God in the local church, but not only temporarily, or when things in the church are going well, but instead, let's make the family commitment to support our church with our time, our money, our prayer, our abilities, our work. What would happen if each one of the members of this great Hillcrest Church family does this? We will be a Generational church that will be making history in the present and leaving an inheritance for the future.

To finish this devotional, I want to tell you something that my wife, Margoth told me upon arriving from Colombia. She told me: "My dad (who is a pastor) put together the story of the Rodriguez and found the following. Us Rodriguez are 1000 people, 500 of which are Christians." All of it started with the conversion of the grandparents, then Margoth's parents, then Margoth, then our children, Oscar A., Johan D. and Jonathan and now our grandchild, Oscar Julian. We are on the 5th generation of the Rodriguez and there have been 18 pastors serving the Lord that have come out of it. My father-in-law has a list of the 500 who have not consecrated nor given their life to the Lord and he prays for them, as well as praying for those who are Christians and praying for those who are pastors. This blessed me because I see here in Hillcrest that we can also make history, each of us with our families. I was the first converted in the Camacho family and I married a woman with an evangelical inheritance and we have spent 35 years together, serving the Lord and today in Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest with the support of Pastor Mark, we are ready to make history just like Joshua.

Brother and Sister, you too can make history! Be encouraged to leave a beautiful Christian inheritance in this church, because it's worth it to be like Joshua!

Atte.

Oscar Camacho O
Pastor, Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest

January 22

Genesis 44:1-45:28; Matthew 14:13-16; Psalm 18:37-50; Proverbs 4:11-13

When I read stories about Jesus' disciples...the very people He picked to follow Him, it gives me great encouragement for those times I royally mess up. They were people with imperfections just like me.

Having just taken part in the miraculous feeding of thousands with five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus put His disciples on a boat and told them to go ahead to the other side of the lake while He dismissed the crowd. Their faith must have been at an all-time high after such an afternoon.

However the disciples' mountain-top experience didn't last long. Late that evening, their boat was tossed by high winds and they became terrified when they thought a ghost was walking towards them on the water. From the outside looking in, it seems strange the disciples didn't immediately recognize Jesus as He was coming to help them. After all, they knew Him well. I wonder if God ever thinks the same thing about us. Why is it sometimes hard for us to see Him as He tries to come to our rescue?

The good news is Jesus didn't abandon the disciples because they lacked faith. Instead, He called out and told them not to be afraid. That gives me hope  Jesus won't give up on us either --- even if we struggle to believe He's really there.

Peter wanted to believe. When Jesus said, "Come", he crawled out of the boat and stepped onto the water. What were the rest of the disciples doing? Were they too afraid to follow? Certainly it was easier to stay hunkered down on the boat...with everyone else. But Peter didn't follow the crowd. He followed The voice and found himself walking on water! Each step moved him closer to Jesus.

And then it happened. Peter made the mistake of looking at the wind instead of Jesus and he became afraid. Fear caused him to doubt and he began to sink. In desperation, he cried out for help and Jesus saved him. Once they were both safely in the boat, the wind died down, and all of the disciples worshiped Jesus.

There are three great take-aways from this passage. First, don't be afraid. While he was in prison in Rome, Paul wrote to Timothy and reminded him fear doesn't come from God (2 Tim 1:7). He warned the Corinthians to get control of their thoughts (2 Cor 10:5). An undisciplined imagination can be your worst enemy,  paralyzing you with fear about "what if's"! Don't let fear rule or ruin your life. Find comfort and peace in the knowledge that Jesus is near by, always ready to save you. 

Second, be willing to take a step of faith. Many times, Jesus will expect some actions steps from you. Listen for His voice and do what He tells you to do. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

Third, keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Heb 12:2). He is able to keep you afloat...no matter what you're going through. Don't dwell on your circumstances...they can bring you down and fill your mind with doubt. Keep moving towards the Savior. He'll never let you sink!

Blessings,
Pastor Susan

January 21

Genesis 42:18–43:34;Matthew 13:47–14:12;Psalms 18:16-36;
Proverbs 4:7-10
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown.”
My child, listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.

I love the reading in proverbs today. Wisdom is a life long relationship that will always lead you on a path of success. I would like to share a bit of wisdom I learned from a little boy and a fence.

The Fence by Author Unknown

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.
His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.

He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."

As William Arthur Ward once said,
"It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people;
to focus your energies on answers - not excuses."

Blessings,
Pastor David

January 20

⁴⁴ The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. ⁴⁵ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46 NIV)

 

I have heard it said, "Salvation is free, but it will cost you everything." In the first parable, when the man realizes there is a treasure in a field, he joyfully sells everything (emphasis mine) to buy this field.

In Luke's Gospel chapters 18 and 19, we read about two guys who met Jesus. Zacchaeus was a cheating tax collector who gladly welcomed the Lord into his home. The encounter had such a profound impact on wealthy Zacchaeus that he decided to give half of his goods to the poor. If he had cheated anyone, he would pay them back four times. Jesus also met a rich ruler who was pious enough that he could say that he had kept the commandments since he was young. Jesus told him that he still lacked one thing - he needed to sell his goods and give to the poor and follow him. The Bible tells us that the ruler went away sorrowfully.

And so…what will you do when the Lord calls you to a deeper commitment to Him? When He nudges you about a habit or speaks to your heart about an attitude? Will you gladly say, "Yes," or will you go away sorrowfully carrying your little bag of stuff labeled, "For me only?" The choice is ours.

A song by Michael W. Smith expresses my plea to the Lord, "I will open up my heart, Search me in the deepest parts, And I will stand in cleansing fire, By You I'm purified, By You I'm purified."

Let's pray, "Lord, I want to be able to give you everything and anything you ask, and with a willing and joyful heart. Please help me. Amen."

 

-Teresa Brand

January 19

High-Yield Seed

Genesis 39:1-41:16, Matthew 12:46-13:23, Psalm 17, Proverbs 3:33-35

Growing up in Nebraska, I learned a bit about farming and I enjoyed the results of the harvest. I lived within a two-mile jog of some great farms with fertile soil near the Missouri River. I liked fresh sweet corn so much that some of my friends nick-named me Corn Boy. Besides how great the corn tasted, one of the most amazing things to me about modern farming was and still is the yield that a farmer can get on an acre of land-one hundred, two hundred, three hundred bushels per acre. Not bad for a bag or so of seed! It’s not just ordinary seed though—hybrid seed, open pollinated seed, seed bred to fight disease, to fight drought, to mature more quickly, to resist specific insects. In our Bible readings for today, we find Jesus’ parable about seed and harvest. Like modern farmers, his focus is on high-yield seed.

Jesus defines high-yield seed as “someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23).

Jesus gives us a formula for becoming high-yield seed. We have to hear the word, really listen to it, study it, reflect upon it, and by God’s grace come to understand it. Then we have to produce. We have to live out the Word in our daily lives, obediently doing what God by His Spirit helps us to understand. In so applying God’s Word, in order to see success, we have to overcome problems and even persecution, and we have to overcome the temptation to turn away from the Word as the world tries to distract us with “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.” (Matthew 13:22).

In our readings today from Genesis, we see in Joseph the example of a man who epitomizes a life of “high-yield seed.” In Genesis 39:2 we read, ^“The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered..” Again in 39:22, “the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” Joseph literally blessed his master Potiphar with a high yield. Genesis 39:5 states: “The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.” The New Living translation says “his crops and livestock flourished.” In Genesis 41, we will see how Joseph went on to help the whole country of Egypt experience the blessing of increased yields. “During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.” (Genesis 41:47)

There is a progression in Joseph’s life by which he becomes the high-yield example that he is. Joseph moved from pride to humility—from the bragging young man of dreams and a multi-colored coat to a slave who gave God credit for his success. In humility he moved into servanthood. He learned to truly serve all of those around him. In humility and service to others, Joseph learned to use the spiritual gifts that God gave him—interpreting dreams and giving prophetic direction to people about what God revealed to him about the future. In humility, in service, in spiritual power, Joseph also learned to walk in righteousness and not to sin. As he said to Potiphar’s wife, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Like the high-yield seed of modern agriculture, Joseph learned to resist that which destroys.

In Proverbs 3:33 today we find this verse: “The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.” Joseph demonstrated the blessing on the righteous and King David described this kind of righteousness in today’s Psalm 17: 3-5 ^“Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.”

Hearing the Word, understanding it, doing it—in humility, in service to others, exercising our spiritual gifts, and walking in righteousness, may each of us find today in the words of Jesus and the example of Joseph a challenge to so yield ourselves to God’s will for our lives that we will become high-yield seed--producing a great harvest with hundreds, even thousands of people accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior because of us!

May God Bless You for the Harvest,

Pastor Paul

January 18

The story of Joseph is one of the most amazing examples of divine favor in all of Scripture. As a teenager, God began to speak to him through Holy Spirit inspired dreams, revealing His plan for Joseph’s life, and promising to exalt him beyond anything he could have ever imagined.

In later years, Joseph would exhibit outstanding character qualities like forgiveness, perseverance, and humility. When God first began to speak to him, Joseph did not seem to be especially spiritual or mature. Sharing his dreams with his brothers was unwise. It made them so jealous that they were willing to sell him into slavery in Egypt. In spite of Joseph’s mistakes, God continued to bless him and use him to further His Kingdom here on earth.

What does Joseph’s story teach you and me about divine favor?

1.    Favor is the work of God, not the work of man. Divine favor comes as the result of God sovereignly choosing to use a particular person in a particular way. He alone has the final say over such matters. He chooses who He uses.

2.    Faithfulness before God results in favor before man.  Joseph responded to God’s initial gift of favor by staying true to God’s purposes in some very trying circumstances. Each time, Joseph’s faithfulness resulted in even more favor from the Lord.

3.    Favor brings divine blessing and human testing. The favor and gift of God in Joseph’s life angered his brothers and caused Potiphar’s wife to try to seduce him, but it also attracted Pharoah’s attention and resulted in his sudden promotion from prisoner to Prime Minister.

As you and I walk with the Lord and remain faithful to Him, these three principles will become realities in our lives as well. God graciously granted us salvation and eternal life. He has also chosen us to serve Him in very specific ways. As we continually choose to respond to His call, we will experience His faithful provision and find ultimate personal fulfillment.

When you read this devotional, I encourage you to pray this prayer,

Lord, please help me to always remain faithful to you in spite of whatever difficulties or opportunities come my way. Please help me to respond rightly when I am treated wrongly. Use me as much as you possibly can to further your agenda here on earth. I love you and want to bring you glory with my life! In Christ’s name, Amen.

Pastor Mark

January 17

God made us spiritual beings with the capacity to hear His voice and be filled with His Spirit—and I am so glad for that! The reading in Proverbs for today begins with the words “…preserve sound judgment and discernment…they will be life for you.” Just because God can and does speak to His people, doesn’t mean that He does for every single decision. I am as big a proponent as anyone for hearing God’s voice, not despising prophecy, and living with a sense of expectation that God is going to speak with us, but sometimes we can think that living a life of godliness means that God makes all the decisions for us and tells us all the answers in advance. I know that there are moments when God would lead us specifically in everyday matters but by in large He doesn’t because God made us intelligent and able to discern what is good, right, and acceptable. If there is doubt, His Word will instruct us, and His Spirit will guide our steps even if there is no “grand revelation!” Just as parents don’t do their children’s homework, God doesn’t always give us the answers on a silver platter! The process of wrestling through an issue on an emotional, intellectual, relational, and spiritual level helps us to grow to become fully balanced people.

There were two life changing decisions that I sought the Lord about for which I did not get a direct answer from Him. 1) When I married my wife, and 2) When we moved to Dallas to be part of Hillcrest. On both occasions Teresa and I prayed and listened, prayed and listened, and prayed and listened. God did answer us, but it was not through the way I thought it would be—I thought I would hear big Voice telling me GO FOR IT! Rather I dated Teresa, we prayed, we sought godly counsel, we came to know each other’s character and spirit, and we came to the conclusion that this was God’s will for us. The decision to come to Dallas was much the same way: we got to know the church, sought godly counsel, felt peace, saw the open doors, and understood this was what God wanted us to do.

So how does this apply to my life today? What do we do when big decisions are before us and we need guidance?

1. Listen to the Lord and if He speaks directly into your circumstance, then do exactly as He says!

2. Walk through a godly process by seeking godly counsel, and be directed by a sense of peace from the Lord. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of God rule (lit. “umpire” or “arbitrate”) in your hearts.” If you don’t feel peace about it, then it is very likely that God is pointing another direction.

3. Apply biblical wisdom, sound practical judgment, and discernment. These things are every bit as godly as hearing from God Himself because when we do these things we are using the capabilities and faculties that He has given to us!

4. The Word of God promises that if we will commit our way to Him, then He will establish us, (Proverbs 16:3). Even if there is no Voice from Heaven, we can rest assured that God is still active in our situation and is helping guide us toward His will for our lives!

Blessings!

Pastor Kyle

January 16

Genesis 32:13-34:31; Matthew 11:7-30; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 3:19-20

The End is not the End until God decides.
On Monday January 11 the Bible reading in Genesis impacted me, especially when I got to the 25th chapter, verses 7 and 8, where it details how Abraham finished his days.
I have been going through a situation of physical pain for more than 2 months, because of a spider bite on the 5th toe on my right foot. About 2 weeks ago I had a minor surgery done on that toe. When we go through difficult situations, it seems like life is short and we feel like we won’t have enough time left to realize our dreams and suddenly pessimism appears and we get sad.
It’s interesting that in different parts in Genesis we see Abraham say things like: Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Genesis 17:17. I like to think about how God didn’t pay attention to those negative declarations by Abraham, because to God Abraham’s end had not arrived.
Then Sara dies and I find that Abraham finds a new wife and now he doesn’t just have one son, but he now fathers more children…and I say, wow! What happened to that man that felt old? When we arrive at Genesis 25:7-8 we don’t see a man who’s shut in, living on a wheelchair and forgotten. Not at all! The Bible says that he died at a good old age, an old man and full of years. He lived another 175 years.
To finish my story, I went to the doctor on Thursday because according to the first doctor, I had cardiovascular issues on my legs. I was checked out and the doctor told me, “you don’t have any of those problems and your foot is healing normally, it will take some time but it will heal.”
I went home very happy!
Friends, our lives don’t depend on the diagnosis or the opinions of other people. God knows how to take care of us and He still has many surprises prepared for us. Your dreams will be reached because God is faithful. Therefore, let’s change our confessions and declare what the Bible says and we will come to the conclusion that the end is not the end until God decides.
If you are sick at the time of this devotional, let the healing be activated in your body in the name of Jesus!

Sincerely,


Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest


El Final no es el Final hasta que Dios lo decide.
El lunes 11 de Enero fui impactado por la lectura de la Biblia en Génesis y especialmente cuando llegue al capitulo 25 y los versos 7, 8 donde muy detalladamente se relata la manera como Abraham termino sus días.
Yo he estado pasando por una situación de dolor físico muy fuerte ya por mas de dos meses a causa de una picadura de araña en el quinto dedo del pie derecho. Hace dos semanas pase por una pequeña cirugía y cuando se esta pasando por situaciones difíciles parece que la vida se acorta y que no nos va alcanzar vida para realizar los sueños y de pronto aparece un poco de pesimismo y nos ponemos tristes.
Es interesante que varias veces en Génesis aparecen expresiones de Abraham donde dice cosas como, ¿A un hombre de cien años le ha de nacer hijo? Génesis 17:17. Me gusta pensar como Dios no le puso atención a esos diagnósticos de vejez que Abraham declaraba, para Dios el final de Abraham todavía no había llegado.
Luego muere Sara y encuentro que Abraham encuentra esposa de nuevo y ahora no tiene un solo hijo sino que engendra mas...y digo ¡wow! ¿Que paso con este hombre que se sentía viejito? Llegamos a Génesis 25: 7-8 y allí el relato no es de un hombre recluido en una silla de ruedas y olvidado en una casa para ancianitos, ¡nada de eso! Dice la Biblia que murió en buena vejez, anciano y lleno de años y vivió 175 años mas.
Bueno para terminar mi historia fui al medico el jueves porque según mi primer medico yo tenia problemas cardiovasculares en las piernas. Me examinaron y dijeron "no tienes nada de esos problemas y tu pie va sanando bien, tomara un tiempo pero sanara.”
¡Llegue a casa contento!
Amigos, nuestra vida no depende de los diagnósticos o de las opiniones de la gente, Dios sabe tener cuidado de nosotros y El nos tiene todavía muchas sorpresas agradables preparadas. Tu sueños se cumplirán porque Dios es fiel. Entonces cambiemos nuestra confesión y declaremos lo que dice la Biblia y llegaremos a la conclusión que El Final no es el final hasta que Dios le decida.
Si estas enfermo al leer este devocional entonces que se active en el Nombre de Jesús la sanidad para tu cuerpo.
Con el amor de siempre,


Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest

January 15

Genesis 31:17-32:12; Matthew 10:26-11:6; Psalm 13:1-6; Proverbs 3:16-18

I've lived in the United States all my life...the "land of the free and the home of the brave".  When I started school in 1960, God was still allowed in the classroom. The Ten Commandments were posted on the wall, we started each day with a morning prayer, Christmas programs were about the birth of Christ and the Gideons were welcome guest speakers in assemblies. We heard about the persecution of Christians in other countries but were confident nothing like that could ever happen here...

Fast forward fifty years. One by one, our rights of religious freedom have been legislated away. The secular demand for tolerance has subtly created an intolerance for followers of Christ. It is possible many of us, on account of our faith, will face ridicule, discrimination or worse...just as the disciples did in Bible times.

In 1993, I was one of a few token Christians in an audience stacked with non-believers during the filming of a Phil Donahue show in Dallas. The program that day was one which basically mocked Christianity. I was surrounded by people who jeered and laughed when they discovered I was a believer. The experience was both eye-opening and unsettling. They hated me and they hated my God.

In today's passage, Jesus recognizes we'll face persecution but He doesn't let us off the hook. He says for us to "proclaim [our faith] from the roofs" (Matt 10:27) and "do not be afraid". Fear is a tool the devil uses to tempt us to hide our faith in the closet. Scripture tells us to fear only God and never man.

Jesus also reminds us we're never alone. He paints an encouraging picture beginning with how God cares for the sparrows and doesn't allow even one to fall to the ground apart from His will. He then explains that we are much more valuable to God than many sparrows. Yes, we may face persecution, but God will be with us each step of the way.

Finally, Jesus promises if we stand up for Him, He will stand up for us. If we will acknowledge Him before men...[sharing our faith, living a life of Truth without compromise, standing boldly for His ways despite the cost]...He will acknowledge us before God in heaven (Matt 10:32).

If Jesus could die for me on the cross, with God's help, I can live for Him!

God, awaken in me a fresh desire to share Your love and the saving knowledge of Jesus with those who are lost. Help me walk fearlessly as I live for You!


Pastor Susan

January 14

Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-25; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15

Do you remember arriving for your first day of class? The teacher begins to take a roll call or attendance of everyone that is supposed to be there, “Adams… Butterfield… Campos…” hopefully your name is on the list. I think sometimes we are waiting to see if we are on the list of disciples called by God to share the gospel. Guess what? YOUR NAME IS ON THE LIST!!! (Mark 16:15)

In today’s New Testament scripture reading (Matt. 10:1-25), Jesus calls His disciples into the harvest of ministry. Not only does He call them, He promises to equip them with everything they will need to succeed.

I appreciate that Jesus called each one by name. He may call all of His children to preach the gospel to all the world but He calls us all individually by name and into a specific field. I love that He knows my name. That may not be a big thing to you but it means the world to me. I even like the way Matthew describes his own name in verse 3, “Matthew the publican” none of the other gospels describe him that way. I think it was Matthew’s way of acknowledging his own sinful past and how much he did not deserve to be in the list. Jesus knows the reasons why we should not be on the list, He does not care. Guess what? YOUR NAME IS ON THE LIST!!!

So, if your name is on the list, what does that mean? This passage describes to us that if your name is on the list, you have been given the place, power and authority to accomplish the work God has called you to do. Jesus didn’t just send them anywhere; he sent them with a specific mission. Hillcrest we have been given a mission together. He also gave them the power and authority to accomplish the specific work He had for them to do. As they preached the gospel, He gave them the power to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils. How many people can we list that need healing, new life, deliverance for their hearts, minds and souls? What about you? Is YOUR NAME ON THE LIST!!!

There are many lessons in the 10th chapter but to finish today let me leave you with these two thoughts. In calling and sending the 12 disciples Jesus encouraged them (verses 8-10) to freely give as they had freely received and not to worry about their money, resources or support. We are exceedingly grateful to the Lord for all His mercy and grace. If you are like Matthew and me, you know how much you do not deserve to be on the list. You know that without God’s guidance, authority and power we can never accomplish what He has called us to do. But, guess what Hillcrest? YOUR NAME IS ON THE LIST!!!

Blessings,
Pastor David

January 13

Have you ever seen someone do something really bad and thought, “It’s a good thing I’m not God…!”

That’s my inner response when I read the story of Jacob lying to his blind, aged father in order to deceive him so he can steal his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing. What a despicable act!

Then along comes Genesis chapter twenty-eight. The scoundrel is running for his life, stops for the night, and God suddenly decides to speak His mind. If I had been the Lord and was choosing that particular moment to communicate with Jacob for the very first time in his life, the first sentence out of my mouth would have been a single word, “REPENT!”

But, then again, it really is a good thing that I’m not God, because I would have gotten it all wrong. Instead of pronouncing judgment, the first words the Lord spoke to Jacob were words of destiny and blessing,

“I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying…All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go…I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Why did God do that? Because He knew it was His unmerited favor (what theologians call, “grace”) that would change Jacob’s heart.

The Apostle Paul understood this dynamic. He wrote in Romans 2:4,

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (NLT)”

Eugene Petersen’s The Message paraphrase renders the same verse this way,

“…did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.”

An important part of growing in godliness is learning to extend the same grace to others that God has extended to us. As we do, our witness for Christ becomes more effective in leading others to Him.

As Christians, there is a time and a place to speak words of correction, but our default approach should always be grace. As my mother used to say, “An ounce of sugar will catch more flies than a pound of vinegar!” The New Testament puts that principle this way,

“Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NLT)”

The next time you are incensed at someone’s sin and open your mouth to tell them what you think about what they’ve done, remember what God said to Jacob. He may want to use you to tell them what He thinks instead!

When you get this devotional, I encourage you to pray this prayer,

“Heavenly Father, help me to be like you. Help me to say what you would say in every situation and to every person. May the words that I speak to others cause them to want to know you. In Christ’s name, Amen!”

Pastor Mark

Leavenworth

Leavenworth, Kansas. Anita and I drove past that little mid-western town this fall. Of course, I thought of the infamous United States Penitentiary named for its host town. Wikipedia points out that Leavenworth was “the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005.” That website’s list of “notable inmates” reinforces the image you might have of a place for hardened criminals—Machine Gun Kelly, Bugs Moran. Leavenworth is not a place you might think of as the spiritual birth place of a Hillcrest Church usher. Yet it was for Jimmy Vouras. Years of crime, county jails and state prisons were on the route to Leavenworth for my friend Jimmy. However, God had a plan for Jimmy and it was there in Leavenworth that Jimmy let Jesus forgive his sins and give him a new life! Just before Jimmy went to be with the Lord last week, one of the final things he did was to pray with a man who needed to hear about Jesus’ forgiveness and healing. Up until his death, Jimmy was boldly telling others about his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yet Jimmy never would have known Jesus had not one person after another shared the gospel with him while he was, by his own account, a “dangerous criminal.”

In our reading for today in Matthew 9:10-13 we find these words: ^“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The challenge I want to offer all of us today, is that we take Jesus at His word and dedicate more of our time and energy this year to reach out to those we know to be “sinners.” Let’s increase our mercy, shift our focus some from “the righteous,” shift our attention from “religious sacrifice,” and find those so sick with sin that they need and want Jesus. We may have to go places like Leavenworth. Or, like Matthew, we may know people but we may just have never successfully invited them to get to know Jesus.

In our reading from the Psalms for today, we have this verse, “You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” (Psalm 10:17). Jesus demonstrated the truth of this with Matthew and the others that day. Those who are caught up in sin are truly afflicted. God hears their cry and wants us to reach out to them. If you yourself are caught up in sin even now, God hears your cry and wants to encourage you by offering you forgiveness and a new life in Christ. As in Jimmy’s case, the depth of the sin is not an obstacle for Christ. Jesus had a word about that in Luke 7:47 when he spoke of a woman who was known to have lived a sinful life. She came to Jesus and he forgave her sins. Jesus then said, “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” The point Jesus was making was that those of us who have been forgiven much, love Jesus even more! If we want a church filled with people who really love Jesus, we need to do more this year to hear the cry of the afflicted and reach out to sinners.

Perhaps our reading from Genesis 26-27 today is further illustration of the way that God reaches out to sinners. The record of how Jacob, whose very name sounds like the Hebrew word “deceiver,” tricked his brother and father, robbing his brother Esau of both his birthright and his blessing. As we read on in days to come, we will see how God wrestled with the conniving Jacob and gave him the new name, Israel “because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28) God wants us to be overcomers, no matter how deep the sin, and He wants us to reach out to and see others become overcomers through the forgiveness of sins and new life offered by Jesus.

Pastor Paul

January 11

Hi! This is Teresa. Here are some thoughts of mine about today's reading that Mark encouraged me to share with you:

To me, it's interesting to note that the two most life-changing decisions in my life are found in today's Bible reading: My decision to follow Christ and my commitment to my husband, Mark.


Matthew 8:19 tells us that a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Me? I don't even remember my decision to follow Christ. My parents have told me that one day when I was five years old, I began to ask a lot of questions about what it meant to be saved. That night at church they saw me praying. Later, I told them that I had decided to be a Christian. I don't know how much my life changed from that day to the next. My parents were Christians, even ministers. There was definitely a limit to how far I could have gone down a sinful path at that age and with such protection! I do remember being six years old and desperately wanting to learn how to read so that I could read the Bible. I remember singing a song when I was about eight years old about how that I had made a promise that I would "make it (to heaven) somehow." Even as a child, my heart was already determined to follow the Lord. Since then, it hasn't always been easy, but it has been good.


If you asked someone in another part of the world what following Christ means, they would describe something totally different from my story. It might involve being estranged from their family, perhaps even receiving death threats from a relative. It could include imprisonment or living in fear of being arrested. When I compare their story with mine, it hardly seems fair. Here I am in the US, with Christian TV, radio, and bookstores surrounded by churches where we may worship openly. There they are, paying a huge price for following the Lord. I remind myself that one day I will give an account to Him for having such liberties and He will judge me accordingly.


Our passage in Genesis makes me think of the second most important decision in my life. Eleazar tells his story to Laban and Nabor and they come to believe that he has been sent to them by the Lord. They then call for Rebecca and ask her, "Will you go with this man?" She replies, "I will go." So off Rebekah went. Thankfully, she took a personal servant with her - at least one person she knew. When I try to imagine what this was like, I tell my Western mind that there are plenty of arranged marriages in the world. After a few years, those people are just as happy, if not more so, than those of us in the West who choose our own spouses. Still…just packing up, and going away to marry a guy that you've never met…?!


Sometimes I see people who get married and their lives stay much the same - they live in the same town, keep the same job, continue attending the same church…it's just now, they are married. That wasn't the case with me. My life changed completely when I got married. The biggest adjustment wasn't living with Mark; it was all of the other changes. He was an itinerant minister. He spoke in a church for a few nights, and then we travelled on to the next one. I didn't exactly enjoy going to a new church or two every week. Mark had been to many of those churches before we got married, so people were busy checking me out to make sure that I was good enough for him. Since many people knew that my Mom, sister, and I sang together, I was often asked to that, too. But I wasn't used to singing solos to ever new congregations.


When we made the decision together to move to France, I continued to struggle. Mark is gifted at languages and cultures; I am not. To make things even more complicated, we struggled with infertility. I couldn't get a job because our visa did not permit it. I came to the place that I remember being so miserable and angry at life in general that I struggled with thoughts of suicide. The only thing that held our marriage together at that point was a Scripture verse from Psalms that I read over and over again: "Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?…He…who keeps his oath even when it hurts." (Psalm 15: 1,4) I look back on that time in my life today, realize that I was very depressed and am so thankful that I didn't do something that I would have regretted later. Some of the feelings that I had were the result of my poor choices. With time, I learned to accept reality. When Jean-Marc was born and I went through severe post-partum depression, I realized that I either had to chill out a little or I would burn out completely at a young age.


Because of decisions that Mark and I have since made, our marriage is better today than it has ever been! We still face challenges, but as has been true throughout most of our married life, they're not primarily because of one another, but are brought on by external circumstances. I am blessed and honored to be married to Mark!


And so here's what I've learned through all of this: When we make major decisions, sometimes our lives change a little, and sometimes they change a lot. But we should always be faithful to keep our vows, even when it's not easy. 


I encourage all of you to pray one or both of these prayers:


For those who are married: "Lord, in this world of easily broken commitments, please help me to keep my vows and honor my spouse even when it is not easy."


For every one of us: "Lord, please help me to be willing to follow you, no matter the cost. Help me to search my own heart and take away anything that keeps me from following you completely. Amen."

January 10

IT’S SNOWING! And it couldn’t have happened on a better day than yesterday! As I watched the snow falling as the 10:30 am service ended yesterday, and then watched it fall even harder as we ended our church-wide Q &A, I was beaming with excitement and promise and it had to do with a dream God gave me seven months ago…

I am constantly amazed at how nothing takes God by surprise and He makes provision for everything we need. Just as Abraham had lifted the knife over Isaac not really knowing what would happen, God suddenly provided a ram. It was an amazing test of faith in which, for a moment, it looked like the promise was going to die and Abraham was giving back to the Lord that which the Lord had given him. Now there was another need—Isaac needed a wife.

Without this wife, the everlasting covenant would die with Isaac. It is never God’s will that His blessings die with the outgoing generation! He is the God of life, multiplication, and blessing, therefore, just as provision was made before, God will do it again. Long story short, God came through for Isaac and there was a marriage—not to just any girl, however.

This was a girl who was able to believe like Abraham. Abraham came to Canaan on nothing more that God’s Word and Promise that He would bless him and be good to him. Likewise, Rebekah came to marry Isaac on nothing more than the word of a servant that she would be blessed and that they would be good to her—it is the same order of faith that yields the same miraculous provision. God looks for people who can believe Him at HIS Word and resist the temptation to take another way out in the face of demoralizing situations. We, as Hillcrest Church, have laid our “Isaac” on the altar in faith—we have given it to the Lord. Now the Lord is making provision, and as Pastor Mark pointed out to us yesterday, it will be a possible adoption or a potential marriage. Isaac needed to be married not given to another father. Now back to my dream.

This past summer I awoke from a dream in the middle of the night. It was a strange dream that one would not expect to receive on a hot summer night, but I knew it was from the Lord. I had told no one of this dream except my wife. In the dream, even though snow is an infrequent occurrence in Dallas, God spoke to me saying that it was going to snow this winter and when it did, it would be His sign of provision. I believe His is providing a way forward for our Church. I believe the dream that He birthed through the ministry of Pastor Mark of an Antioch Church has been given life so that we can raise this promise to its fulfillment, not give it to another father. Let’s believe together that God is leading us to a place of fulfilled vision and provision that touches our city!

Blessings,

Pastor Kyle

January 9

The Processes of God

In the life of Abraham we find precious life lessons for all of us who want to live a Christian life of fullness.
It’s particularly remarkable in the book of Genesis to note directly in Abraham that God works in the lives of people in what we could call seasons or a process.
In those processes or seasons, He is reaching certain goals that will develop His plan in a very synchronized way with that particular person. In this case, Abraham is the person God had chosen. Please allow me to share with you a few life lessons that will help us not to panic when we feel like God is too quiet.

Let’s take a look at the first step in the Process of Time:

At the age of 75, God gives Abraham a very clear order to leave the place of his origin and to walk towards a new experience in life. Then at the age of 99, God gives him the promise that he will have a child. The life lesson that we learn here is that God is not panicking because 2010 is over and He wasn’t able to accomplish everything He wanted to do with us. So if God is not panicking, we shouldn’t panic either. This new year of 2011 is going to be a year where God’s process of time will allow us to grow, mature, experiment and learn new things that like Abraham, we have to learn.
As you are walking with God, please do not panic in regards to time. Time is your friend!

Let me show you the second step in the Process of Time:

Our relationship with God begins with salvation, when we accept Christ as our personal savior, correct? Very well, in order to accept Christ in our heart we had to make a personal decision, correct? That decision was to invite him into our heart, and that is where our Christian Life began.
Abraham was instructed in what God wanted to do with him and those instructions took Abraham to the point of making decisions that were sometimes controversial, sometimes too radical, and sometimes painful. But as he made those decisions, he was allowing God to develop His plan for him.
Friends, God has plans for our lives, we are very special beings to Him. A way to respond to Gods process is called Decisions.
I would like to add this, correct decisions in the correct times will always allow God’s plan to advance without failure.
Many times how fast God’s plans happen depends more on us than in God Himself. When God initiates a plan, He is waiting for us to respond with a decision to that plan.
In my pastoral experience I’ve seen that there are people who make different decisions. For example, I’ve seen decisions made out of time, there are decisions that are good but are too slow and that renders them ineffective. There are decisions that are rushed and then produce negative results.
Nevertheless, I see that Abraham learned through these process and seasons that God took him through and that allowed him a few important things in the processes of God.
1. He learned to know God

2. He learned to obey God

3. He learned the effect of bad decisions

4. He learned not to stop after recognizing his mistakes

5. He learned that God was not in a rush to expect more than what he could give

6. He learned that everything that God set out to do with him was to bless him, prosper him and to give him a life of purpose

Friends, life is not a day or a year, life is a process of time that God will use to take us from point A to point B and then to leave your life as a biography for the next generations.
Philippians 1:6 says, “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
The processes of God for our lives will always have a good ending.
Blessings,

Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest





Los Procesos de Dios
En la vida de Abraham encontramos preciosas lecciones de vida para todos nosotros que deseamos vivir una vida Cristiana de plenitud.
Particularmente es notable observar en el relato Bíblico del Génesis en relación directa a Abraham que Dios trabaja en las vidas de las personas en lo que podría llamarse proceso o etapas.
Y en esas etapas o procesos El va cumpliendo metas que van desarrollando Su Plan de una manera muy sincronizada con esa persona con quien directamente Dios esta interactuando. En este caso es Abraham la persona seleccionada por parte de Dios, y permítame compartir con ustedes algunas lecciones de vida que nos ayudaran a no desesperarnos cuando a nosotros nos parezca como que Dios esta quieto.

Veamos en Primer lugar El Proceso del Tiempo.

A la edad de 75 años Dios le dio una indicación muy clara a Abraham para salir de su lugar de origen y encaminarse hacia una nueva experiencia de vida. Luego a los 99 años le dio Dios la promesa de darle un hijo. La lección de vida que aprendemos aquí es que Dios no anda desesperado porque se termino el 2010 y no alcanzo a realizar todo lo que quería hacer con nosotros. Y si Dios nos anda desesperado, nosotros tampoco debemos estarlo pues 2011 será un año donde le proceso de Dios en cuanto a tiempo nos permitirá crecer, madurar, experimentar, aprender aquellas cosas que como a Abraham nosotros tenemos que aprender.
Mientras Usted vaya caminando con Dios, por favor no se desespere en cuanto al tiempo, ¡el tiempo es su amigo!

Permítame mostrarle en Segundo lugar el Proceso de las Decisiones.

Nuestra relación con Dios empieza con la salvación cuando aceptamos a Cristo como nuestro Salvador personal, ¿verdad? Muy bien, y para aceptar a Cristo en nuestro Corazón tuvimos que hacer una decisión personal, ¿verdad? Y esa decisión fue invitarlo a nuestro Corazón y allí se inicio nuestra Vida Cristiana.
Abraham fue instruido en cuanto a lo que Dios quería hacer con el y esas instrucciones llevaron a Abraham a tomar Decisiones a veces controversiales, a veces muy radicales, a veces dolorosas, pero la toma de esas decisiones le fue permitiendo a Dios desarrollar su plan para este hombre.
Amigos, Dios tiene planes con nuestras vidas, somos seres muy especiales para El. Una manera de responder a ese Proceso de Dios se llama Decisiones.
Y quiero anotar esto: Decisiones correctas en tiempos correctos siempre harán que el plan de Dios avance sin tropiezos.
Muchas veces el aceleramiento de los planes de Dios depende mas de nosotros que de Dios mismo, pues cuando Dios indica un plan El espera que nosotros respondamos con una decisión a ese plan.
Yo he visto en mi experiencia pastoral que hay personas que hacen diferentes decisiones como por ejemplo he visto Decisiones que se hacen fuera de tiempo, hay decisiones que son buenas pero que son lentas y eso las vuelve inefectivas, has decisiones apresuradas que nos producen resultados con consecuencias negativas.
Sin embargo yo veo que Abraham fue aprendiendo en todos los procesos y etapas que Dios le fue llevando y eso le permitió varias cosas que son importantes en los Procesos de Dios.
1. Aprendió a Conocer a Dios.
2. Aprendió a Obedecer a Dios
3. Aprendió el efecto de las malas decisiones.
4. Aprendió a no detenerse después de haber reconocido sus equivocaciones.
5. Aprendió que Dios no tenia prisa con el, para exigirle mas de lo que como ser humano podía dar.
6. Aprendió que todo lo que Dios se propuso hacer con el, era finalmente para bendecirlo, prosperarlo y darle una vida de significado.

Amigos la vida no es un dia o un año, la vida es un proceso de tiempo que Dios usara para llevarte del punto A al punto B y luego dejarte tu biografía escrita como una enseñanza de vida para las siguientes generaciones.
Filipenses 1:6 dice “…El que comenzó la Buena obra la perfeccionara hasta el dia de Jesucristo”.
Los procesos de Dios para nuestras vidas siempre tienen un buen final.
Bendiciones!

Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor
Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest


Oscar Camacho
Technical Director
972.663.0820
www.hillcrestchurch.org

January 8

Every story in the Bible can teach us about God's heart and character, and help us apply His truth to our lives. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a perfect example.

First, it shows us God hates sin. It may seem some sins aren't as bad as others, but to God, sin is sin. Lying, stealing, pride and murder all fall in the same category. They are an abomination to the Lord. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with tremendous wickedness. The outcry of their grievous sins reached heaven and God sent His angels to destroy them. God will not tolerate sin.

Second, we see how God protects His people. Lot and his family weren't like the others - they were righteous. The angels literally took hold of their hands and led them from the city to protect them. God wants to save us too. He will go to great lengths to get our attention and pull us out of circumstances that are harmful. 

Third, God cares about our future. The angels warned Lot, his wife and daughters to keep moving away from Sodom and not to look back. They would start new lives together in another place. Once they were far enough away from the city, the Lord rained down burning sulphur from heaven and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. But Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.

For years, I wondered what the significance a pillar of salt had. One day, God gave me the answer. Lot's wife had a choice. Instead of following God's instructions, she couldn't resist glancing back at her old way of life...perhaps asking herself what she would be missing, and not thinking a little look could hurt anything. But when she looked back, she was stuck - literally. She could no longer move forward to live the life God had planned for her

Just like Lot's wife, our actions impact where we're headed. If we look back and try to hold onto things from our past, we get spiritually immobilized by taking our eyes off of Jesus. God wants us to love Him more than the things He's rescued us from. When we do, we can face His direction with no regrets, and trust Him for our future!

Blessings,

Pastor Susan

January 7

Genesis 16-18:19; Matthew 6:1-24; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 2:1-5

“Is there anything to hard for the Lord?” Have you ever asked this question? I know it seems ridiculous to ask the question or even speak it out loud if you know Him yourself. What is out of His reach? What problem is too small for Him to see or too big for Him to handle? What time of day is He to busy? What if God Himself asked YOU this question?

In our O.T. passage today (Gen.18) God Himself asked Abraham this exact question. Did God need to know the answer or did God want Abraham to acknowledge the truth? In chapter 18, the Lord met Abraham and Sarah at an unexpected place, with an unusual word and spoke extraordinary results.

Unexpected place – in the beginning of the chapter we see Abraham just sitting in the heat of the day. He had made no special preparations for anyone or expect anything out of the ordinary. The scripture says Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. Are you expecting God to show up in your life? What if He shows up without warning, without YOUR permission?

Unusual word – The Lord said to Abraham that Sarah would have a child within the year. At this point Abraham is almost 100 years old (note to all men… the Lord does not even mention Sarah’s age here so take it from Him, never disclose a women’s age:) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself and rejected the word of the Lord. What if the Lord revives a dream, vision or word from your past? Will you laugh at His promise and timing?

Extraordinary results – Sarah and Abraham did receive the promised child, Isaac. Abraham did become a father of many nations. God fulfilled a covenant with Abraham that is reaching out to you and me. That promise is, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal.3:29)

So, is there anything to hard for the Lord? No. Will we be ready? Will we believe? Will we receive? Yes!

Blessings,

Pastor David

January 6

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you knew you needed to end or significantly change a relationship? That is exactly where Abraham was in Genesis chapter thirteen when conflict erupted between his shepherds and those who worked for his nephew, Lot.

Abraham separated himself from Lot in a very wise way:

1.     He acted proactively. Separating from someone is never easy. When it becomes unavoidable, postponing it makes it harder and winds up causing greater fallout. Abraham did not wait until a quarrel between herdsmen escalated into a quarrel between kinsmen.

2.     He acted redemptively. Abraham’s goal was a better relationship with Lot, the orphan nephew he had taken under his wing. He did not separate from Lot because it was easy to do or because he was angry, but because it was best.

3.     He acted graciously. Abraham did not point the finger, worry about establishing blame, or care about getting in the last word. His words stressed the way he valued Lot as a person and a family member. He called him a “brother.”

4.     He acted generously. Although Abraham was the patriarch of the family and by rights owned all the territory involved, he let the younger man choose the land he wanted to receive. Since the plains were more easily farmed than the mountainous acreage, Lot appeared to get the better end of the bargain. That did not bother Abraham. He valued people more than property, relationship more than real estate.

Was it worth it, you ask? Would Abraham ever regret acting selflessly in order to avoid unnecessary controversy, pain, and stress in his relationship?

The answer to that question is found in verses 14-17, “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring…Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you...”’

Everything Abraham had given away, God was now giving back to him. God honored Abraham for honoring Lot.

My prayer for you and for me is that any time we process such relationally difficult moments in our own lives, God will give us the wisdom and the grace to act like Abraham…!

Pastor Mark