It is hard to understand how God can be so kind to us, but he is.   He kneels before us, takes our feet in his hands, and washes them.   Please understand that in washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus is washing ours.   That’s us being cleansed, not from our dirt, but from our sins.  

Listen to what Jesus said:  “If I don’t wash your feet, you are not one of my people”  (John 13:8).   Why not?   Because we cannot.   We cannot remove our own sin.     

To place our feet in the basin of Jesus is to place the filthiest parts of our lives into his hands.   In the ancient East,  people’s feet were caked with mud and dirt.   The servant of the feast saw to it that the feet  were cleaned.  Jesus is assuming the role of the servant.   He will wash the grimiest part of our life.    

If you let him.   The water of the Servant comes only when we confess that we are dirty.   And we will never be able to wash the feet of those who have hurt us until we allow Jesus the one we have hurt, to wash ours.    

“Jesus Christ, is the same of yestarday, today and tomorow  Hebrews 13:8″

  “How amiable are thy taberncles.  O Lord of hosts!   my sul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lords:  my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”    Psalms 84:1

   Those who know Christ most are the most grateful.  I recently read a story of a woman who for years was married to a harsh husband.   each day he would leave her a list of chores to complete before he returned at the end of the day.

     If she didn’t complete the tasks, she wold be greeted with his explosive anger.   But even if she did complete the list, he was never satisfied.    After several years, the husband passed away.    Some time later she remarried, this time to a man who lavished her with tenderness and adoration.

     One day, while going through a box of old papers, the wife discovered one of her first husband’s lists.   And as she read the sheet, a realization caused a tear of joy to splash on the paper.     ” I’m still doing all these things, and no one has to tell me.  I do it because I love him!”     

     What a unique characteristic of the new kingdom.   Its subjects don’t work in order to go to heaven:   they work because they are going to heaven.      Arrogance and fear are replaced with gratitud and joy.

Be blessed!

 “We love because he first loved us”  1st John 4:19

   Since God is eternal and God is love, love has been around a long time, in fact, forever!   

     Throughout both the Old Testament and the New, God describes himself as all love,  all goodness.    That pure, eternal love sent God’s Son to earth to suffer and die for us.   Christ’s perfect love, perfect life lived in our place, and perfect death for our sins combined to save imperfect humans.

     Once we experience the love of Jesus as a personal love, it changes us.   Bathed in love, we’re compelled to pass it on.   Jesus’ love becomes a blessing - spreading, surrounding over and around everyone we meet.     Pherhaps because it’s such an important virtue,  Jesus stresses again and again how much we need love in our life.   We’re told in Scripture that love builds up; faith shows itself through love.     Love heals and soothes by covering up other’s sins.   Instead of letting another’s failings build a wall, those who know Christ’s love can let love becomes a bridge.  Knowing Jesus loves us enables us to love others, no matter what they’ve done to hurt us.  We can leave judgment to God.   Love refuses to criticize or condemn.   It simply encircles a hurting heart.    Love is so important  in Christian life that the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 describes it in minute detail.     There we learn that love -self-giving, self-forgetting love-will never end.   It will be forever, as it is right now, the language of heaven.

Well, here we are once again at the end of the year.   Everybody’s filled with expectation waiting for that one moment to open their gifts.   It’s that one time of the year where hope and expectation are awakened in the hearts of so many people.

As I was reflecting on all of this, my mind settled on the expectation of God the Father when he planted his most valuable possesion; JESUS CHRST, his only begotten Son, into a society that would scorn him, hurl insults towards him, spit on him, beat him and finally kill him for our sakes.     Just imagine, when God the Father and his Son, came into agreement, this must be done, there is no other way, no espcape from permanent death.  what hope, what expectation, from the Father Son and Holy Spirit.

This attitude of love and giving is the true spirit of Christmas, this is the attitude that should always be visible in our lives constantly and not just at Christmas time.   It is very important to manifest the father’s love, knowing that through this love many will be saved and come to the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.    as the spcriptures say  “it is better to give than to receive”.     The Father’s will is that none shall perish but have everlasting life    John 3:16.     So let us be the ambassadors that we are, to bring hope and expectation to our brothers and sisters who have lost there identity as sons and daughters of God.   2nd Cor. 5:20.

My family and I, pray that this season and everyday of your lives be filled with love, joy and expectation.  Be blessed beyond measure.   We would like to leave this verse in your hearts.

“NOW UNTO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDENTLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT IS AT WORK IN US.  Ephesians 3:20?

Your fellow servants in Christ,

The Herrera Family

Reflecting  about the reality of   THE PURE ESCENCE OF LOVE  

   1st Corinthians 13:1-3 

    ” Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.   And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.   And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love it profiteth me nothing.    Love, suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up…….”

We see through God’s eyes what really matters.   He measures our lives by how we love not by what we do.  Paul said “even if I have faith to remove mountains, but have not love, we are nothing , if I burned by body, give Everything I have to the poor but have not love!! I gaing nothing” .     This are pretty straight forward words, prety strong words, So, What is Love?

1st Cor. 13:4-8,  describes  and we see with much clarity exactly what love is all about.     ” love is patient, kind, does not envy, or boast, not arrogant, rude, doesn’t insist on having it’s own way, it’s not irrtable, resentful, doesn’ t rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth.   Love bears all things endures all things love never ends….faith, hope, and love abide, thise three; but the greatest of these is is love!!!

As I was writing this article, my father-in-low, came to my mind, he was my spiritual Father, Mentor and Apostle until he went on to be with the Lord.  If there was one example of a person who was totally sold out to God, totally in love with God, alwasy in hot-pursut for God .  He, was the man every night, through out most of the day he would be searching the scriptures, praying for the body of Christ, (church) and constantly in unison with God.   He, my fathrer-in-low, Roberto Diaz Perez, would go to freat lenghs to be with the one He loved.        As I meditate and examine my communion, my love for God, I come to the conclusion that he’s not finished with me yet.   I have a long way to go.   I have to ask myself , is God realy more important than anything else in my life?   is He more important than my work, plesure, car, etc., etc.  Will I be willing to sacrifice these small things to get everything?  (God) .

What’s of our time, our money?  do we invest in the kingdom of God, do we feed the needy, do we give to the pour, do we suppurt the widows?  etc.   Where does our time go?  (tv, long hours of work, or other things)  in conclussion:   Do we realy love God? our every day decisions that we make will determine that answer.     Me personally, I need less of me and more of Him.     How about you?

Title: \”RIANSE…HACIA UN MATRIMONIO MEJOR
Location: Casa de Oracion Internacional Orlando
Link out: Click here
Description: Seminario matrimonial de Garden Of Eden Ministry.
all day, incluyendo 2 refacciones y almuerzo gratis! Inscribete pronto!!
Start Time: 8:00AM TO 5:00PM
Date: 2009-12-05

          “The Lord make his face shine upon you.  Numbers 6:25″

Imagine yourself alone in a huge crowd -  a crowd moving from one place to another through a canyon of office buildings that scrape the sky.   Imagine the faces of 20,000 stangers looking back at you as you look around at the crowd.   

Now imagine that you spot a face in the crowd - a face you know.  In fact, that face is the face of the person you love most of all on the entire earth.   From across the street, you and your loved one exchange smiles -  smiles of warmth, affection, love, and approval.   And you begin to move through the crowd toward one another.  

That’s exactly the picture painted by the phrase “The Lord make His face shine upon you.”   it’s a picture of God’s deep love for each of us as his individual children.  it’s a picture of affection and acceptance.   And it’s a picture of the intense commitment in our Lord’s heart that draws us ever closer to him and evokes our love for him in return.    Our Lord’s love for his people goes far beyond the kind of  “group policy” that covers all of us at once.  Rather, he loves each of us :  one by-one by -one.

Dispite the billions of people in the world.   Jesus knows us,  recognizes us individually.    He knows the shape of our body, the contour of our shoulders.   He shaped  the silhouette of our nose as we lay helpless inside our mother’s womb.  when he hears our laugh, he instantly recongnizes it as ours.  When we cry, he notices each tear and wipes it away.  He not only knows, he cares!!!!!  He loves you with an infinite love!  Think of It!     Your are chosen by the Creator of the universe for a unique place in his family.

• Jesus holds you in his heart.
• Your Lord smiles upon you wheather your are awake or asleep, at home or away, working or playing.  He finds joy in his relationship with you.
• You are dearly loved, deeply loved and eternally loved by the One who send his only Son to die for your sins. 

Jesus is yours-Personally.  You are his–personally.  What else can possibly matter?

Pondering on the so many things that hinder us from really staying coneccted to God,  our father in these times. 

Heb 12:1-3     The Christian life requies hard work, it requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God our Fahter.     We must learn to run patiently,  fight against the sin that so easily entangles us; how you might ask?    through the power of the Holy Spirit.   Zack 4:6 says:  “not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lords”

To live effectively we must realy on trust in Jesus, we must keep our eyes focused on Him.   we will stumble or fall if we look or focuss on what’s around us so when the pressures of this would seems to burden us to press down on us, let Jesus take those, burdens, that load which gets heavier as each day goes by.   Jesus, knew and knows, what you are capable of achieving;  that’s why he said in Mt 11:30:  “my burden is light and easy to be borne”  (amp. version)   Let God and give God all of those things that prevent you from attaining freedom in Jeus Christ!     Amen.

ARE YOU IN THE KILL ZONE?

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” – Ephesians 5:8

Exactly what is the kill zone?  Is the place where your relationship with God is stagnate, weak and almost dead. It is the place where you as an individual have no excitement, passion, no desire to make an impact neither in your life nor in the lives of others.

In the body of Christ many of us are near or already in the kill zone or approaching close to.  Do you know that only 2% of all Christians are winning souls for the kingdom of God and devoted  to the cause of Christ?. What is the difference between the two percentages and the rest of all Christians?.  Simply put  they know  the purpose and the calling that God has placed upon their lives. 

SYMPTOMS THAT LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE APPROACHING, OR ALREADY,  IN THE KILL ZONE: 

1o. No passion for God or for his kingdom.

2^o. Everything has become monotonous for you.  You come to church but you are not excited about being       there.  – Rev. 3:1-3 “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent”.

3o. Your relationship with God has become cold, severed, separated and you have lost your first love.  There is no glow in your eyes for him.  It doesn’t bother you that you have drifted away from your first love. Jer. 15:16 “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty”.

4o. There is no hunger for God’s word in your life.  You prefer the things of the world more than the things of his kingdom.

5o. You have became isolated from the body of Christ.  Brothers and sisters call you, but you don’t call them back.

6o. Their concern for you doesn’t move you.  You are not responsive to your family (the church).  You have become idle, and the fire, passion, and desire for God have become distinguished or are barely flickering.   As Christians, we have to be continually connected to the Father through:

 Prayer to the father - 1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray”.

Connected through the word of God - Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Connected to the people around them - Colossians 4:3 “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

Declaring the word of God to others in season and out of season. -  2 Timothy 4:2  “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Believers of the word of God, not doubters – James 1:22-24 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Ezekiel 37 tells these looms to live, to come back to life, to re-establish your passion and desire,  to fulfill your calling and purpose:

“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry…then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!… I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you…

My beloved brother, if you can identify yourself what zone are you in, just remember that your Heavenly Father did overcome your darkness and enemies already on the cross.

“ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” – Ephesians 5:8-14

Blessings,

Bob Herrera

“The Lord said to Moses,….”This is how you are to bless the Israelites”.  Numbers 6:22-23.

Imagine a camping trip, acamping trip lasting forty years! to those of us who ha e grown fond of our society’s creature comforts, life in a tent for four decades seems, well, challenging!!

The Old Testament details events of the forty years ancient Israel spent camping in the desert learning to know, love, and trust God.   But despite the hardships, a bright thread of hope winds its way through each account.   Everywhere we look, we see assurances that God loves his people with a fierce and committed love.   

Numbers 6 includes an explicit expressin of blessing commonly referred to as the Aaronic benediction.   “Tell Aaron the high priest and all the priests that follow him down through time to bless my people, “God says in essence.  “And this is precisely how to do it, what to say!  following tht brief  introduction are some of the most beautiful and familiar words in all of  Scripture:  “THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU”    ‘BE BLESSED!”  God says through Moses and Aron. 

“Be blessed!”   he says as if he kneels like a tender frind besides us to wipe away our tears.  Be blessed!” he says as he reminds us of his promises to meet all our needs ” according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phillippians 4:19) “Be blesseed!” he exclaims as he forgives all each, and every one of our sins because of his Son’s death on the cross.   When this GOd says, “be blessed! we are!!!!!!!

Be Blessed beyond your limits!