Thanksgiving 2015

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

We want to wish all of our friends and family a very Happy Thanksgiving! Stephanie and I are grateful to God for each of you and your support for our ministry. We hope you have a special Thanksgiving meal with family all around.

Thanksgiving is a supernatural holiday because it forces some of us to experience the power of giving thanks. There’s something more special that settles down in your soul (outside of the turkey) when you begin to see and count all that God has blessed you with and pulled you through. It truly blesses the Lord and your loved ones when they receive a heart-felt “thank you.” It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give back to those who have given so much.

People love Thanksgiving for the family, food, and football; but I believe what allows us to be filled with such joy on that day is when acknowledge our many blessings. For the majority of the year we tend to complain and murmur about all of our mistakes and misfortunes. We focus on all the bad things that are happening to us. This pessimistic attitude naturally brings us down and makes it difficult for us to enjoy where we’re at in life. Nevertheless, on this special Holiday something shifts and/or clicks. We change directions in our perspective and see our cups half full. All of a sudden our spirits are lifted, God is glorified, and a fresh wind of joy fills the soul… it’s supernatural.

Thanksgiving is the beginning of spirituality. It starts with the realization that all that is good has come from the Father above. The pattern usually goes as follows; thanksgiving, praise, and worship. What are the differences between the three? Thanksgiving is thanking God for what He has done. Praise is thanking God for who He is. Worship is ministering to The Lord with our actions, gifts, and callings. Thanksgiving turns into praise; the more you see what He has done and who He is, the more you come to love and admire Him (worship).

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” – Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving is the icebreaker, the party-starter when it comes to encountering God. Every time I teach on prayer, I encourage students to start by simply thanking God for all your many blessings. Thank Him for all the simple, little things. Thanksgiving will launch your prayer life. When you don’t know where to start with God, start with giving thanks. There is so much to be thankful for, but out of the many I encourage you to consistently be grateful for these three.

1) Health – The blessing that is taken most for granted, until you lose it.

2) Family – Parents, siblings, spouse, and children (they were all given to you).

3) Most importantly, Jesus Christ and the free gift of Salvation that we have received by grace through faith.

When you feel like you have nothing to be thankful for, you can always remember the cross! Where God gave His only Son for you and I, so that we may have everlasting life, Amen!

“Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God and keep us engaged with Him; it will take our attention from ourselves and give the Spirit room in our hearts.” – Andrew Murray

Challenge: If you’re going to be having a family gathering tomorrow, we want to challenge you to start a thanksgiving activity. As the family is around the table, ask for each of them to name a few things they are thankful for. It will be a blessing to your family and to The Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and remember that God deserves all the glory!

Until next Wednesday… Blessings 🙂

Steph Y Ces

“A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart.” – Charles Finney

Pleasure vs Peace

We have five main human senses: taste, touch, smell, hear, and sight. Pleasure is more of secular term because it has everything to do with how the human body works. These senses communicate information to the brain through the body’s nervous system. The brain will tell us what smells bad, sounds loud, or tastes good. For example, when you take a bite of your favorite desert, your taste buds sends signals to your brain, which in returns say’s “this is delicious!”  We have neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in the brain that communicate these messages throughout the brain and body. One of the neurotransmitters that is mostly associated with pleasure is dopamine. Dopamine is part of the brain’s pleasure system, and it is released when partaking in certain experiences such as sex, eating food, and taking drugs. Most illegal drugs are substances that play to theses natural brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) and give us that temporary feeling of excitement, relaxation, or extreme high. What’s interesting is that this neurotransmitter is also highly associated with addiction. When partaking in sugary foods or some kind of drug, the chemicals being release send a temporary high that can only last for short while. Once the experience is over, the body wants more (this is why sugar can easily be seen as a drug because of its impact and addictive nature on the brain).  The world tells us to chase or do what makes us happy, what makes us feel good; this can be such a dangerous suggestion when considering the way our brain works. When you live by the flesh (by our senses, feelings, and chemicals) we are likely to destroy ourselves.

“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6

“For if you live according to the flesh (senses or pleasures) you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” – Romans 8:13

“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” – Galatians 6:8

We will never be able to satisfy our own body; the more we give it pleasure the more it wants. Sexual pleasure is one of the biggest destructive traps in this world. Jesus said, “When you look upon a woman with lust, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart.” Is it possible that Jesus was referring to the reality of pleasure; in how once you step off home base you’re already doomed to get third base, knowing that you’re flesh is going to be continually unsatisfied. When we live through our senses, by our feelings, and for good pleasure we will only find frustration, unrest, and lack. Some of us Christians have a hard time living for God because we love the things of the world too much. We are infatuated with worldly pleasures and fulfilling sinful desires. To be a follower of Christ we have to not only deny ourselves, but also deny the love we have for the things of this world.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17

There are a lot of successful people in this world that do not have God in their life. Christians often wonder, how is that they can be happy and successful without knowing The Lord. Many young people who grow up in church end up abandoning their faith because they see non-believers enjoying life more than their church family. This is a simple misunderstanding of the difference between pleasure and peace. How many times do we hear testimonies of famous celebrities and athletes confirm that money and fame cannot buy happiness. Worldly pleasures can give you short sense of enjoyment or false peace, but in the end it’s not everlasting.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of destruction.” – Proverbs 14:12

Nevertheless, we still have our young people chasing these worldly pleasures. I believe as we get older, the more we come to realize that life is not a pursuit of pleasure, but of peace! Achieving world peace is just as hard as achieving personal, internal peace. Due to our own sinful, destructive nature we cannot reach a place of real peace on our own. Remember that we are made up of body, soul, and spirit. Worldly pleasures can only attend to our body’s needs and desires, but what about our spirit? Our spirit cannot be seen in an X-ray or MRI. Neither can things like peace, love, or joy be measured through blood work in a laboratory. It’s a total different sector of life that we tend to neglect when living according to the flesh. These are things that can only be found in our Heavenly Father who created us, and we know our God is Spirit (John 4:24).  When we are at war with God we will never have spiritual, internal peace. When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins it was a peace treaty signed in blood between God and man.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.” – Romans 5:1

 Sin destroys our sense of peace; everyone knows that awful, guilty feeling after doing something you shouldn’t; because “”there is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD” (Isaiah 48:22). There many people running around trying to undo the wrongful deeds they’ve committed in the past, and they just can’t seem to find their peace. This peace comes with being forgiven for all your sins and being spiritually debt free. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It comes from knowing who you are and where you are going. It’s an “all is well with my soul” feeling, regardless of the current circumstance.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jesus speaking, John 14:27).

“The peace Jesus is speaking of enables believers to remain calm in the most wildly fearful circumstances. It enables them to hush a cry, still a riot, rejoice in pain and trial, and sing in the middle of suffering. This peace is never by circumstances, but instead affects and even overrules them.” – John MacArthur

I have many friends who like to party on the weekends. I remember when I used to think that was fun. I also remember the junk and filth I felt in my heart after nights like that. Today I’d rather be in the House of The Lord than any party, anywhere. The peace that fills my soul when I’m in His presence is undeniable and irreplaceable. I’ve experienced and tried many earthly pleasures that the world has to offer, and I can testify that it all comes short to experiencing and knowing the peace of God that’s in Christ Jesus.

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” – Psalms 84:10

In conclusion, we can see another good example of pleasure verse peace in the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus met her at the city well; He exposed her sin by revealing his knowledge of her five husbands, and that the person she was with at the time was not her husband. Could it be possible that she was seeking pleasure or fulfillment from these many men? Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for drink of water. Water is a necessity for survival; our body needs it to function. We also need food to eat to give our body energy and strength. Using an analogy format, let’s replace the water (a basic human need) at the well with pleasure (a basic human desire), and let’s see if we can make the connection.

“Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” – John 4:13-14

Again, Jesus is referring to the temporary things of this world. We may have a good experience with a pleasure, yet we’ll never be ultimately satisfied. When we partake in the fellowship and peace of God through Jesus Christ, our hearts will be fully satisfied! It’s what the Psalmist meant when he said, “The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want.” This peace is consistent and stable unlike our emotions and biological chemicals. When you partake of His cup, you will never thirst again!

So this is what it comes down, do we chose to live a life of pleasure or peace? We want to encourage you to live by faith and not by feelings, for peace and not for pleasure. We believe this gospel of peace will take you to great places in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Until next Wednesday… Blessings! J

Steph y Ces

Balancing Life

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton

When considering what makes up a good and happy life, a few things should come to mind. There are key components or sectors in our lives that each needs proper investment into. Our quality of life hangs on the balance of these core components, and when out of balance we can easily crumble under the storms of life. Who can sit on a three legged chair? The four separate, yet equally important legs can only withstand the weight of a man. A three legged chair will be quick to make us into fools when we collapse onto the woodwork. Consider if there were four legs attached to the chair, yet some were less shorter than the other. Could this chair hold balance a man’s weight? Simply put, there are a few God given gifts in life that we must equally attend to on a weekly basis. If we do, balance out our lives with strong pillars, I believe we can experience the best of life. Let’s begin with what must come first.

1. God

The first matter of creating balance in your life is by establishing and relishing a relationship with God (The Father, The Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit). I name out each member of the Trinity because it’s important you establish a relationship with each of them, for God is three in one.

“The secret to a happy life is giving God the first part of your day, the first priority to every decision and the first place in your heart.” – Unknown

There is a complete balance, unification, and harmony within the Trinity, and we were made in the Maker’s image. How important is it that we, being made up of body, soul, and spirit, acknowledge our diverse make up and attend to each sector accordingly. Many human beings today are lost and empty because they have neglected their spiritual identity, a sector and component of the human life that cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, the Bible is clear concerning God being first in our lives. He is the foundation on which all other things are laid upon (Luke 6:48), and without him we can do nothing! (John 15:5).

“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

To have this part of your life fulfilled there needs to be a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. To simplify the Christian walk/life, I’ve heard it summarized in this way, “Be a disciple, make disciples.” To live a balanced life we have to make room for God on a daily basis. It can be as simple as praying fifteen minutes a day or reading several Bible chapters; that time spent with the Lord will add to the quality of your life more than any other sector of life! Let’s be reminded of how Jesus answered one of the best questions a man could ask the Son of God…

““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”” (Matthew 22:36-40).

Jesus summarized the entire Old Testament into two commandments; Love God, and love your neighbor! We understand that Jesus was not just referring to Bill and Jane who live next door, but was regarding to everyone put around us. The main members of our “neighbors” are also two other very important areas of our lives; family and friends.

2. Family

“The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family.” – Lee Iacocca

There is nothing more close to heaven than a family united by love surrounding a dinner table. My life has been such a blessing due to my family life, I truly cannot complain about a thing. I consider orphans and my eyes water up instantly; to not have a family to call your own is the most devastating situation I can think of. No one’s family is perfect, but to cherish what you do have in your home is so important to your overall quality of life and happiness (health). The love of a mother, the protection from a father, the companionship of siblings; these are the greatest moments and experiences in life.

“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” – Desmond Tutu

I will ask a few questions…  Where is your family today? How is your relationship with your father, your mother? How much time do you spend with your siblings? The family belongs together! Since childhood my mother would always say, “At the end of the day, it’s your family that will always be there for you,” and I can’t tell you how true this has been in my life. Making time for your family is vital, and I will encourage you to start doing that as of today (if you are not). One thing that Stephanie and I admired in each other was our love for our family. Family is everything… or is it? Sometimes you need some strong relationships with people outside of your family tree, let’s now talk about those.

3. Friends

“Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17)

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” – C. S. Lewis

Friends need to have a place in your life. Some people allow their friendships to control too much of their life, while others struggle with maintaining the few friends they have. We must again find the right balance, but without a doubt our friends add to our quality of life. Friendships are not easy, there not just given to us by blood such as family members. Do you remember how easy it was to make friends in elementary school? While I was at an elementary school doing my student teaching, I realized that Kinder and first grade were my favorite classes. The reason being is because kinder and first graders make friends so easily! You can put them into partners for an activity, and they will not care who their partner was, the two would hold hands and walk to their station. The kids didn’t have preferences or attitudes towards other students (only on special occasions), and they could make friends within seconds. As the kids get older, you can see it in fourth and fifth grade, the students get more selective, bias, and difficult when doing group activities; then comes the drama! In my personal opinion, we all need a few, close friends who we can rely on. Friendships take a lot of work, but they are worth it. Do you have a prayer partner? Do you have someone you can go out to lunch with when you need encouragement? Friend activities are sometimes plan B’s when plan A’s fall out (funny fact).

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up” (Ecc. 4:9-10).

4. Spouse / Partner

Consider this when analyzing the subject of balance. Some say that God is everything and He is all that you need! When God made Adam in the Garden, what did Adam lack?! Adam had a beautiful home, a job, food at his leisure, and most of all a hand in hand relationship with God. Yet, God said in Genesis Chapter 2, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” If with all that Adam had, God knew there was something missing in Adam’s life. There is a role that our spouse fulfills that is incomparable to any other relationship on planet earth. Where two shall become one, the majesty of marriage is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind (Matthew 19:4-6). For those of us dating, the purpose must be to pursue marriage; it is the first step in building a family, in building a legacy. Marriages are under attack in today’s generation, and enemy number one is divorce. When we consider people’s quality of life, I don’t think there is anything more damaging to it than a divorce. This is why we must invest in and cherish this sacred relationship, because it’s the bed rock of family and society.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” – Lao Tzu

“There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.” – Martin Luther

Notice all of these gifts of God, core components/sectors, are relationships. We were created for relationships! In next week’s Wednesday Encouragement I will be finishing up this message with a part two. I will be discussing these three remaining elements; purpose/occupation, education, and personal health.  You don’t want to miss next week’s message!

We want to thank you for reading our Wednesday Encouragement, and we hope you found it encouraging. Maybe there is one of these four relationships that you know needs work. It is never late to start on any of them, and we pray God gives you the courage and the opportunities to make something special happen. God bless you and yours.

Until next Wednesday… Blessings! J

Steph y Ces

Medication

Stephanie and I both got our bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, which is the study of body movement. We took classes such as anatomy, physiology, and some biology. We are in the business of helping people become healthier individuals. I have a passion for this field, because I’ve developed a lot of compassion for the unhealthy through my personal battles. I got a job at a middle school being the 8th grade health teacher; unfortunately I had to let that go before the school year started. Health is consisted of your physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. These components are all intertwined and collaborate to grade your quality of life. Careful that you master one area, and neglect another; the whole person will hurt for it.

We have a major health crisis here in America. We the people are mostly to blame. The way we restructured our food marketing, our diet, medicine, hospital bills, insurance companies, doctor visits, etc. There is a lot of money to be made off sick people. In the U.S, 80% of all illness is preventable. Preventable illnesses account for 8 of the 9 leading categories of death. What do they mean by preventable?

I heard a doctor once say something along these lines (paraphrasing), “If medical science could bottle up all the benefits from exercising (let’s say walking for 30 minutes, 3 times a week) into a pill, it would be the most popular and expensive medicine in history… Everybody would be taking it.” Today’s medications can be more harmful than helpful. They come with a list of possible side effects (we’ve all seen the commercials), and the majority of them just attack the symptoms. Most modern medicines do not address the root causes of your illness; they just mask, manage, or minimize the pain. Many of them become addicting and have to be taken for entire lifespans. It’s incredible to know that the majority (about 80%) of those illnesses could be treated and healed with a good diet and regular exercise plan. Exercise alone reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, mental health disorders, hormonal imbalances, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and even some cancers. If the benefits of exercising could be placed in a pill, everybody would be taking it. If I could do that I would and become the richest man on earth. The problem is obvious; it’s a lot more work to exercise than it is to take a pill every day. Let’s not even get started on a diet change. Health insurances should be paying for your gym membership rather than all your medications (food for thought).

Now let’s move into the spiritual world. If I could gather up all the benefits of reading your Bible 15-minutes every day into a pill, I believe everybody would be taking that also. The amount of spiritual life, fire, wisdom, truth, direction, correction, comfort, and peace that’s found in those scriptures is priceless. I could easily compare prayer and reading the Bible to eating a good diet and exercising. The physical and spiritual benefits are out of this world! The only problem is it takes hard word. There is a level of effort and discipline in this treatment that taking a pill doesn’t require. It’s not easy to hit the treadmill sometimes, and it’s not easy to read the Bible sometimes.

Is it possible that 80% of problems that we have, spiritually speaking, are preventable? I am not going to say that’s absolute, but I know that the majority of the problems we face are all preventable circumstances (we understand sometimes they are not). Going only to a Sunday morning service for a spiritual breakthrough is not going to do the job. Sunday mornings can be compared to the medications doctors give out that only touch the surface of the problems; they reduce the symptoms enough for you to get through the next week before you feel the pain again. Sunday service, at best, could only touch the surface of your spiritual problems. Your doctor is not responsible for your physical health, just as much as your Pastor is not responsible for your own spiritual walk with the Lord. Every Sunday morning service will become a need, rather than a blessing and an opportunity to worship God. It’s time we get serious about our own spiritual health and start putting in the hard work to make it better. The movie War Room is a great example of this very principle (a must see movie).

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”- Jim Rohn

Change is never easy. We are humans of habit, and we don’t like change much. When we go from eating hamburgers and pizzas, to eating fruits and vegetables… It’s hard!! Many people give up on their New Year’s resolution because the transition is just too difficult. It’s not easy to hit the pavement when you haven’t jogged outside since the middle school track team. The first few days and weeks are painful, but eventually your body adapts and builds. Next thing you know, eating right and exercising is no longer a struggle, but it now comes natural and enjoyable to you. The same goes for changing our lifestyle of prayer and Bible reading.

The benefits are incredible. I too wish there were such pills out there for sale. I would be the first in line to buy them, and if you were in front of me I would cut you. Unfortunately, those pills do not exist. But the great news is that we can still make the difference in our own lives concerning our well-being. It’s not easy, nor is it the common road, but the benefits are there waiting for us. We just have to put in the work.

We challenge you to spend a few moments with God every day, continue to establish that personal relationship with Him. Open up your Bible tomorrow morning and let the Holy Spirit speak to you. The Word can heal all kinds of spiritual wounds and illnesses.

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to take your medicine before the end of the day! God bless.

Until next Wednesday… Blessings.

“Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
I Corinthians 9:26-27

When You Want to Get Away

Many people have their secret place; what we like to call our “get away” spot. It’s usually a secluded, private place where we can go when we want to be alone, or when we just want to get away from the world. Do you have one? I remember in our old house in Houston we used to have a tree house in the back yard. We also had one of those tiny, miniature closets behind the staircase that only a small kid could fit in. Those two places were my get away spots when I was a child. Whenever I would throw a little child-like fit, I would run to one of those two places and have my own private pity party. It’s not childish to want to remove oneself from certain situations though; it’s actually a healthy habit. Even as adults we have to separate ourselves sometimes from others and regroup. One of the worse feelings is being in the middle of a situation and not being able to get out when you want to. It’s like when you’re having a terrible day at work and you are surrounded by all these people that keep getting on your nerves, and you just want to walk out but you can’t! It’s just as bad as being in class and having to use the restroom but the teacher won’t let you leave while class is in session; you need to go somewhere private to let something out!

As we you grow older and more responsibilities are given to us, it becomes harder it is to escape to our getaway spots; especially those of you who are married, and especially for those who have children. My siblings are quick to remind me that when you have children, “you’re private life is over.” It’s true. Some of us have the privilege to take time for ourselves, but we don’t know how to. We run to our rooms with tears in our eyes because the world is heavy and cruel, yet we lie on our beds and then get on social media and our “get away from the world” is diving into the world via Facebook. Meditation, yoga, and other forms of relaxation exercises are growing in popularity because we simply do not know how to get away anymore. A lot of young people don’t have a spouse but are married to their iPhone, and it makes difficult for them to have alone time.

Technology (like iPhones, IPads, video games, etc.) gives us that feeling of getting away; stepping out of our world into another. Drugs and alcohol give same the effect. We want to literally take a break from our life. Whatever is going on around us will be put on pause, and in our deepest wish is that they will disappear. Think about how much power we have to “get away” today. If I wanted to, and had the means to, I could jump on a plane and be across the world by tomorrow evening. I could jump in my car right now and hit I-10 and just go east or west (though Lord knows my car won’t last long). We could find a new Netflix series and submerge our life in an unreal world and become completely immersed in it. High schools are filled with drugs, because students just simply want to get away. One of my theories on why life is harder for urban kids is because they simply have less time or space to get away than suburban kids (one of many reasons). They are surrounded by problems when there at home, at school, in the streets, and there’s no place of peace and rest. That’s why those schools are infested with drugs; they are just trying to get away.

We all react different to stress and trouble. It’s the fight or flight concept: either we run to the problem or run away from it. Some of us implode, others explode. Our character can easily be defined by the way we react or respond to trouble. Some of us respond in anger and rage (fight), while others of us might run away with bitterness and un-forgiveness (flight). Our lives can easily be summarized by the way we reacted to life events and circumstances. Reactions can be dangerous! We can make the most ridiculous, insensitive, consequential, and impulsive decisions based off a bad reaction.

So what should our reaction be? What should we do when we face affliction and strife? Where can we go when we need to just get away? There is a higher place. I am not talking about a specific drug or meditation exercise, I’m talking about a secret place where my Heavenly Father is. This hiding place is accessible anywhere in the world, it is not limited to time, space, or matter. When your heart is heavy, there is a tree you can go to called the cross of Christ where you can lay down all your burdens. David, the Psalmist, wrote…

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah”

Psalms 61:1-4 

We are always going to experience those moments where we just want to get away from the problems of this world. Yet we do worldly things to try to escape. If you really want to be separated from this world, there’s only one person you can call on to take you out. The Father can pick you up in His arms and take you to a place of peace that this world could not offer. Divine communion with the creator of heaven and earth, that’s what I would prescribe to you. Many times in my life I’ve needed a place get away, and without me going anywhere, when I would call upon Him, He would come rescue me. The Bible says, “In his presence is the fullness of Joy” (Ps.16:11) and “Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). His presence would be everything I needed at that moment; the perfect get away.

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

Stephanie and I encourage each of you to find time to get away with the Lord. If you feel like running away, run to Jesus. If you need someone to listen, talk to Jesus. If you need a break from this life, let Jesus love on you. There is a God higher; He can take you to higher places, because He has a higher calling on your life. Now turn off your phone or computer, and get away!

We love you,

Until next Wednesday… Blessings!

Steph y Ces

Walk On Water

I can’t tell you how wonderful God is. He can bring you through anything when you place your trust in Him. Life can be chaotic, and the world seems to move faster and faster all around us. Everything is moving at such a high speed and we don’t even have enough time or ability to take it all in. Today, there a thousand ways to die (TV show), a thousand ways to fall, to sin, to be overwhelmed, to be afraid, confused, lost, and broken. But there is always only one way to live forever. There is always one certain way out of your crisis, Jesus is the way.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were in survival mode? Where some much was coming against you at once that you’re sole objective was just to make it out alive. It’s that drowning sensation; where life is now put on a countdown clock and you are now fighting for air before time runs out. I know I’ve been there several times in my life. In our survival instincts we yell out for help, but a lot of times you come to find that others are not in a position to save you. They live in the same world and in the same flesh that you live in, and they are having a hard time too. A lot of times we rely on each other, just to be disappointed when we fail each other.

“And He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” – Luke 6:39

Matthew 14:22-33 gives us the story of Peter walking on water with Jesus. The disciples were without Jesus in the middle of sea when a storm raged.

“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.” – Matthew 14:24 

I imagine this storm was pretty severe. I can imagine that the disciples were all on the boat working very hard to keep their ship from sinking or tipping over. They were all in survival mode. Maybe for a moment they thought they were hopeless and we’re going to die out there in the middle of the night. Water is slapping them in the face, waves are smashing the boat, and the winds are pushing them in different directions – complete madness. Sometimes life can seem like that; multiple things are attacking you from all sides and you are fighting just to stay alive. Then, Jesus is seen walking on the water towards them. The disciples thought it was a ghost! And Jesus said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

Those words spoken by Jesus give me the chills. I tell you, whenever life is moving and changing all around you at maximum speed, there is One who never changes. God is the picture of complete stability, peace, and control.

This is why David said “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”- Psalms 18:2

Regardless of what’s going on around you, “Hope thou in God!” In the midst of confusion and pain, reach out and touch the hem of his garment. If you’re going to run, run to the arms of Christ. If you’re going to cry, cry to the God of all comfort. It doesn’t matter what sin you’ve committed or what sin someone else committed, it’s time to trust the Everlasting One to get you past this present pain.

I’m not going to say Jesus caused that storm to happen, but I do know He has the power and authority to calm the storm. You might think that the storm you’re in right now was brought to you by God; but we have to remember that we live in a fallen world and that the “prince of this world” (Satan) is out to kill, steal, and destroy. If what you are going through is a clear attempt to do one of those three things to you, then it must be from God…? Let’s not be naive. Christ came so we have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10), and when Jesus showed up on the scene in the middle of the sea storm He was able to empower Peter to walk on the water. Come on, God wants to show up in the middle of your storm to empower to walk on (overcome) the very thing trying to take you out.

“So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”” – Matthew 14:29-30

Keep your eyes on Jesus! We begin to sink when we take our faith and focus off of Him. If you are going through a life crisis, now is the time to give God your complete attention. It’s good to receive help from other believers and to read books and such, but the supernatural breakthrough you need in this very moment can only come from God Almighty; He and He alone saves! Why survive the storm when you could walk on it?

“Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”” – Matthew 14:33

After Jesus calmed the storm and came on board, the disciples worshiped Him. If they ever had any doubt that Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God, it was officially wiped out. You maybe consider yourself a Christian and even go to church, but when you put your trust in the Lord during a storm and you see His hand rescue you… Then you will be like one of those Jesus freaks like me. Then you will say “Truly He is the Son of God!”

Stephanie and I want to encourage you this week that if you are going through one of life’s toughest seasons, now is the time to put your total trust in Him. Regardless of the circumstance, God can and will rescue you when you call upon Him. Stephanie and I are living testimonies of this Gospel reality. Have a blessed week in the Lord.

We love you, God bless you

Until next week… Blessings!!

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”” – John 16:33

Redemption

Peter and Judas both have something in common, they both betrayed Jesus. We can argue that one’s act of betrayal does not compare to the other, because Judas’s kiss was much worse than Peter’s denial. Regardless, they both walked and talked with the Son of God and followed him for over three years. They witnessed all His miracles and sermons; they knew He was The Christ. Peter was one of Jesus’s closest friends, in a lot of ways he was different from all the other disciples. Many times in the Gospels you see Jesus personally challenging, training, and questioning Peter. Not to go too deep into a story you should already know; you would think Peter, as passionate as he was for The Lord, would be the last person to deny Jesus.

In Luke 22, Jesus has the Passover dinner with His disciples because He knows His time has come. Judas had already made a deal with the chief priests and scribes to betray and turn over the Messiah. They’re all sitting at the table together, and Jesus knows that Judas has already betrayed Him and also knows of Peter’s future denial. You see Jesus was prepared to die for the ungodly. Peter was no different than Judas, and Judas was no different from the Roman soldiers that nailed Jesus to the cross… and you and I are in that same category of sinners needing a savior.

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6, 8)

Jesus knew of Judas and Peter’s betrayal but yet He still endured the cross with great joy knowing that their souls could be redeemed and their sins forgiven (Hebrews 12:2). The Bible tells us that after Judas betrayed Jesus, he immediately regretted the decision.

“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders…

(The chief priest and elders denied him)

Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:3, 5)

Judas had the same opportunity to repent as Peter did after Jesus resurrected, but his sin drowned him in guilt and shame which led to Judas taking his own life.

So what happened to Peter? The night Jesus was arrested; Peter swore to never deny Christ and to even fight for him (in which he did by cutting off a Roman soldier’s ear). Yet when it came down to it, Peter denied Christ three times just as Jesus prophesied.

“But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:60-62)

Peter, like Judas, immediately regretted his decision to fail his Master. Yet something was different about Peter’s situation. Do you remember what Christ told Peter when He forewarned Peter of his future denials?

“And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”” (Luke 22:31-33)

Judas’s heart was always far from God; his reasons for following Christ always seemed questionable. Peter on the other hand had a genuine passion to love and serve Jesus. Although Jesus knew Peter would deny Him, He told Peter “I will pray for you, that your faith should not fail.” Jesus knew that Satan would try to destroy Peter with guilt and condemnation after Peter failed The Lord. Yet before the mistake, Jesus reaffirmed Peter that He would be waiting for his return afterwards. Powerful! Peter’s calling did not change, and even though Peter suffered for his own sin, he was soon redeemed by Christ after the resurrection and was reconciled to Christ.

“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.” (John 21:7)

Peter was so excited to see Jesus because he knew his hope for redemption was found in Him. Jesus then asked Peter three times if he loved Him, Peter said yes every time. He even said, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21: 17). Jesus then reassures Peter’s calling to build the church. Peter becomes one of the boldest preachers of the Gospel in the New Testament.

The message is simple; Peter and Judas both sinned against The Son. Both of them regretted their decisions immediately afterwards. The difference was that Peter chose to repent and hang on to the redemption promise of God, while Judas allowed Satan to shame him into committing suicide.

The life of Peter is so powerful to me; it’s one of the greatest displays of the power of redemption by the way of the cross. We will sin against God in one way or another at some point in time, and when we do Satan will try his best to deceive you in thinking your life is over. You might even believe God is finish with you right now. Yet God’s Word shows us over and over again that His grace through the cross is so much greater than our sin and that when we repent and return back to Him, our life, relationship, and calling in Him can be restored!

I encourage you to furthermore study the life of Simon Peter, and many other Bible characters that God redeemed and restored despite their short comings. The Good News is true today as it was in Peter’s day. Remember this: If you have fallen away, Jesus is praying for you… And the Father is waiting outside for His prodigal child ready to embrace the returning son/daughter.

God bless you and yours, in Jesus name, Amen!

Until next Wednesday… Blessings J

Steph y Ces

Rage War

Have you ever heard a preacher speak on “that one thing?” Many times I’ve heard Christians say, “Well brother, we all have that one thing we struggle with.” It’s not a lie, it’s the reality for most Christians; but we cannot allow our experience/reality become truth if it’s contrary to the Word of God. The truth is God wants us to be totally free from the bondage of sin. The truth is He sent His Son to die so that we may exchange our lives for His. We all do have an area of weakness usually tied to our past; it’s an area that’s rooted in lies and deception. We are not called to manage that area of weakness, and we are especially not to accept it. That area of weakness is your battle ground; it’s the last door you have to kick the devil out of for him to be totally defeated in your life.

It’s like those scenes in super hero movies. In the final scene when the super hero is fighting the main bad guy for the final battle. They’re fighting on some cliff or roof of some kind, the bad guy gets kicked and starts tumbling off the side of the roof top. Right before he falls to his death, he last minute grabs a hold of the edge of the roof top and hangs on. When you are playing a video game, you see this and that’s when the game says “Finish him” and you go over them give him one more kick off the cliff to win the game. Well in those movies a lot of times they don’t see the bad guy fall off, so here he comes climbing his way back on top of the roof for another five minute fighting scene (it always happens). That’s how I visually see it playing out in our lives; we get saved and the devil starts tumbling out of our lives, but right before he falls off he finds something to hang on to. That is the time we go to war again and finish him off, because if not he will climb his way back to the top and we will have to fight the same battle all over again. He finds our darkest place and tries to hide and abide there.

We have to declare war on that area of weakness. Many people try to address the issue but fail to see victory multiple times and so they just give up in the middle of the fight. We compromise with the devil and say, “Okay, you can have just that one thing while I give God everything else.” Do we think God is pleased when we make that deal with the devil? Do you not know that one thing can put your entire soul in jeopardy? We cannot sign treaties with an enemy that will never stop trying to take us out. If he wants a full on war you have to give it to him and fight for total freedom by the power of Jesus name.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slaver” (Galatians 5:1 NIV).

We are deceived when we together agree that our areas of weakness are what make us humans. I am not saying we should be perfect; we will make mistakes but I think we all understand the difference between stumbling throughout life and living in sin. If we are doing things even when we don’t want to do it, even when we know it displeases God; that’s a bondage/stronghold that the enemy has on us that we need freedom from.

This might wake us up a little bit…

“Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” (1 John 3:7-9 NIV).

This is the whole concept of being “born again.” This is why we talk about being new creatures in Christ, being set free, etc. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ; total freedom is His declaration of war. We cannot settle for anything less!

What’s this fight look like and who are we fighting?

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV).

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

Our struggle is no longer with other people. This war is not won with swords and shields. It cannot be won nearly on our own strength.

I am not going to go into detail on how you can face this giant in your life. That’s where this blog ends, and a personal talk with Jesus begins. There is a lot of information and resources in the Christian world, but nothing can replace to power of confronting your own personal challenges with a personal God. But, we do recommend spiritual guidance.

It all starts with this step of faith, telling someone about it. Talk to a pastor, a parent, or a church leader you trust and confess to them the reality of your stronghold. The enemy would love us to keep it all a secret. Let someone know, and they can help you find healing and freedom in your life.

I can promise you this though; the battle will be won by the sword of the spirit, the Word of God!

This message was rough, but still an encouragement. Not everything that we want to hear is what we need to hear. The truth should always be encouraging to our spirits. Total freedom should always be our goal.

The Lord is returning soon, there is no time to waste. Today is the day of salvation. The Holy Spirit is your best friend and He does all the work you need done on the inside. Our prayers are with you.

Until next Wednesday… Blessings!

Steph y Ces

Lose Control – Part 2

Stephanie and I shared our car accident experience in last week’s post. We hydroplaned on the interstate going over 75 mph. We ended up in a ditch, and by the grace of God everyone walked away without a scratch. In continuation of the story, once we got back to San Antonio I began to weep. With everyone trying to make me feel better, I couldn’t shake off the guilt and shame of what I felt was my fault. I failed everyone in the car, and I thought they would never trust me to drive again. All of these thoughts crowded my head and I went home to be alone.

The next day The Lord spoke to me, saying that I should be grateful that no one was hurt. It was a wakeup call because my negative and selfish thoughts were pushing me away from everyone around me. The next day I met up with Steph and went to go see the car, it was pretty beat up. Thank God Stephanie has good coverage, and we were able to pick up a rental car for her that same day.  Her dad called us and assured us that there was nothing left we could do except wait for the insurance company to handle it, so he urged us to not cancel the trip to Houston, and to head that way ASAP. Stephanie and I talked about it; I told her we can go on one condition… I have to drive.

Fear, hatred, anxiety, depression, jealousy, envy, and sin in general are seeds that get planted in us. It can happen in one moment; when someone rejects us, when we make a terrible mistake, when a tragedy visits our family, etc. Once they settle in our soil (soul) they begin to grow over time. The sin or fear builds interest and eventually becomes an overwhelming, dominating hindrance in our lives.

I knew that if I didn’t drive, I would allow that fear to grow within me. Believe me; I was fearful to drive her family again to Houston. The night before I had nightmares of me losing control of the wheel; the accident just kept replaying in my head. I told Stephanie, “There’s no way I’m going to sit in the passenger’s seat; it would mean I am not trusted anymore by your family.” She replied by saying, “Baby, we still trust you…” I told her “Cool, then let me drive!” I would have felt defeated if I had to sit in that passenger seat the entire trip. The fear within me would have grown, and by the next time I would grab the wheel I would be even more terrified to make a mistake.

We picked up her Grandma and her little cousin, once again, to head out to Houston. I busted through the door and asked, “Are ya’ll ready for round 2?!” The little girl almost wanted to cry. Even at her age, she had a bad feeling about me driving again. She said, “No more crashing Cesar.” I promised her I wouldn’t. Her grandma looked calm, but I felt like inside she was already calling out on the name of Jesus. So here we are back in the same seats in a different car, going to the same place on a different day. As we get on the interstate 10 again, getting out of San Antonio, it begins to rain. I tried to stay calm on the outside, but on the inside I was really tense. My hands were gripping that wheel as if I was holding on to dear life. I was so tense, that later when we got to Houston my shoulders and neck was hurting pretty bad. But, we got to Houston, safe and sound. Once we all got out of the car I had that feeling of crossing a finish line in a race; relief, joy, and triumph.

I drove the entire trip to and from Houston and everything in between. Eventually, I was not nervous or afraid to drive anywhere with anyone in the car. The fear was uprooted and tossed out of my life. Others didn’t struggle to trust me as their driver (leader) any longer. I faced my fear head on and confronted it as fast as I could, literally the next day.

We can never allow our failures to become our fears, or else we don’t learn anything from them. In my mind I see it this way; the devil takes a risk when he throws a trial our way. Why? Because he knows that one of two things will happen; the fire will either burn us or strengthen us. I could see him laughing at me when I was beating myself up the day of the crash, but he must have been mad the next when I conquered that fear and regained trust. The enemy never intended for me to become stronger, wiser, and bolder… But that’s what happened! Because God takes what the enemy meant for evil and turns it for my good (Genesis 50:20). Stop blaming God for the trials that come your way, He is not the one who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Allow God to give you the power to overcome your trial and stomp on the enemy’s lies.

I want to encourage you to never let your past mistakes become today’s fears. Do not let those seeds of the enemy to root itself in your soil. Instead ask God to help you overcome the trial, and He will take you from glory to glory.

James 1:2- 8 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

We love you
We are glad to be alive in Christ
To share his wonderful message to the world.

Until next Wednesday… Blessings!

Steph y Ces

Lose Control

Last Wednesday you should have received an email in your inbox titled Wednesday Encouragements. I’m sure you were wondering why the email never landed as usual. Well, last Wednesday was not a usual, normal day.

Stephanie and I were in her Nissan Sentra ready to hit the road to Houston to spend a week with her Father. Our luggage was full as we stacked it all up in the back trunk. Yes, it wasn’t just Stephanie and I in the car, we would also be taking her grandmother and little cousin with us to Houston. We’ve made this trip a few times before, so we expected nothing different. But things were different… The weather. It had been raining all week in San Antonio (the most rain we’ve had in a long time) and the roads were super wet as we got on I-10 heading east. The little one in the back started talking from the driveway and never stopped since. We were about 25 minutes outside of San Antonio when I lost control of the wheel. It was still drizzling outside and the roads were still very wet. I was going a little over 75 mph, probably too fast for the weather conditions. I turned my head to say something to Stephanie, and in that brief second the road was rearing right. Stephanie shouted at the road, once I looked back at it we were kind of going off to the side, so I barely turned the wheel back to the right and once I did that we started to hydroplane. We started sliding to the right so I jerked the car left. That’s when we did a complete 180 and then slid into the guard rail near the median. At that point I was afraid we were going to hit something going backwards at a really high speed. Grandma was in the back screaming the only thing we all wanted to hear, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” The guard rail lined us up to go straight back into the median, which is a big, thick grassy area with trees. As we started sliding back into the ditch-like area, I felt that fear of death come upon me. I was mentally preparing to hit a tree, which would beat us all up pretty bad. We just kept going and going and until the breaks finally decided to work and we got stuck in the thicket of grass and mud. Grandma was still calling on the name of Jesus, and in my head I started to immediately thank him. We were all shocked as to what just happened, but no one was more shocked than me. You see I pleased Stephanie to be the driver… I always do. I always feel like I need to be in control, like I need to be the leader. This is just how I was bred, to be the leader of the pack, to take care of everyone. I pride myself in doing so, and here I was sitting in the car with the people I was suppose to lead, to take care of… And I led them into a ditch, nearly costing their lives. Eventually two policemen pulled over and helped us out as Stephanie’s mom came to pick us up. Those two cops were angels, they were truly doing their job, protecting and serving. The next time someone says something bad about all cops I’m going to punch them in the face (jokingly). They were just as vital as the real angels that guided that car into safety, with no one leaving with a scratch. Believe me, everyone in that car felt His presence.

You see, we love to be in control. But I’m so grateful that when we do lose control, He takes over. We always think we can handle any and every situation, until you’re their in the car screaming the name of Jesus. Even most unbelievers tend to yell out “God!” in a crisis. This feeling of being in control, births in us a level of pride that contends God. We get to the point where we think we don’t need him anymore. We have all the technology we need to exempt Him from His duties. But when we lose control of that wheel, it is Him we call out to, and it is Him who shows up to save us. No matter how much I want to protect my people, I know that there can always be situations bigger than me that I won’t be able to fix or save everything. But I’m so glad that I serve a God that never loses control and that no situation is bigger than Him.

The next time I took the wheel I was sure to pray to God to keep us safe. I no longer put the trust in myself to make that happen, I placed it in Him who I’m confident is in control of everything. This is why the Biblical form of a leader is a servant. Because leaders eventually bare the image of a hero, a savior, a God in the eyes of their followers. All men fail, all men make mistakes. In our leadership we have to be humble and understand that God is God alone, and we serve His people as best as we can.

On behalf of Father’s Day, I’ll share with you what my Dad texted me the following day. Fathers don’t always tell you what you want to hear, but they do tell you the truth you need to hear.

“Now u know what a bad decision feels like.  Unfortunately, leadership/good decision making comes from making mistakes/failures.  It’s part of life. We are bless that no one got hurt.”

It’s true, I will probably never be the same driver. Hopefully I will be a little better after this. But one thing I am strongly reminded is that God is good, all the time, and that ultimately when we lose control, He takes over.

God bless you!

(Next week I will be writing another piece out of this experience, can’t wait to share it with you)

Until next Wednesday… Blessings 🙂

Steph y Ces