Author: Ray Evangelista, RN

I was born an "Evangelista", I didn't choose to be in the ministry, the ministry chose me. I come from a long line of "evangelists" and although it would have been more glorious to have been a leader behind a pulpit, I chose to be a servant as a nurse and have been on ground zero helping the sick for over 27 years.

Why I Hated Christian Movies. 

At one time my heart was heavily hardened and I was very skeptical on watching Christian based movies just because how “off” they were.

For example, there is nothing like watching a TV Show or movie based on surgery/medical drama and notice how “off” they are. 

 Lol

When we are “taught” or experience a certain way, we tend to be biased and “pick out” the anomalies first, kinda shows our nature. Now blessed are those that have no prior medical knowledge, because they get to enjoy the movie, while we however grunt and moan. 

 Lol

It takes great faith to pick out what others do “RIGHT” before exposing what others do “WRONG”.

Regretfully, I tend to choose wrong every time.

It would be different if our “job” was about “Quality Control” as a Christian, however, we were called to love and not to judge. To defend and not to offend.

Now I would rather not judge another because that is what the Holy Spirit will do that for each and every one of us, hence why I keep ACTS 2:38 as my priority because everyone should have an intimate relationship with God. 

And if their intimacy enables them to hear the Holy Spirit speak to them personally, then they will recognize His words in us.

This is what “Seek first the Kingdom of God” is all about. It is about anintimate  relationship between Christ and His bride via the Holy Spirit and knowing that they have received this gift.

Otherwise, the Word of God remains offensive to us because our intimacy with God is limited to a legalistic “Father-like” relationship of “do’s and dont’s” and that evidently simply produces rebellion. A father’s love is important and required, however it is time to draw nearer.

Satan does not want us to progress to the FULLNESS of intimacy via the trinity. As you heard me say before, the trinity of “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” are simply levels of intimacy mankind had with God.

It was God’s way of drawing closer to mankind to where salvation is available providing we have become ONE with Him in Spirit.

Satan does not want us to experience God as a friend (John 15:15), nor does he want us to even know God as a “bride knows her husband” in our life being as One. (Ephesians 5:31-32)

Satan prefers us to be stuck in an Old Testament relationship with God. Where our good deeds are sacrificial and our service feels like a servant’s heart via HAVING to do something vs. out of love and intimacy of WANTING to do something.

But by the grace of God, compassion has opened my mind a bit more this year than last and had a mustard seed portion of faith to rent and watch the movie, “God’s Not Dead 2”

By His grace, received an empowering message from this movie which I will share in the near future. 

Brotherly love, 

Ray Evangelista

How can we enjoy Heaven if we still had the ability to remember? 

This has always been a big question for the young Christian.  I had always struggled with this understanding.  

“How can heaven be heaven if I could still remember my life on earth?

Well, my answer came from a simple understanding of right and left brain functions, complemented with Revelation 22, appropriately titled, “Eden Restored”. 

In this chapter, I believe John was not just simply talking about a physical location, but how our “thinking” changes. He was talking about our minds renewed. 

“1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,”

On each side of the river NOW stands the “tree of life” aka faith on BOTH sides. 

Once faith overwhelms both sides of our thinking, there is NO MORE LEFT OR RIGHT, good or evil, male or female, Jew or Gentile.

Finally FAITH is restored and ALL things are understood, full disclosure and THERE IS NO MORE “Why?”.

Romans 8:28 NIV

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

It is like the Chinese Farmer, we will no longer be moved by the labels of good and evil.

Now we see how God sees everything, ALL is good if we can just simply have FAITH that God is bigger than our issues.  

But the time to learn that is now. The time for trust is now. We got to allow God to be God in our life.  

Open the door and let Him in.  
Revelation 3:20 

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Brotherly love, 

Ray Evangelista

Great Message Today @ LC

The sermon today reminds me of a wife of a brother that had great expectations of the mens group at one time.  

She noticed great changes at first and likewise had great expectations for him and us. 

Until a season passed and her expectations of where her husband’s faith was did not line up with God’s. 

She said to me, “He is better and more patient and compassionate, however he still has a long way to go, I feel he has reached a plateau in your group.” 

At the time I knew what was happening but did not know how to relay it “gently”.

And I replied, “maybe now it is not your husband’s compassion that He is working on, maybe now, God is trying to work with you?”. 
We must be equally yoked in that manner.  God grows both, husband and wife together and both has to have the patience to allow the other to grow. 

The rest is history, the brother to this day says that although he can never live up to the expectations of his wife, he still loves her and told me that he will never give up trying. 

I can honestly say that I have learned more from him and his faith than He will ever learn from me.  I learned the power of forgiveness and love to overlook the evil and to look ahead to the good that still awaits us. 

At that time I was given a quote, God spoke to my heart and said, “The only reason why you cannot let go of the bad memories is because you do not have the faith to CREATE better ones.”

So that is my prayer for us all.  

“4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails,” I Corinthians 13 NIV

Brotherly love and In the name of Jesus Christ in whom all things are made new, 

Amen, 

Ray Evangelista