Sunday August 19, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: Devil You better run it looks like rain
Scripture: 1 Kings 18:20-46

There is a wonderful story in the Bible about a prophet who, after three years of a drought, prays and it brings back the rain. I believe that in our lives we sometimes repeat this story.

1 Kings 18

²⁰ So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. ²¹ And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

This is the first step we need to choose are we going to serve God or are we not. 

 ²² Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. ²³ Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.

In other words, what are you going to choose to bring you happiness, healing, security, all the things needed in life? Are you going to choose drugs, relationships, money? None of these things in the end will fulfill you. You will always lack somewhere.  

²⁴ Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”

So, in the story they did it. They got their Sacrifice and prayed and nothing happen.

Then the prophet of God does something that most of miss and it’s the reason why we don’t have the miracles in our life we so desperately want.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.

Repairing the altar represents our heart. We need to turn back to God. Not in action alone. In our hearts. Our faith has to be in him and not in ourselves not in something we put before God.

³⁷ Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

God will show up when you put first in your heart. Listen to the rest of this story.

⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” ⁴² So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, ⁴³ and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

⁴⁴ Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ^[j]‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

⁴⁵ Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded^[k] up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The rain came. The very thing you need God provides. Turn your heart to God and tell the devil, “Devil you better run, it looks like rain.”

There is so much more to this story I did not get into today. I encourage you to read the whole story. You can find it in 1 Kings chapter 18.

Be blessed in Jesus name.

Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs:

 

 

Sunday August 12, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: I want More of You because There is More of You
Scripture: John 14:12-14.
 

One of the greatest temptations in Life is to settle. We settle for the person we are dating, the job we have, where we live. I remember talking to this young girl who came to me crying saying that her boyfriend treated her badly. I asked her, “Why she just didn’t break up with him?” She said, “I don’t know, I want to marry him.” They did end up getting married and before the year was up they were headed to divorce court. She settle and was miserable.

We have the same tendency to do that in our walk with God. We’re ok with the fact that we attend some church service somewhere; hear some message that may inspire us to forge on. Then we go about our week. If that’s you, you just settle.

The Bible is not just a book of stories to just help encourage us through hard times. It’s a book of promises. If we live out its pages we will also live out its promise’s.

John 14

¹² “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ^[c]ask anything in My name, I will do it.

This is a promise given to those that believe. We will do what he Jesus did feed the hungry, preach to the captives, and heal the sick. The greater things in this passage is we will do it on a greater scale and bring people to the saving knowledge of Christ. Most of us do not live this out. We have settle. I want to encourage you today. Challenge you today to not settle. 

            Pray ask God to help you live this promise out. Tell him I want more of you because there is more of you.

Be blessed in Jesus name.

Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs:

 

Sunday August 05, 2018

Speaker: Ben Sheppard
Message Title: The Rock
Responsive Reading: Ps.78:13-16; Is.53:5-6; Ro.6:22-23; 1Cor.10:4
1John 2:1; 1Peter 2:6; John 1:1-14.

Ps 78:13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

 14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

 15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

 16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Ps 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Ro 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

1Jo 2:1 ¶ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

John 1:1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 2 The same was in the beginning with God.

 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

 5 ¶ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 14 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.

 Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs:

 

Sunday July 29, 2018

Speaker: Pastor Diego Rodriguez
Message Title: Hybrid Christian
Scripture: 2Cor.5:17; Rom.6:1-2; Col.3:5-7; Eph.4:22-24.
 

In America we don’t have a lot of full blooded nationalities. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I even know any full blooded persons. In other countries there are still places where there is little to no mixing of races.        In America is not uncommon to hear someone say they are, and mention a few different races or nationalities. The funny thing is when you look at whatever country they say their forefathers are from they look little to nothing like them. They no longer speak the language follow their customs. Most Americans have never even been to our home land. The more generations in America, the further away from our roots we get.

            Shouldn’t it be the same with our Christianity? Maybe we came from a drug addicted life, in and out jail. Jumping from relationship to relationship. From job to job. Did you walk around with the attitude, “No, is going to get over on me,” therefore do to them before they do to me?

 The Bible tells us once we surrender to Christ we become a NEW creature.

2 Cor. 5:17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

All of our old self should be gone. Just like we lost our ancestors culture. We should lose our old way of doing things. The language we used to use. The way we used to do something. The way we used to think about things. All this should change when we come to Christ.

Rom. 6

 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

We can’t be Hybrid followers of Christ. Meaning we take our old self and combine it with a new us. We have put off that old way of living and start living according to how Christ wants us to live.

Col. 3

⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

Repenting from our sin is not just saying I’m sorry. It’s turning away from sin.

Eph. 4

²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

                My point is today. We cannot live as Hybrid Christians. Some of our lives have not changed after coming to Christ because we have tried to combing our old life with a new life and it won’t work. We have to give up our old self.

Be blessed in Jesus name.

Music Worship Leaders:

JW & Sharon Peck

Songs: