Fighting for Nourishment

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?
Psalm 42:1-2


Observation:
The psalmist expresses in these lines a deep desire to seek God with desperation as if his life would depend on it. He compares his search with a thirsty dear that longs for healthy water brooks for nourishment and survival. But it is implied here that the search keeps going and time is running out. The hunger for God intensifies and the search continues unsatisfactory. The strength is failing and signs of life are decreasing. Anxiousness rises above the hope and the search turns even more desperate. In the midst of such anguish, the psalmist doesn’t give up his fragile hope. He still puts his trust in God even when the worse is inevitable. A true seeker of God’s presence doesn’t give up until his thirst is satisfied. He takes the last breath of energy left and fights for nourishment. He is not willing to go down without seeing God expressing His lovingkindness, in whatever shape or form God’s decides to manifest it.


Application:
I cannot deny how troubled my heart is with the Teri Schiavo case. The courts of the land have ordered by the petition of her husband to have this woman starved to death by removing her feeding tube. Today she is fighting to live after 13 days without nourishment. Her parents and relatives are fighting all kinds of legal battles in order to keep her alive. This incident is not only very sad but also very illustrative to reveal spiritual truths about of own relationship with God.
There are so many enemies in our life that want to cut off the nourishment that the Spirit of God provides to our soul. Sometimes we get distracted with the things of this world and pay no attention to the condition of our spiritual feeding tube. Sometimes we allow others to trample all over our lives to the point of being unable to receive from God and we do nothing to push them away. But worse than anything is when we have a lifestyle that purposely disconnects from God’s nourishment. But this passage is about those things in life that distract us from keeping a meaningful and nourishing relationship with God.
When everything was gone, the attitude of the psalmist was everything for him. He couldn’t change the circumstances but he had control over his emotions. He was able to keep the hope alive because of his desire to be nourished by God, even in the midst of the worse case scenario. He searched and searched like a moribund seeks for the last drops of life available in his being. He fought for that nourishment with desperation and diligence expecting God to smile again over him.
Do I have the same passion for God? Do I seek and seek until I find? Am I willing to pay a high price and do whatever it takes in order to keep my nourishment from God? Lately I’ have become more aware of my dependency from God. The Lord has been using my life and doing great things all around me. But there is a inner alarm system that calls me to seek for more of Him. The more that He gives me, the more my heart wants from the Lord. The more intimacy I get, the more intimacy I want. I’m increasing in my thirst for the things of God and I’m seeking like a deer longs for the water brooks. I know that the good Lord will satisfy my thirst soon.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me the many times when I’m careless about my nourishment. Forgive my constant habits of distraction and allow me to be more consistent in my passion for you. Please do not remove your presence from my life. You are all I want, You are all I need. Help me to find the water of your love in the current desert and grant me more of your presence during this season. I want to know you more and more. I love you Jesus. AMEN!

Loose Ends

“Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day… But the Sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. And it came about that when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely…”
Joshua 15:63; 17:12-13


Observation:
These passages reveal the reason why Israel was unable to develop a heart completely devoted for God. As we forward the tape, we see how the Israelites struggled with a divided heart generation after generation. Their forefathers failed in following the command of the Lord about driving out all the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Even though God fulfilled His promise of giving them the Land, they were poor stewards of the blessings and end up loosing it in the long haul. They were either afraid of the enemy or unwilling to work hard in dispossessing them from the land. For them it was easier to compromise and put the Jebusites and Canaanites as their forced labor workers. They thought that their idea was better than God’s. Why drive out all these people when they can be our servants? They reasoned. The Israelites possessed the land having all these people under their submission, but at the end, the customs and culture of their slaves resulted influencing them. Loose ends will always come around to hunt us. The compromises of today will become our headaches of tomorrow.


Application:
The compromises of today will become our headaches of tomorrow. As God has given us a new life in our faith in His Son Jesus, we must be diligent in driving away the things in our heart that oppose God’s ways. There are habits and sinful behaviors that cannot coexist with the Spirit of God in our hearts. These enemies are mutations of generational sin, very strong, difficult to break, and unwilling to leave easily. Our attitude should be motivated by the command of the Lord, “be strong and courageous.” But unfortunately, we are more prone to compromise than to conquer. We made up excuses to hide our fear and laziness. We say things like, “well, that’s how I was raised” or, “It will go away by itself”, or what’s even worse, “that’s how God made me.”
We cannot allow loose ends in our lives for two reasons: it will steal the blessing God gave us and it will carry the problem and in a bigger way to the next generations. In Joshua 17:18 Joshua says, “for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong.” It doesn’t matter how tinted my DNA is with sinfulness, I must work hard in order to purify it. I must be strong and courageous to face the demons that my ancestors couldn’t face and defeat them with the help of the Lord. I cannot blame my upbringing, or the culture, or my temperament for my mistakes. I must take full responsibility for my own behavior and allow the power of God to give me the victory over those areas of constant struggle. If my grandfather and my father were angry people, I will chose self-control in my generation so my children and grandchildren can be free from the spirit of anger. If my culture has immorality rooted several generations behind, I will uproot it so the generations ahead can be free. I will not allow loose ends in my life. I will confront my sin, I will face my enemies, and I will not only possess the promise but I will retain it spotless for generations to come.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for having loose ends in my life. Please give me strength and courage to face and drive out completely the fierce enemies that have been coexisting in my heart as unwanted roommates of your Holy Spirit. Give me wisdom and discernment to protect the blessings you give me so I can build a legacy for generations to come. Help me to walk in your ways without compromising, or outthinking your commands. Your ways are life and my ways bring death. You alone have the power to heal me from generational curses, so I choose to walk in that healing with persistence, hard work, dedication, and humility. I love you Jesus more than life. AMEN!

Conquering the City of Giants

“Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite untilo this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully. Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.”
Joshua 14:14-15


Observation:
The city of Arba was a city of giants. It wan named after the greatest o all the giants and it was set on the land Caleb wanted as inheritance—Hebron. This is the place was of great importance because it was where Abraham first settled in Canaan. Caleb desired this land from when he was young spy under the direction of Moses. Perhaps he wanted what his forefathers before him experienced there, friendship with God and intimacy with him. He heard the stories of Abraham’s friendship with God while in Hebron and when he had the chance to spy the land, his first choice was to go to Hebron. He found the city of the giants in its place, but such findings never affected his desire for that portion of the land. He found that the land was rich in milk and honey, and that if God was with him, he was going to be able to conquer that city and destroy all the giants.
God rewarded Caleb’s good attitude and obedience by promising him not only to see the land but also to possess the portion of his dreams. He waited 45 years in order to receive the fulfillment of that promise. Joshua remembers what God promised to Caleb through Moses and gives him Hebron. Caleb is now 85 years but his heart is still young. He fills confident that at his age if God is with him he can take over the city of giants.


Application:
Caleb is definitely one of my heroes in the Old Testament. His courage and passion are contagious, but more than anything, I love the way he is driven by the inner dreams of his heart. He conquers the most impossible situations because he truly believes that God fights on his side. He is confident that God looks intimate relationship with his people and he is willing to do whatever it takes in order to get to that place of friendship. Neither giants, nor a city of giants can stop him from getting what he wants. He is even willing to wait for a long, long time.
One of our biggest problems as a church is not lack of vision, dreams, and ideas. We have plenty of passionate visionaries that can see the potential of their lives and the wonderful ways God can use them. The biggest problem is lack of everything in between the desire and its fulfillment. Very often our dream is rich but our attitude is poor, our visions are big but our faith is puny, and our passion is intense but runs out quickly. We lack the patience to endure, the hope to persist, the hard work to conquer, the self-control to be focused, the wisdom to advance, and the responsibility to avoid lame excuses. No wonder we cannot conquer much.
If I want to be a person that conquers not only giants but their cities also, I need to develop in my heart the virtues of the character of Caleb. He was undoubtedly confident that God was on his side because he made his very best to walk in the side of the Lord. He was willing to endure any kind of hard work without complaining, even if it took long periods of time. I wish we can trade the many dreams and visions we have for more action. Caleb knew that dreams are not build overnight. We paid the price and at the end, he was the recipient of the reward. He conquered the city of giants for the glory of God.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the many times I quit pursuing the biggest blessings for my life because is too hard or because takes too much time. Please give me the heart of Caleb that is passionate yet determined to finish. I would rather have few dreams that I will conquer that have many visions that will never become reality. Please lead me in your ways always and keep my closer to your embrace. Your friendship is better than life. I don’t want to be known as a visionary but as your friend. Give me Hebron, even if I have to drive the meanest giants out of my way. I love you Lord. AMEN!

Joshua’s Prayer

“And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.”
Joshua 10:14


Observation:
As Joshua pursuits his enemies, he realizes that the day is almost gone and there are still many more to destroy. He wants to eliminate the menace before the sun goes down and before they can find places to hide, regroup, and attack again. He wants to seize the moment for all its worth, but the sun is coming down. In a matter of a second Joshua makes what could be perceived as a rash prayer, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” And God did according to Joshua’s prayer. The solar system paused as Joshua finished killing the enemies of Israel. What an amazing display of God’s power in His commitment to fulfill His promises to Joshua! That day became like no other because the Lord listened to the voice of a man like Joshua.


Application:
How many times we do Joshua’s prayers at the end of the day when our task list appears with no significant dents? We may say, “O God give me more hours to finish this project,” or “Please Lord let all the traffic green lights be on so I’m no late.” We wish that those kinds of prayers could be answered. So why Joshua’s prayer was different? Perhaps two strong arguments can be made to answer that question.
The first argument is about the prayer that lines up with God’s will. God wanted His enemies to be utterly destroyed and He commanded first Moses, and then Joshua to carry on with His will. Joshua was anointed to be the leader who would take the matter into action. But also he was obedient to God’s instructions and very courageous in order to walk with faith in each of the battles. When he saw the opportunity to destroy all the enemies but certain circumstances opposing it, He prayed to God, not rashly, but very intentionally, believing that his prayer would be answered. When our prayers are centered in God’s will we should expect miraculous responses from the Lord.
The second argument is about the heart of the person who prays. Joshua was not only the appointed leader for the moment. His character and devotion to God partnered with his position and made him a leader that God blessed with favor and miraculous support. God does powerful miracles through leaders that obey him sincerely. Such qualities didn’t come at that moment of emotional passion. In the prior chapters, Joshua was extremely obedient to each word God spoke, he was devoted to God’s commandments, and he depended in God’s specific direction in his affairs as a leader. When a leader that walks in such a way prays according to the Lord’s will, God listens and He is willing to stop the entire universe in order to answer that prayer.
As a leader I must know what God wants for me and for my church. God provides me with the prayer list I should pray. He shows me His heart and I line up my desires in prayer with Him. Such prayers are according to the heart of God if I know Him and listen to Him. The best thing I can do as a leader is to be at the Lord’s feet and to listen to His directives for my personal life and for our church. As I hear His voice I echo His heart with my prayers. In that way, The Lord will bring forth miracles and amazing answers in our midst.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please give me the heart of Joshua when it comes to be a leader that depends completely in You. Let me be closer to You so I can hear the desires of Your heart and pray according to them. Also let me obey You in all the directions You have for my life regardless of how I feel. Give me courage to lead boldly according to the desires of Your heart, not according of what people want or what it seems convenient to them or to me. Grant me wisdom and discernment to ask with faith for Your hand to do miracles in our midst. I love You Jesus. AMEN!

Marching in Silence to Conquer

“And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and its valiant warriors. And you shall march around the city, all the man of war circling the city once.”
Joshua 6:2-3


Observation:
The first assignment in the campaign to conquer the Promised Land is to destroy Jericho. This was the strongest city of the land. It had the most trained army, a great leader as king, and a strong fortified wall famous for its proven efficiency in protecting the city. God directs Joshua not to start with a small town in order to build some good morale in the ranks of Israel, but to start with the greatest challenge. Sounds crazy to me, but that’s how God wanted.
The Israelite army has the mind of a conqueror, so they are excited about this mission. But when they heard the strategy for battle they were probably puzzled. Joshua was one of those lucky Old Testament patriarchs who so Jesus. The Lord introduced Himself to him as the Captain of the Hosts of The Lord. His command was not to fight fiercely but march silently. Come on! What kind of great conqueror is coming to play with his adversaries in this way? We are not told how the people of Jericho reacted at the way the Israelite army approached them. I speculate that there was mocking, and insulting. Perhaps the people inside the city walls were not concerned at all at this untrained Israelite army that had no idea how to take over a fortified wall. Marching in silence was something that the enemies couldn’t perceive as a treat. But for Israel, obeying God’s command was everything in order to have His presence among them.


Application:
Sometimes I feel that obeying God is like marching in silence. We obey but we don’t understand what’s going on as we obey. At this point we think that doing God’s work in God’s way is a waste of time. We want to do what others do—charge and conquer. But there is something powerful that occurs in our lives when we choose to obey God’s mysterious ways—genuine transformation and rich blessings. Marching in silence is one of the best ways to trust in God, yet is one of the most difficult things to do. Is in the silence of our marching that God reveals Himself to us and takes away our pride and independence. Is in the quietness of our obedience that God increases His glory in our hearts and transform us into His image. Marching in silence is one of the most effective ways to do warfare in the kingdom of God, yet is one of the least practiced disciplines by God’s soldiers. If we want to conquer the sinful areas of our heart and claim the promises that God has for us we must be willing to march in silence. It doesn’t matter if while we obey we are perceived as incapable, naïve, hopeless, lost and failure. We must simply obey what God says and endure it with patience and faith.
Currently the Lord is asking me to do some silent marching in several areas of my life. I don’t necessarily like it, but I’m in the process of convincing my flesh that what God’s ways are better than my ways. In my flesh I want to take control, but in my spirit, I want to leave all the control to God. My hope is filled today as I see the way God does miracles in those who are willing to march in silence to conquer.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for my stubbornness and independence while obeying You. Sometimes I obey with doubts but I want to mature and become obedient with faith and trust in You. Please change my heart and make it more like yours. Give me your heart when it comes to do the Father’s will out of relationship, not out of obligation. Give me the strength con refrain myself from my own actions when all You ask from my is to march with silence. Let me become a conqueror that thinks according to Your kingdom, not according to this world. Please destroy my tendency to work hard and accomplish without your direction in my life. I don’t want to conquer without You. Please be with me as I posses my Promised Land. AMEN!

Strength & Courage

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9


Observation:
The historic moment to start a nation is right here. Joshua is preparing to take over the land God promised to his ancestors. The task is huge, even in our postmodern standards. The passage reveals two important character traits that will be a priority for both Joshua and the people—strength and courage.
Just imagine the overwhelming logistics of moving more than a million people in tents and at the same time wage war against nations that are more powerful and protected than them. It would require huge amounts of energy and resources. No wonder strength is essential. Also imagine the emotional turmoil that implies to face fierce enemies, fortified cities, and professional giant warriors. They had to have their hearts beating in their throats, adrenaline pumping through their veins, and butterflies in the stomach. The fear of being annihilated and utterly destroyed was certainly in their minds. No wonder courage is essential.
The amazing thing about this passage is that strength and courage are not suggested but commanded. In order to be pioneers and conquerors the people had to become strong and courageous. Without these two characteristics there cannot be victory.


Application:
If we are to become more victorious conquerors we must become strong and courageous. But before we commit ourselves to develop these two virtues in our character, we must understand their biblical significance. The world teaches two concepts about strength and courage that differ from Scripture.
The biblical definition of strength is not the absence of weakness, but trust that there is someone stronger and invisible fighting in our side regardless of our obvious weaknesses. Such awareness can only come with a sincere communion with that Spiritual being. Every time that the Scripture commands strength from our part it associates relationship with God. That’s why the book of the Law had to be continually in the meditations of the people. The strength of Israel didn’t come from military training, or chariots, or horses, but by their trust in the Name of the Lord.
The biblical definition of courage is not the absence of fear, but bold and unwavering action despite of emotions. In order to be courageous we cannot wait until fear disappears. We must move forward and face our fears with unprecedented determination. Again, the source of courage is not in our inner positivism but in our spiritual communion with the Lord that is faithful to takes us through the fire without burning our skin. If He is with us wherever we go, there is no reason to avoid courage. For that reason, we must entertain His presence in our lives with consistent communion with His presence.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the times when I bring up excuses for not moving on in my life and conquer the areas where the enemy camps freely. I commit myself to be strong and courageous regardless of my weakness and fears. I choose to trust Your way to lead me and I assume full responsibility in my behavior as your servant. Please help me to build full trust in You in the areas where You are asking me to conquer and I feel completely incapable physically and emotionally. Please change my milksop attitude and change my victimized mindset for the mindset of a conqueror. Give me boldness to face my fear of rejection, my fear of failure, and my fear of abandonment. Use me to posses the blessings you have for our church and give me wisdom to lead our people into your promises with strength and courage. AMEN!

Learning to Wait

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon the rock making my footsteps firm. And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord. How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust...”
Psalm 40:1-4


Observation:
King David knew about patience. He waited for His promotion for several years. He waited for deliverance from His persecutors several times. He waited for the fulfillment of God’s promises in his life. But David’s greater accomplishment beyond patience was the attitude with which he waited. He was able to endure the emotions of frustration and despair that a human being often experiences in seasons of waiting. He was able to allow his heart to burn with pain before quitting in his hope. He really learned to wait. In the process of learning, David developed an attitude that we can all acquire, but that not too many people are willing to pay the price that it demands. Waiting requires extreme humility. It also demands that we surrender all our fears: fear to loose opportunities, fear to be lonely, fear to fail, fear to be hurt, fear to get stuck in life, fear to realize that we don’t have what it takes.
Once we learn to process these fears and humble ourselves before the Lord, we will become better in waiting for His blessings and for the fulfillment of His promises. David was persistent, not indifferent when crying out to God about His pain and suffering. He was honest to God as we can see it in his many lament psalms he wrote. But he didn’t stop there. The next day he did the same. He continued trusting God and enduring the pain of being humbled and incapable to do something of immediate relief. He learned how to do it for several days, weeks, months, even years, until the day when the Deliverer came to his aid.


Application:
Pastor Wayne Cordeiro taught me that the number one problem in young leaders is neither lack of vision, nor lack of passion, but lack of patience. We come into maturity by discovering that patience is a very important ingredient in the recipe for fruitful lives. In fact, patience is one of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit that we often overlook. Without patience we cannot walk in the Spirit and we cannot live according to God’s will. Learning how to wait should be a priority for all of us, regardless of our age. We need to learn how to endure trials, oppositions, and long periods of time waiting for the hand of God to come in our aid. This is crucial for two reasons: it will help us to make optimum decisions and it will help us to heal from the emotional/spiritual wounds we are afflicted with.
First, learning to wait will cause us to avoid foolish emotional decisions. Immature people will allow their emotions dictate their decision making process. The worse time to make important decisions is when we are either in a low emotional state or in a high emotional mood. We need to wait until our feelings settle and then start thinking with a better attitude about our decisions. Second, learning to wait will guarantee that the healing oil of the Holy Spirit will touch our wounds in the perfect place at the perfect time. Knowing our wounds and knowing the medicine that will heal them is not enough. We need to trust the Healer to apply the healing in His perfect timing. We cannot become impatient, hopeless, and untrustworthy, when God takes time to do it.
Somebody recently asked me how to do it. My guess is that many times we make ourselves that same question, but we really mean is ho can we do it fast and obtain immediate results before everything falls apart. The answer is simple, yet difficult. We must wait! We must allow God be God and do His work the way He wants in the time he wants. We will never develop patience if everything we ask comes right away. In order to know the God that sets our feet upon a rock we must learn to wait in Him and to trust in the way He does His will in our lives.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the impatience of my flesh and for struggling so much in demanding immediate answers to my prayers. Please help me to become more patient as I go through difficulties with myself, with other people, and with the daily affairs that demand waiting. Help me to help those who need to learn patience and to give hope back to those that are ready to throw the towel. AMEN!

Pay Now Play Later

“And the Lord shall make you the head and not the tail, and you only shall be above, and you shall not be underneath, if you will listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully.”
Deuteronomy 28:13


“And let us not loose heart in doing good, for in the due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”
Galatians 6:9


Observation:
This chapter in Deuteronomy reveals a very important principle of God’s character. God draws a clear line between blessings and curses. He gives Israel the option to choose between them according to their obedience. The blessings will come to those who obey His commandments, and the curses will come for those who disobey. This is very simple, yet very difficult. Like John Maxwell’s dad’s used to say, “you can pay now and play later, or you could play now and pay later.”
The truth of the matter is that life is full of choices. The same way God can be both just and merciful, He can also be sovereign and respectful of people’s choices. He rules over our lives yet he never violates our will. In this particular verse, God points out His desire to give leadership, promotion, and influence to those who obey Him. He wants them to be the head, not the tail. His desire is for His people to be at the top and to thrive in every area of their lives. And still, the Creator gives them the chance to choose.

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Deuteronomy 30:19-20


Application:
As we commit ourselves to serve the Lord with joy and excellence, we must be aware that God wants to bless our lives beyond our dreams. But there is a huge responsibility in our side in order to receive those blessings. We must choose to walk in the ways of the Lord. However, the choice is not enough. We must display a lifestyle that reflects practically that choice. Otherwise, we have only promises and empty words of commitment in our hearts. Good choices without discipline are bad choices. We must bring a sacrifice of praise to the Lord in which we embrace a godly regimen of disciplines that will help us to become the head not the tail. We need to make choices that are good for us, and then manage those choices until they become part of our character.
There are several areas of discipline in my life that the Lord is calling me to deal with. In all these areas I have chosen to honor God, but I have difficulty in developing a long and steady discipline in a daily basis. I start very well for some weeks, built some consistency, and suddenly the whole thing comes down like a card deck castle. Then I start all over again, planting seeds of faithfulness and consistency. Sometimes it requires big sacrifices. Sometimes is easy. But then after few days, my fuel runs out an I find myself once again growing weary, frustrated, and unhappy because there is no progress.
Well, today I sense the Holy Spirit encouraging me to keep going. I need to pay now and then play later. God is always faithful to give us the blessing He promised if we obey Him. I must love the regimen that will make me more disciplined and more prone to receive God’s blessing of promotion.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you for respecting my will and for being merciful to me. Please give me the resilience to keep working hard in developing the godly disciplines you want me to embrace. Let me reaffirm the good choices I made by becoming more faithful in managing them every day. Give me the right attitude to face my own weaknesses and teach me how to be patient and graceful with myself. AMEN!

Fruitful Lives

Galatians 5:22-25

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have been crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”


Observation:
Paul exhorts in this passage the Galatians about having spiritual fruitful lives. To those who walk in the Spirit of God there is an abundance of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these virtues because they are the fulfillment of the law. To those who walk in the flesh there is an abundance of immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissentions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings and many more things like these. These vices oppose not only the law but also the new covenant. With Christ is not acceptable to be alive in the Spirit and walk in the flesh. We must do both live by the Spirit, and also walk in the Spirit.


Application:
Our fruitfulness in the kingdom of God is not defined but how many good works we do or by how many people we bring to Christ. Effectiveness in ministry cannot be confused with spiritual fruitfulness. The more we become like Christ, the more fruitful we are. Walking in the Spirit means to proactively respond to different situations in life not with the works of the flesh but with the fruit of the Spirit. So instead of hitting things when angry, when we walk in the Spirit we respond with gentleness.
Our character is tested every day and our goal should be to live out according to the virtues that bring Spiritual fruit in our lives. We cannot use our sinful nature as an excuse for unacceptable behavior. If in a given situation I react with envy instead of goodness, I cannot say, “well, this is who I am.” Or, “this is how God made me.” And we should never use our exterior success in order to cover up for interior selfishness.
This season in my ministry is very fruitful. I’m very thankful for the way the Lord’s favor is upon me and upon our church. But I sense the Holy Spirit asking me to be more concerned for the spiritual fruit of my individual heart, which is the most important ministry I can get involved. We must take seriously the process in which we decrease and the Spirit of God increases. We must evaluate our thoughts and reactions. We must identify and deal with the instances when we tend to allow our flesh to respond instead of our Spirit. In many cases we need to do it individually, but in many cases we need the support of an accountability group of friends. There are some habits that need to be treated seriously with the help of professional therapists or counselors. Whatever the case, we must have the guts to do it! It’s for the sake of our spiritual fruitfulness, and for the sake of our service of worship into the Lord.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you so much for the way you are blessing my life and ministry right now and for allowing me to live in the Spirit. Please forgive me for the many times in the day when I react or think according to my flesh, not according to your Holy Spirit. Please give me a passion for fruitfulness in my character. Make more like you by putting my flesh at the cross and by walking in the fruit of your Spirit. Grant me more love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Let me be diligent in the way I minister my heart first before I try to minister to others. Give me the guts to confront my sinful habits in order to be more fruitful. AMEN!

Over Delivering

Galatians 3:20-21

“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”


Observation:
God’s mighty hand to do beyond our expectations is truly amazing. He promises so many blessings and at the moment to deliver them He pours abundant grace, mercy, favor, and peace. He likes to blow us away with His extravagant love. The God of the Bible is able to over deliver. When He promised salvation, He blew everybody away by giving us not only freedom from sin, but on top of that eternal life and purpose to walk on earth. He gave His Only Son not only to show us the way, but also to reveal the truth and to grant life. With God every blessing comes with many more perks. We serve a generous God that shows His love in practical ways.
Paul discovered this aspect in the character of God in his daily life. Very often God blew him away with blessings that went beyond what he asked or thought. Such amazing ability of the Lord to over deliver caused Paul to explode in praise and gratitude.


Application:
This week I was able to witness the way God over delivers. I was praying for some financial blessings to cover some past expenses that became very overwhelming. It was mostly medical bills not covered by my insurance plan. As the bills grew with extra financial charges, my anxiousness became more difficult to control. On Wednesday I received in the mail the latest statement and I was very disappointed. I prayed to God and asked Him to provide me with enough money to cover the interest charges for the month in order to keep the debt under control. A couple of hours later I found in my mail box a check with a gift that covered the exact amount of my entire bills. Alleluia! When God blesses, He over delivers.
The Bible today encourages me to do two things: first, to give God glory and praise for the way He always blesses my life with such extravagant gifts and second, to become more like Him. I’m rejoicing for the way God blesses me but I’m also making sure that this aspect in God’s character becomes part of mine. I want to become an over deliverer because I want to be like my Heavenly Father. When I promise to do something, I want to go beyond my promise and blow people away with my sincere love and appreciation. Usually I find my self under delivering, or merely doing what I said I would do. I want to be creative in the way I express my love for my family, my friends, and my church, even if it looks extravagant. I want to pour out my love with generosity, without fears and without hesitations.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you so much for your blessings and faithfulness to provide beyond what I ask or think. Your extravagant love blows me away. Thank you for the angel you sent to cover my financial needs. Bless this person with abundance and with your amazing overflowing love. Please cause everything in me to become an over deliverer. Please remove away from me the tendency to under deliver. Also help me to stretch my envelope from doing what I promise to delivering a little more beyond what I promise. Grant me favor to serve those around me with your extravagant love. Also let New Hope Diamond Head become a church that avoid under delivering and that is truly committed to over delivering. You are amazing! AMEN!

Under His Grace

Galatians 2:20

“For I have been crucified with Christ; and it is not longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.’”


Observation:
The mystery of the exchange that God made at the cross has been revealed by Paul in order to give us hope and direction as we fulfill our God given mission here on earth. This verse is particularly important when we struggle with sin in our post conversion days. When we receive Christ in our lives He changes our heart as He brings eternal meaning into it. But our sinful behavior does not go away. We receive salvation by faith alone and we stay saved by faith alone. Being saved is not a second chance to try to please God with works but a second chance to grow closer to God and to deal properly with our sin.
We were crucified with Christ—we died to sin. Now we live for God because Christ lives in us. The life we live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God. We are capable to do so because God’s love working in us. The key is relationship with God. It has always been, and always will be. It’s neither religious regimens, nor heartless traditions. It’s pure and sincere devotion to God who set us free form the slavery to sin.


Application:
I’m very tough on myself when it comes to sin. I have a tendency to beat myself up when I cannot measure up to high standards of sinless ness. I forget easily that I’m saved by grace and that I’m sanctified by grace. For some reason we continue believing that we earn God’s love because our behavior. We have a hard time receiving and enjoying His unconditional love. And that’s precisely the reason why we continue struggling with sin. Works will not remove our sin away, but the grace that flows as we have intimate communion with Jesus. The moment I rely on my performance I become more prone and vulnerable to sin.
As our world keeps turning around and our fast paced lives keep moving, it’s so easy to forget the blessing of grace and return to the curse of the law. We continue trying to please God with something we cannot deliver—sinless ness. The only way to avoid such distraction is to stay closer to Jesus’ heart. The more we grow in relationship with Him, the more covered by grace we will be.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for returning to the curse of works. I cannot please you this way. Please allow me to return to you in the fields of grace. Let me be passionate about your presence and give me a new heart that will seek your face at all times. Please grant me your blessing of intimacy with you and let me camp closer to your heart. I enthrone you as the only King in my heart and I declare my life to be fully committed to love you always. AMEN!

Going in Circles

Deuteronomy 2:2-3

“And the Lord spoke to me saying, ‘You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north…’”


Observation:
It took Israel 40 years to make a trip that should last 40 days. Why? Where barriers in the desert that caused them to detour often? Were their enemies opposing their advance fiercely? Of course there were barriers and enemies. But the Lord came in supernatural ways to aid them each time that they encountered roadblocks. Yahweh opened the sea to provide a dry path for His people to move and for their enemies to be drowned. He even gave them the upper hand when enemy armies came to fight them. The people were going on circles not because of exterior opposition but because interior turmoil. Every time that their attitude leaned to complaining or grumbling, or rebelling against God’s appointed leaders, they detoured. Such vices causes a postponement of God’s very best for our lives.


Application:
Missing God’s best because we are going in circles is a common feeling. Some of us have been walking with the Lord for years but instead of moving forward we come around to the same familiar places of sin, or doubt, or frustration, or dissatisfaction. When we arrive to these familiar places we usually turn to seek outside roadblocks, but rarely we check our hearts for signs of grumbling, or rebellion. If we fail to look at our hearts, our diagnosis will be erroneous and we will miss the opportunity to get out of the circles and move into God’s very best.
I recently talked to a young lady that keeps wondering why she feels stuck in her walk with the Lord. She is quick to point out the outside roadblocks but very slow to check her own heart. I have noticed that in my normal conversations with her she grumbles a lot about the way her life is going. Also I have heard reports of the way she criticizes our church leadership in the outskirts of the camp. This young woman reminds me of someone that I know very well—Myself. Only few years ago I realized that in my walk with God I was going in circles because of my grumbling and my lack of submission. I had to learn valuable lessons the hard way. Today I’m much better, but still I’m vulnerable to loose focus, get lost, and walk around in circles. I don’t want such life of regrets and dissolution. I want God’s very best for me. Every time we found ourselves going around in circles, we should say what God says, "you have circled this long enough. Now turn north..."

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, revalidate my desire to honor you with my obedience, gratitude and sincere submission to those in authority over me. Help me to live out a culture that discourages complaining, grumbling and rebellion. Search my Heart, Oh God, and show me where I'm grumbling and rebelling so I can repent quickly. As a shepherd I pray for those under my care that camp in the outskirts of criticism against me or other leaders. Please speak clearly into their hearts and help them to hear you clearly about changing their mindset. I don’t want to see them going around circles in their walk with you. Help them to heal in their brokenness and allow them to move on in Your very best. AMEN!

Praying Correctly

Mark 11:23-24

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have receive them, and they shall be granted you.”


Observation:
This is one of those passages in Scripture that is misused very often. Some people have taken these verses to indulge their selfish dreams and ambitions under the “blessing” of God. I’ve seen people asking God vehemently for houses, cars, money, positions of influence, and more under the words of this passage. They don’t doubt in their hearts. They truly believe that what they say is going to happen. And when things don’t come as they ask, they either blame God for being negligent or blame themselves for not having enough faith.
Perhaps we miss the correct application of these verses. In the context of this passage Jesus has cursed a fig tree because it had leaves but no fruit on it. The next day the tree withered. The interesting thing about it is that at that specific season, fig trees are not supposed to give fruit (v. 13). It seams unreasonable from Jesus to demand fruit out of season. The key to understand these verses about prayer and faith is to interpret correctly the illustration of the fig tree. Remember the servant that had one talent? His excuse for being unfruitful was fear because the Lord demands fruit out of season. The Pharisees that came to test Jesus’ authority were just like that fig tree. They had leaves but no fruit. Leaves on a tree are a sign of life, but fruit is the evidence of life. Hungry people will be looking for leaved trees and they will direct themselves towards them. But if there is no fruit, hungry people get frustrated and disappointed. Having leaves without fruit deceives people. Jesus expected fruit in that tree because it displayed leaves. And when He came and found no fruit on it, He cursed it.


Application:
Faith is the only way to bring forth fruit in our lives. As long as we stay alive on earth, the flesh will be hanging with us. Our flesh cannot bring forth the fruit of the Spirit of God. But with faith, God’s word upon us becomes powerful. If we lack wisdom, or kindness, or self-control, and we pray God to receive them believing that what we ask will become true, then we will be able to enjoy those blessings. Jesus wants our prayers to be focused on the fruit, not on the leaves.
When we only are concerned for having leaves in our lives but no fruit, then our prayer life is going to be very frustrating. Prayers that focus on the eaves are like this, “Jesus give me a new job, give me more money to pay my debts, give me a better house to live.” All these are meaningful needs and we must pray that God will direct our lives. But every time we emphasize leaves above fruit in our prayers, it doesn’t matter how much faith we put on, it is not going to happen the way we want. But if our requests are focused on the spiritual fruit, then we will be asking God in faith to work miracles in our flesh. Having God’s wisdom operating in my flesh is a miracle. Having self-control of my lustful desires is a miracle. Having patience and peace in the midst of a painful sickness or a troublesome trial is a miracle. Having kindness and forgiveness when we are offended and abused is a miracle. When we pray for the fruit of the Spirit to abound in our lives, and when we ask believing that we will receive it, then we will be able to move mountains. And when the Lord Jesus comes to check on His dwelling place in us, He will find the fruit that He expects. The beauty about it is that when we pray focused on spiritual fruitfulness, the leaves come alongside. God wants us to display leaves, but more than anything He wants us to be fruitful. This perspective will make our prayers powerful and will prepare the stage for the miraculous in our lives.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for being more concerned in my prayers in worldly commodities than in my character. Please help me to focus in my spiritual fruitfulness and make me more like you. I know that you can take good care of my earthly needs. I have faith in you. Please teach me to pray with such perspective and use me to release the miraculous in my life and around me. AMEN!

Like Little Children

Mark 10:13-16

"And they began bringing children to Him, so that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuke them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and He said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belong to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God liker a child shall not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them."


Observation:
Yesterday I was making a parallel between little children and certain people whose character is immature. Today I’m looking at little children in a different way. Jesus is asking us to receive His kingdom the same way that little children do. Once again, the Lord uses the illustration of children but with a different application. Yesterday was about becoming the last by embracing weak, dependant, and immature people. Today is about becoming like one of them in order to receive God’s kingdom.
Are we supposed to be immature and weak in order to receive God’s kingdom? Are we loosing the grasp of it the moment we become mature? Of course not! At this point we need to make the distinction between being childish and being childlike. Being childish is about immaturity, but being childlike is about innocence, and full of faith.


Application:
I cannot avoid thinking about my two sons when meditating on this passage. They are childish because they are toddlers, but they have certain characteristics that make them way better candidates to receive the Kingdom of God than me. They can forget their own mistakes in few seconds, but they never forget who their father is. They believe everything I tell them. Even though they try to be independent, they grab me hard when they get hurt or they feel scared. There is nothing like the way they express their love for me when I come home at the end of the day. They have no clue of the evil that is available. Life is simple for them because they know that I will be taking care of their needs. When I discipline them they cry but they want to hug me at the same time. They want to make sure that we can continue being best friends.
In order to be kingdom people we must be like little children. We must be innocent when it comes to evil things. We need to be free to express our feelings with honesty, not only towards God, but also towards others. We cannot be afraid of looking silly and over concerned about what people think about us. We need to trust in our Heavenly Father’s love that provides everything we need in all areas of our lives. We need to seek His face as if our breath would depend on it. We need to receive His correction and discipline with thanksgiving, always waiting for Him to wipe our tears. We must avoid anxiousness and embrace the simplicity of life that only peace with God can offer.
Our childish ways must be put off but we must never get rid of the child in us. We need o strive for growth and maturity but never compromising our simple devotion to God and our innocence towards life. Jesus encouraged us to be innocent as doves and cunning as foxes. We must find that childlike character and apply it in all our daily affairs in order to bring God’s kingdom in everything we do, say, and think.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please restore the little child in me and make me more dependant in your presence. Let me go back to the simple things of life that Your peace and love always offer. Forgive my anxious thoughts and my childish ways. Help me to get rid of them without throwing away my innocence and desire to express myself with honesty. Please teach me through my kids how am I supposed to be a child of yours. Give me insight and understanding in how to become more childlike in your presence and let me receive your kingdom in my life with arms wide open. AMEN!

Embracing Children

Mark 9:35-37

And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If any one wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” And taking a child, He stood him in the midst of them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name is receiving Me; and whoever receives Me is not receiving Me, but Him who sent Me.”


Observation:
Right at the moment when the disciples were discussing among each other who would be the greatest, Jesus interrupted their interesting conversation. He is not upset at the fact that they were trying to figure it out who would be the greatest. Actually He wants to help them to make a decision about that subject that pairs with His kingdom. While the disciples were considering who was the greatest among them, they probably brought to each other’s attention important matters like experience, knowledge of the scrolls, who had the more impressive records in casting demons out, who had the most potential, or who was the must trusted by the Master. Jesus corrects their thinking and points out that the rules in His kingdom are different, “whoever wants to be first, he shall be last of all.”
The disciples were puzzled as the familiar sense of “I have no clue of what you’re saying” came over them. So as an illustration, the Lord brings a child to give them a deeper and clearer insight of what being the greatest in the kingdom is supposed to look like. Jesus statement here is radical yet profound, “whoever receives one child like this in My name is receiving Me.” My question at this point is, “what does receiving children has to do with being the greatest?” Well, it has to do with everything.


Application:
Jesus reminds me this morning that in order to be first I must be last. The truth of the matter is that the context of this passage has to do with relationships. Honor in the kingdom of God comes out of the quality of relationships we are able to build. Seeking the favor and relationship of those who are strong, powerful, independent, and influential will takes us always to pursuit the first places. It will condition our hearts to be receivers, sponges, and the center of attention of these wonderful people. But Jesus is asking to receive little children. And when we learn to receive them, we will receive a deeper relationship with Jesus and the Heavenly Father.
Why little children? Well, for me is easier to understand that point because I have two roommates ages 3 and 2. They are very dependant of me for everything. I have to feed them, bath them, dress them, brush their teeth, and even change their diapers. Very often they do not listen to my instructions, and they get themselves in trouble all the time. If I’m not careful, they will get stuck under the bed, or behind the couch. Having two little children change my life completely. In order to father them properly I must have a sacrificial love that is willing to do whatever it takes in order to protect them until they are in age to become men on their own. In dealing with little children we need huge amounts of patience, humility, and unnoticed service.
Our greatness in the kingdom is determined by the kind of people we receive in our hearts. I do know people that are grown up but have in their spirit the same characteristics of a little child. They are hungry and incapable to feed themselves properly. They cannot stay clean, they cannot dress properly, they have a funny smell, and very often they will go doo doo in their pants. To be honest, I don’t want to receive such people the way God wants me to. I have enough test of my patience with my two kids. But I know that in order to serve God’s people well I must embrace broken people in their childish ways until they can heal and grow up. People like this deserve our compassion, full attention, and sacrificial embrace. Greatness in he kingdom is destined not to those who hang out with winners, makers, and shakers at all times, but to those who are willing to receive and embrace those who are weak, incapable to thrive on their own, and hungry for the love and affection that only God can offer.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the many times I intentionally avoid people that are childish in their ways and also for being so anxious to be surrounded by only the most influential people. Give me a heart for those who need your touch and that struggle in their walk with you. Let me see my own weakness in order to feed my compassion for others that are weak as me. Teach me how to be last in order to honor You. AMEN!

A Second Touch

Mark 8:25

"Then again He laid His hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly."


Observation:
“Can you see anything?” asked Jesus to the man. This question is deeper that what it seems. Notice than few verses before Jesus rebukes his disciples for having eyes to see and ears to hear but being unable to see that He is the Christ, the Messiah. As Mark writes his version of the gospel, he intentionally puts the story of the blind man right after as an illustration of what Jesus does to those who cannot see clearly.
After the first touch, the blind man reported that he could see men like trees. Then the second touch came. After that the blind man was able to see clearly. The same way was with the disciples. The saw in Jesus nothing but a shadow of who He really was. They saw Him multiplying food, walking on the sea, healing people, casting demons out, and having communion with the Father. But still they couldn’t see clearly who He was. As the blind man needed a second touch, the disciples also had need for a deeper experience with God that would allow them to see clearly who He really was.

Application:
Why a second touch? Is not there enough power in the first one? The fact that the blind man needed a second touch doesn’t mean at all that Jesus was incapable to heal him with one touch. It means that after the initial work of Jesus in our lives we need to allow the Lord to continue. He will come and ask us, “Can you see anything?” And if our response is negative, he will gently touch us again in order for us to regain focus and see clearly what he does around us. He is faithful to finish the good work He started in us.
I’m pretty sure that are areas in our lives where Jesus already started a good work and we see nothing but blurry shadows. This is especially true in our struggle with sin. We continue falling on the same spot not because God is incapable to set us free, but because we need a constant touch of the Master over our lives until we are able to see clearly and avoid the familiar pitfalls. So if we find ourselves with blurry vision somewhere in our lives, instead of getting frustrated we must be willing to voice our condition with humility. We need to be ok recognizing that we need another touch of Jesus. Is very humbling to understand, accept and deal with our blindness, but at the end we will see Jesus clearly. We should not be afraid to recognize that sometimes we are slow to see His work and hear His voice. The beauty about our Lord is that He is always patient and faithful to do whatever it takes for us to see with clarity His presence in our lives.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please touch me as many times is necessary in order to see your work in my life and my surroundings. Let me have eyes to see and ears to hear the wonders of your love. Cause everything in me to be humble and to recognize that there are places where I need several touches of your mighty hand. Please allow me to never give up on me and to trust you in the way you deal with me. AMEN!