God’s Workout Program – Strengthening the Hands

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

As we embark on the New Year many make resolutions.  Not a few will be to lose a few of those holiday pounds or to begin a new workout program.  What we need is God’s Workout Program. 

Hebrews 12:11-13 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

Over the years, I found out what happens when you have a heart attack. Oh, I have known a lot of people who had heart attacks. I have been to hospitals to pray with and for them. I have read about all symptoms. Before they released you from the hospital, they gave you a custom-designed workout program to improve my cardiovascular strength and help prevent another heart attack. I told you that God designs the program specifically for each believer. It was planned just for them. The cardio regimen is not a pleasant program. It is rigorous. You do not get up in the morning and say, “I can’t wait to get down to the gym and get on that elliptical trainer!” You will get used to one level on the treadmill, and then they would make it go faster and increase the angle so it was higher and create more resistance to make you work harder. I might hate that program, but you must know that it was for your benefit.

Non-Optional Classes.

Then you would do it all over again…and again…and again. I might have hated gym class. But it was not optional-you could not quit. You could try not doing the exercises, but I heard of one trainer having a motivational device in his office called a paddle. So, you did the leg lifts, and the jumping jacks, and the push-ups, and the sit-ups, and ran laps just like he told us to do. God has assigned us non-optional chastening, because He loves us so much. He brings adversity, pressures, problems and people into our lives as part of His custom workout program prepared just for us. Let’s look at God’s exercise program, and what it is designed to do in our lives.

First,

God’s workout program is designed to strengthen our hands for work.

The hands mentioned in verse twelve are a metaphor for our work for the Lord. So, God has designed our training to make us stronger in His work. More than fifty times, the Bible talks about the work of a man or woman’s hands. Work is not a curse; it is a blessing. Adam had work assignments even before the “Fall”. There is a work that God has called every one of us to do. Too many people think that God’s calling is restricted to preachers and missionaries. If you are doing the work that God has called you to do, it is sacred work, whether you are a pastor or a plumber; a missionary or a machinist. For the children of God, there is such thing as sacred and secular; everything we do is to be done “as to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23) Wherever you work, you are working for the Lord. No obedient Christian serves God part-time.

Secondly,

God’s workout program is designed to strengthen our hands for prayer.

In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul wrote, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” What does that mean? In the Hebrew culture, it was common for people to raise their hands up toward Heaven while they prayed; in fact, many Jewish people still do that today. Psalm 28:2 says, “Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward the holy oracle.” God intensifies the burdens and pressures in life, so that I will develop as a man of prayer.

Thirdly,

God’s workout program is designed to strengthen our hands for praise.

Psalm 63:4 says, “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” Psalm 134:2 says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” One of the main purposes for which we were created is to give praise to God. It is easy to praise Him when you are on top of the mountain. It is easy to lift up your hands in praise when you have experienced a great blessing, but what about in the hours of discouragement? What do you do in those times when those burdens are so heavy? That is when God develops our strength of praise. He says, “Now, I want you to lift up your hands unto Me. Now, I want to hear your praise.” God puts us in His workout program to strengthen our hands for work, for prayer, and for praise.

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

What is the spirit of Christmas?  We can best answer that by first asking ourselves...

1. What is Christmas?

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior.  Matthew 1:21-23 says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”  As Christians, we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, when God became flesh and dwelt among us. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  It is precious to us because He came to all people everywhere.  John 3:16 reminds us of this: “For God so loved the world....”  John prophesied that the church will be made up of people from all points of the globe.  “...for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). 

At Christ’s birth the Shepherds came, later the Wise Men came and at the Temple Simeon and Anna recognized Him.  Different groups of people, from different parts of the world welcomed the little King of Kings! We see when Jesus was only twelve he astounded and confounded the teachers of the law.  In His ministry he came to women of ill repute, maniacs and tax collectors.  Some of the highest-ranking religious rulers came to Him such as Nicodemus.  Even the enemies of our Lord said, “...behold, the world is gone after him” (John 12:19).  Christmas is a reminder that Christ is the gift to the entire world. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15).  Christ was born to die for our sins.  He rose again and is willing to give eternal life to whosoever believes by repenting and putting their whole life in His hands by faith.

2.  Why Gifts at Christmas?

Like a tree with one trunk and multiple branches, the custom of gift giving has more than one reason.  The record of gifts at Christmas comes to us from the Wise Men or Magi, ”And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had  opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).  The Magi viewing from Jerusalem would have seen the star as it in the sky above the little town of Bethlehem.  (Christ was a toddler at this time).  So after the Wise Men left Jerusalem, God continued to guide them to the exact spot to find Jesus and it is no coincidence that gifts were brought to Jesus on.  So the first Christmas gift giving did take place. 

The second branch on our Christmas tree comes to us from an actual person named Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara, when this area of the world was under Greek dominion.  He was reared in an affluent family and while very young, his wealthy parents died leaving a substantial fortune to him.  Nicholas committed his life to serving Christ and took very seriously the words of Jesus when He said, “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in” (Matthew 25:35). “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:35,40). Shortly after entering the ministry Nicholas became the Bishop of Myra located in modern day Turkey.  As Nicholas beheld the poor and abused of his community, he desired to secretly become a blessing.  So he stealthily set out at night away from observing eyes and threw small sacks of money into people’s windows, chimneys or shoes which had been placed outside the houses.  Because of the vast sum of money left to him in his inheritance, he was able to keep this custom up for a good while.  One of my favorite stories of this kind man tells of a poor village man who had three virgin daughters and in that time and area of the world a man was required to pay a dowry in giving his daughter away in marriage.  If a man were not able to make dowry, his daughters would not marry or, even worse, become prostitutes to make money for the family.  As each girl came of age to be married, Nicholas anonymously threw a sack of gold into the house to cover the girls’ dowries.  One night, one of the girls had washed out her stockings and hung them above the smoldering embers of the fireplace to dry while she slept and when Nicholas threw the sack of gold into the chimney, the dowry money for the girl landed in her stocking.  Thus, the custom of hanging stockings at Christmas was born.

By the time the reformation began to take place, Nicholas, like many departed saints (which all believers are) who had lived a good Christian life, began to be venerated beyond God’s design.  Thus, to restore the true desire of Nicholas to remain unknown in his giving so that Christ might receive the glory,  Martin Luther of Germany began to refer to this ancient giver of gifts as “Christkindl” meaning “The Christ Child.”  Therefore in the original intent of Nicholas, to give God the glory as the giver (James 1:17), Luther encouraged everyone to give in the spirit of the Christ-child.  And this is where we get our modern “Santa Claus,” a derivative of the Dutch name “Sinterklaas” meaning Saint Nicholas.  Let us embrace the spirit of giving like the Wise Men as an act of worship to Christ and let us be practical in our giving to be a blessing to those we love in the spirit of Christ.

Christmastime is Here...But Where's Christ?

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

As we approach this wonderful time of year known as Christmastime I wanted to share a word with you from our Legal Missionaries at the Christian Law Association and the National Center for Life and Liberty.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

The word "Christmas" begins with the name "Christ" for a reason: it is a celebration of the day Christ came to earth--a celebration of His birth and His willingness, as Philippians 2:7 says, “to take upon himself the form of a servant to be made in the likeness of men.”

Yet, in our increasingly hostile society, the name "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ" is offensive. It's offensive because Christ claims to be the only way to eternal life. To believe that Jesus is the only way requires us to reject all other claims of truth and acknowledge that God's Word, as delineated in Scripture, is the only source of real, absolute truth. Once we admit this, we are held accountable to a standard of behavior that many of us aren't willing to accept.

So how do the liberal theologians and atheists convince more and more people of their belief that Jesus is not God? They do this by first removing Him from our society in every way possible--from our conscious existence. Out of sight, out of mind. Nowhere is this more obvious than during the season in which we celebrate His birthday: at Christmas.

Truly, if they can convince us that Christ has no place at Christmas, then surely He has no place in our lives during the rest of the year.

Keep in mind that many of these efforts to eliminate Christ were (and are) not necessarily made by anti-religious groups. Rather, they are made by those who have been convinced, or deceived, into thinking that public expressions of Christianity are illegal. Much of this belief, however, comes as a result of concerted efforts by anti-religious groups in the last 15 years to create this perception. And, frankly, this campaign has been successful in many ways. People are worried about being sued, so they quickly back down and remove the manger scene or forbid Christmas carols at the "Holiday" concert when these religious expressions are challenged. This is not necessary--Jesus is still legal in America!

So don’t let your expression of Christ at Christmas time be challenged. Remember Luke 2:11 & 14

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Listen to Your Teachers

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Hebrews 12:22-25, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.”

                                                                                                                                                                       

I heard about a little boy who was not getting good grades in school because he had not been paying attention to his teacher. One day, his teacher sent a note home for his parents about his conduct and his grades. The next day, he came up to the teacher and said, “I don’t want to scare you, but my dad told me last night that if I don’t start getting better grades somebody’s going to get a spanking!” That kid needs a dunce cap. The teacher is not the problem. Bad things happen when we do not pay attention. I do not know how many times someone has sat in my office that was desperately seeking help, and I heard them say, “I wish I had listened.” This concept of listening is not just hearing; the idea is listening with the full intention of heeding what is said.

First, God speaks to us through Jesus’ blood. The alternative to listening is refusing to hear. That is what the children of Israel did at Mount Sinai. They asked for God to speak to Moses because they did not want to hear His voice. The warning here is very stern. If we refuse to heed God when He speaks to our hearts, as he calls us and challenges us to this matter of growth and maturity and perfection, then we are trending on very dangerous ground.        

Secondly, God speaks to us through His Word. Hebrews 12:5 says, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children…” The rest of verse five and all of verse six are a quotation from Proverbs 3:11-12. That is a reminder that God speaks to us through His Word. When we open the Bible with its 1,189 chapters and 773,466 inspired words, we are not simply reading the writings of Paul, the writings of Peter, or the writings of John – it is the eternal Word of the Living God. The Bible is not simply a statistical book of historical significance; it is contemporary to every generation, every individual, and every situation and circumstance in life.

Thirdly, God speaks to us through His Spirit. Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harde

n not your hearts.” Often, we get so busy in our lives, that we do not take time to listen to God. We do not allow Him to speak to our hearts. In all of the action and activity of life, we must carve out, on a regular basis, quiet time where we can listen to God. Before we launch out to face the adversity and pressure of the day, we need to allow Him to speak to us. Every child of God has the internal voice of the Spirit of God speaking. That voice is the voice of the Author of the Scripture. He will take the Word and apply it to our lives, if we will heed His voice.

Fourthly, God speaks to us through the testimony of faithful believers. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another daily while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” God’s plan is for us to encourage and uplift each other. He speaks to us through other believers. Thank God for those people who care enough about you to come alongside and say, “Listen, you need to change this. You need to dedicate your life to Christ. You need to serve Him with your whole heart.” Sometimes, people resent those who correct them; that is foolish and dangerous. God is speaking to you through their words. I watched video of Richard Wurmbrand speak. He was a pastor in Romania, who spent fourteen years in a Communist prison, being tortured for his faith. When he walked to the pulpit, I saw a little man, thin and emaciated, with hollowed out eyes and sunken in cheeks. But, when he talked, his face lit up with a radiant glow. As he told the story of his ministry in the underground church, God used his testimony to stir my heart. He has been with the Lord for several years now, but his voice is still speaking today. The impact of his testimony is still encouraging and motivating me and thousands of others who heard him speak. That is the kind of testimony I want to leave behind for the glory of God. But, I can only leave that testimony if I listen to His blood, His Word, and the testimony of other faithful believers. When you hear God speak, do not refuse Him. Do not turn away. Do not turn back. Obey His voice. Run to Him and find His will. Do His will and forever you will be blessed.

Thoughts of Thanksgiving: Around The Table

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Food is often associated with people and their fellowship.  As our hearts and minds are flooded with thoughts of Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas, perhaps it is no coincidence that Christmastime is also the time associated with the Feast of St. Stephen’s. Then, right on the heels of Thanksgiving and Christmas is New Year’s, another day the families gather at the table. Christmas will be a time of turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, ham, yams, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, peas, corn on the cob and pumpkin pie. I am not in favor of changing the name from Thanksgiving to turkey day. We still need to be thankful, even for the turkey we eat. All the glory goes to God for His benefits. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving. Let us ask ourselves, what is the attraction?

The table says I’m accepted.               

The first time the word “table” is mentioned in the Bible is in Exodus 25:23 which says, “Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof” (Exodus 25:23). The revelation of this table came to Moses at the same time God gave him the Ten Commandants, “And look that thou make them (the Tabernacle furniture) after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the (Exodus 25:40).

The law was given to set a moral standard and create civility in an uncivil and fallen world. The law also shows us that we have sinned and need a Savior. Paul said, “…I had not known sin, but by the law…” the law…” (Romans 7:7). “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Romans 7:11). Thanks be to God, in the same revelation of the law, God also gave us the Tabernacle, which was the way back to God. It was here God explained in detail about the sacrifices, the altar and the mercy seat, in other words, the way back to God. Among the artifacts of the Tabernacle was this Table of Shewbread. God was saying, come back to Me. Come back to fellowship. He was saying, as long as the blood has been shed for your sins, we can talk. Now Christ has died once for all for our sins and through Him we can sit at the table for fellowship. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

You know what the table means? It means we are accepted.  The food said you are accepted back to the land of the living, back to the will of God.  This is why holidays mean so much. It means you are accepted. Hardly anything can be more emotionally painful to know that you are not invited to a Holiday meal hosted by someone you love. Holidays are a good time to make amends and welcome the prodigal home. The table says, you are accepted! “And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:23,24).

I originally heard this story from Paul Harvey. Although I have heard different versions, this is the one I recollect. A young son had been incarcerated for some ten years. He had been arrested so early in his youth for mischief that he had turned criminal. Oh, how remorseful he was for the wrong he had done that caused him to be imprisoned. One of the great regrets was the deep pain and embarrassment he place upon his fine up-standing family. So great was the shame that he sincerely wondered if his parents would ever forgive him. He wrote home, saying, “I know I have disappointed you. I shall be coming through town on the 3:00 train. The train passes your house shortly before it pulls into the station. If you don’t want me to come, do nothing, I’ll understand. I’ll stay on the train; go to another place, another town and start all over. Believe, me, Mom and Dad, I understand why you wouldn’t want to ever see me again. I can promise you this; I will never embarrass you again. If you do want me to come home, there is a way I’ll know. Just tie a white handkerchief to one of the limbs on that old oak tree that I presume is still standing. You know, the one I built my tree-house fort in. The one I tied the old tire to for a great swing; that one. The train slows at that bend just before our house. I’ll have a perfect view from my window. The day came, the train slowed, with fear and trepidation, he looked. And he did not see one…not one handkerchief. Every limb was covered with white handkerchiefs. It looked like a snowstorm! And beneath the tree, crying for joy that their son was home was Mom and Dad waving a giant white sheet. In my mind I see them showering the boy with hugs and kisses. And can you see it with me? …. just beyond them, a table set with all of his favorite food. Thanksgiving would be good time to say, “Welcome home.”

The Cry of Blood

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Hebrews 12:22-24, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The phrase “the blood of sprinkling” goes back to Old Testament days. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would take the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle it on the mercy seat. Jesus Christ was both our High Priest and our sacrifice. (Hebrews 9:12) It is through the shedding of Christ’s blood that we have the forgiveness of our sins, and that blood gives us salvation – eternal, everlasting life. But, salvation is not that last time we need the sprinkling of the blood. That is not the last time we sin. I got saved when I was fourteen years of age, so most of my sins of my life were committed after I was saved. I do not need to get saved again and again and again. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin at salvation. But, we need a new sprinkling of the blood for our sins after salvation. First John 1:7 declares, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The blood speaks. Verse twenty-four says that Christ’s blood speaks better things than Abel’s blood. So let’s compare the two, and see what they have to say. In Genesis 4, we see the first murder in human history. Abel was killed by his own brother, Cain.

Cry of Abel’s Blood – Justice. I believe that when Cain slew Abel, he probably buried Abel’s body and thought, “I’ve gotten away with this.” But, he did not get away with anything. God confronted Cain for his evil deed. God said, “I heard a voice. I heard the voice of some precious, righteous blood.” In Matthew 23:25, Jesus Himself talks about the blood of righteous Abel. Abel was a man who loved God and lived for God and served God. When he was slain, his righteous blood cried out to God. Based on God’s response to Cain in verse in eleven. Abel’s blood cried out to God and said, “Justice! Vengeance!” So God, responding to the voice of Abel’s blood, came down, and confronted Cain. He said, “Cain, you’ve sinned. Because you murdered your brother, I am going to punish you with a curse.” Cain said, “This is more than I can bear.” Abel’s blood cried out for justice – with good reason. But, I am so glad that there is another blood crying out with its voice.              

Cry of Christ’s Blood – Mercy.  On the night of the first Passover, each Jewish family was instructed to take the blood of a lamb, put it in a basin, dip a hyssop branch in the blood, and sprinkle the blood on the top and sides of the door. This act of faith and obedience spared their firstborn children from death. The blood spoke for their covering. Thousands of years later, Jesus Christ was crucified on the very night of the Hebrew celebration of the Passover. He was, as John the Baptist announced, the Passover Lamb that took away the sins of the world. The blood of the Passover lambs, and the blood of the high priest sprinkled on the mercy seat only covered sin; Jesus’ blood cleanses sin! Sins that are only covered can be brought back against us again. Sins that are cleansed are gone forever. God says concerning those sins, “I will remember them no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

Ark of the Covenant.  To understand fully what Jesus’ blood says, we have to understand the Ark of the Covenant. As part of the instructions for worship that God gave to Moses in the book of Exodus, he was told to make a special box that would go in the tabernacle. Exodus 25:8-9, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle.” You cannot build the tabernacle on earth after the pattern of the tabernacle unless there is another tabernacle to be patterned after. The instructions God gave to Moses allowed him to recreate on earth a picture of what is in Heaven. If you read on through Exodus 25, you will see very specific instructions for the size, shape, and composition of the Ark of the Covenant, and the rest of the items that would go into the tabernacle. The pattern that God gave Moses for worship followed the pattern from Heaven. If you read Hebrews 9 and 10, you will see how the sacrifices in the tabernacle picture what Jesus Christ would later do.

Run to the Mercy Seat.  When was the last time you went to the throne of grace and asked for mercy? We all sin. The problem is too many people sin and then say, “Well, that’s too bad.” How many times I have heard, “I just couldn’t help myself.” Our natural tendency is to make excuses instead of repenting and asking for mercy. But, if we make excuses instead of repenting and asking for mercy. If we make excuses for our sin, we are certain to begin to fail in life’s tests. Our A’s will go to B’s, our B’s will go to C’s, and our C’s will go to D’s. It will not be long before our hearts are cold and hardened and we are far away from God. Instead, we need to be running to the throne of mercy. We need to come there, and we need to confess our sins. We need to forsake them and say, “Dear God, I’m not coming to you because of anything worthy in and of myself, but I’m asking for Your mercy.” The path on which you travel to get mercy ought to be well worn, but the tragedy of many Christians is that they are so busy, so caught up in their lives, and so unconscious of wickedness that they forsake that path. But, apart from that path, we miss out on the mercy, we miss out on the grace, and we slide away from God. The only way back to an intimate relationship with Him is to get back on that path. Those Christians who are closest to God are close to Him because they are often at His throne seeking mercy. When we are distant from God, it is because we have sin in our lives, and we are not coming to Him and dealing with it, confessing it, and finding His mercy. The blood of Christ speaks better things than the blood of Abel. I will take Christ’s blood, how about you? I do not want justice, I need mercy. Thank God we can find it at the throne of grace.

Thinking Differently: Bringing Down The Strongholds Of Family Dysfunctions

Making Jesus Known and Loved

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Once again, I would like to discuss our vision for our Church.  At Lefferts Park Baptist Church, one goal should take precedence over all else: making Jesus known and loved.

The life of our church is based on the person and work of Jesus Christ. We want to share Jesus with the world around us, so that in knowing Him, they will come to love Him.

1. Making Him Known: through Evangelism & Education

To make Jesus known, we proclaim the free offer of God’s grace to sinners, urging them to repent and believe in Jesus.

The Apostle Paul has described our work as a ministry of reconciliation. We call men to make peace with their Creator by believing in His Son. There is no salvation apart from Christ, so if we desire to see men saved, we must preach Christ and Him crucified!

    We baptize new believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and then we follow the Great Commission by teaching them to be disciples. To be a disciple of Christ means to follow both His teaching and His example. Through our preaching and teaching, we set forth biblical doctrine, and through our ministries and worship service we offer believers the opportunity to bring glory to God by their obedient service.

2. Making Him Loved: through Obedience & Fellowship

To make Jesus loved, we follow His example. Jesus breaks bread with His disciples, and He calls them brothers.

To grow in love for our Savior and His people, Lefferts Park fosters a sense of community, bringing believers together for worship, fellowship, learning and spiritual growth. In all this we emphasize our Lord’s words when He said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

Together, we study God’s Word and experience His goodness as we learn to be conformed to the image of His Son. We strive to make Jesus loved by loving one another and loving the people in our community to whom God has sent us as witnesses.

Let’s do our part to make Jesus known and loved today and every day.

Thinking Differently: Bringing Down The Strong Holds Of Family Origins

Thinking Differently: Why Is It So Hard?

Where Do You Live?

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Hebrews 12:22-24, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

                                                                                                                                                                       

As God describes His children and their dwelling and their lives in this passage, He blends together the present and the future, and He forgets the past. I am so glad He does! God, who lives in eternity, looks at you and I as already being seated in the heaven beside Him. Our part is to live by faith, accepting and claiming what God has declared to already be true. No, we cannot see it yet with our eyes, but faith sees what is invisible. Let’s look at the privileges of those who live in Zion.

Sion – Lack of Prejudice. First, there is no prejudice to those who live in Sion. It is true that the book of Hebrews was written predominantly for Hebrew people, but the promises are for everyone who is a believer. God is not prejudiced. Sion is not simply for the Jew. Now, in Christ we are one. The Scripture says we are no longer Jew, Gentile, Greek, bond, free, male, or female; we are all one in Christ. (Galatians 3:28) That means all of us can enjoy all of the privileges of this relationship with God through faith in Christ. The world may be divided by racial and ethnic prejudice, but Jesus erased all of those divisions.      

Sion – Premier Location. Second, Sion offers us an incredible location. In the real-estate business, they say that the three most important factors in pricing a property are location, location, and location. Well, look at Sion’s location. Verse twenty-two says we are come “unto the city of the living God.” You cannot beat that! The Greek word for city means “a community with walls”. In Bible times, walls were vital to the defense of a city. Without them, you had no means of security or protection. Compare that to Sinai. In the wasteland of the desert, there were no defenses. It was wide open – every man for himself. There was no law, no order, no security, and no safety. Now, we have a home in the city of the living God.

Sion – Enduring Construction. Third, Sion offers us an enduring home. Buildings built here on earth are subject to decay. Over time, the elements and the wear and tear of use make our buildings grow old and decay. But, Sion is built with materials that will last. The Bible says that each gate of the Holy City is made from a single pearl. A thousand-year-old pearl is just as strong and beautiful as a brand new one. It does not age or decay. The street of Heaven is made with pure gold. If you have some 500-year-old gold that you want to get rid of because it is old, bring it by my house! Gold does not age or decay. All the materials used in the New Jerusalem are perfect, because everything in Heaven is perfect. By the way, if we keep that in mind – that we are heading for an enduring home – we will not get so bent out of shape about what’s happening in the here and now.

Sion – Wonderful Neighbors. Fourth, Sion provides us wonderful neighbors. Verse twenty-two says that in Heaven there is  “an innumerable company of angels”. Heaven is filled with angels praising and worshiping God. Oh, what wonderful neighbors! Verse twenty-three says, we will also live with “the general assembly and church of the firstborn”. In Bible days, the firstborn son received the greatest blessings and the largest share of the inheritance. What god is telling us here is the through His grace, we get to share in all the privileges of His firstborn Son. All the believers of all the ages will be our neighbors. Sometimes, Christians do not get along very well here on earth. But, there all of us will be perfect; we will get along wonderfully with all of our neighbors.

Sion – Presence of God. Verse twenty-four says, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant”. Now, there are many different names and titles of Jesus, but here He is called the Mediator of the new covenant. The old covenant was the Mosaic Covenant – given at Sinai. God gave Moses the law, but the law never saved a soul and never brought peace to a broken heart. Jesus came to bring a new covenant. He not only provided for the covering of sins, which the sacrifices had done; He provided for the cleansing of sins, which animal sacrifices could never do. A mediator is someone who brings harmony between two parties there are at war. We were at war with God over our sins. We are sinners by nature, and we are sinners by choice. But Jesus stepped in and mediated between God and man. In Sion, we get to live in His presence. Why would anyone live in Sinai? Come live in Sion with its lack of prejudice, its wonderful location, its enduring construction, and its wonderful neighbors.

Christ Our Life

Why Sion Citizens Succeed

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Hebrews 12:17-22, “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.”

From Sinai to Sion. Sion citizens succeed because they move on from Sinai. What helps us transition from law to

grace, from works to worship, from struggle to success, and from burden to blessing? It is simply moving ahead. Sion is another name for the city of Jerusalem. You cannot get to Sion without first going to Sinai. You must understand and establish God’s holiness before you move on. Sinai educated us in God’s laws. It is there that we learn the vital importance of both personal and corporate worship. Once that is done, what is next? Your focus needs to be on developing a dynamic personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sion – A Place of Faith. Sion citizens succeed because they exercise their faith. Out of all the perhaps two or three million Israelites, only two adult men got in to the country where Sion is, Joshua and Caleb. Moses sent twelve men in to spy out the land. Ten of them came back saying that, while the land was blessed with abundant crops, the inhabitants were too strong to defeat. Only Joshua and Caleb trusted in God and believed that He would give them the victory. As a result of their lack of faith, the entire generation perished in the wilderness without ever reaching Sion. When the forty years of wandering were over, God brought them back to the border and placed another test in front of them. By the way, before you get to Sion, you can count on it that God will put impossibility in your path just as He did to them.

Sion – A Place of Sacrifice. Sion citizens succeed because they sacrifice. Sion has great historical significance. It was a place where God’s people came to offer sacrifices unto Him. Sion is where Abraham took his son Isaac, and they built and altar. There, Isaac lay on the altar; and Abraham willing to sacrifice his son, but God sent a ram, which was a picture of Jesus Christ. Sion is where David bought the threshing floor of Araunah to offer a sacrifice to God after he sinned by numbering the people. He said, “Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) Most importantly, Sion is the place where the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was crucified. One of the reasons you continue to grow spiritually after arriving in Sion is that it is a place of making sacrifice unto God. If you want to be a citizen of God in the city of Sion, then you must be prepared to make sacrifices. There is no way you will ever endure the adversity unless you are a sacrificial giver. Sacrifice involves so much more than just money. We ought to tithe; we ought to give offerings unto the Lord, but we ought to live our lives sacrificially for God. It is only when we are willing to sacrifice that we maximize our potential for spiritual development and growth.

Sion – A Place Called Home. Sion citizens succeed because they make Sion their home. Verse twenty- two says, “But ye are come unto mount Sion”. That phrase in the language of the Bible is very precise. It is not talking about coming for visit; it is talking about moving in to a permanent residence. The idea is to decide that you are going to live in the presence of God. If you read John 15, you will see Jesus talking about abiding in Him. That is what this verse means. Coming to Sion means that we are living in the presence of Jesus. After a long day at work, I look forward to going home. That is a place of refuge for me. Roseann and I love each other, and so we want to spend time together. We often forget that while those of us who are saved have an eternal future waiting for us in Heaven, we also have the obligation and opportunity to live in Sion – “the heavenly Jerusalem” right now. Do not live in isolation from God. Do not view Him as being distant and unapproachable as the people did at Sinai. Jesus has opened the way into His presence through His blood. That means you and I can have the same kind of dynamic relationship with God here on earth that we will enjoy in Heaven. By the grace of God, we can live in Sion and be successful citizens in His country.