oneDay

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. Genesis 42:9

This is a story of Joseph and how he had a dream of his brothers bowing to him. His brothers didn't believe him and they did all they could to destroy him. The point I want to make is that although Joseph saw his brothers bowing to him in the dream, he didn't know when it will come to pass. Joseph had to experience and go through things in order for that dream to come to pass. He was thrown into jail. Sold into slavery. Almost killed by his brothers. All this happen before the dream of his brothers bowing to him. Sometimes we have to go through a process before our dream come to pass. God sometimes give us a glimpse of the future but he doesn't tell us or show us the present and how we will get there.

It is almost like a movie. When an up and coming movie is coming soon, they usually give a preview of what to come or a glimpse of what to expect but they don't show you the whole movie. God has given you a glimpse or a preview of your future. I want to ask you, what do you see? Do you believe in what you see? What is the dream that God had showed you? Do you see that thing coming to pass? What do you want to achieve? What is the thing that is always on your mind that you want to do? Joseph remembered the dream. Some of you God has brought back to memory the thing that you wanted to do. He keeps putting that thing in your mind to the point you can eat, you can't sleep, that thing is on your mind all the time, you can't shake it.

God say to you today to go forward, move into what I have put into your mind and heart. Move into the unknown. Move into that thing you have been wrestling and battling with. I have made provision for you because I have given you the vision. What do you see? See that thing coming to pass but you will go through the process. God is preparing you. Go after your dreams. Just believe and you will receive what you can see. God bless you and I love you.

ONE SMALL GROUP

Don't forget to come to small groups tonight. Click HERE to find out more information about small groups meeting in your neighborhood. Hope to see you there.

WHAT ARE WE?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.   2 Timothy 3:1-5

Those verses from Timothy, while written over 1900 years ago, provide a very striking resemblance to the America we see today in many respects.  Now while Timothy was not considered to be a Prophet back in those times, it might appear to us today that he was.  When you look around you, what do you see people doing with their time, spending their money on and how they behave with and towards others?

Have you ever just sat down somewhere, perhaps a shopping mall, and made observations of people?  It can be quite a fascinating way to spend some time, if not educational.  The area of Arizona where I live is fairly influential, despite being only 20 minutes away from others who live in near squalor.  Many people who live here drive around in their Hummers, Mercedes, BMW's and Lexus' without even nary a thought of the plight of others.  Their main concern is often, "where is the next Starbucks?" not for the poor who live down on Buckeye Road in South Phoenix wondering where the next meal might be coming from.

Now having a lot of money is not a bad thing in itself, the problem becomes what do we do with it?  When you really stop and think about this, it is a pretty sad state of affairs of what America has become.  Everyday, you hear another situation where someone wants God taken off a coin, off a wall, out of a book, or out of our society all together.  All of this in a country founded "Under God".   Hardly believable considering that, however, it is very much a reality today.  I was thinking the other day how good it would be for every member of our church, regardless of their financial standing, go on a mission to a third world country.

I have been on many over the past seven years and I can attest to how blessed I know I am in comparison to the countries I have visited.   I think it is a very good way in which to be able to put life in a better perspective, when you actually live in the place where less fortunate than us call home 24/7/365.  It is definitely and eyeopener, and for most of those who go, a heart opener as well.  And, I believe, that is the most important aspect of going on a mission; to have your heart changed and become a person of compassion, mercy and have a desire to seek justice for those less fortunate than ourselves.

Let us hope and pray together in one accord, that what Timothy wrote back then, is not a description of the America to be in ten, twenty or forty years from now.

YOUR REWARD

Then I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Isaiah 49:4 a

Have you ever felt like that?  You worked hard on something only to find it didn’t turn out the way you had hoped?  Have you been praying for someone for a long time, only to watch them get  worse?  Have you hoped and prayed for something and it didn’t come to pass?  Did you feel like just giving up?  To just stop believing? That your prayers didn’t matter anyway?

The other half of Isaiah tells us what we should expect. “Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, and my work with my God”.

No matter how things may look, God hears your prayers and you will be rewarded by Him.  He sees your efforts, how hard you try, don’t stop trying, keep doing the right thing.

“For I the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, and I will make with them an everlasting covenant.”Isaiah 61:8

God’s word promises to heal the broken hearted, to free the captives, to comfort all who mourn.  He promises to give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for the mourning.  The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Speak those words back to God.  Say, “Lord, you promised me joy for my sadness and I am believing what you said.  I am trusting you to bring it to pass.  I thank you Lord, that you will hasten it in it’s time.”

God is waiting for you to believe.  “And from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”  Keep that faith in your heart, it will come out of your mouth, and you will see God work on your behalf.

ONE NIGHT

NO DEVO??? WHAT!?!?!

OH, YEAH TONIGHT IS ONE NIGHT!

The one night a week that we all come together as a group and worship ONE GOD and Listen to his word together!

So, come out to ONE Student Ministries @ 6:30 !!!

We cannot wait to see you here!

NEW CREATION

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  2 Corinthians 5:17

Can you remember when you first became a Christian?  What about before you gave yourself and life to Christ?  A very good friend of mine, Liz, who lives in Australia and attends Hillsong church there and I recently had an interesting experience with this verse.  God placed us in one of those amazing circumstances where we were so spiritually connected, that our thoughts were being vocalized nearly identically as we chatted on Skype.

My friend had recently discovered that God had some new plans for her life and was rearranging things in a slow and methodical way.  I had been sharing with her the importance of the verse "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).  As she practiced being still and listening for God's leading on a daily basis, her sense of life's direction and what the Lord wanted for her began changing in some radical ways. 

A long term relationship that was not growing and was heading nowhere in particular suddenly ended.  Liz shared with me that she actually felt that a burden had been lifted from her and she felt free to do what God wanted for the first time in her life!  She likened it to the process of a butterfly.  As you know, butterflies start out as caterpillars.  When in the form of a caterpillar, they are bound up don't move very fast, crawling around on plants limbs and aren't very useful.  However, soon they go into a cocoon, and eventually break out of that condition turning into a butterfly.  This happens through a metamorphous designed by God that enables the butterfly to flit around very quickly, anywhere they please and bring happiness to many people.

As Liz told me this story, I likened it to 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Before we become Christians, we are like that caterpillar'  We are bound up and have limited usefulness to God.  However, when we give our life to Christ, we become empowered, just like the butterfly, to move around more freely bringing joy and happiness to others.  Just like the butterfly, we have become a new creation, which is much more useful than our former condition.  So, the next time you see a butterfly happily flitting about, recall how Christ gave you a new life, just like that butterfly, and make it become more useful and meaningful for the Kingdom.

FOLLOWING JESUS

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:38-39.

I had a really hard day the other day. Some of my friends did not agree with a decision I had made and they were angry with me.  I felt sad because I wanted to have their approval. I did not intend to make anyone mad or upset anyone.  The decision I had made was based on what I believed God was telling me to do.  Then why weren’t my friends cheering me on?

As I wondered about that I looked out my front door.  At first, I thought I was dreaming.  My eyes could scarcely take it in, let alone my brain process it.  I saw a man walking down the road in front of my house, carrying on his back, a big wooden cross.  The cross had small wheels on the bottom, for easy mobility.  I quickly got my camera and ran out my front door and I snapped a picture of this strange man. 

By now his back was to me and he was getting away, down the road.  I was too afraid to say anything to him.  I didn’t want to ruin the moment, his actions were speaking to me louder than anything he could ever say.  But then I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Take up your cross and follow me.”

I knew it was God comforting me that very moment and giving me instruction on what I was to do next.  Not change my decision even if no one agreed and everyone was angry.  I needed to please God and not people, even my friends.

I do not know who that man was, I thought it might be an angel. A friend told me that she had seen him in a near by city before.  Whoever it was, God used to speak to me right where I was at.

“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s and of the holy angels.”  Luke 9:23-26

Is there anything God is speaking to you about?  Are God led decisions you are making, getting others angry?  It is hard to go against the crowd.  Do it anyway.  Do what God is telling you to do.  Don’t worry about your life, what others think  of you or if they are happy with you.  Then you will be carrying your cross and following Him.  And God says, then, you will find your life.  It is Freedom! 

I dare you, take up your cross and follow Jesus.

ONE SMALL GROUP

Don't forget to come to small groups tonight. Click HERE to find out more information about small groups meeting in your neighborhood. Hope to see you there.

FLYING

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are…valuable to him.  Luke 12:7

Have you ever had the chance to fly?  I got the opportunity to do so many times and I never get tired of it.  I absolutely love the feeling of take-off; one moment you are on the ground sitting as comfortably as possible in your stuffed seat and the next you are being thrust back into your seat as you lift off of the ground. 

As you continue your assent, you are able to see for miles and the buildings and cars fade into oblivion.  This really puts things into perspective.  The higher you are off the ground, the more insignificant everything seems.  To know that God created it all and still cares about me, not even a dot when looking down from a plane, is an awesome realization.

God created everything, and He still manages to care about the minor problems of our day-to-day life.  Don’t forget that he loves you even when everything seems to be falling down around you.  He holds up the universe, but you are the most important thing to Him.

PLAYING THE ROLE

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example , that you should follow in His steps. 1 Peter 2:21

Who are some of your role models? Maybe they are people who have accomplished great things. Maybe they are people who have godly attributes. Maybe they are people with extraordinary talent. For what ever reason they are your role model , you look up to them. Everybody in some point of their life has a role model. We notice something amazing someone else has done and we want to aspire to be like them. Did you ever stop to think that you could be a role model in someone else’s life? I know for me that’s a scary thought. But whether you realize it or not people are watching you. Watching how you live your life, watching how you handle life’s up’s and down’s. People are watching how you live. What do you want them to see?

I’m the oldest of 5 kids. The ages go from 3 to 16. I have two sisters one who is 3 and one who is 7, and two brothers, one 9, and the other 16. They are all crazy little dudes, but the coolest none the less. Something that scares me the most is that my little siblings, especially my sisters, look up to me. They are always watching what I’m doing, they started to wear makeup and carry purses around the house. Scares me sometimes to think that they look up to me. I need to keep in mind that the way I live is going to set an extreme example on my little siblings. Do you remember when you were little , and there was some really cool older person in your life, and you just thought they were the coolest? They could drive, they had a job, an awesome bike and could stay up later than 9 pm. You thought they were amazing. You copied them, wanting to be just like them when you grew up. Same way someone might be looking up to you.

As Christians our number one role model should be Jesus Christ. He should be viewed not only as our Savior , but as our guide post on how to live. Jesus was perfect in every way, we as humans cannot be perfect ,by no means. But He set an example to be followed. The Bible tells us to set a right example, Romans 13:13-14, "Let us behave decently..not in drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do no think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." As humans sometimes our sinful nature kicks in. Whether you have a weakness for alcohol, drugs, sex, gossip, jealousy ..or whatever it may be we need to remember who we are representing. Do you want young people who look up to you see you partying all a lot and want to do that also? Do you want them to be able to justify their actions because of the example you are setting? Your actions and choices in life not only effect you alone, they effect those around you. People who are close to you, people that love you, people that look up to you. Don’t’ just play the role in being a role model, by going through the motions, actually be that role model that you can be proud of being. Clothe yourself in Christ, that way people will see who and what you stand for. Sinful desires are empty and could cause someone else to fall. Don’t be that foot tripping those around you.