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Sunday, March 19, 2006

Jabez’s Prayer for Our Prayer Lives

Father, because the desire of our hearts is to become all that You want us to be as people of prayer, I offer Jabez’s prayer for my own prayer life and for those You have placed on my heart as an intercessor, believing it will be in Your will to hear and answer such a prayer.

I ask that You bless us indeed--

exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we can ask or imagine, that our lives and our prayers will be blessed to be a blessing in the lives of those we love and pray for.

Enlarge our territory--

increase the boundaries and extend the margins of our knowledge of prayer, our desire to pray, the time we spend in prayer, the number of people we pray for, our undertaking of what to ask, and the effectiveness of our prayers.

May Your hand be on us--

that every prayer will be inspired by Your Spirit, that we will be enabled to live the life that keeps us sensitive to His leading and allows You to hear and answer every request He leads us to make.

Keep us from harm, that we might serve you in full health and strength--

protect us from Satan and every evil spirit under his command in the name of Jesus and with the blood of the cross, demolishing every stronghold attempting to influence our heart, mind, emotions, or will against the knowledge of God.

Now, Father, I ask you to help us to be those who love You with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Help us to live so that our hearts do not condemn us, lives that are obedient and pleasing to You--for I ask it in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

DIRECTIONS TO OUR FATHER'S HOUSE

Make a Right onto Believeth Blvd.

Keep straight and go through the Green Light, which is Jesus Christ .

There, you must turn onto the Bridge of Faith , which is over troubled water.

When you get off the bridge, make a Right turn and Keep Straight.

You are on the King's Highway - Heaven-bound.

Keep going for three miles:

One for the Father, One for the Son, and One for the Holy Spirit Amen, Amen Amen!.

Then exit off onto Grace Blvd.

From there, make a Right turn on Gospel Lane.

Keep Straight and then make another Right on Prayer Road .

As you go on your way,

Yield Not to the traffic on Temptation Ave.

Also, avoid SIN STREET because it is a DEAD END.

Pass up Envy Drive , and Hate Avenue.

Also, pass Hypocrisy Street , Gossiping Lane, and Backbiting Blvd. However, you have to go down Long-suffering Lane , Persecution Blvd. and Trials and Tribulations Ave.

But that's all right, because VICTORY Street is straight ahead! Glory AMEN!!!!!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are bombarded today with relentless appeals to go in various directions. Television advertising alone places hundreds of options before us, in addition to appeals made by political parties, cults, false religions, and dozens of other groups. Numerous organizations, including Christian organizations, seek to motivate us to support a cause. Add to that the dozens of decisions we must make concerning our job, our family, our money, our society, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way. If you find yourself pulled in several directions, remember that God teaches the humble his way. So now that we know the directions to our Fathers house, lets make sure our love ones know the way to our fathers house...as a matter of fact, invite your enemies too.

I received these beautiful directions from my dear niece, Vanessa, whom is saved and I love her dearly. Thank you Vanessa!

Elder J.A. Vazquez

About Me

My photo
I'm just, a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about Somebody who can save anybody. First I want to give love to the Father for giving me the opportunity to be an instrument for him to live in and live through for the glory that belongs to only him and Him alone. I served in the United States Navy for twenty one years and retired September 2003. During the last 3 years of my naval career, I served as co-pastor of Greater New Refuge COGIC in Fallon, Nevada under the tutelage of Pastor Gregory L. Brown. While there, I diligently served my pastor and church with the construction of a new sanctuary, and caring for the needs of all ministries, while simultaneously striving to stay focused on the mandate that the Lord had placed upon my life to preach the Word of God without compromise. I was licensed to preach November 2002 and Ordained June 2003. While stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I proudly served and as constituent of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church for seventeen years under the leadership of Bishop Elect W. D. Scott, Sr. and presently serve under the leadership of Bishop B. Courtney McBath at Calvary Revival Church in Norfolk, Virginia.

MY THEOLOGICAL TRAINING:

It brings to my face a unadulterated smile each and every occasion I am asked, “Elder Dre, What Theological Training do you have?”

My heart beams with joy at the opportunity to humbly give full glory to God as I reflect on on how the prophets, patriarchs and apostles of old would have respond: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Gideon, King David, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Matthew, Mark, Peter, James, John and the other disciples, not forgetting the Saviour Himself.

How would they have answered the question: “What theological training do you have?”

The words of the prophet Amos also came to mind: “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:” Amos 7:14

I surely am not impliedly decrying theological preparation, education or training: I consider it essential, but not as much as some think. For the fact is, the Almighty raises up believers according to His own standards.

Educational qualifications, wealth, fame, talent, social standing, outward appearance etc. are useful; but they are secondary in His sight. Qualities like faith, obedience, holiness, humility, honesty, absolute loyalty to one’s spouse, the ability to raise one’s family to fear God and keep His commandments etc.; these are the things the Most High values.

“Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

Only on the Day of Judgment will it be known how truly educated, weighty and effective I have been. That is why I have to smile when the question arise.

The vanity of the question is only matched by the foolishness of my answer.

As the wise man wrote: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1: 2 or as the apostle Paul commented in 2 Corinthians 11:16-30 when rattling off a long list of impressive qualifications “... I speak as a fool.”

Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 1 John 4:14-15 (NLT)

I am a preacher, but most of all, I proclaim that Jesus is the Savior with various applications of that truth in my everyday life. My dear friend, if you are a Christian, you are a preacher also. Whether you have been ordained or not, hired by a church or not, or ever been recognized as a preacher or not is beside the point. All who have God living in them are called to proclaim the Savior to the world. It is a Holy calling, and a demanding one. It will pull you out of your comfort zone, challenge your commitment, and help to develop you into the person God has created you to be.

John spoke as an eyewitness to Jesus' saving power. We speak as heart-witnesses; ones who have not seen Jesus with our eyes, but have experienced Him through personal transformation. I speak, and you speak, as a representative of Christ on earth. The message that we bring is simple, yet profound; that God the Father sent God the Son into the world to save those who are lost to bring them into relationship with Him. As you tell the story, and I tell the story, some will listen and receive the grace that God has sent us into the world to proclaim.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Father, what a privilege to be a spokesperson for You.

Thank you for stopping by. Stay encouraged and please do come back.