10
Jul '18

To My Children – A Mis Hijos

Posted on 07/10/2018 in Devotions, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , ,

10
Jul '18
God gave my wife Marguerite, and I six wonderful sons. Now we also have 4 wonderful daughters-in-law. I’ve worked to be a good and godly father, so in that light I’ve endeavored to leave my sons a legacy of instruction in truth. I want to pass on a world view of truth- one that will help them live life as magnificent and abundant as the Creator intended.

Just as God has arranged for his children through His Word and Abraham passed on instruction to Israel in Deuteronomy, so should we pass on God’s instruction to our children- God’s truth- as opposed to the world’s view of how to live. 

I like to use the K.I.S.S. method—Keep it Short and Simple. The following are two main instructions in truth that I feel are important for my boys to know, embrace and live out. 

1. KNOW GOD
The first indispensable instruction I can give is to truly know God. The original languages of the Bible are mainly Hebrew and Greek. In both, the word translated “know” means far more than information and facts. The Word includes the ideas of intimacy and authentic experience. The Hebrew word “know”, or “yada” means far more than intellectual information. It involves intimate experience and relationship.

It was sometimes compared to the intimate relations experienced by a husband and wife. For example, Genesis 4 speaks of Adam and Eve, our first parents and says…

GENESIS 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.” KJV

Another example of this definition is Mary’s response to the angel who tells she will be having a baby.

Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I KNOW not a man?” KJV

I say to you- and my sons- the most essential and important thing in life is that you know God. That means you have encountered him by way of intimate experience and continue to have an intimate relationship with Him.

2. LOVE GOD
The second indispensable instruction I can give is to truly love God. The simple and absolute truth is this: Scriptures teach that knowing God and loving God is really a matter of obeying Him.
 
John 8:31 So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you continue to obey my teaching, you are truly my followers.” NCV
 
Col 1:23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. NLT
 
Passionate pursuit. Encountering God. Intentional and intimately knowing and loving Him. All of this fleshes out by obedience to His will and way for you. Nothing is more important in this life. Pass these truths on to your children and your children’s children. Write it on your hearts and discuss it in your homes. Leave a Godly legacy.
 
Author:
Pastor Liandro Arellano

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13
Jun '18

Listen Up!

Posted on 06/13/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , ,

13
Jun '18
 
Have you ever been talking with someone and you suddenly realize you have no idea what the person is saying? Not because they aren’t making sense, but because your mind is far away thinking about what matters to you. This has been me on too many occasions, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve experienced it as well. Let’s talk about the importance of being a good listener. Yes, there is a difference between listening and hearing!
 

I have always been told that communication takes two people: one person to send a message- verbal or nonverbal- and one person to receive the message. Of course, message sent doesn’t always mean message received. Good communication requires the message receiver to actually acknowledge the message was received.

In general, our society is filled with people engrossed with pleasing only themselves. When we participate in this behavior, our focus is off of others and solely on ourselves.

 
I can tell you from personal experience that when this happens, I suddenly find myself with more anxiety, more stress and more self-pity. When I finally wake up, listen to God and start serving others, my perspective about my situation changes. Serving others as Christ did is a whole other topic, but let’s face it, taking time to listen to each other is a vital part of serving one another.

Most people in life just want to be heard. I witness it in my job every day. Someone else’s problem may seem small to us, but to them it could be a major crisis or devastatingly life changing.

The Bible tells us in James 1:19:
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…

 

Did you notice what James points out first? Be quick to listen. I am so quick to think of what to say next- or have a response prepared- before I’ve even completely processed what someone else is actually saying. That makes it all about me.

Making it about them requires more than merely hearing, but actively listening.

I encourage you- along with myself- to take the time to really listen to others. You never know how you may impact someone’s life just by taking the time required to truly listen to them. The next time you find yourself working to actively listen to someone, remember these three things:

1. Actively listening prepares us to speak well.
2. Actively listening is an act of love.
3. Actively listening reflects your relationship with Christ.
 
Author: 

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24
Feb '18

Soul Tattoo- What Defines You?

Posted on 02/24/2018 in Devotions, Real Life, Soul Care, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , ,

24
Feb '18
The Scripture is full of references that talk about the soul and the spirit.
It’s so important in fact, that the Old Testament mentions it over 785 times and the New Testament over 103 times.
 

It’s pretty clear that in God’s big story for mankind, our souls- the essence of our inner most beings- is important to Him- so important that He sent His son to die for our sin, our weaknesses, and our shame. Our soul is the thing that makes us unique. It’s how we relate to others and how we understand ourselves. It comprises who we are.

Often our souls feel like a roller coaster- sometimes weary or unsure- sometimes comfortable, content or even at peace. We all have invisible tattoos (so to speak) that make an imprint on our souls… earthly things that work to define us. They may have been in the past or are currently influencing our perspectives.
They can make a mark so deep that the imprint may feel like it will last forever.

So the question is this: what defines you?

Are you allowing your past, your education, your mistakes, your job, your talents, ministry, kids, marital status, successes… whatever- to define who you are? The world would project this onto you… especially your failures! This should not be! You see friend, when we allow these things to define who we are, we have embraced a false identity. We are then allowing everything but God to define our worth.
 
This is why God says we must examine our hearts.
 
He knows that if we embrace a false identity, we are vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes and lies. This leaves us vulnerable to the many traps the enemy of our souls delights putting right in our path. He loves to plant seeds of self doubt, confusion, relationship drama, unforgiveness, bad decisions, selfish pride or self-hatred… even disobedience to the God we say we love.

But with God’s Truth, He tells us that if we place our soul identity in Him, nothing can touch the essence of who we are! When we believe on His name and claim Christ as our Savior, we are a new creation found in Christ Jesus. No longer do we have to be defined by those old things. We are now sons and daughters of the King of Kings!

Hebrews 6:18-19 says
“Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls…”
 
This Truth of our identity isn’t always something that we “feel”… but rather God’s Truth that we must choose.
 
2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (MSG)
Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.

Because of God’s overwhelming love for us, it’s that same love that will transform our souls into something beautiful, confident, at peace and blazing with purpose. This is the ultimate miracle- the transformation of the very essence of our being!

Let us make our “soul tattoo” permanent once and for all, by…
1) knowing the Truth
2) embracing the Truth
3) practice the Truth daily
4) make the Truth known as a testimony for God’s glory
 
For if we can run with the Truth of who we really are in Jesus– nothing…and I mean nothing-
will stop us from fulfilling the destiny God has planned for us to fulfill!
 
Author: 
Michelle Marx
Wife, Mom and Lover of Jesus
You can read more of Michelle’s writing at Pianogirl Speaks.

 


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08
Jan '18

Why I Believe in Christian Education

Posted on 01/08/2018 in Perspectives | Tags: , , , ,

08
Jan '18

I believe children come from God, as a blessing.. a reward… a profound responsibility.

Children too, are a gift from Adonai; the fruit of the womb is a reward. The children born when one is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. How blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them; he will not have to be embarrassed.
Psalm 127
 

A dominant and repeated theme of the scriptures is this: responsibility and authority for the children is given by God to their parents.

 
Scripture also clearly shows parents that it is their responsibility to see their children trained in the knowledge, love, fear and admonition of God and His Word. Hebrew/Jewish tradition dictates that God gave his people two assignments that can be seen in Psalms 78 and Deuteronomy 6:
 

To know, love and obey God

To pass it on to the next generation

I also believe it takes a family and the local church, in this fallen world and culture we live in, to raise Godly children.

Everyone has a world view, but the difference is where it comes from.

 
Are we adopting the world’s philosophy and actions, or are we determining that God and His Word
must define our philosophy and actions in this life?
 
 My viewpoints are not to point the finger and say everyone belongs in a Christian school or home school. This is a decision that needs to be made by parents and the Lord. No education is perfection! However, I would like to share my personal reasons for why I believe in and support Christian education.
 
 
Some of the goals and purposes of Christian education simply make them different, even spiritually healthier.
In I Corinthians 11, Paul says “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”
 
They typically:
 

Partner with parents

Communicate and impart the Gospel of Christ

Teach and develop a Christian worldview

Convey, model, affirm and develop character based on Jesus character

Teach right from wrong; per Jesus example of a love for righteousness and a hatred for evil

Work to proclaim, present and live out the Gospel in every day life

Hire staff that love God and His Word, love children and feel called to teach

Honor the principle of revelation: God must be embraced as God… God first, foremost and throughout

Practice the principle of integration, educating from a Biblical and Christ-like worldview in all subjects

 

We live in a fallen world; unfriendly and even hostile to Jesus, Biblical Truth and the church.

 
Sometimes, we have earned that cynicism and dismissal through our imperfect actions. Still, our world fights against God and His Truth! We can see the evidence of this in all of our major institutions. Sadly, as a culture we are failing and falling apart. We need Jesus in every area of our lives!
 
 Christian education cannot guarantee our children will become perfect, or even great Christians. They can only endeavor to present Jesus Christ and teach from a Christian perspective. My prayer is for each parent to earnestly seek God for what is best for their individual child and family.
 
 
 
Author:
Pastor Liandro Arellano
Loving husband, father and grandfather
Retired Pastor & Superintendent of Faith Christian School
 
 
 
 

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