JULY 9-11, 2021
Mission and Vision for us!
I thank our God for this wonderful opportunity to be in your midst today.
I take this time to honor our special invited guests this morning.
Dr. Hector & Dolly Ortiz;
Bishop Kirk & Sarah Rising
Dr.s Nicholas & Lena Venditti
Pastor David Bruno
And all of you delegates to this Midwest Rocky Mtn Regional Convention!
I especially want to honor my lovely wife of 49 years in just 5 days.
Our God is a great God!! Let me say that again. Our God is a Great God!!
He has been with us in this convention, from the planning time to now and even in spite of us, He continues to show His presence.
Jehovah Shammah=He is present with us..
What a tumultuous year we just went through in 2020 until recently and some possibly still struggling through it.
It has not been an easy trek. As a matter of fact and Truth be known, it has been a difficult and scary year.
Yes, our trust is in the Lord God almighty.
Yet many of us lost loved ones and friends and co-laborers in vineyard of the Lord.
“Let’s take a moment of silence in regards to those whom we’ve lost to the pandemic”
So Let’s thank Him for seeing us through.
Praises!!!!!!
I’d like to share to you our Region, what is on my heart of hearts in regards to us.
And the first thought is…
1. Where are we at present?
For the last few years, world events have challenged our faith, our belief system, and even our “common sensitivity.
Not just our common sense, but in every aspect that we as Christians should have a feel for. The definition of the word =Sensitivity measures the proportion of positives that are correctly identified.”
Sensitividad mide la proporcion de positivos que son correctamente identificados.
So as Christians our points of recognition have been skewed and challenged, to say the least.
You know what positives I’m speaking about, the Christian core values for those of us who claim to be “spirit Filled.” Where as our harvest should be..
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
The word harvest is The product or result of an action.. cosecha-producto o resultado de una accion
Yet God is so faithful in that He continues by His infinite wisdom, grace & mercy, to steer us straight.
Some align and some don’t.
But we as a Christian group have a reference book to look at, to read, to research, by which our standards are to be set by, and it is called the Holy Bible…and we have a statement of Faith,
A Biblical Principles pamphlet
I want to insert a quote her by Charles Spurgeon
“The bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the church, But, the world does not read the bible, they read Christians. “Ye are the light of the world” Jesus said.”
La biblia no es la luz del mundo, es la luz de la iglesia. Pero! El mundo no lee la biblia, lee cristianos, Jesus dijo “Vosotros sois la luz del mundo”
What a revealing and eye opening quote the preacher said.
Amen!!
And After all we are of a “Wesleyan Holiness Pentecostal persuasion.
Dictionary definition of persuasion:
a belief or set of beliefs, especially religious or political. Creencia o creencias, especialmente religiosas o politicas
(humorous) any group or type of person or thing linked by a specified characteristic, quality or attribute. Cualesquiera Grupo o tipo de persona o cosa conectados por una carateristica specificada, cualidad o attributo.
We just heard a beautiful song “Yes they will know we are Christians by our LOVE”
This persuasion… set of beliefs that links us by a specified characteristic, quality or attribute.
Yet somehow this specified characteristic, which is Love has taken a new dimension in definition.
The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12 reminds us to not be conformed to this world and then goes on in verse 9-10 NKJV
Behave Like a Christian
9 Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Church of the living God, we must not let our individual persuasion to be clouded by the happenings in this world at present.
We as Spirit filled Christians have been blessed with a diversity of gifts, and one of those as 1 Corinthians 12:10b…One is given …the discerning of spirits.
So as spiritual beings that we are, this gift is one we should be walking in during this hard and unbalanced times which we are living in.
Charles Spurgeon is quoted “Discernment is not knowing between right and wrong.
It is knowing the difference between right and almost right. Discernimiento es la capacidad de distinguir la verdad de la casi verdad.
But we must look to Jesus ,”The author (originator) and finisher (perfecter) of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2
He clearly said “I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
John 14:6
Here Jesus was giving the Disciples, and us all, GPS coordinates for those who want to travel to His house.
His word, His presence is our go to source when we need to make a difficult decision in regards to where to stand and how to react in times like these we live in.
2. What does God want from us?
KJV Leviticus 11:44-45
44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
45 For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
The chapter is defining what is unclean and should not be eaten or touched by His nation, his people.
His very detailed and specific instructions which were given to them on that day, are still followed by many of the Jewish people to this day.
We as Christians have very few limitations as to what we can consume, and most of those are dietary precautions we take if any. Its no longer what goes into the mouth but what comes out.
1 Peter 1:14-16 in a paraphrase tells us to be obedient and not follow how we were before we knew Him, so let’s talk right, and Be Holy as He who has called us is Holy….
But the characteristic value that we must possess to be an example to those around us, is exactly what the Apostle Paul described to us and it is called the fruit of the Spirit.
I wrote a thought I had several months ago, and it has been circling in my mind and heart ever since,
“Holiness is not only an inward spiritual happening, but an outwardly human experience being accomplished in the Flesh”
Santidad no es solamente un acontecimiento espiritualmente interno, sino una experencia externa, llevandose acabo en la Carne”
And while it may be a difficult thought for you to digest, please chew on it for a while, since we are living in this shell and it is clothed by flesh, and yes our flesh gets hungry, thirsty, needs to be taken care of in every which way.
Nevertheless, it is in this body that we must be recognized as God Fearing, and Christ centered Christians.
YOU SEE… That
Hebrews 12:1-14
12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
These 2 Characteristics are necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven..
Peace will all men—outwardly visible…in the FLESH!
Holiness –Godly seen not by man, but by God HIMSELF.
When God the Father created Adam and Eve, he did not create a Holy being, but a living soul as soon as He breathed in him.
Genesis 2:7
7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Does not say spiritual man)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
The point being:
We are earthly because we are of the dust of the earth, but when Jesus came into our lives and we were born again…
A whole complete nature came upon us…
Galatians 2:20
NIV
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
3. What I would like to see us do!
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Our goal is to follow God’s plan in winning the lost.
This must be a concerted effort with all on board.
WE must make disiciples!!
BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE DISCIPLES, WE MUST BE DISCIPLES!!!
If we are to stay ahead of this immoral society in which we are living in today and before more people are convinced that they can pick their gender, and lifestyles, we must share with them the Gospel and God’s truth.
In the beginning God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.
No one has the answers but Jesus, and He has entrusted that to us His body, His church, You and I. and I have to say that we do not have the task or call to condemn anyone. It is not in our pay grade. WE have to show all men women that God loves them and as He told the woman caught in adultery, neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.
He didn’t side with the righteous right, yet neither did He side with the adulterous woman, but forgave her and told her to walk right, told her to SIN NO MORE!!
I would like to see as people begin to make their way back to church after the Pandemic rush, our pastors and congregations with open arms and bringing the message of hope back to their ears, thoughts and their hearts.
This world has seen enough caos, hatred and mayhem.
Until the church decides to take up its call to be the church that Jesus called to be the light, all of this will…
Be right at our doorstep.
Church lets be the church!!!!
Bibliography:
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.). (1999)
Merriam-Webster Incorporated
Holy Bible, KJV. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1988
Charles Spurgeon’s Quotes
Bishop Jesse Yañez, D.Min.
Midwest Rocky Mtn. Regional Overseer
BA & MA –Cornerstone University
MAR- Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary
D.Min. Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary