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.