Zach's Notes

TAKE JESUS at HIS WORD!!

2009-11-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

In all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us.

When it comes to healing our spiritual condition, we don’t have a chance. We don’t have what it takes to be healed. We have a 5 letter word though, FAITH!! When me and Bro. Charlie Dykes, Pastor at Open Arms Assembly of God, used to head up a Bible study on Thursday nights we did several weeks on faith. At the end of the study we would always have this: Firmly Assured I Trust in Him!! (F.A.I.T.H.) That’s the way it should be for all of us… No matter what the circumstance…. No matter what the condition, we should always trust in God…Always standing on the FIRM rock, which is the Word of the LORD!
Our only hope is that God will do for us what he did for the man at Bethesda, that he will step out of the temple and step into our hurt, disappointment, worry, and helplessness.
Which is exactly what He has done…. I wish we would take Jesus at his word…
When Jesus says we’re forgiven, let’s unload the guilt.
When Jesus says we’re valuable, let’s believe him!!
When Jesus says we’re provided for, let’s stop worrying.
GOD’S EFFORTS ARE STRONGEST WHEN OUR EFFORTS ARE USELESS!!!!

So, let’s stay in love with Jesus and have FAITH in Him!!!

The Call of Samuel...How Is The Word Of The Lord Necessary for today??

2009-10-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (KJV)
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
The Word of the Lord was precious in those days: or it was rare; seldom... It was this event that mad the revelation of God's Will to Samuel an event so memorable both for the Jewish nation and for the church. Why is this? He was called by the providence of God..
At the end of this verse we see where it says there was no open vision. : this literally means that “no vision broke forth” as found in 2 chronicles”.
This means that though prophecy was an essential condition of the spiritual life of Israel, but it had not yet been established as a fact.
The gift had not been absolutely withheld...but it hadn't been permanently granted as a settled ordinance..

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
Eli could not see! :
his sight was quickly growing dim...
both were sleeping in the temple: Samuel was sleeping in the temple of God, where the ark of God was..
Eli nor Samuel were in the holy place, but 1 Sam 1:9, the word temple is used in the sense of the whole palace of Israel's spiritual king.

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
The reason why Samuel was confused is simply because Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of God revealed to him.
He knew God in the way of his conscience and spiritual life, but did not know him as one who reveals his will to men.
Let me explain that prophecy had been a rare thing for a long time... and Samuel had often heard God's voice in his heart, speaking to him of right and wrong....
but he did not know of God as a living person, such as giving commandments for men and women to obey...and giving knowledge to guide them in doing his will!!

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Notice that Eli told Samuel to go lay down again... Eli knew this was God, definitely a time to get excited but he told Samuel to go lay down because he knew that if Samuel was calm it would be the best way for him to receive the Word of God!
The best preparation for hearing God's voice is through obedience and trustful submission!

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Here there was more than a voice there was an objective presence!
But instead of hurrying to Eli, Samuel obediently waited for the revelation of the Divine Will, saying, “Speak, for thy servant heareth”
We find where 258 times the Word of God has come unto an individual on either one or multiple occasions
Here with Samuel we see where it took God three different times to get Samuel's attention...
What does this show about God, or the Word of the LORD?
It shows me that God will never ever give up on an individual...
I read this passage of scripture for the purpose of setting a picture in your head.
I don't believe I am doing any injustice to the Word of God when I do this, but lets set a seen of a sinner...an individual bound down by the power an darkness of sin...
this individual is a porn addict, has a terrible cussing problem...this guy will cuss you out in a heart beat. This person has felt God speak to their heart about what is right and wrong, just as young Samuel did!
There is only one hope for this person...the Word of the Lord has to come unto him...

we find many verses where it reveals the power that the Word of God packs!
John 1:1 says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God!
So here in this bible records many miracles,healing and teachings of Jesus...
but since the word was God...or is God..it is revealing that the word of God is not just pages bound in this book but it is indeed alive and well!
2 Timothy 3:16 says:
2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Can I say to you that the word of God is not just something bound in a leather casing, something that many people put on their back shelf or I n their closet!
But the Word of God dwells here among us!
The Word of God is here with us this morning, his name is Jesus!
Yes he hung on a cross, yes nails were driven through his hand, yes a crown of thorns were placed on his head!
Yes he did die on that cross...but he was buried...
an I am proud to report that the grave couldn't hold him!
The stone wasn't to heavy!
When God moved on the situation God resurrected that body of Jesus!
This shows that the Word of the LORD is all powerful
this shows that God is in control
this shows that nothing is impossible with God!
Yes Jesus did die but he rose again...he conquered the grave! That's the resurrecting power of Jesus!
So the word of the lord is not dead! The word of the Lord is not shut up somewhere!
But the Word of the Lord is alive and it dwells here among us today!
1 peter 1:24-25 says
1 Peter 1:24-25 (KJV)
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Friend we are going to die one day...you will meet eternity whether you like it or not!
There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother!
You can turn to your drugs
you can turn to the things and the people of this world
but at the end of the joint you find emptiness
at the bottom of the pill bottle there is nothing
at the bottom of the whiskey bottle there is emptiness!
When your friends seemingly turn away from you who are you going to turn too?
Yes you may get a good feeling from the alcohol and the drugs, but when it wares off you will be left with emptiness all over again!
But let me introduce you to a feeling that never goes away!
Let me introduce you to someone who you will never find emptiness in!
Let me introduce you to someone that will never turn his back on you!
His name is Jesus!
Open you heart and let him come in!
He is the WORD OF THE LORD!!
friend has he tried to get your attention?
Has he tried to come in your heart?
Has he spoke to you about what you are involved in is wrong?
Maybe you think he cant save you!
Maybe you think you are involved in something that is “To Much” for him to handle, but can I tell you that:
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
12 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.
What does this mean??
Jesus is in the healing business!
HE IS IN THE SAVING BUSINESS!
Don't worry about what your involved in!
Don't worry about the perversion, the addiction, or the disobedience...
you lay it at the foot of the cross and let Jesus take care of it! Why because he is powerful and he is sharper than any two edged sword!

Importance

one thing that is so important is that the Word of God is the foundation for a real relationship with Jesus
often times as a minister of this Gospel I want to spend my time doing message preparation... and yes God does speak to my heart... don't get me wrong
That is good but without a relationship with Jesus it is no good...WHAT DO I MEAN??
we should not only study this Bible, the Word of God, for just message preparation!
We should study this word to get into a deep relationship with Jesus Christ
without a strong and true relationship with Jesus you will crumble...
It is said in the Bible in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The Amplified Version says 2 Timothy 2:15 (AMP)
15 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
So to be able to preach this Word we have to have a relationship with Jesus!
Thats why the Word of the Lord is so important to us in the world that we live in!
When we pray we are talking to our father Mighty God!
But when you read the Word of God that's how God talks back to you!
Friend this blessed Holy Book is the ingredient to a strong foundation! So that when the winds and the storms come you can stand flat footed and say “I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED IN AND I AM PERSUADED HE IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE COMMITED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY!
We need a strong relationship with Jesus!
Why is it so important? The Word of the Lord can humble you!
2 Kings 22:19 (KJV)
19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.
Why is it important?
Josiah pleased God because he humbled himself and submitted to God's plan.
This kind of humility and Godly surrender is a primary condition for personal spiritual renewal and recevieng God's grace.
This invovles recognition of our own flaws and our own failures compared to God's perfect standards.
This involves sincerely respecting, following and taking God's Word Seriously IN ALL THINGS!!
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit! What Does This mean?
What God really desires is for men and women to recognize their own inability and surrender their situations to him!
God will never ever ever turn away a broken and humble heart!!
notice it says since thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, I also have heard thee!!!!
When we put our selfish and prideful attitudes and cry out to our creator, cry out to Mighty God for his help, for his forgiveness, we can be rest assured God will hear us!!
That's what God desires of us! Set away our seflishness and pride...and get real with God!
Get humble, get broken before God!
This is important because when we are humble and listen to the Word of the Lord, He also listens to us!!

The Word of the Lord is our Sword...our only offensive weapon!
Just as Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan....we will also be tempted... but when Satan tempted Jesus he was able to rebuke the devil with what....the Word of the Lord!
Its this Word that is infallible! Its this Word that will never fail!
Jesus will never fail you, neither will the Words in this Bible!
I'm tired of people trying to put Jesus behind the scenes....trying to say he is dead and is gone forever!
He might not be here in physical form but he is here in the form of the Holy Spirit! The Holy spirit is just like Jesus!
It will comfort you in time of trouble, it will lift the burden!
Turn to this word! And turn to God!
Revelation 19:11-17 (KJV)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF Lords.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
God is still in the business of making the Word become flesh...this is necessary but we have to be in a relationship with God!
My God Give us a hunger

Remember I painted a picture in your mind of a young man that was addicted to porn, addicted to the things of this world, had a terrible cussing problem...
the Word of God spoke to his heart many times saying “this is wrong, you can change”
many times this individual layed in bed at night thinking about how he wanted to change...he just thought he was involved in too much...
many times after he went to church, how many know u can still go to church and not be saved??
but after church he would often line pillows up on his bed and pretend he was preaching to them
he always thought the Lord had called him to be a preacher...
but when God would speak to him he would get up and go get involved in something to deny the voice of God!
But after he left his room, pretending to preach, he would always be heart broken!
Because he had no joy...no peace was in him...nowhere to be found inside this young individual!
On a Sunday morning the Word of the Lord come unto this guy...and he had made his mind up he wanted to change!
He stood up out of the piew and walked down to the front, and asked Jesus in his heart...
it was a life changing experience..
that's what happens when the Word of the Lord comes unto you...
it can break the feters of sin...and break the chains and the pain of your past...
shortly after that morning..that glorious morning,when a sinner was saved....
this individual excepted the call of God in his life...Around three months after being saved
reminds me of ole Samuel.. he wasn't involved in sin but it took three times for the Lord to get his attention...
after this born again christian excepted the call of God, of course excepting Jesus and turning from his old ways
his life truly began...
on March 2nd of 2008 he accepted Jesus in his heart

I will never forget I was laying in my bed one night
I was consumed in sin, I was laying there just mad at the world..
I was laying there and I was listening to Gothic music....
I had decided I was going to live for Satan...
I was so close to praying to the Devil...how scary is that..
something told me not to! IT WAS THE WORD OF THE LORD!!! To this day I wonder where I would have ended up if I would have done something as foolish as that...
but I'm so thankful for the grace and love of God!
Friend what we need in this world is a move of God!
We need the Word of God to come unto people...how will that happen...lets pray and make our selves humble...God is listening!
Every since that Glorious day I was saved! Every time I have went back to something of this world...there is bitterness and anger
WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL HAS A TASTE OF GOD, NOTING WILL BE ABLE TO SATISFY THAT CRAVE,ONLY JESUS CAN!

The Potter Knows His Clay

2009-07-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Throughout history there have been songs titled "The Potter Knows The Clay". For example, The Perry's, have a song titled "The Potter Knows The Clay". There is certain part in the song that catches m attention every time I hear it-- "The Potter knows the clay, how much pressure it can take"!!! WOW!! How comforting is that, God Almighty knows how much pressure we can take. I'm going to use my imagination for just a minute.... We start out as just a glob of clay, God applies pressure and heat to us for one plan in mind. Each time we go through a trial or face a problem we begin to form into the plan that God has. One thing that has always comforted me is that no matter what I go through, I wont be defeated because of the Blood shed on the cross by Jesus Christ! It is so comforting to know that the Devil cant, he wont, and he will never be able to cross the Blood line of Jesus Christ. With each trial and problem we face we are being molded into a beautiful plan, a beautiful creation. It is so comforting to know that as heat and pressure is applied, God hands is on us molding us into the beautiful plan God has for our life! Isiah 64:8 tells us that "But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand" When we go through a situation in our life it is important to remember that God's hands is always on us molding us. But it is also important that we not only seek the face of God in a situation, but we also seek God when we are up on a mountain peek. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us that we should rejoice evermore, pray WITHOUT ceasing, in EVERY THING give thanks: for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you. Times aren't going to get better, they will get worst. So it is so imperative that we remain sold out to God, and pray that God will rekindle the fire within our hearts once again.

God Bless

The Honoring Heart

2009-06-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

These are the notes from the mesage I preached on June 17, 2009!

1 Samuel 13:14 tells us that the LORD had sought for a man after his own heart!
~Tall and talented, the best picture of a leader…a man named Saul stood out among everyone else!
~He seemed to have all of the abilities this nation would require and need in its first king. But Saul lacked one thing--------------the right heart!!!!
You may ask well what kind of heart is God looking for????
I believe that the heart that God looks for must posses a consistent bent toward righteousness and the desire to honor HIM above everything else!!!!!
It is important that each of us always keep in mind who we serve and who we labor for!
Psalm 8 the psalmist David looks at how great God Almighty is and considers the little state of man.
David is aware of the beautiful and wonderful works of God!
I don’t know if you realize it or not but we do not deserve even a little bit of what God provides for us!
We find access into His presence, but we deserve only judgment!
By his grace and mercy, we are given a place of love!
With an honoring heart we should be in awe of what God can and will do!!
Perhaps the most POWERFUL demonstration of a heart that honors God comes from the life of the prophet Isaiah!
Isaiah finds himself in the middle of a vision of God’s throne room. He is speechless because of the great power and majesty of God!
Isaiah writes that “I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple!”
Can you imagine what a sight that would be??
Isaiah momentarily sees his true self and is horrified at his own weakness!
Isaiah doesn’t belong there in God’s Holy Presence!
But at the very moment God touches s0mething in Isaiah and makes it right within him!
Just like Isaiah each of us should have a clear sense of the Greatness of God Almighty!
Turn with me to Isaiah 6… 1-5
What can we learn from Isaiah’s experience?
We need to see what Isaiah Saw!!!!
Isaiah saw God’s Position!

1) He saw God in ALL of His Glory!!!
He was there before the very presence of God!

2) Seeing God in ALL His Glory had a powerful impact on Isaiah!
It humbled Isaiah

King Uzziah might have died but God Almighty still sat on the throne in full control!
It reveals to us that God is in full control!!!!
What appears to be a tragedy to us could end up being something that changes our lives for the better
What appears to be a tragedy to us is nothing compared to what God can do!
What appears to be a tragedy to us may be a grain of sand in God’s eyes!
We need to remember who sits on the throne!
He saw God’s Personality
The angels were standing there, sinless creatures!
But they were still careful to honor the holiness and purity of God Almighty!
It says they covered there faces with their wings!!
Perfect angels humble before God!
If you will look at Rev 4 you will find out what the angels are doing in heaven!
Rev 4 tells us that the angles rest not day and night crying “HOLY HOLY HOLY! Lord God Almighty!!
When you woke up this morning those angels were crying HOLY HOLY HOLY
When you ate lunch today those angels were in heaven crying HOLY HOLY HOLY
When you watched TV today those angles were crying HOLY HOLY HOLY
While we are in church tonight those angles are crying HOLY HOLY HOLY
When you go to bed tonight those angles will be crying HOLY HOLY HOLY!!
Heaven is perfect; the Glory of God is there!
Our duty here on earth is to live holy lives before him!
He alone belongs to be in the place of HONOR and GLORY in our hearts
He saw God’s Presence!
The bible tells us that “the house was filled with smoke”
This was a symbol of the presence of God!
The train of his robe filled the temple!
God is the center of the temple!
It reveals that:
God is mighty!
God is mighty to save
God is mighty to heal
God is mighty to redeem
God is mighty to sanctify
God is mighty to break the chains of sin and the chains of your past and set you free!!!!
We need to sense what Isaiah sensed
Sensed his own condition before God
When Isaiah saw the LORD, he instantly realized the problems within his own heart!
*** This is what happens when you draw close to God!
Moving closer to God reveals the wickedness and sin in our own lives!
That leads to us changing our lives with the help of God and being able to live Holy lives before God
He cried out “Woe is me!”
Until we are able to see our own failures and our need for repentance before the LORD, we will never be able to draw close unto him!
When you do all of this it all turns into an equation: with the solution being an honoring heart for the LORD!
Focused heart, honoring heart, a clean heart, and a surrendered heart will quickly find itself on an upward path!
Do u have an honoring heart?
Do u want to honor God with every fiber in your body?
What a joy it will be when we bow down before Jesus!
We Will Cry Holy Holy Holy…just as the song goes…
We fall down we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus…the greatness of mercy and love at the feet of Jesus!
We cry holy holy holy holy is the lamb!

HEADLINES FROM THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT!!

2009-06-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

Many of us take a glance of our local news paper. Every day we see headlines from some major or minor event that took place!

Headlines From The Sermon On The Mount! :

Golden Rule: "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law" (Matthew 7:12
Anger: "Settle your differences quickly" (Matthew 5:25)
Revenge: "Do not resist an evil person" (Matthew 5:39)
Judging Others: "The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged" (Matthew 7:2)
Enemies: "Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)
Charity: "Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others" (Matthew 6:1)
Money: "You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24)
Assets: "Don't store up treasures here on earth... Store your treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-20)
Worry: "I tell you not to worry about everyday life...whether you have enough food and drink or enough clothes to wear" (Matthew 6:25; 6:32)
Prayer: "Dont babble on and on... your Father knows exactly what you need" (Matthew 6:7-8)

Jesus Goes Public!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John,
Matthew 3:13
Skipping the next 30 years in Jesus’ life, Matthew jumped right into the start of Jesus’ ministry.
His ministry was marked by two events: BAPTISM and TEMPTATION!
The biggest question is why Jesus bothers with baptism!!!???!!!!… John the Baptist is baptizing people who CONFESS their sins. …….
By Jesus stepping into the water, He confesses the sins of us humans as though they are His sins!!! Jesus is showing everyone that he has come to save.
Jesus goes a step farther in identifying with the people he came to save. He walks into the nearby rocky Judean “badlands”, here Satan tempts him! He spent 40 days in this wilderness. Satan tried his hardest to get Jesus to worship him. He used some of the temptations that every human faces! The desire for comfort, prestige and power:
*** Bread to satisfy Jesus’ appetite during a spiritual feast
***Rescue by God’s angels, to remind him of who he is
***Worship by the entire world
Jesus refuses it all and remains focused on his mission!!!!!
We should have that same dedication and desire that our Saviour Jesus Christ had. He was faced with every temtaion but remained focused! Remained with one decision in mind!

Being Rooted

2008-10-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Matthew 13:1-9 reads; The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying; "Behold, a sower went foth to sow. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and chocked them: but the other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

People who hear the Word joyfully are like seed sown on stony places; they spring up quickly but last only a short time because there are no roots.
Roots arent always pretty, but without them a plant cant survive. We are the same way, even tho it may get hard to do a daily devotion, without it we wont ever grow deep into the knowledge of God.
If our roots go deep we'll be strong, resistant to blight, and more likely to survive hard times.

We need Jesus!

2008-09-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

This is not going to be a typical blog that I would usually do but i want to share with you some thoughts that I have about the world we are living in. When I walk in this afternoon I hear the sound of a newscaster saying that the stock market has "collapsed". As a 16 year old boy I usually don't think much about the stock market. But I feel that the Holy Spirit has dropped a couple of thoughts into my heart that needs to be shared. The first is that the end of time is near. I'm only 16 years old and I can tell that the economy and the world that we are living in is in bad shape. But there is one thing for sure, we have someone that sticks closer than a brother. He is Jesus Christ!! It doesn't matter how bad the situation may be, how bad the economy may be, there is one thing for sure if we will put our trust in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords we will be okay. But instead we have some people that is running around taking pleasure off of the WICKED things of this world. There is an individual that is so dear to me, that person is running from God. We were talking just the other day and we were talking about the shape of this Nation and I said "Well Jesus is coming back soon!" To my surprise this person replied saying "Oh no don't say that." That is the problem today. People have stopped looking for the return of Jesus Christ, they have stopped expecting his return. I often hear people say "Well I'm going to hell, i might as well live this life to its fullest." HOW FOOLISH.... I was sitting in the lunchroom the other day and heard cussing all over the building. I am not anyone to judge someone but i thought to myself, "If Jesus was to come back right now, how many people would be left behind?" This world is coming to an end.... I was sitting in class the other day when our new English teacher started talking about God. The girl in front of me turned around and said "This is terrible, I cant believe she is talking about God." Let me tell you something, I don't understand some people. If that teacher would have been talking about the devil she wouldn't have said anything. But just as soon as the teacher starts talking about God, the Divine being who spoke this world into existence, people go crazy. What we need is a revival to sweep across this nation. We need God in our school systems. I'm so fed up with the mess about how people say teachers "brainwash" their children with the teachings of God. But when it comes to a teacher teaching about how the human race supposedly come from a bunch of Apes they are satisfied with it. The school system needs God in its everyday curriculum. All of these people running around making fun of us Christians will one day face their punishment. I hear people saying that they are scared of what the anti-Christ is going to do. I have news for you, I'm not looking for the anti-Christ, I'm looking for the return of Jesus Christ.

Is He Real?? (Notes from Back-To-School Bash 08)

2008-09-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

One day you will be faced with a problem, you will feel like you are down for the 10 count, you are going to need some divine being with supernatural powers to intervene in your life... I want to explain who that divine being is...... Let me start off by saying that the Lord is mentioned 6000 times, God 4000 times, Jesus is mentioned in 600 verses… I would say that the number of times he is mentioned reveals he is real...
I am going to us 1 main story from the Bible this evening... I am going to summarize Daniel 3... King Nebuchadnezzar has a golden statue and he says that everyone must bow down and worship the statue when the trumpets and other musical instruments sound...so it happens and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego don’t bow down... They know that King Nebuchadnezzar isn’t there God, and they especially know that the gold statue isn’t. Word gets back to King Nebuchadnezzar and he is furious... So he is mad and orders that the furnace be heated 7 times hotter than usual... According to my research a furnace could top 1800 degrees.... So if Trent Hill, B H, and C H were thrown into a furnace and I jumped into save them I would melt... A typical cremation chamber only tops around 1400 degrees, so the furnace is 800 degrees hotter than a cremation chamber... The flames were so hot it killed the guards that threw them in...In vs. 25... It says that they were unbound walking around in the fire, they weren't even harmed... So some supernatural power kept then from being burnt... It says that there was a divine being walking around with them... Let me tell u who that divine being was...it was God... He is real... He is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week... He hears our cry for help. He steps down and tells the devil he is messing with his child…. The laws of nature had to be broken; I can’t do it neither can you. If you are in a situation, if u don’t think u can go any longer...put your trust in God...he is real and he wants to save you.... think about the children of Israel as they were escaping from the Egyptian army, they couldn’t cross the Red sea, but some divine being intervened. Think of Daniel in the lions den, some being with some supernatural power kept him from being eaten alive. LAW OF NATURE BROKEN… You may say that you don’t believe God is real because you have never seen him... 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We live by faith and not by sight” …But think about the wind, you can't see it...but you can see the effects of it...you can feel its presence...God is the same way... You can’t see him…but you can see the effect he has on people and you can also sense his presence… The wind affects us so does God… The wind affects others around us, so does God… The wind is always present but can’t always be felt, God is always present but the reason you may not feel his presence is because you are not standing where you need to be. On a hot summer day the wind can refresh you, when you are discouraged, when you don’t think you can go any longer from all of the satanic attacks God can refresh me and you…. He is real this evening…
He’s real and here is a little something about him….
He is the Beginning!
He is the Comforter!
He is King of Kings
He is Lord of Lords
He is the Way Maker

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

2008-09-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them"

Pay attention to the word "good". It can mean "pleasant" or "enjoyable". But some things that are good for us invovle pain. Think about how a doctor may have to do a painful treament to heal a wound. The doctor knows why he is "hurting" the patient, even though the one being affected by this "pain" may not understand. God knows everything, including the future, and he has a purpose for our life. We need to give everyhting to God and trust that the "pain" we go through will be used for good... That means even when you dont want to...

Lord, Please Help Us!!!!

2008-08-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:11 (NLT)
"God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too."

As I was just doing my devotion I came across Matthew 5:11. And as I sit here this morning about to go to school I cant help but think about the need of God in our school system. Yes, we all need God but the school system is "wicked" these days. Over the past few months I have been made fun of and been called many different names because I preach the Word of our God. Most of us know that the devil will try to throw some "curve balls" at us. Some of what I thought were my best friends are not realizing the seriousness of having God in their life. But I am not discouraged, I have seen with my own two eyes the miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ has done. I ask every reader of this blog to please, please, please be in prayer for us teenagers that has to face the "mockers" at our schools. Don't get me wrong, our school is not terrible but there is that need of the awesome hand of God to intervene in lives. I still struggle with this, but the schools can be a ministry for us teenagers to spread the Word of God. I definitely cant judge people, and what people do is between them and God, but I was sitting in the lunchroom the other day and the sounds of the Lords name being used in vain rang out repeatedly. And when that happens my heart breaks, I hope that those people repent. I'm not trying to sound like a baby about all of this but there are so many souls that are lost. I hope that I have influenced young people to fulfill their calling in life. I believe there are many that are running from the call of God because they are scared. The Lord is not going to send you some place without the right "equipment". What this nation needs to do is stop worrying about what the nonbeliever will think, this nation needs to stop worrying if the devil worshipper will get mad, this nation NEEDS to focus on God. I believe that with our Youth Group expanding the way it is, souls are going to be touched outside of church. Im going to stop with this thought, the schools can be our place to minister to lost souls...

Psalm 40:1-3 (NLT)

2008-08-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Psalm 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

We often find ourselves wanting a quick fix. But just as it says in verse 1, if we wait patiently for the Lord he will turn and hear our cry. I have found myself wanting that quick fix, I have often thought that the Lord isn't listening to me. But I have also found that if we put our trust in God, if we wait patiently, great things will happen. For the past few months me and Bro. Johnny Ray have been praying for a great move of God. We have put our trust in God and have waited "patiently". The past few weeks many people have excepted the Lord Jesus Christ into their life.

40:2

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

I have felt like my back is against the wall, I felt like I couldn't move forward. I have felt like I was in a pit. But once again this refers to us putting our trust in God. God has never let me down. It seems like he always shows me a way. I have often "strayed away from the flock". But he always, always, always sets my feet on that "solid ground". I often wonder what it would be like if God wasn't such a loving Father. And I wonder where I would have ended up if it wouldn't have been for the love of God, for him forgiving me of my sins. Its scary when you think about it. But when the devil puts thoughts in your head, saying your not forgiven. Think of Jesus on Calvary. Think of the pain that he suffered as he walked down the Via Dolorosa. Think about how he hung on the cross in pain for OUR sin, so that we can be forgiven and we can live in peace.

40:3

He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the Lord.

Pay attention to "many will see what he has done and be astounded". The work that God has done in my life is amazing. Many people still don't understand the work and the change that has took place. They look at the change and many say "Wow, their must be something to God". I have seen many of my friends lives change in such of a powerful way. And when people see that, they see our "light shine" even when we feel like our backs are against the wall. I have seen people begin to trust in the Lord because of the work that is taking place in our youth group.

Why Did Jesus Have To Die??

2008-07-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you may think that God could have figured out a better plan of salvation. Something less bloody, something that didnt involve his Son on a slab. But the Bible gives us a few clues about possible reasons for this plan of salvation.

Sin Is A Capital Offense

Webster defines "capital offense" as the penalty of death for the commission of a crime. It has been like this from the beginning. God told Adam that if he broke the one and only law--eating for bidden fruit--"you are sure to die" (Genesis 2:17). The apostle Paul said, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Life Is In The Blood

Leviticus 17:11 tells us "The life is in the blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible".

Jesus' Death Fulfilled The Death Penalty Requirement For Everyone

Hebrews 10:12,18 tells us "Our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time.... When sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices".

Jesus' Death Set The Stage For The Resurrection

It was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that finnaly convinced Jesus' deisciples that he was God's Son. They were convinced enough that most of them died as martyrs. After seeing Jesus risen from the dead, and hearing him promise the same future for them, they died expecting that "everyone who believes in him will not perish byt have eternal life"(John 3:16)

What An Awesome Wednesday Night Service

2008-07-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

That scripture means so much to me. Over the past few months, I have been praying that God would save one of my best friends. I told him how God can do a great work in someones life! I am so excited about what happened tonight. That young man got saved. The presence of the Lord was felt all through out the sermon. But not only did one person give there life to God, TWO young men did. It is so great to see people give there life to God. And it feels great to witness to someone. Bro. Johnny then gave the call that if anyone wanted to be prayed for because of something that is going on in there life or really anything! The response was great. One young lady came down to the altar with a broken heart calling on the Lord. She has been through so much, it made me so happy to see her come down. The presence of the Lord was so strong. As I laid hands on her she gave it all to God, if I have ever seen a young lady have an experience with the Lord it has to be this one. The service was great!! I am so proud of the young men that came down to the altar and gave their life to God. I just could not go without telling about these great things that God is doing in our youth group.

Exodus 40:34-35
Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. Moses was no longer to enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the Tabernacle was filled with the awesome glory of the LORD.

Glory to God!! I believe that it is safe to say the the LORD sent a cloud to us tonight. And that cloud filled our Youth Chapel with the awesome glory of the LORD. This is just the beginning of what I believe is going to happen in our youth group. The LORD is doing a great, great, great, great work in our youth group. We have an awesome Praise and Worship Team, and the Lord is leading me to preach the Good News!! The Lord has turned my life around 360 degrees. And I thank him for that. But not only do I thank him for changing my life I thank him for the awesome group we have, and for the awesome Youth Pastor that we have, and for the change that he is doing in young men and womens lives everyday just like this evening...and the changes that he will do in the future!!!!!!!!!!!!

"He Will Come Through For You"

2008-07-08T11:48:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah 26:1-16
This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. The Lord said, "Stand out in front of the Temple of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will be able to withhold the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins. "Say to them, `This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey the law I have given you, and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets-for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them- then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.' " The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord's Temple. But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. "Kill him!" they shouted. "What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord's name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed?" And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple. When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court. The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. "This man should die!" they said. "You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city." Then Jeremiah spoke in his own defense. "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. "The Lord gave me every word that I have spoken. But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will cancel this disaster that he has announced against you. As for me, I am helpless and in your power-do with me as you think best. But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the Lord sent me to speak every word you have heard." Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, "This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God."

So just as Jeremiah, we are often facing with the choice to do what God tells us or to do what we want to do. Jeremiah had to know that the people would turn against him. But he did it anyway. He went and done what the Lord told him to do. As I was reading this I couldn’t help but to think how we are faced with an important choice. The Lord may lead us to go somewhere and tell the good news. We may sometimes be afraid that we will be laughed at, or people won’t want to hang out with us anymore because of our decision to follow Christ. But it doesn’t matter what people say about us, it doesn’t mater if they laugh at us! Just as long as we are right with God, if we are doing what the Lord tells us to do we will be okay. When we die and face God, our “friends” won’t be there to laugh at us; they won’t be there to mock us. Our parents won’t be there to defend us. It will just be us and God. No matter what may happen to us on this earth, we need to let our lights shine so that the non-believers will see that there is a God. So Jeremiah went out that day knowing that the people would most likely turn against him. Knowing that they would want to kill him. But he did it anyway. He trusted in the Lord. Even when he was in court and the priests and prophets were saying he should die, he still didn’t apologize. He could have said that he was sorry; he could have bowed down to the priests and prophets. But he didn’t. He knew that the Lord was with him. After Jeremiah spoke in his own defense, the priests and the prophets said “This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” I’m sure that Jeremiah had all kinds of thought going through his head, I’m sure he was worried, but he knew that he had done what God wanted him to do. So just like this, we may be doing what God wants us to do. We may find ourselves being laughed at, being mocked. But just as Jeremiah stood up for what he believed in, we need to stand up for what we believe and know is true. Just as the Lord came through for Jeremiah, he can and will come through for us!!!

"God In The Bushes"

2008-07-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Exodus 3:2
"The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush."

Elderly Moses is walking around in his father-in-laws field near Mount Sinai. A bush comes up in fire but doesnt burn up. Some people say this might have been a "natural phenomenon". But even if the fire is natural, the talking bush isnt. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." The voice came from inside the fire. Its either an angel or God himself. In either case, the message comes from God. "You will lead my people, the israelites, out of Egypt." Moses isnt so sure about this. He makes three excuses for not going back to Egypt. Excuse number 1----"Who am I to appear before Pharoh?"
God said "I will be with you!"
Excuse number 2----"They wont believe me."
God promises to give Moses miracle working power that will convince everyone that God has sent him.
Excuse number 3----"Im clumsy with words."
God answers with a question: "Who makes mouths?"
Then Moses and his wife and son head for Egypt.

No matter what the problem may be God has an answer for you this afternoon!!!!

"Prayer"

2008-07-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Luke 11:9-10
"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, recieves. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."

Some people wonder why God doesnt answer their prayers. In reality, this often means they have hardly given God a chance. They may have prayed a few times and not gotten what they wanted. Jesus tells us that "everyone who asks, recieves", but he EXPECTS us to keep asking. Prayer should be a huge part of our lives, not just when we need something. We should thank God for everything that he has done in our lives. We should get prayer in our lives!!!!!!!! We need to make talking to God a habit. Tell him about everything, at any time of the day. The God that we serve is there for us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

“Living Waters from the River of Life”

2008-07-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

“Living Waters from the River of Life”
John 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would “flow” from within believers like “rivers of living water.”
Ezekiel 47:1-12
The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.... [3] As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. [4] He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. [5] He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in — a river that no one could cross. [6] He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. [7] When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. [8] He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. [9] Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. [10] Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds — like the fish of the Great Sea. [11] But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. [12] Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”
This is a river of life-giving water flowing from God’s altar into his temple.
-- Think of God’s temple as being us, his children. And if we believe in God and if we are rooted deep in God’s word the life giving water will flow from him or his altar, into us!
** The key verse (vs. 9) says: “Where the river flows everything will live”
-- Remember Jesus’ words comparing the Holy Spirit to “rivers of living water.”
In verses 3-5 it describes the depths of the river.
I believe that a person can take 5 approaches to this “living water”
1.A person can stay on the bank forever and never step into the living water. This results in the person never being saved. And never being able to enter into the Kingdom of God.
2.You can step into the living water ankle deep.(vs. 3) If a person steps into the living water ankle-deep, that person receives the initial presence within the Holy Spirit at Salvation; but it stops there, they don’t go any further.
3.Wade in knee-deep (vs.4) -- That person can minister as best as they can with the Holy Spirit in them from salvation, but without the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
4.If a person wades into the living water waist deep (vs.4); they will receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit and begin to feel the “flow” of the river.
5.A person can enter into the living waters that are over their head (vs.5), and they will o longer control things; the Holy Spirit is fully in charge.
When a person is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are fully yielded and following the Spirit.
** Verse 9 “Where the river flows, everything will live” The river is God’s Spirit.
** Verse 8 “When it empties into the sea, the water there becomes fresh”. The sea in this case is a dead sea. The Dead Sea is stagnant, stale, and lifeless. But what is now stagnant, stale, and lifeless can be brought to fresh and vibrant life by the Holy Spirit!!!!
** (vs.9) “Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.”
--As in the 3000 at Pentecost!!
---Acts 2:1, 41
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
---So “swarms” come to the Lord when the living water is flowing.
(vs.10) “Fisherman will stand along the shore”
-- Jesus wants us, the spirit filled people to be effective “fishers of men”.
(vs.10) “The fish will be of many kinds.”
-- We shouldn’t limit our vision. The living water can bring life to “many kinds” of people. This means non believers, people that worship other people….
(vs.11) “But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh.”
--This is a warning not to let our living waters get stale. We should keep our spiritual life alive, fresh, and vibrant!!
-- You may ask how to keep your living waters alive, fresh, and vibrant.
First of all we need to get rooted deep into the word of God. Times are getting hard. It is going to get to where our faith is going to be tested. But we have got to be an example to everyone. We need to let them see our light shine.
(vs.12) “Fruit trees of all kinds…will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them”
You may say how do I bear fruit??
1.Wade in the Holy Spirit’s waters over your head.
2.Yield yourself totally to God’s flow.
3.Let those waters flow to others.
4.“Where the river flows everything will live”
The Holy Spirit can flow from you as living waters, as a river of life, that brings the life-giving touch of God to those around you.

God Always Makes Everything Work Out

2008-06-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Bro. Johnny delivered a very powerful message. It was his first time preaching on a Sunday morning. He has done tag team before but never actually preached a full service on a Sunday morning. He done an awesome job!!!!! Bro. Johnny started out the service by explaining some events that have happened the past 2 weeks. A couple of weeks ago me and Johnny had a chance to go fishing. We had been fishing for a while and hadnt caught anything except for a few small ones. He took us to another spot and still nothing...... We seen a boat coming in our direction. We thought "well this isnt fair, we were here first!" So Johnny trolled over to the other side of the place we were fishing in. As we are fishing we found a Bream bed. It is amazing how things work out. If that boat hadnt have come our way we wuldnt have found that bed. So we are fishing and as I draw my rod back and sling forward I feel it jerk back. I look back to see that I hooked Bro. Johnny in the ear. I thought he was going to get mad. But he didnt, he stayed calm. The only thing I could say is that "Wow, I'm glad you didnt say a bad word!" Bro. Johnny told the congregation that he wasnt going to say who it was that hooked him in the ear. Then he said that he knew a young man that gave his life to the Lord on March 2.(That young man is me) He said how this young man had "preached like he had never heard a young man preach before." I preached in the youth group last Wednesday. And he then said the young man that he is talking about is Zach Wester. I had been looking for a way to let everyone know that my calling in life is to be a preacher. I just didnt know how to do it. I had been praying for God to show me a way to let everyone know. So I would like to say thanks to Bro. Johnny for all of his support. He has always been there for me. He did not have to take up his time telling people about me. He is an awesome Youth Pastor!!!!!!! The point of this is that God always finds a way to make everything work out. I believe that he sent that boat towards me and Bro. Johnny so that we would find the Bream bed, and I didnt know that Bro. Johnny was going to tell the congregation about me yesterday. God has never let me down!!!!!!

"The Trial"

2008-06-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

In Daniel chapter 6, King Darius signed a law stating if any person worshiped or prayed to another God, that person would be thrown into the Lions Den. Daniel knew the consequences that he faced if and when he continued to worship God. But he did it anyway. When it got back to King Darius that Daniel had been praying to God for help; Daniel was thrown into the Lions Den. Daniel could have kneeled down to King Darius and apologized for the alleged “crime”, but he didn’t. Daniel trusted in God the whole way. He never gave into the “sin”. Daniel knew that there was only one God, and that is the God that sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins. Daniel stuck with God the whole way and the whole time. When King Darius shouted into the Lions Den saying “Daniel, servant of the living God!” “Was your God, whom you worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel replied by saying “Long live the King!!” “My God sent his angel to shut the lion’s mouth so they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight.”
It doesn’t matter what you may be going through. If you put all of your trust in God, if you give God everything that you have he WILL NOT let you down. God has never let me down in the past so I am sure he won’t let me down in the future!! You may be to the point to where you are ready to give up; you are ready to throw in the towel. But let’s do like Daniel did. Let’s stand up for what we believe in! Don’t give up, keep trusting in God in everything that you do and he will direct your paths.

"The Seed"

2008-06-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Luke 8:11-15 The seed is God's message. The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then the Devil comes and steals it away and prevents them from believing and being saved. The rocky soil represents those who hear the message with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots dont go very deep. They believe for a while, but they wilt when the hot winds of testing blow. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the message, but all too quikly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. But the good soil represtents honest, goodhearted people who hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest.

"The seed is God's message". I realize that everytime I get up to preach someone may not get saved. But I am "planting" the "seed" in individual hearts and minds. I would like to draw your attention to verse 12. The "hard path" may be a representation of a sinners heart, or someone that doesn't want to except God into their life. This type of person may go to church, hear the message, and then go back to all of the pleasures of life. Just as the verse says "the Devil comes and steals it away and prevents them from believing and being saved." I believe that a sinners heart is kind of like a rock. Imagine someone pouring a glass of water over a rock. The rock recieves the water but it just flows right off of the rock. So when the word of God is "poured" over this persons heart they recieve it but dont retain it. That is what verse 12 is trying to convey. Verse 13 says "The rocky soil represents those who hear the message with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots dont go very deep. They believe for a while , but they wilt when the hot winds of testing blow." This verse is describing a person that is not rooted deep into the word of God, this type of person doesn't have a good strong, solid foundation. I can think of some people that are like this. They are fine until they are faced with a problem or "the hot winds of testing blow" then they crumble up. Just like a house that is built on a weak foundation. Verse 14 says "The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity." Now I believe that we can all relate to this. Our flesh doesn't want us to read the Bible, it wants us to have higher prioritys in life. Sometimes it gets hard, we may not want to read the Bible, the cares and other problems of THIS life may seem to push our true #1 priority out of the way. But we cant let this happen, we have to crucify ourselves daily. Bro. Johnny (my youth pastor) preached on this the other day. We need to put time aside to study the word of God. When we are rooted deep in the word of God and have a strong foundation we will be able stand strong against the troubles that may come to us. Verse 15 says "But the good soil represents honest, goodhearted people who hear God's message, cling to it, and steadily produce a huge harvest." This is the way we all need to be. This type of person has yielded their selves to the Lord and are rooted deep into the word of God. This persons heart is like a sponge. When the glass of water is poured over it, it absorbs it and retains the water. So when the word of God is "poured" over this persons heart they soak it up and retain it.

My First Time Preaching

2008-06-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Wednesday I had the chance to preach the word of God to the youth group. I preached on Isaiah 53:5,6. Under this blog is a summary of what I preached on. And let me tell you, for my first time I think I done a good job. Its amazing what God has done in my life. The presence of the Lord was felt as I preached on "Jesus Paid The Price". I look forward to what is in store for me. A couple of months ago God spoke to my heart.....something i would have never thought would happen to me. I realized that my calling in life is to be a preacher!!! I wuz so excited and nervous Wednesday. I asked my friend V. if she would sing "Let It Rain". It is amazing how things work out, it had been raining for a while and as the praise and worship team was getting ready to start, lightning hit one of the churches air conditioners. They asked us to go to the main sanctuary. I was so disappointed. I had been so excited all day and I thought " I cant believe this has happened". Right when I thought that I started thinking about how it was the devil trying to bring me down. I kept saying in my mind "The devil IS NOT going to bring me down". It seems like just seconds later Bro. Johnny came in and said we could go back into the Youth Chapel. We went in and the praise and worship team played "The Enemy Has Been Defeated" and "Let It Rain". The presence of the Holy Spirit was felt as they sung these wonderful songs. Bro. Johnny (my youth pastor) introduced me as the "special preacher" that they had been telling people about. I am proud to say that the enemy was defeated as I preached. The annointing of the Holy Spirit is awesome. I cant explain the feeling. I cant hardly wait to preach again!!!

Jesus Paid The Price

2008-06-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

“Jesus Paid The Price”
Isaiah 53:5
He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah uses two words for sin in verse 5: transgressions and iniquities!
Jesus did not only feel the effect of sin; he felt sin itself. A transgression is a willful violation of God’s law. Merriam Webster defines willful as deliberate or intentional. so a transgression is when you know you do wrong but do it anyway. Iniquities are the “pervertness” of the human nature.
Verse 5 says he was wounded for our transgressions; and bruised for our iniquities. Jesus suffered a brutal and painful death for “our” sins! Pay attention to the word "our". It doesnt say his iniquities because Jesus had never sinned! He was an innocent man. And with his stripes we are healed!! On the cross Jesus was pierced and crushed. In verse 4 the picture of what happened on Calvary is painted. Jesus was weighed down by our grief’s and sorrows. It was am unbearable weight. Our transgressions crushed him to death. Just like a spear or an arrow shot from a hunters bow our iniquities pierced him to death. Our transgressions are the nails and our iniquities are the spear. But that’s not it. Jesus didn’t just endure all of this for our sins; he endured this so that we can also be healed. John 19:34 it tells us that after Jesus died one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and blood and water come out. The blood and water was for wholeness and healing. Jesus gives us peace or wholeness. If you understand what Christ has done for you on the cross it gives you the knowledge that you can draw near to God.
You may say that Jesus just doesn’t know what it is like to be a human. When Jesus died he had the same feelings, the same sorrows, the same fears, and Jesus experienced pain just like we do. He knows what it is like to live a human life. You cant say that Jesus don’t know what it is like to live as a human because he does. The dread, the fear, the sorrow, the mocking, the humiliation, the spitting, and the crucifixcion were all dreaded by Jesus. Jesus was the innocent dying for us, the guilty. Crucifiction on the cross is the crulest form of torture ever done by man. Jesus hung there in pain and agony in a slow death, enduring punishment, so that God can be just in forgiving us for our sins.
Psalm 147:3 says heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. If you understand God’s love for you it makes you want to be close to him. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins he did it willingly. Since Jesus is God he could have escaped from his executioners. But if Jesus would have done that we would still be lost in our sins.
Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Sheep stray away from the flock without thinking about it. They are following their own instinct to wander away. So sheep stray away from the flock one blade of grass at a time; one step at a time. Were just like this. Our sinful nature causes us to chase after our own desires and to go our own way. But there is only one way! And that is God’s way. Sin comes to us naturally; we don’t have to practice at being a sinner. Once we stray away from the flock, or once we stray away from god there is something that can get us to where we need to be. That is the awesome power of God.
I can’t help but to think about how the Shepard protects over his sheep. In John 10:4 it tells us that Jesus said that he is the good Shepard; the Shepard lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus is an awesome Shepard. He suffered so that we can have peace. When Jesus layed down his life for us he went to the meeting that we should have went to. But now we can go to a different meeting. That is the meeting with our father: who waits on us with open arms!!!!