Tuesday, March 30, 2010

New Friend Request.


The other day i read a letter that was sent to many people on Facebook by Pastor Alex Lopez. Though i do not know who he is, i respect that God has placed him as a pastor and felt the need to read to see what he had to say. He asked a very valid question. If Jesus would visit some of the Facebook pages of many who claim to be Christians, what would he say? I believe he would say "These people honor me with their lips, but their Facebook accounts are far from me." I notice that many of my friends that are christian did not display it on Facebook.

Perhaps you remembered in Matthew 15:8-9 when Jesus spoke and said "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." He was referring to the people that knew the word and prayed and worshiped but their hearts, their lives, were not in full submission to Him.

Maybe you remember Matthew 7:21 -23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The most impacting thing about these verses are that they are in essence WARNING us against religious lifestyles and trying to enter us in divine relationships with our living God. God is saying it is NOT enough that you have given prophesy in my name, it is NOT enough that you preform miracles, because the most important thing is I want to know YOU!

Its not about you knowing God, Its about God knowing you. The bible says that even the demons know that God is Lord and they tremble at the thought. By simply knowing about God and not doing anything to serve Him, we are in the same level as the demons. I don't know about you but they are not exactly the kind that i want to compare myself with. In the words of Paul Washer, God needs to know us!

If you go outside the white house and yell "I know Obama, let me in!" they will look at you like you are crazy and say "So what, get out of here!" But if Obama comes outside and says "I know this man let him in" then its a whole different story. In that same way God needs to know us.

Back to the whole Facebook thing. Ask yourself: If i call myself a christian, do my pictures, status, and comments glorify God? The solution does not come in NOT letting the public know the bad things I do, the solution comes in not doing the bad things I do and entering a consecration with the Lord.

Pastor Alex finished with this:

"For the Luke warm people: You have options. You can change your life around or you can erase off of your "Info" that you are Christians. Because in reality you are dishonoring the faith that we profess and stomping on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross."

Though you may say "this is a bit harsh" and "you will push people away" but ill tell you this: Many of these people are already away. The only good thing about being away is that there is only one other direction to go, to come back.

Remember brothers and sisters that everything we publish on Facebook comes from our heart. I hope that our hearts belong completely to Jesus. God bless you.


Verses to Read
1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:8, Galatians 2:19-20, Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 15:8-9

Monday, March 29, 2010

Refusing to get in the Wheelbarrow!



Yesterday i attended the 4PM service at my Church. I normally go to the 1PM service but yesterday i really wanted to see how the Hispanic Ministry was doing so i went to the 4pm. When it was time for the offerings the brother that gave the announcements said "this is the best time, tithing is a commandment from God but offerings is when you show God the love you have for him"

Though i been hearing this for years i never really though about it. I remembered one time that i had about 5 dollars in singles. I remember that i wanted to get some food after the service. I even remember that during that time i was asking God to bless me because i wanted to buy somethings and didn't have the money that i needed. When the offering came around the brother said "Give with Faith, take a step of faith" and unfortunately the story doesn't have a happy ending because i only gave a dollar because in my heart, though i knew what i had to do, my faith was just words not actions. In other words i realized that even though i wanted God to bless me i didn't have the faith to believe that HE would provide.

I came to realize that there is indeed a connection between belief and faith. Belief is the first step, Faith is the next. To illustrate this idea, i would like to show you a story.

There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow.

An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, "Tightrope, I don't believe you can do it, but I'm willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls."

Now, Tightrope wrote back, "Sir, although I've never been to America and seen the Falls, I'd love to come."

Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls -- blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily.

The crowds go wild, and chant that he do it again but this time pushing a wheel barrow

He comes to the promoter and says, "Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?"

"Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it."

"No," said Tightrope, "do you really believe I can do it?"

"Well of course I do, you just did it."

"No, no, no," said Tightrope, "do you believe I can do it?"

"Yes," said Mr. Promoter, "I believe you can do it."

"Good," said Tightrope, "then you get in the wheel barrow."

He refused to get in.

The word believe, in Greek means "to live by". Now, this really isn't about money and it certainly isn't about tightrope. This is about a faith that ACTS!

I talked about having a faith that fights a couple days ago. Do you have a faith that acts? I came to realize that my God is a God of response. He loves to give us solutions to our problems BUT we must have a faith that acts. The scripture says:

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. 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

I don't know about you but i want to have a faith that will allow me to get into the wheel barrow and COMPLETELY trust that God will take me to the other side.

You have to ask yourself, how often do we say that we believe Christ can do it, but refuse to get in the wheelbarrow?



Verses to Read

Romans 1:17, Hebrew 11:1-6, 1 John 5:4, James 2:19-24, Mark 11:23-24


Sunday, March 28, 2010

Jesus wants the Rose!




Why is it that we, as the church, have strayed away from the REAL gospel of Jesus. I came across a person yesterday night and i was talking to him about why he doesn't go to church. His response is that we do NOT show the compassion that we preach about OUTSIDE of church. And even many times while being IN the church we are so quick to judge and condemn and NO ONE wants to be condemned and judged. Today i really dont want to say much, i just want to show you this video. Think about it. Those lives that YOU and I don't preach to, those lives that are LOST, those lives are the ones Jesus wants.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Just Add Water


About a month ago i spent a couple of minutes with my friend, Adriel, having devotionals from YW magazine. We came across one that was called Just Add Water.

It talked about how sometimes we as Christians tend to dry up. That after trying so hard to leave our old ways and bad habits we kind of burn ourselves out and give up. We dry up. If you ever had a chance to play with Play-doh you will know that they come in many different colors, smell kinda funny, and after a while dry up. It gets dried up because it is unused for a period of time, kinda like our Christianity, and it loses necessary substances in it that make it moist and functional. According to the playdoh website, "In order to restore the softness to PLAY-DOH compound, try adding water one drop at a time and working it in to moisten the PLAY-DOH compound."

What does this mean? If you dump water on it, then it wont work. It is a matter of adding water one drop at a time. Sometimes we wanna change our lifestyles from one day to another and just pour out all the water at once, but, like the playdoh, we must add a drop at a time. In other words, change occurs in time.

Today i had the opportunity to participate in what is called Servolution at my church. Our task was to hand out free water at a local metro station and invite the public to The One, a play that dramatizes the crucifixion of Jesus. Though it seems like an easy task, God is truly glorified through this. As my leader said "Even though the water bottles that you are giving them will end their thirst for a moment, they will grow thirsty after a while. But the water that you will be presenting to them, the water that comes from Jesus, will end their thirst for all eternity"

I wasn't preaching to them right there on the spot. I wasn't condemning them for all eternity i was adding a drop of water at a time. This simple act served as a message that Jesus is the living water, and its free. I was amazed to see that many people rejected the water because they were insecure about this free water. Some people no long believe that there is "good" in this world. One of the men that i came across today told me "some people don't believe that hope exists anymore, but you are opposing that belief with your actions"

My two points are this

1) Change occurs one drop at a time. And if you didn't know, the water is a metaphor for the world of God, the Bible. Are you drinking water? Are you dehydrated? You need a drop at a time, day by day.

2) People are in desperate need of water, and you have it. We need to realize that God has given us free water. Because God has given us free water we, are responsible for those that haven't received it yet.

If anything you take from this post, let it be this: Don't try to fix your "dry" christian life by pouring a load water on your life. Add a drop at a time. Let GOD'S WATER remold you little by little and make you functional again. For those that already have been remolded, share it now. Don't hold back a solution to their problems.

"If you found a cure for cancer, wouldn't it be inconceivable to hide it from the rest of mankind? How much more inconceivable to keep silent the cure from the eternal wages of death." — Dave Davidson



Verses to Read
James 3:11-12,Romans 10:14-15,John 4:7-15, Revelations 7:13-17


Reference to Play-Doh
http://www.hasbro.com/playdoh/en_US/FAQ.cfm

Friday, March 26, 2010

Against the current!


Today, I had a couple minutes to talk to a new friend, a brother in Christ, that i met about 2 weeks ago. We started talking about how sometimes we want to be in such a high spiritual level but we are not willing to put in the work needed to reach that level. Sometimes there is just too much pressure. Or sometimes we are unable to avoid things that don't benefit us.

My friend told me that our life is like an ocean. The Lords presence is at the bottom of the ocean and there is a lot of pressure and gravity that pushes you to the top of the ocean as you try to reach it. So how do you reach a place when all the pressure in the water pushes you to the top and its SO hard to breathe for so long?

The English Standard bible says in Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."

What does this mean? It basically mean that the ONLY way to get to the bottom WHEN all pressure is pushing you up is to be armed and protected, in other words a SUBMARINE.

A submarine is a device used to swim against currents, pressure, and the gravitational push of water. It is used to reach places where not many can reach. It protects you from drowning and out of harms way.

The interesting thing about a submarine is that water is constantly pushing itself to enter the submarine in anyway it can. Sin works the same way. We are constantly tempted by the world and sin tries to enter our lives through any door that is deliberately left open. Rhetorical Question: Is your submarine completely closed and safe from leaks?

Another wonderful thing about a submarine is that no matter where it is in the ocean it has complete control of where its going. Let that sink in for a while, no pun intended. Do you have control of where you are going?

I find it even more interesting that a submarine has a radar. It can detect when it is around danger and its surroundings. It can avoid sharks and other harmful animals. It can avoid many things because it can detect trouble when it is heading towards it. Do you know the people that you are and aren't suppose to hang around with? Is your radar telling you that you are in a danger zone?

An even better question is: Are you swimming with the current or against it?

We are not suppose to be routine Christians that live routine lives. We need to be swimming AGAINST the current and exiting "dead religion" so that we may enter "divine relationship".

My pastor said something that blew my mind. "If enough people swim against the current, the direction of the current has to change" he even took it a step further and said " Even a dead fish can swim with the current but only LIVE fish can swim against it"

Last question: Are you a dead fish or are you alive?

Let me know, leave your comments on this question or anything else for that matter.

Verses to Read:
Romans 12:2, John 17:15-18, 1 Peter 1:16, Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 6:12-13

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Faith that Fights


Have you ever woken up just to find that you have a scratchy throat and a stuffy nose? This morning i woke up feeling as if someone drop-kicked me last night as i was sleeping and unleashed a hive of bacteria over my face. In other words, spring allergies came for a visit! Now if you are like me you don't get sick often but when you do it is as if you are paying for all the missed sickness for the whole year. If you are anything like me you know that on a sick day you wont be very productive and your day might simply consist of cheerios, Gatorade, cup of noodles, and a 18-hour marathon of nothing to watch on TV.

As i took the first dose of medicine for the day i reflected on how i wish Jesus was still involved in his 3 year ministry so that i could instantly be healed. I quickly realized that when Jesus left he told the disciples that they would receive POWER when the holy spirit came upon them. I wondered if my faith was great enough to heal me. I realized that my faith was something that was in a constant battle with my flesh. A humans mind would tell them that being instantly healed by an act of believing is supernatural and quite impossible. Though i have faith in Jesus Christ, it is sometimes hard to have faith that we have the power and authority over principalities of this world. God was listening as all these things were going on in my head. I began to listen to a sermon called "Faith that Fights" by Pastor Judah Smith from City Church in Seattle, Washington.


He took me to scripture and read Timothy 6:12 which said "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

During his sermons he said a lot of powerful things. This is what i caught that impacted me.

"I want emphasis on what Paul says to Timothy 'the good fight of faith'.
Now folks the only kinda 'good fight' i know is the kind of fight you win. Its not 'good' if you tie and it certainly isn't 'good' if it was a 'moral victory'. A moral victory is saying 'well we were within a few points of winning'.

Why does Paul call it a good fight? Because Paul knows that its FIXED! The whole fight is fixed, kinda like professional boxing. Its already over before it even starts. We have power and authority that has been given to us as believers which gives us a guaranteed victory. That is why its called a good fight because we win.

Genuine faith is always actively resisting and opposing the enemy. Our faith must be a faith that fights. We must be believers that understand there IS a fight and we have already won it.

You may say 'well, I'm not a fighter I'm just a lover and I just want everyone to get along' and as you read the bible more you learn that that is not the case. Often times you have to fight to get peace. 'Well I don't wanna fight', well then you should not have become a christian because the moment that you became a christian you got a target on your chest, your on the devil's cross hairs, and the devil is gonna fight you whether you want a fight or not."

After hearing this i was able to understand that...well i think he kinda said it all.
You see, God loves to protect us. He loves to keep us safe. But God also rejoices when He sees that we use the authority that He has given us. I began to just shout "In the name of Jesus Christ i command this sickness to depart from my body" Why would i shout? Why would i command? Why in the name of Jesus?

The word says that the demons tremble at the sound of Jesus name. I command to this sickness because my Father has given me the authority over it. We need to have faith that is much more than just simple words. We need to have a kind of faith that threatens the plans of our enemy.

I don't know about you but i do not want to have the kind of faith that only consists of words and hope. I want to have the kind of faith that fights. Like Pastor Judah said "the fight is fixed". We have ALREADY won. We must not try to defeat our enemy for he is ALREADY defeated. All we need to do is cooperate with the one that has already defeated him, Jesus.

How is your faith? Do you fully understand God's desires to empower you? Do you want to increase your faith?


Verses to Read
James 1:3,
Hebrews 11:1, I John 5:4, Hebrews 11:6, Mark 11:23-24

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

soul in an earth suit ?


As i was walking home today i saw, what appeared to be, a stray dog wandering around. It was a small brown dog. I was wondering what it was doing by itself and if it had any owners. I didn't understand how such a beautiful dog didn't have any owners. If the dog did have owners, i did not understand why any dog owner would let their small dog wander around. I really couldn't come to terms on why an owner would do such thing, as dramatic as it may sound. I didn't understand until i saw the dog's owner running after it chasing it down. It appeared that the small dog had broken loose and wandered away from its owner.

Even though we as humans are not dogs, we do live a similar scenario. We do have an owner, an owner that chooses to not keep us on a leash, an owner who trusts us and gives us the choice to be under His care or run off and wander by ourselves. We are sometimes as foolish as this little brown dog is. We wonder around thinking we can manage when in reality we have no sense of the 2008 Ford-Runner that us driving at 50 MPH towards us. There is a plus side to this though. Like this dog, we have an owner that is willing to get off of His throne, couch, and run after us , not because we are worth it but, because He loves us. We sometimes walk in our daily lives not knowing that we have run away from our owners however, there He is running after us ready to take us back as long as we stop running.

Why is this blog called soul in an earth suit?

I believe that as Christians that is what we are. I think that we are simply souls that inhabit human bodies. Jesus himself said in John 18:36 “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”


I wanna finish by saying that throughout this blog i will be posting everyday situations that happen in a christian lifestyle and how our "permanent citizenship" to this world can be used in a productive way. I am not a religious person and i am not a doctrine driven person either. I believe in one God, One Jesus, and One Holy Spirit. Stick around...this shall be interesting.