The Narrow Path

He Will Carry You...

2010-12-19T10:16:00.002-05:00

I thank the Lord for deciding to grant me another year of life upon this earth. Another year to serve, learn, grow and love. At the same time another year full of hard times, trials, doubts, fears and uncertainties. Yet as life goes on I know my Master in a more intimate way. I feel much more connected to His heart, I value more and more what is important to Him and less what is important to me. I don't know what your life is like but we all go through times when life seems dark, when it seems that there is no way out. You feel trapped, scared and helpless. I want to show you a promise from God in the book of Deuteronomy 1:29-31.

Let's go back a little. Israel escapes from Egypt, they are on their way out but their is just one thing. They are backed up against the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, their is no way out. Put yourself in their place, what would you do? Freak out, run around, maybe try to swim and make it to the other side or just surrender? Just at the right moment God parts the sea in two and gives you a way out. Wow! How many times have we heard this story and never really realized how heightened the emotions must have been that day. After this God led them through the wilderness, gave them the law in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. The people entered into a special covenant relationship with God and received a new way of life. They went from being slaves to being the sons of the King of the universe. They were even promised to receive a special new land which flowed with milk and honey. After God came to meet Moses on Mt. Sinai, Israel headed out to take over the new promised land. To make the story short, they disobeyed and the penalty was death to all but two men. They would had to wander in the desert for 40 years until every last one of them died! We come to the point where they are all gone and a new generation rises up and is ready to enter the promised land. After they had crossed the Jordan and defeated two kings Moses decided to give the law again in a sermon type of way. That's the book of Deuteronomy the constitution of Israel as a nation. Israel had seen God carry them through the wilderness with many miracles and wonders.

The verses I want to focus on are 29-31. God is calling His people to do a hard task, take out the nations before them. Some are giants, most are bigger than them and all in all it's a scary situation for them. What does God say? He tells them, " Do not be shocked, nor fear them. The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place." I cried as I read this passage yesterday, God carries us as a father carries his son. Do you realize how much God loves you? You might be going through some really hard times with the economy, with your family, who knows. But I want to let you know, if you have given your life to the Lord Jesus, if you have repented from your sins and truly believed in Him, God carries you as a father carries his son. What's your Red Sea, what impossible situation are you facing? Know that God is right there, He might not speak to you in an audible voice, He might not even let you feel His presence but know that He's there and after all is done you will be able to say, "The Lord carried me through it all just as a father carries his son."

Why does God do this? I think for a couple reasons. First, so that we know Him in a more intimate way (by the way what are we without a living relationship with Him). Second, to make us depend on Him and not on ourselves. Last and most important, to grow our faith. When the moment comes that God asks us to do something difficult we will need to have a deeper faith to be able to trust Him. And when we've went through the storm with Him we will know that He is faithful and that we can trust Him with our lives. I challenge you to fully give yourself over to Him and trust Him. You will then discover that God truly loves and cares about you especially when you are going though life's impossible moments.

No Longer I...

2010-11-06T15:48:00.000-04:00

Over the span of a year and two months I've been in Peru. To be honest I haven't enjoyed hardly any of it. Most of the time it's a chore and I can't count the number of times that I've wanted to return home. I can truly say that it's only by God's grace that I'm still here but surprisingly I can say that I'm glad that I haven't went back. I write to tell you that I now am understanding what Paul meant when he wrote Galatians 2:20 that says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." This verse has nothing to do with salvation from our sins but in fact a painful process that results in a beautiful thing. The Lord Jesus said that Paul would suffer much for the name of Christ, this is certain. He was flogged, beaten, ship wrecked and even stoned. He passed many nights without food, sleep or adequate clothing. Paul is a man who knew what it meant to suffer for the name of Christ and out of those sufferings and difficult times God imparted wisdom to him and something even more important, a personal and intimate relationship with his Savior, Jesus Christ.

So we come to this passage and the apostle Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Paul had learned the biggest struggle of every Christian, surrender. He had been beaten and bruised so many times that He learned to submit to the will of God. He could finally say I no longer live, Christ lives in me! This is to say that his will had been submitted to the will of Jesus and he could now say, not what I desire but what You desire, and in this way Paul died to himself and to his own desires. But what did he have to do to get to this point? Be put through God's school of hard knocks and learn little by little to die to self and submit to exactly what his Lord Jesus wanted of him and the result was amazing. Paul did miracles, healed, taught of Christ and led many into a personal relationship with Jesus.

You see, the truth is that we are all called to this level of surrender and commitment to our Lord. Our biggest struggle as people is giving up what we think to be ours. Our stuff, our cars, our house and most of all, our free will. We don't trust God! This is our great problem. We have one life to choose who we will serve and we only have two options, ourselves or our Lord and Commander Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Matthew 16:24-27, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.'" Christ is our Commander and we are called to get in line, shut up and obey His orders. To finish I want to ask, Who do you serve?

Leviticus 5:14- 6:7 (Guilt Offering)

2010-09-29T22:17:00.013-04:00

We made it to the last sacrifice. This last one also has to do with sin but it's a little different. Have you ever heard someone say that all sin is the same? I've heard it many times and asked them to back up that argument biblically but they couldn't. We're going to see here that God does not view all sin as the same. The Guilt Offering, also known as the Awsham in Hebrew, is a sacrifice that deals with holy things or things that are set apart. As we continue with the subject of holiness we're going to see that God holds a high value on the things that He calls holy. Let's jump in and take a look at what God has to say about the things that He set apart for holy use.

First off, did you know that some sins have a higher price than others. In the sin offering the common people could offer four things: a female goat, female lamb, pigeon or a turtledove. In Leviticus 5:14-16 we see that the Guilt Offering required a ram, no exceptions, not even for the poor. The ram in the Jewish culture was a symbol of prosperity because it held the seed and had the power to reproduce. When we violate the holy things of God we lose part of our future or prosperity. How so? The Guilt Offering was used in the case of sexual sin as well (Leviticus 19:20-22). Did you know that your sexuality is a holy thing set apart by God for your husband or wife. When we choose to live outside of the boundaries that God has set for us we are out of His protection and can/will lose a part of our future (Leviticus 18 gives guidelines on what God expects as far as sex goes). If you choose to sleep around and you have a child or obtain a sexual disease, those are things that cannot be taken away and will most definitely affect your future. How are you treating your sexuality?

Next in verses 17-19 God says that even if the person sinned while being unaware it is still sin. Our level of understanding doesn't make sin something else, it's still sin. I man who once asked me, "Well, don't you think that if you don't know it's sin that for you it's not sin?", I didn't know how to respond because I didn't have as good of a grasp on the Bible but later I found out that it's not true. Even if you don't know, it's still sin. Our responsibility is to know the Bible and find out what God expects from us.

Another case of use for the Guilt Offering is in the personal relationships of Israel (Lev 6:2-3). The examples here are the following: deceit (in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him), robbery, extortion, and finding something that was lost and then lying about it. When we use our relationships with others in order to gain we are taking something that is set apart and using it for an unholy purpose. Not only did the person have to offer the Guilt Offering but also had to pay back 120%. There's too many people who believe that after wronging someone all that is due is a simple I'm sorry. Let's use the break it buy it principle here. If we harm someone or cause some damage it's our responsibility to go above and beyond and make the situation right. This is not only meant to look out for the other party but also meant to fix the relationship as well. God is all about relationships. In the law it's easy to think that God was so demanding and cruel but it's really the contrary. If we look at the context of Israel just coming out of slavery we have to understand something. They had no idea how to live in peace with each other. God gave them the the civil code (Exodus 20-23; Numbers 5-6, 15, 28-30) while they were in the desert so that they would know how to relate with their God and also how to have right relationships with their neighbors. God is all about relationships and desires us to live in peace and love with other believers.

Lastly in 6:6-7 we see an even deeper issue. The sin that lies in our hearts. The very thing that separates us from God. How do we deal with that? Simple, by faith in Jesus Christ and turning around 180 degrees saying, "I don't want to go that way anymore, I don't want to sin against you anymore Lord Jesus". The good news is that God can and will clear the guilt in between us and Him and will make our relationship right. I thank God for His Son whom He offered on the cross. Jesus is our one-size fits all sacrifice. Through Him and only through Him can we approach God. The book of Leviticus is the heart of God and these five sacrifices show us some practical principles on how to approach a holy God as an unholy people. God has never changed His system, salvation has always been by grace through faith. These sacrifices are the grace of God. The fact that He showed them how to approach Him is grace or unmerited favor; and the faith of the Israelites in the sacrifice is what cleaned them of sin.

To finish up let's take a look at Romans 7:23-25, "...but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Wow! That's all I can say, Christ set us free from sin. Sin is anything that separates us from God and we had no way to approach God because of our sin. God set us free, let us not be conformed to our old ways but let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Word of God. If you desire more of God, if you are sick of being defeated by sin, know that there is victory in Christ. He desires us to have a holy life. Amen!

Leviticus 4:1- 5:13 (Sin Offering)

2010-09-26T17:01:00.109-04:00

The Sin Offering. As we go tearing down misconceptions of Leviticus and the five sacrifices that we find here we're just now entering into what are called the expiatory sacrifices or, sacrifices that deal with sin. The Sin Offering found in Leviticus 4:1- 5:13 is called Chata'ah in the Hebrew. The word comes from an archery term that technically means to miss the mark. That's what we're dealing with today, missing the mark. How many times do you feel as a Christian that you miss the mark? No matter how much we desire to be holy and pure we as humans make mistakes, it's a fact. Thanks be to our God who offered His Son as a one-size fits all sacrifice. Just by faith in His blood we have forgiveness of our sins, by His precious blood we are reconciled and made right with God. Thank You Lord!

This section of Scripture deals with unintentional sin. If we look at the contrary (intentional sin) we can get a better idea as to what unintentional sin really is. In the Hebrew the word intentional is defined as "done with a high hand", in other words it's sin done with a set purpose against God. Unintentional could be defined as passive sin. In this category sins such as the following would most likely be included: sins of ignorance, sins of omission, sins committed without conscious intent and intentional non-defiant sins (some example are in Numbers 15:22-31). I don't know about you but I've got some things like these in my life that need taken care of. Let's take a deeper look at the Sin Offering and pull out a couple principles along the way.

This passage is interesting because it's divided into four parts: The priests (vv3-12), the community(vv13-21), the leadership (vv22-26), and the common people (vv27-35). The first thing that sticks out to me is this division which appears to go from highest importance to lowest. In other words for each category God required a certain animal or animals, for the sin of the priest a bull was necessary and would have been of higher value than a female goat which would have been offered for a common person. The first thing we must know in our approach to understanding sin and it's effects is that the higher up you are and the more influence you have over the lives of others, the higher the price of sin for you. How is that to be applied today? If a Pastor sins and goes astray, how many more people will be affected than if a member of the congregation falls away and leaves the church? As leaders and representatives of God we need to realize that our sin has a high price, not only will it affect us but many others who follow us. In North America we really enjoy the idea of our "freedom". We don't want anybody to tell us what we can or can't do because we have our "rights", well let me tell you, you have fun living in your sin while you are young because people who you will love, people who you can't see yet, people who don't exist will feel the effects of your disobedience toward God. Many people tell me, it's just one smoke or one party, who's it going to hurt? The answer just might be the one's that you will grow to love the most. Our sin will always have consequences.

Next, in verses 4, 15, 24, 29 and 33 we see another interesting principle. The person who offered the sacrifice had to lay their hands on the animal and then it was acceptable for sacrifice. In the Jewish culture this laying on of hands was a symbol of taking responsibility for the sacrifice. The person was acknowledging that the animal was pure, without defect, and ready for sacrifice. We also see this in the New Testament when a leader was to be entered into the ministry. The apostles or leaders would lay hands on the man and acknowledge that he was a pure man ready to be used by the Lord in the ministry. Now that we know this, what does this actually say to us? Have you ever heard this? "The Devil made me do it!!!" I have and it's very much related with this principle. We must take responsibility for our sins and the consequences thereof. How many people run around wondering why their lives are falling apart. They don't even stop to acknowledge that it might have something to do with their licentious lifestyle that causes all to fall down. When we find ourselves far from God the first thing we need to do is recognize that we are the ones at fault. We must know that it's not God who separates us from Him but our very sin which acts as a vehicle which carries us far from our One, True Love.

The last principle that I would like to point out lies in Leviticus 5:7-13. If we go back to Leviticus 4:27-35 we see that the sacrifice was either to be a female goat (vv27-31) or a female lamb (vv32-35). In Leviticus 5:7-13 we see an exception. The Israelite if poor could offer a pigeon or turtledove. This wasn't so that the man who had lambs and goats could save money, this was for the poor, those who couldn't afford a goat or a lamb. How gracious of a God we have, One who understands our weaknesses and inabilities. God provided a way so that all could have a right relationship with Him. Although He is so big, He is so humble and loving, because of that He sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die for you and me. Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, took our sins upon His very shoulders, and died on the cross in our place. The punishment that we deserved was taken on by Him. What does he ask of us? That we truly believe in Him, that we repent of our sin, that means turn 180 degrees and no longer live like we did before.

Although Christ died there are many who use His grace or unmerited favor as a license to sin. This is straight up wrong and disgusting. Let's go to 1 Peter 1:17-21. It tells us that we must conduct ourselves with fear while we are on this earth because we were redeemed by the very blood of God's Only Son. I ask that you be honest with yourself wherever you are, whoever you are. Are you using the blood of Christ as a license? Do you say to yourself that you can do it because God will forgive you? It says in 1 Peter 1:17 that God judges impartially according to each one's works. How is your heart, what kinds of movies do you watch, what kind of music do you listen to? God is coming back soon and He's coming back for a pure bride, a pure church. If He came back today do you think He would have reason to take you? God bless you all.

Leviticus 3 (Peace Offering)

2010-09-15T19:10:00.001-04:00

How much has God done for you? You might respond by saying not much or you may truly recognize the grace (unmerited favor of God) in your life and you really desire to give back to Him for what He has done and continues doing for you. The Peace Offering, also known as “Shelmim” in the Hebrew has everything to do with giving back to God. The word shelmim means to settle or rebalance the account. The offering was applied in quite a few different cases some of those are the following: successful military campaign (1 Sam 11:15), cessation of famine or pestilence (2 Sam 24:25), an acclamation of a candidate for kingship (1 Sam 11:15) (1 Kings 1:9, 19), national spiritual renewal (2 Chronicles 29:31-36), an annual family reunion (1 Samuel 20:6), and the harvesting of the first fruits (Exodus 22:29-31) (1 Samuel 9:11-13, 22-24, 16:4-5). These are a few examples that apply to the Peace Offering. We can tell by the list that these are obvious blessings given by the hand of God. The Israelites would offer this as something much more than just a mere spoken thank you, they actually gave things up as an attempt to resettle or balance the account in between them and God. There are a lot of rich principles in chapter 3, let’s take a look at some of them.

When we truly recognize the hand of God in our life how should we respond, with a thank you? What about a dollar out of our pocket into the offering plate? Verse 1 shows us that our offering must be without defect. Offerings with defect were not accepted. Entering into the theme of thankfulness we need to recognize that our offering must be with a pure heart and joy in our giving. For many people giving their tithes and offerings is like pulling teeth, it doesn’t come out easily and it’s a painful process. It’s true that it could hurt a little if you give generously but the joy in our hearts upon having the opportunity to give should override that little bit of pain. If we can’t give to God with a pure heart it’s much better that we don’t give at all. God expects us to have a clean, pure heart in giving back to Him.

Next we see in verses 3 and 4 that in our giving back to God our offering has to be the best. The verse tells us that the Israelites had to give the fat of the offering. The fat in their time was the best of the best. In Genesis 4:4 and 45:18 we see two examples of what the word fat meant for them. Before we move on we should ask why, why give God the best? Well, I’m glad you asked. Here are a few reasons: God, whether you believe He exists or not, gives us the very breath we breathe and could take it away in this very moment, He deserves the best because of who He is, He has done so many thing for us, and not to mention He owns everything including the clothes on our very backs. Knowing this we see that everything we have is just stewardship, things that we handle for a short time. We are responsible for these things and are expected to steward them responsibly. We should give God the very because if we can, we are showing that we have no other gods before Him, it shows that He is Lord of all our things. If you can’t give God the best of what you have, if you don’t have joy in what you give to Him it’s probably because there’s a deeper heart issue at hand. If you can’t give God your best it’s probably because God is not the Lord of all your life and that in His eyes is a problem (Luke 18:18-23).

Before we finish let’s take a look at 2 Corinthians 8. We can match up this chapter with Leviticus 3 because we see quite a few principles on what real giving looks like. It’s clear that this passage is about money (some of the principles have only to do with money) but it can be applied to most areas of giving in our life.

· (v1) It’s not wrong to talk about money

· (v2) The church in Corinth gave out of their poverty

· (v3) Give what God enables you to give, give beyond your abilities, and don’t give because you’re forced, give because God wants you to

· (v4) Don’t dread giving but rather be delighted in it

· (v5) True giving starts with giving yourself to God

· (vv6-7) Organized giving has to be instructed, aided, and taught

· (v8) True giving shows spiritual maturity

· (v9) Jesus modeled to us what true generosity really is and He won't ask us to do something that He hasn't already done

· (vv10-12) Don’t hold back because of what appears to be lack (Mark 12:41-44)

· (vv13-15) Giving is individual and communal, if everyone gives what they’re supposed to there will be enough for all (Acts 2:43-47)

· (vv16-21) Handling of all funds must be open and honest

· (v22) For people to be trusted with funds they must be tested

· (v24) Giving is a testimony to others

The best example of the Peace Offering is what we do on Sunday mornings, the giving of our tithes and offerings. We are thanking God for the income that He's given us and re-balancing the account Although finances are just one area of our lives these principles can be applied in many other areas. We can give back to God in many ways, with the time He’s given us, with the gifts and talents He’s given to us, among many other ways. By sacrificing, we are showing that our hearts are thankful and that God is the Lord of all the areas of our lives. How are we handling the blessings that our Lord has given us? Do we hoard them or do we decide to freely give back? Do we give to others and choose to be good stewards or do we choose to invest only in ourselves?

Before we finish this lesson I would like to share a story that I found on the internet, it’s called….

The Pearl Necklace

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please mommy, can I have them? Please mommy, please!" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home she emptied her piggy bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday her grandmother gave her that new dollar bill that she was waiting for and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" She responded, "Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." Her father replied, "Then give me your pearls." Somewhat startled Jenny frantically said, "Oh daddy, not my pearls. You can have Princess, the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail., remember daddy? It's the one you gave me. She's my favorite." The understanding father said, "That's okay honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And with that he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" The little girl said, "Daddy, you know I love you." Her father again asked for the pearls. "Oh daddy not my pearls, you… you can have my babydoll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." The father again understandingly replied, "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you little one, daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy and when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver she finally said, "Here daddy, it's for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind father reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time but was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

What are you holding onto?

Leviticus 2 (Grain Offering)

2010-09-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

Today let's talk about the Grain Offering found in chapter 2 of Leviticus. Again the Grain Offering has nothing to do with sin. I want to the Lord for the book of Leviticus because it shows us how to approach a Holy God as an unholy people. The word in Hebrew for the Grain Offering is "Minchah", it means the apportioned offering. The way it was explained to me is kind of like a person who has a pizza, the grain offering is like giving God one slice of your pizza, that is apportioning. This offering is interesting, it doesn't involve any blood or animals but instead grain. In verses 1-3; 14-16 we see that the Israelites could bring their offering in a few different forms: fine flour, fresh heads of grain, or grits of new growth. The Israelites would bring their Grain Offering in whatever stage of growth. If the plants were fully mature and they had been harvested the Israelites offered fine flour, if the plants were still growing they would bring the grits of new, if they were about to mature they brought the heads of grain. Another important part of the Grain Offering is that the Israelites had to depend completely on God for their grain harvest. If there was no rain there was no grain and that's not good. Their economy wasn't like ours, there was no McDonalds or Taco Bell, they had to depend on the rain and who makes the rain fall? Now that we know a little bit of the context, how can we actually apply this to our lives?

First of all, God wants your surrender and trust at whatever stage of life you're in. There's a lot of people who say, "I'm too young for God to use me or I'm too old, or I'm not sufficient" (Ex 3:11). It doesn't matter what your excuse is, God wants your obedience and surrender at whatever stage of life you're in. Just like Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:12 don't let people look down on your youthfulness. There is no such thing as too old or too young in the Kingdom of God, it's never too late to give to God.

Did you know that God wants what we have right now? I'm a missionary, I hardly have any physical possessions apart from the clothes on my back. Does that mean I don't have anthing to give back to God? No! That's just an excuse, God wants what we have in this moment. Maybe you find yourself in the same situation as me, you don't have much to give so you think you have nothing to offer God. Know that that's not true, there are many things we can give to God in this moment, perhaps things not tangible but things very important to us. If God asks that I give up a day of watching television so that I can spend more time with Him I must be willing to do that. We need to remember that God doesn't need anything, He just desires the heart of the sacrifice and wants to know that He is Lord of ALL the areas of my life.

In the Jewish culture they had to depend on the rain in order to have grain. This sacrifice was also meant to constantly remind the Jewish people of their God who provided for them. By their sacrifice they were recognizing that their harvest came from the Lord, not from their own hands. It would have made more sense to not sacrifice right. Without sacrificing you have more, well this is kind of where faith comes in. Are you going to show God that you trust Him and recognize that He is the one who blessed you, or will you hoard the blessing for yourself? How many times do we actually recognize who gives us all the things we have. In the society of the United States it's easy to become comfortable and think, "look at what my hands have done." If you find yourself in that train of thought let me tell you that it's not by your hands but by the hands of God that you are blessed. We must constantly remember Him, He wants us to remember that He is Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider). If we don't constantly remember God we will become prideful, our head will swell up, and we will start to believe that our success was brought about by our own hands.

I want to say again, God doesn't need our things. He does all this for us. Yes, for us, the sacrifice isn't for God, it's for what happens in our heart. If we don't continually receive from God and as a practice give to back to Him and to others we will become like the Dead Sea. Do you know why there's no life in it? Because it only receives and never gives anything out. A sea or lake that is alive not only receives but gives it's water out to other sources. God desires that we have life. That is why He desires that we give and sacrifice, so that we might experience true, vibrant life. There is life in death to ourselves.

"God we thank you Holy Lord for what you've done for us. Many times we are ungrateful and don't remember you, but today we just want to say thanks without asking for anything, just a simple thanks. God we love you and always want to be willing to sacrifice what we have in this moment. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen."

Leviticus 1 (Burnt Offering)

2010-09-08T21:21:00.014-04:00

I'm sorry for my inconsistency in blogging, I desire more consistency in keeping track of the things I'm doing and learning and am going to try to improve that. As I continue my study through the law I currently find myself in Leviticus. God is opening up His Word to me and challenging me to live a holier life. I would today like to share with you all some lessons God has showed me in the first chapter of Leviticus.

Leviticus 1 talks about the burnt offering, in Hebrew called "oleh" meaning everything goes up. Good stuff here in Leviticus 1, this sacrifice, as said in the post Walk Through the Law, has nothing to do with sin, in fact the first three sacrifices have nothing to do with sin, it's the last two, the sin and guilt offering that act as expiatory sacrifices or sacrifices that deal with transgression. The burnt offering is different in that it is the only sacrifice in which the priest has no part. Normally the priest would have a part of the sacrifice that he could eat but this one was wholly set apart for God.

I want to start out by asking, does God need anything? Does God really need our sacrifice so that He can gain something? The answer of course is no. So if God doesn't need my sacrifice, then why all these laws about sacrifices and giving to God? The answer is what it does for us. The sacrifice is for what happens to our hearts when we offer it to God, the divine truth that is revealed to us about God upon sacrificing. Now of course today we don't sacrifice animals, we're really not supposed to (and if you are doing it watch out for the Animal Rights Activists), this was the law for some Jews about 4000 years ago but we can still pull out great principles as to what God requires of us His people. Leviticus is all about approaching a Holy God as an unholy people. Knowing this we can ask, why did God decide to give the order that the Israelite people partake in the burnt offering and even more relevant, why did He decide to tell us about it? We'll get to that at the end but for now I want to point out some principles found in chapter 1 and then I would like you to filter those through the theme of the burnt offering which will be found at the end of the post.

Verse 1 brings out a good point, it'd be easy to pass by quickly but we see an important principle here. It says "Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting." You see, a leader receives revelation from God when he spends time with God. That revelation will change the lives of many when transmitted correctly, truthfully, and with love. This book is revelation straight from the heart of God to His leader and then transmitted to the people so that they could have a closer walk with their God. We as well need to always be with God, learning from Him so that we can transmit the truth He reveals to us to those that need it most.

I won't be going through every verse but I do want to point out two very important principles. The first of those is in verses 3 and 10. When we offer things to God it has to be the best, if not, it's not a sacrifice. The sacrifices offered here had to be without blemish or defect from the best of the herd or flock (Definition of defects in Lev 22:17-25). God deserves the best. How many times when giving our offerings do we choose to give a dollar or a few quarters instead of giving from the heart, although tithing and money offerings pertain to the peace offering in Leviticus 3 the principle is the same. How often do we give God what is comfortable for us to give, how many times do we really step out in faith and say God, you've done so much for me, you deserve the best and then give to Him from our heart. If our sacrifices to God don't hurt us, our heart is probably not in it and the heart is what God really desires (Genesis 4:2-7). Like we said, He doesn't need our stuff.

The last principle that I want to share is in verses 5 through 17. We see here a list of processes as to how the burnt offering was to be prepared. Just as said, our lives are to be a living and holy sacrifice but we need to know that the how to get there is contained in the mind of God and in His Holy Word. This life must be lived according to God's standards not what seems right in our own eyes. Our standards will always fall short of God's. Even if what He has us do seems weird or ridiculous it's the right thing (Joshua 6:3). There are too many Christians walking around living so much like the world that they couldn't even be distinguished between a purebred heathen and a true believer. We have lost the importance of holiness in today's preaching. We try so much to be like the world and we even justify ourselves with reasons like, "I'll be able to reach more people for Christ because they'll see that I'm like them." This thinking is wrong, we are called to be holy as God is holy, so let's examine the scriptures, spend time with our Lord, and when He shows us the path to holiness let's be obedient to His voice.

We now arrive to our answer from the earlier question. This is the central idea of Leviticus 1. In Romans 12:1 Paul says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." He is referring to the burnt offering in Leviticus 1. When he says, present your bodies, he's talking about an inspection, in fact the same inspection that took place when an Israelite offered his sacrifice, the sacrifice had to be blameless, without defect. Each sacrifice was to be inspected by the priest before being offered on the altar, in the same we we are to be inspected by God to show that we are blameless before Him. Friends and family, we must be holy and blameless, offered completely to God. The main principle of the burnt offering is surrendering every area of our lives to God, just as everything went up in the offering so must our life be, completely surrendered to God. I want to ask you personally, are you surrendered to God? You might say yes right away but really think about it. Your music, what you watch, what you say, the things you do, what you wear, are you really surrendered to our Lord? If someone was to look at your iPod would they be able to tell if you're a true follower of Christ or are you spending your days blending in with the rest of the world? Every day before I start my devotions I have to surrender to God, I have to die to myself because my heart always wants to stray away from my One True Love and always wants to fulfill it's desires not those of God. It's sad but true. I have to surrender and say "God, whatever you want from me today, I will give it to you", if I don't do this it's impossible for me to hear the voice of God. I love you all and pray that you will hear the voice of God this week and obey. God bless you all!!!

Walk Through the Law

2010-08-31T21:19:00.005-04:00

My desire is to know the Word of God and to make the Word of God known. Over the past few weeks I have been doing a very interesting study on the first five books (known as the Torah or Pentateuch) of the Bible and would like to share that briefly with you all. A lot of people get the sacrifices and all the laws mixed up, so let's clarify shortly on the three types of law that are found in the first five books of the Bible.

CIVIL CODE (Exodus 20-23; Numbers 5, 6, 15, 28-30): This was the law followed by the Israelites while they were in the desert. Before they made it to the promised land they had to follow what we call the civil code. Remember, they had no idea how to live as a nation nor as a civilized people because they had just been set free from slavery in the land of Egypt. God gave them this portion to tell them how to live together while they were on their what we could call, "camping trip".

CRIMINAL CODE (Leviticus): This was Israel's hand book on how to approach a Holy God when you are not holy. We have in the beginning five sacrifices the burnt, grain, peace, sin and guilt offerings. The first three have nothing to do with sin but more to do with surrender and thankfulness to God, these are often called the soothing aroma sacrifices. The last two, sin and guilt, are those that dealt with sin. The rest of the book tells the Israelite people how and when to apply said sacrifices.

CONSTITUTIONAL CODE (Deuteronomy): This book was for the Israelite people when they entered the land of Israel. They needed a constitution and the book of Deuteronomy was just that. It's what made a Jew a Jew. Inside of Deuteronomy we find 15 different subjects or codes of law.

In the remaining part of these five books we find stories about the lives of others. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the journeys of Israel, etc. This part can be used as a guide for learning from mistakes and successes. We see men who followed God but definitely screwed up along the way, also we see people who's hearts were far from God and how the Lord dealt with them. As many know we can learn in two ways, example or experience, we all know that learning from example hurts a lot less.

When reading these portions of Scripture we must first have in mind that it was written to Jews
not to us. However, it applies to us in the sense that we can find good principles on how to live a holier life or on how to approach our Holy God as an unclean people. My prayer is the you too can find the richness found in the beginning of the Bible instead of believing those who say, "it's too dry and really has nothing to do with me." God bless you all!

Brokenness and Happiness

2010-07-18T15:30:00.015-04:00

Well, for someone who isn't in the habit of blogging I have quite a bit to write. The subjects on my heart this past week are that of happiness and brokenness. Doesn't seem like they go together but I believe that they do. To be honest these past 9 months in Peru have been work. Meaning, I haven't wanted to be here. I've wanted to go home, get back to the place that made me happy... or so I thought. On the verge of leaving, like literally about to buy my plane ticket I called my parents to let them know how I was feeling and what I had planned to do. My Mom said take a week, think about it, pray about it, and then see if God would say anything to me. I told her I could not hear God in this very difficult time, so I set this time aside to seek God's will, if He didn't make it clear to me that He wanted me here then I was going to be on the soonest flight home. I decided to take two weeks, well I guess I only needed one. This was honestly one of the hardest times in my life, fearing that God would want me to stay here when I really wanted to come home so badly. My excuses were few but somewhat reasonable, I wasn't happy, didn't think it was a good fit for me, and didn't like some of the things inside of the organization. Day three and God spoke to me, not in an audible voice but He made me understand a truth that I had known but that was more head knowledge, not something that affected my life. "Gary, you can not receive happiness from what you do, what you have, or who you know, only from an intimate and growing relationship with Me, your God." Wow, that blew a reason off of my list as to why I should go home. As time went on, day four, five, six my excuses and reasons as to why I should leave faded and the Will of God remained. "Gary, I have chosen you for this hour, I want you to stay here." God had been breaking me down so that His will might be done in me, so that I would submit to Him and live only to do what He wants from me, not what Gary wants. Ouch, man that's a tough lesson and a process that will not be finished over night. The breaking process must continue, it hurts, but how good to know that my God is good and what He is doing inside of me is for my well being. It all came to light on the 11th of this month when I read one of my writings, something I had written a year before on July 10th, 2009.

This is what I wrote a year ago:

Break Me!

7/10/09 5:46pm

I'm learning more and more that I can put no confidence in the flesh. The flesh will let me down 100% of the time. Paul even says in Philippians that we put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:1-6). More and more God has been dealing with me on the confidence that I place in my flesh. So what's the remedy for this? We must be broken and filled with the Spirit. Jesus says in John that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:4-5).

We must also be broken. I don't really know how to be, other than asking God to do it. I believe God is the only one who can break us. Once we are broken of ourselves I believe that the Spirit of God will shine through in a much more brilliant way.

Apart from brokenness I believe the keys to being filled with God's Holy Spirit are simple. Devote yourself to God's Word, prayer, and fellowship. In Acts 1:14 we see that the disciples were continually devoting themselves to prayer and fellowship. It was after their devotion to these two things that the Spirit of God fell upon them.

The only way the Apostles did what they did was because of God's power through them. If we want that same power I believe it's available but we must pay the price of sacrifice in order to get it. We must dedicate our lives solely to God and ask Him to break us. This seems to be a painful process but I know that in the end it must be worth it.

I believe that the Lord might use Peru in order to break me. It's what I ask and pray. Lord God, break me so that I can be used of You in a greater capacity.

End of note.

So as you can now see, I was trying to escape a beautiful but painful process that God is putting me through in order to break me of myself. Just like the Bible says, He disciplines the ones He loves. This life is short, so let's be focused on eternity. If God has got you in a certain place that happens to be a hard painful process just endure. The word endurance in the Bible is "Hupomeno" and it literally means to remain under the pressure of. God is calling us to remain under the pressure of the tough circumstances, if that is where He has placed us He wants us to stay there. Also, for those who would say that they aren't satisfied with life, know that only a relationship with God will fulfill you. Your wife won't do it, your job won't do it, drugs and alcohol can't help, nothing you do will fill that God- shaped hole in your heart. If you don't know God He is willing in this moment to start an intimate, amazing relationship with you. We were born sinners, separated from God but He didn't create it to be that way, we chose to disobey and sever the relationship that we had with Him. About 2000 years ago He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to die in our place for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God so that we would have another chance to know the one true God. Jesus is like our bridge to God, we must place our faith in Him and turn from our sins. From there the relationship with God has started, now you are called to live in a different way than you lived before (Ephesians 4:1- 6:9). God is happiness and joy, let's choose this week to renew our relationship with Him. Keep the goal in mind... eternity, with the One who made us.

James 5:13-20 Prayer and Shepherding

2010-06-04T16:19:00.004-04:00

James ends this book out with two very important subjects: prayer and shepherding. Subjects that are often neglected. James displays the power of prayer although at times it might seem to be useless and dry, we see why we should pray here. Also, he presents the subject of shepherding or spiritual care for one another.

(vv13-18) BE FAITHFUL IN PRAYER: If you're suffering or going through some tough things, pray! Just like we read in the last chapter, we must have patience and endurance through this life, but while we're waiting and persevering let's pray! How about those who are cheerful, let them praise the Lord. In verses 14-15 it's somewhat difficult to pull out the true meaning of what is being said, so let's take a deeper look. The word here in the NASB translation is sick. "If anyone among you is sick." At first glance we would think that this is a man who has some disease or sickness. If we look at the Greek and read within the context we will we find something very different, James is not talking about a physical sickness. The word sick is Asthenei which means to be weak. If a brother is sick in the faith, if he is spiritually weak, he is to call the elders of the church so that they might pray for him. This prayer will restore him who is spiritually weak. In other words the prayer will save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, save a suffering one, or aid one to an effect (Energeo). Also if he has committed sins they will be forgiven, this man will be restored, refreshed, and ready to continue on in his walk with the Lord. In the first part of verse 16 we see the importance of community prayer. Let me ask you in this moment, do you feel spiritually dry and dead? Then God wants you to spend time with those closest to you, those who have a deep, personal, and intimate relationship with the Lord so that you can be restored. They are here for you in your times of need and you in turn for them. God will use them in your life to restore you to a state of fullness in your walk with God. Remember that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and can accomplish much. Keep the importance and power of prayer in mind. In verses 17-18 James tells us about Elijah and what the prayer of a righteous man really can do. We find this example in 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41-46. If a man can pray and it not rain for three and a half years, how much more can our prayers assist those who don't know Christ. How much more can our prayers impact the world that we live in.

(vv19-20) BE A SHEPHERD: What does it mean to be a shepherd. Let's take a look at a few passages so that we can get a better idea as to what the word shepherd means (Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:10-11; Ezekiel 34:1-10; Zechariah 11:4-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4). These are only a of the few passages that talk about shepherding. Today we call shepherds pastors and many of them aren't true shepherds, many don't do what they are called to do. They are called to shepherd the people or flock of God. That means to feed them, to take care of them, to guide them and make sure that they are well. I think Psalm 23 is the best example of what a true shepherd really is. We as well are called to shepherd those who have gone astray from the truth. Onto verses 19-20... "if any of you strays from the truth." The word stray is Planao and it means the following: cause to stray, to lead astray, wander, roam around, lead away from the truth, lead into error, to deceive. "If any of you strays from the truth and one turns him back", this is shepherding this is being a true friend. When a brother is spiritually sick and straying from his Master's path, the true shepherd turns him back and shows him the way. The one who does this saves his friends soul. The word soul here is Psuche, it means breath, breath of life, the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing, a living soul. In other words you save the actual life of the one who is going astray from the truth. How can this be? Here's an example. A long time ago a famous christian hymn writer went astray from the faith. For years he lived a life of carnal pleasures and strayed so far from the grace of God that he once used to sing about. One day he ran into a woman who was reading a book. Very interested in the book, the woman came across a line from one of the authors famous hymns and quoted it to him. The man told her, "Ma'am, I am the poor miserable man who wrote that hymn." The woman then told him that those rivers of grace that he sang of still flowed today. The man repented, turned back to the Lord, and was fully restored. This story is true; and in this case the woman was used by God to save the soul or life of this man.

CONCLUSION: Let's be continually dedicated to prayer and fellowship so that when we are weak or spiritually sick our brothers and sisters in Christ can lift us up and restore us.

This concludes the book of James. A book full of blunt spiritual truth. Let us apply these truths to our lives. Let us not just be hearers of the Word but doers as well (James 1:22).

James 5:7-12 Patience and Endurance

2010-05-30T15:57:00.002-04:00

Don't try to escape that trial! If God has put you there, remain right where you are. The word endure in the Bible is hupomone, and it means to remain under the pressure of (Romans 5:3). I want to ask you today what kind of pressure you are facing. First off, are you where God wants you to be? If so and you are facing trials and problems, stay firm and endure. Today, we will be learning about the importance of patience.

(vv7-8) PATIENCE: I believe that over the last nine months God has been using my circumstances in order to teach me patience amidst other things. In truth, the last nine months haven't been enjoyable and the thought of going home is ever present. Although this is true, I am called to be patient and endure, just like the farmer who waits until the harvest. In life we are going to go through hard times. We as Christians are going to go through many months, possibly years, wondering where God is, asking ourselves why He has deserted us. During these times strengthen your hearts. Yes, strengthen your hearts, but how? We strengthen our hearts by reading the Word, pulling out the promises of God, and standing on them. Let's stand on God's promises and trust in Him. He is highly glorified in this.

(v9) DON'T COMPLAIN: Don't complain? But I'm going through a really tough time, how can the Bible ask me not to complain? It advises us so that we might be pleasing and honoring to Christ. Listen to this: A master has many servants working in the field, he selects one and gives him the hardest work in the field but secretly plans to pay him the best out of all the other workers. The master expects his worker to have a good attitude hoping that the worker will trust in his faithfulness and fairness. When the master tells the worker that he will return, he hides in a bush and watches the worker. The worker complains and curses under his breath all day long. He even cursed at his fair master, being very short-sighted, the only one he damaged was himself. When the master returned he was very disappointed with the servant. He told the wicked servant about the wonderful pay he had for him but how his complaining lost him his wages. In the same way we must trust our Good Master. We must trust that He loves us dearly and has the best in mind for us.

(vv10-11) BIBLICAL EXAMPLES: Let's follow the biblical example that have been left for us. How many of you have read the story of Job and learned about the suffering that he faced. What happened? This man Job went through horrible trials, and not once did he curse God. After years, Job was blessed by God double, double than what he had before! Because of his endurance and faithfulness God blessed him abundantly. We also have the prophets, faithful men who loved the Lord and proclaimed His Word. They went through some hard stuff but were still faithful to God; they now have their reward in heaven. God is full of compassion and mercy, so let's conduct ourselves in such a way that is pleasing to Him.

(v12) BE TRUE TO YOUR WORD: Finishing up, we are told not to swear. In other words to affirm, promise, threaten with an oath, or invoke. This passage is very often misinterpreted but all the James is saying here is to be true to your word. When you say something, do it! If you say yes, let others know that that is what you mean.

CONCLUSION: I don't know what you are going through right now, but know that if you are where God wants you to be and you're going through some tough stuff , it's good for you. Trust in God, strengthen your hearts, and stand on the Word, knowing that God will take care of His faithful servants.

James 5:1-6 Stewardship of Wealth and People

2010-05-25T18:04:00.002-04:00

What's more important, people or wealth? Today we will deal with the stewardship of our wealth and the people in our lives. I believe that this passage will deal with all of us as we read it today. The heart issue is our greed or love for material possessions which unfortunately is normally bigger than our love for others.

(vv1-3) THE RICH: "Come now you rich, weep and howl...", actually means, burst into tears. Why would a rich man cry? He should have all that he could ever need or want. Well... not actually. As we see in verses 1-3, wealth is temporary, it might make us happy for a moment but then it rusts and fades. Just like James says, "...your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted." As you all know, when we first get something new it's really cool... for the first week. The things of this world don't satisfy. This is why James tells the rich to burst into tears, because they have put their trust, their love, and even their very lives into their stuff, and upon seeing the vanity of it all, and how it doesn't last, their reaction should be that of sadness. They've wasted their lives on collecting worthless junk and now the rust and decay of their stuff is a witness against them.

(v4) WHAT REALLY MATTERS: What really matters in this life? Is it money, cars, houses, stuff, or maybe the Kingdonm of God? Maybe it's the people that God has placed in our lives. Just as the rich here have invested their lives in things that don't matter, they also have rejected the thing that really does matter, the Kingdom of God, that which is unseen. Many times in this life we reject that which is really valuable for a cheap plastic imitation. Let's reach out for the Kingdom of God and not be like the rich man who refused to pay his workers their salary. The Lord desires that we might be giving, not hoarding. He desires us to invest in His eternal Kingdom, in the lives of those who need Christ. These are the works that will last, the things that won't rust or fade away.

(v5) BE AFRAID: James recaps here, talking again about the life of wanton pleasures that the rich live. James' comparison is very short but should inspire a healthy fear inside of those that are living a life of wanton pleasures and neglecting the Kingdom of God. He compares the rich as a fattened calf ready for the slaughter. This was probably a good expression for the Jewish audience who might have seen many fattened calves slaughtered in sacrifice. This is an example of what a greedy life will earn us.

(v6) PUT YOUR LIFE INTO WHAT COUNTS: Again recapping, James puts more emphasis in how the rich oppress the righteous. Their world view is twisted and instead of pursuing riches they should be helping those whom God has placed in their life.

CONCLUSION: Today we've learned some tough spiritual truths. One thing I don't want you to hear is that money is bad. There is nothing wrong with money in itself, but we must take care of our motives and greedy attitudes. We must use our stuff to please the Lord and advance His Kingdom, not to hoard it and spend it on our own desires (James 4:3). God doesn't give us things for our own pleasures, but that we might use them for His purposes. Let's seek the Kingdom first and also seek to honor the Lord with all the things He has blessed us with.

James 4 Selfish Desires and Pride

2010-04-20T20:05:00.016-04:00

James wants to tell us about our selfish desires and pride that reside inside of us. We'll be seeing the source, cure, and effect of our selfish desires and pride.

(vv1-2) OUR PLEASURES: James introduces our subject; the selfish fights that we face as Christians. Let's keep in mind here that James is writing to the Jewish believers or the 12 tribes scattered abroad (James 1:1). Apparently the Jewish believers were having problems with fights and quarrels and James came in to straighten things out. The first thing that we learn is that the source of our quarrels originates from the pleasures deep inside of us.

(v3) YOU DON'T RECEIVE: This is a great verse of clarity. I personally get fed up with hearing people take verses like Matthew 21: 18-22 and saying that God wants you to be happy and wants you to have the desires of your heart. Yes, He does want us to be happy but He's not going to give us whatever desire we may have inside of us. God will give us the desires of our heart if they are according to His will. If we ask with the wrong motives we won't receive because God does not want us to spend or squander it on our own wanton pleasures. If God gave me every desire of my heart I would be a mess, so thank you Lord for that.

(V4) FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD: Let's remember that we are talking in the context of selfish disputes and our evil desires that spur them on. Well ... we have to choose here, God, or the world, there's no other option. James is laying out the seriousness of our selfish flesh and the desires of the world. What does this mean, that we can't have nice things a nice house or a nice car. Not necessarily. We can't be engaged to both Christ and the world, we have to choose who we will live for and who we will yield and surrender to. If we choose the world we are enemies of God and reject Him but if we choose Christ we reject the world and no longer serve it.

(v5) GOD JEALOUSLY DESIRES US!: This verse is very hard to translate but I believe that in the context we see the meaning. God jealously desires us! He wants to be our every desire and our fulfillment. If we choose the world over Him we are refusing the best love and fulfillment that we could ever have.

(vv6-10) HUMBLE YOURSELF: So we see the strength of our selfish desires. How could we ever escape them? Good thing that you asked because we are given the antidote here in verses 6 through 10. Humble or submit yourself to God. The word submit here is a military term which means to arrange oneself under the command of. So let's get back into the marching line. When a soldier goes off to do his own thing and not the will of the commander he is stepping out of line and now is considered an enemy of that army. We as well have to get back in line and humble ourselves under the command of our Master. This is a submission of our will to His will. Also we see that we have to resist the Devil. The word resist means to set oneself against, to withstand or to oppose, and the promise is that he will flee from us.

(vv11-12) THE JUDGMENTAL ATTITUDE: In these selfish fights brought on by selfish desires. The effect is a judgmental attitude. If you speak against your brother you have gone from being a doer of the Law to a judge of it; and since there is only one Lawgiver and Judge, it's impossible for us to take His place as unrighteous judges of the law. Practically speaking, what does this say to us, I believe that it's very simple. It all comes back to the humility or our spirit. If we are not humble we will by nature want to judge those around us. Let's humble ourselves and recognize our position as servants. Let's follow the example of our LORD GOD who created the earth and came down in the humble form of a servant to wash the feet of 12 dirty men. How humbling for us. What sinners we are!

(vv13-16) EMPTY BOASTING: Once again we come to the subject of pride and boasting is just one of the many forms of pride. We are left with the example of some business men who claim that they are going to make "X" amount of dollars on their trip. We see here the pride of man. This reminds me of the false teaching I've heard time and time again saying, "You have to claim your reality! Speak what you want into existence! Make a demand upon God and He has to give it to you!" We call this the "name - it - claim teaching". Let's just say that this is not biblical in any way. You don't speak your future into existence and you definitely DO NOT make a demand upon God the Creator of the universe. Instead, we must practice what we see in verse 15. "Instead you ought to say, 'If the LORD wills, we will live and also do this or that'". Let us again remind ourselves of the humility that we must possess because if we don't, we are practicing evil as stated in verse 16.

(v17) CAN'T PLEAD NOT GUILTY: Very simple, James says that if we know the right thing to do and don't do it that it's sin. All to say that we can't say that we didn't know. In other words, we call this the sin of omission, knowing the right thing to do and not doing it. In conclusion let us put into to practice all that we have seen and learned today.

James 3:13-18 Real Wisdom

2010-01-12T20:40:00.010-05:00

Today we come to the section in James about true wisdom. Many times in life we are confused about what wisdom really is. James is going to confront some of our false concepts of wisdom today as we study through this section.

(v13) WALKING WISDOM: Here we see two things, that wisdom walks and that wisdom is gentle. Sometimes we think that the wise man is the one who is loud and can talk big. Before moving on further let's keep in mind that James has just finished talking about teachers and our need to control the tongue. Here he is most likely referring to the teachers as well, those that might have thought that to be loud was to be wise. Knowing this, we see here that wisdom walks not just talks. James says "Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." Our wisdom can be displayed in the silence or in our behavior. The definition of the word behavior in Greek is, way of life, behavior, or conduct. This shows us that wisdom is not just theory or just words, wisdom is very practical. Wisdom is to be displayed in every action. Not only does wisdom walk but wisdom is gentle. This word gentle is the word for mild disposition or meekness. It doesn't take a big man to be strong in his opinion or speak big words, it takes a big man to learn to be quite and gentle. After reading through this passage several times I kept getting the image in my head of two men in an argument. One man very strong in his opinion, shouting at the other and the other very slow to anger and very in control of his behavior. The man who is slow to anger is the one who displays the practical wisdom.

(v14) WISDOM ISN'T...: Wisdom is not bitter jealousy. In other words it's not harsh excitement of mind, fervor of spirit, defending anything, zeal on behalf of, envious or contentious rivalry. I think the best way to sum up this word is that wisdom is not reactive it is proactive. Wisdom does not act out defense or fervor of spirit but wisdom acts out of thought, wisdom is proactive. Just like the men in the argument, wisdom is the not the one who reacts from anger but the one who is proactive, thinking about what he says before he says it. The second thing that wisdom is not is selfishly ambitious. This is the desire to put oneself forward or a self-seeking pursuit. Wisdom does not wish to put itself first. Wisdom is giving, seeking for the good of others first. This type of wisdom is considered earthly, natural, demonic, and wherever this so-called wisdom exists there is "disorder and every evil thing."

(v17) 7 THINGS THAT WISDOM IS:
1.)PURE (Hagnos) sacred, pure from carnality or fault
2.)PEACEABLE (Eirenikos)peaceable, pacific, loving peace
3.)GENTLE (Epieikes) suitable, fair, mild
4.)REASONABLE (Eupeithes) easily obeying, compliant
5.)FULL OF MERCY (Eleos) mercy, kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and afflicted, exercise of the virtue of mercy
AND GOOD FRUITS (Agathos) good, pleasant, excellent
6.)UNWAVERING (Adiekritos) without uncertainty
7.)WITHOUT HYPOCRISY (Anupokrites) unfeigned, undisguised, sincere

CONCLUSION: Today we have seen what true wisdom really is. Many can come with big words and a heavy disposition but the man who practices these words is the one who possesses true wisdom. "Lord, thank you for Your Holy Word, Father help us today to grasp the concept of true wisdom and apply it to our lives. Lord, Your Word promises an abundant life to those who live it. Help us to apply what we've learned today. Love Ya Father!"

Birthday Present From God

2009-12-05T14:17:00.004-05:00

As most of you know, yesterday was my birthday. I had the opportunity to celebrate my birthday in the Jungle of Iquitos. I had a good day with my new family here in Peru. We went out to eat at a North American restaurant here called the Yellow Rose of Texas. Not only was it nice to eat some North American food but it was refreshing to spend some time out with my family here.

Apart from this something very surprising happened, I would call it a birthday present from God. I had taken a mototaxi back home by myself (The motortaxis are basically motorcycles with a two to three person cart welded onto the back). Once we arrived back to the church the driver turned around in his seat and asked me if i went to the church. I told him yes and that I was a missionary here in Peru. Immediately after that statement he asked me, "I have a desire to know and feel the presence of Jesus Christ but I just can't." He also told me of doubts that he had been having of whether or not there is a God. I had the opportunity to share my story and encourage him to seek God deeply in prayer. Also had the opportunity to pray with him. I'm not sure what came of it but I know that God put him in my path for a reason.

For me this is the greatest birthday present one could ever receive, being able to tell and share of the love and presence of Jesus. This experience has refreshed me and shown me again why I am here in Peru. I'm here to serve and to love the people of Peru. Please pray for Miguel (Taxidriver).

Sermon In Padre Cocha

2009-12-05T14:13:00.003-05:00

Today I would like to post my first Spanish sermon. Last Thursday we went to a town called Padre Cocha. It’s across the river and a little deeper into the Jungle. First thing in the morning we went to the bay and boarded a boat. From there we crossed the river and arrived at Padre Cocha. We spent the whole day there inviting people to come to our presentation at four that night. At the presentation we had about 150 kids and 50 adults, a very good turn out for a town of only 3,000. We first did a drama then I preached a message. I’m going to post the Spanish sermon then the translation in English. I’m doing this for two reasons. One so that I can remember this milestone in my life and two so that you all can see the progress I have made in the language.

Primero, estoy agradecido de que yo puedo estar con ustedes en su Pais. Me gustaria comenzar con oracion.
First, I’m glad that I can be here with you all in your country. I would like to start with prayer.

Dios, gracias por este dia, el dia que Tu has hecho. Nosotros estamos aqui para un proposito. No solamente para pasar un buen rato, pero algo mas profundo y importante. Estamos aqui para conocerte, especialmente ellos de quienes no han escuchado de Jesus o no le conocen. Gracias Señor, por favor abre nuestras mentes y nuestros corazones a lo que tu quieres que sepamos. En el nombre de Jesus. Amen
God, thanks for this day, the day that you have made. We are here for one purpose. Not only to have a good time, but for something deeper and more important. We are here to know you, especially those who haven’t heard of Jesus or those who don’t know Jesus. Thank You Lord, please open our minds and our hearts to what you want us to know. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Me gustaria contra un poco de mi historia. Mi nombre es Gary, soy de Los Estados Unidos, mi estado es Ohio, y mi ciudad es Lima. Yo acepte a Cristo cuando tenia 8 añitos. Hasta la edad de 15 yo mantuve una relaion constante con Dios. Yo leia mi Biblia, oraba a Jesus. Yo tenia paz y felicidad en mi vida. Mi vida era comleta con Dios.
I would like to tell you all a little about myself. My name is Gary, I’m from the United States, my state is Ohio, and my city is Lima. I accepted Christ at the age of 8. I maintained a constant relationship with God until the age of 15. I would read my Bible and pray. I had peace and happiness in my life, my life was complete with God.

A la edad de 15 yo sali de mi relacion con Dios. Era un proceso largo sobre mucho tiempo. Yo estaba ocupado y yo abondone a El Señor. Mi vida consistia de ganar dinero y vivir para mis ganas y todas las cosa que ofrece el mundo. Lentamente, cosas malas comenzaban a entrar en mi vida. Durante ese tiemppo, me sentia vacio y miserable. Yo queria cambiar pero no podia.
At the age of 15 I left my relationship with God. It was a long process over much time. I was busy and I abandoned the Lord. My life consisted of earning money and living for my desires and all the things that the earth offers. Slowly, bad things started to enter into my life. During this time, I felt empty and miserable. I wanted to change but I couldn’t.

Un dia vino en el cual mi papa me dijo de una mision a Mexico con mi Iglesia. Por supuesto no queria ir, pero mi papa me hizo una propuesta que no podia negar. Entonces, yo fui a Mexico y participe en la mision. Fue un Miercoles por la noche. Estuvimos juntos en la iglesia y cada persona estuvo alabando a Dios. Yo senti que Dios me estuvo llamando a arrepentirme y regresar a El. Me puse de rodillas y me arrepenti de mis pecados. Inmediatamente, en ese momento senti la paz y amor de Dios y ellos excedieron cualquier sentimiento que yo habia obtenido de las drogas o alcohol. Desde entonces yo he estado viviendo para mi Salvador Jesucristo. Su camino y su plan para nuestras vidas son los mejores.
One day came when my dad told me about a mission to Mexico with my church. Of course, I didn’t want to go but my dad made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I ended up going to Mexico and participated in the mission. It was a Wednesday night , and everyone was worshipping God. I felt so strongly that God was calling me to repent and return to Him, so I got on my knees and repented. Immediately in that moment I felt the peace and love of God and they surpassed any feeling I had ever obtained from drugs or alcohol. Since then I have been living for my Savior Jesus Christ, His way and plan for our lives are the best.

Como nosotros hemos visto en el drama, Dios quiere liberarnos de nuestros pecados. Si usted nunca ha escuchado de la vida de Cristo es como sigue. En el principio Dios creo el mundo, hombre, y cada cosa que hay en el mundo. En el principio hombre desobedecio a Dios y desde entonces hemos estado separados de Dios y su cielo (Romanos 3:23). Como vimos aca, nosotros somos pecadores y necesitamos un Salvador. A pesar de esto, Dios le envio a Su Hijo Jesucristo al mundo, para que El viviera la vida perfecta y sea sacrificado en la cruz por nosotros. El cargo el pecado de usted y yo para que podamos tener una relacion con Dios a traves de El Mismo. La unica manera que podemos obtener esta relacion es si creemos que Jesus era Dios la carne y si ponemos nuestra fe en El. Tambien necesitamos creer que Jesus murio en nuestro lugar por nuestros pecados. Dios quiere que usted se rinda y de su corazon a El. Si esta cansado de su vida, Dios le esta ofreciendo una oportunidad para convivir con El. El primer paso no es simplemente una oracion. Usted necesita colocar su fe en Jesus, pero que significa esto. Usted tiene que arrepetirse y creer la Santa Palabra de Dios. La fe es cambio de vida. Cambio de voluntad. Necesitamos colocar nuestra fe en Jesus y todas las palabras de las cuales el nos ha dejado (San Juan 15:1-6). Aqui vimos que si nuestras vidas estan cambiadas, habra cambio de voluntad y forma de vivir. Si usted quiere arrepentirse y comenzar la vida de nuevo, arrepientase y reciba bautismo.
Like we have seen today in the drama, God wants to free us from our sins. If you have never heard of the life of Jesus, it’s as follows. In the beginning, God created the earth, man, and all that is in the earth. In the beginning man disobeyed God and since then we have been separated from God and His heaven (Romans 3:23). As we see here, we are all sinners and we need a Savior. Despite this, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to the earth so that He might live the perfect life and be sacrificed on the cross for us. He carried our sin so that we might have a relationship with God through Himself. The only way that we can obtain a relationship with Him is if we believe that Jesus was God in the flesh and if we place our faith in Him. Also we need to believe that He died in our place for our sins. God wants you to surrender yourself and give your heart to Him. If you are tired of your life God is offering you a chance to live with Him. The first step isn’t simply a prayer. You need to place your faith in Jesus, but what exactly does that mean. You have to repent and believe the Holy Word of God. Faith is change of life and change of will. We need to place our faith in Jesus and all the words which He has left us (San Juan 15:1-6). Here we see that if our lives are changed, there will be change of will and change in the way we live. If you want to repent and start your new life, repent and receive baptism.

First Impressions 12/1/09

2009-12-04T13:07:00.004-05:00

We had a long day of travel on Thursday 11/19/09 from Arequipa to Lima, Peru. We flew to Lima and arrived at night. Once we had arrived we unpacked and met almost all of the Peruvian 40/40s. My fellow missionary Daniel had not arrived until the next day. The first night was very awkward mainly due to the language barrier and the silence. We spent three days in Lima building our new relationships before heading off to Iquitos. We then left for Iquitos on 11/22/09.

Today marks the start of my second week here in Iquitos. We arrived on Sunday the 22nd. The first thing I noticed is how much more uncivilized the city is. There are dirt roads and the houses aren’t as modern. I will attach some of the photos on this blog. As for the weather it is very different here. Wild, would be the best word to describe it. It’s always hot and humid and it rains about every other day. It’s nice when it rains because it cools down quite a bit. As for the people, they seem to be very friendly. Also they enjoy conversation. One thing that I have noted is that there is much spiritual need here in Iquitos. Drugs, alcohol, sex, you name it and there is an abundance here. The people here need hope. To me they look like prisoners walking around without a reason to live. Please be in prayer about this.

Right now my schedule is as follows. Monday through Friday we have Devotions in the morning at 6, breakfast at 7, then classes at 8 until 12pm. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we have practice at our churches. Each pair of 40/40s has their own church that they attend on these days. My friend Daniel and I attend the church Madre De Dios. It is right in the middle of an area that appears to be in desperate need of the Gospel. During these days we will be discipling people, preaching, and reaching out to the community, all to prepare us for the real deal in Pucallpa where Daniel and I will be planting three churches.

From here I thank you all again for following my progress here in Peru and ask and encourage you to continue praying not only for me but also for the other missionaries here. Thanks so much.

James 3:1-12 The Tongue

2009-12-04T12:31:00.006-05:00

Today we’re going to look at the importance of controlling the tongue. I believe that this is one of the hardest subjects in the Bible. Many times we let our feelings or hurts get a hold of what we say. We need to learn the importance of a controlled tongue.

(v1) TEACHING: Obviously not everyone is called to be a teacher. However, those who are called to the teaching position (here in reference specifically to a spiritual teacher) are called to a much higher level of obedience. Here we have a warning of a stricter judgment to come for those who are spiritual teachers. We need to realize, if we are in a spiritual position of authority, we are called to a higher level.

(v2) WE ALL STUMBLE: It’s obvious that we’re all sinners. Here it is stated. “We all stumble in many ways...” However the man who does not stumble in what he says is perfect. Perfect: (Teleios) brought to it's end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, perfect, that which is perfect, full-grown, mature, adult, of full age. We see that the man who has a controlled tongue is able to control the rest of the body as well. Controlling the tongue is a sign of strength.

(vv3- 4) POWER OF THE CONTROLLED TONGUE: James here compares the tongue to the rudder of a ship. The ship is so great but the rudder is what controls every movement. Let’s recognize here how powerful the tongue is. Not only this but the effects of a controlled tongue. If we can control our tongues we are capable of controlling our entire body as well.

(vv5- 6) DANGER OF THE UNCONTROLLED TONGUE: The example that has been left to us is that of a forest set ablaze by one small flame. The tongue is compared to a flame set on fire by hell. Although the tongue is small it can do great damage. One word can completely destroy the life of another. If we don’t realize the power that our tongue holds we won’t be as prone to controlling it.

(vv7- 8) RECOGNIZE THAT I CAN’T CONTROL MY TONGUE: Here we see that every specie of animal has been tamed and can be tamed by man, however, no man can tame the tongue. We need to rely on the Lord. He is the only one that can sanctify us and help us to control our tongue. He is the only one that can subdue the “deadly poison” of the tongue.

(vv9- 12) RECOGNIZE THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE UNCONTROLLED TONGUE: I love this part of Scripture, James compares the inconsistent tongue to a river of salt water and a river of clean water. A river cannot be both clean and salty. If there is but a small bit of salt in the river it is not clean water. The same goes with us. “With it (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse me, who have been made in the likeness of God.” What hypocrites we are. It shouldn’t be like this. We need to control our tongue. Let’s ask the Lord today to help us.

CONCLUSION: Today has been a difficult section of Scripture for me. Being on the field It is very easy to become annoyed with others and I am not always careful with what I say, however, God is calling you and I to control our mouths no matter what the situation is. “God, help us today to control our tongue, and control what we say. Help us to treat others for what they are, children of God. Lord thank You for Your Word, thank You that we can know truth. Help us today Lord, we love you. Amen.

Real Belief (James 2:14-26)

2009-11-10T08:36:00.002-05:00

James 2:14-26. Let´s talk about true belief. I know many people who would be quick to tell me that they are true follwers of Christ. However, when it comes down to it, their actions don´t back up their words.

We live in a world where 33% of the population claims the name of Christ. If so many are true believers why isn´t the world being revolutionized? In Matthew 7:13-14 Christ tells us that the gate which leads to life is narrow and there are few who find it. Christianity is the worlds biggest religion. So if the way is really so narrow, who´s wrong here? God or us?

(v14) USELESS FAITH: What use is a faith without works? Is this a faith that can save us? The word here is save: (sozo) keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to save from suffering or disease, to make well, heal, or restore to health, to preserve from danger or destruction. James introduces the subject of faith here asking what use is a faith that has no works, can it save you or others from danger?

(vv15-16) PICTURE OF FAITH WITHOUT WORKS: A picture of faith without works is listed in these verses. If you see a person with a need and simply say ¨...be warmed and be filled¨, how useless is that. Faith without works is related to seeing a problem or believeing that there is a problem but doing nothing to change or help it. What use is this so-called faith for you or for the person in need?

(v17) FAITH-WORKS=DEAD: Just as in the example, faith works the same way. Faith without works is dead. Just as telling someone to ¨...be warmed an filled¨ is useless. Faith by itself is dead and is of no use what-so-ever.

(vv18-20) SHOW ME YOUR FAITH: If someone were to tell you ¨show me that you believe it´s going to rain today¨, what would you do? Would you simply say, well, it´s on the forecast or the sky´s dark. No, if you truly believed that it was going to rain you would go outside with your umbrella. This would demonstrate that you believe it will rain. This is the same idea of verses 18 through 20, the only way for someone to truly see your faith is by the actions that you exhibit. Look at this, the demons know and believe that God exisits but they aren´t justified before God. Simply saying that you believe in God is not good enough.

(vv21-25) ABRAHAM: Let´s go to Genesis 15:1-6 then to Genesis 22. We see the justification or salvation of Abraham. At first he simply believed the promises of God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Then in chapter 22 we see that his works proved that he believed God. He heard God´s call and obeyed, showing that he truly believed God. In other words his faith was perfected by his works. We also have the example of Rahab being justified in Joshua 2. This is the kind of faith we need in order to be justified. Not that we are justified by works but that our faith is true and because of that we have works to back our faith up.

(v26) JUST TO MAKE SURE: In case the point isn´t very clear James brings it up again. Faith without works is dead, useless, caput. We need to examine ourselves. Do we have the works to back up what we believe? If not, we have reason to fear and reason to get on our knees seeking the Father in prayer.

CONCLUSION: Jesus has something to say in John 15:1-11 concerning this subject. He is the True Vine and we are just the branches. If we truly abide in Him and Him in us we will bear fruit showing that we are of the Father. If we are not bearing the fruit of the Father we are children of the Devil. There is no inbetween. Where are you at? Examine yourself to see if you are of the faith. Some good Scriptures for self examination are Galatians 5:18-26 and 2 Peter 1:4-11.

Partiality (James 2:1-13)

2009-11-04T08:15:00.005-05:00

James 2:1-13 is about the sublect of showing personal favoritism. It´s very easy for us all to judge based on appearance or by the way someone acts but Christ tells us not to make distinctions among ourselves. In this section we will be instructed on how we are supposed to live and deal with those whom we would like to judge.

(v1) NO PERSONAL FAVORITES: Here the verse is very straight forward and also introduces the subject. In your faith, don´t hold an attitude of personal favoritism. This is actually the word for respect of persons, partiality, or recognizing of faces. One example: There´s a judge who has a good friend named Jack. One day Jack commits murder and has to stand before his friend the judge. The judge is expected not to recognize his face, or in other words, judge according to the friendship that he has had with the man. Likewise we are not to act out of the recognizing of faces.

(vv2-3) EXAMPLE OF PARTIALITY: Here we see a poor man and a rich man who are in the assembly or synogogue. The rich man is given the better seat and the poor man is neglected. Obviously the person here has deduced that the rich man is better and therefore deserves the better seat. Ok, this example is very specific but let´s look at the heart issue. Have we ever seen someone who looks, talks, or acts funny and because of that we´ve neglected to treat them correctly. And instead of talking to them we talk to the person who appears to be normal. The heart issue is judging someone based on outward appearance and then acting or treating them in a wrong way.

(v4) RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU´RE DOING: You have made Distinctions: (Diakrino) to separate, discriminate, prefer, withdraw from one, to oppose. And you are now a judge with evil motives.

(vv5-7) GOD´S PERSPECTIVE: The person that you´re discriminating against just might be the person that God has chosen to be rich in the faith. And the person that you show preference to just might be the one who blasphemes your name.

(v8) EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW: If we love our neighbor as we love ourself then we will be doing fine. (See Luke 10:25-37)

(vv9-11) RECOGNIZE THE SERIOUSNESS: Not much to say here except that if we think this issue is petty, we´re wrong. Partiality is sin and if we commit partiality we are considered to be sinners.

(v12) BE CAREFUL: Now that we realize how serious this issue is, we should be careful as to how we live. We should speak and act in accordance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The love that He has showed us should compel us to love as He did.

(v13) JUDGMENT OF GOD: If we do not show mercy we should fear the judgment of God. Because, ¨...judgment will be merciless for the one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.¨ But what exactly is mercy? Mercy is kindness or goodwill towards the miserable and afflicted, mercy is holding back a bad thing that someone might deserve, mercy is what Christ did for us. We deserve Hell but Christ showed mercy towards us so that we could live with Him in Heaven.

CONCLUSION: This week let us show mercy and love towards those less fortunant. Those who look, smell, and act funny. This is what Jesus has called us to.

Taking Responsibilty (James 1:19-27)

2009-11-02T09:39:00.005-05:00

Today we get to a hard section of Scripture. Not so hard to understand but convicting and hard to live. This section is about being slow to anger and speech and being quick to listen. Also that the Bible is not meant to be read and studied but to be lived.

(v19) THINK: Many times in life I want to be the first one to speak and the last one to hear. This section of Scripture is very convicting and straight forward. Be ¨... quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.¨

(v20) ANGER OF MAN: Many times people would say that they had righteous anger, or that they only did something because God had instilled a righteous anger within them. I believe that this verse is very straight forward, ¨...the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.¨ I would go as far to say that every time we are angry there is either selfishness or some ungodly motive behind it all. This is why we need to be quick to hear and slow to anger.

(v21a) PUT ASIDE THE OLD: The first word that this section starts with is therefore. As my Pastor in Florida would say, ¨What is the therefore there for?¨ Therefore, (since the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God) we need to put aside Filthiness and Wickedness: (Kakia) malignity, ill will, desire to injure, depravity, wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws, evil, trouble.

(v21b) RECEIVE THE NEW: After we put aside the old we need to receive the new in Humility: (Prautes) mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. We need to receive the word implanted. In the Greek the word ¨word¨ does not sound like the Gospel, in the Greek it is Word: (Logos) sayings of God, decree, mandate or order, what is delcared, a thought, declaration, a word of speech. We need to Receive: (Decomai) to take with the hand, to take hold of, to take up.

It sounds like the word is the Word of God. We need to not only hear the word but also receive it. It´s interesting how the Greek actually makes it sound to be a tangible action. We are called to change.

(v22) BE A DOER OF THE WORD: This passage is very straight forward. We are not called to simply read our Bibles or listen to sermons. We are called to change! If you are reading the Word and nothing is changing, something is wrong. The ones who only hear delude themselves.

(vv23-24) THE HEARER

(v25) THE DOER

(v26) THE TONGUE: If we claim to be Christians and do not control our tongues our religion is Worthless: (Mataios) devoid of truth, force, success, or result, useless, of no purpose. That´s a tough word. If we don´t bridle our tongue our so-called religion is worthless.

(v27) CORRECT VIEW OF RELIGION: True religion is lived out. Helping those who can´t help themselves. Not only this but keeping yourself ¨unstained by the world.¨

Temptations (James 1:13-18)

2009-10-29T10:37:00.003-04:00

James 1:13-18 is all about the temptations that we face. It goes to say that life brings temptations in various forms and it is crucial that we have a proper view or understanding of the temptations we face.

(v13) GOD DOESN´T TEMPT: This verse is very straight forward. God doesn´t tempt anyone. It sounds like when James wrote this letter that one problem the early church was having was that the people were blaming God for their temptations. We should have a correct view of who our God is. He cannot be tempted by evil. I love the passage in 1 Timothy 6:15b-16 that says " He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the KING of kings and the LORD of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." Our God dwells in unapproachable light and we should never dare to associate Him with the evil in our lives. All that said, don´t associate our God with our temptations, it brings Him lower than what is His rightful position.

(v14) WE´RE THE PROBLEM: We need to take responsibility for our own sin. It´s the lust of our flesh that entices and carries us away.

(v15) RECOGNIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF SIN: The order of sin is that lust first takes over. Once the lust has convceived or given birth then sin comes forth. In practical terms this is when we allow our lusts to drive us so far as to commit the act of sin. Next, once sin is accomplished or perfected, death is brought forth. It is somewhat difficult to know exactly what the term death implies, however the Greek means death of the body, implied misery in hell, or the body in hell. Many people will argue that once you´re saved your salvation is eternal and secure. I don´t know the answer but I do know that if you are living in sin you should be very afraid of the wrath of God. I believe the Bible leaves the question of secure salvation somewhat unclear for a reason.

(vv16-18) CORRECT VIEW OF THE FATHER: Do not let the Enemy deceive you into believing that God is anything but perfect and holy. ¨Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.¨ Not only does God give us cool stuff but He has saved us (v18) by the word of truth. Technically said, He has given birth to us. Remember the awesome salvation and call that we have through Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1-3). God is good, let´s not think otherwise.

Conclusion: I believe in summing up this section of scripture it would be fair to say that we need to have a correct view of the Father. Not only during our temptations but during everyday life. Knowing the character of God is vital for believers. When things are looking bad and we have no where else to turn we need to remember that our God has our best interest in mind. Even when it hurts us!

Trials (James 1:1-12)

2009-10-28T09:41:00.006-04:00

James 1:1-12 is all about the trials that we face in life. As believers trials are a reality. Trials come in various forms: financial, other people, accidents, sickness, etc. We all know that life gets hard and trials come, but what´s the purpose behind them? Why doesn´t God just take them away? In this section of James, we have a hand book on trials.

(v2) HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE: Trials are a cause for joy not a cause to feel bad for yourself. We have to be happy during our trials? No! Joy is not always connected with a happy feeling. Joy is knowing that God has our best interest in mind and that He has not lost the power to deal with our problems. It´s kind of related to peace.

(vv3-4) HAVE THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE: Not only should we have joy during our trials but we should have an understanding of what trials do for and in us. Trials produce Endurance: (Hupomone) steadfastness, constancy, endurance, a patient and steadfast waiting for, a patient enduring, sustaining and perservering. Also trials bring a believer to be Complete: (Teleios) brought to it´s end, finished, full-grown, adult, of full age, mature. Without trials we would be lacking in certain areas of our spiritual life.

(vv5-8) KNOW YOUR OPTIONS: Trials can get tough and James tells us that ¨if any of you lacks wisdom (concerning trials), let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach.¨ God will give us the wisdom during our trials if we ask Him in faith. A definition of faith is seeing it the way God does. When we ask we must not doubt and when God gives us the wisdom we must conform our view to His.

(vv9-11) TRIALS SHOW NO FAVORITES: This sections is somewhat difficult to understand but I believe all that James is trying to say is that trials show no favorites. That they fall on both the rich and the poor.

(v12) REWARD: It´s a big help during our trials if we can keep our eyes fixed on the prize. Here James tells us that the man who perserves under trials is blessed. ¨Once he has been approved he will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.¨ This is the same Crown of Life mentioned in Rev 2:10-11. Let us be faithful ¨...even unto death¨ and He will give us the crown of life.

Conclusion: We must know that we shouldn´t always try and find the quick way out of our trials. God just might be trying to perform a work in us. Let´s take the truths from this passage and apply it to our lives today.

New Series of Blogs

2009-10-28T09:31:00.004-04:00

There hasn´t been much new going on lately, therefore I haven´t been putting up any new material on my blog site. However, I´ve been studying through James and I want to post the things I´ve been learning. Not only that but also the things that I will be putting into practice. Many times we read the Bible and discover truths but we don´t change. These 11 posts will stand as helpers for me, not only to remember what I've learned but to remember to live it as well.

The book of James has 11 subjects or themes. So I will be putting up 11 posts over the next couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy and also that you are challenged along with me.

Spanish

2009-09-20T22:46:00.003-04:00

My time here in Arequipa is passing very rapidly. After I finish this next week I will have been in Peru for one month. Learning a new language is one of the hardest things I've ever done. It seems that I have a lot of ups and downs each week. Some days I feel like my Spanish is great and others I can't understand a lick of it. I believe that learning this language has taught me quite a bit, mainly patience. For me it's learning to remain under the frustration of miscommunication and at times no communication. Please pray that God will continue to give me patience and endurance for the race set before me.

Update 9/12/09

2009-09-12T13:48:00.004-04:00

I've been very busy for the past two weeks. My schedule is full of Spanish school and lots of meals with my family. I believe I'm picking up on the language but at times it gets frustrating. Hearing Spanish all the time and not being able to communicate thoroughly and effectively is definitely a chance to learn patience.

Not much new has really been going on here in Peru. I've been making a few friends in the community here and there. It's a good chance for me to practice my Spanish by speaking with them. I've also signed up at a local gym and go there every once in a while to workout. Each week church has the same format and things don't change too much, same songs, same routine, but I enjoy it.

One thing I really like about Peru so far is the fact that everything is so cheap. I bought a nice sock hat last night for $2.33.

Again not much new but I will try and stay updated on the important things going here.

Travels to Peru

2009-08-29T04:09:00.005-04:00

Right now I'm sitting in the Lima, Peru airport waiting to fly to Arequipa. It's been a long day! We flew out from LA yesterday at 1:50pm. We had an 8 hour flight from LA to Lima and are about to leave for Arequipa at 4:30 am.

The past few days have been interesting. Here are a few things that I've been up to. On the 27th we had a Wednesday night youth service at the Nazarene church in LA. I led worship for my first time at this 7 pm service. Also, on the 28th, as an ending note in LA we got a chance to go to Huntington Beach for a few hours. We were able to go swimming and play volleyball with some strangers there. It has been an interesting trip so far and I feel very close to my team, even though I've only known them for about five days now.
Please pray for continual unity and bonding amongst our 40/40 team members.

Fellowship

2009-08-26T01:42:00.003-04:00

Today was a good day! We had class from 9am-12pm then broke for lunch. We then resumed class at about 1:15pm-4pm. Today we focused on communication, travel tips, spiritual gifts, and various other topics. After class we all hung out, played cards, and talked. Then at 6pm we had dinner. My highlight of the day was our devotion at 8pm where Pastor Kevin spent time sharing about his life and also speaking from Genesis 12. After this we spent time praying and sharing together. This really got me excited about the time I will spend with the other 40/40 missionaries. I'm really looking forward to having great fellowship with the other missionaries to Peru.

CCO in LA

2009-08-25T00:36:00.002-04:00

I flew into LA, California yesterday. I'm here for four days at a Cross-Cultural Orientation with the other 40/40 missionaries. It is a basically a crash course for us before we leave for Peru (a few things we should and shouldn't do while we are there). Last night all I did was situate my items and introduce myself to the others that are here. Today, we had class from 10am-12pm. Then we broke for lunch and resumed class from 1pm-5pm. We talked a lot about life in a different culture. We have three more days here until we will ship out to Peru. God is good!

Preach the Gospel

2009-07-15T20:59:00.003-04:00

Once again God has been faithful to reveal things that I need to work on. God calls us all to proclaim the Gospel (life, death, and resurrection of Jesus), however, this isn't always easy. Many times it can be awkward, it can contradict feelings, even bring persecution. No matter what it may bring God calls us to be faithful to preach and to stand firm in our message.

When we present the Gospel we are to be firm in what we believe, unwavering in our commitment to follow Him. We must be clear to those we minister to. We must leave no room for misunderstanding. First it's important to build a bridge in the conversation, a bridge from the physical to the spiritual. Once the bridge is built we must make it clear that people need to repent and get their hearts right with God. They must know that Jesus is the only God, the Only One who can save sinners, and that no one comes to the Father but through Him (John 14:6). They must make Jesus the Lord of all their life. Once people come to know the Lord we must provide follow through for them. They need a place to be plugged in so that they can grow in the Lord and not fall away from the faith.

I thank God for showing me the urgency in sharing the Gospel. I know I don't do it enough but I will push on to the high calling God has placed upon us all.

Be Filled

2009-07-05T10:08:00.002-04:00

Lately God has been teaching me the importance of being filled with His Holy Spirit. John 15:4-5 tells us that the one who abides in Jesus Christ bears much fruit but apart from Him we can do nothing. Also in Philippians 3:3 we see Paul telling those at Philippi that "we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and put no confidence in the flesh." Also in Ephesians 5:18-19 we are commanded to be filled or dominated with the Spirit.

I know for me it's easy to go through the week in my own strength. Living simply the physical life and going through the motions spiritually. Half-heartedly praying or reading my Bible not really thinking about what it means. However, this past week I have really been asking and seeking the Lord for His Holy Spirit. I've been finding out that as I diligently seek God and ask He obliges me. The results are astounding for we see in Galatians 5:22-23 that all good things come from the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).

If you're reading this and you feel like your spiritual life has been dry lately I urge you to diligently ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. He says in Luke 11:9-13 that He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Seek God about this and I know you will start to see a difference in your life.

Peace

2009-06-10T22:54:00.007-04:00

As I lay in bed tonight, I felt the need to write (in the form of a poem) about an experience I had the other day. Over the past couple of days I have been under attacks of doubt and depression concerning my going to Peru. Despite this, God gave a me a very short glimpse of His peace which carries me through all the trial.

It was short but refreshing
It was sweet and nourishing to my soul
I was unsure but not after that moment

It was Your peace...
That which comes down from above
That which surpasses all understanding
It sets my feet straight on Your path
It renews my mind in an instant
All doubt and fear vanish

In the presence of Your peace only things of You can stand
That which is not of You is suddenly wiped away
And with Your peace I will go to this foreign land
With You by my side, hand in hand
Take me to Peru
Amen

Heading to Peru

2009-05-23T10:03:00.002-04:00

This post is coming kind of late. I got a call the other day from an Extreme Nazarene employee telling me that I have been accepted to go to Peru. It's been about 2 months since I first looked into 40/40 and now I know I'm accepted. At first I wasn't 100% sure that Peru was where God wants me but during the interview for this trip I felt like God gave me a peace about it all. To wrap this up I just wanted to let all you who follow this post to know that Peru is the next step of the journey. I'll keep this blog updated as long as I have the ability to do so. I would appreciate your prayers before I leave and especially while I'm down there. Thanks!

Story of the Bible

2009-05-08T01:37:00.003-04:00

The Story of Two Marriages
By: Gary Crites
*The Bible is made up of 66 books, all of which contain various stories. Contrary to popular belief the Bible is a library not a book. However, this library has one main overarching theme. That is the story of two marriages, a love story.
*In the beginning God created the earth, the heavens and all the inhabitants thereof, namely man. Out of all mankind God selected one man, Abraham, through whom He would consecrate one people to be a holy bride for Himself, namely Israel. God chose them, gave them all they had and entered into a holy and eternal relationship with them. However Israel was unfaithful to God time and time again. Their adultery disgusted God so much that He chose to separate Himself for a time from Israel. Because of this separation God instituted another marriage between His Son Jesus and the church. The purpose of this marriage is to make Israel jealous and turn back to God in the end (Revelation).

Marriage One
*The Old Covenant or Old Testament is comprised of 39 books. All of which show the development of God’s chosen bride Israel. We will first see how God created all that exists today. How He made man to be a holy and sinless creature, one that He could have an intimate relationship with. We will see how sin entered into the world and devastated man’s relationship with the LORD. After God created man He went into a selection process (Genesis 12-22) in which He instituted a promise between Himself and Abraham. A promise that through Abraham’s line God would choose a people to be His bride for eternity. After this promise we will see God’s people face a period of 400 years in which they are oppressed and enslaved by the Egyptians (Exodus). After the 400 years is over God will raise up a deliverer, namely Moses, who will set God’s bride free. Once again, God’s people will face various trials and temptations as they trek through the wilderness in search of the Promised Land. During this period God will give His people a three part law in which they are to obey in order to please God. After time well spent in the desert, God’s people eventually arrive in the land and take it over one piece at a time. After a long period of conquering the land, Israel eventually settles down and establishes a temple in which they are to worship. Although Israel is extremely blessed by God she is constantly in a cycle of sin and adultery. As a function of God’s grace He gave His bride warnings and time to repent. Through the prophets God warned Israel of coming judgment if she did not get her act together. God gave Israel more than her share of chances to repent, however, she forsook God and hardened her heart towards Him. God eventually divorced Israel and sought another way to get His beloved bride to come back to Him.
*The first book of the Bible is Genesis or Bereshit in Hebrew. It is written by Moses, God’s chosen man to deliver Israel out from under Egypt’s slavery. This book tells us of a number of historical events such as the following: creation, the fall, the flood, the biography of Abraham, the roots of God’s bride Israel, etc. In the first chapter of Genesis we see that God created the earth and all that is in it. He created light, water, plants, animals, fish, sky, and everything we see around us today. Although all of this is important, in chapter two we see God create something very special, something in His own image, someone named man. The account of the first person created was that of a man named Adam. God created Adam a holy and sinless creation, one that He could have an intimate relationship with. After God made Adam He placed him in a Garden called Eden (Genesis 2:8). The only instructions God gave to Adam upon putting him in the Garden was to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17). Although Adam was created to have a relationship with God, God realized that it was not good for Adam to be alone so He created a suitable helper for him, a woman named Eve (Genesis 2:18). This relationship was perfect and holy because it was created by God and under His submission. Although the relationship was perfect, man did manage to find a way to destroy it. A character named the Serpent enters the scene in Genesis 3:1 and tricks Eve into eating from the tree which God commanded Adam not to eat (Gen 3:3). Eve obliged and gave some fruit to her husband as well and he ate (Gen 3:6). Immediately their eyes were opened and they knew both good and evil (Gen 3:7). God, being holy and not able to cohabitate with sin was moved to push Adam and Eve from the Garden. This is the account of the creation and the fall.
*In Genesis twelve through twenty-two we see the beginning of God’s selection of Israel as His chosen Bride. We could call this the engagement period of the first marriage (1850 BCE). In this section of Scripture God makes nine promises with Abraham concerning Israel. In the first promise (Gen 12:1-3) God tells Abraham that he will become the father of many nations, but first God wanted Abraham to leave the land he was living in and move to a land that God would show him, later known as Canaan. In the second promise (Gen 12:7) God tells Abraham that He will give the land to his descendants (the 12 tribes). In promise three (Gen 13:14-17) God’s reinforces the fact that He will give the land to Abraham’s descendants, yet not only will He give the land to them but He also tells Abraham that they will possess it forever. In promise four (Gen 15:5) God tells Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the sky. In promise five (Gen 15:13-16) the tone changes from positive to negative when God tells Abraham that his descendants will be enslaved for four hundred years. Promise six (Gen 15:18-21) maps out the land that God will give to Israel. In promise seven (Gen 17:1-21) God explains the covenant He will make in much more detail. In promise eight (Gen 21:12-13) God promises Abraham a child named Isaac. God tells Abraham that through Isaac his descendants will be named. The last promise God gave in this selection process is in Genesis 22:16-18. God promises and swears by His name that He will greatly bless and multiply Abraham’s descendants. In this section it is very clear that God will create His covenant, an everlasting covenant with Israel. This is the account of God’s selection of Israel.
*In Exodus (Shemot in Hebrew), the second book of the Bible, we see the fifth promise of God to Abraham come true (Genesis 15:13-16). The Israelites are enslaved by the Egyptians for a 400 year period. Although this goes on God never forgets His promises or His people. In Exodus chapters one through three we see God raising a leader to deliver the Israelites, his name is Moses, the author of the first five books of the Bible. After Moses is trained God sends him on a mission to retrieve Israel (Exodus 4-11). Pharaoh is most obviously opposed to this idea and hardens his heart towards God and His messenger Moses. Because of this God sends ten plagues to devastate the nation of Egypt, each plague proving the Egyptian gods to be powerless. After the tenth plague Pharaoh decides to let Israel go and Moses then leads them out into the wilderness on a forty year journey which will eventually take them to the Promised Land, a place called Canaan.
*During the long journey God gave Israel a three part law in which they were to obey in order to please God (1500BCE). The law consists of civil, criminal, and constitutional codes of law. The civil code is found in Exodus and Numbers. This code of law instructed Israel on how to live while on the camping trip in the desert. The criminal code found exclusively in Leviticus is a series of sacrifices. This code was a method of worship and atonement of sins for the Jewish people. Lastly, the constitutional code found in Exodus 20-23 and Deuteronomy gave Israel their identity, it’s what made a Jew a Jew.
*During the wilderness journey the Israelites became rebellious and exceedingly sinful. They were given many chances to repent and turn from their wicked and adulterous ways, however, they decided to live in their sin and forsake God. Because of this God made Israel wander in the desert for forty years until the whole generation that came up out of Egypt died off. Their sin had cut them off from entering the Promised Land. However, their children, if obedient would inherit the land and experience the promises that God made to Abraham back in Genesis.
*Upon close arrival to the land of Canaan Moses, God’s chosen leader of Israel, died and did not enter Canaan due to his sin in Numbers 20:11. Along the camping trip Moses had been preparing a leader named Joshua. Moses knew that his time was short and that he would have to pass on the leadership to another after he was gone. This is the account of the slavery and deliverance of God’s bride Israel.
*In Joshua we see the account of Israel entering, conquering, and dividing Canaan. Entering Canaan is the first section of Joshua. This section starts in chapter one and goes through chapter five. It gives us the account of the Israelites entering the land of Canaan. At the beginning of chapter one we see Joshua has now assumed command of God’s people and is ready to lead them into Canaan. In chapter two Joshua sends people to spy out the land so they know what to expect. In chapter three after they cross the Jordan River they finally set foot in the Promised Land. This is the climax of the first section of Joshua. In the second section, conquering Canaan (Joshua 6-12), we see the judgment God brings on the nations that are living in Canaan via His people Israel. The nations that lived in Canaan upon Israel’s arrival were exceedingly sinful and the time had come for their removal from the land. This is the part of the book where Israel takes hold of the land God has for His bride. It paints a beautiful picture of a marriage in which God sweeps His bride off of her feet and takes her home to the place that He has prepared for her. This marks the account of the inheritance of Israel.
*Although God had selected Israel (Genesis 12-22), delivered her (Exodus), and given her an inheritance (Joshua), she still forsook God and chose a life of adultery and sin. The book of Hosea sets up the picture of Israel’s sin for us in a very graphic yet understandable way. God told Hosea to marry a prostitute in Hosea chapter one and Hosea obeyed God. The prostitute went on being an unfaithful wife yet Hosea remained a faithful husband. God used this as a picture of Israel in the mid 700’s BCE. Although it is ahead of the time of the Judges (1300-1050BCE), it sets up the scenario for the book of Judges. In the book of Judges we see the infidelity of Israel. We will see how Israel’s sin hurts God, yet in the midst of their sin God is still willing to help His bride.
In the book of Judges there are seven cycles of sin. Each cycle includes the following pattern: sin, slavery or servitude, supplication or prayer, deliverer or deliverance, and peace or rest. The ironic thing is that seven is the number of completion and that is the number of the sin cycles in Judges. During this period of Israel’s history God raises up 13 judges or leaders for Israel. Each judge acts as an agent of God’s grace in this sinful period of Israel’s life. Towards the middle of each sin cycle Israel is either in slavery or servitude to another nation. The judges that God raises up will the deliver Israel from her oppressors. This part of Israel’s life is very important. It shows us God’s faithfulness to His bride Israel. Even though she was not true to Him he was and has always been true to her. This section of Israel’s life foreshadows the need of the second marriage. Since God’s love, faithfulness, and wrath were not enough for Israel to straighten up, God will eventually have to institute another method to get His bride back. This marks the account of Israel’s adultery.
*After the period of the Judges (1300-1050 BCE), Israel seems to be in a downward spiral of self-destruction. Israel does not want to rely on God to be her leader so she asks for a king to lead her instead. We see in 1 Samuel eight that Israel demands that God give her a king. God gives her what she asks for although He knows it would be better if they chose Him as their Captain. The period after the Judges is known as the United Kingdom period and spans from 1050-928 BCE (1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Kings 1-11). The United Kingdom period is defined as the time when both Southern and Northern Israel function under the rule of one king. After 928 BCE both the Southern and Northern Kingdom split and are ruled over by two different kings. The United Kingdom period is comprised of three main kings, Saul, David and Solomon (found mainly in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Kings 1-11). Saul is the first king and he seems to be a promising man (1 Samuel 9-15). He has all of the promising physical characteristics. He even starts off with a great walk with the LORD. However, he ends up in a downward spiral of sin and disobedience to God. During the reign of Saul God starts to raise a young shepherd boy named David to take the throne (1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel). Although he’s small in stature and not physically the ideal king, he’s God’s anointed king. Eventually, around 1000 BCE, David takes the throne and rules for about forty years. David is pronounced a man after God’s own heart and is even promised by God that Messiah would come through his line. This is again foreshadowing a need for the second marriage or new covenant. After David, his son Solomon takes over the throne and is extremely blessed by God in the beginning of his reign (1 Kings 1-11). God lavishes on him wisdom, power and wealth. Yet sadly, Solomon is eventually taken down by his lust for women who serve foreign gods. He reigns for about a forty year period and then dies a sad death due to his severed relationship to God. All three kings constitute the United Kingdom period and are all recorded in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Kings 1-11. This marks the account of the United Kingdom.
*From the year 928 until about 430 BCE about half of the books in the Old Testament were written. This is the period of the Divided Kingdom, more specifically the time when Northern Israel and Southern Israel (Judah) split. Part of Israel’s sin included that they did not give their land the Sabbatical rest that God commanded every seventh year. For seventy Sabbatical years they did not give the land rest, therefore God chose to have Israel carted off to other countries for a four hundred and ninety year period so the land would have the rest it needed. In Daniel nine we see the prophecy of the four hundred and ninety year captivity period. In the year 722 BCE the Assyrians came against Northern Israel and took them into captivity. After this only Southern Israel (Judah) was left standing. Even though Judah survived God did not remove their judgment from them. In 606 BCE the first wave of Babylonians came against Judah, then a second in 597 BCE, and lastly a third wave in 586 BCE took them out for good. This completed the captivity of Judah.
*In this period God poured out so much revelation on His people through the prophets. God showed them their sin and disobedience and even gave them many chances to come to repentance. About half of the Old Testament is made up of the prophets which were written during this period. There are a total of four Major Prophets and 12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Almost all of the Major Prophets are written during the time and perspective of the captivity. The Minor Prophets were written mainly after the captivity but still in the time of the Divided Kingdom. The prophets are a great picture of God’s grace toward His people. They show us that God wants to live in peace with His bride and that He wants the best for them. This marks the period of the Divided Kingdom.
*In the end of the Old Testament God eventually leaves the temple in Jerusalem and divorces His bride Israel for a while. God will then institute another marriage that which is portrayed in the New Testament between His Son Jesus and the church. The purpose of this is to make His people Israel jealous and turn back to Him in the end (Revelation). Although God separates from His people for a short time the Old Testament writings show us a great picture of who God is. Although He judges, He does so to bring us closer to Him. Although there are penalties He institutes them for our benefit. He is a loving God that wants the best for us. This marks the account of the second marriage.

Marriage Two
*Marriage two was alluded to many times in the Old Testament. It would be the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 49-55). Since we’ve looked at Israel’s past and have seen their unfaithfulness to God (Hosea), we understand why God will institute another marriage to bring His people Israel back to Him.
*Marriage two is also known as the new covenant or New Testament. In this marriage God sent His Son Jesus to earth, to live, to die, and rise again. This was the initiation of a beautiful relationship between Jesus and what would later be known as the church. During Jesus’ ministry He chose twelve main disciples, ones whom He would teach and train. They would later become leaders or founders if you will in the church that we have come to know, even today. This marriage is unique in the fact that it replaces the old criminal code back in the book of Leviticus. No longer are sacrifices offered to God (Leviticus) because Jesus is our sacrifice. Also, Jesus allows us direct access to the throne room God. Proof of this is in Matthew 27:51 when the veil was torn. This was a sign that we would now have direct access to God, no longer would a priest have to mediate for us but only the High Priest Jesus Christ. Not only does the new covenant promise eternal life and salvation but also a relationship with the Lord in which we are cleaned and sanctified. This sanctification process (Romans 6-8) is one of the factors that will make Israel jealous leading to their return to the LORD in the end of the age (Revelation).
*In the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), also known as the Gospels, we see the initiation of the second marriage. We see the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus the very Son of God, born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-25), is the mediator of the second covenant, the One through whom we have direct access to the Father. Jesus’ main ministry does not start until He is about thirty years of age. Although His ministry only lasts for about three years, Jesus fulfills all of the Messianic prophecies and characteristics that are in Isaiah forty-nine through fifty-five and other O.T. passages. During Jesus’ ministry He has twelve main friends or disciples, those of which He will eventually trust with starting His church. When Jesus reached the age of 33 His ministry started to create much controversy. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not particularly fond of Jesus since He taught things contrary to their belief and the belief of that day. Eventually Jesus was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to crucifixion, one of the worst ways to die in that time. It’s important for us to know that Jesus completed life as a sinless and holy being, if this were not true than He can not be our perfect and holy sacrifice and the Christian faith would be void. Jesus carried out the sentence in obedience to God’s plan to redeem all mankind. By dying on the cross Jesus took the sins of the world upon Him and became the one-size-fits-all sacrifice which offers salvation to all of mankind. That is, for all who would call on His name and choose to make Him Lord over ALL of their life. This marks the initiation of the second marriage.
*The Apostles (now eleven after Judas betrayed Jesus and hung Himself) were the main founders of what is known as the church today. Jesus entrusted His disciples with the responsibility and privilege of starting His church. Most of the records of the Apostles journeys in starting the church are recorded in the book of Acts. After Judas hung himself, Jesus appeared to a man named Saul (Acts 9:3-9), later known as Paul, and commissioned him to be a disciple. Paul became one of the main founders of the church. He is credited with being the first apostle to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles. He also wrote thirteen epistles in the New Testament, most of which are to churches that he started. Although Paul boosted the church in its early stages, all of the other disciples were also very key in the transmission of the Gospel. It’s important to know that almost every one of the disciples died a horrible death for what they believed in. The Christian faith, or the second marriage, is based on the testimony of believer after believer that was willing to pay the price because they knew that their life had been changed by Jesus. This marks the early phases of the transmission of the Gospel.
*Contrary to popular belief the church DOES NOT replace Israel’s role. God instituted the church as a means to make Israel return to Him. The relationship between Jesus and the church is the picture we should follow for forming a marriage in the way it should be. To be considered part of the church you must first accept Jesus as Lord over all of your life and then allow Him to work in your life daily to clean and sanctify you. In the end times (Revelation), we see that Jesus comes for His bride. The whole time up to the end He prepares her, justifies her, and sanctifies her for the purpose of presenting her before the Father as a pure and spotless bride. This marks the definition and characteristics of the church.

The Conclusion
*The story of the Bible is simple, yet at the same time all of the issues involved in the context of the overarching theme can become rather overwhelming. The Bible is a practical tool useful in everyday life (2 Timothy 3:16) not a book of old stories and fairy tales. The stories given illustrate principles that show how to deal with life, people, problems, and much more. God wants us to know His Word. He wants you to know that if you follow the rules and instructions in it you will live the most fulfilling and exciting life imaginable. Know God’s Word so you can know Him!

Final Exam

2009-05-05T15:22:00.003-04:00

Today I took my final exam here at GCBI. It was 67 questions followed by an essay in which we were to explain the story of the Bible in 6 hours. The only reason I tell you this is because I am going to post my essay in hopes that it might be helpful to some of you regular viewers. Since not all of the student are done I won't post it until after Thursday at midnight when the paper is due. Hope you enjoy it!

Coming to a Close

2009-05-03T19:26:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been 9 months. Time really does fly by. I can't believe it was 9 months ago that I first set foot in Sebring, FL. When I came to Sebring it looked like such a long time to spend away from home but looking back I can only wonder where the time went. It's truly been a life transforming year for me. If you can spend a year in God's Word and not be changed by it than something is wrong. I've finished this step of my life, but the question is, where will He take me next? Maybe Peru, maybe not, all I can say is that He knows what He's doing. He's doing something, something mysterious and beautiful. He's changing me. He's conforming me to be more and more like Him everyday. Father, thank you that you have an amazing plan for all who choose to follow you.

I want to thank everyone who made this step in my life possible, especially Mom and Dad. I couldn't have done it without you guys, you mean the world to me, I love you. Everyone else who stood and stands behind me I thank you. I hope that my life is an encouragment to all who are around me, a testimony that God can change anyone. Thanks again!

Simplify My Walk LORD

2009-04-19T20:42:00.002-04:00

Today will go down as one of those life changing days that only happen every once in a while. I don't know about you, but for me it's easy to make my walk with God way too complicated. My prayer lately is that God would simplify my walk with Him. The answer to that prayer came in a simple package but that simplicity had a great affect.

Today at the second sermon Pastor Randy preached on 2 Timothy 4. I won't take time to break down the passage but the punchline of the message was that believers should focus on 3 keys in their walk with God. 1.) People 2.) The Word 3.) Intimacy with God. This is simple I know, but for me it's what I needed to hear. I'm over here worrying about petty issues in my walk with the LORD when I'm neglecting the necessities to sustain a powerful relationship with Him. God's intention was never to make things confusing for us. I pray that you too can rest in the simple but strong faith that God has called us to as believers

Prayer for Peru

2009-03-27T15:06:00.002-04:00

I'm finally back again. Once again it's been a while since I've last posted. I've been rather undisciplined at blogging consistently. Anyways, I've been praying a lot about God's leading after GCBI. It's coming to a close soon and I need to know where God will have me next.

Just the other day my Mom called me and told me about a mission called 40/40. It's a mission out of Extreme Nazarene and their goal is to plant 120 churches within an 18 month period. There will be 40 pairs of missionaries. Each pair consists of 1 American and 1 Peruvian. I started reading up on it and almost started crying. I believe God gave me a burden for it in that moment in time so I ended up applying and am currently awaiting a response from them.

If I get accepted I'll spend 3 months learning Spanish. Then 6 months of missionary training. Lastly 18 months of mission work in which I and my Peruvian partner will plant 3 churches.

If you read this and God gives you a nudging to pray for me, please do so. This is a big commitment for me and I'll need lots of prayer to back me up. Thanks!

Israel Report

2009-03-03T15:23:00.006-05:00

The Israel trip was amazing. I've considered posting about each individual day but I don't want to do that. Only for organization and time sake. However the trip was beneficial to me for a few reasons.

It gave me a better view of the culture. When we read the Bible we tend to put our culture to it. We have to remember that it was written by the Jewish people. They live much differently than we do. When we learn their ways we can interpret Scripture much more accurately.

It brought the Word to life. Reading and studying have went from standard television to HDTV. When you actually see the places and experience them first-hand it adds color to the Bible. Knowing that you saw the sight and smelled the smells somehow helps you to relate with the writer.

Lastly and most important is that it gave me more of a desire to learn the Word of God. Going into Israel I wished that I had spent more time studying and learning God's Word. To learn the significance of the people and places. Since coming back I've been studying the Word more diligently. I've almost wrapped up the New Testament and will start the Old Testament after I finish.

For more pictures of the trip check out my Facebook page.

Israel Trip

2009-02-16T12:46:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted anything in over a month. I feel like I had a period where God was revealing things to me and now is the time for application. He gave me more than a few things to work on and I'm still learning to apply those lessons.

Tomorrow at 5:30 A.M. we leave for Israel. I feel excited and humbled that I get the opportunity to go. I'm very excited about all that I'll learn there. After the trip I'll be putting up posts and hopefully pictures of my experiences in the Holy Land.

Back 2 School

2009-01-13T22:41:00.002-05:00

Today was my first day of class for the Spring semester. I've been surprisingly excited about coming back to school and learning again. Today we went over Jude and Obadiah and I have to admit, I knew very little about either of them. We spent six hours in these two books and it was refreshing to receive the truth of God's Word. I'm excited about starting off this new semester. I believe that over break God has matured me more in the faith and I am starting to appreciate Him and His Word more and more each day. The one thing that does disappoint me about this place is that it's very hard to find a place to spend quiet time with the Lord. It's so crucial that each day I spend time in His presence so that He can transform me to be more like Him. I'm going to have to be more creative and find an escape so I can spend time with the Maker. God bless you, and I ask God that these posts will be a blessing and encouragement to you.

Memorizing Scripture

2009-01-09T23:00:00.002-05:00

Break is coming to a close very soon because school starts back up this Tuesday(13th). God knew that this break was just what I needed. It's hard living with 11 other students in very close quarters and it wore on me quite a bit. I needed this break to have a fresh touch from the Holy Spirit in my life. God's been teaching me so much over the past month that it's been somewhat overwhelming. The newest lesson/ prompting He has put within me is to memorize more Scripture. I'm starting in Proverbs and am just going to start from chapter 1 memorizing as much as I can. I'm going to write 7 verses at a time on a half sheet of paper and carry it with me throughout the day for maximum memorization. It's important to hide His Word within our hearts and there are three huge benefits from it (There are more, I'm only listing three). If we memorize His Word we will have more Scripture on hand for encouraging, exhorting, reproving, correcting and rebuking others (2 Timothy 3:16 and 4:2). Also we will be more grounded in truth and not as susceptible to believing false doctrine (Ephesians 4:14). Lastly and most importantly we can fight the enemy with the Word (Ephesians 6:17). Keep in mind that it's our only spiritual Weapon. If we take a deeper look at Matthew 4:1-11 we'll see that Jesus fought satan with the Word. He didn't argue or reason with the devil. All He did was simply correct the lies with truth and the enemy fled Him.

I hope you take the time to seek God in prayer concerning this matter. God is trying to raise up a generation of warriors for His sake. I don't want to miss out because of a lack of discipline.

Back 2 Florida

2009-01-04T21:36:00.004-05:00

Well...Christmas break is almost over and no longer am I in Ohio. I left at 3 in the morning on the 3rd of this month for Venice, Florida. My family is staying here for a month but I'll only be able to stay for a week because college starts back up on the 13th. I'm actually excited to go back and continue growing in my relationship with the Lord.

Concerning my post on the voice of God. I have been spending more time in quiet solitude, trying to hear His voice. Although I feel like I haven't broke any ground, I do believe He's telling me to be disciplined in it and then it will bear fruit. If you are reading this post I encourage you to seek the Lord in this manner. It is absolutely crucial to be able to decipher the voice of God over the loud voice of the world. He wants us to hear Him, but great things rarely come easy.

His Voice

2008-12-25T13:57:00.003-05:00

Over the period of about two weeks I believe that God has been telling me to quiet down and listen for His voice. I believe very strongly that God is actively speaking to His people but we aren't taking the time to listen to what He has to say. The interesting thing is that two days ago I met with my discipleship partner and God has been teaching him the same thing. Not only was it neat that he had been hearing the same thing but it was also a confirmation that it was God telling me that I needed to do this thing. Then just yesterday I was at my friends house and I just happened to see a picture that said: "Take the time to hear God's quiet voice in a world that speaks so loudly."

All this said, I know that God wants to commune with His children in deeper ways. Yet the question is, are we willing to be quiet and take the time to hear Him speak? From now on during my time with Him I'm going to make it a priority to quiet down and listen.

Pray

2008-11-28T23:33:00.004-05:00

Christmas break is coming up soon and my time left here in Sebring, Florida is short. Even though I'm ready to leave, I'm still plugging away at my studies and ministries that I'm involved in. Lately, I've been helping out with youth group at the Way Church with Chris Ogden. Most of the kids in attendance there are unsaved, and God has laid a burden on my heart for them. There's a group of 5 that I've been investing a decent deal of time in. I've been trying to build strong relationships with them so that they can see what it means to be a Christian. They're obviously spiritually lost, but I know that I serve a God who works miracles. I'm a walking testimony of how He can change a heart of stone into one that is full of love for Him. I'm trusting and praying that God will move in their hearts and draw them to Him. Whether He decides to use me or someone else is no matter, I just want to see them experience the fullness of knowing Christ.

So if you're reading this blog please shout out a prayer to our Heavenly Father who is in control of all things. Pray that Roberto, Jesse, Joel, Josh, and Adrian will come to truly know the Lord. Yet, remember that it's His will and not our own. Thanks!

Been A While

2008-11-05T11:13:00.004-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've sat down and wrote something on this page. I'm kind of tired of blogging. There's been a lot that has happened in between now and the last post. One of the biggest events was the Men's Retreat in Daytona Beach, Florida. We stayed at an ocean-side resort for two days and had discussions about male maturity. As far as class goes I've been learning a lot of cool stuff. The past couple weeks we have been going through the books of Acts, Romans, and Ephesians. I wish it was possible for me to post some of things I've learned but I don't have enough time in the day to type it. Today we have class at 1:30-4:30 and we are starting 1 Corinthians.

Fall Ministry Tour

2008-10-18T22:46:00.006-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted something. I feel like I've been so busy. This month is crammed for me. On the 25th, I'm running a manual labor ministry. This involves organizing kids from other churches to come help work for other families. Also on the 26th, we have the fall festival at Grace Church. I'm running the scooter race and I have to decorate my table for that event.

I write to you from a strangers home in Virginia Beach. For those of you that don't know, I've been on GCBI's fall ministry tour since the 10th of this month. In short, it's time spent travelling from state to state, getting involved in different ministries. This tour has been very interesting so far. We started our tour in Atlanta, Georgia and spent three days there. On our first night we went out on the town. We went to the underground mall and ate at Johnny Rockets. The next day we went to Explorations in Antiquity, a museum which teaches and explains biblical history and customs. It was very interesting to see live models of the tents and buildings that the Israelites used to live in. On Sunday, we went to Northpoint Community Church, after which we went to the International House of Prayer (IHOP). On Monday morning we departed for Maryland. We went to the River Valley Ranch, a summer camp for younger kids. It was definitely one of the most beautiful places I've seen in a while. We spent our whole three days there doing manual labor. We weedwacked, bailed hail, organized, and cleaned. It was fun to get outside and do something with all the energy I had built up. Next was Philly, Pennsylvania. We were at Urban Hope for only a day and a half (Urban Hope is an inner city ministry designed to reach out to the downtown community). The only thing we really did in Philly was help out at a youth event called Rock. Today was spent driving to Virginia Beach and tomorrow we're going to a Korean Church. The tour ends on the 22nd and I'm not sure what we have planned for the rest of the trip. Overall this has been a good experience for me, not only to get away from Sebring but also for bonding with the other team members.

Dream of the Sword

2008-10-07T08:53:00.004-04:00

Over the last two weeks I've been feeling defeated. I've been wanting to go home and have been just plain discouraged.

Last night I had a dream that I was fighting in a battle. I was swinging my Sword like crazy but not doing much damage because it was dull. Because of this I was getting tired out quickly and even discouraged. When I woke up this morning it hit me. I really believe that this dream has spiritual significance and this is my interpretation: I need to have a better handle on the Word in order to fight these spiritual battles. This has to be the reason I've been feeling the way I have been lately.This dream has encouraged me to fine tune my Sword so I can fight with efficiency. Pray that God will help me sharpen my only spiritual Weapon.

Daniel

2008-10-01T23:32:00.004-04:00

Today was a good day. We missed class on Tuesday so we made it up today. We had class from 9:30-12:30 and 1:30-4:30. Daniel was the book of choice and we covered the prophetic portion of it. There were so many facts thrown out and I think I only took in about 5% of the information but that's ok, I got the important concepts. It's so cool to see how God used Daniel to tell about future nations and events that he had never heard of or seen (Daniel 2 and 7). It's reassuring to see this and definitely a good argument for someone who does not believe the Bible.

On another note. If you've been following my blogs you'll know that I've been feeling rather BLUE. Today was a better day for me. I actually just got a new electric guitar and have been playing quite a bit. This is a good therapy for me and has helped me to detach from the chaos that goes on around me at times. Please continue to pray that God will continue to create an even greater desire in me for Him and His Word. Have a super day.

Crazy Day

2008-09-28T01:04:00.006-04:00

Today was by far the most productive and busy day I've had while I've been at GCBI. This morning at 8 am I met a homeless man who was in need of help. He had left Colorado Springs, Colorado to come see his girlfriend in Sebring. A long story short, he ended up getting kicked out of her house, so he had been homeless for two days. He needed a ride to Tampa Bay so he could pick up his check from Burger King. Once he cashed the check he would get a bus-ride to his home town(Colorado Springs, Colorado). I told him that I had other obligations and that I would meet up with him at around 6 pm. I then went to Billy's house and pulled bushes for him. I finished at 9:30 am then went to work at the Campaign for Florida. I started at 10 am and finished at about 3:30 pm. After work I came back, got cleaned up, and took the homeless man(Sam) to Taco Bell. When I sat down he kept asking me if I'd take him to Tampa. At first I told him no, but then I felt like God wanted me to do it. In short I took him. The whole deal ended up well. Obviously God had been working in his heart already and he was willing to get right with God. We had good spiritual conversation and I was able to encourage him. He did end up getting his check and even payed me for my gas. I didn't get back into town until 10:30 pm. On the way back to the institute I stopped by Billy's house again, and we watched Facing the Giants. Now I'm back and ready to go to bed. It's been a good day, and I thank God that He allowed me to do some work for Him.

Thoughts

2008-09-25T20:50:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately. Not just thoughts of my financial situations and things going on around me, but more importantly thoughts of spiritual matters. I can't always put a word to what I'm thinking, but I feel it has something to do with if I'm where God wants me to be and if I'm pleasing Him. I often think about my future and get discouraged at times. Honestly, I have no idea where I'm going. I don't want to spend my life doing concrete work, it just doesn't mean anything to me. I want to please God in what I do, but I'm fearful that at the end I'll have threw away my opportunities.

"I know I screw things up all the time, but God please guide me where You want me to be. I understand that life is meaningless without purpose that comes from You. I understand that I can do absolutely nothing without Your power. If You do not lead me where You want me to be, my life will have been a waste. Yet, I trust You with my life. Even though I have these feelings and these thoughts, I stand on Your promises. You are a good God, and You say that I can trust Your character. Don't forget Your servant."

Standing Stones

2008-09-23T17:34:00.003-04:00

Today in class we were talking about how in the biblical time period people used standing stones to mark their property, or mark places where God had done some really cool things in their lives. The way we apply this to our lives is that we need to set standing stones(not literal) at important intervals in our lives. A standing stone for me at this point in my life would be that I'm really confused about my spiritual walk right now. I feel like I know so little of the Word, and that has me down. I don't know where I'm at or where I'm heading, but that's ok because I know God is in control. It will be nice to look back at this blog by the end of the year and see how God has taken me so far beyond my current condition. So I praise God in advance for where He has me now, and trust Him to do His work.

Busy Day

2008-09-22T19:44:00.003-04:00

Today was very busy for me. I woke up at 7 this morning and spent time with the Lord. I then ran errands and put some money in my checking account. At 10 Brian and I went to the Hilkert residence and pulled weeds until 12:30. After this I took our trash to the recycling bins. Then I headed back to the Hilkerts and worked until 3. I went back to the institute, got cleaned up, and left to work at the Campaign for Florida at 4. It started raining at 6:30 so I wasn't able to finish my route. I feel like I was able to accomplish a lot today and now it's nice to sit and relax.

The Book of Ruth

2008-09-18T14:43:00.003-04:00

Today in class we covered the entire book of Ruth. I never knew that the main character of Ruth is Naomi. The principle of the whole book is that we need to hold things with an open hand, because when we hold on to things too tightly it hurts when God takes them from us. Naomi held her identity in her family, her dreams, and her future.

Chapter 1

When God took it all from her she was bitter towards the LORD. We see four things in verses 1-5 that God may take from us if He pleases.

He may take away the prosperity of our land. In verse 1 we see that there was a famine in the land. This type of famine means that the land had not received the former and latter rains which are crucial for crop development.The former rains are from Sept.-Nov. The latter rains are during Spring. Since this was the case, Naomi and her family were forced to move from Bethlehem to Moab. Moab is approximately 1,000 ft higher than Bethlehem, therefore it is wetter.
The LORD may take the love of our life. In verse 3 we see that Naomi's husband Elimelech (my God is King) was taken from her.
God may take our dreams. Verse 4 shows that Naomi's sons married Moabite women. This detail is very subtle, but the fact that her sons did not marry Israelite women was a big deal to her. Therefore, her dream for her sons to marry good Israelite women was taken from her.
God may take our future. Verse 5 shows that both her sons died. It's ironic however that her sons were names Mahlon (wasting, referring to a flesh-eating disease) and Chilion (puny). However, her sons represent her future.

In verses 6-13 we see the four reactions of Naomi. You'll see that the reactions of Naomi are probably similar to how we would react in hard times such as this.

She returned to what was familiar to her. In verse 6 we see that she returned from Moab to Bethlehem. Most times when we are deeply hurt we will leave what we aren't used to and go back to what we're comfortable with.
She pushed those she needed away. In verse 8 she tells both of her daughter-in-laws to go back to their homes.
She grieved. Verse 9 paints a sad scene where Naomi, Ruth (friend), and Orpah are grieving together.
She sought validation. In verse 13 Naomi asks questions in such a way that she is seeking validation for her choice to push Ruth and Orpah away.

In verses 14-18 we see how Ruth (friend) is true to her name.

In verse 14 Ruth is a crying shoulder for Naomi.
In verse 16 Ruth tells Naomi to stop asking her to leave. Ruth has made up her mind that she will stay with Naomi.
Verses 16-17 shows that Ruth makes a deep promise to Naomi that she will stick with her until death.

The end of Chapter 1 is important because Naomi comes out with her real feelings. When she arrives to Bethlehem she is met by some people who ask "Is this Naomi?". She says do not call me Naomi (pleasant one), but Mara (bitter). This is a crucial point because now shes being honest with her feelings. The last point I'd like to show is that In the beginning of Chapter 1 we start with a famine and we end with a harvest in verse 22. This represents Naomi's life, right now her life is like a famine, but the harvest foreshadows that things will turn around for her.

Chapter 2

This chapter begins by giving us a glimpse of what God is going to do through Elimelech's kinsman, Boaz (in him is strength). Naomi's real problem was that she had property on her hands, but she could not redeem it by law without a male heir. She could not plant, harvest, or do anything worth while to her property until she had a male heir.

We see in verse 3 that Ruth goes to the fields to glean. In a short while she meets Boaz and he shows her favor by allowing her to harvest in the middle of his field (in those days the owner of the field could only harvest the middle; the outskirts of the field were left for the poor to harvest).

Chapter 3

The main idea of chapter 3 is that Boaz grows a greater respect for Ruth. They become closer and she makes a proposal to him. The proposal is for him to redeem Naomi's property. She does this by going to the threshing floor at night, uncovering Boaz's feet, and putting some of the cover on herself. He then says that he will accept if the closest relative does not redeem her.

Chapter 4

This chapter starts off with Boaz holding a meeting at the city gate. Boaz was actually part of the city council. During the meeting he asks the closest relative if he will redeem Naomi's property and with it he must take Ruth the Moabitess. An interesting fact here is how Boaz trys to describe Ruth as an undesirable asset by making sure to include that she is a Moabitess (he probably did this because Ruth was pleasant and he wanted to be the redeeme).. Had he said she was an Israelite the closest relative probably would have accepted the deal. Boaz ends up redeeming Naomi's property and taking Ruth. Through her he had Obed (the work).

Overview

Is our identity wrapped in the wrong things? For example: girl/boyfriend, money, clothes, cars, material possessions. We need to check ourselves here. If this is the case we need to do an evaluation and ask God to be our identity, because when the time comes that He needs to take those things away it won't hurt as much. Also it will be a chance to glorify Him. God doesn't bring pain without a purpose. If he takes something from you it's becaue He has something better in store. Amen!

Seeking His Face

2008-09-16T13:40:00.001-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been rough for me so I decided to start a fast. Since Sunday night I've been fasting. Not only am I expecting my spirit to be empowered, but I want to know God in a deeper way through this. During this time I'm yielding two things that I really enjoy: food and weightlifting. I want to show God that I'm yielding all areas of my life to Him, not just a few that I don't mind giving up. It's nice to spend time with the Lord during the times I would normally be eating or lifting.