Author: rontrujillo

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra–what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me (Italics mine). Yes, and all who desire to lie godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim.3:10-17) *Observation*

One of the best things about being able to fix things around your house is that you no longer have to be an expert on any one craft, or highly skilled in carpentry to remodel. Youtube has channels you turn to where experts will demonstrate and show you step by step on how to fix and replace things around the house.

Paul was a powerful example to his young protege’ Timothy, who watched him live his life and actions he took. From a prison in Rome, Paul wrote, “You. . . know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings” (vv.10-11). All of these could make anyone be filled with anxiety about following Christ. In addition, he urged Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures” (vv. 14-15). It’s one thing to read about someone who does extraordinary work in serving others, and quite another to actually know someone and watch him daily as he lives his life for the Lord. Paul commends Timothy’s faith in Ch. 1, which he was shown first by grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice. Now Paul’s life demonstrated the necessity of building our lives on God’s Word by reminding Timothy that the Scriptures is our powerful God given source.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God—(Gr. theopneustos): The Greek word means “God – breathed,” difficult to fully recreate the thought of this Greek expression in English, scholars are fairly sure that Paul meant to say that all Scripture was breathed out of God. Which is the primary meaning but could also mean that the Word was “inbreathed,” or inspired by God. The first definition affirms the Bible’s divine origin; the second speaks of God’s spiritual presence in the Word. Thus, God not only inspired the authors who wrote the words of the Bible, but He also inspires those who read it with a heart of faith.

You know even the experts on Youtube channels had somebody at one time teach them. As we thank God for everyone who has helped us grow in our faith, may we be challenged to ask the Lord in prayer to help us willingly desire to be examples used by the Lord to help others in following Christ. Our inspiration truly comes from the Holy Spirit who compels us through the love of Christ.

Lord, help us to be faithful in our daily walk with You, to sit before You each day taking in Your Word, equipping us so that others will benefit from having You in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen

Ref. Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man (upright), and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (Literally Savior) for He will save His people from their sins.” So, all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary to be his wife, and did not know her till she brought forth her firstborn Son. And they called His name Jesus.

*Observation*

The Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream, it’s so important to note that this was not a random choice, the angel of the Lord who visited him called him, “Joseph, son of David,” indicating that he was of the birth line of David, OT king of Israel, whom God had said, would the Messiah come from. So, we know that Joseph was a man of God. And he was a carpenter, a skill that Jesus would be known for. The name Jesus is a Greek version of the Hebrew name, Joshua, which is a contraction of the name of God, Yahweh, and Shua, which means “salvation.” Shortened to Joshua it’s “God’s salvation.” His name describes His nature and reason for coming. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in birth and life, death, and resurrection. The gospel of Matthew points to these prophecies more than the other Gospel writers.

Today, our world is in desperate need of salvation. It is a world that is void of understanding there is a great need of spiritual help but choosing to rely on man’s resources of political and invented systems and man-made programs as solutions. This will never work, and higher education teaching it doesn’t need God. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, but even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The gospel of Christ is unseen by those who are lost, because Satan has blinded their eyes.

Our faith and trust are in the One who came to save us as “Our Immanuel, God with us.” This Christ Child grew up to fulfill His Father’s will, to die for the sins of man, and now we can know true peace, and have hope beyond the years of this life on earth. We can have eternal life as our destiny and rejoice now here today, by reminding others of God’s love for us, and having His Son, Jesus Christ inside our hearts. This Christmas season, let the light of the good news of the gospel be the shining light of all our daily activities and make His name known to our families, neighbors, and friends.

Prayer: Dear Lord, during Christmas time, we can become so busy preparing and gathering to share gifts and prepare meals with families and friends, May the Light and Love of Christ be seen in our hearts and be felt in our home, which truly enables us to share the greatest gift of Your presence “Our Immanuel” with each other. We thank You for the Greatest Gift, Jesus our Savior and Redeemer.

In His Holy name, we pray, Amen.

Ref. James 3:13-18

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17) KJV

In this verse in James, we learn about the type of wisdom that is from Heaven. There is a stark contrast between the wisdom of heaven and the wisdom of the world. Heavenly wisdom is first off pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to hear other opinions and perspectives, merciful, and honest. As Christians, we all have access to wisdom from the Lord, which He gives to us liberally, and without reproach.

Let’s break down the characteristics of heavenly wisdom; It begins with purity coming from a heart that is undivided. Pure wisdom has a single aim: to serve and honor the Lord in every possible way. People with this kind of wisdom are not worried about being first in line or getting the best of anything, nor if others respond back to their kindness. Instead, their primary concern is to bring glory and honor to the Lord. Their hearts are focused on Jesus, so everything else falls into second place.

Heavenly wisdom is also an instrument of peace and gentleness. It seeks unity above division, knowing that people are always more valuable than their own ideologies or argument debates. Because of the high value it places on gentleness, heavenly wisdom will not be caught up in emotions that lead to anger or harsh words. Instead, it will be temperate and kind in all circumstances. This type of wisdom will not hold back on mercy or bearing good fruits of the Spirit, it will remain open to hearing new perspectives and ideas. But will not speak words that differ by their actions.

If this seems impossible or overwhelming to you, rest assured that it is for all of us to reach this place in our life without God doing it for us. As a Christian, God lives through us by His Holy Spirit in us, who is our source of Divine wisdom and strength which is conforming us into the image of Christ.

Godly wisdom communicates concern for others well-being through a gentle, yielding, merciful spirit. All of which you and I have already received from the Lord. How we treat others is how we treat Jesus. Believers whose lives are lived out as Jesus desires, will know where His heart is over what is important to Him. He longs for His Father to be glorified that His followers be sanctified, and that the church be unified to reach the world for Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You so much for heavenly wisdom. Help us to desire Your heavenly wisdom to characterize our lives. May Your Holy Spirit help us to be more and more like You, dear God. So, thank You for letting us communicate Your heavenly wisdom to our families and to others we come across with, for Your glory and honor.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Ref. Luke 3:22

And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My Son; in You I am well pleased.”

*Insight*

At the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. Afterwards, the Holy Spirit comes down like a dove, and God speaks from Heaven that Jesus is His Son and that He is pleased with Him. The verse along with being a beautiful depiction of the trinity, gives us an image of the importance of blessing each other. God blessed Jesus by saying He was pleased with Him. This reminds me in this life how much love and encouragement do children receive, when their father claims publicly, “This is my son/daughter and I’m so proud of them!” This comes into a deeper meaning when we remember that right after this scene, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matt. 4:1) to be tempted by Satan for forty days. He does not eat or drink anything, and the Adversary comes to tempt Him to give up His kingdom.

There is nothing to make us believe the timing is coincidental. We can imagine Jesus in the desert repeating the blessing that His Father in heaven had given Him: I am His beloved Son, and He is pleased with Me. Imagine what strength those words might have given Jesus has He endured the temptations. He uses the Word of His Father to fight off Satan’s attacks. Jesus’s ministry had barely begun, and the cross was still ahead of Him, but the Lord was already pleased with Him. He wasn’t looking for anything Jesus had done, but who Jesus was, His Son.

Today, we should remember that our words have the same life-giving ability that God’s words did for Jesus. If Jesus accepted His Father’s affirming words, how much more do we need to receive then give forward these types of words to others? We are God’s elect who face many temptations and trials of testing, if we are rooted and grounded on the foundational truth of the Word of God, and His love for us; that God is pleased with us because we are in His Son, these temptations and trials will not overcome us. How are you using your words? Are you remembering the heart of God is already pleased with you. All your iniquities were washed away by the blood of Jesus when you called out to Him in the moment of your salvation. Rest in the fact that Jesus loves you and uses your words to bless others, begin today to learn and know how powerful our words are when they are Spirit filtered, and Spirit led. Those we love and even had disappointments with, will notice the difference.

Dear Lord, we thank You so much for words that give life and offer hope adding to others well-being. Thank You Jesus, that Your work on the cross made it possible for Your redeemed children to be pleasing to You. Let our words give life to others especially those who are searching for answers for why their lives are the way they are, void of hearing the truth that You love them, and want them to know that they are pleasing to You, by their acknowledgment of Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to remember that we are loved by You and share that love with others.

In Jesus name, Amen

Ref. Jeremiah 18:1-6

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that was made of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter; so, he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”

*Observation*

This a picture of God’s sovereignty over Israel, as well as for us NT believers especially those serving in ministry. Created by God in His image mankind has been marred by sin, and our own self – righteous efforts of fig leaves to cover our sin would never be enough to please a Holy and Righteous God. The beauty of holiness can only come to us through the imputed righteousness of God. Through our broken lives can God begin to reshape us and from the beauty of brokenness in veiled guilt and shame by His grace are we restored to God. The life of Jesus is our example of what it cost for us to be redeemed. In ways far beyond our comprehension, deeper than our human minds can descend to, Jesus would come into our broken and painful lives by becoming one of us human creations yet, without the marring of sin. Jesus could embrace unreservedly God’s purpose of brokenness because He understood the deep works of God that was from the beginning of time. God uses brokenness in the life of His children to unearth the beauty concealed in earthen vessels.

God uses broken things. It takes soil broken up and turned over to produce a crop. Broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to make bread, and broken bread to feed people. and through the example of the alabaster box that was broken to give forth a fragrant aroma; God uses a broken and contrite heart to restore us to a right relationship with Him. God sees no greater path for your life than one that has been burrowed out of brokenness; it is one of heaven’s great mysteries of beauty that can never be fully realized nor understood on earth. The Bible is filled with examples of God using the lives of His broken people to make others whole. Life comes out of death for the Christian, and wholeness is wrought through the avenue of brokenness. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, the the excellence of the power may be of God and not of ourselves (2 Cor. 4:7). We must understand that we are like clay in the hands of the Master Potter, and our brokenness when it is remade by the grace and mercy of our Creator God, will bring glory to God in our ministry calling proving His love through us to a lost and dying world. What is God breaking in your life? Brokenness is a gift God gives to us.

Lord bless you my beloved friend!

Reference John 19:1-24

And He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)

When Jesus was sent before Pilate, he first asked the chief priests “what accusations do you bring against this Man?” They answered that He was an evildoer or else they would not bring Him to Pilate (John 18:29-30). Pilate initially told them “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “it’s not lawful to put anyone to death” (John 18:31-32).

The truth was the chief priests were not spiritual men. They were wealthy because they learned to profit from their religious positions. Their loyalty was to their god of money along with their wealthy positions and titles it brought them. Pilate realized their charges against Jesus had to do with their positions being threatened and the actual charges against Jesus were falsely given.

Jesus acknowledged to Pilate that He is a King, but that His kingdom is not of this world. He came into this world to establish a spiritual kingdom. But the most revelatory statement Jesus declares is when after Pilate not satisfied with Jesus’ silence to His questions tells Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” (John 19:10) In which Jesus answered, “You could not have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11).

This is how the Spiritual kingdom of Christ is established by the power of God, through the working of the Holy Spirit. Everything prophesied must be fulfilled that Christ, the Son of God would come to earth to die on the cross for sinful man. And after three days would rise from the grave to give us eternal life by our faith and trust in Him.

The KING ON A CROSS — And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center (John 19:17-18). Both criminals at first mocked Jesus the Gospel of Matthew 27:44 tells us. But one of them who after seeing the suffering Messiah being so falsely treated, had a change of heart. And demonstrates something Jesus wanted His own disciples to grasp and learn after three years of being with them, that His kingdom was not of this world. Now as He is dying hanging from the cross all of the prophecies of His death being fulfilled, to the disciples this meant the end of His kingdom. They had not thought of His resurrection from the dead, that He would come back again and would reign in His glory once again. But this criminal, perhaps after hearing Jesus speak and pray from the cross believed that He had a kingdom beyond the grave and asked Jesus to remember him when He enters that Kingdom. The criminal understood Jesus loved repented sinners, and it was enough for him to believe and ask for his forgiveness. And as Jesus returned to God, He bore in His arms the soul of a criminal as a kind of first fruits of His mission to redeem the world of lost sinners.

Jesus declared to His disciples, “it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life” (John 6:33). As we think ourselves as NT believers and want to have a closer walk with the Lord, our desire should be that we would want Jesus to be center of our lives. For years I always prayed, Lord, help me be a good husband, and a good father. And as the years went by, a good father in-law, and grandfather. But I realize today, If I just asked and desired Jesus to be the center of my life, all the people important to me would be blessed too, because the fruit of righteousness would be lived and payed forward into our marriage and family life. Why shouldn’t we want Jesus to be the center of our lives, after all; He was in the center while hanging from His cross to redeem sinful man.

WALK IN THE LIGHT— Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for thy loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (John 12:42-50).

Even in the midst of agony, as Jesus hung on the cross, He reached out to save one of the criminals hanging next to Him. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” And they divided His garments and cast lots (Luke 23:34). James 5:16 says, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. I ask you dear friend, “How much more righteous a prayer is there than the Son of God’s prayer on the cross?”

May the Lord richly bless you!

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:8).

*Insight*

During the NFL’s 2013 season, Ritchie Incognito and Jonathan Martin has every reason as teammates to be friends, but they weren’t. Incognito constantly harassed and bullied Martin. He even threatened to kill Martin and his family. Incognito claimed it was just locker room talk —and was typical in the NFL. But it was too much for Martin, who quit the team citing emotional issues and fearing for his life. Martin admits he had some culpability as well in the issue, saying he was far too passive in dealing with Incognito’s threatening behavior.

Consider all these reasons these two men had to be friends. Both were NFL football players, on the same team, with the same coach. Both were starters and wanted to win. Both were millionaires. Yet, somewhere along the way, they forgot they were on the same team.

In much the same way, Christians of all stripes have many more reasons to honor one another than to dishonor one another. Both have the same owner, the same Savior, the same Spirit living inside them. The same playbook, the Holy Bible to draw from, and the same enemy who daily battles against them.

AS believers in Christ, our similarities are far greater than our differences. So we have a choice today, to be a force for unity in the body of Christ. As far as it depends on us, pursue peace with all men (Romans 12:18) by working with others to accomplish the greater work of salvation for the lost, and bringing glory to God our Father, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father God, help us to accomplish what You have already ordained for us to accomplish and do. Let us with all our hearts work as unto You and not unto men, while bringing You further glory by working together in unity with the body of believers You have brought together.

In Jesus name, Amen

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we do not look at the things which seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”   (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

*Insight*

The best way to tackle an obstacle is to see it as an opportunity. And through Christ, that’s what everything you and I face really is — an opportunity to grow in your faith, an opportunity to impact others for eternity, and an opportunity to experience God’s presence be renewed in an increasing way through His love for you. Think of all the obstacles we read in the Scriptures that stood in the way of men and women of faith that were turned into opportunities for God to be glorified and His people blessed. Joseph’s betrayal and imprisonment in Egypt led to the salvation of the Hebrew people from famine. Queen Esther going before the king, an act that could have cost her life; to save her Jewish people from extermination at the hands of evil Haman. And King David’s years of running from Saul led to some of the most powerful and encouraging Psalms in the Bible. And ultimately, there is Jesus’ death for us on the cross which became our victory No matter if it’s an illness, a loss of a loved one, or job loss? Take your eyes off the trial you’re going through and fix them on the One who can turn anything in this life into a triumph to those whose faith and trust is in Christ. When you see yourselves with God’s eternal perspective, you realize there really are no obstacles He can’t overcome! And our lives are in Him.

Prayer: Lord give us Your perspective about our lives and strengthen us to keep our eyes and gaze fixed on Jesus no matter what trials comes our way. Amen.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

(James 1:2-4)

Our outlook on life determines our attitude which affects the outcome and determines our action. God tells us to expect trials. It is not “if you fall into trials,” but “when you fall into trials.” Maturity is the goal; therefore, we cannot expect everything to go our way, some trials come from aging as humans, sickness, accidents, and the losses we face as we age. Other trials come simply because we are Christians. Satan fights us with his fiery darts flung at our attempts in bringing others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The world opposes anything that represents Christ and His cross that brings hope beyond this life.

When we face trials in this life, we must evaluate them in the light of what God says in His Word that He is doing for us. Teaching us to consider rather than deny the difficulty in trials, and to see or look beyond them at the overall outcome and what it is doing to us, the good results from them that produce virtues such as patience, endurance, and longsuffering. Christlike character that God cannot build in us without our cooperation. If we resist Him, then He uses the trials to chasten us into submission. But if we submit to Him during our trials, then He can accomplish His work. He will not be satisfied until it becomes a perfect work. Meaning our heart attitude must not be halfway; but a finished work making us mature and complete.

Our values determine our evaluations of ourselves. If we value comfort more than character, then trials upset us. If we value, the material possessions and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to “count it all joy when {we} fall into various trials” (v.2). If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. If we respond well, however, testing works for us. The word “testing” can be translated “being approved.” God’s approval of our faith is precious as gold, refined in fire because it assures us that our faith is genuine and maturing.

Through testing, God wants to produce in us patient endurance, and the ability to keep going when things get tough. In the Bible, endurance is not a passive acceptance of circumstances. It is a courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty. Life experience is the best teacher as what we read in the Scriptures can’t be fully learned without practical application.

The results which is what God wants all along is for us to have endurance and character. Knowing this we can face trials with a new perspective, joyfully remembering what these trials are actually doing in us and for us. And will result with bringing God the glory.

Heavenly Father, You are a holy and awesome God, working through trials and in our hearts a enduring character in the likeness of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Holy fire burn away the dross in us, so what remains will be pure and undefiled. A perfect work that we may be of use to You. Lord, thank You for this perspective. In Jesus name, Amen

The Christian man: Looks at himself in the mirror yet does not forget who he is (James 1:23-25). In using sound judgment, he obeys the Word of God; As God has allotted to each one a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). The Christian man fights the good fight of faith and holds onto a good conscience (1Timothy 1:18-19); He crucifies his sinful nature with its passions and desires and keeps in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:24-25). The Christian man loves his wife as he loves himself sacrificially and receives respect from her (Ephesians 5:33); He does not provoke his children but brings them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). The Christian man shows respect for authority both at work and in his community and serves wholeheartedly in everything he does as if he were serving the Lord and not man (Ephesians 6:5-7); He uses his gifts in proportion to his faith (Romans 12:6), often speaking to men for their edification, exhortation and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). The Christian man lets his love suffer long and is not boastful or proud. Nor is he rude or self-centered. His great love for God allows him not to be easily angered or remember past conflicts. The Christian man does not rejoice over sin, in any way, but only in what is true. The Christian man’s love always protects those around him, always has hope for the future in spite of circumstances that surround him. Giving him an enduring and persevering character (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The Christian man can expect opposition when they do God’s work (2 Timothy 3:12); So will do everything to stand firm (Ephesians 6:13-14), with the full armor on, will wait on His Master, who will grant him the Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). The Christian man will lay down his crowns at the feet of his Savior, hearing these words. . . Well done thou good and faithful servant! Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34).

Father God, thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ. The Savior of the world who has blessed us with the sacrifice of Himself on the cross, and by Your Spirit’s power gloriously has risen from the dead! We celebrate our risen Lord and our inheritance to spend all eternity with You! Bless us to be a blessing to others and help us fulfill Your calling on our lives. In Jesus name, Amen