10 Rules for Happiness

1. Develop yourself by self discipline.
2. Joy comes through creation—sorrow through destruction. Every living thing can grow; use the world wisely to realize soul growth.
3. Do things that are hard to do.
4. Entertain up building thoughts. What you think about when you do not have to think about shows what you really are.
5. Do your best this hour, and you will do better the next.
6. Be true to those who trust you.
7. Pray for wisdom, courage, and a kind heart.
8. Give heed to God’s messages. Anything that opposes it, disregard it.
9. True friends enrich life. If you would have a friend, be one.
10. Faith is the foundation of all things—including happiness.

OUR GREATEST NEED

America has observed specific days of prayer since 1688. President Harry Truman made the National Day of Prayer an annual observance in 1952. His reason: "In times of national crisis when we are striving to strengthen the foundations of peace . . . we stand in special need of Divine support."
This year's theme is "Pray for America—UNITY." The theme verse is Ephesians 4:3: "Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Those who organized today's observance are calling us to "humble ourselves and unify in prevailing prayer for the next great move of God in America." They believe Christians can "come together in clear agreement that this is our greatest need."

On this, I agree.

Grateful

Could you, could I do as well as Robinson Crusoe? When Robinson Crusoe was wrecked on his lonely island, he drew up in two columns what he called the evil and the good.

He was cast on a desolate island, but he was still alive--not drowned, as his ship's company was.

He was apart from human society, but he was not starving.

He had no clothes, but he was in a hot climate where he did not need them.

He was without means of defense, but he saw no wild beasts such as he had seen on the coast of Africa.

He had no one to whom he could speak, but God had sent the ship so near to the shore that he could get out of it all the things necessary for his basic wants.

So he concluded that there was not any condition in the world so miserable but that one could find something for which to be grateful.

Can you say that about your attitude? If not, you have the power to change that today!

ELECTION SUNDAY / PRAYER & REFLECTION

As a pastor, I have the unique responsibility to help people process. Life. Family. Faith. All these can be quite the balancing act.  Truth is, the political climate we found ourselves in was unusually stressful for many and confusing to most. Here was my address to the body at Freedom Life Church on the Sunday prior to the election. 

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We are really ready for this presidential election to be over. Many are ready for an end to the rancor and tackiness. Voters on both sides feel frustrated, even embarrassed by it all. There is a visceral fear, an angst about the result. What if so and so wins?

When we wake up to November 9, post-election, when the confetti is swept away and the election is finally over, what will we see?

I have a prediction. I know exactly what November 9 will bring. Another day of God’s perfect sovereignty. He will still be in charge. His throne will still be occupied. He will still manage the affairs of the world. Never before has His providence depended on a king, president, or ruler. And it won’t on November 9, 2016.

The LORD can control a king’s mind as He controls a river; He can direct it as He pleases. — Proverbs 21:1 NCV

Understanding God’s sovereignty over the nations opens the door to peace. When we realize that God influences the hearts of all rulers, we can then choose to pray for them rather than fret about them.

Rather than wring our hands we bend our knees, we select prayer over despair.
           
Jeremiah did this. He was the prophet to Israel during one of her darkest periods of rebellion. He was called “the weeping prophet” because he was one. He wept at the condition of the people and the depravity of their faith. He was so distraught that one of his books was entitled Lamentations. But then he considered the work of God. Note the intentionality of his words:

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

The LORD’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness. — Lamentations 3:21-23

Imitate Jeremiah. Lift up your eyes. Dare to believe that good things will happen. Dare to believe that God was speaking to us when He said:

In everything God works for the good of those who love Him. — Romans 8:28

Being Still

Before refrigerators, people used ice houses to preserve their food. Ice houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the ice houses, and covered with sawdust.

Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice house. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. "I closed the door," the boy replied, "lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking."

Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear.

Turn off "Replay"

A man named Jack was driving on a dark country road one night when he got a flat tire. He saw a cabin in the woods and began to walk towards it. He told himself that the person who answered the door would be angry and irritated for the interruption. In fact, the person would probably harm him. He was probably a truly terrible person. Who else would live out in the woods away from people? Jack convinced himself that the person who lived in the cabin was a menace to society, so when the door opened, Jack punched the man in the nose and ran away.

”All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast”
(Proverbs 15:15)

We take situations and replay them in our minds. As ridiculous as the story above may seem, it isnt too far fetched from what some of us do when we assume and REPLAY a scenario that has never happened in our minds.  We have conversations in our heads with people, and build a case against them, though we don’t really know what they are thinking. We tend to “nurse, curse, and rehearse” stories like Jack.

So, What things do you play in your head all day? What are you meditating on?

Get rid of the “oppressed and wretched” forecasts of your mind and replay the goodness of God in your life!

Approaching Pentecost

As we approach what many deem to be one of the most important parts of human history - Pentecost - we should look at the gifts that God has made available to us. 

Here is the most clear breakdown I have ever been able to see to give a great over view of 1 Corinthians 12 and how WE are to approach God's great gifts given to us by His precious Holy Spirit:

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT (1 Cor. 12)

COMMUNICATION GIFTS:
-Prophecy - a divine utterance of the Holy Spirit to encourage, edify or comfort people.

-Tongues - the gift of speaking supernaturally in a language not known to the individual.

-Interpretation of tongues - an interpretation of a message that is given in tongues.

KNOWLEDGE GIFTS:
- Word of wisdom - wisdom to know what to do or how to do it, either for your life or someone else’s.

- Word of knowledge - knowledge of an event or other information in someone’s life (past or present) that you were not aware of in the natural.

- Discerning of spirits - to discern the spirit world, to tell whether something is divine (God or angels), human (natural origin) or demonic (Satan or demons).

POWER GIFTS:
- Faith - a unique form of faith (not the faith that saves you) that supernaturally trusts and does not doubt concerning specific matters – to believe God for the impossible.

- Gifts of healing - the healings God performs supernaturally. i.e. a broken arm.

-The working of miracles - the manifestation of power beyond the ordinary course of natural law. This is where something that could never have been done naturally occurs.

Make yourself aware that God DOES and WILL use you in these gifts as he has placed them in you already. Find what that is and ask God to awaken your curiosity for more of HIM! 



-Pastor Tony Cruz

Why Go To Church?

Below are 13 reasons why we should attend church services on a regular basis. 

1. Because it is an act of obedience to God and it honors the Lord's Day. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Ex. 20:8).

2. Because we need to belong to a community of faith that includes our brothers and sisters in Christ who are trying to live out the gospel just like we are.

3. Because we will benefit from being taught and led in worship by others, rather than always depending on ourselves to read and study the bible.

4. Because we need regular reminders of our standing in Christ, help in acknowledging and confessing our sins, and teaching about God's truth.

5. Because we need help in praying, tithing and fasting.

6. Because we need help to face the issues of life and faith as presented through the teachings of the Bible.

7. Because we need to hear how believers in the past struggled, grew and lived out their faith from different perspectives.

8. Because we need to hear about the experiences of other contemporary believers.

9. Because we need to hear reminders of God's love.

10. Because we need an alternative to the constant messages of a culture that ignores God.

11. Because we need to experience artistic and creative expressions of the faith, such as music, praying, fasting and tithing.

12. Because believers need help to reflect on the past week and see it as a small part of the journey of life.

13. Because we need a conscious break from work, family problems, and self interests in order to concentrate on the Lord.

In brief summary, the strategies and schemes of the devil are well thought out and proven to work better than the marketing strategies of rich corporations like microsoft. 

Therefore, we need other people we can count on to help us make it threw tough times when they arise. 

Our chances of finding people we can count on in church are far better than finding someone we can count on anywhere else in the world.

Plus, going up against these strategies with out proper guidance will lead to unnecessary mistakes being made on our part.

In conclusion, going to church while also doing our own personal bible study at home on a regular basis helps us to get confirmation of God's message and what He wants us to do with our lives.

Discontentment and Entitlement (sermon slice of Crisis of Contentment)

Something else that is underneath and really causing our discontentment in America today and that something is entitlement. We actually believe that we deserve something from God, that He owes us something or that He is somehow in our debt and should do something for us that He’s not already doing. Because we believe that, we’re discontent.

But at the bottom, underneath all these things, what is driving and compelling our discontentment is always idolatry. 

Beneath every grumble, beneath every murmur, beneath every moment of frustration, the sin beneath the sin is the fact that we want something more than we want God and that we love something more than we love God. And because we do, until He provides that for us, we’re going to be discontent and dissatisfied.

Beneath every sin is the failure to believe everything I need, I already possess in Christ. That’s what’s at the ROOT of discontentment, our failure to believe that everything we need, we already possess in Jesus Christ.

A Little Hope. A Long Way.

I look around my life everyday as I am running errands or walking around the mall,  I cant help but see the look in the eyes of people whether young or old, on many faces the look is the same. What is life about? Or Am I an accident?




If you were some cosmic accident, then there would be no real reason for existing. If life were a random series of events, the there would be no point to living. It’s would be every man for themselves.  If there was no life after death, then there would be no hope. 

 

Definition of Hope




To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.

To have confidence; trust.

But the good news is that there is a reason to hope. You are not an accident but a carefully planned creation of the living God. I was one that did not grow up in the church and I remember distinctly as a young 11 and 12 yr old as I prepared for bed thinking to myself, “there’s got to be more to life than this.”  Thank God He showed me His love just a short time thereafter.




And now I have the privilege of working with people on a weekly basis and from time to time I find a person that wants to grab life by the horns and just believe. Believe in a hope that is larger than them.  These are the type that WANT TO HOPE.  Life is not a series of events. I want you to know, Life is your opportunity to live up to everything that God has for you.




Some one once said,  “I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS BUT I KNOW WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE!” 




That’s something we can all apply in our lives everyday. The catch is we have to trust that our father in heaven has a plan for our lives. God holds not just the future but your now.




I like that story about the boy and his father who were planning a fishing trip for the next day. That evening as the father was putting his son to bed, the boy hugged his father's neck and said, "Daddy, thank you for tomorrow."  




God is in full control and we must trust our heavenly father even as this child did his father




Psalm 25:3
No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame,




In this day in age, if we hope on something other than God, our hope is lost.  Our hope must be entrusted to God.  Hope breeds stamina. It helps us to give life another chance.




There was a Scientific experiment that was conducted a while back. A group of behavioral Scientists put some Mice in a tank of water, and observed them to see how long they would survive before drowning.




The average time was 17 minutes.




Then, they repeated the experiment, but this time they "rescued" the mice just before the point of drowning, dried them off and returned them to their cages.... fed them, and let them play for a few days, and repeated the drowning experiment.




This time, the average survival time for these mice increased from 17 minutes to 36 hours!




The scientists explained that phenomenon by pointing out that the second time around, the mice had HOPE. They believed that they could survive this, because they had done so before.




One scientist said "They were able to survive because they had been SAVED".







Where does your trust lie in today? I hope that your attitude and prayer today is like the psalmist in Psalm 71:14 : 




But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Dont Overreact! For your sake.

A Seattle man accidentally burnt his house to the ground recently after trying to kill a spider with a cigarette lighter and a can of spray paint. The man later told police that the spider had been lurking in the laundry, and he had accidentally lit the wall on fire with his makeshift flame thrower.

 

Surprisingly, this happens more often than you might think! Just a few weeks earlier, Ginny Griffith of Hutchinson, Kansas, lit her laundry on fire after seeing a spider crawl into a pile of towels. The fire quickly got out of hand, and her home went up in flames. She's been charged with aggrevated arson.

Application:Too often, we tend to overreact to problems. As believers, we need to remember that even in the midst of trouble, it's possible to have a trouble-free heart. Jesus didn't say we wouldn't have problems, but He did say: Let not your heart be troubled. 
Don't take a flame thrower to the spiders that lurk in your life. Remember that it is more important to experience God's peace than it is to rid yourself of life's annoyances.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). 

TIME Online, July 16, 2014

Holy Spirit Holiness

A.W. Tozer, author and pastor, once said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference.  If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference."

The biggest misconception is that somehow if we do right, God will hear us.  Understand this: Holiness is not the way to Christ, but Christ is the way to holiness.

CONQUERING COMPROMISE

CONQUERING COMPROMISE

HOLDING OUR FAITH IN A FALLEN WORLD

Different countries have different cultural norms, and what is appropriate in one culture may be offensive in another culture. For example,

·      You should never touch a person’s head in Thailand; the head is considered sacred.

·      In Portugal you should never write anything in red ink; it is very offensive.

·      Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore and can result in a large fine.

So, as we turn toward the Word of God,  we will look at a young man that made it his personal duty to not concern himself on what others think over what God thinks.  Daniel illustrates for us how to live when we try to live for God and encounter the enemy taking up residence around us. 

Truth:

I must cooperate Fully with God’s desire to transform me.

In order to allow God to transform you, you must have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as your savior.

¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” –Acts 3:19

You want refreshing? Want to make GREAT STRIDES in your faith? 

REPENT and TURN YOUR LIFE TOWARD GOD.  

 Anytime something changes in our lives (a new job, a new house, a new school, a new stage of life), we face challenges to our faith. Daniel illustrates how to live when we leave what is familiar to us and encounter new situations.

THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas Day, Dec. 25th, the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, Jan. 6th, the day Christians celebrate the arrival of the Magi (Wise Men) and the revelation of Christ as the light of the world.

The Christmas song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” may sound silly and contrived to many of us. But it actually had its origins in religious symbolism – and with a serious purpose. It dates from a time of religious persecution. The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” was written as a kind of secret catechism that could sing in public without fear of arrest - a learning or memory aid to Christians in fact.

The song can be taken at two levels of interpretation - the surface meaning, or the hidden meaning known only to the Christians involved. Each element is a code word for a religious truth.

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the Hebrew Torah (Law), or the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
7. The seven swans a-swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes.
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven faithful Apostles.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed.

If you think Jesus being symbolized as a partridge in a pear tree sounds blasphemous, remember: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so.” (Luke 13:34 & Matthew 23:34)

The “true love” in the song refers to God Himself. The “me” receiving the gifts is every Christian.

So that “silly” song we sing at Christmas time has more meaning than we thought.

-Posted by a friend Tim Satryan from Central A/G

Taste Again for the First Time

There have been some pretty memorable commercial catch phrases for cereals over the years. Among them is the 1990s ad campaign for Kellogg's Corn Flakes: "Kellogg's Corn Flakes - Taste them again for the first time."

It's genius, really--a call to go back to relive the pleasure, the delight, the satisfaction of a product which may have lost its luster in your mind, and its place in your pantry.

When it comes to your spiritual life, have you lost the pleasure, the delight, the satisfaction you once found in the Savior? Has walking with Him lost its luster? Has He lost His place in your heart?

Jesus calls you to return to your first love--to "taste" Him again, as though for the first time.

"Taste and see [as if for the first time!] that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8).

"But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lamp stand out of its place--unless you repent" (Revelation 2:4-5, NASB).

Numbered List

Reader's Digest has compiled a list of their favorite Father's Day stories:

No. 1 on [their] list — literally!

My father was completely lost in the kitchen and never ate unless someone prepared a meal for him. When Mother was ill, however, he volunteered to go to the supermarket for her. She sent him off with a carefully numbered list of seven items.

Dad returned shortly, very proud of himself, and proceeded to unpack the grocery bags. He had one bag of sugar, two dozen eggs, three hams, four boxes of detergent, five boxes of crackers, six eggplants, and seven green peppers.

Application:

Fortunately, a father doesn't have to be good at everything to be a great dad. He must, however, set an example of godliness.

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Spotlight vs Laser Beam

Have you ever wondered what makes the difference between a spotlight and a laser beam?

How can a medium-powered laser burn through steel in a matter of seconds, while the most powerful spotlight can only make it warm?

Both may have the same electrical power requirements.  The difference is unity.

A laser can be simply described as a medium of excited molecules with mirrors at each end.  Some of the excited molecules naturally decay into a less excited state.  In the decay process they release a photon, a particle of light.  It is here that the unique process of the laser begins.

The photon moves along and “tickles” another molecule, inviting another photon to join him on his journey.  Then these two photons “tickle” two more molecules and invite two more photons to join the parade.  Soon there is a huge army of photons marching in step with each other.  It is this unity that gives the laser its power.

A spotlight may have just as many photons, but each is going its own independent way, occasionally interfering with other photons.  As a result, much of its power is wasted and cannot be focused to do any useful work.

However, the laser, because of its unity, is like an army marching in tight formation and is able to focus all its power on its objective.

How Heavy is Too Heavy?

How heavy does something have to be, to be too heavy?

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

Application:

"The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early … as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29, ESV).

The Ark Lesson

All I need to know I learned from Noah’s Ark:

One, don’t miss the boat.

Two, remember that we are all in the same boat.

Three, plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

Four, stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

Five, don’t listen to critics, just get on with the job that needs to be done.

Six, build your future on high ground.

Seven, for safety’s sake, travel in pairs.

Eight, speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

Nine, when you’re stressed, float awhile.

Ten, remember the ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic by
professionals.

Eleven, no matter the storm, when you are with God, there’s always a rainbow waiting.

Scepters and Staffs

Crowns and scepters, thrones and palaces, ruler ship and riches—these are the words we associate with medieval royalty.

Celebrity and ceremony, elegance and style, popularity and paparazzi—these are the words we associate with modern royalty.

Tattered cloth and shepherd's staffs, a stable and manger, humility and servanthood—these are words we associate with the newborn king celebrated at Christmastime.

Jesus of Nazareth did not live to be served, but to serve. He gave himself away on behalf of others. His example communicated a simple but profound truth: leadership isn't about how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.

 Merry Christmas.