To accept Christ as the true Son of God who died for you on the Cross.
To accept Christ into your heart and life rather than just thinking about Him.
To ask questions and seek answers.
To ask questions rather than keep silent.
To be honest rather than dishonest.
To believe rather than doubt.
To bring cheer into the gloom rather than letting the gloom take away the cheer.
To care for others rather than cold and insolent.
To carry a light carrier in the darkness rather than groping and hurting with others.
To carry others burdens rather than pile your burdens on to them.
To confess your sins before God rather than carrying guilt.
To free your conscience through confession rather than letting your conscience burn and imprison you.
To console others in times of grief.
To choose contentment over turmoil.
To be contrite rather than shrugging your shoulders because you do not care.
To control your life rather than letting "whatever" operate in chaos over you.
To live a life of self-control rather than letting life control you.
To live in conviction rather than letting everything slide.
To have courage by acting in spite of your fear rather than letting fear control you.
To dedicate your life to something rather than hoping something will draft you into an activity you like.
To deliver as much of the goods as you can for others instead of staying at home waiting for someone to deliver the goods to you.
To develop your character and do the right thing rather than ignoring your character and doing the wrong thing.
To give beauty rather than ugliness.
To give blessings and be a blessing rather than give curses and be a curse.
To give compassion when someone is hurting rather than doing nothing.
To visit the widow for a few minutes.
To hear and comfort the weeping.
To help rather than hurt.
To honor and cherish the important persons in your life.
To hunger for the things of God rather than the things of darkness.
To invite the Holy Spirit to become real in your life or ignore this love.
To live a holy life rather than a secular life.
To live as a child of God rather than as an orphan who has been abandoned.
To live in humility rather than living with ego and pride
To live with hope by seeing over the horizons.
To meditate upon the things of God rather than thinking about the things of darkness.
To live in meekness rather than living so others will notice you.
To bestow mercy and forgiveness on those who hurt you rather than trying to get even.
To develop your mind rather than letting your mind waste away.
To minister to others who are in pain rather than believing someone else will help them.
To pray for miracles and be present to assist in their delivery.
To live a moral life rather than living an immoral life.
To see each morning as an opportunity to produce for God rather than a burden to bear for God.
To lay your sorrows of mourning at the foot of the Cross.
To be mystified by the mysteries of God and life.
To mold your character to be decisive for God rather than indecisive.
To put your energy to use rather than letting it evaporate.
To rise up in controlled anger at injustice rather than looking the other way.
To seek answers instead of avoiding them.
To take action when you face anxiety rather than shrink back.
To ask questions rather than keep silent.
To give beauty rather than ugliness.
To give blessings and be a blessing rather than give curses and be a curse.
To share the Bread of Life rather than trying to hoard it and keep it all to yourself.
To care about others rather than caring about only yourself.
To read His word rather than watch TV.
To search for wisdom rather than living in ignorance.
To see how all things are continually made new even when it appears all things grow old and are about to die.
To live in obedience to God's commandments rather than disregarding them.
To live as a child of God rather than as an orphan who has been abandoned.
To live as a person who has been truly rescued from the depths.
To see that pain is a weapon of Satan and the darkness.
To live in peace with your brothers and sisters rather than wanting to make war against them.
To understand that persecution comes to all who love the Lord.
To reach out to the poor.
To understand that poverty of the spirit is a choice for all persons.
To seize the real power that is the love of God rather than letting that power slip through your fingers.
To share the Bread of Life rather than trying to hoard it and keep it all to yourself.
To turn dependence into an opportunity to warn others.
To turn dependence into a victory against more dependence.
To turn dependence into a war for independence.
To turn a time of depression into a time of counting your blessings.
To turn a time of depression into a time of reaching out to others and producing goofiness.
To turn a time of depression into a time of creative outlet rather than a time of disabled hell.
To devote your time rather than letting your time slip away.
To disobey the conventional wisdom that keeps you down and obey the Love of God which propels you upward.
To be devout in your beliefs rather than throwing them in the trash.
To be as difficult with the difficulties as the difficulties are difficult with you.
To use the Holy Bible as a source of God’s truth and wisdom.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
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About Me
- J.A. Vazquez
- I'm just a nobody, trying to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody. I give all honor to the Father for the privilege of being His instrument, through whom He lives and works for His glory alone. I served in the U.S. Navy for 21 years, retiring in September 2003. In my final three years, I was co-pastor at Greater New Refuge COGIC in Fallon, Nevada, under Pastor Gregory L. Brown. I supported my pastor and church by helping with a new sanctuary's construction and caring for all ministry needs while staying true to my mandate to preach the Word of God without compromise. In November 2002, I was licensed to preach and ordained in June 2003. While stationed in Virginia Beach, I served at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church for 17 years under Bishop-Elect W.D. Scott, Sr., and now I serve at Calvary Revival Church in Norfolk, VA, under Bishop B. Courtney McBath. I also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion from Saint Leo University, deepening my foundation and commitment to this path of faith.
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.”
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.
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