The 3-Twelve: March 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Avoiding Legalism (or how not to be a "Chreaster")

Posted by lguerrero at 7:54 PM / / 0 comments

One of the things that bugs me the most about the Easter season, is not the Holiday itself (which is due to how somehow the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ somehow turned into a bunny who gives chocolate eggs I am calling it Resurrection Sunday), but how so many people seem to perform their annual duty to go to church on Resurrection Sunday and feel like they have filled their religious obligation for the year.

A friend of mine once referred to these people as "Chreasters", the people who only go to church on Christmas Eve and Easter. There are so many people like that out there in the world and it has irritated me so much in the past.

I think lately though, my heart towards these type of people has been slowly changing. Not that I agree with these people, who some might be fake Christians, but actually for something that my Pastor told me not too long ago. This is a great opportunity for these people who only go to church maybe once or twice a year to listen to the message of TRUTH, of how God sent His only Son to this wicked and depraved world to pay for OUR SINS. Many people might have heard about this, others believe that Jesus, Buddha, Muhammed, they are all the same, but this is a perfect opportunity to reach out the lost in our communities and I encourage you to do so.

Don't be like I have been in the past so upset and focused on how people only go to church on big holidays out of tradition, because nothing good comes out of that, instead, think of the positive impact that could occur in their hearts.

Now there are different ways one can avoid becoming a "Chreaster".

You can choose just not to attend church at all and decide that God doesn't need to meet in a building------> Well, to many this might sound like a good idea, but you leave out the fellowship part that we are called to have with other believers, not just that but you do run the risk of coming up with your own ideologies that can lead you away from the truth.

I think the most important one starts with having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, getting to know Him, fellowship with our Lord. Without it, you do not grow, therefore you do not progress in your walk. You get the desire to serve and do ministry from this. Having a daily relationship is the key.

Is it easy??? I never said it would be, in fact I would say it is not, and I am not trying to scare you if you do not know Jesus Christ, but it is a reality that many evangelists and even churches don't mention when talking to unbelievers about the subject of salvation, they "forget" to mention that life doesn't get any easier and lead them to believe that by saying a prayer, life magically gets solved.

I like Luke 9:23 and what is said in this verse:

Then He said to [them] all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, [fn] and follow Me.

This verse clearly says DAILY, not just on Sunday or the once or twice times you might show up at church per year (if you're a "Chreaster"). It is not easy, but with Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

Last but not least, I want to leave you with a warning about legalism that I have learned about lately (hence the title also mentions legalism). It is easy to get caught up in the things we do, even as part of leadership at churches. I know at Calvary Chapel Three Crosses I am very blessed to be a part of the leadership and eventhough it seems like sometimes I do a lot around the church, to me it brings me great joy to know that I am doing it to serve the Lord and that is what I try to pass along to the people that work with me in the ministry I am in charged of.

But sometimes it is easy to get wrapped up and as personal example I can tell you that I have been in the place of doing things just to do them, because it is what is expected of me, it is in those times I remind myself of who I am serving and why I am serving Him.

The Pharisees and teachers of the law in Jesus' days are a perfect example about how easy it is to take what was made perfect and for good way out of context. They were so focused on fulfilling what the law said word by word, that they missed out on the blessing of doing it right. So my advice is to not focus so much on wheter you are doing it right or wrong, God doesn't expect perfectionists when it comes to His people, He expects those with an open and repentant heart, those who are humble enough to make mistakes and learn from those same mistakes.

I will look more into the subject of legalism in the future since it is something I have learned a great deal about, but for now I leave you with this.

Have a blessed Holy week. Remember that Easter is not about painting eggs, putting them in a basket and telling stories about a bunny that brings you candy and chocolate (which I still don't understand how that heck that came about), but focus on the real reason, the RISEN CHRIST, the Messiah who came to fulfill the law and who paid that very expensive price for our sins so that we may be with our Father, Abba, Maker for all eternity.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Knowing God's Word

Posted by lguerrero at 6:25 AM / / 0 comments

I subscribed to the email service of devotionals from Pastor Raul Ries of Calvary Chapel Golden Springs, he is one of my favorite teachers and this morning I was reading the devotional that he sent out on reading God's Word. It's funny because I've had in my heart to do something on reading God's word (and I probably still will).

I encourage you to dig into God's Word, don't just read a chapter or two, but really dig into it, study it and apply it.

Knowing God’s Word

“‘Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’ And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’”
Deuteronomy 1:13-14

What do you think this means? Was Moses speaking of a novice? Did he mean someone who had been in the Lord for a long time? No, he was talking about someone who knows God’s Word and knows God.

A person can be saved for many years and yet not know the Scriptures—not know God intimately. Others get saved and cannot get enough of the Word of God. They read their Bibles every day, chapter by chapter and verse by verse.
That is how I was when I got saved; I bought a Bible and poured over it. I could not get enough of it. Today, I still go through the Bible twice a year.
Knowledge of God does not come from time; it comes from meeting God daily, through His Word and through prayer. The more intimately you know His Word, the more you know Him.

From this verse we learn two things. First, do not appoint people who do not know God or God’s Word. Second, be a man or woman of God’s Word, so you can be a man or women used by God.

If you wish to know God you must know His Word.
on God’s strength.
—C H. Spurgeon—

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A little something about worship

Posted by lguerrero at 9:17 PM / / 2 comments

Tonight at church I was touched by the lyrics of one of the songs that were played during worship. The lyrics are great and I found myself in a place of worshiping God that I couldn't help but to praise Him and thank Him for all He has done in my life.

"I Will Rise"

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
[x2]

[Chorus:]
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

I encourage you tonight to worship the Lord, in spirit and in truth. Worship is so much more than just singing a song at church or while you're driving your car, it is a daily attitude. I am reminded of John 4:23 and I leave you with this for tonight:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Heart hard as stone

Posted by lguerrero at 8:29 PM / / 2 comments

Sometimes I wonder how people can't see God in spite of the many miracles in life. I used to be like that before coming to the Lord, I would see him do many great things in the life of others and even in my own and I would refuse to believe, I would refuse to give my life to Him. I always knew there was a God, I had heard of Him in Sunday School as a kid, but as I grew older and involved myself in the world, I denied Him, I convinced myself that there was no such God and that it was all a fantasy, a myth that people use to feel happiness and peace in life but that is all He was.

Little did I know that a few years later I would be preaching about His love and living a life for the One God I neglected for so long. Sometimes when I look back, I think of how ignorant I was to the truth and wonder, how did that happen? I ask the same question even today, how can people be so blinded to God and have their hearts so happen that even after witnessing great things, they still won't come to Him and deny Him in their hearts.

In Hebrews 3:8-17 the example of the people of Israel who wandered in the desert for 40 years. Let's look at this passage:

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in [their] heart, And they have not known My ways.' So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, [was it] not all who came out of Egypt, [led] by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? [Was it] not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

(Hebrews 3:8-17)

In this passage, we read about the same people that are spoken of in the Old Testament that even after being released from slavery in Egypt and being protected from the wrath of Pharaoh, surving the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red, the cloud of fire, Mannah from Heaven...so many amazing miracles that God did and yet they rejected God and when they were tired, they said "well maybe we should go back to Egypt because we had it so much better there". It is the same for many people today that taste and experience the power of God, yet refuse to believe and their desires are to go back to the world and live a life of sin. I have thought of that before in times where life gets rough and there just seems to be no exit or solution to my problems, but I always end up thinking "what is there to go back to really? All that I ever enjoyed in the world was just temporary".

Maybe you are struggling with that same doubt today, maybe just like the passage in Hebrews says, you are rebelling against God and don't want anything to do with Him, but just remember all the things that God has done for you.

As I look back at the life I had in the world and think of how hard my heart was, I feel sad sometimes, I feel like I was unworthy to fall in the grace of God after the many times I cursed Him, I denied Him and even thought He was a joke that TV and movie stereotypes (such as the Flanders in the Simpsons) had created in my mind. My heart was stone hard and I thank God for softening my heart and changing it into a new heart.

As we look at the events of the world and see the signs of the return of Jesus Christ, we need examine our lives constantly. Are you living a life that pleases God? Or are you living a life for yourself? Maybe right now your heart is hard as stone, maybe you don't want anything to do with God. But just think, what do you have in the world that you hold on to so tightly?

The people of Israel were the same way after Moses went up the mountain to receive the 10 Commandments from the Lord, they got frustrated and asked Aaron to build a golden calf so they could have a god to worship that fit their needs and because of that, God punished them and made them wander for 40 years in the desert. Can you imagine that? I am only 24 years old and to me, life seems like it has been so long and yet if I was one of the Israelites I would still have to wait 16 more years in the hot sun of the desert walking around and knowing that the Promised Land is at hand.

Open your eyes and hearts to the True Living God and stop wandering in your desert. God has a plan for your life.

No recent activity

Posted by lguerrero at 7:48 PM / / 0 comments

I just wanted to apologize, I haven't been able to post anything new in a week. I have been very busy with school, work and life but I will try to keep up my 2-3 posts a week. I've had a few blog ideas but just haven't had the time to sit down and do it.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

The sad side of atheism.

Posted by lguerrero at 3:33 PM / / 0 comments

I am sure that at some point of your life you have encountered someone who claims to be an atheist and claims that there is no God. If you haven't...then I don't know what to tell you because there are many people out there who deny the existence of a True and Living God or any form of Higher Power.

This morning I was watching an episode of the TV show "30 Days", created by Morgan Spurlock, the man behind "Super Size-me" and in this show he takes a similar approach as in the movie, him or some other person spends 30 days with a family or group of people of an opposing view, it was super interesting and informative. The episode I watched this morning is titled "Atheist VS. Christian" and it was about a self-proclaimed atheist mother who spent 30 days living with a Christian family and had to abide to their lifestyle.

One of the first things that I got from this show is much this lady's point of view broke my heart, as most atheists she claimed that there is no God, that when we die nothing happens and she made it sound like anyone who thought different than her was ignorant and uneducated. Not only that, but along with her atheist husband they indoctrinated their children to be atheist and even told them during dinner that there is no God, forcing something that these kids had to come to experience on their own to determine their wrong conclusions.

A verse that came to my mind while watching this show was Ephesians 4:18

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.

This woman and her "belief" system was of the same as one whose heart has been so hardened that even being exposed to the Light she could not take it in at all. How sad is that?

I think of myself and how I used to be before coming to Saving Grace, I used to know that "maybe there was a God out there", but deep inside I thought I knew that was not the truth and when I got saved, God convicted my heart so much that I felt miserable for doubting Him and questioning His existence so much. I never considered myself an atheist but deep down inside I kind of was one. That's why I praise God for breaking my heart before it was too late!

If you are a true believer who has been Saved by Grace, you know that God is real...but how do you argue that if someone comes to you and starts questioning your beliefs? I have prayed a lot about it and the truth is that there is that whole Bible has the answer. God is so real and I have experienced Him in such a way that I can no longer question His existence. One point that this lady made in the episode was that, she joined the family for a Bible study and just kept going on and on with hard questions for them and that is hard.

Atheists are in such a hard place and it is hard to convince someone who denies God that there is a God because for them, the whole idea about an existing God is ridiculous and ignorant.

After watching this show I started praying that God equips me so that I can be strong in my faith so I can witness to atheists some day, I have met several and every time God has given me the right answers, if they believe it or not, it is not in my hands but only in God's hands.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

1 Peter 3:15

Friday, March 12, 2010

Unworthy to walk in HIS shoes

Posted by lguerrero at 11:23 AM / / 0 comments

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:11

I recently went through a study in church on Matthew 3 and I was captivated by the words in this particular passage. Here we have the famous John the Baptist confronting the Pharisees and Saudecees after they paid him a visit to see what all the fuzz about his baptism was all about.

Let's look at the prior verses to this one:

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as [our] father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Matthew 3:7-9

We see in this picture John the Baptist displaying humility and condeming the religious leaders of the day because of their prideful acts. Today we will be touching on the evil of pride:

What is pride? It is a sense of greatness on the things that we do. Is there anything wrong with being prideful? Well yes and no...some people take a lot of pride in their work, their success and even their kids. There is a fine line between what is right and wrong when it comes to pride. For example, if you're a parent and your kid does something great in school or in life, there isn't anything for feeling good about what he or she did, but if you are going to take pride for the things that you have acomplished...then you might want to double check and remember that it is all because of God.

God has really done a big deal of work in my life regarding the sin of pride, I used to like to take credit for things I did and be like "wow, look at me" or the typical "look what I did!". I think that it is in our human nature to want to be recognized and patted on the back for the things we do, I know it is in my nature.

Who gets the credit for the things we do? God does! We are to give God all the credit. Do you have a good job? Guess who gave it to you! Are you successful in life? Guess who is responsible for that happening! Not you, that's for sure. I think the worldly point of view differs a lot from the Christian when it comes to pride. The world congratulates people who do things, in the eyes of the world if you are successful it's because you have done it, because something about you is so special that you deserve what you are.

Pride attacks all areas of society and is a terrible sin. Pride caused the downfall of humanity and it was what Satan used to deceive Eve into trying the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Pride caused Satan to be cast down to the burning fire because "he wanted to be like God".

"How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [How] you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15

One thing that I liked the most about this specific passage and really jumped out to me was the fact that John mentioned:

He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry."

Even though he had never met Jesus, John knew that He was someone of higher authority than him, and not just that, picture the fact of him considering himself so unworthy to even walk in His own sandals.

That is the kind of humility we should have, it is easy as Christians to take credit for the things we do, I have heard of even Pastors that have fallen into that pride when things go great, worship leaders and elders and anyone who serves at a church can fall to that too. We all can fall into that too!

I know personally I have fallen into pride before, I have taken credit for things that God has done through me. We need to guard ourselves and give all credit to God for what He does through us!

I do a lot around my church. I am the Hospitality ministry leader, I am in charge of the Ushers, greeters and fellowship, on top of that I help the pastor around in anything he needs like do his powerpoints and run miscelanious errands sometimes, not just that I am also leading the young adults study on tuesday nights at church. Sounds like a lot and people have often asked me why is it that I do so much? Is it because I want to get that pat in the back by the pastor or be congratulated for my good works? Not at all! All these responsibilities were given to me through time, it was nothing that I did that made me worthy of doing so much. I love doing every single thing and it has to be God who gives me the strength and energy to do all that I do, but I give it all back to Him, I do my best and pray that pride doesn't consume. I think that God could have picked the person sitting next to me to do it and that I am just a tool in His church.

Do you think there is something special about you? Not really...if you look at some of the people in the Bible that God used you can note that most were common people, look at the 12 disciples for example, Jesus picked 12 men who were fishermen, tax collectors, uneducated and they are the ones that started the Church!

God doesn't want the next Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan or Angelina Jolie to preach His message. Don't you think if that is who He wanted to use He would have done it a long time ago. Celebrities are so full of it and tend to exalt themselves for everything the do. Take for example, the recent disasters in Haiti and in other places of the world, while they did bring unity to mankind and sparkled kindness in the heart of many, many others used it as an opportunity to parade their wealth and "kindness" and show off. This is not a good example of humility, when we do things that point to ourselves.

True humility is what points to God.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Who says Christians can't have a sense of humor?

Posted by lguerrero at 7:30 PM / / 0 comments

I heard a very funny joke yesterday about "overweight" people yesterday and just thought I would share it with my readers:

A southern baptist pastor is invited to give a teaching in a church in Louisiana as a favor to a friend (this pastor was slightly overweight by the ways). So the Pastor walks into the church and is greeted by a petite old lady who welcomes him with a big hug and starts telling him "I am so glad you are here at our church this morning", the pastor replies "well thank you m'am, it is my pleasure to be here". After some small talk the nice old lady tells him "today we are having a very special man of God who will be teaching this morning, I do pray you come back next sunday when our pastor will be back", the pastor realized at that moment that the nice old lady thought he was just a visitor to the church so he tells her that he is the "special man of God that she was telling him about".

Pause...the old lady looks at him up and down and says "But...but...you are fat!"

Not knowing how to react to her comment he tells her "well, yes I do admit I am a little overweight".

She goes on to tell him " Did you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?"

And he responds to her question by saying "In that case, I think God is trying to build a mega church through this temple!"

Some people say laughter is the best medicine and if you're a Christian, you need to have a sense of humor!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Do you want to push the EASY button?

Posted by lguerrero at 9:31 PM / / 0 comments

Have you ever seen those Staples commercials that feature the "easy button"? Often, I think that it would be nice if such a thing was real and that every time a tough situation that presents itself in my life came up I could just pull this little device out of my pocket and press it and problem is solved.

In a perfect world that would be the way things are done...

But unfortunately it is not like that, isn't it? In life, we go through certain unpleasant situations that sometimes make us think that "I wish there was an easy way out".

At a Bible Study at my church we were discussing this passage in Hebrews 6:4-6, which says:

For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put [Him] to an open shame.

This is a very controversial passage and it seems that every different denomination and belief system within the Christian realm has it's own interpretation for what this verse means, I do have a strong belief that one who has been saved can't loose their salvation. Some people say that you can willingly rennounce to it, such people are called "apostates", it is people that after considering themselves Christians willingly say "you know, this Christianity thing is not for me, maybe I will try something easier". This is very common and you have probably met someone like this. My idea is that these people were really never saved to begin with as in many cases people follow their feelings and emotions, they are convinced that life will be perfect once they accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and many are mislead and once they realize that what they were told isn't true, they go back to their old ways of sin. I have met so many people that never really quite grasped what Salvation really is about and feel like they need to "renew their Salvation" just like they have to renew their driver's license once it expires. This is a touchy subject and one that I honestly can't quite explain in words that make sense so I won't go any further with it.

The truth here, and in this passage is that the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to were looking back at their old Judaism ways to achieve Salvation, in a sense it's as if they wanted to go back so they would go through a priest to have their sins forgiven and not have to worry about taking responsibility for their own sins. In other words, the easy way out!

Many people today are the same way, if you look at the way people act and behave they always want to find the easiest way to have their problems solved for them, they want someone else to do it for them, they seek worldly religions that don't really require much of them to live a "righteous life".

In other words, I am reminded of the passage that Jesus speaks of the Narrow gate:

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow [is] the gate and difficult [is] the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
(Matthew 7:13-14)

Here, Jesus was speaking about the Christian walk. Basically, we have 2 choices we can make when trials and hardships come in our lives: We can either choose to take the easy path and ignore the problem or we can take the harder path and deal with it and allow God to work.

Our Christian walk and the life of the people in the world are just like what this verse says. For an unbeliever it is hard to understand how a Christian can choose to be happy when something bad happens in their lives or even give it all to a God that (according to the unbeliever) might not even be real. The reality is that, He is real, He is more real that any other thing in this world. I have been a witness of the blessings that God gives to those who are faithful and wait on God. As Christians we can not and should not want to choose the easy way out, or press the "easy button", we need to put our faith and trust the promise given to us in Hebrews 13:5b "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

We serve an awesome and living God who never abandons us, even in the times when we abandon Him or turn our backs on Him. Oh, I pray that I may never take that path, that I may always walk in His ways.

I am reminded of the "Footprints in the Sand" poem:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”

The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.”

-Mary Stevenson)

I leave you with this poem as a word of encouragement, if you are a believer and you truly are seeking Him and living a life for Him, He will always be by your side. I know sometimes life takes nasty turns and I have experience quite a few in my own life, there have been times when I have wanted to quit and push the easy button, but then I remember all that God has done for me, how much He has blessed my life and how He sent His own Son to die on that cross, to shed real blood for my sins and that I am so unworthy to deserve His grace and love...and then I think to myself "how could I ever give this up? How could I ever go back to a life with no purpose and no meaning, full of misery and unhappiness?" Think about this next time you are tempted to run away from the glory and mercy of God.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Dare to REPRESENT!

Posted by lguerrero at 9:14 PM / / 0 comments

I think one of the hardest things as Christians is to be good representatives of Jesus Christ. I say this from personal experience, I can honestly and openly tell you that it is a struggle I go through every single day since it is so hard!

I heard an awesome teaching some time ago, can't really recall who it was but this guy was bashing the modern american Christians (he had been overseas for many years) and how fake they all seem to him. He said this because he had been to countries in which people really die for the faith in God and he was talking about how here in the U.S we have it so easy and yet we fail in representing Jesus. We go to our churches, play the part of being Christians and then leave and go to our hipochrite lives. This guy was a little too harsh, but he made a good point. I see everyday people that claim to be Christians once or twice a week and the rest of the week they live just like the world.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
(Romans 12:2)

I've been reading this verse a lot lately and paying close attention to what it says and I can not help but to feel convicted every time I do. God does not want us to be like the world, He does not wants us to be apart from the things of the world and be like Him, in the image of His Son. That is such a hard thing since we get so enraptured in our daily routines and not just that, we are sorrounded by a world that is taking God out more each day from everything. Not only that but, we are surrounded by temptations and things of the enemy every time we turn on the TV or the radio or simply walk down the street.

We are so quick to judge others and judge decisions the world does but we are better at speaking than doing. That is one of things I feel the most convicted about as I write this! I am so good at looking down at the unsaved and not so good to show them the love of Jesus, specially when they are doing things that I don't like.

The point I want to get across with this blog post tonight is that we are to be representatives of Jesus Christ in all we do, not of the world. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ as 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, not only in the comfort of our churches, but in all we do! I love the way that it is put so simple to us in one of my favorite verses:

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
(1 Corinthians 11:1)

Paul here is urging the Christians in Corinth not to imitate him as a a person, but to imitate his example of imitating Christ. In the same way, we ought to strive to do the same in our own life. We are to imitate the example of Christ and be different from the world. I love reading the gospels, but specially Matthew as it shows the amazing example of Jesus and how He was so revolutionary different than the Jews of the day, specially the Pharisees who were so consumed in themselves and the rabbinical law that they forgot the way to live a Godly example.

Living a Godly example is difficult, yes it is, but don't forget that all things are possible through the power of God. As I have mentioned before, I struggle daily with living a righteous life, sometimes I feel as if non-believers are constantly watching and waiting for me to fall, and when I do they just are quick to judge. The reality is that I am not perfect, and neither is any other believer I know, but one thing I know for sure, that with Jesus Christ living within me, I know what is right and wrong, I have a disgust for the things of this world just like Romans 12:2 stresses so much.

Dare to REPRESENT, that is what I am challenging you to do, dare to be different!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Living a life of Prayer

Posted by lguerrero at 8:38 PM / / 1 comments

Have you ever seen the blue prints for a building or a house? Do you know how houses are built? I am sure that you have at some point of your life walked by a building in the middle of construction and have noticed that it has solid foundations that hold it while it is being built. In fact, even when disasters hit and cause chaos and destruction, if the foundation is strong it will stand, even if everything is shattered to pieces.

In the life of a Christian, prayer needs to be our foundation.

But what is prayer? Is it some weird chanting used to invoke the spirits of nature? Is it a ritual that people perform so they can hopefully reach a being that will grant all their wishes? The answer is: NO.

For the believer, prayer is talking with God, it's coming to a time of worship, fellowship and communion with God. It is the best tool against the attack of the enemy. It is a supernatural power that allows us to intercede for our needs and the needs of others to the One and Only who created it all.

It is a privilege that many, even those in ministry take for granted...

We live in a society in which prayer is becoming the least important thing, eventhough it is the most important! Even our all-modern, all-american churches are disregarding the importance of the power of prayer and replacing it with other man made methods to help fill that void that prayer leaves in lives. People are taking prayer as a magical solving hot line to getting their problems solved and when it doesn't happen, the blame God or simply think that their prayer was useless because they deduce that He just doesn't exist.

People tend to believe that prayer is for us, that it is so we can get our three wishes from the "genie in the bottle" mentality when in reality, prayer has absolutely nothing to do with "us", but with God. Prayer is all about Him.

Even Jesus is shown in the gospels as praying, eventhough He was God! That is how important prayer is and should be in our lives!

I think the McDonalds mentality that our modern society comes from several passages that are taken out of context, here is an example:

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
(James 5:13-15)

I once heard this in a heretic teaching about praying and getting our wishes granted: the typical "name it and claim it". This is a terrible teaching and false doctrine that is out there in the modern church.

In case you haven't heard about it (which I would be surprised if you haven't), this is the teaching that if you want something and believe hard enough it will come true and many people are believing it because they want it all for them. I see that a lot in the city I live in, so many people have this belief that church is for them and it must fit their needs. Not only that, but God is to fit their every need. Many people turn to God because of that idea and are being mislead because this doctrine totally tickles their ears and tells them exactly what they want to hear.

The Bible warns against false teachers and false doctrines and even though that is not the topic of this blog, I will briefly share this verse with you:

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
(1 John 4:1)

Back to prayer, we need to remember it as being the foundation for every aspect in our Christian walk. Many Christians consider it important, but they don't consider it the main situation. Many focus on the powers of the Holy Spirit and His gifts and miss that prayer need to be the center of it all. Some focus too much on only teaching the Word and miss the prayer part too.

"If you have only the word you dry up, if you have only the spirit you blow up but if you have both you grow up." - Jim Cymbala

How true is that? We need a perfect combination of both. Prayer must be the support, the solid foundation in our Christian lives.

This is a picture that my pastor asked me to make to illustrate the statement of our church, which should be what we all should strive for. Notice how prayer is the in the bottom step, it is the foundation, without it, none of the others will work if prayer is not behind it. That is why you see many churches and even people fall and stumble, because there is no prayer. Churches don't have prayer meetings because their members can't find the time to pray and claim to be "too busy".

We need to be more prayer-minded Christians. One thing I have learned recently is, why do we make so many excuses when it comes to our prayer life? Why will we make time for less important things and disregard prayer? Not that our every day activities aren't important, but if you really think about it: who has given you all you have? Who has given you a job, school, and whatever else you use your time in? God did! So why not take the time to talk to Him, to fellowship with Him and to grow with Him and to invite Him into our daily activities. You see, we can have a deep connection with God through prayer, we have a priviledge as Christians that many other people who are involved in "world religions" in which they have to go through a priest or a "holy man" to reach their deity.

Confess [your] trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
( James 5:16)

Be fervent in prayer, pray without ceasing just like 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says!