Today's Devotional

"The Call of John the Baptist"

 We all have it.

^15-17 “He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb. He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God. He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.” Luke 1:15-17 (MSG)

When I read this today God immediately spoke to me. This is my call as well. If we read what the Angel tells Zachariah about his son John the baptist we find that in preparing the way for Christ's first coming, he was a representative of those who are to prepare a people for our Lord's second coming. 

Lets break this verse up.

ABSTINENCE

"He’ll drink neither wine nor beer." As young people or even in our adult lives one of the greatest temptations is to to what the world does. The problem is that when we are young lets face it, we think we are INVINCIBLE. When we take a look into the world, fun HAS to go together with drinking alcohol. But we are called to be misfits. We will not join the "fun" this world has to offer. That "fun" can kill you while your driving. It will cause you to stay home all day the next day vomiting with a huge headache. It can leave you pregnant. So many things alcohol brings, exactly why we should never indulge in activities like this.

FILLED

"He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb." We have to know one thing everyday when we wake up, WE ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT! He lives inside of you. The moment you received Jesus in your life He came to live inside of you. Repeat and believe this every morning "I am filled with the Holy Spirit" your life will never be the same. We must make sure we STAY filled by praying, congregating, and reading Gods word.

EVANGELISM

"He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God." One of the greatest callings you have in your life is to bring people to God. So many lost souls in the world that need you to speak to them about Jesus. We cannot sleep on this calling, WE MUST WIN SOULS for the kingdom of God. If not the devil will.

POWER AUTHORITY AND WISDOM

He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics. Authority is something we must have to conquer this world for Christ. We must understand that we are sons and daughters of the most high. When people see the confidence and authority in the way you speak they will see something different. That difference will bring them to God. It is awesome to see when homes and families are restored. Whether you are with the youth or with the adults, bringing families together and restoring the hearts of the parents and children is one of our callings. The bible says if one lacks wisdom to ask God. There will always be skeptics and people with doubts that will come against you. We must show that we have wisdom! Read the word of God, read books, and get to know God intimately in your prayer time. You will be amazed at the things God tells you! Matter of fact this post is fruit of that!

Something to think about!

The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel. Luke 1:80 (MSG)

  

In the natural order of things, the son of Zacharias would have been educated for the priesthood. But the training in rabbi schools would have unfitted him for his work. God did not send him to the teachers of theology to learn how to interpret the Scriptures. He called him to the desert, that he might learn of nature and nature's God.  

It was in this lonely desert where he found his home. But it was his choice to forgo the enjoyments and luxuries of life for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial.

WE ARE CALLED TO BE LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST. Jesus is coming soon and our job is to prepare his coming and get the people ready.

People, GET READY!

I hope this post encourages you to keep moving forward, keep seeking God, keep winning souls. You have a GREAT calling. Shalom, I'm out.

A Revelation

"The Knife & The Lemon" PT.2

THE LEMONADE

Part 2 of this amazing revelation will completely change your life. After sharing my first revelation of "The Knife & The Lemon" I received in morning prayer, one of my friends who read it received yet another revelation. I would love to share what the Holy Spirit spoke to his life and mine as well. 

If you notice when the juice inside of the lemon gets sqeezed out it's sour. Now ofcourse we all know that "in the moment" sin may seem a bit satisfying (to the flesh) but in the end its SOUR. Let's check out what the first part of Romans 6:23.

For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Sin is so SOUR that it will ultimately bring DEATH physically and spiritually.

Now why is this post called the lemonade? Keep reading! Lets check out the second part of Romans 6:23.

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV) 

The gift of eternal life is the SWEETEST thing I've ever encountered in my life. I mean it is the greatest news a sinner can receive. It is like a dying cancer patient receiving news that he/she no longer has cancer and will live!

So by now you might of guessed. I'm making a lemonade out of all of this. Now that we have the lemon juice and sugar we need the pitcher and some water. The pitcher represents your life. God has a calling for your life. You are the one that decides what goes in the pitcher.

Last but not least the water. The bible says Jesus gives us the water. If we receive the water he gives us we will never thirst.

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14 (NIV)

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart. John 7:38 (NLT) 

In our pitcher we need water. We need Jesus daily! We need to fill our lives with God. In John 4:14 it says the water we receive from him will well up to eternal life. THIS HAS TO BE OUR DAILY DESIRE. Living a life that will be rewarded with eternal life. Yes Jesus saved us on the cross when he died for our sins and resurrected on the 3rd day. But our salvation CAN be lost. We have to fill our lives daily with God. Believe me there is NO BETTER THING! Our life can be so much better by just living a life pleasing God. I have experienced this myself.

In the end what we have prepared is a delicious lemonade on a HOT day. 

God will turn your past of sin (the sour) into a testimony when the gospel and salvation come into your ears and heart (the sugar). When your life (the pitcher) is full of God (the water) a lemonade will be ready to serve. 

Follow my friend and brother Jose Diaz who helped me with this PT 2. His blog is awesome!  http://www.itsjosebro.blogspot.com/

A Revelation

"The Knife & The Lemon"

  There are many areas in my character and in my life which must be changed so that I can be the person I know God wants me to be. Today in morning prayer I was really asking the Lord to change me. I remember telling him "Father, if all the areas in my life that don't please you were like the juice inside of a lemon, squeeze it all out!" I literally wanted God to remove from my life those bad habits, behaviors and attitudes I knew didn't please him. Then I remembered something my pastor said yesterday and has said many times "When we are about to receive the promotion or blessing we have been waiting for, something always happens which will test our character and your action will determine whether you passed or failed."  When I thought about that I immediately asked God "Why is it that we have to go through something so hard in order to pass?" 

And this is where the Lord began to speak to me. He answered "You told me you wanted me to take out all your bad habits, behaviors and attitudes like the juice inside of the lemon. In order for the juice to be squeezed out of the lemon a knife has to go through it." My eyes immediately opened! I knew exactly what he was telling me. If we are the lemon, the knife is the test that will either show us if we are ready for the blessing or not. That knife will hurt and will test your patience and character, but knowing that soon you will receive a blessing or soon you will overcome those habits, behaviors and attitudes that pushes you to stay calm and trust in God. Look at what God tells us: 

I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'These are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" Zechariah 13:9 (NLT)

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.1 Peter 1:7 (NIV)

If you are reading this today I want to tell you to stay firm, keep fighting and don't throw the towel. The devil wants you to give up but you must keep fighting. Let that juice which represents the bad areas, habits, behaviors and attitudes be squeezed out of you. In the end your faith and patience will bring you a GREAT reward. The knife may hurt but the joy of that blessing that you have been waiting for will be so much greater. 

Keep praying, keep believing, and keep reading Gods word. Peace.

Today's Devotional

"Mmm... Sacrifice!"

 

"If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice, 

I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you." Psalms 143:8 (MSG) 

There is something about praying to God and hearing His voice in the morning. The moment we wake up, take a step out of our bed, and get ready to worship and pray to God VERY early in the morning an ODOR is released into the nose of God and one thought comes to His mind "Mmm... Sacrifice!" In this verse we see the psalmist speaking to God and telling Him if the sound of God's loving voice would wake him each morning then will he go to sleep each night trusting in Him. When we seek God early God gives us the strength and faith to believe in everything He has promised us!  Waking up early to seek God in morning prayer is something that He LOVES. This reminds me of another verse.

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me."  

Proverbs 8:17 (AMP)

God smelling the sweet scent of sacrifice when you wake up early to seek Him is similar to us waking up on a beautiful sunny day with the smell of your favorite home made pancakes. I am on a mission to seek God as much as I can early in morning prayer because I know He loves it. I hope this encourages you to do the same. Remember when you are getting out of your bed and getting ready to pray, you are releasing a sweet sweet aroma into the nose of God. How great is that!