Category: Fresh Start

September 13, 2019September 12, 2019

God sees Us Like Diamonds & Pearls—Precious & Pure!

Precious stones are highly valued. Some of the rarest of gems can cost 3 million dollars per gemstone.

Pearl necklaces can be worth up to 1.5 million dollars. Of course, all these prices are subjective. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yet, most people who appreciate the beauty of these gems, very rarely think of the ‘how.’

What I mean is this—the amount of time and pressure of each diamond results in the incredible allure of the precious stone. The more time and intense stress that gems endure the more valuable and almost perfect it becomes.

Pearls have the same type of pressure but a different adventure.

Most people don’t know that it is a tiny parasite that causes the oyster to try and get rid of it by secreting a fluid called ‘nacre’ into the invading little nuisance.

The more of this fluid is injected into the parasite, the bigger the pearl gets with each layer of nacre. A little less than a decade or so, you get a pearl. Sometimes it takes more than a decade, but that would be an average period to make a thing of exquisiteness. Again, this precious stone is produced by constant friction.

In the same way that precious stones are created, our mental, physical, and most importantly, spiritual health comes from constant friction and pressure.

The more a person works out with weights, the more the muscles have to breakdown and then get stronger. The more medical students are deprived of sleep, the better they will adapt to it until each medical student goes on an auto-drive where pressure becomes a thing that they are dealing with calmly.

As Christians, we too don’t like trials. We want smooth sailing from start to finish. Some people can handle the spiritual warfare that comes when we become disciples of Jesus. Most people will stop serving because of these constant spiritual battles.

Parents see their kids wavering on their commitment to Christ and automatically go and try to ‘save’ their children from harm. This is the worst thing that you can do to your kids. Why? Because with strife, contention, division, anger, envy, and all the rest of the things the enemy uses against them and us, the deeper your children will have to depend on the LORD instead of running to us to bail them out.

The more ‘friction’ we go through spiritually, the more beautiful our spirits are becoming. Just like those precious gems and pearls, the pressure and friction are what causes us to get into more profound dependence, prayer, and fellowship with others.

Parents, I encourage you to do your best and try not to help your kids by bailing them out of critical situations that require the LORD’s help. Some of those perilous situations may be self-inflicted, and all of us need to have our Heavenly Father come to our rescue. This is the only way that we will learn, like the small parasites that embed themselves into an oyster, or diamonds weather the incredible pressure the earth places them through.

So parents, if your kids are wavering on their walks with God and you see their commitment lacking, don’t give up on them. Fasting and prayer, pointing them always to the only One that can help them, will be the way that they will come back to His presence.

Nagging them, yelling at them, forcing them is the human way to try to bring your children or spouse back; and is always detrimental to their relationship with God and you.

Love on them, pray for them, correct them calmly, and tell them that God loves them and has not given up on them!

I am not an expert, but I know who the Great Expert is. God will be the one to mine our kids or dive deep into the dangerous oceans to bring them out of the friction and pressures of life. God will release them from their personal and tight enclosures to reveal their preciousness. Each of us and our kids are one of a kind precious gems to God. Your kids will be so refined and valuable to Christ, that their worth will be known to all.

Just don’t give up on your kids, don’t bail them out all the time and allow God to bring out their worth……

If you’re not sure how God sees you & want to ensure that you are precious in His sight, get to know Him more:

Know God

https://www.topteny.com/top-10-expensive-pearls-world/

REFERENCES:

https://pearls.com/pages/how-pearls-are-formed

September 7, 2019September 6, 2019

September 3, 2019September 3, 2019

Music To My Ears! |Training Up Children

Poppa, I like bible study!” My grandson exclaimed.

I turned around as I was getting ready to start our Saturday with an early breakfast. We had our Friday night study the night before, and my almost-three-year-old grandson and my practically one-year-old grand-daughter were with us.

My grandson brought music to my ears when I heard him fluttering the pages of his children’s Bible. He was pretending to read along with the adults.

I have been in all age group ministries. I have served kids of all ages, from babies to adults. There have been many great memories seared into my mind and spirit. Most of these have been wonderful to remember, with very few regrettable ones.

The ones I cherish are not of significant events or church plays or retreats or after-glows. The ones that I hold close to me are the ones when I saw my children who are now adults, pick up their first bibles with the same awe of wonder and delight that my grandson did over the weekend.

You see, it wasn’t just on Friday night and Saturday morning that my spirit leaped for joy. It was the whole long weekend.

This happened Friday night, early on Saturday morning before we left them, and again on Monday at our family get together. Rosh just keep on telling the story of Moses and Pharaoh, with his little voice changing when retelling what God commanded Moses to say to Pharaoh!

As my little buddy was glowing with delight over learning something new the night before, he then started recollecting Bible stories that my daughter and son-in-law tell him; and this Poppa was smiling from ear to ear with humble pride.

Yes. I know those two words are opposites, but that was the feeling at that very moment. Humbleness because I see my daughter’s children learning about God, His grace, and the gift of eternal life that we can receive. That is truly humbling and satisfying. Because what I heard from this toddler-boy was like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Or like Louis Armstrong’s rendition of What a Wonderful World. Or like your favorite sports team winning the championship.

“Poppa, I liked Bible Study!” Is still resounding in my mind…and yes, still bringing an immense smile to my face as I write this.

Some of you may be saying, ” Yes, that’s wonderful, but wait until his teenage or college years, Oscar.”

If there are some of you thinking the above, I encourage you to stop and then go and pray about not giving up on your children. Because we must hang on to God’s promises always. We are always to train our children and grandchildren, drenching them in God’s word. That is our job; it is God’s Spirit to bring them to His saving grace.

I have heard the skeptics tell me throughout the years, what if your kids are out there doing stuff they are not supposed to? Why bother, when they, sooner or later, disappoint you?

My question every time is, ” Do you have your kids in some sport or dance or music lessons?”

Most often, the answer is, “Yes, we do.”

Then I ask them, “Why don’t you save yourselves the time, money and aggravation; just have them quit!”

In most cases, the parents think of what I have just asked, get annoyed because they realize their folly of answering. If they say, no, it’s an investment for our kids. They may get good enough to land a scholarship. Or we want them building character. Or, it helps them focus better, etc. Whatever the answer, what would be more important than knowing and committing to Christ at an early age?

If then, they stray when they reach young adulthood, God tells us that they, our kids, will not depart from the training of the Word of God which you diligently gave them.

So, when I hear my grandson telling me that he enjoyed sitting with the adults and listening to Poppa talk about God, it fills my heart with hope for the future generations I will leave behind to share and point others to Christ. Because, being good at sports, or playing virtuously on an instrument, or being a great investor, or being able to figure out the Laws of Physics, will never get your children or grandchildren into God’s kingdom.

I encourage anyone reading this to not give up or get tired of speaking to your children and grandchildren about the LORD. I promise you, that the eternal dividends will be worth it! All the other wonderful achievements will be icing on the cake…

Trust—Be Humble—Pray—Wait—Repeat!

There are few Christians who venture into the historical books of the Bible. Most people don’t like History because it’s ‘just relating or retelling boring facts’ about people from a long time ago.
But, I see History as an essential part of learning from some of the best saints in the Bible. Also, from some key people in World History. So that I don’t confuse people, I will be using the name Israel for both Judah and Israel. Why? Because there should never have been a break up of this beautiful country. This division was all man-made, and of course, God’s Providence would allow the break-up. He knew how the TenTribes of Israel would be later on in History.

There have been very few men in the Bible who pass through the fires and live. I will speak about one of them and his early life.

Hezekiah became king of Israel a 25years of age. Nowadays, most 25-year-olds are still trying to figure themselves out. Hezekiah didn’t have that luxury; he hit the ground running and started to make things right in the sight of the LORD. He took down worship places of ill repute. The things the Israelites had gotten into by forgetting the One True God of Israel and Judah would leave most people nowadays blushing. Yet, all of Israel’s demise parallels what our country is going through, no, what most of the world is going through.
During this period of spiritual darkness and upheaval, Hezekiah reformed the worship of the LORD back to its rightful place.

The people of Israel would now get back to true worship…there was a revival…sort of...

Only a few people did right in the sight of the LORD. God had been waiting for His people to come back to a heart of worship for Him, but they did not. The warning that God gave to the Israelites in the wilderness came to pass. Now the judgments would come, and come they did.
Yet, one man, the one person who in the eyes of God, represented all of the tribes of Israel as their leader, would do good things to bring back communication with God.

I will talk about three things that I see, which Hezekiah did for the LORD to spare Israel.

First off, Hezekiah trusted the LORD. And because he did, God had mercy on Israel for a bit. To trust in the LORD is to live life, knowing that everything will be the way God has it directed and intended it to be. Giving all our problems to God takes a massive weight off of us, and gives it to Him.
Jesus tells us to cast all our burdens on Him, why? Because he cares for His children(1 Peter 5:7). He wants the best for us, and He wants us to be able to trust in Him, not lean on our understanding, but acknowledge that He will do what’s best for us at every moment (Proverbs 3:5).

Hezekiah knew his country was in trouble. They had been sliding down the wrong path for a long time. Hezekiah knew the only one to help was God. So he placed his trust in the only One that was able to change all the tribes of Israel’s predicaments.

The second thing Hezekiah did was to humble himself and place the freighting problem of an Assyrian invasion on the LORD. The enemy was at Hezekiah’s gates, and they were overwhelmingly more powerful than all the tribes of Israel combined. Now Judah was faced with destruction. The arrogance of King Sennacherib sending his messengers to humiliate Hezekiah before his people. One messenger, in particular, was pretentiously more arrogant than the rest. Rab-shakeh Would taunt his way back to Assyria,

The third vital thing Hezekiah did was to put on sackcloth and ashes, meaning he knew the fate of all Israel, not just Judah was in God’s hands. All the tribes of Israel left their first love, and God was not willing to have His children stray like stubborn and stiff-necked sheep. God had waited hundreds of years patiently for His people to repent and have a revival. They did not.

Then came a God-fearing king, who had torn down all the pagan altars in high places, where all the tribes of Israel were guilty of going to worship gods that had and were still, leading them away from the One True God of Israel.

Now came the time of judgment, and the Assyrian army about 185 thousand strong, waiting for their commanders’ orders to besiege the beautiful city of David.
They would not get the chance, because of one man, Hezekiah; who went before the LORD God of all Israel, and pleaded to save his people. God heard and answered Hezekiah’s prayers through the prophet Isaiah. That same night, an angel of the LORD, took care of the 185 thousand enemies of Hezekiah.

—Whatever you are going through today, remember:

— Trust God with all your heart and mind.
—Don’t lean on your own wisdom or understanding.
— Acknowledge that you need God to help you.
— Pray as your life depends on it because it does.
—Wait for God, even if it takes a long time.
— Then wait for the miracles that God has for your life.
Go out and make a difference for God!

If you don’t know how to place your full trust in God, start here:

AKJV Bible Courtesy of InspiredIdea.com

Know God

REFERENCES:

Histroical Books via Bible.org

Pictures from :

Stock photos courtesy of:
photos-public-domain.com
pdphoto.org

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019

August 26, 2019August 26, 2019

Antagonistic or Strong-Willed — Strong-Spirit-Filled? Christian Walk Series

Being in ministry has taught me a few things about people. Some people listen and do; and some people listen, antagonize, and then do. Yet other people listen, say they will do it and then don’t.
Then some antagonize and serve.

The definition of Antagonize is:
ANTAG’ONIZE, verb intransitive
To contend against; to act in opposition; to oppose in argument.

What does being antagonistic look like?

—Is it something that people wake up one day and say, “I think I’m going to church to serve and antagonize a few people today!”
—Or is it something that others see in a person?
—Or is it a combination of all or some of the above?
— Do people who want to serve to want to be combative or opposing in everything that their leaders put forth?

—I believe that few people wake up on the wrong side of the bed all the time. These people are very rarely serving because they don’t want to serve in ministry with inferior folks. Sometimes they fall through the cracks and make it into leadership.

Some become great doers for the faith, without having the faith.

I also believe that there are people who think they can do everything better than their church elders. This type of Antagonistic person will usually fall through the cracks sooner or later. Why? Because God will not be mocked. He is patient and loving even with the worst of His sheep. Yet, He loves all unconditionally.

I have two takes on this. The Bible tells us the qualities of anyone wanting to be in leadership.

1 Timothy(3:1-13) and Titus (Titus 1:5-9) explain all of it. I will take it up another notch. Anyone wanting to serve must meet these criteria too. Both letters speak of Leadership qualities that are very rare to find, even among today’s churches.

Why do I say this? Because God has stringent guidelines for his under-shepherds. Specifically, those that teach His word (James 3:1-2). As you may have noticed while reading the above scriptures, the helpers of the Church also have some rigorous qualification. There are tactical prerequisites in order to serve in ministry. Antagonists will always be weeded out.

Those people who antagonize fall into two camps:

Those that oppose for the sake of fighting anyone and everyone;
and those that are strong-willed who ask tough questions, not to battle or argue with others, but to gather as much information to think things through so they can make the wisest decisions in order to serve the Church better.

What’s the difference between these two types?
Sometimes, not much.

With today’s political correctness, church leadership in this country has also felt this strong influence. There are leaders in some churches who don’t want any questions being asked. Nor do some in leadership want to deal with those that are serving who are deemed as having too many questions and not enough of the doing things without questioning leadership.

I have seen both types of people in ministry, including pastoral staff elders.

As Christians, we know when we’ve crossed the line. No one has to tell us because the Holy Spirit lets us know when we have crossed that invisible barrier of being rebellious. These are the times that we must stop everything and ask forgiveness from those that have been affected by our mistakes.

Having said all this, I am one of those people that give as many chances as possible.

Why? Because I am also one of those people who are pretty strong-willed. Not to be malicious but one who asks why we do things a certain way. This again is not to antagonize, but to apprise others with a clear and straightforward explanation of what’s being asked of them.

I personally like strong-willed people who push the limits, not in antagonistic ways, but in their focused and strengths when asking me anything.

Some people will say that strong-willed people are antagonistic. I say that there is a fine line with putting a label on people in any circumstance. I have been told by others in leadership about certain people and how exasperating they are to serve with them.
When the “antagonistic” person comes into the ministry I am serving, I have found most have been mislabeled, and some have even taken steps to take on big projects that no one else will try. Some of my so-called antagonists have had great VBS weeks, Easter play victories and led in regional Youth events. I believe that God has used and blessed them because they asked and gathered enough information, even when rattling off twenty questions in a row. I just smile and know that whatever God has called them to do will be done right.

Before putting a label on someone, make sure that you have gotten to know the person in a personal manner. In today’s big church style of leadership, very few pastors get to know the people whom God gives them.

Again, I understand antagonistic people can drain the life out of a person or ministry. Those people need to be dealt with lovingly and with tons of gracefulness.
Most who may be deemed antagonistic, may, in fact, be the best blessing you may get, if only you ask God to give you patience, extra love, and grace in handling them.

Imagine the Apostle Paul when he contended with Peter and the with Judaizers who were bringing burdensome doctrines to the new Christian converts. In today’s day and age, Paul would have been called an antagonist!

Paul would be called an antagonist in today’s politically correct Church. Imagine Peter when being confronted, going back to Jerusalem and telling the est of the Apsotels to excommunicate Paul becasue he had hurt Cephas’ feelings? Paul spoke truth and Peter being filled with the Spirit, was convivted by Paul’s words. Yet today, this act would be called antagonistic. Have we modern day saints become so offended by strong-willed-strong-Spirit-filled men and women of God?

What about Jesus when He overturned the money changers’ tables? Was that antagonistic?

Imagine another instance when Jesus went into the Temple and started causing a stir by cleansing His Father’s House from dirty money and filthy lucre(Matthew 21:12-17)? What would a modern-day Senior Pastor and staff do if Jesus came and overturned their cafe’s and food courts? Would they kick him out for being antagonistic?

All this to say, we as Christians need to go back to doing the basics:

Praying,

Reading

And praying some more.

Asking God to fill us regularly with His Spirit, His love and grace. There will be people who come into our lives to make us stronger in spirit, extremely patient in grace and challenge us to be like Christ, our LORD, and Savior.

We will reap the blessings in our walk when we allow all people no matter the background and emotional baggage they bring, to be like Peter when we are erring in our walk, and also to be like Paul where will have the best intentions for our fellow brethren by being able to lovingly admonish when necessary…

Th Altar Of Insanity |Moral Truth Series

There’s not much that I can add to the words below except, it’s time to— Protect the future of our children’s children…

—When people worship at the Altar of Insanity

Morals that are deemed perfect are not.

Morality that should be taught is not.

Unhealthy Lifestyles are deemed clean.

Clean lifestyle is deemed unclean.

Those that worship at the Altar of Insanity

want to drag our kids into this unhealthiness.

People will not worship at

the Altar of The Way, The Truth & Life

because they have bought into the Lie.

They have worshipped at the Altar of Insanity

far too long to know the insaneness of it all.

If you want to walk away from the Altar of Insanity & get to know the real Way, Truth and Life personally:

Know God

August 23, 2019August 23, 2019

Sundays: Don’t Politicize, Criticize, Compromise or Chastise — But Liberlize Thru Christ

Is posting political posts and debates serving our community? Especially when family members or friends who are unbelievers are watching us on what’s supposed to be one of our Holy Days? ….

First off, as Christians, we have a duty to be involved in all aspects of life. This includes having a political view. I am a firm believer that we, as Christians, should gIve back to the community in everything and by individual callings God has placed in each person’s heart. If this means being the best doctor or lawyer or political leader, you do it to the fullest. Because God gives all of us different gifts and directions to journey through in life.

Secondly, if you have to work on Sunday’s because of the industry you’re in, keep doing your work cheerfully until the LORD brings you out of this period. Be an example to all who see your work. Let those who don’t know the grace and peace of Christ, glorify His name and want to have what you have.

Now to the thing I have noticed— Sunday Posts:

I see more and more political posts on Facebook. Even Christians are getting to the political arena or into things that may not be what we should be talking about on Sundays.

Sunday is the Lord’s day. This is when Christ rose. And this is where we, as Christians, observe our faith in God’s miraculous mighty power of defeating death and bringing people back to a personal relationship with Him.

Of course every day should be the Lords day. But on Sunday it’s a special thing. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ believe that we need to keep the Sabbath Holy. Yes, this is God’s command to all humanity. It is not a Jewish thing to do. But remember what Paul said in Romans:

…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.… Romans 14.

I personally have a Friday Night study that has been going on for years. I did not start it as a Sabbath Study or to keep the Sabbath, but because I wanted my kids and their friends to have a safe place to be on Fridays. I just kept teaching on that certain day and the blessing of seeing the Orthodox Jewish folks pass by and hear me speak about Jesus and his prophetic Jewishness, is a blessing to know that they are being witnessed to as they pass by our house and the windows are wide open for all to hear.

Now the reason why Sunday’s are crucial to observe and why we call it the LORD’s Day is because of Jesus’ resurrection, and the most important implications for us as Christians. You see, without Jesus rising from the dead, there would be no faith in our own resurrection through Christ’s work on the cross and in the grave. We tend to forget this essential and highly critical second part of His work.

Which brings me to what we as as Christians should be doing for our community. Sundays are too important to get caught up in political debates which sometimes get heated. Because politics will never ever save anyone, or ever change a person’s heart.

The only way that we will change this country is not by going at each other politically. Yes, there are times when we have to say something to refute the fake news or dangerous political views being glamorized on TV or schools, but…

We have six days to do this. On Sundays, I’m going to start first by sharing what God has done for me.
I will post of His promises and of His love for people without comprimising my tenets:

—That God became human as He was born to a Judean virgin named Mary.

—That Jesus grew up with every human weakness we all face in our lives.

—That God brought His promises from prophecies of old.

—That these promises of old, became real and were fulfilled in Jesus.

—That Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again.

—That Jesus ascended into heaven and promises us to come back for His sheep.

—That if He rose from the grave, He has conquered death and we also have conquered death through His power of salvation through God’s grace, which is given freely for the repentance of our sins.

—That we as Christians, need to become His actions here on earth, and reach the community with the Gospel.

—That we share the gospel so intensely with our actions and love, that we will not have to preach it with our mouths. Because non-Christians will see Christ in us through our actions and the way we live.

—That we go out into our communities and make disciples of all nations! Literally here in Souther California, there are hundreds of languages being spoken. We are the crossroads to the Asian Continent. We don’t need to fly thousands of miles to reach the world for Christ. We can, and should start in our community first, this is our Jerusalem.

Therefore, we need to change people’s hearts and minds through the power of salvation , regeneration and transformation into each person’s life.

We as Christians need to be a community united in one accord in prayer, discipleship, and outreach to our communities. This is the only way that we will be effective and change the direction we are seeing all over the United States and the world. Join me in sharing the Gospel in some way on Sundays. Leave everything else behind. May we concentrate sharing and discipling the Grace of Christ and His commands with our families, our neighbors and our friends on Sundays. Sports, politics and entertainment can wait until Monday…

August 20, 2019