Be Lifted Up!

During last Friday's prayer meeting, one of the songs Matt Bunk played had the following phrase: "In my life be lifted high. In our world be lifted high. In our love be lifted high." During this time of worship I felt like God placed 3 scriptures on my heart.

Psalm 121:1-2
¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

John 12:32
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Numbers 21:8-9
The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

So here's what I got from these three scriptures:

• We must lift Jesus up recognizing our help comes from Him. What is impossible for Him? He's the maker of heaven and earth! Let us be a church that lifts Him up in our lives!
• We must lift him up that He may draw all men unto Himself. The world needs to know that they can also lift up their eyes to God from whom their help will come. Let us lift him up in our world!
• We must allow those things in our lives that represent evil and death to be lifted up to Jesus so that He can use them to bring healing to others. Let us be a church that lifts Jesus up through the dark and difficult circumstances, trials, and even attacks that we go through.

The day after the prayer meeting I came across John 3:14-15, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” When it says "the son of man must be lifted up" is was referring to the cross. The very symbol of death 2,000 years ago is the instrument He uses to bring healing to the world today. Are we willing to believe (trust) in Jesus when there are instruments of death at work in our lives? If we are then He'll take those very instruments of death and use them as instruments of life and healing for the world.

One last point. At the end of the prayer meeting, Marve felt led to share about the feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:32-44; Lk 9:10-17; Jn 6:1-15). Here's the pattern:
1st - It emphasizes the great trial (lack of food)
2nd - Jesus receives the "lack"
3rd - Jesus lifts it up and gives thanks
4th - All the people are abundantly blessed

Prison Testimony - Fasting

Many people may know that it's becoming more common for churches to start each new year with a 21 day fast. What you may not know is that the prisoners have joined with the rest of the body of Christ during this years fast.

Anyway, as I was preparing to minister on Sunday morning, a prisoner came up to me with so much excitement that he had a hard time expressing himself. He said, "Chaplain, I just want to thank you so much for teaching us and asking us to fast. You have no idea what God was been doing in my life. Man, I've had dreams and direction from God but I can't even get to that right now. I just have to let you know something else that happened. I was reading the Word and I felt like I should write some scriptures down and give it to another brother. When I did, the other brother had already written down the exact same scriptures. Right after that, we both got with another brother who's sister was diagnosed with cancer. We touched and agreed and it wasn't even a week and a half later that we got a message from her saying that she is cancer free!"

Praise Jesus!

Merry Christmas

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 2:5-11 (NIV)

Passion for Souls

A little over 12 years ago I gave my life to Jesus and my life was radically changed forever. One of the greatest gifts God has given me was a spiritual father who loves Jesus and loves souls. He loved me and took me in as his own and poured into my life like a godly father does for his kids.

12 years later, my life is as passionate for Jesus as day one because of the firm foundation of Jesus Christ that Pastor Hector Fernandez was willing to lay in my life.

So, I just came across this message that he recently preached and I wanted to share it. As I hear him preach, I understand why I am the way I am. His influence has been great in my life. Thank God for men and women of God who are willing to pour into the lives of others for the glory of God!

Click Here to view the message.

Daniel's Thanksgiving

"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." - Dan 6:10 (NIV)

Daniel is known for many amazing things like interpreting dreams, overcoming fiery furnaces and lion's dens, giving prophecies, and turning a nation toward God. However, what we see in this verse is just as amazing. The "decree" refers to a law that the king had recently passed stating that anyone who prays to their God will be thrown in the lion's den. Daniel did not protest to the king (whom he had a great relationship with). He did not try to get even. He didn't even complain! Daniel "got down on his knees and prayed." Okay, I'll admit that this is something we can expect of someone who knows they're probably going face the death penalty soon. However, what happens next is not expected. Daniel "prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel gave thanks!

Many times we thank God for the great things that happen in our lives. But what about the "bad" things. A. W. Tozer said, "Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now." I like that he used the word "pure" because Jesus said, "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." It takes a pure heart to still see God in the tough times. A pure heart is a heart connected to God and heart connected to God believes God. Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for the good of those who love God." All things! So it doesn't matter what comes our way. God says "all things." Do we believe Him. When tough times come, do we see the trial or the mighty God we serve?

How can we be like Daniel who can give thanks to God in the midst of trials. I think the key is in the last part of the verse, "just as he had done before." Daniel lived a lifestyle of thankfulness. A life in constant acknowledgment of the goodness of God. We can't expect to be able to thank God during the storm if we don't thank Him before the storm.

God is good, all the time! Thanks Jesus! Happy Thanksgiving!

"Our" . . . What a powerful word

In Matthew 6:9 Jesus teaches his disciples to pray saying, "our father." Leave it to Jesus to take a word like "our" and fill it with life-changing revelation power. According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, "our" means, "Pertaining or belonging to us; as our country; our rights; our troops." Simple right? Everything of Jesus is simple. We just need to become as simple little children to understand simple things.

While I was praying yesterday, I was filled with gratefulness to Jesus for using the word "our." I want to focus on three powerful realities that the use of this word reveals about our relationship with God.

First, Jesus shows us that we are in the exact same relationship position with God as himself. Both he and us are children of God and can address him as father. This truth alone should be enough to rock our worlds. Jesus takes a bunch of ex-sinners whose righteousness was as filthy rags and makes us equal to him. Amazing! We can approach our Heavenly Father just like Jesus!

Second, he shows us our relationship to himself. Jesus says, "our father" implying that God is both his father and our father which makes him our brother. We are his little brothers and sisters. If you have siblings, then you understand how special and unique this relationship is.

Finally, he reveals his location during our times of prayer. This is evident when we read the context of this scripture. Right before Jesus teaches us how to pray, he tells us where to pray. He said that we should go into a room, close the door, and pray in secret. He then goes on to teach that we should use the word "our." The use of "our" must mean that Jesus is with us when we pray because Jesus was the one speaking when he said "our" which would include him and other than him, we are in a closed room praying in secret without anyone else. This is fitting because the only way we can even approach God is through Jesus and the Scriptures continuously command us to pray in Jesus' name.

Isn't it wonderful that our big brother Jesus lifts us up to his level and is always with us to teach and enable us to pray to OUR Father?

Hope for Holiness

If you've followed my blog at all, you know that I am a firm believer in the possibility of 100% holiness in this life through the power of God. I must admit that the more I talk about this issue, the more discouraged I get due to the lack of belief I find in Christians. However, I recently came across an article by Keith Drury titled, "The Holiness Movement: Dead or Alive?" Although the article contained some minor issues that I may disagree with, I definitely agree with his main points and especially want to share an excerpt from the end of his article:

2. We should be encouraged because biblical truth always resurfaces.

I believe that the holiness movement—as a movement—is dead. However, the holiness message is not dead, it is suppressed. And I believe it is about to resurface. Why? Because holiness is a biblical truth. Biblical truth always resurfaces sooner or later.

Holiness is pervasive in the Bible. God called unto Himself a holy nation, set aside a holy priesthood, established a holy Sabbath, prescribed only holy sacrifices, to be done on a holy mount, in a holy Temple with a holy place—even a Holy of Holies. God himself is a holy God. And we are "called unto holiness." Without holiness no one shall see the Lord. God says, "I am holy; be ye holy." The Bible constantly and repeatedly calls for our total surrender to God in absolute consecration, for our complete submission to His will, for absolute obedience to His Word, and for separation from the defilement of sin of this world. Holiness is not only the essential characteristic of God’s nature, it is the central emphasis of His Word. God is holy—we are to be holy too.

Holiness is a Bible truth, not some denominational distinctive or pet doctrine of the Wesleyans, Nazarenes, or Free Methodists. It was not invented to provide differentiation in the church marketplace. Holiness is biblical. And as a biblical truth it is sure to resurface. The Holy Spirit leads his people into all truth. The Holy Spirit will lead the church back to this biblical truth. It may be a while yet. It might come in different formats, with a changed language, and under a different heading, but it will resurface we know. Suppressing a Bible truth is like hiding a cork under water. Sooner or later it pops to the surface.

Perhaps we are at the tail end of the "doctrinal-excesses cycle." It is always darkest before dawn. Doctrines have a way of almost disappearing before being rediscovered again. The pattern seems so obvious when we look backwards.

First, a timeless truth is "discovered" and propagated. The truth soon spreads wildly as the solution to a present dilemma—in the case of holiness, sin-bent half-saved Christians. The doctrine and experience moves rapidly across denominational lines as the effective solution to the problem of carnal, immature, powerless Christians. But, sooner or later in the wildfire, excesses are introduced—if a little is good, more is better. In our case the excesses of emotionalism, non-biblical folk theology, and cold-hearted legalism emerged eventually. Finally, when the excesses are full grown, they ignite a reaction, especially in the next generation. In the reaction stage the new generation assents to the written doctrine, but internally rejects its premise. All they can see are the excesses. Their preaching and teaching on holiness is primarily about correcting the past excesses, not propagating the basic truth. Ironically, eventually the corrective becomes the doctrine! The doctrine itself is now shoved underwater. It is hidden, and we go on to other things.

But repressing a biblical doctrine will not last. It cannot last. All doctrines have consequences in daily living. Repressing any biblical truth has consequences for the church. In our case, ignoring the doctrine of holiness has, over time, produced an inadequate God concept, confusion about the judgment side of the gospel, an insufficient doctrine of conversion, and a strain of Christians who are worldly, half-committed, half-hearted . . . half-saved. Today’s problems in the church are the result of excesses again. But this time it is the excesses of the correction we tried to make to the original doctrine. Now we need the original doctrine to correct the excesses of our correction! Is this not where we are today? Are we not poised for another renewal of the message of holiness? I think we are ready for a rediscovery of the holiness message—as a solution to the most pressing problem faced by our churches. We are at the end of the cycle. It is time for a rediscovery! We should be encouraged . . .