Sunday, August 14, 2016

Cracked Pots

Cracked Pots 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 
2 Corinthians 4:7 

Recommended Reading
2 Corinthians 4:1-9
Everyone knows what it’s like to be disappointed by someone we love or admire. Our husbands, wives, children, or parents sometimes let us down. Our heroes stumble. Our leaders falter. It can devastate us and damage our relationships because we place high expectations on those we love. Sometimes we forget they are broken people just like we are.

According to 2 Corinthians 4:7, we are all earthen vessels, jugs of clay, easily chipped. The Voice translates 2 Corinthians 4:7 like this: “But this beautiful treasure (the Gospel) is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.”

God blesses us cracked pots in spite of our sinful, undeserving nature; and high on His list of blessings is forgiveness. As we look to Him alone, He gives us grace (He imparts a million blessings we don’t deserve) and mercy (He withholds a million judgments we do deserve).

If He gives grace and mercy to cracked pots like us, perhaps we need to extend the same to those we love.

Let us make sure that we are not so hard on others because if the shoe were on the other foot, we would want someone to understand our circumstances and help us to redeem ourselves.
Jesse R. Watson, Jr., in Morning Coffee

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Be Still and Know I AM your God

Be Still and Know I AM your God



Text: Psalms 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Introduction:

We have heard many times: "Don’t just stand there! Do something!" Everywhere around us we see all this injustices, it's hard not to do or say something. It’s very difficult to just do nothing when we see so many injustices in this world. It’s hard to stay still.  We love to rant, to be the squeaky wheel, to try to make a difference. 
David was not the exemption He raves about the constant attacks from his enemies. Psalms 25:19 – Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. God tells him “Be Still that I am your God” (Psalm 46:10). In the same regard God tells us Be Still. Let me be in charge. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let me be the judge.

Let Go and let God. 

The harder you try the worst it get to resolve your situation, until you let God to be in control and then it get better sooner or later. What it seems you lose all hope then everything turns around and you say "what happen?" The Lord is by your side. The Great I Am is there, The Great I Am is here. He's been here all along. So Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up”. (James 4:10)

Let God be the Avenger

The bible say that: For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” (Hebrews 10:30).
When you see that things become anti-Christian in the way of thinking...
When you see that they change the definition of marriage... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God
When you see that the Supreme Court want to take down the Judeo-Christian monument of the Ten Commandments in Oklahoma... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God
When you see that there no justice for the unborn... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God
When you see that that there's no more hope for mankind... Be still, and know that He is Almighty God

Be Still but Doing Something

All we have to do is pray and pray hard, pray constantly:  “not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:11-12)
·         For our government
·         For the People...
·         All Men
1 Timothy 2:1-4Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Be Still but Continue Preaching

The apostle Paul lived in a hostile world (evil Roman Empire) but he continue to preach the Gospel. The church grew. We are surprised for the things that happening but it wasn't a surprise for Paul. He kept on preaching and tell his apprentice Timothy to preach the word. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2) 

Don’t Make the Church Grow by your Own Efforts

That all we have to do is pray and Preach and let the Lord do the rest. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. We do our part and God will do his.

Be patient Faith will move mountains

The mountain might still be there when you wake up but the peace that comes when you watch and Pray would seem that the mountain is gone because the Lord is God almighty and He is on our side.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

What Does the Bible say about the Kingdom of Christ?

What Does the Bible say about the Kingdom of Christ? 

  1. In Matthew 16:18-19 the Church and Kingdom are put in the same contextAnd I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 
  2. When we are baptized into Christ we are reborn spiritually from the darkness of this world into the church (Kingdom). Acts 2:47 – And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Colossians 1:13 – He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyedusinto the kingdom of the Son of His love 
  3. The Kingdom (Church) is to be delivered to the Father by Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 – Thencomesthe end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.26 The last enemythatwill be destroyed isdeath. 
  4. The Kingdom of Christ was present in the first century – For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11). It’s talking about the Kingdom as if it was currently present in those days.  
  5. Jesus said that some of the listeners will not die until they see the Kingdom of Christ. “And He said to them,“Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.” (Mark 9:1) 
  6. Christ promises us a spiritual Kingdom not a worldly one. Jesus answered,“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36) The church is the spiritual Kingdom of Christ.  
  7. The Kingdom of God is to be established during the last kingdom from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the Roman Empire (Iron and Iron mixed with clay)And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44) 

Julio Garcia 
Hispanic Ministry Deacon and Minister of Jesus 
Sanford Church of Christ 
1500 S. Park Ave. 
Sanford, FL 32771