Using your Talents

God has given every single person in this room a gift: a talent and he expect us to use our abilities for His glory. When we allow God to utilize our abilities, we can make an impact in the lives of people that surround us. The question all we need to ask is; “Lord, what can I do for you? Lord, what can I do for you in my work, at my school, at my home, or wherever you send me?”. God wants us to use our talents to minister and serve others. God has given you a talent, He expects you to use it. Think about the following statement and how would you respond; “When I _______, I feel God’s pleasure.” We can say, “when I sing, I feel God’s pleasure.” “When I do what God has called me to do, I feel God’s pleasure.” Many people still have not found pleasure or experience the joy that comes when we see the strength that God wants in our lives. Life for these people is full of stress rather than comforts.
Perhaps you might say; “Pastor, that sound too good, but I cannot think of anything that is good. How can I use my talent if I do not have any talent”” First of all, that is a lie that the enemy places in the mind of many people. We all have at least one talent, even if you have not discovered. Second, the message of the Bible is that our relationship with Christ motivates us to use our abilities regardless of the circumstances of our lives. If you are attempting to impact your life and the lives of those around you, then we must entirely rely on God’s power to use your talent. If you do not trust God, your talents and your efforts are futile. But God promises that He will sustain us if you want to live for His Glory. He will draw for the life of each one-off use those talents and abilities he has given us to make an impact in the world, as long as you want that talent to be used for His glory. I want you to understand something; it is His talent, it belongs to Him. We are just stewarding of what He has given us. God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas

Unstoppable Unity

I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live” Deuteronomy 30:19

I recently read this quote: “Life cannot give me joy and peace; it is up to me to will it. Life just gives me time and space; it is up to me to fill it” (Author Unknown). What a powerful reminder. There is a story about two women who once lived in a convalescent home. Each one had suffered an incapacitating stroke. Margaret’s stroke had caused paralysis on her left side. Mary’s stroke had caused permanent damage to her right side. Both women were devastated by what has happened to them, since they assumed they would never be able to pursue a pastime they had genuinely enjoyed throughout life, playing the piano.

Then, one day, Margaret and Mary met and began talking about their lives. When they realized they both had an interest in music, an idea emerged. When approached with the idea, the convalescent center’s director brought them a piano and help each woman sit on an elongated bench in from of it. Margaret played the right-hand notes while Mary played the left-hand. Not only did the make beautiful music together, but they formed a long and endearing friendship.

God design for us is that we work together, liver together, and have fun together. When we choose to share our time, our talents, our treasures and space with others, we will reap the rewards of joy and peace. May God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas

Unstoppable Love

·         For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39

At my ordination service (a time when fellow Pastors gather to examine you and determine whether you seem to be called to pastoral ministry) one of the best questions I was asked was this one: “Do you have a Pastor’s heart?” My answer to the question was honest.  I said, “I hope so.”  A Pastor’s heart is to be that of a Shepherd who cares for the sheep and is willing to sacrifice himself to care for and protect those sheep. There is perhaps a no better picture of Jesus’ heart than this text in Romans 8:38-39. There is no possible way to overstate the vastness of God’s love for us. What we see in this passage is a picture Jesus’ love for all of us. We don’t have words to describe it, minds capable of grasping it, or any experience comparable to it. God’s love cannot be out-hated, out-sinned, or out-evil. The love of God is so utterly unstoppable that after death, hell, and Satan himself through the worst they had at it, Love rose victorious on the other side. You cannot escape it, ignore it, or thwart it. God does not love us abstractly, as a group. He loves you, personally, where you sit, in this very moment. He knew you and hand-selected you before the bones of the world were spoken into existence (Ephesians 1:4), he knit you together before you were born (Psalms 139), and he has engraved you on the palms of His hands (Isiah 49:16). What a place of confidence, peace, and power! This is our place in the world, we are beloved by God.

The answer to the question “What shall separate us from the love of Christ?” is NOTHING.  Nothing can separate us. Nothing can pray us from His love.  NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING! That is the heart of a Shepherd, the heart of Jesus. Our failures and sin may rob us of joy. My rebellion may make me miserable because I know I am running from the Almighty, but please understand, these sins and failures will never deter His love for us or derail His commitment to bringing us to eternal life. There is nothing you can do, as a child of God to make God love you more than He does now.  There is also nothing you can do that will make Him love you any less than He does now.  God’s love for His children is constant, consistent, and enduring.  When we are His child, we are as secure as we can possibly be. May God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas

           

Unstoppable Church

In the book of Acts, the gospel spread like wildfire throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the Roman Empire. There were no Internet, TV or radio stations, no Facebook, or Instagram. There were just ordinary people, earnest prayer, and the boldness to share the good news of Jesus Christ. The unstoppable church of the first century found the gospel robust as they told it to others every day. There was no power on earth that would stop them from sharing the good news that Jesus died for their sins, was buried, and God raised Him from the dead. These first-century Christians were put in prison, beaten, exiled, and martyred because they refused to stop telling others about Jesus.

The same fire has spread the gospel from Peter’s first sermon in Acts 2 until today. It is ordinary people filled with the extraordinary power of God’s Spirit who obey Jesus’ command to GO and make disciples. Thousands of believers, just like their first-century counterparts, are put in prison, beaten, exiled, and martyred because they are not ashamed of the gospel because they know it is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). God has called His church to be an unstoppable force. We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the mission. Jesus has entrusted us with a very brief period in which to do what He is asking us to do. If God has rescued and redeemed us out of our brokenness, He expects us to share His message of love, hope, and redemption with a broken world. It is our time, let make every minute of our existence count for all of eternity. Let us be the unstoppable church. May God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas.

What Can We give the Savior?

We are 10 days away from Christmas, and I'm sure some of you are stressed by the fact that you have not purchased gifts for all those on your Christmas list. I would guess that some of those who are still on the list are those who are difficult to buy for. I think people are challenging to find a gift for because of one of these three reasons: (1) They are people that don't seem to need anything. (2) They are people we don't know really well (like teachers and co-workers). (3) They are people you don't really want to buy, to begin with. Someone said, "There are generally two kinds of Christmas presents: the one you don't like and the ones you don't get." None of us want to get or give gifts that fall into either of those two categories. As a way of stimulating our thinking about gifts, and to remind us of the person who is to be honored above all at this season it seems best to focus on the most famous gift givers of all, the gifts of the Magi. The gift of gold acknowledged the Kingship of Christ. Gold was a gift that denoted royalty, authority, and power. The gift of frankincense acknowledged the Priestly Ministry of Christ. Frankincense was used in the offerings in the temple. They added a fragrant aroma to the sacrifices. The gift of myrrh acknowledged the Sacrificial nature of Christ. Myrrh points to the sacrificial death of Jesus. Now I don't for a moment believe that these Magi understood the significance of these gifts. But they were designed by God to carry a symbolic meaning. So, here is the present question: What Can We give the Savior?  Let me give you some suggestions. First, we can give Him something from the heart. Whatever you do to honor Christ this Christmas make sure it is from the heart- an honest desire to honor and worship the Lord. Second, we can give Him something of value. Maybe you can give your time in serving as a volunteer or helping with repairs or in some other way in the church or in your community. Third, we can give Him something personal. One of the best gifts we can give to our spouse or children is to give them undivided attention. Perhaps a similar gift would be appropriate for the Lord. Finally, we can give Him something symbolic. In Matthew 25 people are commended on how they showed love to Christ. This love was shown in how we dealt with "the least of the brothers." We show God love when we treat those around us in a loving way. The point of all these suggestions is that it is easy for us to forget the guest of honor this Christmas. It is too easy to get so wrapped up in the activity that we forget the Savior. Friend, how do you plan to honor Jesus this Christmas? Is He still on your Christmas list? May God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas.

God's Redemptive Plan

A legend recounts the return of Jesus to heaven after his time on earth. Jesus bore the marks of his earthly pilgrimage with its cruel cross and shameful death. The angel Gabriel approached him, so the legend goes, and said, "Master, you must have suffered terribly for men down there."  "I did," Jesus replied. "And," continued Gabriel, "Do they know all about how you loved them and what you did for them?" "Oh, no," said Jesus, "not yet. Right now only a few people in Galilee know." "Gabriel was perplexed. “Then what have you done," he asked, "to let everyone know about your love for them?"

Jesus said, "I've asked Peter, James, John, and a few of my friends to tell other people about me. Those who are told well in turn tell other people about me and my story will be spread to the farthest reaches of the globe. Ultimately, all of mankind will have heard about my life and what I have done." Gabriel frowned and looked rather skeptical. He knew full well what poor stuff humans were made of. "Yes," he said, "but what if Peter and James and John grow weary? What if the people who come after them forget? What if way down in the twenty-first century, people just don't tell others about you? What then? Haven't you made any other plans?  Jesus answered, "I haven't made any other plans. I'm counting on them." Twenty centuries later, he still has no other plan. He is counting on us (Hewett, J.S. Illustrations Unlimited. Wheaton: IL: pp. 70-71).

High on God's priority list is saving the lives of men and women. God's heart beats for the souls of men and women. In fact, it is his constant thought, his continual pursuit, and his consistent plan. This passion is reflected in Jesus. Jesus is God revealed. And Jesus "came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). It is reflected in Jesus' commission to the church. The church is the body of Christ in the world today. The church is to "Go and make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:20). It is reflected in some of Jesus' final words while on earth to individual believers. Each believer represents Jesus. Jesus said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Just as God is in the life-saving business so is Jesus, so is the church, and so are individual believers. We can't escape that fact. The plan for saving those lives that was given to Jesus, then to the church, and then to individual believers has not changed. There is no other plan. You and I are believers today because a few disciples took Jesus at his word. They told people who in turn told other people who in turn told other people. And the word spread from generation to generation, from culture to culture, from century to century. And now we are responsible for telling others about the love of Jesus so the chain will not be broken. It's the only plan that Jesus has. We can't grow weary. We can't forget. We must tell others about Jesus. Jesus has made no other plans. God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas

Who can be Against Us?

Who can be Against Us?

Romans 8:31-34

In our country, once the court has set you free, you cannot be charged for that crime again.  It is called double jeopardy. In the devotional Our Daily Bread there was this piece; There was a man who confessed to a Wisconsin judge that 2 years earlier in the same court he had been charged with murder and was found innocent. "But I was guilty," he admitted. The judge quickly conferred with the district attorney to see if the man could be brought to trial for murder. They discovered, however, that because of the principle of double jeopardy the man could not be tried again for that crime. Although he was a murderer, he could not be punished for it. According to God's justice, we who are "in Christ" were as guilty as that man before we were converted, but now we are just as unpunishable. Why? Not because of a legal technicality. Rather, it's because any and every sin we've ever committed or will commit has been fully prosecuted in Christ on the cross. And once is all that the law demands. There are still consequences when we do wrong, even as believers. But as far as the penalty of the law is concerned, Jesus' death places us in a beautiful position of being exempt from eternal punishment. Thank God for His principle of "double jeopardy"! (Our Daily Bread Oct. 29, 2000)

Do we fail? Yes. Is some condemnation deserved? Absolutely. Are there times when our relationship with God will be strained because of our sin? Yes. Can these things invalidate our salvation?  Never!  Our sin has been paid for. God has already justified us or declared us “not guilty”. I wonder; do you feel abandoned today?  Do you feel the sting of accusation? Are you so overwhelmed by your own failure that you not only think that others condemn you, but you believe God condemns you as well?

My friend, Jesus died for those very things that haunt you. He paid for the crimes you committed. If you will turn to Him, receive Him, and trust Him for salvation and new life, the voices of condemnation will never be able to hurt you again. There will still be those who take every opportunity to remind you of your failures (those people are NOT your friends), but because of your faith in Christ, you can know that even though some of the charges are true, they will not stick in the court of God. You have been set free, declared innocent, and made new. I encourage you to come to Him today. May God bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas