Far More Abundantly

Pastor Leon Aguilera

 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  – Ephesians 3:20

How big can you dream? Most of us have big, bold imaginations. We can hope big, wish big, and dream big.

But do we pray that way? Maybe we believe that God can answer us, but secretly we fear He won’t. So we give Him an easy out with our limp, little prayers, never daring to ask for something big and bold because we’re afraid He won’t deliver.

Let’s challenge the content and assumptions of our prayers. After all, He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” We can ask for and think of a lot—and He can do more! What if we take Him at His Word? What if we align our prayers with this biblical description and start praying big?

This principle has revolutionized my prayer life, and maybe it could do the same for you. Visualize your prayers as already answered. As you’re verbalizing your requests to the Father, picture them done.

Let’s say you’re praying for a prodigal child. In your mind, picture the event you are asking for: “Lord, I can see him returning to You. I see him standing beside me in church, singing Your praises, delighted to be in Your presence. I can picture him sitting in his room reading Your Word and letting what You are teaching him filter into his conversations so I know You’re renewing his mind.” Visualize that prayer fulfilled, and then say, “I believe that’s going to happen, Lord.”

Over the past few years, I have lifted many crises to God in prayer: serious health challenges, ministry catastrophes, and wandering children. I express it as vividly and clearly to God as I’m able, believing it’s part of the future He has in store for me. No, I’m not trying to dictate to God how He should answer, but I’ve found that lurking behind some of our hesitation to ask is the fear that God won’t answer. The willingness to vividly imagine what God’s answer could look like is a much more definite statement of faith than half-letting-Him-off-the-hook with a timid prayer. Are we really afraid God can’t deliver what we can imagine? The Apostle Paul wasn’t. He knew that whatever he asked for, God could do “do exceeding abundantly.” Are those just words, or do they express an absolute faith we can put into practice when we pray?

Picturing the prayer as answered is a beneficial aspect of the discipline of prayer. When we visualize our prayers answered, we may discover that God delights in proving us not bold or vivid enough! He does far more than we ask or think. And the biggest surprises aren’t just the ways He answers our prayers, which may shock us, but the ways He changes us and grows our faith in the process.

What God Has Given

Pastor Leon Aguilera

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  – Isaiah 9:6

                We all have favorite memories of Christmas. Maybe it’s a family tradition, a scene from childhood, or a special song or the first snow that you connect with at Christmas. It might be a certain aroma like evergreens, Christmas dinner, or a recollection of all these things. The scenes and tastes of the season are wonderful things—but none of them are Christmas.

Those warm memories are ours to enjoy, as long as we don’t make them the main thing. It’s not Me-mas; it’s Christmas. Without Jesus there would be no celebration. Without Christ, there is no Christmas. There’s only something a lot less. 

Christmas is about giving—it’s about what God has given to us. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). In that phrase we find summarized all the wonder of the Incarnation—God becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1). The human side of Jesus was the child born, and all the lessons wrapped up in the timing, location, and status of His birth stand alongside the awesome truth that the baby in the manger was God’s Son given to us and for us.

Then, like now, the world was largely oblivious to what God was doing. The Roman census was a grand opportunity for travel, profit, and networking. But in the middle of all that frantic human activity God came to earth. Only those who were attentive knew; only those willing to be directed saw the newborn. God came to His own, John tells us, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (John 1:11). God didn’t make a grand entrance—He came under cover as one of us.

Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem fulfilled not only Isaiah’s prophecy but also God’s purposes all the way back to the Fall of humanity. God first promised Christmas in the Garden of Eden. While Adam and Eve listened in, He informed Satan, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15). Jesus was the gift God gave for the longing within us from the beginning. As the carol writer put it, “The hopes and fears of all our years" were met in Bethlehem that night.

When you remember God came to earth on a mission, Christmas becomes truly life-changing. He revealed Himself as accessible. Jesus is Emmanuel—God with us. He put the glory of God on display at the human level. As John wrote of the Jesus he knew: “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).

When you realize Jesus came with you in mind, willing to do whatever it took to make you fit for eternity with Him, that gift in the manger takes on personal significance.  Have you received that gift—God’s Son—as your Savior?

If you miss God’s glory at the heart of the story, you miss Christmas. Don’t get distracted from the best part. This year, sit among the events and moments that surround the Savior's birth and remember God’s glory is the center of it all—seen in His Son Jesus Christ. 

Breaking Through to God in Prayer

Pastor Leon Aguilera

Do you ever feel like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling?  Ever wonder if your prayers are getting through to God?  Believe me, you’re not alone.  We’ve all been there—but it doesn’t have to be that way. We can stir God to action with our prayers.

However, it’s not a given. Too often our prayers don’t touch God’s heart.  The result?  He doesn’t act on our behalf.  What we often fail to realize is that we are the ones preventing God from being moved to answer our prayers.  We put up barriers in our relationship with Him, and unfortunately it’s quite common.

Now don’t misunderstand me. I’m definitely not suggesting that we can somehow put God in a box.  We can’t.  That is man-centered, humanistic theology, and it is not what the Bible teaches. What I am suggesting, though, is that if there’s a problem in prayer—if your requests are not being answered regularly, specifically, sometimes very dramatically and supernaturally—the problem is not God; the problem is you.  We need to dispense with the notion that we’re the ones willing to make this prayer thing work, while God’s reluctant.  The reverse is true: God is ready and willing to make this prayer thing work.  We’re the problem.

Unanswered prayer is not some mysterious, inexplicable problem.  James 5:15-16 is key to understanding this essential truth.  It says, “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Notice three central elements in these verses.  First, you must pray in faith believing that God will answer.  Second, your prayers must be effective (or fervent).  Your prayers cannot be effective if you have barriers between you and God. Third, you must be a righteous person.  If you are not living according to the Lord’s commands, your prayers will be hindered.  Fully understanding these truths is essential to experiencing the victorious and dynamic prayer life that God wants you to have.

God has made some incredible promises about prayer in His Word.  Growing up, We were taught to distrust them.  These promises weren’t for us; they were only for the apostles, or for other people in other places at other times—or so we were told.  I now know that to be false teaching.  God’s promises about prayer are for you and for me today.  Here’s just a sampling:

·         Matthew 21:22 – “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

·         Luke 11:9 – “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

·         John 14:13 – “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

·         Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

The Father longs to answer your prayers in amazing ways.  Are you standing in His way?  Are you hindering Him from answering you?  Get on God’s program, and get ready to experience a supernatural breakthrough in your prayer life. 

No matter what’s happening, no matter how dark the moment, God is in control. He can be explicitly trusted. He’s working out a purpose beyond what you can imagine. Some of it you’ll see in this life; some of it you’ll see in the life to come. Give thanks to God—always and for everything! Go for it. Thank Him for the hardest part of your life. Just say, “Thank You, God, even for this,” and trust in His steadfast love which endures forever. 

Thankfulness is Learned

Pastor Leon Aguilera

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endurethfor ever.² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endurethfor ever.³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endurethfor ever.–Psalm 136:1-3

                The Bible doesn’t hesitate to urge us to thank God. If you are a new creation in Christ, the process of thanksgiving should be a continual interest to you. Psalm 136:1-3 records a three-peat command to “give thanks” followed by this echoed and overwhelming reason: “for his mercy endurethfor ever.”

These verses and the rest of this Psalm urge us to remember we are giving thanks to One who doesn’t need our thanks. Yet He receives our gratitude anyway and loves us with a steadfast, everlasting love. God deserves every effort we can make to improve our capacity for thanksgiving.

Scripture shows there are three learned levels of thankfulness, and every follower of Jesus is enrolled in the school of gratitude. But too many are flunking out, having forgotten God’s steadfast, enduring love. That’s why a regular review of the development of a thankful heart is important. We never fully graduate from the school of thankfulness.

First, there’s basic elementary school thankfulness. Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Thanksgiving is the sacrifice.

You might think, Okay, I know I should be more thankful. Fine, I’ll make a list of things I’m grateful for. I’ll make the sacrifice. I’ll be thankful.

Congratulations—you’re an elementary school graduate. It’s a place to start, but don’t stay there!

Once you have developed a consistent habit of thanksgiving, it’s time to graduate to the next level: high school thankfulness. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks.”

You’re making progress in gratitude when you discover something to be thankful for in every situation. The picture may be dismal, but learn to find a bright spot—a hint of God’s presence. For example, you may not feel thankful for your spouse at the moment, but you’re thankful for your kids and the life you have together. Or you might not feel thankful for your job, but you’re thankful for your health insurance and the ability to provide for yourself. In other words, go after deliberate, if selective, gratitude.

Finding something to be thankful for in everything is certainly a step above having only random grateful thoughts. But there is still plenty of room for developing a deeply thankful heart. Here’s what you’re going for: graduate school thankfulness. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

No matter what’s happening, no matter how dark the moment, God is in control. He can be explicitly trusted. He’s working out a purpose beyond what you can imagine. Some of it you’ll see in this life; some of it you’ll see in the life to come. Give thanks to God—always and for everything! Go for it. Thank Him for the hardest part of your life. Just say, “Thank You, God, even for this,” and trust in His steadfast love which endures forever. 

Go Ahead, Bring your Umbrella

Pastor Leon Aguilera

⁵⁸ And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.  – Matthew 13:58

Poor Nazareth. The people there took offense at their hometown prophet, Jesus, and as a result, Jesus couldn’t do much in that town “because of their unbelief.” Their lack of faith robbed them of Jesus’ “many mighty works.”

Wouldn’t that be an awful thing to have said about your home, about your family, about you? “Jesus couldn’t do much in or through you because you didn’t believe Him.” Do you ever wonder, Lord, why don’t You do more in our church? Could it be because of unbelief? Why do You cause good things to happen in my friend’s life but not mine? Could it be because your friend believes God more? You may be a candidate for James’s blunt wisdom: “ye have not, because ye ask not. ³ Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,” (James 4:2b–3a).

Faith is the key. God’s promises are activated by faith. Faith is not passive—it’s active. Don’t say, “I’ll just wait over here. Maybe God will work; maybe He won’t.” What are you doing about it? Are you like the sick patient who needs to get better but refuses to go to the doctor? That’s foolish. You have to do what you can. Or like the single who longs for a spouse but never goes to where the singles are? You can’t just sit in your basement and pray for someone to show up. Not a great plan. Do your part. Or like the people who are filled with worry and want to have hope but never read the Bible. They might carry it, respect it, and defend it, but they’re not living in it. They’re not opening it like the Word of life and drinking from it like someone thirsty in a desert.

The next time you gather with other believers to cry out to God for rain, count how many people bring umbrellas for the trip home. Bringing an umbrella doesn’t force God to send rain, but it does indicate how seriously you are expecting God to act!

Faith has to be active to be real. Remember Naaman, the leprous general from 2 Kings 5? God told him to go dip in the filthy Jordan River seven times. He was insulted. He hadn’t expected that healing would involve potentially humiliating circumstances. He would have paid richly for treatment, but he wasn’t eager to follow these instructions. At first he angrily refused, but eventually, once he humbled himself and followed God’s plan, he was healed. In faith, he did his part—and God did the rest.

Remember the widow in debt from 2 Kings 4? She collected containers from her neighbors to hold all the oil God gave her to pay back her creditors. In faith, she did what she could—and God did the rest.

A warrior heading into battle has to pick up his weapon. We must do what we can, what we’re commanded to do as an expression of faith. Put some action behind what you believe, and then watch God work. Only when we have done all we know to do can we wait by faith for God to do what only He can do.

Ordinary You, Extraordinary God

Pastor Leon Aguilera

¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.  – 1 Samuel 16:13

Our culture disrespects the ordinary. If it’s not special, superior, showy, or shocking, then it doesn’t matter.

Is that what God really wants for our lives? Does God want us to exert ourselves for a flash of fame? Is there anything wrong with being an ordinary person living a faithful life?

King David was painfully ordinary. How many miracles did he do? Zero. The showdown against Goliath happened when he was delivering his brothers’ lunch. If there was anything noteworthy in his life, it wasn’t David; it was God.

For much of David’s life, he did the grind. Even after he was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king, he wasn’t immediate royalty. No, he waited for ten more years—a decade of suffering and preparation to be the man after God’s own heart. Ten years of obscurity and monotony, camping solo on the hillside, watching the sheep. Yet during that season of preparation, David got really good with a slingshot, and he wrote songs for God. Little did he know he’d face a giant and write much of the book of Psalms. He just plodded faithfully along where God had placed him.

So much of the pain and heartache of life come from trying to prove we’re something more. We’re not. We’re just ordinary. There’s such release and relaxation in this. We don’t have to feel badly because we don’t look special or have a unique talent, an exciting job, or a dramatic story. God is very happy for us to be ordinary, to faithfully live our regular, obscure lives.

Here’s what ordinary life looks like: the monotonous grind of diapers, cooking, cleaning, laundry, bills, and a job you may or may not like. Whether or not your sacrifices are acknowledged or appreciated by others, God sees your faithfulness. God knows, and He’s keeping track. You need to persevere and be faithful. Wherever God has placed you, live that ordinary life faithfully for God.

Because if we go back to David’s story, we see what’s extraordinary about him: God in him. The moment that Samuel anointed David with oil, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” If there’s anything exceptional about David’s life, it’s God at work in him.

We see this consistently through the Bible. Why did Pharaoh appoint Joseph, a foreign criminal, as his number two official over all of Egypt? “And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” (Genesis 41:38)?

How did lowly Gideon lead a mighty military rout, though massively outnumbered? “But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon” (Judges 6:34).

Any success in Samson’s entire life story is defined by this phrase: “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him” (Judges 14:19).

What transformed the disciples from cowardly into courageous? Jesus told them to go to the upper room and wait for the Holy Spirit—do not pass GO, do not collect $200, don’t do anything till you get the Spirit. They didn’t get to do a neighborhood survey or even work on their brochures. They got in a room and waited for “until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

How liberating for us to realize that we’re ordinary and that the extraordinary thing is always, always, always God.

The Last Two Steps (In Conflict Resolution)

Pastor Leon Aguilera

¹⁵ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.  – Matthew 18:15-17

Last week we looked at the need to possibly bring others into the picture to help resolve a conflict. Sometimes, even this strategy fails. The next move is Jesus’ seventh step in conflict resolution: Take it to the Church. Jesus said, “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church.” Now, that doesn’t mean every offense between believers needs to be surfaced during a Sunday morning worship service.

First Timothy 5:20 says, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” The only time for a public statement in church is when it involves a leader, a pastor, or someone whose sin is known to everyone. And then, for the sake of the body, so fear might come upon everyone. But I believe “tell it unto the church” means tell it to the leadership. Get some people who can really turn the screws. They can firmly say, You say you’re a Christian, you say you love Jesus, you say you’re living under the authority of this Book, but here are three witnesses, all who agree about your offense. Yet you won’t admit you’re wrong. So either act like a Christian or stop telling people you are.

You ask, That’s it, the final step? Well, sadly, no. There’s a last move. Jesus’ eighth step in conflict resolution: Be willing to end the relationship. This possible conclusion is why you must make sure this is a big deal, because once you start the ball of Matthew 18 rolling, you can’t get it stopped. If the person is hard-hearted, this could come to the place Jesus described in the phrase, “let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” That expression was first-century talk for,We’re done with you and you can’t worship here anymore. From that moment, we wait with open arms. We pray God will change their heart and turn our attention to the people who do want to live under the authority of Scripture.

In the Kingdom of Christ, in the church, the individual is not more important than the whole. But if you believe God honors obedience to Scripture, then you will move ahead by faith regardless of the consequences. Be willing to end the relationship. But always pray that won’t be necessary! 

Next Two Steps in Conflict Resolution

Pastor Leon Aguilera

¹⁵ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.  – Matthew 18:15-17

Here’s Jesus’ third step in conflict resolution: be specific. Now we’re getting into the details. Do you see it there in verse 15? “if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault.” No beating around the bush, no starting with ten words of encouragement and all these worldly truisms we’ve been told. JUST GET TO THE POINT! It goes like this: You did this, and it hurt me. This is how it affected me, how I’ve tried to deal with it. Could you help me with this? Tell him his fault.

Actually, the Greek there is just one word that means lay the evidence out. This has nothing to do with explaining or excusing. Just state the facts: This is what happened. If you don’t know what happened, you better stay home.

And by the way, go and tell. Don’t show. Don’t be showing your marriage partner that you’re upset about stuff. No moping or passive aggressive mixed signals—out with it. You hurt me when you do this. Loving, verbal statements are a communication centerpiece for a happy marriage. Say it using Jesus’ pattern: full of grace and truth. Don’t scrimp on either.

Jesus’ fourth step in conflict resolution: Private at first.  It’s got to begin privately.

You ask, Why? There are several good reasons to start privately. First Peter 4:8 says love covers a multitude of sins. If my brother has sinned, I love him and want him to grow and be everything God wants him to be. So I go to him privately, lest he be publically shamed and embarrassed.

I also go in private because I might be mistaken. Now, if you’re not open to the possibility you could have seen the situation wrongly, don’t go to the person because you’re not humble enough yet. Keep praying about it.

Finally, I go in private because he may not know. He does not realize what he did. 

How could he possibly not know?

Since he is just like you and me, he may have a blind spot. He may be committing a sin he cannot see because of lack of knowledge or maturity.

You may think, I don’t see any blind spots in me. We all have them but can’t see them without help. That’s why they’re called blind spots. Conflict resolution starts in private. 

Steps to Conflict Resolution

Pastor Leon Aguilera

¹⁵ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ¹⁷ And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.  – Matthew 18:15-17

Today we begin a study of one of the most oft-quoted and under-used portions of God’s Word. Over the course of several weeks, we will touch on eight steps Jesus specified in the process of conflict resolution. When you get into conflict with somebody, it’s not at all unusual to hear Christians who know a little say,  Have you followed Matthew 18?  Unfortunately, when asked, many of these well-meaning people cannot actually explain the process Jesus laid out. We want to make some progress in that regard.

It’s probably not hard to bring to mind the name and face of someone with whom you have unresolved conflict. Maybe it’s somebody you used to work with who undercut you in the market place, or said something negative that injured your reputation. Perhaps it’s an extended family member. Or maybe it’s one of your parents who said something that shouldn’t have been said. And things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. The same can be painfully true if you have unresolved conflict with one of your children.

We can’t avoid conflict. It’s just a part of life. There is even going to be conflict between the followers of Jesus. The Lord Himself said, “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!” (Luke 17:1). Conflicts are huge temptations to sin. The phrase offences is a translation of the Greek word skandala which literally means stumbling block and from which we get our word scandal. Jesus told His disciples these potential scandals and offenses were “will come.” When they do come, they often show up as conflicts.

The question is: How do we resolve those conflicts and clashes? If we know something is unavoidable, it makes sense to have a plan of action for when the occasion arises. Keep in mind the names and faces representing discord in your life as we start through Matthew 18:15-17 and Jesus’ eight steps to conflict resolution. We plan to handle two steps each week that follow. I think you’ll see them clearly in the text. And we will ask the Spirit of God to prompt us out of obedience to Scripture to take some action toward resolution. 

Why Be Selfless

Pastor Leon Aguilera

¹ If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, ² Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  – Philippians 2:1-2

No surprise that in a Bible book dedicated to joy, an entire chapter is spent on selfishness versus selflessness. Philippians, chapter 2 lays out the issue that keeps us from choosing joy the way God desires. The heart of the problem, the sin that causes all of the misery is selfishness. 

           

Philippians 2:1 Paul’s like, “So, is Jesus workin’ for you? I mean really, is He impacting your life?” 

You say, “Well, what do you mean?”

He begins, “Is there any consolation in Christ?” Jesus used a related word in John 14, describing the Holy Spirit as a “comfort” or a paraclete-encourager. The idea is “to come alongside.” Has the Lord come alongside you? Has He encouraged you and strengthened you as much as you would allow?

           

Here’s the second thing: “Any comfort of love?” Have you been comforted by the love of God in your life? Are you reassured to know that Almighty God cares for you? 

Third, “Any fellowship of the Spirit?” Do you have “fellowship” there. Have you been meeting and participating with some of the Lord’s people? Do you find that some of your most joyful times come when you get with God’s people, talk about the things of the Lord, then roll up your sleeves together in faithful, fulfilling ministry in the kingdom of God? 

           

 And then this, “Any bowels and mercies?”  It can be said, any affection and sympathy? Have you seen that the closer you get to the Lord, the more He gives you a heart for people? I mean, you were so selfish; then you came to Christ; then all of a sudden you’re like, “You know what?  What she thinks or they need really does matter. It’s not just about me.”

           

So Paul’s like, “If these things are true...”

And we’re like, “Yeah, they are true.

Then he delivers the command of selflessness: “Fulfil ye my joy.” If you’ve gone far in Christ, go all the way, man! Complete my joy. Make my joy complete. 

Well, Paul, what would complete your joy?  Here it is: “be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Now what is that if it’s not a death to self? We have unbeatable reasons to be selfless!

Knowing God's Goodness

Pastor Leon Aguilera

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9  O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.  
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
—Psalm 34:8-10

If you’re one of God’s children, you will figure this out by the end of your life: God is good. There's no telling what He will take you 

through to bring you to that place. But eventually your value system will be set up in such a way that you say, “The Lord is 

good!” Everything He allowed, everything He withheld, every difficult season, every stretching circumstance, God meant for your good. His disposition is kindness. His default action is for your benefit. You can know His goodness as certainly as you can taste and savor your favorite food.

Psalm 34:8 invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” The sequence of the phrase makes tasting the action and seeing the result. God is saying in essence, Engage all your senses and you will discover, among other things, My 
goodness. Here, tasting and seeing are used to help us understand just how “up close and personal” God’s goodness can be experienced.

In the immediate context, there are three other parallel expressions that illustrate how you can “taste and see that the Lord is good.” They are: 1) take “trusteth in him” and be “blessed”; 2)“fear the Lord and no want”; 3) “seek the Lord and shall not want (lack) any good thing.”

Taking refuge, fearing the Lord, and seeking Him are three ways of tasting. The closer we engage with God, the more we can know His goodness. He urges, “Taste! Sample and see. Find out for yourself that I am good.” God’s goodness is what He wants us to experience. He offers Himself to us!

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Every generation learns the truth—God’s goodness is something He wants us to experience. It flows to us as steadfast love and faithfulness and is present in everything He does.

Even God’s timetable is good, but we may only see this after events have transpired. Our prayer must be, Father, I’m waiting for You because I’ve tasted and know You are good in what You do and in when You do it!

Psalm 145:9 says, “The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” God is not usually quick to answer questions like, “Why did You allow this, God?” or “Why is this happening in my life?” But His mercy and His kindness are over all that He has made. Those willing to keep tasting are the ones who keep finding His goodness.

Growing Faith

Pastor Leon Aguilera

 ⁵ And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.  – Luke 17:5

Ever feel like your faith is small? Perhaps you wish you could do more or be more. Maybe when you look around you, it seems as if everyone else has BIG BOLD FAITH, while yours is just . . . tiny.

If that’s you, then consider these three things you can do that will immediately begin to grow your faith.

1. Believe that your faith can increase.

Every Christian has been given “a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). While each of us has been given a certain capacity to believe, it can increase. Isn’t that great news? Exhibit A for growing faith is the Apostle Peter. Remember what Peter was like in the Gospels? He tried hard but failed, said the wrong thing at the wrong time, and kept messing up at critical moments. Peter was the one who swore loyalty to Jesus then denied even knowing Him (Mark 14:26–31, 66–72). Peter was the one who followed Jesus after His arrest but only from a safe distance (Mark 14:54). When Peter tried walking on the water, he sank, and Jesus called him, “O thou of little faith” (Matthew 14:31). Ouch.

Yes, Peter had little faith and a lot of growing to do, but he made one good decision: He followed Jesus’ instructions, went to that upper room, and waited for the Holy Spirit to come and fill him. When the Spirit of God filled Peter in response to his faith, he was transformed. He preached boldly, and three thousand people were saved. Peter became such a powerful, faith-filled man that Acts 5:15 reports that people “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.”

2. Expose your mind to God’s Word.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Faith can’t grow without the soil of God’s Word.

Have you learned yet to love the Word of God? “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16). Is your mind steeped in God’s Word? Have you gotten past the discipline stage of reading the Bible (gutting it out because you know you should) to the delighted stage (actually wanting to read it, even craving it)?

The more we wash our minds with God’s Word, the more our faith can grow. When we fill our minds with trashy entertainment, the latest celebrity gossip, social media newsfeed, and other pagan entertainment, what happens to our faith? When we fill our minds with everything but God’s Word, our faith will falter or even wither. According to Romans 12:2, your transformation comes “by the renewing of your min.” What are you putting into your mind?

We must read the Word, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it. Human words don’t build faith; God’s do. And as you immerse yourself in God’s Word, you’ll also learn to . . .

3. Practice genuine prayer.

Faith comes through genuine prayer. Not ritualistic, rote repetition of “Hail Marys” or “Our Fathers” but genuine, on-your-knees, heartfelt prayer, laying hold of God by faith.

“Hmmm,” you might say, “I’m not very good at that. Where’s the seminar on genuine prayer?” The seminar is conducted in your home daily in a private place where you can kneel down. The seminar is given by the Holy Spirit Himself and is available 24/7. If you want to learn how to pray, get on your knees, open your mouth, and ask, “Lord, teach me to pray.”

Prayer has incredible power to build your faith. When you are filled with anxiety, concerns, or burdens, pray. Get by yourself, kneel in humility before God, and in the simplest language you know, talk to your Father about it. Through genuine, heartfelt prayer, you can exchange your anxiety for faith.

So for all those who want their faith to keep growing—believe that your faith can increase, expose your mind to God’s Word, and genuinely pray. You might begin by asking the Lord, as the apostles did, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5)!

How to Be a Blessing

Pastor Leon Aguilera

 ²⁴ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.²⁵ The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.  - Proverbs 11:24-25

If you haven't felt the joy of the Lord in your life, if you have been feeling spiritually dry, or if your faith doesn't feel all that real to you right now, then let me ask you something: When is the last time you shared your faith with someone? When is the last time you had a conversation with someone about what you believe?

The Christian life is not meant to be hoarded; it is meant to be shared. You have been blessed to be a blessing to others, not to keep it to yourself. Proverbs 11:25 tells us, "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself " This verse is teaching, the generous person will be enriched. Do you want a generous soul? It's one area where you don't want to be lean. 

Here is what it comes down to: as you start declaring what God has done for you, in some ways it will become more real to you as you make it real to others. As you are taking in truth and growing in your faith, you need to share it with someone else. Every believer needs to do this. It isn't just for pastors or missionaries to do; it is for you. Every one of us needs to look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus.

I can't tell you how many times I have been depleted and drained and felt like I had nothing to offer, but as I began to speak, God gave me the right words to say. I started on empty and ended up on full. Jesus said, ^” Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38).

A Preview of God’s Plan

Pastor Leon Aguilera

 ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  ¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  ¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:11-13

God has a plan for your life. He has some objectives for you. Even knowing those truths, it’s still easy to get stuck in the bottomless vortex of questions: Who am I supposed to marry? Where am I going to live? What am I going to do for work? It’s time to set aside the questions and get back to what God has said.

His plans for you are not so much about those specifics as they are about developing your character. Everything else will sort itself out.

God always has plans for the welfare and future of those who are His. He always has plans to give His children hope. Even in the middle of sad and sobering words of judgment, God poured out His heart for His people. He pointed them (and us) toward relationship. The circumstances He allows are designed to cause us to call upon Him. We’re always able to call, seek, and find Him because He wants us to call, seek, and find Him!

When God says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” His words are a great comfort. But wouldn’t you love to get a look at those plans? The tension isn’t, “Does God know?” The tension is, “I want to know!” Although God understands our questions, He doesn’t owe us any answers. It’s as if He says, “I know, but I’m not going to fill you in . . . yet.”

He does give us hints, however. God provides us with some general categories that describe His purposes. First, they are thoughts of peace. The Hebrew word is shalom, meaning “the complete state of well-being; fulfillment; prosperity; peace.” As God looks down the telescope of time, His plans are for your total well-being.

Second, His designs for you are not of evil. People who are determined to prove they can live contrary to God’s program will pay a price for their experiment. God’s plans take us away from evil; ours tend to take us smack into the middle of it.

Third, God’s plans are designed, to give you an expected end, that is a future and a hope, both immediately and eternally. The biblical definition of hope is a confident expectation of something better tomorrow. When your hope is in God, He’ll always deliver. It doesn’t matter what has happened, better things are coming. That's hope! You can be confident He has good plans for you.

Living Life On Purpose

^{Leon Aguilera}

¹⁰ Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. ¹¹ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Is life really that meaningless? Are we here simply to pass time and take up space? No way! God has much more in mind for each of His children. In Romans 13:10-14, the apostle Paul gives three admonitions that move us in the right direction.

First, we must WAKE UP. Look at verse 11. Have you ever slept through your alarm in the morning and awakened too late for work or school? Well, in a spiritual sense, this is the exact situation that Paul is calling us to avoid. Our ultimate salvation—that moment when we meet Christ, either at His return or in our death—is drawing closer, moment by moment. And yet, many believers are “sleeping in,” so to speak. Are you in this group?  Are you taking a long nap when you should be taking hold of the Lord?  If so, I exhort you to WAKE UP.

Second, Paul tells us to CLEAN UP. Look at verses 12-13. Christ is returning soon to forever rid this world of sin, but we should live as though that day were already here. How? By stripping off the “works of darkness”—improper pursuit of fulfillment, sexual sin, and relational sin are mentioned here—and instead, suiting up for battle in the armor of God’s light (see Ephesians 6:10-17). Are you taking off your dirty, smelly clothes each day and replacing them with a fresh, new battle uniform? Or are you still soiled and impure before the Lord? God is instructing you to CLEAN UP.

Third, in verse 14 we are called to GROW UP. I don’t know about you, but I was a fairly mischievous kid. Sadly, many of us need this reminder spiritually. We must not even consider how we can satisfy our sinful cravings—in other words, we must make no allowances for failure. He must be in charge of every aspect of our lives. Does this describe you? Are you deliberately and consciously avoiding every opportunity for your flesh to fail? Are you growing in submission to Christ’s authority over your life? God wants you to GROW UP.

Let’s get serious about spiritual maturity! Don’t settle for less than God’s very best in your life. Don’t just pass time and take up space. It’s time to WAKE UP, CLEAN UP, and GROW UP for the glory of God.

The Way Seems Right

Pastor Leon Aguilera

Wisdom from Proverbs:

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” 16:25

 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 3:7

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 4:26

When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 16:7

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.16:9

Not a day goes by that you and we don’t make decisions that turn the direction of our lives. We base some of our choices on what we know for sure; others are judgment calls. Proverbs 16:25 has a built-in alarm system that warns us, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When you base your decisions on what seems right to you, flags should fly up all around when you read this verse. Its caution is so specific and so current that we need to take every word seriously.

Notice, “There is a way . . .” not there was a way. This warning is not leftover from when you were in high school. Nor is it talking about your future. This flag is for your life today, wherever you are. If you’re 25 or 45 or 65, there is a way that seems like the way to go and you’re looking right at it.
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man . . . ” Are you pondering a decision, maybe even taken several steps in a certain direction, that just feels like the right decision because it’s smooth and sunny and fun and fast? Make no mistake about it, most likely it is the wrong way.

Remember when Jonah ran from God? He went down to Joppa and found a boat waiting in the harbor that took him in the opposite direction from where God told him to go. It must be right; the boat was just waiting there for me. Listen, Satan can put a lot of wrong ways right in front of the person who is willing to consider it. You’ve got to go find the right way. The wrong way will usually come after you.

The problem is that all of this only “seemeth right unto a man …” because our minds are darkened by sin, our hearts are impatient for pleasure, and our wills are weighed down with the old nature and the inclination to sin. Don’t trust what seems right to you—that’s leaning on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths..” Trust God with everything you’ve got, ask Him for wisdom, and He will make the path of your life plain and straight. He’ll make it so you don’t have to waste a lot of time going down roads that just seem right but paths that you know are right in God’s eyes.

PENTECOST: THE DAY THE CHURCH RECEIVED HER POWER

Pastor Leon Aguilera

Text: Acts 2

1. The Prophecy of Pentecost.

Acts 2:1 says, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Pentecost is a Greek word meaning “fiftieth day.” It marks fifty days after Passover. It is still celebrated by the Jews as Shavuot. The previous Jewish holiday, called The Feast of the Firstfruits, is celebrated on the Sunday following the celebration of Passover, which is quite significant since this feast comes on the day Jesus rose from the dead! His day celebrates the first fruits of the barley harvest. The Lord Jesus celebrated First Fruits in the appropriate manner by rising from the dead on that day. He also gave the Father His proper First Fruits offering; graves were opened and dead people rose and were seen after His resurrection in Jerusalem (Matt. 27: 52,53). “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (I Cor. 15:22–23). The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost is the celebration of the first fruits of the wheat harvest. Now we celebrate the beginning of the great harvest of the church, “…all things are ready…” (Matthew 22:4b). “…Look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest…” (John 4:35b). Pentecost was the day the Jews originally celebrated when Moses was given the Law on Mount Sinai. Pentecost now becomes the day when we commemorate the beginning movement of the church! This is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones that became animated: “Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live” (Ezekiel 37:5). “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Jesus died for our sins. Three days later He rose from the dead; then another forty days later He ascended to the right hand of the Father (Luke 24:50-52) and ten days after that He sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. And now the covenant of New Testament of Jesus Christ is in full force! “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Hebrews 9:16,17).

2. The Participation of Pentecost.

Luke goes on to tell us in the latter part of verse 1, “…they were all with one accord in one place.” It was no mere coincidence that these words are recorded in Holy Writ. God reveals that when God’s people get along it is like the sweet perfumed air when the anointed priests were together in the corporate worship in Jerusalem. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). Whether it is Old Testament or New Testament, the Lord extends a blessing of His own presence in a powerful way when God’s people get along.

           

3. The Posture of Pentecost.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). God can do anything He wants to do, anyway He wants to do it, but I always like it when He does a good thing in a sudden or immediate way. “…And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:3b). “…And immediately their eyes received sight…” (Matthew 20:34b). “…And immediately the fever left her…” (Mark 1:31b). “And immediately he arose…” (Mark 2:12a). “…And immediately he received his sight…” (Mark 10:52b). “And his mouth was opened immediately…” (Luke 1:64a). “…And immediately her issue of blood stanched” (Luke 8:44c). The main emphasis I want you to see here is the Holy Spirit came while they were in a posture of rest, “…where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2c). The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost is spoken of in Exodus 34:21,22: “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.” God is giving us insight to how the harvest is to be gathered. In the same way this holiday of harvest is commemorated by resting, the Lord tells us in Hebrews 4:9,10, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” “…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6c).

4. The Power of Pentecost.

In verses 3 and 4 we learn that tongues of fire hovered over these one hundred and twenty disciples in the upper room. I believe it was the same upper room where the disciples partook of the Lord’s Supper. What a sight this must have been! Fire has long been a symbol of God’s presence and God’s power. Exodus 13:21 teaches us that God led the children of Israel with a pillar of fire by night. On Sinai, God came down: “And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly” (Exodus 19:18). This reminds us that in Acts 4:31, the place was shaken when the people were filled with the Holy Spirit. “The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:4). “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2). In Acts 2:4, the Bible says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost….” Earlier John 20:22 records, “And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Years ago I heard it said that Jesus exhaled and on them and on the Day of Pentecost, the church inhaled.

5. The Purpose of Pentecost.

For the remainder of the chapter, verses 5 through 47, we see the resulting effect of the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 2:8 every man heard the Word of God in his own tongue. Acts 2:13 shows us the disciples were under the influence of God so strongly that their behavior was modified. In Acts 2:32 the disciples were consumed with getting out the message of “This Jesus….” We come to the end of this great day with these final words, “…And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47b). The result of the Day of Pentecost was people were saved. This is the supreme purpose of the empowering of the Church: that people might be saved and that the Great Commission could more effectively be carried out. The Holy Spirit purifies, sanctifies and energizes the Church. He gives gifts to the church as mentioned in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. There is a phrase found in Scripture that points out that this gifting “…maketh increase of the body…” (Ephesians 4:16c). When we are operating in the fullness of the Spirit there is an increase in the Body of Christ. Acts 1:8 spells out the purpose of the power of Pentecost: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Oh that we might be consumed with the purpose of God in our ministry, i.e. the salvation of lost souls and their discipleship!

THE POWER OF FORGETTING OUR PAST

Pastor Leon Aguilera

The key to life change is forgetting, not remembering. Try remembering that next time you are sitting with a friend or counselor who is digging deeply into your past in the hopes of impacting your future for good. Consider the life of Joseph. If anyone was a candidate for ten years of therapy because of a painful past, it was Joseph. This guy was coddled by his father, pampered as the youngest, and ridiculed and ultimately rejected by his brothers. Finally, at one point his eleven brothers stripped him naked, threw him into a pit, then hauled him out and sold him as a slave in Egypt. Now would that mess with your mind? Then Joseph got a job in Egypt; he was working hard and trying to build a life for himself when his boss’s wife flipped out and falsely accused him of trying to have sex with her. Sounds like the Jerry Springer show. Unable to defend himself, Joseph was chained up in some rat-infested prison and completely forgotten for several years.

Now you would think that Joseph would be messed up for life or certainly would need endless hours of therapy to process all that pain. Yet the Bible teaches something quite different. In all of it, Joseph saw a sovereign God who was at work. Was Joseph devastated at times? Yes, but he was not destroyed. Was there pain and loneliness and heartache and, at times, despair? Yes, but Joseph found a better way to deal with his pain. He would forget the injustice, trust a wise and sovereign God, and move ahead with his life.

           

In Genesis 45:8, Joseph looked into the eyes of the brothers who did so much to hurt him and said,

“So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Just to make sure the point is made, the Scripture quotes Joseph affirming that message once more in Genesis 50:20. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Did they sin against him? Yes! Was it evil? Yes! But did God use it for Joseph’s good? Yes! God did. As a confirmation that Joseph found healing by forgetting his past, he named his first son Manasseh, which means “the Lord made me forget.”

Why not ask God for the grace to forget your past? This digging-up-the-past thing is a worldly and unbiblical method for life transformation. True heart change is not about remembering, and it’s not about digging up things that may or may not have even happened! It’s about forgiving and forgetting. It’s about trusting a sovereign God. It’s about focusing in on my own need to change and saying with the apostle Paul, “forgetting those things which are behind” (Philippians 3:13).

Is it important to deal with your past? Absolutely! God doesn’t want us to pretend. He wants us to face our past and to deal with it by focusing on forgiveness, and putting it behind us. The answer is not in the past and no process of myopically scouring our past will lead to the change our heart desires. God’s plan for your past is that you would honestly assess it and then displace it through forgiveness.  If you have been trying to change by going over and over your past, get a big green plastic bag and put that approach to health and healing where it belongs

An Easter Meditation

Pastor Leon Aguilera

Of all the celebrations Christians are involved in, Easter has to be the most important. It is certain that during the Passover of the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth at the age of 33 died on a Roman cross, just outside the city of Jerusalem, almost 2,000 years ago. In three days, He arose from the dead with more evidence than we have of the entire existence of Julius Caesar. Long live the King of Kings!

I give these Easter meditations God has given me over the years.

           

1. Our Lord who died for us should be lived for with total abandonment.

The most life-changing thoughts to have ever entered this frail, human brain of mine are the thoughts of the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” For most of my life this verse has held me captive with reverent ramifications. Think of what the apostle is saying! Paul is so challenged by the exchange of Christ’s life for his on Calvary that he never gets beyond it. He pictures himself dying with Christ, being buried with Christ and rising from the dead with Christ. Listen to what he says in Romans 6:5 and 6, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” He was so into Calvary and the cross was so into him that he said, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2).

Calvary is intended to bring us to Christ in complete surrender and abandonment. Christianity was never designed to be an addendum to an already full life. God intends us to empty ourselves of ourselves and this world and give ourselves completely over to him.

When the famed Evangelist Wilbur Chapman was dying, one of his friends was standing by his bedside weeping. Chapman had the strength to look at his old friend and say, “Don’t cry for me; I died twenty-two years ago.” In other words since he was saved and surrendered to the Lord, he was a “dead-man walking,” and it was not he but Christ who lived within Him, calling the shots, leading in every decision, making the sacrifice necessary and doing whatever it takes to advance the cause of Christ in this world.

2. Never forsake the cardinal doctrines of the faith.

Stay with the Bible! Don’t veer from its pages and paths. In the ancient days Christians were called (even by Muslims), “The People of the Book.” Believe every page of this Holy Book called the Bible. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5). Stay with the belief in the Deity of Christ! John said, “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). Stay with the Gospel! Paul said, “…I declare unto you the gospel… how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” (I Corinthians 15:1, 3,4). Stay with the blood atonement for our sins! “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26). Stay with what we celebrate today: the physical, literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ! “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (I Corinthians 15:17).

3. Stay involved in the local church.

Church attendance is a habit and a very good one at that. When people fall out of church, they too develop a habit, one they will regret for time and eternity if they do not change. The Bible says, “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21). Being faithful to church on Sunday morning, Wednesday night and even Friday night is like saying, Lord, You have the first day and the middle of the week and end as well; You have all there is of me and my house. “…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD....” (Joshua 24:15). “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18). I encourage you to not only attend the House of God but find a need and fill it. Be an active church member.

4. Leave a legacy of honor.

What are you going to leave behind? As the days and years of my life pass, this thought comes to mind: I want to leave a legacy of faithfulness. I want to be faithful to my Lord, my wife, my family, Lefferts Park and those I have preached to over the years. “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful’ (I Corinthians 4:1,2). “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10). A steward is one who is assigned as the manager of a household or of household affairs, especially a manager or superintendent to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age. He was also the manager of a farm or landed estate, an overseer or the superintendent of the city’s finances, the treasurer of a city (or of treasurers or quaestors of kings). We are given an assignment from the Risen Lord to take care of His business while He is gone. Jesus said, “…Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). We are to be faithful to the King’s great commission, financing His Kingdom work and then to impart His discipleship to the next generation.