Heirs of the King... Living the Beatitudes

So recently I've been reading a really fantastic book and I thought I's share some of my thought on it...

“Heirs of the King” was an absolutely phenomenal book. In fact I think it could be one of the best books I’ve ever read. Maybe its just the timing of what all God is doing in my life right now through this time of prayer and fasting, but its was a great read. Wiersbe wrote so many insightful thoughts and pointed to many, many scriptures to back it up. In this book Wiersbe not only lists the beatitudes but he breaks them down as well. He goes into detail as to how each one of these can & should be displayed in our lives as Christ’s followers.

 

There were so many things that I learned from this book and many of those things I’m still pondering, examining, and developing so I can put them into my daily living. However, of all the things I’ve been learning from this book one of them really sits above the rest. The beatitude that stands out the most is, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Mat. 5:8).  As this beatitude is broken down its made clear that its takes a completely pure heart to see clearly. A clouded heart clouds your vision, which in turn clouds your living. Wiersbe writes, “At some point in life, each of us must decided what is our highest joy, for the thing that delights us directs us.” So I began to ask myself what is it that brings me the most joy? Is it God’s work or something else?

 

He also goes on to talk about how a pure heart is one that is totally committed to Christ & no one else. As he describes this he uses the example of Saul & David. While Saul spent the majority of his kingship worrying about what people saw & not what God saw, David spent the majority of his not carrying about what others saw but only about what God saw. Sin in my heart will cause me to worry about the outside, but a pure heart takes care of the inside.

 

As I continue to let God clean me out from the inside out I continue to see just how much more I need God to do in my life. But I also see more of Christ in everything and everyone. When my heart is in tune with God I’ll be more aware of him and I’ll see him in everything – that’s why Paul said that ALL things work together for good…(Rom. 8:28). The more pure I become the closer to God I will be, and the closer to God I get the more I’ll see of him around me, and the more I see of him around me the more I do for his glory.

still processing things,

Coach Luis

So over the past couple of weeks in Repo we've been talking about the fruit that our lives should and shouldn't produce (Gal. 6:16-26). Tonight while I was praying I was asking God to continue to deal with & clear out the rotten fruit in my life and to produce the fruit of the Spirit in me. 

Galatians 6:22-23a - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

As I was praying through those fruits God stopped me. I had one of those 2x4 moments, you know, when God's word knocks you upside the head and knocks some sense into you. It was then that I realized that Paul didn't just write this in some random order. God isn't random, he's very specific - Paul was lead by the Holy Ghost to write these in this specific order. 

See, you can't expect to have one fruit without the other, but it all starts with love. Without love you'll never have the rest of them. After all love is the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-31). Its because of love that you can have joy (Hebrews 1:9, 12:2). If you have true joy then no matter what comes your way you can trust God in it and have peace (Philippians 4:7). If you have peace then you can be patient (Ephesians 4:2) Its through patience that you can be kind (1 Corinthians 13:4). From the kindness in your heart goodness will flow (2 Peter 1:5-7).  And as goodness flows you will find yourself living faithfully according to God's Word(2 Peter 1:8). And if you're faithful to God's word you can't help but be gentle (Ephesians 4:2). As all of this is coming from your life you will find that you are living with self-control (Galatians 5:16).

When they get all jacked up go back to love.

I've got some work to do.

Coach Luis

Thoughts From The Job... Pushing Past The Tough Times

I live in a state where people are always talking about how bad our economy is. People are losing their jobs while others are discontent and complain about their jobs. People both with jobs and without jobs are facing hardships and hurts. And during this I've had people ask me, "Why is it that we go through tough times? If God loves me then why must I go through adversity?"

Well, I've been reading through the book of Job and its taken me back to those thoughts. The truth is that pain helps us grow. So weather you don't have a job and are in need of one or you have a job and its not the one you want here are a few thoughts I got from reading the book of JOB.

1. Adversity breeds strength, while good times easily breed apathy.

When things are going great its easy to praise God & its also easy to take things for  granted. Its in the tough times that we find out who we really are and what we're really made of. During hardships its easy to give in & get out but it takes character to rise up out of the ashes. To trust God in the good times is good, but to trust him in the hard tests our limits and displays our faith.

2. Suffering can be a result of sin, but be sure that sin doesn't come as a result of suffering.

Sometimes we go through hard times because of poor decisions we make and we must learn to face those consequences. In those times we must have the courage to get through those hard times. But just because we face hard times that doesn't give us the right to sin. Tough times come to us all & its in those times that we must guard ourselves and be reminded of God's faithfulness. He always comes through and we must trust that.

These are just two things so far. There will be more thoughts later.

STL

Tonight some of the Repo students, myself, and several other leaders went to a Speed The Light rally and it was great! If you don't know what STL is its a teens way to support missions work. Its said that 75% of all missions work is done because of STL; AMAZING! If you don't currently give to STL I encourage you to begin giving and if you don't attend a youth ministry that does give then leave me a comment and we will make a way for you to partner with us.

Anyway, while we were there we heard some really cool testimonies of what God was doing through STL, but I believe that our students also heard from God. Tonight we took pledges for STL and without my pledge or the pledge of any other leader the 9 students with us pledged almost what our whole ministry goal is for 2008. I believe that God is going to do something amazing this year in the hearts and lives of Repo, and this is only the begging. But we must continue to trust on God to get it done. Our goal is out of our reach, but its not out of his reach! Praise God for he is able to do more than I can even imagine...

Eph. 3:20-21 - 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ, Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Trusting & believing for the miracle,

Coach Luis

Imagine...

Could you imagine what it must have been like to be living in the days of Jesus? Imagine looking into those deep, love filled eyes. Imagine Jesus kneeling down beside you and saying rise and walk. Imagine the power that was felt when he spoke the word. This is my prayer...

That there would be a love that people sense just by looking into my eyes. May Jesus stare through me. When I put my arms around the hurting that they would instantly begin to fell healing. When I speak that the power that Jesus spoke with grab the hearts and attention of people. That I would truly be Jesus with skin on.

Tonight we had some great break throughs in some students lives! This week we've had several students showing up for prayer! God is amazing!

There's Always Work To Be Done...

I remember being a kid and working outside in the yard with my dad, if someone didn't stop us we would be out there all day. I'd ask him when we would be done and all he would tell me is, "There's always work to be done." Ahh, that drove me crazy. But I found that the saying is true - The very things that drive you crazy about your parents eventually will be the very things that you drive others crazy with. 

Today I was at work and I found myself telling someone else that there is always something to do. Oh, boy, I could hear my dad all over again. Then I went on break and I was reading my bible (Joshua 11-13) and all I could hear was my DAD (GOD) telling me, "Son, there's always work to be done." As long as my heart beats I have work to be done.

In these chapters Joshua takes the land - 11:16a - So Joshua took this entire land... They then go onto list all the kings Joshua defeated. He did a lot of work, but he wasn't finished

Joshua 13:1 - When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the Lord said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.

God gives us a job that's bigger than us so 1. So that we'll need him to get it done and 2. So that we don't ever stop. So, when you find yourself ready to slow down, catch your breath and look ahead - there's still land to be taken.

Coach Luis

Why The Hate?

Do you have someone in your life that hates you? Why do they hate you? Is it because you are a jerk? Or lazy? Or selfish? These are a few questions I asked myself today. If someone hates me, why? (By the way, hate simply put is an intense dislike, hmm...) Jesus told us that people would hate us. But why do they hate you, that's the question.

John 15:18-19 - 18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to this world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Jesus was a hated man, but he wasn't hated because he was a jerk, or cruel, or selfish, or lazy. Jesus was hated for completely different reasons. And if you look at his disciples or throughout the course of history at men/women of God you'll see that they too were hated people. Jesus and those who truly lived for him were hated because of two reasons:

1. Truth

Everywhere Jesus went truth was revealed and lives were changed, but lives were convicted as well. And when truth cuts into the heart people don't always want to deal with it. They'll either accept it or resent it. If Christ is in me then that means when I show up somewhere that truth should make a difference. After all, light does violate darkness. So truth must be seen in my life.

2. Love

You can't speak truth if you don't love. Truth spoken without love is just an arrogant or harsh statement. So love must shout from our lives. But people don't know how to handle love. Real genuine love is strange & uncomfortable to the world because the world doesn't know what true love is. So our love must be loud and it must be real.

Jesus told his disciple they too would be hated because he knew that people didn't know what to do with people that spoke the truth and showed real love. If I'm hated I want it to be because I speak the truth in love.

Coach Luis

Thoughts and Questions...

John 14:12 - "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these..."

Jesus reminds his disciples that they have power in him and that they would do amazing things, and sure enough they did. One thing that I see that happened in Christ's ministry and in the ministry of his disciples is that people were drawn to them. Another thing was that people left better after they had been around Jesus or his disciples. This lead me to ask myself a few questions...

Are people drawn to me - meaning are they drawn to Christ in me? People are attracted to genuine love. God is love and if he lives inside of me then that means I should be love too.

Do people leave spending time with me better than they were before? When people came from being with Jesus of his disciples they weren't the same, how do people leave from spending time with me? GULP...

I gotta let God do some work.

Coach Luis

Sheep or Goats...

Today I read something about the difference between sheep and goats. the article was saying that one of the biggest differences between the two is the fact that goats, as opposed to sheep, are more independent. The article was saying that a goat is more likely to wonder off alone away from the flock and less inclined to the shepherd's voice. Whereas sheep are more likely to stay with the flock and follow closely to the shepherd. 

As I read this article I began to think about what I read earlier in John 10. In John 10 Jesus talks about how he is the good shepherd, but he mentions something about sheep too. As the Jews gathered around Jesus the asked to to answer clearly was he the Christ.

John 10:25-27 - 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

The sheep know the shepherds voice, and they follow him! I've heard people say many times, "I don't know what God wants me to do", and so they do nothing. God didn't call us to do nothing, he wants us to do something. To often this is just a copout to try and get out of doing what he has already clearly told us. We either don't like it, are scared of it, or just to want to do it. As a result we don't follow the shepherd.

Churches are full of goats pretending to be sheep. Just because you hang around the flock doesn't make you part of the flock. Remember, its the goats that are doing their own thing, the real sheep listen and follow the shepherd.

Coach Luis

I'm looking for...

I'm overworked, underpaid & not appreciated. Have you ever thought that before? Those were a few of my thoughts the other day as I was driving home from work. I had just came from a meeting with my manager and it wasn't news that I wanted to here; I was told that I did great on my review, I got all high marks, I won employee of the month, I was a great asset to the team, and... that someone else got the promotion that I was suppose to get three people before. WHAT?!?!? How could this be? I was extremely frustrated. In fact, I was so frustrated that I was ranting to myself in the car (as I look back on that moment it was a real "Ham-town" moment). And in the middle of that moment would you know that God smacked me right upside the head - he spoke clear as day.

He asked me, "Who are you?" Who am I to think that I actually deserve something? After all Jesus did make himself nothing (Phil 2:7). At that moment I realized that there was still way to much of me  and not enough of Jesus around. I began to ask myself, why does this bother me so much? Can God not provide for all my needs? He can and he does, so I must be living like he can and he does.

I don't need to get caught up in all the pointless junk that just adds clutter, all I need to know is who my dad is! When I remember that then I remember that I don't need to seek my own promotion, I've just got to seek him!

Mt. 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

He'll give it, I just have to wait until then (Gal. 6:9). So stop looking for the world to notice you and let God notice you. Actually he's already noticed us, he just waits for us to acknowledge him.

Coach Luis

Joshua is such an amazing book! I was reading in Joshua 10 today and there was a verse that really jumped out at me...

Joshua 10:42 - All these kings and their land Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Man, when God does the fighting I've got nothing to worry about. But he won't do the fighting unless I'm completely surrendered to him. Chapters 7 & 9 are clear examples of what its like when we do the fighting ourselves and not God. But chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, & 10 are clear examples of what it is like when God does the fighting for us. God wants to fight for me, i've got to let him though. My plans aren't nearly as good as his plans! So I must stop trying to lead God and let him lead me!

Coach Luis

Follow Me...

I think one of the most frustrating and irritating things is following someone who doesn't know where they are going. Do I turn, do I go straight, did I pass it, is it further up, am I even headed in the right direction, uh, I can't stand it. If you don't know where you're going then please be honest and just let someone else lead.

So where am I leading people? Do I know where I am going? Paul sure did...

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." - 1 Cor. 11:1

He made it clear that he was heading the right way and he wanted to take people with him. The same must be said of our lives, we must be able to look at someone and say with confidence, "Follow me..." This journey we call life was never meant to be a solo act. We're to take others with us, which means we better be ready to look at someone and say as Paul said - "Follow me as I follow Christ."

Coach Luis

This morning I found myself asking the question how much of God do I want? Am I really desperate for him? My prayer is that I would truly be able to pray Psalm 63:1-8 and have it be true of me.

Psalm 63 - 1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirst for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will life up my hand. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Read it a couple of times and let it sink in.

Coach Luis

WOW...

Tonight during work I was asked to got to a boys juvenile detention center to share my testimony and spend time with some of the students there. As the guys started to fill the room I went back to the day God rescued me. I was one of those guys that teachers, school administrators, and even relatives thought would be in and out of "the system" my whole life. I was even told by one teacher that I was a worthless Puerto Rican that wouldn't do anything with my life. Praise God that his plans were/are greater than my teacher's, or even my for that matter. When others saw trash God saw a star! It blows my mind everyday when I think of all the people God could've chose to be in Hamtramck right now he chose me, amazing!

Tonight I got to do what God created me for; to speak hope into the hopeless, to give worth to those who have been devalued, to give joy to the sad. I was told tonight that my story inspired someone - man God is incredible! Where would I be if it weren't for God's grace, mercy and love? Where would you be? I have a purpose, I get to do God's work!

Acts 20:24 - But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.

Amazed by God,

Coach Luis

I Got This...

A couple of years back I had a job at a camp as a lifeguard. I must admit, it wasn't the best job I'd ever had but I had a great boss. For the most part I worked up at the pool but every now and then the lifeguards had to be down at the water front. One day my boss had myself and another lifeguard go pull weeds down on the beach to clear it up. He told me that it wouldn't take more than an hour and that once we did that we were done for the day. Before he could finish we were out the door and on the beach. After about  4 hours and a lot of sweating we were almost finished. I thought to myself,  "So much for an easy job, and we were told it would take an hour at most, yeah right." My boss ended up coming by as we were finishing up and told us that we didn't have to do everything that we did, it was only a small section we were suppose to clear. I asked him why he let us do all that and he said because we never asked. Oh the frustration! How much time and frustration could I have saved myself if I would have only asked?

That's how life is sometimes, we get ourselves into sticky situations and messes because we don't ask.

Joshua 9 tells of a time when the Israelites got themselves into a sticky situation. They were told to go and wipe out EVERYONE in the land and because they didn't ask God they couldn't do that. They ended up getting tricked into making a covenant with the Gibeonites - their neighbors - saying that they wouldn't kill them.

Joshua 9:14 - The men of Israel sampled their provisions BUT DID NOT INQUIRE OF THE LORD.

What bad choices have I made all because I didn't ask God what to do? How much heartache would I have saved myself?  How much healthier would I be? See, God cares about every detail in our lives, no matter how big or small, and he has a plan for them and the only way to know that plan is to ask.

So before you act, stop and check with the the boss, he'll let you know what to do.

Coach Luis

Tonight was a great night. We had 6 visitors at Repo and 2 students ask Jesus into their heart! Man God is awesome! His faithfulness continues to blow my mind - even in the midst of my unfaithfulness he's still faithful, amazing.

Joshua 8 is an example of God's faithfulness. Even after the Israelites screw up and Joshua listens to his men instead of hearing from God, God gives Joshua another chance. After Joshua deals with the sin God reminds Joshua of the promise that was made...

Joshua 8:1a - Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Joshua and the army listen to God and they go on to victory - amazing!

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness!

Coach Luis

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today we all find ourselves at the beginning - starring 2008 in the face. 2007 may have been great or it may have been terrible but regardless of what it was its over now, the door is closed on '07 and '08 has begun.

I stand here at the beginning with much excitement knowing that there is an adventure already planned out for 2008. And yes, I know that I will fall and fail throughout the year but I also know that God doesn't give up on me & he will see me through those times. As I stand here I find myself thinking of Joshua. Just as I can't go back to '07 Joshua couldn't go back to the desert or to Egypt - the door was closed. No matter what came his way he had to trust God to handle it.

When Joshua crossed over he crossed over with a mission & as I've crossed to 2008 I've crossed with a mission - to take the land! God made Joshua a promise that he would get the land, all he told him was to be strong and courageous. 

Joshua 1:6-9 - 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

I must be strong and courageous. The more time I spend with God in prayer, in his word & in carrying out his orders the more confident I will become, and the more confident I am the stronger and more courageous I will be.

This year must be better than last and it starts on my knees.

Coach Luis