Month: December 2018

As 2018 Comes to a Close.

1 Samuel 16:7 CSB

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”

Good morning to our humble family of believers which are bound by a name that Jews to this day, would never say aloud in fear of the 3rd Commandment of using it in vain.

But we know now, by revelation that UNLESS we use His name for uniting the believer with the Holy Spirit in baptism, then all other uses are in vain.

Now we can use His mighty name for other things, however we will be avoiding the sole purpose on why His name was given.

Because when we have studied all the scriptures and all the biblical stories both Old and New, we should have come to a conclusion that it was never a teaching of what was right and wrong, but of order.

And the “believer” may want to use His great name in receiving the greatest gift of God, the Holy Spirit via Acts 2:38, before attempting to desire lesser gifts.

1Cor 12 ends it’s last verse 31 that we should “desire greater gifts, and I will show you the most excellent way”,

And then Chapter 12 ends and Chapter 13 begins on what “love” truly is.

As 2018 closes, remember the scripture above, because we often look at the outside of things more than what God is doing to our hearts. And the inside of the cup is where it starts.

In honor of King Solomon, there is no sense in having all the nice external things in life, if we DO NOT have the wisdom nor the maturity for it all.

Circumstancially, Jesus and his disciples were a mess, if you disagree you haven’t been in a life group with a dozen broken men in it! Lol and we had 40!

Man, we were a mess, BUT regardless how much we looked like a bunch of misfits, we made lots of noise and guess what?

It worked! And it continues to work!

Not by man’s intellectual STANDARDS, but by the FOOLISHNESS of God.

So meditate on how God humbled your heart this year.

Also meditate on how God trusted you with adversity and how your heart has matured and lastly, how much we have drawn closer to the Creator than to Creation.

The things of this Earth will only become strangely dim, if only a greater light, comes into our hearts and life. As the MOON 😉 yields to The SUN/Son every morning as a testimony of this.

So let us be CONTENT and NOT COMPLACENT as this year closes everyone.

For this is not only the day, but also the YEAR God had made and let us likewise be glad and rejoice in it!

To the Author and Maturer of each of our faith, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Your brother in our war against, fear, depression, anxiety and everything left brained.

Ray Evangelista,

Amen.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 NIV

“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.“

WAIT!

One question for you all!

For 2019, will you give God and others FULL CONSENT to “USE” you?

By answering “yes” we understand that we will be “used” in the worse scenarios possible and used without NO expectations of receiving anything in return other than the joy it solely creates in our heart to bless and love someone.

My 2019 “Knew Years” Message.

First of all, thank you all for the votes for moving forward with a NEW YEARS DINNER @ Midtown.

I will get the deets out here in a bit.

Some of y’all know that my word for 2018 was MATURITY. Our culture recognizes numerals consistent with pushing maturity. (18, 21 and 33) and if you are Mike Gundy, 40 is when you should be a grown a$$ man. Lol

As another blessed year goes into the books, let us embrace the “New Year” with what we learned from the year we already knew aka, The Knew Year.

Now if we based our success of 2018 solely on what was external or simply on our circumstances, then sadly we will always feel defeated everytime.

Because we CANNOT beat Satan at his own game and schemes. We CANNOT out Psych the Curator of Psychology and we truly cannot counsel the devil away.

However, if we could be led by FAITH and be reverend with what God is doing to our HEARTS more than what He is doing with our LIVES, we would see a DIFFERENT story.

We would have seen a story of our REBIRTH. A story where God is creating a NEW heart with new paths with new people and with new ways of living.

What did we anticipate, think or picture what a REBIRTH was going to bring us?

I don’t know about y’all, but I am no woman, but giving birth and it’s whole pregnancy process looks miserable!

Sorry mom’s!

Our new story is a story of God molding us into MATURITY, simplicity, meekness, reverence and a drawing closer to God and the ones that truly love us with a genuine unconditional love.

We need MATURITY more than ever before in the history of this world simply because we have a lot more distractions.

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but IT IS about God separating us from the things that we DID NOT have the MATURITY for because we did not possess the maturity to address them properly.

Because IF we had the maturity to address these issues, then we would have “fixed” it ourselves. Amen?

Surely we would not need to quarrel, or hire an attorney to settle these simple matters.

Now if you need a mediator other than God, then call it what it is and let us REPENT of our immaturities.

But just know without a doubt that it is IMMATURITY that we struggle with and not with others or with flesh and blood!

Apostle Paul speaks of this quite a bit. I personnally believe that the Apostle Paul personally struggled with maturity as evidence by his past, his blood line as a Benjamite and his frequent imprisonments.

And lastly by evidence of Phillipians 3:12 NLT

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.”

Notice the use of “perfection” which in Greek is “Tilos'” meaning maturity.

So by faith, our new road IS about God isolating us TEMPORARILY , so that we may remain with Him for a season so we may discipled in His ways in love and maturity.

I don’t know about you, but my definition of a surrender is raising a white flag. And when we say we surrender our lives to God, ALL NEGOTIATIONS ARE OFF.

Like in the Old Testament, there was a time for negotiations. But now, NEW LIFE calls for a FULL TRANSPARENT SURRENDER to God without terms or conditions.

Embrace the new year with a “Knew Year” heart. And embrace the coming New year with a RECEIVING heart and the desire to clean our cup from the inside first, then our outside will be made clean and this is the beginning of living a life that is God’s will.

In His most Holy name, Jesus Christ.

Your brother in our discipleship to Maturity,

Ray Evangelista.

Amen.

Here is the “rest” of Phillipians 3:12-21 NLT

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,d but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

15Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

17Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.”

Amen brother Paul, I will not forget and will carry on the desire of your heart and love for our God. Your suffering will not be in vain. I accept the task in Jesus’ name.

Ecclesiastes, a message to the “Church”.

Happy Son-day family!

By definition, the keyword in Ecclesiastes is the word “ecclesia” which simply means “Church”. So to me, it is a solid message to the “Church” from a King who could have asked anything from God, but yet chose to have wisdom.

So this morning, the Holy Spirit reminded me that I rarely quoted anything from this blessed book of Ecclesiastes, so as my heart always seeks for rest and love, I opened this book to Chapter 7 for rest and looked for my blessed verse 13 for love and what I found was a clear message of maturity.

“13Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

14When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider this:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, no one can discover

anything about their future.

15In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,

and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

16Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise—

why destroy yourself?

17Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool—

why die before your time?

18It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.”

So as I close, I too noticed a pattern under the sun. That when mankind seeks for rest and love, God pushes maturity.

This blessed book that is aimed wholeheartedly towards the Church or to the believer, ends in this;

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (notice the order)

“13Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of all mankind.

14For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.”

Once again verse 13,

“Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Truly the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.

Praise God.

In His most Holy name, Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Your brother in our quest for maturity.

Ray Evangelista.