You know I have been so blessed that sometimes it just seems a little unfair. It almost seems like God is doing so much for me I feel like he might be forgetting someone else. One of the biggest blessings of late is the teachers he has surrounded me with.
From my pastor, friend, mentor and Christian brother Pastor G to the amazing crew on Gilpin #9 to the awesome team at George Wythe HS (GWHS) I am surrounded by some of the most wonderful teachers in the world.
Starting from the top I’ve noticed a definite shift in Pastor G’s last few teachings and it’s been a wonderful learning experience for me personally. The more I hear him speak of doing God’s work with all your heart and soul the more proud I am to serve under him. I never fail to not learn a valuable lesson from him. And it don’t matter if he’s behind the pulpit, picking up trash in a bus neighborhood on a cold rainy day or threatening to punch out the next person who disrespects one of his leaders. I am truly honored to be a servant of the man God has placed over me.
I think we could all stand to be better servants of whomever god places over us. I know no one is perfect, but I’m not talking about perfection. I’m talking about doing your best. And that is never judged by what you do in relation to what others do, but by what you do in relation to what you could have done. One day we’ll all look back over our lives and I for one never want to look back with anything other than a smile and a feeling that I did my best.
Another great teacher of mine is my bus captain Jason “The Dean” Helmlinger. Although I don’t get to see him as much any more and that makes me a little sad I have learned so much from this man. From what it takes to be a great family man and a wonderful husband to what true loyalty and friendship means. And talk about a servant this is one that God himself must look on with very fond eyes. Every time I see him with Mandy, his boys and his little ladies in tow I’m amazed at the love and devotion I see in this spiritual leader of his house. Not to mention he will defend them in a mighty way. (Just try the suggestion of putting a gun loaded with blanks to his wife’s head sometime and you’ll see that real quick…. Carl) To see him on the bus with the Gilpin kids it so inspiring and they truly love him. Even if he’s explaining why they can’t ride this week.
Then we’ve got J-Diesel (aka Josh) and the adorable Crystal. I can’t believe she thought I didn’t like her when she first came on the bus. Let me just tell the entire world now that she is the bomb of a bus secretary. I guess I was just a little shy and put off as I often am by a truly beautiful woman. She is a great Christian, a great Mom, a great bus secretary and a great friend. Truth be known I’d take a bus full of Crystals in a heartbeat and I hope she never leaves bus #9.
Now that Josh is another story… Just kidding he’s another great teacher. I remember seeing him in Israel with a freshly broken leg walking for miles and never once complaining. Or working out with him and the Dean in the mornings at the ROC gum and being inspired to do just a little bit more. He has had to fill in a lot lately for Jason as bus captain and he’s doing a fantastic job. The kids love him and the bus is running as smooth as it can be. (Remember it is Gilpin #9)
And I can’t forget to give a shout out to our youngest editions Summer and Laura. Laura has really taken hold is whipping those kids into shape and our numbers are climbing up every week as a result.
But lately the most influential teachers have been my GWHS crew and the students. You talk about a couple amazing teachers. Jake and Sonny are just that. I’ve seen them and all the others do some amazing things with these kids already and we’re only just getting started. I sometimes feel so unworthy to be among these great men and women of God. He has put together a crew that can handle any situation the devil tries to throw at us. From Coach Kelly to Counselor Unique, from cool Randy to the impressionable Lester. Championship Belt, Go SKINS Todd and organizational goddess Sara, understanding Tammy and the man, that dancing machine who keeps me moving in the right direction Me’kel. Ben and Dajah also. I learn something new and wonderful from this crew every day.
And these kids, these beautiful loving children of God give me strength every day. It is truly a blessing to serve them for my Jesus. Knowing that some day these future leaders will look back at their time here at GWHS as a pivotal time in their lives. A time when they could have gone in any direction that the wind blew them, but God placed 12 disciples in their path. Just to make sure they could find that narrow road that will lead them to the promise land. Kind of funny now that I think about it, that seems like a perfect number to me. I think God knows exactly what he’s doing. Have a great day and remember;
“Great spirits will encounter violent opposition from mediocre people”
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pastor G.'s Weekly Devotional: HE'S GOD -- WE'RE NOT!
Pastor G.'s Weekly Devotional: HE'S GOD -- WE'RE NOT!
Pastor G.'s Weekly DevotionalSep 8, 2008
Romans 7:14-25 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
HE’S GOD AND WE’RE NOT
We are all ambassadors of Christ. We all represent Him to the world. Jesus is not here in person anymore, and we may be the only Jesus that somebody ever sees. It is our obligation and duty to represent Christ to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We need to look like Jesus by the way we walk and talk. We need to go where He would want us to go, do what He would do, forgive like He would forgive, be kind and love like Jesus would. The ROC is filled with people who represent Christ to the world in so many ways: helping the poor, feeding the hungry, loving the fatherless, clothing the naked, visiting those who are in prison, and winning the lost. If Jesus were still physically here, He would look very much like many of the people who are part of The ROC.
People often talk to me about their Christian life. They are trying so hard to live like Christ that they are actually angry and frustrated with their walk with God. They are discouraged, depressed, and filled with doubt about their walk. Their desire to be like Jesus isn’t quite working out like they want it to work out. They are finding out that no matter how hard they try, they can’t be as much like Jesus as they want to be. I always have just one bit of advice for them and it is simply that “You Ain’t Jesus.” I know that’s not good English, but it is the truth.
We can try all we want to be like Jesus, but it isn’t going to happen, because He’s God – We’re not! Yes, every Christian should have a heart that says, “Jesus, I want to be more like you.” Yes, we should pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the power to be more like Jesus. However, we often set expectations and have aspirations to be a super power Christian, but we are just setting up ourselves for disappointment, because He’s God – We’re not!
I am not talking about what others think about us. Hopefully, people are seeing Christ in us by our actions, decisions, and deeds. In this instance, I am not talking about what others think about us. No, I am talking about what we think of ourselves as Christians. We know ourselves better than anyone, and we know those hidden things that no one else sees but God. You know the wicked thoughts. You know about your faults and failures. You know how far from being like Jesus you really are, and because of that, you are beating yourself up all the time.
I am here to tell you that there is someone who wants to keep you in that place of discouragement and frustration, because you are rather useless to God in that condition. His name is Satan, and he wants you to forget that God is God – and you are not!
The devil loves to use pride and our ego to cause us to put ourselves up on some spiritual pedestal. It is very unfair for us to think we can be Jesus. We need to remember that He’s God – we’re not! We have got to be smarter than the enemy and realize that he also knows that God is God – and we are not! He loves it when he gets us so distracted in trying so hard to be so spiritual that we get off the track of be an effective soulwinner and witness for Christ to the world.
We will never get to the place where we can say, “Praise God, I am just like Jesus.” Where do we think those thoughts come from? If we keep putting ourselves down because we keep realizing how far short we fall, we are going to get so frustrated and discouraged with Christianity that the next step will be to quit. That is exactly what Satan would love to see happen in our lives. We have to be smarter than him by remembering every moment of the day: God is God – and we are not!
In these verses in Romans 7, I believe Paul was at this same place. Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived. He was like Christ in so many ways. He lived his life as much like Jesus as is humanly possible. I think everybody knows that to be true, except for one person – Paul. Paul knew who he was and that even though he wanted to be like Jesus, he could never be Jesus. He knew that even though he did many things like Christ, he was still a long way from being like Christ. He said the things I should do, I don’t do; the things I hate to do are exactly what I do. He said he had sin living inside of him and that in his flesh there was nothing good. He said he had the mind to do what is right, but not the power. He said his mind was telling him one thing, but his flesh was telling him the opposite. The greatest example of a Christian, Paul, said that he was a wretched man. Paul knew he was much more unlike Jesus than he appeared to be. He called himself the chief of sinners. However, Paul did not beat himself up over it, because he realized that Jesus was God – and he was not.
The sooner we realize that we are and always will be sinners saved by grace, the sooner we will stop thinking we can arrive at a place of always being perfect and without sin. That will be the moment when we realize that God is God – and we’re not!
Sometimes it is easier to forgive others than it is to forgive ourselves. We need to remember we are made of dust. Stop destroying your life by condemnation. Jesus died that we could be redeemed and at that moment, the work of salvation and redemption began. Until the day we die, God will be growing us up into the image of Christ. We are called to get back up when we fall down and to keep fighting the good fight of faith.
God is not condemning us. Condemnation does not come from God. Jesus did not come to condemn us; He came to set us free. It comes from the devil and makes us condemn ourselves. Conviction, on the other hand, is from the Lord, who is just trying to help us be changed from glory to glory. The process flows much smoother and is more successful when we can remember that He’s God – and we’re not!
God is not expecting us to be Jesus, so who are we to think we should be. God does expect for us to try our best. He does expect us to yield our life to His Spirit, and to have a heart to want to be like Jesus. God is not okay with us using our weaknesses to go and intentionally sin.
This devotional is for those who truly want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. We need to remember that God is not finished with us yet. God has a long way to go with us. God will be working on us till we die or Jesus comes back. There will not be a day while we are on this earth when we can say we have arrived and are now perfect like Jesus. Why? Because He’s God – and we’re not!
Don’t be hard on yourself if you are battling depression. You are in good company. Many Christians fight depression, and even King David struggled with it. Think about all those in the Bible who had high’s and low’s, valleys and mountaintops from Job to Paul and on and on. Maybe you are disappointed in yourself because your faith gets weak, well, look at Doubting Thomas. So did John the Baptist’s faith, because he said to the disciples go and see if that really is Jesus. The Bible is full of examples of people who struggled and God still used them like Peter who denied Christ one day and then led thousands to Jesus.
Let me encourage you to keep striving to be like Jesus, but when the going gets rough, just remember: He’s God – you’re not! Stop kicking yourself for every failure and start thanking God for His grace – His unmerited favor -- that always gives us another chance … and another chance … and another chance. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. And always remember: He’s God – and you are not!
Pastor Geronimo
Daniel 12:3
www.theroc.com
Pastor G.'s Weekly DevotionalSep 8, 2008
Romans 7:14-25 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
HE’S GOD AND WE’RE NOT
We are all ambassadors of Christ. We all represent Him to the world. Jesus is not here in person anymore, and we may be the only Jesus that somebody ever sees. It is our obligation and duty to represent Christ to the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We need to look like Jesus by the way we walk and talk. We need to go where He would want us to go, do what He would do, forgive like He would forgive, be kind and love like Jesus would. The ROC is filled with people who represent Christ to the world in so many ways: helping the poor, feeding the hungry, loving the fatherless, clothing the naked, visiting those who are in prison, and winning the lost. If Jesus were still physically here, He would look very much like many of the people who are part of The ROC.
People often talk to me about their Christian life. They are trying so hard to live like Christ that they are actually angry and frustrated with their walk with God. They are discouraged, depressed, and filled with doubt about their walk. Their desire to be like Jesus isn’t quite working out like they want it to work out. They are finding out that no matter how hard they try, they can’t be as much like Jesus as they want to be. I always have just one bit of advice for them and it is simply that “You Ain’t Jesus.” I know that’s not good English, but it is the truth.
We can try all we want to be like Jesus, but it isn’t going to happen, because He’s God – We’re not! Yes, every Christian should have a heart that says, “Jesus, I want to be more like you.” Yes, we should pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the power to be more like Jesus. However, we often set expectations and have aspirations to be a super power Christian, but we are just setting up ourselves for disappointment, because He’s God – We’re not!
I am not talking about what others think about us. Hopefully, people are seeing Christ in us by our actions, decisions, and deeds. In this instance, I am not talking about what others think about us. No, I am talking about what we think of ourselves as Christians. We know ourselves better than anyone, and we know those hidden things that no one else sees but God. You know the wicked thoughts. You know about your faults and failures. You know how far from being like Jesus you really are, and because of that, you are beating yourself up all the time.
I am here to tell you that there is someone who wants to keep you in that place of discouragement and frustration, because you are rather useless to God in that condition. His name is Satan, and he wants you to forget that God is God – and you are not!
The devil loves to use pride and our ego to cause us to put ourselves up on some spiritual pedestal. It is very unfair for us to think we can be Jesus. We need to remember that He’s God – we’re not! We have got to be smarter than the enemy and realize that he also knows that God is God – and we are not! He loves it when he gets us so distracted in trying so hard to be so spiritual that we get off the track of be an effective soulwinner and witness for Christ to the world.
We will never get to the place where we can say, “Praise God, I am just like Jesus.” Where do we think those thoughts come from? If we keep putting ourselves down because we keep realizing how far short we fall, we are going to get so frustrated and discouraged with Christianity that the next step will be to quit. That is exactly what Satan would love to see happen in our lives. We have to be smarter than him by remembering every moment of the day: God is God – and we are not!
In these verses in Romans 7, I believe Paul was at this same place. Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived. He was like Christ in so many ways. He lived his life as much like Jesus as is humanly possible. I think everybody knows that to be true, except for one person – Paul. Paul knew who he was and that even though he wanted to be like Jesus, he could never be Jesus. He knew that even though he did many things like Christ, he was still a long way from being like Christ. He said the things I should do, I don’t do; the things I hate to do are exactly what I do. He said he had sin living inside of him and that in his flesh there was nothing good. He said he had the mind to do what is right, but not the power. He said his mind was telling him one thing, but his flesh was telling him the opposite. The greatest example of a Christian, Paul, said that he was a wretched man. Paul knew he was much more unlike Jesus than he appeared to be. He called himself the chief of sinners. However, Paul did not beat himself up over it, because he realized that Jesus was God – and he was not.
The sooner we realize that we are and always will be sinners saved by grace, the sooner we will stop thinking we can arrive at a place of always being perfect and without sin. That will be the moment when we realize that God is God – and we’re not!
Sometimes it is easier to forgive others than it is to forgive ourselves. We need to remember we are made of dust. Stop destroying your life by condemnation. Jesus died that we could be redeemed and at that moment, the work of salvation and redemption began. Until the day we die, God will be growing us up into the image of Christ. We are called to get back up when we fall down and to keep fighting the good fight of faith.
God is not condemning us. Condemnation does not come from God. Jesus did not come to condemn us; He came to set us free. It comes from the devil and makes us condemn ourselves. Conviction, on the other hand, is from the Lord, who is just trying to help us be changed from glory to glory. The process flows much smoother and is more successful when we can remember that He’s God – and we’re not!
God is not expecting us to be Jesus, so who are we to think we should be. God does expect for us to try our best. He does expect us to yield our life to His Spirit, and to have a heart to want to be like Jesus. God is not okay with us using our weaknesses to go and intentionally sin.
This devotional is for those who truly want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. We need to remember that God is not finished with us yet. God has a long way to go with us. God will be working on us till we die or Jesus comes back. There will not be a day while we are on this earth when we can say we have arrived and are now perfect like Jesus. Why? Because He’s God – and we’re not!
Don’t be hard on yourself if you are battling depression. You are in good company. Many Christians fight depression, and even King David struggled with it. Think about all those in the Bible who had high’s and low’s, valleys and mountaintops from Job to Paul and on and on. Maybe you are disappointed in yourself because your faith gets weak, well, look at Doubting Thomas. So did John the Baptist’s faith, because he said to the disciples go and see if that really is Jesus. The Bible is full of examples of people who struggled and God still used them like Peter who denied Christ one day and then led thousands to Jesus.
Let me encourage you to keep striving to be like Jesus, but when the going gets rough, just remember: He’s God – you’re not! Stop kicking yourself for every failure and start thanking God for His grace – His unmerited favor -- that always gives us another chance … and another chance … and another chance. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. And always remember: He’s God – and you are not!
Pastor Geronimo
Daniel 12:3
www.theroc.com
Friday, August 29, 2008
Pastor G.'s Weekly Devotional: BE A GIANT KILLER!
This is something that i've been blessed to recieve every week from my Pastor and friend Pastor Geronimo Aguilar or Pastor G as we call him. I'll be posting these devotionals here every week for the world to see. It's great stuff and somehow always very timely.
Pastor G.'s Weekly DevotionalAug 25, 2008
BE A GIANT KILLER
1 Samuel 17:31-36;49-50
31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Time and time again in the Bible God’s people were faced with giants and every time, God’s people came out victorious. Moses faced the giant of Pharaoh and Egypt and won. Joshua and Caleb and the men of God faced the giants in Canaan and nobody thought they could beat those giants, but they did. Throughout the Bible there are accounts of David, Daniel, Job, Elijah, Elisha, Esther, Paul, Peter and others who faced giants and every one of them came out with victory.
Today we face giants that are after our family values by saying same sex marriage is okay. Satan knows if he can destroy our family values, he has America right where he wants us. Every generation has giants to face, and every person and family has their own personal giants to face.
Some of you face the giant of alcoholism or drug addiction, and because of that giant, it has wrecked your home, your family, and all your hopes and dreams. Many parents have lost their children to the giant of alcoholism or drug addiction. The sad truth is that everyone loses.
What is the giant in your life? Is it unbelief, fear, anger, unforgiveness, abuse, or is it a self-centered, selfish attitude that always puts you first? Is it the giant of divorce? Maybe it is a giant you have been facing for years or maybe it is a giant that has recently shown up.
What are you, as a born again, spirit-filled believer supposed to do when you find yourself facing a giant in your life? There is one right answer and it is simple: BE A GIANT KILLER.
The devil is a liar and will tell you that you can’t be a giant killer. God says you can. If you are part of The ROC, you are in good company, because you are hanging out with a whole bunch of giant killers. Our discipleship homes are filled with people who have defeated the giant of drug addiction. Our Set Free Addiction program is full of people who have defeated the giant of alcoholism and drug addiction. Our youth ministry is full of kids who have defeated the giant of failure. The ROC is filled with people who have defeated the giant of sickness, abuse, fear, unbelief, and unforgiveness. Don’t let the devil make you think you can’t be a giant killer. The same God who helped so many of us at The ROC slay the giants in our lives is the same God who will help you slay every giant you are facing.
Many times the giant you are facing is the same giant that has been after your family generation after generation. Many people who are alcoholics had one or both parents who were alcoholics. Many people who are divorced had parents who were divorced. Many who are abusive to their spouse or children were abused when they were growing up. It is time to stand up and put an end to the devastation and destruction that giant has been destroying your family with for generations and say. “In the name of Jesus, I am going to destroy that giant once and for all. I am going to be a giant killer.” For the sake of your life, the life of your family, and all the generations to come, it is time to say enough is enough and put an end to whatever giant is working havoc in your life.
We serve a giant-killing God and He specializes in giant killing. God specializes in raising up and training giant killers. It is time to stop running from the giants, or allowing them to have their way, and to say like David did, “I don’t know who you think you are, giant, but I am a child of God and you are going down!” The devil does not have the last word unless you let him have it. The Bible says in 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
It doesn’t matter what big giant you are facing today, God is more big and bad than any giant. God has given us the ability to be a giant killer and end the vicious cycle of self-destruction and the endless cycle of failure and defeat in your family.
What is God’s plan for how we are to be a giant killer?
1) Accept the challenge. David accepted the challenge. We have two choices, Church, with the giants in our lives: run from the giant and lose or stand up and face the giant. We can run from the giant and lose the battle every time, because the giant is not going away. He will keep destroying you till he kills you, and then he will go after your children and all who come after you.
God gives us everything we need to defeat the giant and it is called the Word of God. It contains every promise of God and is filled with the power of God.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” David used the weapon he had in his hand which was one he was familiar with because he used it daily in practice and application. He had killed a lion and a bear with it, so he knew it was dependable and true. The same is true of God’s Word, Christian. God wants us to read it, be familiar with it, and use it daily in practice and application. David was confident of his sling shot, just as we need to confident of God’s Word.
2) Remember it is not you, but it is God in you. Too many Christians are trying to defeat giants in their life on their own strength. They wonder why they are burned out and still not successful at defeating those giants. They wonder why they are still miserable and nothing seems to work. David didn’t defeat Goliath in his own strength and power. Do you think Goliath was intimidated by David? No, David didn’t look like a threat to the giant, but the surprise factor was that David was not depending on his own power, but he went up against the giant in the NAME OF THE LORD.
It is the name of JESUS that will defeat every giant you face in your own life. Not you – but the name of JESUS – the name above all names. Everything we do at The ROC is done in the name of the Lord and under the banner of JESUS. There is no other answer in the world today. Jesus gets all the credit and all the glory, because apart from Him, we can do nothing. It is not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit. The battle is the Lord’s and He wants to defeat the giant in your life more than you do. He wants to use you to do it and He does leave it up to you to make a choice to stand up to the giant in the name of the Lord.
3) We represent God. Christians, we need to realize we represent God and can say to every giant the same words David spoke in verse 45: “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”
It is time for Christians to stand up and be counted as representatives of God Almighty. It is time for us to say “No more, Satan. No longer is it okay for you to keep God’s people in bondage. No longer is it okay for you to pass a law that says it is all right to kill babies. No longer is it okay for you to take prayer out of schools. No longer is your plan acceptable. I represent my Father – the Most High God -- and He uses His people to stand up to you and put a stop to your mess.”
Do you think God could have killed off Goliath himself? Of course, He could, but He was looking for a man who would say, “God, I will represent you.” God is looking for a witness. He is looking for a follower who will stand up and be counted and represent God as the Almighty Powerful God that He is. We are called to be His ambassadors and we present Christ to the world. Christianity is not about being a passive, wimpy Christian. No, it is about a battle between good and evil and God uses His people to do the fighting in His name and under His banner. The world needs to see Christians who are not afraid of giants. The world needs to see Christians who are giant killers.
4) Make sure you are on God’s side. We can try everything in the world to defeat the giants in our life, but if we are not on the side of the Lord, all our fighting is in vain. We can try to defeat those giants with a good job, lots of money, promotions, with religion, fame and power, or who we think are the right people and relationships, but the only thing that will take down the giants is a person and His name is Jesus Christ. The only way to get on God’s side is to put our trust in His Son. That starts with us realizing we are all sinners and in need of a Savior.
Church, no matter what giants you are facing, let today be the day you draw a line in the sand and say to the devil that enough is enough. Pick up your sling shot – the Word of God – and go against that giant in the name of the Lord. With God on your side, you can live as a victor and not as a victim any longer.
Pastor Geronimo Daniel 12:3
http://www.theroc.com/
When Christians Attack Christians
You know we all go through trials in life. For some of us our lives are a moment to moment trial. I met a man last night who’s dealing with a very serious health condition. His is a struggle with every step he takes. For others daily or weekly trials and for still others it’s only the occasional trial that seems to come their way. The bible is very specific about trials and it gives many wonderful examples of how to deal with trials in our lives. But I’ve found none better than our old buddy Job.
Job had it all, a loving wife, beautiful kids and more wealth than he would most likely ever need. Things were pretty good for old Job. Then came the trials. The devil said to God what about this guy? You just watch and once I start taking all this stuff away he’ll turn on you in a New York minute. God sad go ahead; give it your best shot. Because my boy Job is one faithful servant and he will never forsake me. And sure enough he did not. As a matter of fact the bible says that after Job lost his family, his health and his wealth he said this in Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In the face of the worst imaginable trials our boy Job says "blessed be the name of the Lord." What an awesome message that is for us today.
It’s funny how sometimes when people who are Christians attack us we seem to think that God has in some way forsaken us or perhaps he just was not paying attention at this moment and the devil slipped one by him. We must always remember that the enemy will use any means at his disposal to try and steer us away from God. Sometimes it’s the bible, or tradition, or family members and yes even other Christians. The devil don’t care what you’re doing, as long as you’re not doing God’s business. In the midst of all that it’s important to remember that God never takes his eyes off us. And the devil is incapable of doing anything without God’s permission. But it’s also important to remember that we can not see into the heart of another brother or sister in Christ and it is never our job to judge another’s heart condition. That job belongs to God alone.
So no matter what you’re going through, no matter where you are in your walk and no matter who it appears is putting you through those trials always remember; Blessed be the name of the Lord. He’s watching you and he’s doing what he knows is best for you at this moment in your life. I know it’s sometimes hard to see the peaks when you’re in the valleys, but it is something you should always be looking for. God sees the big picture we can’t see and he knows what to do and when to do it. Sometimes God has to close doors so that others can open.
God bless and have a great day।
TG
Job had it all, a loving wife, beautiful kids and more wealth than he would most likely ever need. Things were pretty good for old Job. Then came the trials. The devil said to God what about this guy? You just watch and once I start taking all this stuff away he’ll turn on you in a New York minute. God sad go ahead; give it your best shot. Because my boy Job is one faithful servant and he will never forsake me. And sure enough he did not. As a matter of fact the bible says that after Job lost his family, his health and his wealth he said this in Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In the face of the worst imaginable trials our boy Job says "blessed be the name of the Lord." What an awesome message that is for us today.
It’s funny how sometimes when people who are Christians attack us we seem to think that God has in some way forsaken us or perhaps he just was not paying attention at this moment and the devil slipped one by him. We must always remember that the enemy will use any means at his disposal to try and steer us away from God. Sometimes it’s the bible, or tradition, or family members and yes even other Christians. The devil don’t care what you’re doing, as long as you’re not doing God’s business. In the midst of all that it’s important to remember that God never takes his eyes off us. And the devil is incapable of doing anything without God’s permission. But it’s also important to remember that we can not see into the heart of another brother or sister in Christ and it is never our job to judge another’s heart condition. That job belongs to God alone.
So no matter what you’re going through, no matter where you are in your walk and no matter who it appears is putting you through those trials always remember; Blessed be the name of the Lord. He’s watching you and he’s doing what he knows is best for you at this moment in your life. I know it’s sometimes hard to see the peaks when you’re in the valleys, but it is something you should always be looking for. God sees the big picture we can’t see and he knows what to do and when to do it. Sometimes God has to close doors so that others can open.
God bless and have a great day।
TG
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Failure of Lurch
Did anyone happen to see the appalling abuse of Michelle Malkin by this super freak Alex Jones? http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/14464/?ck=1
I just felt the need to post a little something here on the display.
You can have any opinion you want and that’s what makes this country great. We can all have different thoughts and opinions and a good healthy debate is the life’s blood of a healthy democracy.
The level of hate from this hack is amazing. This is one of these 9/11 truthers who apparently only gets off the couch long enough to grab another dozen doughnuts and spends his time immersed in conspiracy, tinfoil hat clad freak brethern.
I’m all for debate, but let’s get some semblance of reality into the discussion. “Most of the 9/11 victims believe it was an inside job” “Dick Cheney is planning on bombing our own ships” “The attack on the USS Cole was staged” Give me a freaking break. And for heavens sake stop hitting girls. You want to hit someone, let’s get in the ring and go a couple rounds. Then we’ll debate… if you can still talk.
What? I would only lay hands on him in the name of Jesus.
God bless and have a great day and always expect it to get even better
TG
I just felt the need to post a little something here on the display.
You can have any opinion you want and that’s what makes this country great. We can all have different thoughts and opinions and a good healthy debate is the life’s blood of a healthy democracy.
The level of hate from this hack is amazing. This is one of these 9/11 truthers who apparently only gets off the couch long enough to grab another dozen doughnuts and spends his time immersed in conspiracy, tinfoil hat clad freak brethern.
I’m all for debate, but let’s get some semblance of reality into the discussion. “Most of the 9/11 victims believe it was an inside job” “Dick Cheney is planning on bombing our own ships” “The attack on the USS Cole was staged” Give me a freaking break. And for heavens sake stop hitting girls. You want to hit someone, let’s get in the ring and go a couple rounds. Then we’ll debate… if you can still talk.
What? I would only lay hands on him in the name of Jesus.
God bless and have a great day and always expect it to get even better
TG
Friday, November 2, 2007
Are you faithful only to your circumstances?
I was talking with one of our leaders today at the ROC and I got some very interesting insight. He was explaining to me that there are really 2 kinds of faithful Christians. There are those who are thoroughly faithful (I’ll explain more on that in a moment) and there are those who are faithful to their circumstances. It’s the latter I’ll address first.
It’s easy to be faithful to God when things are going well, when we’re on top of the mountain. They view is great, the air is clean and crisp and we can soak everything in and not have a worry in the world. It’s a little tougher when the trials come our way to stay faithful. It’s the valleys that really show how faithful we are.
At the ROC we minister to many different types of people. But we don’t kid ourselves in that many of the folks we are working with and helping to rebuild their lives are drug addicts and alcoholics. These are not the only trials that God sends us it’s just that we do get to work with this type of trial on a regular basis. We have had several cases recently where people have left the church because they were unable to keep their faith during one of these trials. It pains me so much to see a Christian brother or sister struggle, backslide and go back into the world they were trying so hard to leave behind.
As we grow in our faith it’s such an important lesson to learn that God sends us trials to build us up. To give us the opportunity to show him that we can be strong in him and that his grace is really all we need. When we need more money God does not always send us a brinks truck full of cash. But he might show us where we are allowing the world to dictate to us how we are using the money we do have. Did we really need the new car, the bigger house, the plasma TV or were we just trying to puff ourselves up for the world to see? God might put us in great financial peril to allow us the opportunity to show him that we are truly faithful. The current mortgage and credit crisis we are facing in this country comes to mind.
We have to always remember that Gods delays are not necessarily Gods denials and that sometimes the answer to a prayer request is simply “No” This does not mean God loves us any less, but more that he’s giving us the opportunity to show him we love him even more. An opportunity to say you know what God your grace is sufficient and it’s everything I’ll ever need.
Now you might be reading this and thinking to yourself that I’m doing fine God has not thrown me any curveballs and all is well. Give it time he will, if you’re doing his will. If your not then you may never be truly tested. It’s not what we are doing that the devil cares about as long as we are not doing it for God he’s happy. As Christians it’s when we really start to work for God and get busy saving people from eternal darkness that the trials start to come.
So what is being “thoroughly faithful” I think you most likely already have it by now. It’s not allowing anything happening in your life to move you off the path of Gods will in your life. It’s getting the job done no matter how bad a day your having. It’s finishing your homework on time, and getting the report to your boss or making sure the house is clean or the car is fixed no matter what else is going on and keeping your eyes focused on God through it all.
I recently was reflecting on the past year and I realized that I’ve had some trials this year. I was engaged to a wonderful woman who I loved and planned to marry, but we realized that it was not God’s will for us to be together. I buried one of my sisters, but God had allowed me to re-connect with her about 6 months prior to her death and blessed me with that relationship being restored. Then a few weeks ago I totaled my car, but no one was hurt and we all walked away from it ok. In my past life any one of those events might have caused me to think it was ok to drink, or do drugs and just drop out of life for awhile. But now my foundation is solidly built on Jesus and I will not waver. It’s the beginning to my favorite bible verse. ACTS 20:24 “But none of these things move me…” and that’s the way I live my life now.
I don’t tell you any of this to impress you or to try and puff myself up. I know i can’t do any of it without Jesus in my life. I tell it you because it impresses me how much God can do with a sinner like me. And to let you know we are no different, he can work just the same in your life if you’ll allow him to. That’s the key; we have to allow him to. He’s there ready willing and able. All you have to do is open the door and let him in.
I’ll end with this. It does not matter where you are in your walk with God, weather you’re a baby Christian or a veteran. Weather you’ve been saved for 20 years or weather you invited Jesus into your heart for the first time today. God has a plan for your life. If you are going through trials now it’s so he can make you into the man or woman he wants you to be. Never forget that is it because he will never leave us that we can make it through the valleys. And let me tell you from personal experience the mountaintop looks just a little better and they air is just a little crisper when you get there with your faith strong and him at your side.
Thanks, God bless and have a great weekend. http://www.theroc.com/
It’s easy to be faithful to God when things are going well, when we’re on top of the mountain. They view is great, the air is clean and crisp and we can soak everything in and not have a worry in the world. It’s a little tougher when the trials come our way to stay faithful. It’s the valleys that really show how faithful we are.
At the ROC we minister to many different types of people. But we don’t kid ourselves in that many of the folks we are working with and helping to rebuild their lives are drug addicts and alcoholics. These are not the only trials that God sends us it’s just that we do get to work with this type of trial on a regular basis. We have had several cases recently where people have left the church because they were unable to keep their faith during one of these trials. It pains me so much to see a Christian brother or sister struggle, backslide and go back into the world they were trying so hard to leave behind.
As we grow in our faith it’s such an important lesson to learn that God sends us trials to build us up. To give us the opportunity to show him that we can be strong in him and that his grace is really all we need. When we need more money God does not always send us a brinks truck full of cash. But he might show us where we are allowing the world to dictate to us how we are using the money we do have. Did we really need the new car, the bigger house, the plasma TV or were we just trying to puff ourselves up for the world to see? God might put us in great financial peril to allow us the opportunity to show him that we are truly faithful. The current mortgage and credit crisis we are facing in this country comes to mind.
We have to always remember that Gods delays are not necessarily Gods denials and that sometimes the answer to a prayer request is simply “No” This does not mean God loves us any less, but more that he’s giving us the opportunity to show him we love him even more. An opportunity to say you know what God your grace is sufficient and it’s everything I’ll ever need.
Now you might be reading this and thinking to yourself that I’m doing fine God has not thrown me any curveballs and all is well. Give it time he will, if you’re doing his will. If your not then you may never be truly tested. It’s not what we are doing that the devil cares about as long as we are not doing it for God he’s happy. As Christians it’s when we really start to work for God and get busy saving people from eternal darkness that the trials start to come.
So what is being “thoroughly faithful” I think you most likely already have it by now. It’s not allowing anything happening in your life to move you off the path of Gods will in your life. It’s getting the job done no matter how bad a day your having. It’s finishing your homework on time, and getting the report to your boss or making sure the house is clean or the car is fixed no matter what else is going on and keeping your eyes focused on God through it all.
I recently was reflecting on the past year and I realized that I’ve had some trials this year. I was engaged to a wonderful woman who I loved and planned to marry, but we realized that it was not God’s will for us to be together. I buried one of my sisters, but God had allowed me to re-connect with her about 6 months prior to her death and blessed me with that relationship being restored. Then a few weeks ago I totaled my car, but no one was hurt and we all walked away from it ok. In my past life any one of those events might have caused me to think it was ok to drink, or do drugs and just drop out of life for awhile. But now my foundation is solidly built on Jesus and I will not waver. It’s the beginning to my favorite bible verse. ACTS 20:24 “But none of these things move me…” and that’s the way I live my life now.
I don’t tell you any of this to impress you or to try and puff myself up. I know i can’t do any of it without Jesus in my life. I tell it you because it impresses me how much God can do with a sinner like me. And to let you know we are no different, he can work just the same in your life if you’ll allow him to. That’s the key; we have to allow him to. He’s there ready willing and able. All you have to do is open the door and let him in.
I’ll end with this. It does not matter where you are in your walk with God, weather you’re a baby Christian or a veteran. Weather you’ve been saved for 20 years or weather you invited Jesus into your heart for the first time today. God has a plan for your life. If you are going through trials now it’s so he can make you into the man or woman he wants you to be. Never forget that is it because he will never leave us that we can make it through the valleys. And let me tell you from personal experience the mountaintop looks just a little better and they air is just a little crisper when you get there with your faith strong and him at your side.
Thanks, God bless and have a great weekend. http://www.theroc.com/
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Don’t let anyone tell you; “you can’t do that!!!”
Our youth director at the ROC Pastor Rsen Ortiz did a fantastic message to the Chosen last week and I think it’s worth repeating here. It’s something that we all need to focus on and if I had gotten hold of this earlier in life who knows where I’d be today.
His message was simply “What do you want to be when you grow up” We were talking to our teens and we just spent the time we had together going around the room asking them all what they wanted to do with their lives. More importantly the follow up question. What were they doing today to get them closer to that goal?
It was amazing some of the things we heard. We had kids that wanted to own their own businesses and some that wanted to be engineers. We had a veterinarian, and someone who wanted to serve their country in the military and yes we had several who have already decided that they wanted to serve God in the ministry. It was a truly inspiring time and it caused me to think back about the experience I had when I told someone about my dream.
When I was entering high school I was called into my “guidance counselor’s” office and asked that question. What do you want to do with your life? Well I mustered up all the courage I could and I told her. I want to be an Oceanographer or a Marine Biologist. I wanted to be Jacques Cousteau. Well she looked at me and looked down at my file, looked back at me and then back at my file. She took her glasses off set them on her desk and proceeded to tell me that I did not have the math skills to do that. That I’d never make it in that field and that I should try and decide on something else that was a little more within my reach.
This was my dream; I’d never told anyone this before. I just knew I loved the water and spent most of my time underwater. I walked out of that office and I was devastated. Here was this person of authority telling little me that I was not good enough to do the one thing I wanted to do in life.
It was about that time that I stopped playing sports, started hanging out with the trouble makers and began to experiment with drugs. That single event was a pivotal moment in my life brought on by someone who I should have never given that much power. You see I now know that it was not her decision to make. I just allowed her to make it for me. That’s the thing I want to impart to the kids I work with today. It’s up to them and no one else.
We sometimes forget how much influence we have on the young people around us. We forget that they look to us for guidance and encouragement. That they need positive reinforcement in their lives and if they don’t get it from us they’ll get it from someone or something else. We often forget the power of words. The bible teaches us that God’s word is sharper than any two edged sword and the words we speak to our young people are just as sharp. Chose them carefully and you might just help create the next Donald Trump. Use them foolishly and you might help create the next thief, drug addict or alcoholic.
Words have meaning, they make a difference and they do cut like the sharpest two edged sword. So go ask a young person in your life what they want to be when they grow up. Then encourage them, talk with them about it and start making a plan to help them get there. Working backwards one step at a time until you discover something that they can do TODAY to help them move toward achieving that goal. One of my favorite expressions was imparted to me by Earl Nightingale and it was simply “What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve” Now go change a life, and in the process make a life changer. Thanks and God bless.
His message was simply “What do you want to be when you grow up” We were talking to our teens and we just spent the time we had together going around the room asking them all what they wanted to do with their lives. More importantly the follow up question. What were they doing today to get them closer to that goal?
It was amazing some of the things we heard. We had kids that wanted to own their own businesses and some that wanted to be engineers. We had a veterinarian, and someone who wanted to serve their country in the military and yes we had several who have already decided that they wanted to serve God in the ministry. It was a truly inspiring time and it caused me to think back about the experience I had when I told someone about my dream.
When I was entering high school I was called into my “guidance counselor’s” office and asked that question. What do you want to do with your life? Well I mustered up all the courage I could and I told her. I want to be an Oceanographer or a Marine Biologist. I wanted to be Jacques Cousteau. Well she looked at me and looked down at my file, looked back at me and then back at my file. She took her glasses off set them on her desk and proceeded to tell me that I did not have the math skills to do that. That I’d never make it in that field and that I should try and decide on something else that was a little more within my reach.
This was my dream; I’d never told anyone this before. I just knew I loved the water and spent most of my time underwater. I walked out of that office and I was devastated. Here was this person of authority telling little me that I was not good enough to do the one thing I wanted to do in life.
It was about that time that I stopped playing sports, started hanging out with the trouble makers and began to experiment with drugs. That single event was a pivotal moment in my life brought on by someone who I should have never given that much power. You see I now know that it was not her decision to make. I just allowed her to make it for me. That’s the thing I want to impart to the kids I work with today. It’s up to them and no one else.
We sometimes forget how much influence we have on the young people around us. We forget that they look to us for guidance and encouragement. That they need positive reinforcement in their lives and if they don’t get it from us they’ll get it from someone or something else. We often forget the power of words. The bible teaches us that God’s word is sharper than any two edged sword and the words we speak to our young people are just as sharp. Chose them carefully and you might just help create the next Donald Trump. Use them foolishly and you might help create the next thief, drug addict or alcoholic.
Words have meaning, they make a difference and they do cut like the sharpest two edged sword. So go ask a young person in your life what they want to be when they grow up. Then encourage them, talk with them about it and start making a plan to help them get there. Working backwards one step at a time until you discover something that they can do TODAY to help them move toward achieving that goal. One of my favorite expressions was imparted to me by Earl Nightingale and it was simply “What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve” Now go change a life, and in the process make a life changer. Thanks and God bless.
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