Special Video
I would like to begin this week by sharing this video with all of you. I am also dedicating this video to our evangelism class at church. Amanda, Maria, Jessica, Barbara, Isabel and I encourage all of you to tell the world that Jesus lives! Remember, if they breathe, they need Jesus! God bless you all!!!
"Tell the World" - Hillsong United
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Devotional of the Week: Romans 8:31
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Often in our Christian lives we reach a point where we are persecuted or set upon by outside forces. We have a tendency to want to buckle at the knees and in some cases maybe even feel the need to surrender. Feeling the need to surrender and actually doing so are two very different things.
We have the power to persevere and overcome. Today's devotional verse tells us this. What Paul is telling is is that if God is for us, in the sense that He has marked us out for Himself, then no one or nothing can be successful against us. If Omnipotence is working on our behalf, no lesser power can defeat His plan.
Our challenge is to believe this very simple but rich verse. Our Protector is Almighty God. Our strength is His strength and thus we are able to resist the wiles of the devil. This verse is one that we should pray to God that he inscribe it into our hearts and seal it into our minds. This way we have it as our reminder that we are under the protection of a holy, powerful and living God!
Prayer: Father God, thank you for your protective covering. We pray that when the world besets us on all sides, that we take heart and remember that You fight for us. Steel our backs Lord and help us to stand firmly and courageously. Help us to set our eyes on You Lord and to walk in your will for the rest of our earthly lives. We pray all this in Jesus' might name, Amen.
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 6
As we look at chapter 6 we see that the Philistines have had enough of the ark in their lands. They did keep it for 7 months though and one would wonder why they kept it so long. Understandably they were reluctant to give up such a wonderful “trophy” of what they at first felt was such a victory over the God of Israel. It can take a long time before we realize the futility of resisting God!
More than any other thing on earth, the Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of the Lord God of Israel. The Philistines (like the Israelites who carried the ark into battle) therefore thought that when they had the ark, they “had” the Lord. But they did not “have” the Lord at all. He had them, He was in control, and now they are on the defensive. God doesn’t have a problem, they do.
The Philistine priests knew enough to know they have offended the Lord God. Therefore, they know they should do something to expresses their sorrow and repentance before the Lord. The specific offering recognizes that it was the Lord who brought the plague upon the Philistines. They were saying, “We know these plagues were not accidents. We know the Lord God of Israel has caused them. We are apologizing to the Lord God and asking Him to turn away His anger.” Acknowledging God’s judgment one way to give glory to the God of Israel. We often fail to give God this glory because we ignore His judgment or write it off as fate or bad luck.
The Philistines decide how to return the ark, including a test to see if the judgment was from God or by chance. The test was simple, and stacked against God. By nature, two milk cows which have never been yoked should not pull a cart at all, but they should have resisted their yokes. Additionally, they decided to take their calves home, away from them. The “maternal instinct” of the cows would have drawn them not towards the land of Israel, but back home to their own calves. The Philistines devised a test that “forced” the God of Israel to do something miraculous to demonstrate He had really been the cause of the plagues upon them.
The cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh! What a miracle! Two cows who had never pulled a cart before, either alone or together. No driver leads them, yet they leave home, and march the ten miles or so to a city they had never been to. They leave their own calves behind, and go straight on a certain road, with never a wrong turn, never a stop, never turning aside into the fields to feed themselves, never turning back to feed their own calves.
As the cows are on the road back to Israel, can you see the Israelites mourning over the loss of the ark? Perhaps at that very moment they were crying out to God, grieving because they thought the glory had departed. Eventually the people see the ark arriving! What joy! They would have felt something like the disciples felt on the day they saw the resurrected Jesus, because they would have felt they had received God back to them from the dead. On this day as they were reaping their wheat harvest (between May and June), they knew the God of Israel was alive.
Of course, God had never been dead, and God never left them. But the Israelites felt as though God was dead, and they were as desperate, discouraged, and hopeless as if He really were dead. They split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering: They knew this was the right thing to do in honor to God, yet it really cost them something. Cows and carts were expensive property.
The Israelites were careful to let the Levites handle the ark, as was commanded by the law (Numbers 4:1-6, 15). Beth Shemesh was a priestly city (Joshua 21:16), so there were priests on hand. But some of the men sinned gravely by not only touching the ark, but also looking into it inappropriately. There are things, because of the honor and glory of God, which He has chosen to keep hidden, and it is wrong for men to pry into these secrets of God.
In their disrespect for God, the men of Beth Shemesh had offended the holiness of the Lord. Now, they know the Lord is holy, but it doesn’t make them want to be closer to God; it makes them want to distance themselves from God. They choose to send the ark to Kirjath Jearim. We don’t know why they picked this village. Perhaps they had good relations with these men and thought they would take good care of the ark. Perhaps they had bad relations with them and wanted the Lord to curse them. Whatever the reason, the men of Kirath Jearim will indeed receive the ark, and the ark will stay there some seventy years until David brings it to Jerusalem.
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Video of the Week:
"Free" - Hillsong
Because of the blood He shed, because of the price He paid, because He rose from the dead and reigns on high... We are FREE!
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
In God's House
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Devotional of the Week:
Psalm 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah
When we were saved by almighty God, we were allowed entry into the holy places of heaven. Here on earth, through our prayers we can enter into His throne room of grace. We can enter into the holy sanctuaries of our churches to praise Him and learn about Him. We can seek refuge there with those who are our brethren. We are blessed, we are privileged and above all we are loved by the Lord. May this thought strengthen us, and remind us of the awesome God we serve, the beautiful God we love and the Precious Savior who gave it all for our salvation!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that through your death and resurrection, through our repentance and recognition and acceptance of you as our Savior, we now have a place in the holy places of God. We truly are blessed to dwell in Your house. You are holy and worthy to be praised. We lift you up and we love you. In your mighty name we pray, Amen!
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 5
This week we see the power that God has over those who do not dwell in His house. Those who refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord. We see a continuation of last week's story. The ark is captured, Israel is laid waste and the enemies of God have seemingly earned a victory.
The pagan armies that have claimed the Ark of the Covenant now bring it home into one of their temples. They set it next to the idol of Dagon, who was said to be the father of Baal. After the first night the people wake to find that the statue of Dagon has been toppled. They place the image back into place and the following day wake to find that not only is the image toppled, it is now broken. It's no coincidence that the head and hands are broken. In knocking over the idol, God shows that there is no wisdom (head) and no power (hands) in worshipping idols.
God then begins to afflict the people with tumors and illness. The pagan people have no conceptual understanding of what taking the Ark of God into their pagan lands really means. God is angry and He is seeing to it that these people suffer as a result of their desecration of His ark. They decide to move the ark to two other cities but wherever they take the ark, God is there to inflict punishment. Never do the people seek to repent. They finally seek only to rid themselves of the ark so that they will no longer suffer.
We should always treasure the things of God and hold them dear. Love, compassion, power and loyalty can be turned into tools of the enemy when they are allowed to fall into the camp of those who oppose God. But when our love is in Christ's hands, we are able to love like never before. When our compassion is for the lost and for those who suffer, Christ works through us to ease hurt and sow seeds. When we do things in Christ's power, we will be able to accomplish anything for His honor and glory. When we are loyal to almighty God, He will use us to further His kingdom here on earth.
A pagan people can do nothing with what belongs to God. As His children we have the privilege of living for Him. He defied death at the cross that we may have eternal life. We should live to lift His name high!
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Video of the Week:
Blessed - Hillsong
His house is now OUR home. For all eternity we will praise Him, we will worship Him and we will belong to Him! Praise God in all things!
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Devotional of the Week:
Psalm 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah
When we were saved by almighty God, we were allowed entry into the holy places of heaven. Here on earth, through our prayers we can enter into His throne room of grace. We can enter into the holy sanctuaries of our churches to praise Him and learn about Him. We can seek refuge there with those who are our brethren. We are blessed, we are privileged and above all we are loved by the Lord. May this thought strengthen us, and remind us of the awesome God we serve, the beautiful God we love and the Precious Savior who gave it all for our salvation!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that through your death and resurrection, through our repentance and recognition and acceptance of you as our Savior, we now have a place in the holy places of God. We truly are blessed to dwell in Your house. You are holy and worthy to be praised. We lift you up and we love you. In your mighty name we pray, Amen!
*************************************************************
Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 5
This week we see the power that God has over those who do not dwell in His house. Those who refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord. We see a continuation of last week's story. The ark is captured, Israel is laid waste and the enemies of God have seemingly earned a victory.
The pagan armies that have claimed the Ark of the Covenant now bring it home into one of their temples. They set it next to the idol of Dagon, who was said to be the father of Baal. After the first night the people wake to find that the statue of Dagon has been toppled. They place the image back into place and the following day wake to find that not only is the image toppled, it is now broken. It's no coincidence that the head and hands are broken. In knocking over the idol, God shows that there is no wisdom (head) and no power (hands) in worshipping idols.
God then begins to afflict the people with tumors and illness. The pagan people have no conceptual understanding of what taking the Ark of God into their pagan lands really means. God is angry and He is seeing to it that these people suffer as a result of their desecration of His ark. They decide to move the ark to two other cities but wherever they take the ark, God is there to inflict punishment. Never do the people seek to repent. They finally seek only to rid themselves of the ark so that they will no longer suffer.
We should always treasure the things of God and hold them dear. Love, compassion, power and loyalty can be turned into tools of the enemy when they are allowed to fall into the camp of those who oppose God. But when our love is in Christ's hands, we are able to love like never before. When our compassion is for the lost and for those who suffer, Christ works through us to ease hurt and sow seeds. When we do things in Christ's power, we will be able to accomplish anything for His honor and glory. When we are loyal to almighty God, He will use us to further His kingdom here on earth.
A pagan people can do nothing with what belongs to God. As His children we have the privilege of living for Him. He defied death at the cross that we may have eternal life. We should live to lift His name high!
*************************************************************
Video of the Week:
Blessed - Hillsong
His house is now OUR home. For all eternity we will praise Him, we will worship Him and we will belong to Him! Praise God in all things!
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Sunday, November 2, 2008
He Is Our STRENGTH
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Devotional of the Week:
Psalm 105:4 - Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
NFL coach Tony Dungy has seen much adversity throughout his career. In his book "Quiet Strength" he discusses what relying on God's strength has done for him in his life. In January of 2007, he along with Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith not only became the first two African American head coaches to coach in a Super Bowl, they were also two Christian coaches whose organizations give glory to God for their success. That night belonged to Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts, but in his words from the platform that night, along with the words of the president of the Colts organization, that night belonged to God. In the video clip that follows, let's hear from Tony Dungy about what God's strength can mean to us:
May we always seek our strength from God's presence in our lives. He is faithful to be with us. He is faithful to lift us up! All Praises to Our Lord, for He IS GOD!!!
Prayer: Father God, thank you that in You we have all the strength we will ever need. Surround us Lord, dwell in us through the power of Your Spirit, strengthen us to do Your will in all things. We love You and we trust You all the days of our life. In Jesus name, Amen!
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 4
As chapter 4 of our book opens, we find that the Philistines have come against Israel. Not only had the sins of Eli's sons causes the Levitical priesthood to become corrupt, but Israel as a nation had turned from God and had begun to worship idols. It does not take more than 2 verses to see that God has withdrawn his hedge of protection from His people. We see in verse 2 that 4,000 of the men of Israel are killed in the first skirmish with the Philistines.
Rather than repent and turn back to God, the Israelites do something that has through the ages become something we are prone to do ourselves when in a time of crisis. They begin by asking the right question. "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?" They were right to recognize that it was God who had brought defeat to their camp. And yet in a moment that would have been brilliant had they heeded their own words, they committed and even worse act. They decided to try to move the hands of God.
The elders of Israel decided to bring the ark of the covenant into the camp. On face value it seems like a good idea. God's presence in our lives is what is needed when people or circumstances come against us. The leaders intent however was to have the camp gain confidence from the ark's presence rather than calling on the Lord to deliver them. The Israelites indeed rejoiced greatly when they saw the ark, and the Philistines feared greatly because they knew the reputation of Jehovah. But they encouraged themselves and drew near to the battle once more. To their amazement, Israel fled, thirty thousand foot soldiers were slain, the priests Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and the ark itself was captured!
We do not take strength from "things" associated with God. Instead we are to draw strength because God's strength is in us. In the case of the Israelites, their devotion to God had all but disappeared and they were more focused on the "idea" of God rather than the reality of Him. God's punishment was swift. He defended His honor on the battlefield. He no doubt allowed the Philistines to take possession of the ark, a symbol of incredible victory to a pagan people. (Don't worry, we will see the fate of this circumstance in the next chapter.) What He did not allow was for the Israelites to gain the idea that they could gain anything apart from Him, and apart from His strength. No amount of ceremony or tradition is enough to give us the victory. Only God's will and plan in our lives can do that. Our obedience is the channel by which God will give us His strength.
Not only are the Israelites defeated, they flee in cowardly fashion, they lose the ark, and Eli, upon receiving the news of the death of his sons and the capture of God's ark fell backward and died. In a very telling side story we see also the fate of Eli's daughter-in-law. The news of her husband and father-in-laws death, while devastating, was nothing compared to the news that the Ark of God had been captured. Upon hearing this news, she goes into labor. After an extremely difficult birth, she names her son Ichabod (inglorious) for as she states in her last breaths "the glory has departed from Israel."
When we try to do things in our own strength we fail. God is our defender , our redeemer, our strength. His will is what our lives will bear out. When we try to achieve in our own efforts, we fail. His glory departs from our lives. Our directive is to seek Him in all things, that His glory may shine through us, His beloved children.
*************************************************************
Video of the Week:
His is the only strength we need! The Lord HE is GOD!
"You Are My Strength" - Hillsong
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Devotional of the Week:
Psalm 105:4 - Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
NFL coach Tony Dungy has seen much adversity throughout his career. In his book "Quiet Strength" he discusses what relying on God's strength has done for him in his life. In January of 2007, he along with Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith not only became the first two African American head coaches to coach in a Super Bowl, they were also two Christian coaches whose organizations give glory to God for their success. That night belonged to Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts, but in his words from the platform that night, along with the words of the president of the Colts organization, that night belonged to God. In the video clip that follows, let's hear from Tony Dungy about what God's strength can mean to us:
May we always seek our strength from God's presence in our lives. He is faithful to be with us. He is faithful to lift us up! All Praises to Our Lord, for He IS GOD!!!
Prayer: Father God, thank you that in You we have all the strength we will ever need. Surround us Lord, dwell in us through the power of Your Spirit, strengthen us to do Your will in all things. We love You and we trust You all the days of our life. In Jesus name, Amen!
*************************************************************
Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 4
As chapter 4 of our book opens, we find that the Philistines have come against Israel. Not only had the sins of Eli's sons causes the Levitical priesthood to become corrupt, but Israel as a nation had turned from God and had begun to worship idols. It does not take more than 2 verses to see that God has withdrawn his hedge of protection from His people. We see in verse 2 that 4,000 of the men of Israel are killed in the first skirmish with the Philistines.
Rather than repent and turn back to God, the Israelites do something that has through the ages become something we are prone to do ourselves when in a time of crisis. They begin by asking the right question. "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?" They were right to recognize that it was God who had brought defeat to their camp. And yet in a moment that would have been brilliant had they heeded their own words, they committed and even worse act. They decided to try to move the hands of God.
The elders of Israel decided to bring the ark of the covenant into the camp. On face value it seems like a good idea. God's presence in our lives is what is needed when people or circumstances come against us. The leaders intent however was to have the camp gain confidence from the ark's presence rather than calling on the Lord to deliver them. The Israelites indeed rejoiced greatly when they saw the ark, and the Philistines feared greatly because they knew the reputation of Jehovah. But they encouraged themselves and drew near to the battle once more. To their amazement, Israel fled, thirty thousand foot soldiers were slain, the priests Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and the ark itself was captured!
We do not take strength from "things" associated with God. Instead we are to draw strength because God's strength is in us. In the case of the Israelites, their devotion to God had all but disappeared and they were more focused on the "idea" of God rather than the reality of Him. God's punishment was swift. He defended His honor on the battlefield. He no doubt allowed the Philistines to take possession of the ark, a symbol of incredible victory to a pagan people. (Don't worry, we will see the fate of this circumstance in the next chapter.) What He did not allow was for the Israelites to gain the idea that they could gain anything apart from Him, and apart from His strength. No amount of ceremony or tradition is enough to give us the victory. Only God's will and plan in our lives can do that. Our obedience is the channel by which God will give us His strength.
Not only are the Israelites defeated, they flee in cowardly fashion, they lose the ark, and Eli, upon receiving the news of the death of his sons and the capture of God's ark fell backward and died. In a very telling side story we see also the fate of Eli's daughter-in-law. The news of her husband and father-in-laws death, while devastating, was nothing compared to the news that the Ark of God had been captured. Upon hearing this news, she goes into labor. After an extremely difficult birth, she names her son Ichabod (inglorious) for as she states in her last breaths "the glory has departed from Israel."
When we try to do things in our own strength we fail. God is our defender , our redeemer, our strength. His will is what our lives will bear out. When we try to achieve in our own efforts, we fail. His glory departs from our lives. Our directive is to seek Him in all things, that His glory may shine through us, His beloved children.
*************************************************************
Video of the Week:
His is the only strength we need! The Lord HE is GOD!
"You Are My Strength" - Hillsong
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Saturday, October 25, 2008
God's Voice
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Devotional of the Week: Jeremiah 7:23 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."
God speaks to us daily. He shows us his presence in so many ways. If we listen closely however we will hear the still small voice of a holy God. His call to us is one of obedience. It is the way we can show our undying love and devotion to him. Obeying God in all things may be a challenge sometimes, but in this verse from Jeremiah, we see what the fruit of an obedient walk can be. Our Lord says to us that things will be well with us.
Nowhere is this submission to God's will evident than in the story of hymn writer Horatio Gates Spafford. In 1871, tragedy struck Chicago as fire ravaged the city. When it was all over, 300 people were dead and 100,000 were homeless. Horatio Gates Spafford was one of those who tried to help the people of the city get back on their feet. A lawyer who had invested much of his money into the downtown Chicago real estate, he'd lost a great deal to the fire. And his one son (he had four daughters) had died about the same time.
Still, for two years Spafford--who was a friend of evangelist Dwight Moody--assisted the homeless, impoverished, and grief-stricken ruined by the fire.After about two years of such work, Spafford and his family decided to take a vacation. They were to go to England to join Moody and Ira Sankey on one of their evangelistic crusades, then travel in Europe. Horatio Spafford was delayed by some business, but sent his family on ahead. He would catch up to them on the other side of the Atlantic.Their ship, the Ville de Havre, never made it. Off Newfoundland, it collided with an English sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and sank within 20 minutes.
Though Horatio's wife, Anna, was able to cling to a piece of floating wreckage (one of only 47 survivors among hundreds), their four daughters--Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie--were killed. Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife, only two words long: "saved alone."Spafford boarded the next available ship to be near his grieving wife, and the two finally met up with Dwight Moody. "It is well," Spafford told him quietly. "The will of God be done."
This experience led Spafford to write one of the iconic hymns of our day. "It Is Well With My Soul" is a heart healing song that reminds us that God is faithful to those who heed His voice and trust His plan. May we have the strength of Horatio Spafford when we face lifes hardships, may we in turn tell someone, "It is well..." and give it all to God.
Prayer: Father God, help us to hear your voice. Help us to heed it, trust it and take solace in it. You are a faithful and loving God and we know that you have only our best interests in mind. Help us to focus then on Your will for our lives and to walk with confidence knowing that all is well. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 3
As we look at the entirety of chapter 3 today, we see several significant things. First, we see that God has been silent for a long while. Verse 1 tells us that "the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation". We also see that the Lord and His word was not yet known to Samuel. Yes, Samuel had ministered to the Lord to this point, but still did not have an intimate relationship with Him. Soon though, as in the lives of all believers, God will come knocking. The third thing we see is that God's message is not to be kept silent.
In the beginning of this chapter we learn that God's voice has been silent. God however is in the midst of training up Samuel to be that voice. Three times He calls to Samuel, and each time Samuel mistakes that voice to be Eli his teacher. Finally Eli shares with Samuel what his response to God should be. It is the response that he gives that we should be ready to give. We should be ready to say "Here I am, for you did call me."
Samuel's readiness is what we should be prepared for. We should all have a willingness to respond positively to the Lord and do what He asks. Even if the task given us is a difficult one, we should trust in our heavenly Father. Samuel experiences this first hand when God reveals that He will carry out his judgment on Eli and his sons. At first Samuel is reluctant to share with Eli what the Lord had shared. He is afraid to hurt or anger Eli. Eli's response is a submissive one. When he states "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him" he is resigning himself to his fate knowing that God is fair and just.
In this chapter we see the beginnings of a relationship with God. We see that it is God who comes after us, and our responsibility is simply to say "Here I am." Samuel is in pretty heavy company when you consider that response. Here are some others who said, "Here I am" when the Lord spoke to them: Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 46:2), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), and Ananias (Acts 9:10). God seeks us and when we make ourselves available He will do many things through us.
Samuel would speak his first prophecy this way, and as the chapter concludes, we see that he would become well known as the voice of the Lord. The verses say "So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord." Each of Samuel's prophecies would come to pass and the whole of Israel would know who he was. God's voice was about to return in a powerful way, and Samuel would be the vessel used by a Holy God!
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Video of the Week:
God's will for our lives will never be fully understood. Our submission to it will bring peace to our lives even in the darkest circumstances. His voice is our comfort. May this week's video bless you.
"It Is Well With My Soul" written by Horatio Gates Spafford
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Devotional of the Week: Jeremiah 7:23 "But this is what I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."
God speaks to us daily. He shows us his presence in so many ways. If we listen closely however we will hear the still small voice of a holy God. His call to us is one of obedience. It is the way we can show our undying love and devotion to him. Obeying God in all things may be a challenge sometimes, but in this verse from Jeremiah, we see what the fruit of an obedient walk can be. Our Lord says to us that things will be well with us.
Nowhere is this submission to God's will evident than in the story of hymn writer Horatio Gates Spafford. In 1871, tragedy struck Chicago as fire ravaged the city. When it was all over, 300 people were dead and 100,000 were homeless. Horatio Gates Spafford was one of those who tried to help the people of the city get back on their feet. A lawyer who had invested much of his money into the downtown Chicago real estate, he'd lost a great deal to the fire. And his one son (he had four daughters) had died about the same time.
Still, for two years Spafford--who was a friend of evangelist Dwight Moody--assisted the homeless, impoverished, and grief-stricken ruined by the fire.After about two years of such work, Spafford and his family decided to take a vacation. They were to go to England to join Moody and Ira Sankey on one of their evangelistic crusades, then travel in Europe. Horatio Spafford was delayed by some business, but sent his family on ahead. He would catch up to them on the other side of the Atlantic.Their ship, the Ville de Havre, never made it. Off Newfoundland, it collided with an English sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and sank within 20 minutes.
Though Horatio's wife, Anna, was able to cling to a piece of floating wreckage (one of only 47 survivors among hundreds), their four daughters--Maggie, Tanetta, Annie, and Bessie--were killed. Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife, only two words long: "saved alone."Spafford boarded the next available ship to be near his grieving wife, and the two finally met up with Dwight Moody. "It is well," Spafford told him quietly. "The will of God be done."
This experience led Spafford to write one of the iconic hymns of our day. "It Is Well With My Soul" is a heart healing song that reminds us that God is faithful to those who heed His voice and trust His plan. May we have the strength of Horatio Spafford when we face lifes hardships, may we in turn tell someone, "It is well..." and give it all to God.
Prayer: Father God, help us to hear your voice. Help us to heed it, trust it and take solace in it. You are a faithful and loving God and we know that you have only our best interests in mind. Help us to focus then on Your will for our lives and to walk with confidence knowing that all is well. In Jesus' name, Amen.
*************************************************************
Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel Chapter 3
As we look at the entirety of chapter 3 today, we see several significant things. First, we see that God has been silent for a long while. Verse 1 tells us that "the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation". We also see that the Lord and His word was not yet known to Samuel. Yes, Samuel had ministered to the Lord to this point, but still did not have an intimate relationship with Him. Soon though, as in the lives of all believers, God will come knocking. The third thing we see is that God's message is not to be kept silent.
In the beginning of this chapter we learn that God's voice has been silent. God however is in the midst of training up Samuel to be that voice. Three times He calls to Samuel, and each time Samuel mistakes that voice to be Eli his teacher. Finally Eli shares with Samuel what his response to God should be. It is the response that he gives that we should be ready to give. We should be ready to say "Here I am, for you did call me."
Samuel's readiness is what we should be prepared for. We should all have a willingness to respond positively to the Lord and do what He asks. Even if the task given us is a difficult one, we should trust in our heavenly Father. Samuel experiences this first hand when God reveals that He will carry out his judgment on Eli and his sons. At first Samuel is reluctant to share with Eli what the Lord had shared. He is afraid to hurt or anger Eli. Eli's response is a submissive one. When he states "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him" he is resigning himself to his fate knowing that God is fair and just.
In this chapter we see the beginnings of a relationship with God. We see that it is God who comes after us, and our responsibility is simply to say "Here I am." Samuel is in pretty heavy company when you consider that response. Here are some others who said, "Here I am" when the Lord spoke to them: Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 46:2), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), and Ananias (Acts 9:10). God seeks us and when we make ourselves available He will do many things through us.
Samuel would speak his first prophecy this way, and as the chapter concludes, we see that he would become well known as the voice of the Lord. The verses say "So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord." Each of Samuel's prophecies would come to pass and the whole of Israel would know who he was. God's voice was about to return in a powerful way, and Samuel would be the vessel used by a Holy God!
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Video of the Week:
God's will for our lives will never be fully understood. Our submission to it will bring peace to our lives even in the darkest circumstances. His voice is our comfort. May this week's video bless you.
"It Is Well With My Soul" written by Horatio Gates Spafford
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Power of God
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Devotional of the Week: Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This familiar verse is not really a formal definition of faith; rather it is a description of what faith does for us. It makes things hoped for as real as if we already had them, and it provides unshakable evidence that the unseen, spiritual blessings of Christianity are absolutely certain and real.
Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. It is the conviction that what God says is true and that what He promises will come to pass. How awesome to have a God that is present enough in our lives, that we believe He is there without seeing Him. The fruit of a life well lived is that the blessings God promises will come to pass. Our life should be lived as Jesus lived, and in striving to do that our faith will see us through.
Prayer: Father God, thank you that we have ben given the eyes of faith. We see that you are present in our lives daily when we are in tune with Your will for us. Help us to always believe that the only evidence of You that we need, is the change we have seen in our own lives. We trust You Lord and we believe that all things that come to pass are Your perfect will for us. Help us to be content and to press on in service to You! In Jesus name, Amen!
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel 2:22-36
In this passage we see a life devoted to God, a life devoted to family, and two lives devoted to self. Only one of these lives receives God’s favor. The message of the prophet is a message of love for God, abandonment of the world, mortification of self, judgment upon sin, and the good news of a coming priest. The sins of Eli's sons were literally that they perverted the worship of God through their selfish actions. They also lived immoral lives in that they gave into worldly pleasures and lusts as is seen verses 22-25 and 29.
Eli's sins were that he did not recognize the urgency of dealing with his son's sin. The Lord's rebuke of Eli was as harsh as Eli's rebuke of his sons had been soft. He seems to give them a warning but stops short of rebuking them and chastising them and calling for them to change. In this he is hypocritical in his service to God and his worship as well.
In Samuel, who appears in these 15 verses courtesy of only one verse (26) we see his life start to take shape as he "grows in stature and in favor both with the Lord and men.". Eli is given an opportunity to lead his son's to repentance but fails to do so. Even when an unnamed man of God comes to warn him, nothing is done. So judgment comes as Eli is told that his family line will not survive. Eli did not receive this message of impending judgment with repentance. Instead his sons Hophni and Phinehas are hardened and Eli is ambivalent, knowing the message to be true, yet he puts the vision in a category of ’someday’. But today should have been the day of repentance.
What we learn from this is that in Christ is the favorable time, and in Him is our salvation. Turn from your sins to Christ or face the judgment of Almighty God. The day of His judgment is only a heartbeat away. Christ is the Priest who has offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sins forever. This message is for believers as well. Show your faith in Christ by living a life devoted to the worship of God. Love Him, and love others enough to share Him.
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Video of the Week:
"With Everything" - Hillsong United
Jesus is our Hope, He is our Strength, He is our Salvation...
He is KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS...
All praise and honor to Him who sits on the throne!
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Devotional of the Week: Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This familiar verse is not really a formal definition of faith; rather it is a description of what faith does for us. It makes things hoped for as real as if we already had them, and it provides unshakable evidence that the unseen, spiritual blessings of Christianity are absolutely certain and real.
Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. It is the conviction that what God says is true and that what He promises will come to pass. How awesome to have a God that is present enough in our lives, that we believe He is there without seeing Him. The fruit of a life well lived is that the blessings God promises will come to pass. Our life should be lived as Jesus lived, and in striving to do that our faith will see us through.
Prayer: Father God, thank you that we have ben given the eyes of faith. We see that you are present in our lives daily when we are in tune with Your will for us. Help us to always believe that the only evidence of You that we need, is the change we have seen in our own lives. We trust You Lord and we believe that all things that come to pass are Your perfect will for us. Help us to be content and to press on in service to You! In Jesus name, Amen!
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel 2:22-36
In this passage we see a life devoted to God, a life devoted to family, and two lives devoted to self. Only one of these lives receives God’s favor. The message of the prophet is a message of love for God, abandonment of the world, mortification of self, judgment upon sin, and the good news of a coming priest. The sins of Eli's sons were literally that they perverted the worship of God through their selfish actions. They also lived immoral lives in that they gave into worldly pleasures and lusts as is seen verses 22-25 and 29.
Eli's sins were that he did not recognize the urgency of dealing with his son's sin. The Lord's rebuke of Eli was as harsh as Eli's rebuke of his sons had been soft. He seems to give them a warning but stops short of rebuking them and chastising them and calling for them to change. In this he is hypocritical in his service to God and his worship as well.
In Samuel, who appears in these 15 verses courtesy of only one verse (26) we see his life start to take shape as he "grows in stature and in favor both with the Lord and men.". Eli is given an opportunity to lead his son's to repentance but fails to do so. Even when an unnamed man of God comes to warn him, nothing is done. So judgment comes as Eli is told that his family line will not survive. Eli did not receive this message of impending judgment with repentance. Instead his sons Hophni and Phinehas are hardened and Eli is ambivalent, knowing the message to be true, yet he puts the vision in a category of ’someday’. But today should have been the day of repentance.
What we learn from this is that in Christ is the favorable time, and in Him is our salvation. Turn from your sins to Christ or face the judgment of Almighty God. The day of His judgment is only a heartbeat away. Christ is the Priest who has offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sins forever. This message is for believers as well. Show your faith in Christ by living a life devoted to the worship of God. Love Him, and love others enough to share Him.
**************************************************************************
Video of the Week:
"With Everything" - Hillsong United
Jesus is our Hope, He is our Strength, He is our Salvation...
He is KING of KINGS and LORD of LORDS...
All praise and honor to Him who sits on the throne!
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Saturday, October 11, 2008
He Reigns!
Praise God I am back safe in San Antonio! I did have a major lost luggage mishap, but God be praised, after 13 hours I am home! Please pray for all of the brethren I met in North Carolina! I welcome them to the "His Way, His Will, His Word" family as they will now be joining us in this weekly journey! Prayers and greetings to our brothers Lawrence and Marcus and sisters Melissa and Tonya and so many more! Thank you all for your hospitality and may God bless you all!
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Devotional of the Week: Psalm 47:8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.
In these days of uncertainty, with global economic crises and suffering caused by tragic storms and hurricanes, fuel prices rising out of control and wars raging it is easy for many to give in to despair. Our hope as Christians lies in one immutable truth. God is sovereign. Webster's Dictionary defines sovereign as "supreme and highest in power, superior to all others". Does this not adequately define our God? When chaos seems to reign, we know and believe that God does not budge from His throne, that he is not moved nor shaken by any event that causes most to fear and tremble. He is the Author of all things, the Creator and Sustainer of life, and he is a mighty King who rules over all. For that we rejoice, and for that we praise!
Prayer: Father God, Sovereign ruler of the universe, Creator of all, we praise you and honor you for you are worthy to be praised! We lift You up Lord and we adore you. May we have peace knowing that in any circumstance we encounter, You have already been there, and may we trust that the outcome of any situation we struggle with is already known to You and thus Your perfect plan will prevail in our lives. Praise you Lord and may You reign in our lives forever! We pray this in Jesus MIGHTY name, Amen!
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Mini-Study of the Week: Read 1 Samuel 2:12-21
As we continue or look at 1 Samuel we encounter what appears to be a random description of events. Following Hannah's powerful prayer we come upon the sons of Eli. They are descendants of Aaron and thus are Levitical priests. We learn quickly though that they are corrupt in that they take more than what is allotted for them from the sacrifices meant for God.
They mocked the Lord in that they not only took the better portions of the sacrifice, but more shockingly they took them before the sacrifice was even made. What stunning blasphemy from men who were supposed to be the worship leaders of their day. The words of verse 12 sum it up best when they say "Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord." They served as priests yet they did not know God. What a heartbreaking thing to know that even today there are those who work to serve the Lord, but yet they do not know Him in their hearts.
Verses 12-17 stand in stark contrast to Verses 18-21 where again we see a young Samuel. In a beautiful bookend to the story of the wickedness of Eli's sons we once again see Hannah and the love she has for God's gift to her. We see her love in the little robe she makes for him every year, bringing it to him knowing that she could only visit him on rare occasions. We see at the conclusion of these verses that like so many times in our Christian lives, God more than answers our prayers!
Eli prayed that the Lord would bless Hannah and Elkanah with more descendants "from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord." Despite His anger toward the sons of Eli, the Lord answers Eli's prayer and we learn that Hannah gave birth to 3 more sons and two daughters. What a long way she has come from the mocking she suffered at the hands of Peninnah for being barren, to now having a large family! God is great!
At the end of this section we see that Samuel continues to serve the Lord and that he grew with His guidance. His path was now set and both he and his family accepted that his life was now the Lord's and soon enough we will see great things from Samuel as a result!
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Video of the Week:
"You Reign" - MercyMe
Revelation 19:6 - "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
He is sovereign, He is holy and He is worthy to be praised!
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...
See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Worship, Praise, Dance, For He is our Joy!
Before we get started this week I would like to say thank you to my church family from Mustard Seed Christian Fellowship and to everyone else who reads this for all of your prayers as I am away this week and writing this from the beautiful state of North Carolina. See you very soon, Lord willing. Press on and serve Jesus our righteous KING!
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Devotional of the Week: Isaiah 60:1 - "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."
With the occurence of the Yamim Noraim or "Days of Awe", which are started with Rosh Hashanah and ended with Yom Kippur our attention turns to Israel. Isaiah Chapter 60 begins a beautiful picture of Jerusalem and of Israel, a prophetic set of verses that talks of the coming Messiah, whom we know as Jesus. Verse 1 is a call to the nation of Israel, but it can serve as a call to us today. Our Light, Jesus has come into our lives and His glory is now our guide. In this time of reflection for the Jewish people we pray for those of them who have not yet accepted Yeshua as their Messiah. We rejoice with those who have called Him Savior. Psalm 122:6 states "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you." Today we pray for those Jewish people who still do not see their Light, that they may soon receive Jesus as their Savior, that the Glory of the Lord will rise upon them.
Prayer: Father God, we pray that you quicken the souls of those who do not receive your Son as Savior. We pray for our friends and families who have not yet repented and accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Today though we pray for Israel and for the Jewish nation who has yet to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. Their rejection of Christ opened the door of salvation to us, the Gentiles, let us take nothing for granted Father, lest we grow boastful. Instead we intensify our prayers for Israel and for your Jewish people, that they open their eyes, and receive life everlasting. We pray this B'Shem Yeshua, in Jesus MIGHTY name, Amen.
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Mini-Study of the Week:1 Samuel Part 2> 1 Samuel 2:1-10
While I am not one to cut corners on a study of this type, there comes a time when God's instructions to the teacher are merely "Let My words speak to their hearts". To honor the instructions of my Father in heaven, I leave you the verses of 1 Samuel 2:1-10, a prayer of God's power, of His triumph, and of His love. The prayer of our beloved Hannah, who worships for us all. May we join her in these words of worship... I love you all...
1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
4 "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed."
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Video of the Week:
"Break Free" - Hillsong United
Psalm 30:11 - "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness"
May we dance for joy, my beloved brothers and sisters, for we are saved. We are God's. May this song bring you joy and remind us that the feet that God gave us to walk and serve Him with, the voice that He gave us to proclaim and share Him with, the heart that He gave us to love with, are all to be used to praise Him with song, with dance and with JOY.
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
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Devotional of the Week: Isaiah 60:1 - "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you."
With the occurence of the Yamim Noraim or "Days of Awe", which are started with Rosh Hashanah and ended with Yom Kippur our attention turns to Israel. Isaiah Chapter 60 begins a beautiful picture of Jerusalem and of Israel, a prophetic set of verses that talks of the coming Messiah, whom we know as Jesus. Verse 1 is a call to the nation of Israel, but it can serve as a call to us today. Our Light, Jesus has come into our lives and His glory is now our guide. In this time of reflection for the Jewish people we pray for those of them who have not yet accepted Yeshua as their Messiah. We rejoice with those who have called Him Savior. Psalm 122:6 states "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you." Today we pray for those Jewish people who still do not see their Light, that they may soon receive Jesus as their Savior, that the Glory of the Lord will rise upon them.
Prayer: Father God, we pray that you quicken the souls of those who do not receive your Son as Savior. We pray for our friends and families who have not yet repented and accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Today though we pray for Israel and for the Jewish nation who has yet to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. Their rejection of Christ opened the door of salvation to us, the Gentiles, let us take nothing for granted Father, lest we grow boastful. Instead we intensify our prayers for Israel and for your Jewish people, that they open their eyes, and receive life everlasting. We pray this B'Shem Yeshua, in Jesus MIGHTY name, Amen.
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Mini-Study of the Week:1 Samuel Part 2> 1 Samuel 2:1-10
While I am not one to cut corners on a study of this type, there comes a time when God's instructions to the teacher are merely "Let My words speak to their hearts". To honor the instructions of my Father in heaven, I leave you the verses of 1 Samuel 2:1-10, a prayer of God's power, of His triumph, and of His love. The prayer of our beloved Hannah, who worships for us all. May we join her in these words of worship... I love you all...
1 Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
4 "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed."
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Video of the Week:
"Break Free" - Hillsong United
Psalm 30:11 - "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness"
May we dance for joy, my beloved brothers and sisters, for we are saved. We are God's. May this song bring you joy and remind us that the feet that God gave us to walk and serve Him with, the voice that He gave us to proclaim and share Him with, the heart that He gave us to love with, are all to be used to praise Him with song, with dance and with JOY.
Love each other, share His love and share His gospel...See you next week!
In His Service,
Sergio
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