Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23 Luke 8:40-9:6 Psalm 71:1-24 Proverbs 12:5-7
The Dallas International Street Church had a few dozen people from the homeless shelters and from off the streets of Dallas last Friday night. These guys had lost everything. They were poor and needy. Through worship, preaching, prayer and serving food, our Hillcrest Church team fulfilled this Scripture from our reading today, "There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land" (Deuteronomy 15:11).
Jesus, in beginning His ministry, said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor..." (Luke 4:18). We are commanded to make this our mission as well. The text in Deuteronomy has some advice for us in how to bless the poor: "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you" (Deuteronomy 15:15). We should go with our own testimonies like that in Psalms today, "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you--I, whom you have redeemed" (Psalm 71:23).
The redemption that the poor in Dallas need is the same that we have received:
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21)
May we reach the poor. May we go just as our New Testament lesson today shows that Jesus sent out the twelve, with "power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases... to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:1-2). May we go sharing our own testimonies of faith, of being redeemed and of being set free. May our message be like the chorus: "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! I'm redeemed, I'm redeemed, Praise the Lord!"
Pastor Paul
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
March 29
The process we must all go through in order to experience the prosperity God desires to give us is like the journey Israel took to the Promised Land. They started out as slaves in Egypt, the land of “not enough.” Through Moses, God promised to take them to Canaan, the land of “more than enough.” To get there, they first had to go through the wilderness, the land of “just enough.”
As they wandered around in the desert, the Israelites were utterly dependent upon the miracle-working power of God to survive. Without any grocery stores or bakeries anywhere to be found, unless manna fell from heaven daily, they would starve to death!
If you are like me, you like the land of “more than enough” more than the land of “not enough” or the land of “just enough.” I am sure the Israelites felt the same way, but God allowed them to pass through their season of complete reliance on Him for three specific reasons:
1. In order to know what was in their heart:
Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV) — “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”
2. In order to teach them to listen to and obey His voice:
Deuteronomy 8:3 (NIV) —“…to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord…”
3. In order to insure their long-term success.
Deuteronomy 8:16 (NIV) — “He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.”
God knew that once they reached the prosperity He had promised, the Israelites would be in danger of falling back into sin. He warned them repeatedly and clearly to remain dependent upon Him, even when it looked like their life circumstances had improved so dramatically that they no longer needed sustaining miracles.
“The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden…the land is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven…a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” (11:10-12)
Egypt had been a place where they could irrigate their fields through the power of their own flesh, i.e., by working a primitive sort of pump with their foot. Canaan was a place of hills and valleys that was watered through the rain. Even there, they were dependent upon God to provide. If they sinned, He would shut up the heavens and no rain would fall.
Let's continually trust God together! He will honor our faith...because our faith honors Him...!
Pastor Mark
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Number One Priority
Life in Jesus is not difficult to understand, but at times can be very difficult to live out. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 gives us a snap shot; the crux of this life:
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good…”
Life in Jesus is an issue of priority. The very first of the Ten Commandments is “You shall have no other gods before Me.” That’s it! There is a reason that one is first! God is our number one priority in everything that we do, say, see, or think. Jesus summed up the entire Bible by saying in Matthew 22:37-40, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
This is not a difficult concept to understand. If we love God with all that we are and with all that we have, then everything in life will fall into its proper place. The difficulty in this that we must learn to deny ourselves! It is sinful human nature that causes us to want to please ourselves in all things instead of God! God is holy—simply put, that means He is pure, whole, and integrated in all aspects. He desires us to be holy as He is holy. This means that He must become our highest priority in everything of life, and when we place Him at the top of everything, then everything will begin to look like Him: our children, our jobs, our homes, our thoughts, and our emotions will come under His control and His abundant life. This may seem like an impossibility, and humanly speaking it is—but that is why God has given us His Holy Spirit—so we can be holy as He is holy!
I want to encourage you today to, once again, submit every part of your life to Jesus. An easy thing to do is once a day, take a few moments alone and bow before the Lord. Worship Him. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Draw off of the life and strength that He so freely offers to us. In Jesus Christ, God has made it possible for us to be like Him and experience His life in our lives! The key is to make Him the number one priority!
Blessings!
Pastor Kyle Bauer
Sunday, March 27, 2011
March 27
2 Samuel 12:1-31, John 16:1-33, Psalm 119:65-80, Proverbs 16:4-5
What To Do With Mistakes, Because One Mistake Is Not The End
Good morning friends, I hope that this has been one of those weeks where
things have worked in your favor and as we reach this Sunday, your hearts
are encouraged to come to church and alongside other brothers and sisters in
the faith, express our gratitude to our God!
I'd like to share on today's passage of 2 Samuel 12:1-31. The reading is a
little long, it's 31 verses, but the story is great. It's filled with very
important life lessons.
Personally, I do not like making mistakes and quite frankly what I least
like about making mistakes is when I make a mistake in public. I feel
terrible embarrassed. However, I have to confess that no matter how hard
I've tried to not make mistakes and tried not to sin, sooner or later I do.
I remember one year that on December 31st at midnight I promised God that I
would not sin in the new year "what a promise!" I spent that night praying and
I was so immersed in prayer that day that supposedly I did not sin that day.
Then came the 2nd of January and supposedly I still did not sin. But then
came January 6th, and do you know what happened? That's right, I sinned!
My whole world came apart and I thought God didn't love me anymore. But then I overcame that feeling, I found out that the mistakes couldn't mark a total defeat in my Christian life.
Some time after that I read a book called "Lead On!" by John E. Haggai, and
one of the chapters is called "The Principle of Opportunity", in that
chapter he says: "The principle of opportunity lets us see that life is a
series of obstacles and it's precisely those obstacles that open the doors
to great opportunities if we are disciplined enough to recognize that
opportunities are everywhere." He goes on to say, "You are not perfect!
I'm not perfect either, and there isn't anyone who is. Since you will
inevitably make mistakes, one mistake you make out of foolishness, out of
ignorance or by not paying attention; you will need to learn to turn those
mistakes into benefits. Learn from your mistakes, turning them into
unexpected benefits." He goes on to explain 3 things:
1. I need to learn what to do with mistakes.
2. I need to learn how to face mistakes.
3. I need to learn how to take advantage of my mistakes in a positive
way.
I'd like to wrap up this devotional so it doesn't turn into a conference
(but thank you for reading it) by saying that David learned a lot from this
experience and God taught him that his mistakes were not the end of his
career as king.
We are not perfect, what a great thing to know! Mistakes will happen, but
the lesson from David is to overcome, because God will always be there to
help us. Of course, if like David we can admit that we have failed. Do you
remember the phrase "Please have patience with me, God isn¹t done with me?"
That helps us to know that God will get the best out of us! That one
mistake is not our end.
Have a great Sunday!
Sincerely,
Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
2 Samuel 12:1-31, Juan 16:1-33, Salmo 119:65-80, Proverbios 16:4-5
Que Hacer Con Los Errores, Pues Un Error No Es Nuestro Final.
Amigos buenos días deseo que esta semana para ustedes haya sido una de esas
semanas donde las cosas hayan trabajado a su favor y que al llegar este día
domingo sus corazones estén muy animados para venir a la Iglesia y junto con
los hermanos en la fe, expresarle a nuestro Dios toda nuestra gratitud.
Quiero comentar en este devocional de hoy el pasaje bíblico de 2 Samuel
12:1-31. El texto bíblico es largo, son 31 versos pero la historia es
estupenda, llena de lecciones de vida muy importantes para el diario vivir.
Personalmente no me gusta cometer errores y francamente lo que no me gusta
es que cuando los cometo, esos errores se hagan públicos, me da una terrible
vergüenza. Sin embargo tengo que confesar que por mas que me he esforzado
por no cometer errores y pecados tarde que temprano los he cometido. Les
comparto que hubo un 31 de diciembre a la medianoche que le prometí a Dios
que no pecaría en el nuevo año (¡Que promesa! uuuffff). Esa noche amanecí
orando y el 1 de enero estaba tan metido en la oración que supuestamente,
no peque. Luego vino el 2 de enero y supuestamente tampoco peque, (decía
yo) pero para el día 6 ¿saben que paso? Si ya se que lo saben... ¡Peque! Y
todo se me desmorono y creía que ya Dios no me amaba, ¡luego lo supere! Me
di cuenta que los errores no deben marcar una derrota total en mi vida
cristiana.
Tiempo después conocí un libro que se llama Liderazgo que Perdura en un
mundo que Cambia fue escrito en ingles bajo el titulo Lead On! por John E
Haggai y el tiene un capitulo que se llama El Principio de la Oportunidad y
dentro de ese capitulo el dice: "El principio de la Oportunidad nos hace ver
que la vida es una serie de obstáculos y precisamente estos obstáculos nos
abren las puertas a las mas grandes oportunidades si nos disciplinamos a
nosotros mismos para saber reconocer las oportunidades por todas partes."
Luego sigue diciendo "¡Usted nos es perfecto! Yo tampoco lo soy, ni hay
nadie que lo sea. Como usted cometerá errores de manera inevitable, un
error que cometa usted por necedad, por ignorancia o por falta de atención;
usted necesita saber de que manera convertir esos errores en benéficos.
Aprenda de sus errores, convirtiéndolos en benéficos inesperados" y luego
explica tres cosas
1. Debo saber que hacer con los errores.
2. Debo saber como enfrentarme a los errores.
3. Debo saber de que manera aprovecharlos positivamente.
Termino entonces este devocional para que no se convierta en una conferencia
(pero gracias por leerlo) diciendo que David aprendió mucho de esa
experiencia y Dios le enseño que esos errores no eran el fin de su carrera
como rey.
¡No somos perfectos, que bueno saberlo! Vendrán errores, pero la lección de
David es que se pueden superar porque Dios siempre estará allí para
ayudarnos. Por supuesto si como David sabemos admitir que hemos fallado.
Recuerdan la frase: "Ténganme paciencia que Dios todavía no ha terminado
conmigo?² ¡Eso nos ayuda a saber que Dios sacara lo mejor de nosotros! Que
un error no es nuestro final.
¡Que tengan un buen domingo!
Atentamente,
Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
What To Do With Mistakes, Because One Mistake Is Not The End
Good morning friends, I hope that this has been one of those weeks where
things have worked in your favor and as we reach this Sunday, your hearts
are encouraged to come to church and alongside other brothers and sisters in
the faith, express our gratitude to our God!
I'd like to share on today's passage of 2 Samuel 12:1-31. The reading is a
little long, it's 31 verses, but the story is great. It's filled with very
important life lessons.
Personally, I do not like making mistakes and quite frankly what I least
like about making mistakes is when I make a mistake in public. I feel
terrible embarrassed. However, I have to confess that no matter how hard
I've tried to not make mistakes and tried not to sin, sooner or later I do.
I remember one year that on December 31st at midnight I promised God that I
would not sin in the new year "what a promise!" I spent that night praying and
I was so immersed in prayer that day that supposedly I did not sin that day.
Then came the 2nd of January and supposedly I still did not sin. But then
came January 6th, and do you know what happened? That's right, I sinned!
My whole world came apart and I thought God didn't love me anymore. But then I overcame that feeling, I found out that the mistakes couldn't mark a total defeat in my Christian life.
Some time after that I read a book called "Lead On!" by John E. Haggai, and
one of the chapters is called "The Principle of Opportunity", in that
chapter he says: "The principle of opportunity lets us see that life is a
series of obstacles and it's precisely those obstacles that open the doors
to great opportunities if we are disciplined enough to recognize that
opportunities are everywhere." He goes on to say, "You are not perfect!
I'm not perfect either, and there isn't anyone who is. Since you will
inevitably make mistakes, one mistake you make out of foolishness, out of
ignorance or by not paying attention; you will need to learn to turn those
mistakes into benefits. Learn from your mistakes, turning them into
unexpected benefits." He goes on to explain 3 things:
1. I need to learn what to do with mistakes.
2. I need to learn how to face mistakes.
3. I need to learn how to take advantage of my mistakes in a positive
way.
I'd like to wrap up this devotional so it doesn't turn into a conference
(but thank you for reading it) by saying that David learned a lot from this
experience and God taught him that his mistakes were not the end of his
career as king.
We are not perfect, what a great thing to know! Mistakes will happen, but
the lesson from David is to overcome, because God will always be there to
help us. Of course, if like David we can admit that we have failed. Do you
remember the phrase "Please have patience with me, God isn¹t done with me?"
That helps us to know that God will get the best out of us! That one
mistake is not our end.
Have a great Sunday!
Sincerely,
Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
2 Samuel 12:1-31, Juan 16:1-33, Salmo 119:65-80, Proverbios 16:4-5
Que Hacer Con Los Errores, Pues Un Error No Es Nuestro Final.
Amigos buenos días deseo que esta semana para ustedes haya sido una de esas
semanas donde las cosas hayan trabajado a su favor y que al llegar este día
domingo sus corazones estén muy animados para venir a la Iglesia y junto con
los hermanos en la fe, expresarle a nuestro Dios toda nuestra gratitud.
Quiero comentar en este devocional de hoy el pasaje bíblico de 2 Samuel
12:1-31. El texto bíblico es largo, son 31 versos pero la historia es
estupenda, llena de lecciones de vida muy importantes para el diario vivir.
Personalmente no me gusta cometer errores y francamente lo que no me gusta
es que cuando los cometo, esos errores se hagan públicos, me da una terrible
vergüenza. Sin embargo tengo que confesar que por mas que me he esforzado
por no cometer errores y pecados tarde que temprano los he cometido. Les
comparto que hubo un 31 de diciembre a la medianoche que le prometí a Dios
que no pecaría en el nuevo año (¡Que promesa! uuuffff). Esa noche amanecí
orando y el 1 de enero estaba tan metido en la oración que supuestamente,
no peque. Luego vino el 2 de enero y supuestamente tampoco peque, (decía
yo) pero para el día 6 ¿saben que paso? Si ya se que lo saben... ¡Peque! Y
todo se me desmorono y creía que ya Dios no me amaba, ¡luego lo supere! Me
di cuenta que los errores no deben marcar una derrota total en mi vida
cristiana.
Tiempo después conocí un libro que se llama Liderazgo que Perdura en un
mundo que Cambia fue escrito en ingles bajo el titulo Lead On! por John E
Haggai y el tiene un capitulo que se llama El Principio de la Oportunidad y
dentro de ese capitulo el dice: "El principio de la Oportunidad nos hace ver
que la vida es una serie de obstáculos y precisamente estos obstáculos nos
abren las puertas a las mas grandes oportunidades si nos disciplinamos a
nosotros mismos para saber reconocer las oportunidades por todas partes."
Luego sigue diciendo "¡Usted nos es perfecto! Yo tampoco lo soy, ni hay
nadie que lo sea. Como usted cometerá errores de manera inevitable, un
error que cometa usted por necedad, por ignorancia o por falta de atención;
usted necesita saber de que manera convertir esos errores en benéficos.
Aprenda de sus errores, convirtiéndolos en benéficos inesperados" y luego
explica tres cosas
1. Debo saber que hacer con los errores.
2. Debo saber como enfrentarme a los errores.
3. Debo saber de que manera aprovecharlos positivamente.
Termino entonces este devocional para que no se convierta en una conferencia
(pero gracias por leerlo) diciendo que David aprendió mucho de esa
experiencia y Dios le enseño que esos errores no eran el fin de su carrera
como rey.
¡No somos perfectos, que bueno saberlo! Vendrán errores, pero la lección de
David es que se pueden superar porque Dios siempre estará allí para
ayudarnos. Por supuesto si como David sabemos admitir que hemos fallado.
Recuerdan la frase: "Ténganme paciencia que Dios todavía no ha terminado
conmigo?² ¡Eso nos ayuda a saber que Dios sacara lo mejor de nosotros! Que
un error no es nuestro final.
¡Que tengan un buen domingo!
Atentamente,
Dr. Oscar Camacho O.
Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
Saturday, March 26, 2011
March 26
Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25; Luke 7:11-35; Psalm 68:19-35; Proverbs 11:29-31
"So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." (Deut. 5:32-33)
When my kids were young, a traveling circus came to our home town of Abilene. To boost ticket sales, they invited local television anchors to participate in an elephant race at the Montgomery Ward parking lot. It began as an exciting close-up view of celebrities trying to ride the huge animals, but quickly turned into a nightmare when the elephants charged the spectators - including me with my two small children. We had to run for our life!
Despite the incident, I still love the circus. My favorite "big top" performers are the tightrope walkers. Their skill, precision and intense focus demonstrate years of practice and self-discipline. As they place one foot after another across a wire suspended in mid-air, they dare not even glance to the left or the right for fear of losing their balance and falling to a certain death.
The Bible instructs us to be careful and walk in the way God commanded, specifically warning against turning to the right or the left. There is only one straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. "...small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:14)
Walking the right path takes practice, similar to what a tightrope walker goes through while learning how to keep from falling. Over time, he masters the art of balance and the technique of tuning out distractions, enabling safe and steady movement forward. Our distractions come in the form of temptation...the enemy's effort to shift our focus and pull our eyes off of the Lord. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." (John 10:10a) Following the path of temptation can be as dangerous as a tightrope walker letting one foot slip off the wire.
"...when you are tempted He [God] will also provide a way out so you can endure it." (1 Cor. 10:13)
God wants us to make it across without falling, but He knows our nature --- there will be times when we turn and fall. So He sent Jesus to be our safety net. When we fall into His arms, He'll catch us, forgive us, and guide us back onto the right path. The tightrope walker might never get a second chance to get it right, but because of God's grace, we do!
Blessings,
Pastor Susan
"So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." (Deut. 5:32-33)
When my kids were young, a traveling circus came to our home town of Abilene. To boost ticket sales, they invited local television anchors to participate in an elephant race at the Montgomery Ward parking lot. It began as an exciting close-up view of celebrities trying to ride the huge animals, but quickly turned into a nightmare when the elephants charged the spectators - including me with my two small children. We had to run for our life!
Despite the incident, I still love the circus. My favorite "big top" performers are the tightrope walkers. Their skill, precision and intense focus demonstrate years of practice and self-discipline. As they place one foot after another across a wire suspended in mid-air, they dare not even glance to the left or the right for fear of losing their balance and falling to a certain death.
The Bible instructs us to be careful and walk in the way God commanded, specifically warning against turning to the right or the left. There is only one straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. "...small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:14)
Walking the right path takes practice, similar to what a tightrope walker goes through while learning how to keep from falling. Over time, he masters the art of balance and the technique of tuning out distractions, enabling safe and steady movement forward. Our distractions come in the form of temptation...the enemy's effort to shift our focus and pull our eyes off of the Lord. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." (John 10:10a) Following the path of temptation can be as dangerous as a tightrope walker letting one foot slip off the wire.
"...when you are tempted He [God] will also provide a way out so you can endure it." (1 Cor. 10:13)
God wants us to make it across without falling, but He knows our nature --- there will be times when we turn and fall. So He sent Jesus to be our safety net. When we fall into His arms, He'll catch us, forgive us, and guide us back onto the right path. The tightrope walker might never get a second chance to get it right, but because of God's grace, we do!
Blessings,
Pastor Susan
Friday, March 25, 2011
March 25
Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39-7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28
Luke 6:46-49
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
If you have lived long enough you know the question is not if but when the storm comes to your house. Recently, the tragedy in Japan has reminded us all how a flood can devastate the lives of many. We all watched in fear and awe as the powerful flood waters tore through neighborhoods and structures that I am positive were thought to be able to stand any storm. But who would have been able to predict the terrible earthquake that morning? Jesus. I'm not going to debate the question of God's sovereignty and if natural disasters are the Lord's hand of judgment. Let's decide to have that discussion in heaven before the throne, I would rather see us both get there and have better things to talk about.
In our New Testament passage today, Jesus reminds us that there is a solution to the storms of life for our house. That solution is that we not only "hear" His words but that we also put them into "practice." How many friends have we sat before and watched the tears roll down their face while they told us of the destruction in their lives? Maybe you have told your story to someone recently? Thankfully we all know of a God who can restore lives and heal the broken hearts of all who come to Him. May I encourage you today that the time to build a strong foundation is not during the flood, but before the waters arrive. To "hear" and "do" the word of God in our lives every day is like digging your foundation deep in the rock of salvation. Of course you already know this truth, reading the Word of God daily is what we are doing together as a church family and I love sharing this time with you all. So everyone at Hillcrest Church... dig family, keep on digging!
Blessings,
Pastor David
Luke 6:46-49
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
If you have lived long enough you know the question is not if but when the storm comes to your house. Recently, the tragedy in Japan has reminded us all how a flood can devastate the lives of many. We all watched in fear and awe as the powerful flood waters tore through neighborhoods and structures that I am positive were thought to be able to stand any storm. But who would have been able to predict the terrible earthquake that morning? Jesus. I'm not going to debate the question of God's sovereignty and if natural disasters are the Lord's hand of judgment. Let's decide to have that discussion in heaven before the throne, I would rather see us both get there and have better things to talk about.
In our New Testament passage today, Jesus reminds us that there is a solution to the storms of life for our house. That solution is that we not only "hear" His words but that we also put them into "practice." How many friends have we sat before and watched the tears roll down their face while they told us of the destruction in their lives? Maybe you have told your story to someone recently? Thankfully we all know of a God who can restore lives and heal the broken hearts of all who come to Him. May I encourage you today that the time to build a strong foundation is not during the flood, but before the waters arrive. To "hear" and "do" the word of God in our lives every day is like digging your foundation deep in the rock of salvation. Of course you already know this truth, reading the Word of God daily is what we are doing together as a church family and I love sharing this time with you all. So everyone at Hillcrest Church... dig family, keep on digging!
Blessings,
Pastor David
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
March 23--Weavings
Weavings
Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46 Luke 5:29-6:11 Psalm 66:1-20 Proverbs 11:25
In the highlands of Guatemala, I have seen the women stretch out yards of colorful cotton strands and then use wooden hand looms to weave the freshly-dyed threads into beautiful textiles. I was in that majestic Guatemalan territory on a human rights tour during the final days of a brutal civil war that claimed the lives of many of these weavers and their families. Still today, however, designs passed down through generations appear in their weavings.
Weavings of beautiful fabric, designed and carefully created from beginning to end, take on the patterns, thread-by-thread, on the traditional Mayan looms. It’s a picture that comes to mind as I look at today’s One Year Bible readings. God’s gracious plan of salvation and purpose for our lives is revealed, like a weaving designed from the beginning of time. Jesus teaches us today, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31) Many of the sick are our own children and adults acting like children who have yet to understand the gospel of God’s grace, His deliverance from evil, the personal relationship with Jesus Christ that awaits them. In fear, we often write off the lost by thinking they are “too sick” for Jesus and are destined for captivity. Fear not, the weaving contains more hopeful threads! “And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it” (Deuteronomy 1:39) Without fear, we present our saving, healing, forgiving, life-transforming Lord Jesus to those around us who need Him. One of the strands in the fabric of God’s Word today shows us how to do this. We are to share our own testimonies of how Jesus has transformed our sinful lives, we are to declare: “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!” (Psalm 66:5) As we share this Good News, as we lead people to our Great Physician and see sinners repent and be healed, the weak made strong, the poor made rich in Christ Jesus, we will ourselves be refreshed! “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25). The greatest refreshment of all is our on-going astonishment by God’s awesome grace!
I invite you today, and every day, to see the way God’s grace is weaved throughout the fabric of His Word! Experience it! Share it! Be astonished!
Pastor Paul
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
March 22
Jesus amazes me…He heals a man of leprosy, crowds of people come to hear him teach and to be healed of their sicknesses. Jesus heals a paralytic and forgives his sins. He is able to wisely answer the Pharisees and teachers of the law, even before they ask a question. At the end of our New Testament reading, Jesus calls Matthew, one of the twelve apostles, who would also write one of the gospels. Sounds like a very productive day’s work!
The source of Jesus’ power is found in Luke 5:16 “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Jesus’ communion with the Father was central to His power and focus. If Jesus needed this, how much more do we?
One of my favorite hymns expresses the encouragement I leave for you today:
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord…Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone...By looking to Jesus, Like Him thou shalt be…
Teresa Brand
Sunday, March 20, 2011
On To Victory!
In Luke 4, we see Jesus commanding evil spirits to come out of people with just a word. The devil is not a match for Jesus, but all too often he seems to be a match for us. It seems that often times he can push us around and his whim and bully us into weakness.
I want to make something VERY CLEAR to us. There is no reason that believers in Jesus Christ should ever be pushed around by the devil. He has won the victory for us. Christians who are bullied by the devil are either uninformed of his tactics, spiritually asleep, or unaware as to who they are in Jesus Christ. Take a moment to read these five simple truths that help define us
1. Jesus has disarmed the enemy
Colossians 2:13-15 says that on the cross, Jesus disarmed the enemy and triumphed over him through the cross. In other words, the enemy has no weapons, power, or authority over those who belong to Jesus Christ!
2. Jesus uses us to subdue the enemy
Romans 16:20 says “the God of peace will soon crush satan underneath your feet.” We were made to participate with God. God chooses to work with us, and He looks for people who will obey Him. He has won the victory, but it requires us to be active—it is under our feet that satan will be pushed back.
Luke 10:19, Jesus said to His disciples that He has given them the authority to “trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm you.”
3. We are not to be ignorant of the enemy’s tactics
2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us to understand our enemy. Here is a short sum up of the enemy’s tactics: since he has already been disarmed, he has no weapon against us, so he uses lies, intimidation, and fear. It’s like the robber who puts his hand in his jacket and tells you he has a gun. But the fear that he instills in us through his lies instead cause us to lay down our weapons instead of dominate him. Fear, more than anything else, will cause us to react in the flesh instead of faith in God, and then we play right into the enemy’s hands.
4. We are to be aware of spiritual attack
1 Peter 5:8 says to be vigilant because the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour. Those who are devoured by the lions are those who are young, sick, or isolated. We cannot let our guard down for even a moment. We must be spiritually alert in our personal lives, families, jobs, and recreation not giving any chance for sin or entrance for the devil’s tactics to have place.
5. God has given us everything that we need to win
Ephesians 6:10-18 says that God has given us all the weapons and armor that we need to win the battle! Do not fear, because the devil has nothing on you! Jesus won the victory, now it is our turn to stand and fight and never again be pushed around, bullied, or intimidated by an enemy whose power has been taken from him!
On to victory!
Pastor Kyle Bauer
March 20
Numbers 30:1-31:54, Luke 4:1-30, Psalm 63:1-11, Proverb 11:20-21
The Incomparable Person of The Holy Spirit
The first few days after having been born again, in the small city of Armenia, I would often hear a couple of words that were foreign to my vocabulary and that I could not get used to in "christian" terms. Those words were Before the Pentecost and After the Pentecost. Honestly, I did not understand those terms and I would ask trying to understand what they meant but I couldn't grasp what they meant. What is Pentecost? I would ask myself over and over. 30 days after I had ask Jesus into my heart, I was at a church service and suddenly my tongue became very heavy and I started speaking some very strange sounds, that night I went home very happy and with a joy that filled my life, I felt like God was living inside of me.
The youth of the church explained to me that I had been baptized with the Holy Spirit and they explained the meaning of what happened on the day of Pentecost in the upper room where the 120 were filled with the Holy Spirit. I learned that day the church of the New Testament was born. After a few years I found myself in another situation that I didn't understand, and it was that there were some churches that were called Pentecostal because they spoke in tongues and there witnessed healings and other signs of the Holy Spirit. And there were other churches that would look at them in a weird way. I grew up in a Baptist church and some people would tell me that speaking in tongues was not for these days, however, my Christian life continued to grow and I could see how valuable the presence of the Holy Spirit was in the life of the believers.
To make a long story short, in my country of Colombia, in the evangelical environment I noticed two types of churches: one was the type of church were the gifts of the HolySpirit were not allowed to manifest freely and the other was the church that was referred to as Pentecostal where there was freedom for the Holy Spirit, as they would say. My spiritual life, my prayer life and my understanding of the Word of God were growing and I was noticing that the power of God was in my life. Then something happened, people started calling me Pentecostal, and I would say "but I'm Baptist, why am I being discriminated?" When I went to the Baptist Seminary to study theology, some students began to call me Pentecostal again and after finishing my studies and then as a pastor for a church many would say, “Oscar is Pentecostal.” However, I would see our church grow, people get healed and others living a powerful life in the Lord. There is a question that has been in my head, why is there persecution towards people who have that experience with the Holy Spirit? In today’s passage where the Lord declares that the Holy Spirit is for everyone and we see where people were upset with Jesus to the point where they wanted to kill him, even when moment earlier they were marveled at the way he spoke. I’m amazed at how the Holy Spirit is persecuted.
Brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is marvelous and He comes to fill our lives with a special anointing that heals, that frees, that gives spiritual growth and that brings victory to the believers.Where am I going with this? We need to pay attention to the move of the Holy Spirit in Hillcrest, because in every meeting, in every song, in the middle of the pastor’s sermon, in our personal devotional we can experience Pentecost and we can be filled by His presence and live a powerful life in the Lord. Jesus said, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Then in the book of John he said that He would leave but that he would send the Holy Spirit, and the at happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Since that day, every believer that has allowed the Holy Spirit to fill their lives has had victory over sin, power in their ministry, understanding of the Scriptures and a testimony of Jesus that nobody can deny. So, even as in that day whenpeople were upset when Jesus declared that the Spirit of God was upon him, don¹t pay attention to them. On the contrary enjoy the Holy Spirit He is a wonderful person!
May you have a wonderful Sunday my Hillcrest Church family, may the anointing of the Holy Spirit take you to great things as a church here in Dallas.
Sincerely,
Dr. Oscar Camacho O.Pastor
Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
Números 30:1-31:54, Lucas 4:1-30, Salmo 63:1-11, Proverbios 11:20-21
La Incomparable Persona del Espíritu Santo. Los primeros días después de haber nacido de nuevo, allá en mi pequeñaciudad de Armenia, escuchaba con frecuencia una palabra que se me hacia rara y difícil de pronunciar para mi vocabulario que aun no se acostumbraba a términos evangélicos, esa palabra era Antes del Pentecostés y Después del Pentecostés, y francamente no entendía ese termino y preguntaba tratando de comprender pero no entendía nada.¿Que será Pentecostés? Me preguntaba una y otra vez. A los 30 días de mi conversión estábamos en un culto y de repente mi lengua se hizo pesada y empecé a hablar unos sonidos muy raros, esa noche regrese acasa con una alegría y un felicidad que inundaba mi ser y me hacia sentir como si Dios viviera en mi. Los jóvenes me explicaron que había sido bautizado con el Espíritu Santo y también me explicaron el significado de lo que paso el día de Pentecostés en el Aposento Alto donde los 120 fueron llenos del Espíritu Santo y aprendí que aquel día había nacido la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento. Pasaron los días y los años y entonces me encontré con una situación que tampoco comprendía y es que algunas Iglesias eran llamadas pentecostales o pentecosteses porque hablaban en lenguas y había sanidades y otras manifestaciones del Espíritu Santo, y que había otras Iglesias que miraban un poco raras a esas personas de esas Iglesias. Yo crecí en una iglesiaBautista y algunas personas me decían que eso de hablar en lenguas ya no era para este tiempo, sin embargo mi vida Cristiana crecía y yo me daba cuenta de cuan valiosa era la Presencia del Espíritu en la vida del Creyente. Para no hacer una historia corta larga quiero contarles que en mi país Colombia en el entorno evangélico yo notaba dos grupos de Iglesias, unas eran las de sana doctrina donde los dones del Espíritu Santo no se manifestaban con libertad y el otro grupo era las Iglesias que llamaban pentecostales donde había libertad en el Espíritu como decían ellos. Mi vida espiritual, mi vida de oración y mi entendimiento de la Palabra de Dios se acrecentaban y yo me daba cuenta que el poder de Dios estaba en mi vida. Entonces paso algo y es que me empezaron a llamar Pentecostal, y yo decía ¿pero si soy bautista, porque esa discriminación? Al ir al Seminario Bautista para estudiar teología, algunos me empezaron a llamar Pentecostal también y después de salir del seminario y empezar a pastorear muchos decían Oscar es Pentecostal. Sin embargo yo veía la iglesia crecer, la gentesanarse, otros vivían una vida poderosa en el Señor. Y me ha quedado la pregunta en la mente ¿porque hay persecución a la gente que tiene esa experiencia con El Espíritu Santo? Y el pasaje de hoy cuando El Señor declara que El Espíritu Santo es para todos y veo que la gente se molesto con Jesús que hasta lo quisieron matar cuando momentos antes se maravillaban de como había hablado, me sorprendo de como es perseguido el Espíritu Santo. Hermanos, el Espíritu Santo es Maravilloso y El viene para derramar en nuestras vidas una unción que sana, que liberta, que da crecimiento espiritual, que trae victoria al creyente. ¿A donde quiero llegar? A que estemos muy atentos al mover del Espíritu Santo en Hillcrest, porque de verdad en cada reunión, en cada canto, en medio del sermón del pastor, en nuestro devocional personal podemos tener un pentecostés y ser llenos de Su Presencia y vivir una vida poderosa en El Señor.Jesús dijo El Espíritu del Señor esta sobre mi. Luego en el evangelio de Juan dijo que el se iría pero que enviaría al Espíritu Santo y eso ocurrió en el aposento alto el día de Pentecostés y desde entonces hasta el día de hoy todo creyente que se ha dejado llenar por el Espíritu Santo, ha tenido Victoria sobre el pecado, poder en su ministerio, entendimiento de las Escrituras y un testimonio de Jesús que nadie puede negar. Así que aunque alguien como el día que Jesús hizo la declaración de que el Espíritu del Señor estaba sobre el y que ese día se había cumplido esa escritura y luego la gente se enojo con el, usted no ponga atención a quienes se oponen a la obra del Espíritu, por el contrario disfrute al Espíritu Santo ¡que es una persona maravillosa! Que pasen un domingo maravilloso familia Hillcrest Church, que la unción del Espíritu Santo nos lleva a grandes cosas como iglesia aquí en Dallas. Atentamente,Dr. Oscar Camacho O.Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
The Incomparable Person of The Holy Spirit
The first few days after having been born again, in the small city of Armenia, I would often hear a couple of words that were foreign to my vocabulary and that I could not get used to in "christian" terms. Those words were Before the Pentecost and After the Pentecost. Honestly, I did not understand those terms and I would ask trying to understand what they meant but I couldn't grasp what they meant. What is Pentecost? I would ask myself over and over. 30 days after I had ask Jesus into my heart, I was at a church service and suddenly my tongue became very heavy and I started speaking some very strange sounds, that night I went home very happy and with a joy that filled my life, I felt like God was living inside of me.
The youth of the church explained to me that I had been baptized with the Holy Spirit and they explained the meaning of what happened on the day of Pentecost in the upper room where the 120 were filled with the Holy Spirit. I learned that day the church of the New Testament was born. After a few years I found myself in another situation that I didn't understand, and it was that there were some churches that were called Pentecostal because they spoke in tongues and there witnessed healings and other signs of the Holy Spirit. And there were other churches that would look at them in a weird way. I grew up in a Baptist church and some people would tell me that speaking in tongues was not for these days, however, my Christian life continued to grow and I could see how valuable the presence of the Holy Spirit was in the life of the believers.
To make a long story short, in my country of Colombia, in the evangelical environment I noticed two types of churches: one was the type of church were the gifts of the HolySpirit were not allowed to manifest freely and the other was the church that was referred to as Pentecostal where there was freedom for the Holy Spirit, as they would say. My spiritual life, my prayer life and my understanding of the Word of God were growing and I was noticing that the power of God was in my life. Then something happened, people started calling me Pentecostal, and I would say "but I'm Baptist, why am I being discriminated?" When I went to the Baptist Seminary to study theology, some students began to call me Pentecostal again and after finishing my studies and then as a pastor for a church many would say, “Oscar is Pentecostal.” However, I would see our church grow, people get healed and others living a powerful life in the Lord. There is a question that has been in my head, why is there persecution towards people who have that experience with the Holy Spirit? In today’s passage where the Lord declares that the Holy Spirit is for everyone and we see where people were upset with Jesus to the point where they wanted to kill him, even when moment earlier they were marveled at the way he spoke. I’m amazed at how the Holy Spirit is persecuted.
Brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is marvelous and He comes to fill our lives with a special anointing that heals, that frees, that gives spiritual growth and that brings victory to the believers.Where am I going with this? We need to pay attention to the move of the Holy Spirit in Hillcrest, because in every meeting, in every song, in the middle of the pastor’s sermon, in our personal devotional we can experience Pentecost and we can be filled by His presence and live a powerful life in the Lord. Jesus said, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Then in the book of John he said that He would leave but that he would send the Holy Spirit, and the at happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Since that day, every believer that has allowed the Holy Spirit to fill their lives has had victory over sin, power in their ministry, understanding of the Scriptures and a testimony of Jesus that nobody can deny. So, even as in that day whenpeople were upset when Jesus declared that the Spirit of God was upon him, don¹t pay attention to them. On the contrary enjoy the Holy Spirit He is a wonderful person!
May you have a wonderful Sunday my Hillcrest Church family, may the anointing of the Holy Spirit take you to great things as a church here in Dallas.
Sincerely,
Dr. Oscar Camacho O.Pastor
Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
Números 30:1-31:54, Lucas 4:1-30, Salmo 63:1-11, Proverbios 11:20-21
La Incomparable Persona del Espíritu Santo. Los primeros días después de haber nacido de nuevo, allá en mi pequeñaciudad de Armenia, escuchaba con frecuencia una palabra que se me hacia rara y difícil de pronunciar para mi vocabulario que aun no se acostumbraba a términos evangélicos, esa palabra era Antes del Pentecostés y Después del Pentecostés, y francamente no entendía ese termino y preguntaba tratando de comprender pero no entendía nada.¿Que será Pentecostés? Me preguntaba una y otra vez. A los 30 días de mi conversión estábamos en un culto y de repente mi lengua se hizo pesada y empecé a hablar unos sonidos muy raros, esa noche regrese acasa con una alegría y un felicidad que inundaba mi ser y me hacia sentir como si Dios viviera en mi. Los jóvenes me explicaron que había sido bautizado con el Espíritu Santo y también me explicaron el significado de lo que paso el día de Pentecostés en el Aposento Alto donde los 120 fueron llenos del Espíritu Santo y aprendí que aquel día había nacido la iglesia del Nuevo Testamento. Pasaron los días y los años y entonces me encontré con una situación que tampoco comprendía y es que algunas Iglesias eran llamadas pentecostales o pentecosteses porque hablaban en lenguas y había sanidades y otras manifestaciones del Espíritu Santo, y que había otras Iglesias que miraban un poco raras a esas personas de esas Iglesias. Yo crecí en una iglesiaBautista y algunas personas me decían que eso de hablar en lenguas ya no era para este tiempo, sin embargo mi vida Cristiana crecía y yo me daba cuenta de cuan valiosa era la Presencia del Espíritu en la vida del Creyente. Para no hacer una historia corta larga quiero contarles que en mi país Colombia en el entorno evangélico yo notaba dos grupos de Iglesias, unas eran las de sana doctrina donde los dones del Espíritu Santo no se manifestaban con libertad y el otro grupo era las Iglesias que llamaban pentecostales donde había libertad en el Espíritu como decían ellos. Mi vida espiritual, mi vida de oración y mi entendimiento de la Palabra de Dios se acrecentaban y yo me daba cuenta que el poder de Dios estaba en mi vida. Entonces paso algo y es que me empezaron a llamar Pentecostal, y yo decía ¿pero si soy bautista, porque esa discriminación? Al ir al Seminario Bautista para estudiar teología, algunos me empezaron a llamar Pentecostal también y después de salir del seminario y empezar a pastorear muchos decían Oscar es Pentecostal. Sin embargo yo veía la iglesia crecer, la gentesanarse, otros vivían una vida poderosa en el Señor. Y me ha quedado la pregunta en la mente ¿porque hay persecución a la gente que tiene esa experiencia con El Espíritu Santo? Y el pasaje de hoy cuando El Señor declara que El Espíritu Santo es para todos y veo que la gente se molesto con Jesús que hasta lo quisieron matar cuando momentos antes se maravillaban de como había hablado, me sorprendo de como es perseguido el Espíritu Santo. Hermanos, el Espíritu Santo es Maravilloso y El viene para derramar en nuestras vidas una unción que sana, que liberta, que da crecimiento espiritual, que trae victoria al creyente. ¿A donde quiero llegar? A que estemos muy atentos al mover del Espíritu Santo en Hillcrest, porque de verdad en cada reunión, en cada canto, en medio del sermón del pastor, en nuestro devocional personal podemos tener un pentecostés y ser llenos de Su Presencia y vivir una vida poderosa en El Señor.Jesús dijo El Espíritu del Señor esta sobre mi. Luego en el evangelio de Juan dijo que el se iría pero que enviaría al Espíritu Santo y eso ocurrió en el aposento alto el día de Pentecostés y desde entonces hasta el día de hoy todo creyente que se ha dejado llenar por el Espíritu Santo, ha tenido Victoria sobre el pecado, poder en su ministerio, entendimiento de las Escrituras y un testimonio de Jesús que nadie puede negar. Así que aunque alguien como el día que Jesús hizo la declaración de que el Espíritu del Señor estaba sobre el y que ese día se había cumplido esa escritura y luego la gente se enojo con el, usted no ponga atención a quienes se oponen a la obra del Espíritu, por el contrario disfrute al Espíritu Santo ¡que es una persona maravillosa! Que pasen un domingo maravilloso familia Hillcrest Church, que la unción del Espíritu Santo nos lleva a grandes cosas como iglesia aquí en Dallas. Atentamente,Dr. Oscar Camacho O.Pastor Iglesia Hispana Hillcrest
Saturday, March 19, 2011
March 19
Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken". Psalm 62:5-6
As I've watched the horrific pictures from the aftermath of Japan's recent 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, I've tried to imagine (but can't) what the Japanese people must be going through. The staggering loss of life and property is enough to shake anyone's world - no pun intended. I've never been through a natural disaster anywhere close to that magnitude, but I've walked through many difficult circumstances in life --- any one of them big enough to shake me off my feet. Thankfully, I've always been able to stand firm with a peace in my heart, knowing God was with me and would carry me through.
Through what? Through every attack by man or nature or the devil. God is my rock. Not just a pebble you might kick along the path or skip across a pond. He's my ROCK. He doesn't move, even when everything else does. He can't be moved, and He lets me stand upon Him so I'm not moved. I still trust, I still believe and I will still follow. No matter what.
For the suffering Japanese, and for you and me, I pray we'll all grasp what the Psalmist tells us in today's Old Testament passage:
(1) God can give us rest. Worrying troubles the soul but never solves problems. Paul said not to worry about anything, but in every situation to pray with thanksgiving to God, and "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7). God's peace is ours when we ask.
(2) God will give us hope. When my daughter was on the heart transplant list in 2003, a physician friend of mine shared some medical information with me that became my "mustard seed" of faith. God used her to give me hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. Even when ICU doctors painted a very bleak prognosis, I knew Becky would be OK...and she was! "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him..." (Romans 15:13). God's hope keeps us from giving up.
(3) God saves us. We are saved for eternity (when we accept Christ as our Savior), but God will also save us while we're here on earth. Problems, circumstances, even disasters may come, but they cannot destroy us when our life is built upon the strong foundation of the Lord. Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock...it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:24-26). God's saving grace keeps us from falling.
(4) God is our protection. He is our fortress...heavily protected and impenetrable. The enemy cannot take us over or carry us away. We are guarded by the Most High God. "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble.." (Psalm 32:7). When we walk in obedience to God, we stay under His umbrella of protection and He keeps us safe.
They say in Texas there are two kinds of houses: those that have had foundation trouble and those that will. Many people fall into those same two categories. They start out fine, but when the ground beneath them moves, they begin to fall apart. The good news is, when we place our hope in God and build our lives upon Him, His foundation is firm and nothing can shake us. His protection is real and we will not be destroyed!
Blessings,
Pastor Susan
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken". Psalm 62:5-6
As I've watched the horrific pictures from the aftermath of Japan's recent 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, I've tried to imagine (but can't) what the Japanese people must be going through. The staggering loss of life and property is enough to shake anyone's world - no pun intended. I've never been through a natural disaster anywhere close to that magnitude, but I've walked through many difficult circumstances in life --- any one of them big enough to shake me off my feet. Thankfully, I've always been able to stand firm with a peace in my heart, knowing God was with me and would carry me through.
Through what? Through every attack by man or nature or the devil. God is my rock. Not just a pebble you might kick along the path or skip across a pond. He's my ROCK. He doesn't move, even when everything else does. He can't be moved, and He lets me stand upon Him so I'm not moved. I still trust, I still believe and I will still follow. No matter what.
For the suffering Japanese, and for you and me, I pray we'll all grasp what the Psalmist tells us in today's Old Testament passage:
(1) God can give us rest. Worrying troubles the soul but never solves problems. Paul said not to worry about anything, but in every situation to pray with thanksgiving to God, and "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7). God's peace is ours when we ask.
(2) God will give us hope. When my daughter was on the heart transplant list in 2003, a physician friend of mine shared some medical information with me that became my "mustard seed" of faith. God used her to give me hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. Even when ICU doctors painted a very bleak prognosis, I knew Becky would be OK...and she was! "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him..." (Romans 15:13). God's hope keeps us from giving up.
(3) God saves us. We are saved for eternity (when we accept Christ as our Savior), but God will also save us while we're here on earth. Problems, circumstances, even disasters may come, but they cannot destroy us when our life is built upon the strong foundation of the Lord. Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock...it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:24-26). God's saving grace keeps us from falling.
(4) God is our protection. He is our fortress...heavily protected and impenetrable. The enemy cannot take us over or carry us away. We are guarded by the Most High God. "You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble.." (Psalm 32:7). When we walk in obedience to God, we stay under His umbrella of protection and He keeps us safe.
They say in Texas there are two kinds of houses: those that have had foundation trouble and those that will. Many people fall into those same two categories. They start out fine, but when the ground beneath them moves, they begin to fall apart. The good news is, when we place our hope in God and build our lives upon Him, His foundation is firm and nothing can shake us. His protection is real and we will not be destroyed!
Blessings,
Pastor Susan
Friday, March 18, 2011
March 18
Life is no long jump
I went to go watch some friends of mine the other day at a track meet. It was great watching all the athletes execute their individual events with excellence and determination. Today’s New Testament reading reminded me of one of those events; the long jump. I love seeing the long jump competition, the anticipation while the athlete stares down the runway to the launch point. I am always amazed at how far someone can fly through the air extending all their limbs forward and finally pounce on the farthest spot possible. Wow, what an awesome feat to see, but life is not a long jump.
Can you imagine trying to live life everyday like a long jump? Don’t get me wrong, seeing someone run as fast as they can to try to time a jump at the revolving door in high heels at the bank would be a sight to see! Sorry… that made me laugh just thinking about it. It would be ridiculous to warm up, get focused and run full speed for a big jump every time you needed to get from one side of the room to another, just walk. Taking one step at a time is the natural way to walk through life. I think this was John the Baptist’s message to those who asked, “What should we do then?” John called the people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins and many accepted his message, but then they wanted to know how to walk this out in life. John answered the tax collectors, soldiers, everyone in the crowd and advised them to do what is right one decision at a time, in their own life. Repentance, forgiveness, seeking to live a holy life is not a long jump.
You can try to “save up” your sins, guilt and pain until it gets to be too much. We can beat ourselves up for all the mistakes we make every day and end up stressed out. Or we can try to ignore the call God has given us to "be holy as He is holy" until one day we feel we are prepared for the “long jump” into Jesus. Can I say it one more time… life is not a long jump. Life is a walk with Jesus.
Blessings,
Pastor David
I went to go watch some friends of mine the other day at a track meet. It was great watching all the athletes execute their individual events with excellence and determination. Today’s New Testament reading reminded me of one of those events; the long jump. I love seeing the long jump competition, the anticipation while the athlete stares down the runway to the launch point. I am always amazed at how far someone can fly through the air extending all their limbs forward and finally pounce on the farthest spot possible. Wow, what an awesome feat to see, but life is not a long jump.
Can you imagine trying to live life everyday like a long jump? Don’t get me wrong, seeing someone run as fast as they can to try to time a jump at the revolving door in high heels at the bank would be a sight to see! Sorry… that made me laugh just thinking about it. It would be ridiculous to warm up, get focused and run full speed for a big jump every time you needed to get from one side of the room to another, just walk. Taking one step at a time is the natural way to walk through life. I think this was John the Baptist’s message to those who asked, “What should we do then?” John called the people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins and many accepted his message, but then they wanted to know how to walk this out in life. John answered the tax collectors, soldiers, everyone in the crowd and advised them to do what is right one decision at a time, in their own life. Repentance, forgiveness, seeking to live a holy life is not a long jump.
You can try to “save up” your sins, guilt and pain until it gets to be too much. We can beat ourselves up for all the mistakes we make every day and end up stressed out. Or we can try to ignore the call God has given us to "be holy as He is holy" until one day we feel we are prepared for the “long jump” into Jesus. Can I say it one more time… life is not a long jump. Life is a walk with Jesus.
Blessings,
Pastor David
Thursday, March 17, 2011
March 17
God and man? How could Jesus be both? What was it like for Jesus to be both?
One of the most important early creeds of the Christian church expresses this reality with the phrases, “…being very God of very God and very man of very man…” Theologians often state this truth this way, “His humanity was undiminished by His divinity, yet His divinity was undiminished by His humanity.”
In other words, Jesus was just as much man as if He were not God…and just as much God as if He were not man! Completely taking on humanity without losing His divinity was such an amazing miracle that it would have been utterly impossible if He were not God. Because He was more than just a man, He could become man. He took on humanity though the power of His divinity.
The Incarnation is one of the greatest mysteries and one of the most important doctrines of the Bible. When Jesus took on human form, God was coming near to us, revealing Himself to us. He was called “Immanuel” which means, “God with us.”
This truth is the foundation for one of the greatest calls to Christian humility in the Bible, Philippians 2:5-8,
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
As Luke writes his Gospel, being the doctor that he is, he often notes things that the other Evangelists leave out. Our New Testament passage for today says something very important about Jesus as a child and as a young person and it gives us great insight into the reality of the Incarnation.
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:51-52)
Precocious though He was - enough so that He astounded the most learned teachers of the Law at a very young age - Jesus had nonetheless clearly laid aside His former, eternal, divine knowledge when He took on human flesh. Luke observed that as a young man Jesus needed to grow in wisdom as well as stature. He goes on to state that Jesus grew in favor with God as well as man. Although Jesus was God, while He was flesh He laid aside His divine attributes to such a degree that He actually related to the Father as a human being though the study of the Scriptures and the agency of the Holy Spirit and grew in His relationship with God!
The reason these details are important is because all of us are called to follow Jesus and to be like Jesus. Sometimes we excuse our failings and shortcomings when we read what He was like, what He said or did or how He responded in certain situations by saying to ourselves, “But…that was Jesus…!” as if He was so different than us that we could never be like Him. Luke’s account of His life strips all of our excuses away. Through the Incarnation, Jesus became just like us and we are called to be just like Him. We can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
Here are a couple of more verses to ponder in this regard,
Hebrews 4:15–16 — 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Acts 10:37–38 — 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
When you read this devotional, I encourage you to pray this prayer,
Lord Jesus, Thank you for becoming human so that you could show me the way to God. Thank you, too, for showing me how to live. Help me be like you. Live in me and through me each day, filling me with the Holy Spirit, giving me the strength and the power that I need to be and do the things I should. I want my life to bring you glory and I want my life to point others to you. In your name I pray, Amen!
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