One Minute Sermon

One Minute Sermon

For many contemporary Christians, the person and work of the Holy Spirit is shrouded in mystery. But this enigma is nothing new. For centuries, the Christian community has discussed and debated the differing views on the Holy Spirit. At times, in fact, they have argued angrily over the correct understanding. For people outside the Christian community, these discussions about the Holy Spirit likely barely register. Yet I believe that these same people would be profoundly interested in seeing and experiencing evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of followers of Christ, people of the Way. I believe it would get their attention.

The best answer to the question of whether one is filled with the Holy Spirit is a life that gives evidence of God’s presence and leadership in one’s life. It is unthinkable that one could be a disciple without the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We can’t do it on our strength alone. We must accept the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through our lives.

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

Selah!

Bernardo A. Moraga

4 Reasons to Face the New Year Without Fear

God’s Word bring us comforting promise, along with an insightful command as we face a New Year; “Let your conversation be without covetousness………..”
(Hebrew 13:5-6)
We can live this coming year without fear if we apply these four incredibly wonderful truths to our lives and root them deep into our hearts.
The Contentment of His Provision
The Companionship of His Presence
The Confidence of His Promise
The Comfort of His Protection
When you find your contentment, companionship. and confidence in Jesus, then, you’ll find your comfort and courage in Jesus.

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT – 1 Peter 1:17-23

1 Peter 1:17-23

Living the Christian life calls for living a life that is different
·     Accept responsibility for your life.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 1 Peter 1:13, 14

·    Expect results for your actions.

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 1 Peter 1:17

1. God doesn’t show favorites.
2. He paid for your ransom.
3. He conquered death.

·    Ignite your relationships with God’s love.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

Conclusion:
In Christ we have an example to live by. And in Christ we have the power to live.

Ten minutes seem like an eternity

“An update is available for your computer.” Silly me, I pushed the button.  Now  I am waiting . Ten minutes go by quickly when I’m doing  something I enjoy…but not when I am waiting.  Ten minutes seem like an eternity.

Can you imagine how people in the Old Testament felt as they waited for the Messiah?  Not ten minutes but hundreds of years …an eternity.  Will it ever happen? Will God keep his promise?  How long must we wait?

Then it happen.  In a tiny, obscure village named Bethlehem, the Messiah is born.  The waiting is over.  God enters history as a person.  Parents smile.  Shepherds rejoice,  Magi give.  Angels sing.  And God waits.

God waits for us to celebrate the Christ-child, not in the ordinary ways of Christmas, but by becoming more like the Christ.

Is God waiting for you this Christmas?

* Is he waiting for you to extinguish bitterness and offer forgiveness?
* Is he waiting for you to stop making excuses and start coming to
church?
* Is he waiting for you to be less Scroogie and more generous?
* Is he waiting for you to use your time, talents, and resources to
serve him?
* Is he waiting for you to share the good news of Christmas with a
friend?
* Is he waiting for you to believe that the child we celebrate is
really the Messiah who forgives sins and offers life?    * Is he waiting for you to love God with all your heart, soul,
strength, and mind… to love people as your love yourself?

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in  these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Hebrews 1:1-2

We have been born on the non-waiting side of Christmas.  The Messiah has been born.  The Christ lives.  And God waits.

Time after time, He has waited before,
And now He is waiting again
To see if you’re willing to open the door,
Oh, how He wants to come in.
(Song–The Savior /I)/

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Patrick Morley, in his book The Man in the Mirror, distinguishes between efficiency and effectiveness.
Efficiency, he says, is doing the job right. Effectiveness, on the other hand, is doing the right job.  Some people do their job well, but they are doing the wrong job.

There is no real benefit to either the person or the company if we do the wrong job-right.  We need to make sure we are doing the right job. Excellence comes when we do the right job in the right way.

[Patrick Morley, The Man in the Mirror. Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1989, p.181]

HOW TO SLOW YOUR LIFE DOWN – Philippians 4:12-13

HOW TO SLOW YOUR LIFE DOWN
Philippians 4:12-13

1.Learn contentment

2.Obey the fourth commandment

3.Pause and Pray before deciding

4.Learn to say NO
a) Is it worth it ?
b) What am I going to give up ?

5.Trust God’s timing

!Riesgos! – 2 Samuel 23:20-23

¡Riesgos!
2 Samuel 23:20-23

1. Sentimientos de pesar y omisión
2. Valentía y santidad
3. Futuro y presente

Comprométase a seguir a Cristo.  ¡Vaya en cacería del león!

Tiburones Pequeños, Medusas grandes (Mateo 25:21)

Cada vez que voy a nadar al océano, alguien inevitablemente me advierte: ¡Cuidado con los tiburones! Por supuesto que tengo cuidado, sin embargo nunca he visto uno. Ni siquiera he escuchado nunca la música “bom-bom-bom-bom” que suena cuando los tiburones se acercan. Esto es bueno, porque cuando escuchas esta música, probablemente ya es demasiado tarde.

Sin embargo, nunca nadie dice: “Cuidado con las medusas”, aunque ellas son aún mucho más peligrosas. Cada año las medusas matan más personas que los tiburones.

Cuando camino en el parque cada día nadie me dice, “Cuidado con las abejas”, aunque las abejas cada año, matan más personas que los tiburones y las medusas juntos.

Tenemos la tendencia a tenerle miedo a los tiburones (ya sea que estemos o no cerca del agua), porque los tiburones son grandes y asustan. Tendemos a ignorar amenazas reales porque, en sí mismas, no son nada intimidantes. No permita que pequeñas cosas en la vida lo engañen. Usted las ignora bajo su propio riesgo.

Los buenos matrimonios, los buenos empleados, y las buenas empresas tienen éxito porque han aprendido a prestar atención a las cosas pequeñas.

Jesús contó una historia acerca de un siervo a quien se le dio un dinero para que lo administrara, y como él lo administró bien, fue recompensado. El amo le dijo: Has sido fiel administrando esta pequeña cantidad, así que ahora te daré muchas más responsabilidades. (Mateo 25:21).

Nuestras mayores ganancias o pérdidas en la vida, son el resultado de nuestra habilidad para controlar los detalles aparentemente pequeños de nuestra vida. Leer algunos versículos de la escritura y pasar algún tiempo en oración cada día, probablemente no parezca de mucho significado para alguien, pero su efecto a largo plazo es revolucionario. Hacer el esfuerzo de morderse la lengua tal vez no parezca tan importante para algunos, pero a la larga podría salvar una relación. Darle a un cliente un poco de atención adicional, quizá no parezca mucho para algunos, pero eso podría facilitar el camino para su próximo ascenso.

No dé a los tiburones más atención de la que se merecen, especialmente pagando el precio de ignorar a las medusas. Son las pequeñas cosas que nos detienen y las pequeñas cosas las que nos permiten avanzar. Ellas son nuestro mayor peligro y nuestra arma más poderosa.

Selah !

“En la soledad aprendemos que nuestra vida no es una posesión para conservar, sino un regalo para compartir”

LOSING BY INTIMIDATION……1 John 4:4

Some 80 years ago, as Notre Dame was preparing to play USC in college football, Fighting Irish Coach Knute Rockne was aware that his opponent had a far better team, so he devised a plan to intimidate the Trojan players.

Rockne scoured the city of South Bend and hand-picked 100 of the largest men he could find, each at least six-foot-five and three hundred pounds. He put them in Fighting Irish uniforms and at the game time march them onto the field ahead of the real team. (Obviously, this was before the days of limited rosters and eligibility restrictions.)

As USC watched these giants line up on the sidelines, they forgot about their talent and their undefeated record, and they began mentally preparing themselves for a beating. Though none of the specially recruited men played during the game, their presence on the sidelines was enough to knock Southern Cal’s concentration off balance. Knute Rockne’s trick has worked; he had intimidate the trojan players into giving up before the game even started. As a result, Notre Dame won.

Our opponent tries similar trick. He intimidates us by appearing larger thab life, but we must remember that he, too, has been sidelined.John said, “GREATER IS HE THAT IS YOU THAN HE THAT IS THE WORLD.” (1 John 4:4)
Don’t let your problems intimidate you. No matter how big the enemy may appear to be, remember that you have God’s power on your side. And he is greater.

Selah !

Making Music Instead / Mejor componiendo música

In the Ken Burns PBS series on jazz music, Duke Ellington was asked how it felt to be unable, due to segregation, to stay in the guest rooms of the hotel he and his band performed in. He said, “I took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.”

Lately I keep coming back to Romans 5:3 “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, produce character…..”

Tribulations are unavoidable, inevitable and inescapable, but you can change how they they affect your life with a right response. You can use your energy to pout, or to make great music. It’s up to you. Every day we face some kind of setback, some kind of disappointment and everyday we face the opportunity to invest our energy in something more productive than anger, frustration, resentment or self-pity.

Our challenge each day is to put those reactions aside, and focus on every opportunity to make music.

*            *           *

* Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage.- William Channing

* Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome
adversity.- Lou Holtz

* The world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.- Hellen Keller

Selah !


Mejor componiendo música (Romanos 5:3)

En la serie de PBS de Ken Burns sobre música jazz, se le preguntó a Duke Ellington que como se sentía él de no poderse hospedar, debido a la segregación, en el hotel donde él y su banda tocaban. El contestó, “Aprovecho la energía que se necesita para quejarse y la uso para componer música”

Últimamente, he ido constantemente a Romanos 5:3 que dice: “Y no sólo esto, sino que también nos gloriamos en las tribulaciones, sabiendo que la tribulación produce paciencia;  y la paciencia, prueba…”

Las tribulaciones no las podemos evadir, no las podemos evitar y no nos podemos escapar de ellas, sin embargo mediante una respuesta apropiada, usted puede cambiar la forma como éstas afectan su vida.  Usted puede usar su energía para quejarse, o para componer buena música.  Todo depende de usted.

Cada día enfrentamos alguna clase de retroceso, y algunas desilusiones, pero cada día también enfrentamos la oportunidad de invertir nuestra energía en algo más productivo que la rabia, la frustración, el resentimiento o la autocompasión.  Nuestro reto cada día es dejar de lado esas reacciones, y enfocarnos en cada oportunidad para componer música.

*            *           *

* La dificultades existen para levantarnos, no para desanimarnos.- William Channing

* Muéstrame a alguien que ha hecho algo que vale la pena, y yo te mostraré alguien que se ha sobrepuesto a la adversidad.- Lou Holtz

* El mundo esta lleno de sufrimiento.  También está lleno de triunfos.- Hellen Séller

Selah!