Ezekiel 12-14; Revelation 5

"For I am the LORD, I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass;" Ezekiel 12:25

Observe with me how many times, in the three chapters we have just read, Ezekiel says 'the word of the Lord came to me'.
     Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: (Ez. 12:1)
     And in the morning the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ez. 12:8)
     Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ez. 12:17)
     And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ez. 12:21)
     Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ez. 12:26)
     And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ez. 13:1)
     And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (Ez. 14:2)
     The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, (Ez. 14:12)

I can identify with Ezekiel. Throughout my life I have been privileged to hear God speak to me, sometimes loud and clear, while other times in a still small voice. The words He has spoken have challenged me, guided me, comforted me, exhorted me, and even shocked me. Whatever the case might have been, the words have always been timely and needed. I don't know where I would be today if I hadn't heard His voice, therefore I cherish the simple fact that He Speaks. But not only does He Speak, what He says is always the truth and reliable. You can count on it, base your life on it, follow it and expect it to come to pass.

We do not serve a mute God. He speaks. Are you listening?

My prayer for you is that you would draw near to the Lord, expecting to hear from Him. I pray that you would get to know His voice, in such a way, so that you won't be mislead by the other voices which try to drown out the Lord's.

Following Jesus Christ,

Pastor Juan

P.S. Please share your thoughts and/or feelings with us by using the comment feature. We love hearing from you.


Next Bible Reading: Ezekiel 15-16; Psalm 70; Revelation 6

Created for His Pleasure

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 8-11; Revelation 4

"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11

When reading both the books of Ezekiel and Revelation you have to be in awe of the glory of God. I do not think Spielberg has even scratched the surface with special effects in comparison to the majestic, powerful and extravagant glory of God. Here we see that the 24 elders surround the throne of God as they “worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne…” This will probably be one of the first things that we see when we get to heaven, as John did; the throne of God and cherubim about the throne of God, and the worship of God as He sits on His throne. They are declaring that God created all things, He didn’t just allow things to happen but He had a plan in mind and in His greatness, He performed all that He promised. Not only did He create all things, but also it is for His pleasure all things were created. It is important that we understand and accept that God created us for His good pleasure. We were not created for our own pleasure but for God’s. If I am trying to please myself, I am not answering to the purpose of my existence. However, when I seek to please God, then I am answering to my existence. The wonderful thing is that we find that when we live to please God we find great pleasure for ourselves. This is where happiness and satisfaction is---pleasing God. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) “If any man seeks to save his life, he is going to lose it, but if he loses his life for My sake,” Jesus said, “You will find it.” (Matthew 10:39) Living all for Jesus is the greatest life of all.

In Him,
Carol

Next Reading: Ezekiel 12-14; Revelation 5

Ezek. 4-7: Rev.3

Rev 3:17-18
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Every time I read this scripture it affects me differently I guess because I am in a different place every time I read this. This time in my life, I am getting ready to retire (I hope). As I look toward that time in my life finances become a very important thing. Since I prably will not win the lottery (one of my retirement plans) I am going to have to figure out how to live on what little I have for the rest of my life. Then I am reminded by this scripture again “You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing”. Those riches are not my needs. My need today is ”gold refined in the fire”, “white clothes to wear” and ”salve to put on your eyes” sometimes I just need to be reminded retirement does not happen here it happens in heaven when I am finally home with my King.

May God bless you and your family with ”gold refined in the fire”, “white clothes to wear” and ”salve to put on your eyes” All a free gift from the king of the universe.

Pastor Jack

Next reading Ezek. 8-11; Rev. 4;

Jeremiah 52; Ps. 143,144; Revelation 1

Praying with the Psalmist

"Teach me to do your will, (not my own will Lord, at least not that which is outside of your best for me, rather YOUR will, that which is good, acceptable and perfect) For You are my God; (nothing compares to You, even though at times I may make the mistake of placing other things in front of you, those things are not worthy to have such a place in my life, I reaffirm that YOU are my God, my Lord and my God and I submit to your Lordship) Your Spirit is good. (and I thank you for the promise of your Holy Spirit, for filling me with power from on high, for giving me the boldness to step out in your name and make a difference in this world, You are GOOD, better than anything or anyone) Lead me in the land of uprightness. (for I am your sheep and I will follow wherever you lead me, may my life be a living testimony of your grace, mercy and holiness, cleanse me and help me to walk upright, by your power , for your glory) Amen. Psalm 143:10


Next Reading: Ezekiel 1-3; Revelation 2

Jer. 50,51; 3 John

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.                                                 3 John 1:5-6


I spoke on Sunday about the connection between falling in love with God and feeding the sheep of God. Here is the perfect example John says “you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They were all about helping to comfort and support those that were passing through their city on their way to do the work and will of the living God. But I want you to notice what the missionarys told the church John says “They have told the church about your love.” Not how much they spent or what they gave them, but about their love. That is what these men noticed the love of the brothers I am telling you the truth if you fall in love with the living God it will rub off on whoever you touch and they will see it. Jesus said “They will know you by your love” and “by this all men will know you are my disciples”. The love for God rubs off. John commends them for sending “them on their way in a manner worthy of God”. What a great statement “in a manner worthy of God”

May God bless you and keep you as you fall in love with Him and as that love extends to everyone you touch may they may say of you I was treated “in a manner worthy of God”.

Pastor Jack

Next reading Jer. 52; Ps. 143,144; Rev 1;

Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; II John

It’s the Pits – Jeremiah 37-39

“It’s the pits!” is just another way to describe a bad situation or day. You know those times when things continue to spiral down and unravel before your very eyes. You almost what to look for a video camera because you are sure someone is just playing a joke on you. The prophet Jeremiah once again obeys the Lord and warns the king of Judah of certain calamity. Unfortunately, he is instantly labeled by some officials that he just being negative, causing discouragement among the soldiers. They decided to get rid of him and place Jeremiah in a cistern (a pit), sinking in the mud. Their goal was to kill him in a way that they would not be at fault. But someone saw this evil act and took a righteous stand. Ebed-Melech told the truth and rescued Jeremiah. Later, when the enemy did come to destroy and kill, God spared Eded-Melech’s life.

“But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.' " Jer. 39:17-18

What a great lesson for us all to learn, even when we obey the Lord, sometimes we can get muddy feet. There might be a chance that we will be placed in an uncomfortable situation, maybe even a pit! God sees! He responds to our prayers and steps of faith. Let us rejoice because we are His children, He will keep His promise, even when our feet are covered with mud and it gets a little bit too deep!

Blessings,
Pastor Kim

Next Bible Reading: Jeremiah 50, 51; III John

Jeremiah 33, 34; Psalm 74; 1 John 5

"Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:5

Overcoming the world. What a wonderful thought. We can be overcomers, but what in the 'world' are we talking about when we say overcoming the world? I believe John summed it up best. "For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the father but is of the world." 1 John 2:16

Back in the garden of eden our great grandparents failed to overcome the world. They came face to face with temptation in all three areas: "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." Genesis 3:6 As a result we became sinners, subject to the world.

The 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ, was taken by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted. There He faced 'the world' head on as Satan attempted to get a repeat of what he had obtained in the garden, but much to his surprise... failed. Jesus Christ overcame the world by resisting the devil through the power of the Word and the Spirit. All three options the devil threw at Him encompassed everything that is in the world and Jesus was victorious in all three. He did not bow to the lust of the flesh, nor to the lust of the eyes, nor to the pride of life. In so doing, He made a way for us to be just as successful. As a result, we can become children of God, able to overcome the world.

Through faith, being born of God, we overcome the world. Don't believe any lie that tells you otherwise. If you are a child of the living God, live as who you are declared to be by God your father, an overcomer.

Following Jesus Christ,

Pastor Juan

Next Reading: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 79; 2 John

God loves you

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 31-32; I John 4

“In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
I John 4:9-10

How do you know that God loves you? Look to the cross—that is all of the proof that you need. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16). God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to stand in our place to take the brunt of our sin and rebellion against the Father. Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. He loved you so much; He desired fellowship with you so much, that He sent His Son in to this world to die in your place. To take away your sins in order that you might have fellowship with the Father. It was at the cross that God manifested His love. The entire purpose of God is so that we might have life and live this life to the fullest, in abundance. The Biblical definition of living is found in John 15, it is in fellowship or being one with God. If you are one with God, you are living. If you are not one with God, then you are dead. The world’s idea of living is that if your brain is working, you are living. If you are breathing, you are living. However, we all know that real life comes from a personal and vibrant relationship with God through His Son Jesus. Are you feeling a little lifeless today? Then allow His Spirit to refresh you and make you alive in His presence. Release the Holy Spirit’s work in your life by allowing God’s love to flow through you. Receive the gift of love, the gift of His sacrifice and know that you are His beloved, loved of the Lord. Abide in Christ and know that He has chosen you to bear fruit, fruit that remains and your prayers will be answered. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16

Next Reading: Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 74; I John 5

Jer. 28-30; 1 John 3;

1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are, “children of God!”

"How great" John declares that we would be called the sons of the living God. John says that is because that is what we are. The other day I was talking to one of my granddaughters on the phone. I was playing with her (she is 4) and pretending I did not know who she was. I was saying “who is this again” and she was saying things like “it’s me” I said “me who” She said “don’t you know me papa I am your princess” Not a princess, not the princess, “your princess”. I think that is an incredible statement. That is who I am, I am a king, a priest in Christ Jesus, in Him and because of Him and for no other reason. In the reading of Jeremiah God says Jer. 30:22 'So you will be my people, and I will be your God.'" How great is the love of a God that would love me. Not just love me but make me His child. This morning I am teaching and the subject is “What does love have to do with it” The answer is everything (you get the answer early for reading the blog) because “God is love”

May God keep you and bless you and your family as you glory in His love and except the true measure of His gift by realizing we are the love children of the one and only living God….

Pastor Jack

Next reading Jer.31, 32; 1 john 4;

Jer. 21,24,27; Ps. 118; 1 John 2

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.” Psa. 118:1-4

We are the only ones who can understand these verses, by we I mean redeemed human beings. Angels can only desire to look into this but only we know what it is like to receive mercy. Mercy is not receiving what you deserve. The greatest day of my life was when I first realized I was a hopeless sinner deserving of an eternal judgment but then discovered God’s grace and received mercy. Oh how merciful the living God is. It is past finding out. The psalmist in this verse breaks out in praise. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good! Yes he is and His mercy is proof. Who is as merciful as God? No one is. God is merciful and has always been merciful as part of His nature but as far as we know, no one had ever seen this part of the glory of God. Until Adam and Eve sinned and God covered them with animal skins his mercy had not had opportunity but once someone needed mercy God was there to cover them with Mercy. The Psalmist keeps repeating that His mercy endures forever. His mercy won’t stop tomorrow. You can count on his mercy as you wake up tomorrow morning, “it is knew every morning”. We need his mercy every day. Stop and thank the Lord to day that He is a merciful God. Let’s pass some mercy on to someone else today.


Pastor Rick

Jeremiah 48-49; Psalm 67; 1 John 1

“Let the peoples praise you, O God; Let all the peoples praise you.  Then the earth shall yield her increase; God our own God shall bless us.  God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.”  Psalm 67:5-7 Recently I have been praying the scriptures more often.  This Psalm is one I have been praying and if you would like your prayers to be more powerful?  Pray the Scriptures.  Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is alive and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword.  When we speak and pray the Scriptures, we are coming into agreement with God, and His power is released to answer our prayers.
Maybe you feel like God doesn’t hear your prayers?  Or maybe you don’t know what to pray for in certain situations.  Scripture tells us we can have confidence when we come to the Lord.  Not only does He hear our prayers, but He also promises to answer them when we pray in line with His will.  When we praise Him, God shall bless us.  It’s God desire for His people to bless Him and this should be the desire of God’s people.  Make it your desire today to praise Him and I would challenge you to pray the scriptures and be confident that the Lord shall bless you.

Praying with You,
Pastor Joe

Jer. 45-47; Ps. 105; John 21

  
JOHN 21: This chapter has always puzzled me. Why are the disciples fishing back in Galilee after having seen the resurrected Christ and being commissioned by Him? Then when they see Jesus how can they not recognize Him. “Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.” (John 21:4) After all, this isn’t the first time they have seen him after His death and resurrection. The first thing that always comes to my mind is, “shouldn’t they be out caring for the church?” Maybe they were taking a day off to go sports fishing. Ok, seriously my friends; Some day this might be clearer but for now we can clearly see Christ working in their lives. This starts with His provision to the disciples, “He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" “No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. (John 21:5-6) Jesus always meets us where we are at and takes us to the next level whether that is in provision or in spiritual development. He goes on to further affirm Peter and the call on his life even while seemingly challenging him three times.

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" (John 21:15-19)

God has a place for all of us in His ministry so I ask you these questions:

• What area of ministry has the Lord called you to?
• What is the gifting you see or others see in your life that He has given to you?
• How can you put those gifts to work in your church family?
• How can you get started?

See you all on the ministry field.

Blessings,
Pastor Jason



NEXT READING: Jer. 48,49; Ps. 67; 1 John 1

Jeremiah 26, 35, 36; John 20

Unexpected! – John 20
“Why are you crying, who is it you are looking for?” John 20:15

We have all experienced those unexpected phone calls; tests result from a doctor, a friend who is very sick, another unresolved conflict or maybe the death of someone dear. It is in these times we often begin to search for answers outside of our own resources. Many unanswered questions begin to fill our thoughts.
    In this portion of John 20, the followers of Jesus found their world turned upside down and a deep awareness that Jesus was gone. It didn’t matter that He had told them that this would happen; they were left with hearts filled with sorrow and the reality that they were alone. When Mary went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away, fear and great sorrow flooded her soul. “Then Jesus said to her ‘Mary.” What a powerful truth! God knows our name and loves each one of us. He enters into our crisis and immediately calms the storm. There is a wonderful, caring and loving truth about the comfort that only our Lord can bring. “Peace be with you!” Truly, it is only His peace that can carry us through the tough times and the reality that He will never leaves us or forsakes us. Keep looking to Jesus and be encouraged, God is with us!


Blessings,
Pastor Kim


Next Bible Reading: Jeremiah 45-47; Psalm 105; John 21

Jeremiah 23, 25; John 19

"It is finished!"

John continues testifying to the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, by clearly writing the details surrounding the death of our savior, Jesus of Nazareth, linking Old Testament scriptures that prophesied of the death of the Messiah to Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed one.

God's master plan of redemption came to its climax on that cross at Calvary. Jesus, recognizing that the purpose for His coming to earth as a man had been achieved, said 'It is finished!' Nothing and no one could interfere with God's plan. Isn't it wonderful to know that even though the Lord allows us to have free will He still does not allow us to change His. Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done!

It IS finished, we need not work for our redemption, but we do need to believe so that we may have life in His name. It's time that we allow God to be God and simply follow Him as He leads us. We are to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. That can only be true for us as we commit our lives to Him. Yes, I said commit. Some fear commitment but that's the only way to truly become His. The demons believe in Jesus but are not committed to Him. Are you committed? I hope so, if not make that choice today.

Following Jesus Christ,

Pastor Juan

Next Reading: Jeremiah 26, 35, 36; John 20

Rewards of Righteous Living

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 24, Jeremiah 22, Psalm 112, John 18

“Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.” Psalm 112:1 “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.” Psalm 112:6

Psalm 112 explores the blessings of the righteous. We were recently traveling through Italy. We saw so much beautiful artwork and masterpieces over a period of a couple of days that we came up with a little saying, “Just another 1000-year- old masterpiece.” Here in the United States if something is 200 years old we think that is old, but in the broader picture of things, we are such a new and fledging nation. Nevertheless, in Italy, these 1000-year-old masterpieces were everywhere…and we observed so many historical sites that were 1000’s of years old. However, to imagine that something will be everlasting---that stretches the mind doesn’t it? It says here in Psalm 112 that the ‘righteous’ will be in everlasting remembrance. The word righteous means, right, correct, righteous (as justified and vindicated by God), correct and lawful. I like to think of the word righteous as ‘right standard’ or ‘right way’. Pastor’s message today on Words 2B Wise, on discipline, falls right in to this category. Living a righteous life, one that understands discipline and the wisdom of delayed gratification, is a life lived by God’s standard and we read here of the rewards. The Psalmist reiterates the outcome of the righteous---that we will be in everlasting remembrance. As parents, we have great influence over our children. The most important thing we should be influencing them toward is living righteously—God’s right way of living. Really though, the thing that counts the most is living for Jesus and putting Him first and His standard of living. This is God’s dream for us— we will be remembered forever. “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” Matthew 6:33 (Amplified)

Blessings, Carol

Next Reading: Jeremiah 23, 25, John 19

Jer.18-20; Ps 93; John 17;

John 11:38-44

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Many times we claim we believe the word of the Lord as Martha had claimed over and over again. But when it comes down to trusting we start to look at the practicality of the world. Martha said "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." We say I know I need to tithe but I really don’t have the money. I know I need to share the gospel with my neighbor but I really don’t know what to say. I know I really need to stand up for the truth at my work but every one will hate me. I know I need to do everything as unto the Lord but I am tired. There are a thousand examples of how God says one thing and the world and our past experience says that it will not work. But, today I choose to believe the world is a liar and even my own experience is a liar. Today I am listening to Jesus say "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Today I am looking for the glory of God in the truth of His word. Let everything and every body (including myself) be a liar and let Gods word be true in my life today.

May God bless you and Keep you in His truth and the truth of His word as He applies His principles to our daily life and families. Let us be searchers and doers of the word of life.

Pastor Jack

Next reading 2 Ki. 24; Jer.22; Ps. 112; John 18;

Jer. 13-15; John 15

"Thus the LORD said to me: “Go and get yourself a linen sash, and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I got a sash according to the word of the LORD, and put it around my waist.  3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, 4 “Take the sash that you acquired, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole in the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 Now it came to pass after many days that the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the sash which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the sash from the place where I had hidden it; and there was the sash, ruined. It was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem."   Jer. 13:1-9

Jeremiah received an odd word from God. Take a linen sash and put it here and there, get it wet, and bury it, and so on. What is this about? What is so amazing to me is that Jeremiah actually did it. Why would God ask him to do such a bazaar thing? Ours is not to ask why it is ours to do or die. Actually we need to die in order to do. It takes death to our will in order for us to do His.

Looking back at this story we can see that God was speaking to Jeremiah with a visual illustration. This helped the prophet to speak with great passion and help those who were listening to understand the message. God asked us to trust him. Give Him the benefit of the doubt when he has spoken to us and it doesn’t make sense. I have done a lot of things over the my years following Jesus that didn’t make sense. Most of those things had to do with going against the ways of the world. But it is on ware occasion that he has actually asked me to do something really bazaar. Like the time the Lord asked me to go outside at 11pm and stand on the street corner. It was a few minutes later that a young man walked up to me and asked about what the Bible says about the end times. I was able to lead that young man to the Lord. I wish I had more of those kind of experiences but the average prophet and Christian for that matter lives in the mundane where faith might not make sense but is obedience in day to day living. It’s being honest when a little white lie might give you the business deal. It’s living with integrity when no one would know if you fudged on your taxes. It’s turning off a tv program that is inappropriate even though no one would know.

Our obedience will never be placed in the pages of the Bible but it will always be remembered in the heart of the Lord.

God Bless,

Pastor Rick

Jer. 10-12; John 14

John 14 is such an incredible passage filled with promises. I am always brought back to a sense of simplicity about the Gospel and the ways of the Lord every time I read this. Jesus lays it all out so well. First we see that Jesus is preparing a place for us and that the ONLY way to heaven is through Him. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me….” (John 14: 1-6) The weight of verse 6 is enormous; Jesus is the ONLY way! As we read on we see the introduction of the Holy Spirit and all that He will bring. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

I can only imagine the confusion the disciples must have had at this time with Christ talking about leaving and sending the Holy Spirit. Fortunately for us we have the printed Bible to read and we can see the “BIG BICTURE”. There is a deep joy and assurance, because of the coming of the Holy Spirit. We will be kept in Jesus and as Jesus is fully in the Father, we will also know the way to the Father. While we are here in this weak body made of flesh and bones we also have the Spirit of God inside us so we should be encouraged as we are not in this fight alone!



Thank you Lord for your Love and Grace….Amen
Pastor Jason



NEXT READING: Jer. 13-15; John 15

Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

Servant hood - John 13

   Jesus gives us an example of true servant hood as he takes the water and washes the disciple’s feet. It is surprising to me that as Jesus moves to each disciple; no one speaks except for Peter. “Lord, you are washing my feet!” You see, this was a menial task and was usually performed by a servant. Since no servant was present and no one else assumed the role, Jesus used this occasion to teach a lesson in humility and selfless service. Ultimately, servant hood is a position of the heart and spirit which is then expressed in actions.“By this you will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35.
    When I don’t respond with graciousness to the opportunity to serve, it usually means the pressures of life has taken over and I have neglected time with my loving heavenly Father. It is these valuable moments in corporate worship, prayer and resting in His arms of love that rejuvenates my life and puts everything in right perspective.
   As believers, we have a calling to take up the cross and follow Him. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power and the opportunity to love others, His way and not on our own terms and conditions.

God Bless,
Pastor Kim


Next Bible Reading: Jeremiah 10-12; John 14

Jeremiah 5,6; John 12

"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." John 12:27-28a

Oh to live like Jesus! He lived His life 'on purpose'. Jesus' words: 'My soul is troubled' should comfort us by knowing that our savior knows exactly what it feels like to have to confront life, and death, in a fallen world, as a human. He understands us experientially. Even though He was troubled, He did not choose to avoid what was coming, nor did He desist from enduring the pain and suffering, but rather He faced it and came through it all victoriously. Why? It was His purpose. That was the reason He came. I believe we can also 'face the music' much easier when we know that we are doing exactly what we were made to do, living on purpose, God's purpose for our lives, so that He may be glorified.

Pray with me today: "Lord, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in my life." Be encouraged, even if you must face troubling times, and your soul is troubled, a life lived in His will, will most definitely bring glory to God and true life for us.

Following Jesus Christ,

Pastor Juan

Next Reading: Jeremiah 7-9; John 13

True Worship

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 5-6, John 12

Martha, Lazarus and Mary were all serving. Martha is serving people a meal; she must have had the gifts of hospitality and administration. Lazarus is eating dinner with Jesus and others and I am sure he was sharing his testimony and recounting being raised from the dead. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet. All of them are worshiping Jesus; all of them are serving in some way. “So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” Oftentimes we view worship as only what Mary was doing—being at the feet of Jesus. But if you look at the New Testament reference to what worship is you see that it is beyond just an act of adoration and dedication to the Lord; worship is that and more. Worship is serving others as we are doing it as unto the Lord. Now the story of Mary makes for much better press. Just visualizing this woman kneeling at the feet of Jesus, opening her precious perfume and washing His feet; giving what amounted to about one year’s wages—it’s breathtaking. However, Martha doing dishes, washing off tables, setting tables, scrapping plates, now that is not so pretty. Nevertheless, it is beautiful to the Lord. Every time we give a cup of water in His name, is a beautiful act of worship to Jesus. “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Mark 9:41 When our children were young and they would leave their stuff out I would say, “Hey, who do you think I am, your slave!?” One day the Lord spoke to me and the Holy Spirit convicted me when I said that and I heard, “Well, yes, yes, you are their slave, because you are there to serve them.” Understanding of course, I was their mom, but yes, I was there to serve them because that brings honor to Christ. So today, don’t get caught up in to thinking that worship is only being at the feet of Jesus—it is that (John 15) but it is more than that and we bring glory to Christ by serving others. Be blessed today in Him! “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:16-18

Next Reading: Jeremiah 7-9, John 13

Jer. 1,2; John 10

John 10:27-30

7 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."



These are incredible scriptures when you put them together. Jesus tells them in john “I know them, and they follow me” then in Jer 1:5 God says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Just think about the meaning of those two statements put together. God not only knows us but knew us from before we were even born. He set us on a plan, a ministry, a purpose. It is up to us to follow that plan. But I will say this, the way to keep following the plan is to keep following the Shepard. The temptation is to follow other directions, other gods Jer 2:5 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. That is our fate if we follow worthless gods we become worthless ourselves. God declares how foolish it is to follow after other gods. Jer 2:11Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. As sheep of the Shepard we share in the glory of the Shepard. As the children of God we share in the glory of that God. Just as others that follow after their god share in the glory of their god. The problem is there is no god so there is no glory. It is only the trap of Satan who has tricked them into worshipping him. I declare today as Jacob did so many years ago “as for me and my house we serve the Lord” I declare today I am just a sheep of the hand of the living God and only share in His glory, the glory He deserves.

May God richly bless you and your family as you share in the glory of the Sheppard you follow. the Sheppard that set you on a path from before you were even born. the Sheppard that chose you to be His joy. This Sunday may we proclaim together To God be the glory!

Pastor Jack

Next reading Jer. 3,4; John 11;

Zeph. 1-3; John 9

Zeph. 3:17 “The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

This is one of my favorite scriptures. It is after two chapters in which the wicked are told of an impending judgment but then God addresses the remnant. He says they are His people and they will be blessed and they are to rejoice because he has taken away their judgment. And then the prophet bursts into the celebration of joy. Can you see it. The Lord rejoicing over you, so filled with Joy that he is singing over you. I can remember that kind of joy. The picture comes to my mind of holding in my arms one of my babies and being so filled with joy that I broke out singing. This has been a source of pain for my children in that although my singing sounds great to me it is painful for others to hear. Have you ever been so filled with joy that you begun singing or dancing well that is the picture here. And the reason is us. His rejoicing is over you. Well I have flaws and he knows my failures but God burst out with singing anyway. His grace has taken away your sin and he only sees your perfection. You are beautiful to Him. You did deserve that kind of Love but God is so filled with love for you that He can’t help himself. So just rest in His arms and listen. Can you hear His song. By the way he has perfect pitch.


Pastor Rick

2 kings 23: 2 Chr.35; John 7;

John 7:37-39

37 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the 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.


What a amazing statement Jesus proclaim that anyone who comes to Him who is thirsty for the power of God will be given the Holy Spirit and He will be like “streams of living water” and that “living water will flow from within him”. The promise that Jesus will give to us the Holy Spirit living right inside of us, within us. That is the desire of God to dwell right inside us. As Jesus is “one” with the father, God the father desires to be “one” with us. What a statement the God of the universe wants to dwell inside of Jack. Most of the time Jack has a hard time living with Jack and yet God wants to dwell with me. This is one of those things I accept by faith because, I have a hard time believing God loves me. Because I know me! I (we) are so lucky God does not think or act like us. His desire is to give and give it abundantly. What a God we serve. Just think there are people who have not yet asked God to give them living water. They don’t even want that water. They would rather view God from afar. Not me I want all I can get and even more. I want all of God and His Holy Spirit. So join with me today as we thank God for His blessings. The Gift of God was not only His son but also, His Holy Spirit to dwell with us forever…

May God bless you and keep you in the power of His Holy Spirit living right inside us, as He fulfills His purpose in and through us...

Pastor Jack

Next Reading Hab. 1-3; john 8;

II Kings 22; II Chron 34: John 6

Doing What‘s Right - II Chronicles 34

“When Josiah was 16 years old, he began to seek the God of his father David.” II Chronicles 34:3
Josiah was only eight years old when he became king over Jerusalem. His father Amon had done evil in the sight of the Lord and had been assassinated after only reigning two years. Even with this terrible legacy, king Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. This powerful story gives us great insight to some very important principles that we can apply in our daily living:

• “He sought after the Lord” – Valuing and keeping our relationship with God as the highest priority in our busy lives.
• “He purged idols from the land” – Recognize and remove those things that have taken a position of significance above the Lord.
• “He humbled himself and cried out to the Lord” – Admit and cry out that we are desperately in need of the Lord’s help.
• “God heard him” – Hold on to the truth that our Lord hears the cries of His children and the restoration has begun.

“… and all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their fathers.” II Chronicles 34:35

God Bless,
Pastor Kim

Next Bible Reading: II Kings 23; II Chr. 35; John 7

Nahum 1-3; John 5

"God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not acquit the wicked."  (Nahum 1:2-3a)

I've heard some people say that they don't like the God of the Old Testament and find it difficult to believe in Him because of statements such as these. The actions which followed this prophecy is hard for some to understand, but just because some may not understand it doesn't change the truth... "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7) There is only one God, the same God in both the O.T. & N.T., with the same character, values, etc. at all times.

God is both love and righteousness at the same time. Since the wages of sin is always death, God who is just must punish sin. Therefore, out of His righteousness He demanded a payment for our sin and out of His Love He sent His son to die in our place.

"Most assuredly, I say unto you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)

It is not our works that set us free from the payment of our sin but His work on the cross applied to us when we admit the fact that we are sinners (confession with repentance), believe in Christ wholeheartedly and commit our lives to follow Him forever. If you do what He has commanded, fear not, you will not hear... "Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts..." (Nahum 2:13) but rather, "You are my friends..." (John 15:14) If not...

The choice is yours!

Following Jesus Christ,

Pastor Juan


Next Reading: 2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6

Spiritual Parenting

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33; John 4

In this current culture, I believe the biggest challenge is spiritual parenting. You cannot drive more than 10-15 minutes before you are overran by inappropriate posters, bumper stickers and even worse, profane people. Protecting our children and grandchildren from the onslaught of evil in this day and age is nothing short of a miraculous and powerful work of God’s Spirit. Throughout several chapters in this portion of scripture, we read of the rule of kings—some were good and some were evil. Many of them were young when they began ruling. In this portion, one of the longest ruling kings was Manasseh. He was very evil—he even had Isaiah sawed in two—a real nice guy. However, somewhere in the midst of his reign, after a period of suffering, he turns to the Lord. “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and he prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah was God.” (2 Chronicles 33:11-13) As you read through the book of 2 Chronicles, you see the good, bad and the ugly list of kings. Why did some of these kings do good and some evil? Anyone that has parented children in to adults can tell you this one thing—your kids will ultimately make their own decisions. Yes, it is true, sooner or later, they will decide what they will eat, what they will wear, who they will marry, where they will go to school or maybe that they do not even want to go to school. They will even decide on their own, if they want to follow Christ. It will be out of your hands. Pastor Rick realized from being a youth pastor early own in the ministry that you only have so long that you can tell your children what to do, then you must pray that the influence you have over them will be enough to guide them to the best decisions. I would marvel over Rick’s gentle but firm parenting skills—his ability to diffuse rebellion with wisdom. He would persuade (sometimes they even thought it was their great idea) to make better decisions. Above all, I believe that because we thirst for God, our children ultimately have that same thirst. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) They saw us praying, reading our Bibles, and dealing with pain and difficulties while not forsaking our faith. And yes, they saw us fail, but many times, when we were especially wise, they heard us repent and open up about the kinks in our amours. We laughed a lot together, made going to church more than once a week a family value, not to be debated, and they learned that prayer was a daily part of family life. We made room for them to openly discuss questions of faith and if we did not have answers, we helped them seek out the answers. We gave them room to make decisions and when they failed, we encouraged them to rethink the steps by which they arrived at the bad decision and helped them establish better patterns for next time. Above all, they knew that home was a safe place and that there would always be enough love to go around for every one, even the lost lamb. What was most important in our home was not how good we looked on the outside, but who we were on the inside because eventually that person will appear. As we saw the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we would celebrate and know that we were on the right path. We thanked God for His mercy and grace in parenting. In the end, each one of these kings had a decision to make, they all had seen both good and bad in previous family members who were also kings and ultimately their decision was theirs to make. May God rise up spiritual parents who have the courage and wisdom to rise up courageous and wise followers of Christ.

Blessings in Christ, Carol

Next Reading: Nahum 1-3; John 5

Is. 65, 66; Ps 62; John 3;

John 3:19-21

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

This is a truth that you can judge all men by, but more than anyone else it is the measure we should judge ourselves by. If I walk in the light I do not care who sees what I do. If I walk in the light then my life is a testimony of the living God, who loves me no matter where I walk. It is a testimony to the God who wants me to walk in the light because He is in the light. He wants me to walk with Him. It has always been my observation about light that the further I get away from the light the bigger the shadows in front of me get. If I get far enough away they can grow so large I can hide in them. They become so large that they are much bigger than I am. They even appear to be bigger and more important than the light. David says in Ps 62:5-8 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. I want the kind of rest David is talking about. I know where it is “it is in the light”.

May God richly bless you and keep you and your family locked under the center of the light where there are no shadows that we may hide in. That all may see “plainly that what he (we) has done has been done through God."

Pastor Jack

Next reading 1 Ki. 21; 2 Chr. 33; John 4