Staying Put in Your Commitment
Let me ask you a question: Are you only committed or only involved? There was once a kamikaze pilot who flew 52 missions. He was involved in each one, but he was not committed. Here is an important principle in life: the level of commitments defines the quality of your life. Hebrews 11:35 describe the faithful as “not accepting their release.” Simply amazing, they had the opportunity for the easy way out, but they stayed put in their commitment. In spite of the circumstance, in spite of pain, in spite of fear they stayed the course. We often quit so easy, we given in so easy, we turn back so easy, we just . . . stop. Why? So often our level of commitment is tied to our level of comfort.
When it gets uncomfortable we just quit. We drop out, we cry, we whine, we feud, we fight, and ultimately we fail. Here is the truth, the work of God has not always been easy and it’s not always comfortable. It is reassuring to know, God’s will never lead us where His grace cannot keep us. It doesn’t stop there either, God said it would be eternally rewarding. The word for today is, “Stay put! Stay Committed! Stay the Course!” Come out of early Christian retirement and reenlist, recommit, and refocus. You were made to make a difference. Eternity will reveal that, so often we quit before we can see our fruit.
Someone once said:
“My life is but a weaving between the Lord and me; I cannot choose the colors. He worketh steadily. Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride, Forget He sees the upper and I the under side. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand, As the threads of gold and silver, in the patter He has planned”
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Kingdom Hero-by Angelo Cabrera
Kingdom Hero
God has a hall of fame, filled with God’s champions, found in Hebrews chapter 11. When you read Hebrews 11, immediately you are capture in three ways: 1) Great motivation, “if they could, I can” 2) God is watching us, for there are included people with names and no names, the Lord is aware of each of us 3) Higher priorities, to keep us focus on God’s priorities.
These men and women of faith were sold out to the Lord. They shifted from self-sufficiency to God sufficiency. Paul the apostle said it this way, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We must do the same daily, that is, surrender to the agenda of Christ.
If we were honest we might sing some well known hymns like this:
I Surrender Some
There Shall be Sprinkles of Blessings
Fill My Spoon, Lord
Ho, How I Like Jesus
He’s Quit a Bit to Me
I Love to Talk About Telling the Story
Take My Life and Let Me Be
It is My Secret What God Can Do
There is Scattered Cloudiness in My Soul Today
Onward, Christian Reserves
Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
Just As I Pretend to Be
When the Saints Go Sneaking In
There are quite humorous but there is an element of truth contained in each of them. “Please tell me in a word,” said a Christian woman to a minister, “what your idea of consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet of paper the pastor replied, “It is to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet, and to let God fill it in as He will.”
It took forty years for Moses to realize he was nothing. He came to a place where there some dry and ugly sticks. He took off his shoes, and you say why? God was in the bush. God is saying: I don’t need a pretty bush, educated bush, or even an eloquent bush. Any old bush will, as long as am in the bush. My sufficiency does not come through who I was, quite the opposite, it comes through who lives in me.
God has a hall of fame, filled with God’s champions, found in Hebrews chapter 11. When you read Hebrews 11, immediately you are capture in three ways: 1) Great motivation, “if they could, I can” 2) God is watching us, for there are included people with names and no names, the Lord is aware of each of us 3) Higher priorities, to keep us focus on God’s priorities.
These men and women of faith were sold out to the Lord. They shifted from self-sufficiency to God sufficiency. Paul the apostle said it this way, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We must do the same daily, that is, surrender to the agenda of Christ.
If we were honest we might sing some well known hymns like this:
I Surrender Some
There Shall be Sprinkles of Blessings
Fill My Spoon, Lord
Ho, How I Like Jesus
He’s Quit a Bit to Me
I Love to Talk About Telling the Story
Take My Life and Let Me Be
It is My Secret What God Can Do
There is Scattered Cloudiness in My Soul Today
Onward, Christian Reserves
Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
Just As I Pretend to Be
When the Saints Go Sneaking In
There are quite humorous but there is an element of truth contained in each of them. “Please tell me in a word,” said a Christian woman to a minister, “what your idea of consecration is?” Holding out a blank sheet of paper the pastor replied, “It is to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet, and to let God fill it in as He will.”
It took forty years for Moses to realize he was nothing. He came to a place where there some dry and ugly sticks. He took off his shoes, and you say why? God was in the bush. God is saying: I don’t need a pretty bush, educated bush, or even an eloquent bush. Any old bush will, as long as am in the bush. My sufficiency does not come through who I was, quite the opposite, it comes through who lives in me.
Breaking Barriers-by Angelo Cabrera
Breaking Barriers
We are living in a day when, ordinary people empowered by God, are making a difference together. The local church is the future. The church of the new millennium has a mission to evangelize the planet. Would we be the generation that says, “Let’s get it done.” God never met a person whom he didn’t love. We have been fiddle ling around while the world goes to hell.
God is still looking for worshipers. This is a core to the purpose of missions. That God would be worshipped among all the peoples.
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands” Rev. 7:9 NASB
God is launching all kinds of churches for all kinds of people. God loves variety. Imagine, there are over 60,000 kinds of beetles. God is calling each one of us to think and pray globally. It’s time to do church with no limits. Every church is called into mission and mission is needed among all peoples. Every church is a sending church. The Great Commandment and Great Commission was given to every believer in every church in every country of the world (Acts 1:8).
Our prayer should be for more influence. Why, to speak up for those who have no influence. We need to be more like Jesus. We need to do more like Jesus.
We are living in a day when, ordinary people empowered by God, are making a difference together. The local church is the future. The church of the new millennium has a mission to evangelize the planet. Would we be the generation that says, “Let’s get it done.” God never met a person whom he didn’t love. We have been fiddle ling around while the world goes to hell.
God is still looking for worshipers. This is a core to the purpose of missions. That God would be worshipped among all the peoples.
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands” Rev. 7:9 NASB
God is launching all kinds of churches for all kinds of people. God loves variety. Imagine, there are over 60,000 kinds of beetles. God is calling each one of us to think and pray globally. It’s time to do church with no limits. Every church is called into mission and mission is needed among all peoples. Every church is a sending church. The Great Commandment and Great Commission was given to every believer in every church in every country of the world (Acts 1:8).
Our prayer should be for more influence. Why, to speak up for those who have no influence. We need to be more like Jesus. We need to do more like Jesus.
A Pathway to Fruitfulness-by Angelo Cabrera
A Pathway to Fruitfulness
A Brief look at what goes on during the week:
Building the Foundation
• There is a prayer team that goes to the local park to pray for at least three hours. Intercession, spiritual warfare, and enlisting other to pray is emphasized.
• Communicating the vision to pastors, pastors-in-training, leaders, and church people (Prov. 29:18; Ps. 78:6-7).
• Assessing the local needs and preparing for the best practices. Including house-to-house invitation, street evangelism, showing the JESUS film, and altar call invitations (Isaiah 6:8).
• Targeting for the unchurched communities nearby (Matthew 24:14; Romans 15:20; 1 Cor. 3:8).
Teaching Local Believers
• Communicating spiritual heath and balance (Matthew 4:23).
• Training in evangelism that leads to church planting.
• Training lay leaders so they can lead (Zech. 10:2; Prov. 11:14).
• Move to match volunteers with other resources.
Equip Emerging Trainers
• Find volunteer leaders (Mark 3:14; John 15:8).
• Train those planting churches to equip others in this strategy through pastor’s school (2 Tim. 2:2).
• Help start new groups among the unchurched (Romans 15:20; 1 Thess. 1:6-8).
• Train lay leaders so they can lead small groups (Jer. 3:15; Acts 2:42).
Overseeing the work among the churches at:
• Musooku
• Aburi
• Teshi
• Dome
• Tema
Soon to launch new churches in:
Shai Hills, Far in the Western Region, and Cape Coast.
A Brief look at what goes on during the week:
Building the Foundation
• There is a prayer team that goes to the local park to pray for at least three hours. Intercession, spiritual warfare, and enlisting other to pray is emphasized.
• Communicating the vision to pastors, pastors-in-training, leaders, and church people (Prov. 29:18; Ps. 78:6-7).
• Assessing the local needs and preparing for the best practices. Including house-to-house invitation, street evangelism, showing the JESUS film, and altar call invitations (Isaiah 6:8).
• Targeting for the unchurched communities nearby (Matthew 24:14; Romans 15:20; 1 Cor. 3:8).
Teaching Local Believers
• Communicating spiritual heath and balance (Matthew 4:23).
• Training in evangelism that leads to church planting.
• Training lay leaders so they can lead (Zech. 10:2; Prov. 11:14).
• Move to match volunteers with other resources.
Equip Emerging Trainers
• Find volunteer leaders (Mark 3:14; John 15:8).
• Train those planting churches to equip others in this strategy through pastor’s school (2 Tim. 2:2).
• Help start new groups among the unchurched (Romans 15:20; 1 Thess. 1:6-8).
• Train lay leaders so they can lead small groups (Jer. 3:15; Acts 2:42).
Overseeing the work among the churches at:
• Musooku
• Aburi
• Teshi
• Dome
• Tema
Soon to launch new churches in:
Shai Hills, Far in the Western Region, and Cape Coast.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Health Update on Feliza
I sent an e-mail out to my family to ask for their prayers and inform them that I had recently become very dehydrated...I know, me of all people, the one always telling others to drink enough water!
Well...it happened to me. I hadn't gotten sick since I'd been here but this week was affected by dehydration. The Harmattan has begun here in Ghana (The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmattan)that plus drinking more hot caffeinated tea and coffee than usual added to it and just not drinking enough to fight the dry air here.
I began to faint at a very crowded, hot, marketplace a couple hours away from home. I was with Angelo and the kids and I thought it could have been my blood sugar, I was able to drink enough juice to walk the distance to the jeep and go home. My blood pressure was very low and I was extremely weak and tired. I went to a local nearby clinic yesterday and recieved 1 1/2 litres of normal saline fluid intravaneously and felt somewhat better; they also took some blood tests as well. I am much better today although feeling tired still. Also drinking a lot of water.
Little by little catching up with my strength. All this right before Christmas...not fun. But God is good and He provided the right doctors and help where I needed it!
We miss you all and of course are missing being at home with family and friends for Christmas. Tommorrow at church we will have a packed Sunday with a second communion service and the baby naming ceremony of the daughter of our driver Isaac. His daughter was named after me, it was a true honor! Her full name is Feliza Ajeebia Osai, almost 2 months old now!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Well...it happened to me. I hadn't gotten sick since I'd been here but this week was affected by dehydration. The Harmattan has begun here in Ghana (The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March (winter). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmattan)that plus drinking more hot caffeinated tea and coffee than usual added to it and just not drinking enough to fight the dry air here.
I began to faint at a very crowded, hot, marketplace a couple hours away from home. I was with Angelo and the kids and I thought it could have been my blood sugar, I was able to drink enough juice to walk the distance to the jeep and go home. My blood pressure was very low and I was extremely weak and tired. I went to a local nearby clinic yesterday and recieved 1 1/2 litres of normal saline fluid intravaneously and felt somewhat better; they also took some blood tests as well. I am much better today although feeling tired still. Also drinking a lot of water.
Little by little catching up with my strength. All this right before Christmas...not fun. But God is good and He provided the right doctors and help where I needed it!
We miss you all and of course are missing being at home with family and friends for Christmas. Tommorrow at church we will have a packed Sunday with a second communion service and the baby naming ceremony of the daughter of our driver Isaac. His daughter was named after me, it was a true honor! Her full name is Feliza Ajeebia Osai, almost 2 months old now!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Christmas fills our hearts with LOVE because God first loved us. JOY because the Saviour is our honored guest. PEACE because our hearts belong to Him. May you know the warmth of His presence in your home as you celebrate this special time of year. God bless your Christmas. " . . . We set our hearts at rest in His presence" (1 John 3:19).
In Africa we are starting tonight 4 days that are going to be glorious. Tonight we will show the movie "The Nativity" on the high mountains of Ghana. Tomorrow we will have communion and a explosive Sunday church service. Monday, that is Christmas Eve, we will show the movie "The Nativity" at the capital. Tuesday, Christmas morning we will have a church service with a full meal for all who wish to come. No snow here but plenty of Jesus.
From Africa,
Angelo, Feliza, Annie, Marisol
Christmas fills our hearts with LOVE because God first loved us. JOY because the Saviour is our honored guest. PEACE because our hearts belong to Him. May you know the warmth of His presence in your home as you celebrate this special time of year. God bless your Christmas. " . . . We set our hearts at rest in His presence" (1 John 3:19).
In Africa we are starting tonight 4 days that are going to be glorious. Tonight we will show the movie "The Nativity" on the high mountains of Ghana. Tomorrow we will have communion and a explosive Sunday church service. Monday, that is Christmas Eve, we will show the movie "The Nativity" at the capital. Tuesday, Christmas morning we will have a church service with a full meal for all who wish to come. No snow here but plenty of Jesus.
From Africa,
Angelo, Feliza, Annie, Marisol
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