Our Thoughts & Prayers Are recorded

I recently wrote about the importance of our "thoughts and prayers" after a critical incident in our country where once again violence and death shocked us again.

Presidential Democratic candidate Cory Booker (D-NJ) gave his opinion about "thoughts and prayers" during a political debate where he offered his view on the incident where gun violence had again claimed innocent lives.

On May 10, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) offered a passionate rant about gun control where he mocked those offering "thoughts and prayers" with an expletive.

"So, when I'm president of the United States, I'm taking the fight to this issue like folks will never seen before because we're better than this as a country," Booker said.

"It's a uniquely American problem, no other country have this kind of carnage," he claimed. "More people in my lifetime have died in this nation, uh, due to gun violence than in all the wars and revolutionary wars to now".

"We're not gonna give "thoughts and prayers", which to me is just "bulls**t" and I'm sorry to say that as a man of faith, but I was taught that faith without works is dead," Booker added, quoting the New Testament.

"We're gonna bring a fight with everything that I have to solve this problem because it's solvable."

"Bulls**t" is what Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey called our "thoughts and prayers"! Lord help us to pay closer  attention to what our candidates for our President are saying.

Sen. Booker is dead wrong! Our thoughts and prayers, much like the symbolic rising of incense representing our prayers rising to the Throne of Grace. We have all witnessed incense rising through the sunlight of glass stained windows in cathedrals and churches. The incense is symbolic if our prayers rising to the very Throne Room of Grace.

In the Psalms, King David cries out about his prayer to the Most High God of Israel. "Record my lament, list my tears on your scroll, are they not in your record"? (Psalm 56:8). 

Indeed our prayers are recorded in the Throne Room of Grace. Our prayers do not simply disappear into nothing, but actually reach the very attention of God and kept securely for all of time.

In the Book of Revelation 4:8, John wrote about his visionary tour while serving his life sentence on the Isle of Patmos. John was witness to the Throne of Grace and the Heavenly Spiritual Beings worshippibg and serving the Most High God. He wrote about where he was told our prayers are kept. 

"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a sharp and they were holding Golden Bowls full of incense, which were the prayers of the saints".

This Scripture describes  John touring the most Heavenly place through a vision which he later recorded.

John wrote that he witnessed exactly where our prayers are resting in the Great Throne Room with  God in the center of this magnificent room.

I would rather believe John in the Holy Scriptures than a politician who would say anything to get your vote.  I don't care how passionate Sen. Booker is in claiming our prayers are nothing but an expletive word of disrespect. Booker is dead wrong!

LFI - LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE
Rev. Fidel "Butch" Montoya
Remember: GOD LISTENS!

Lord, Hear Our Cry

The latest school shooting at STEM School in Highlands Colorado on May 7th is so very difficult to accept or rationalize. Students, parents, teachers, and first responders have been hit with the death of one student and eight persons shot, some critically.

Although the shooting itself took place in a suburban area of Denver proper, the whole metropolitan area has been shaken and old wounds have been reopened again. The shooting deaths at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado took place twenty years ago, once again terrified students ran for cover along with teachers. The school terrorist had struck once again.

"Our city" of metropolitan Denver is in shock and mourning. Once again the questions of why our city? Why our students? Oh Lord, why?

King David cried out when the Prophet Nathan confronted him for his sin against God. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10 ESV).

Some may feel abandoned or lost in a true valley of despair. We know we can and we must turn to our Lord for strength and understanding.

As we watched in horror of students walking out of school with their hands held high, the common reaction now because you never know when the suspects may attempt to walk out as a victim.

At STEM, we learned two suspects were students from the school. They entered  into the Middle School when they begin shooting. This time, some students took action into their own hands and did their best to put down the shooters. Not just heros, but students who have learned a cruel lesson, evil must be tackled and stopped!

In a time of danger and fear, we turn to a higher authority to deliver us from our time of anxiety and fear.

In Psalms 91, King David claimed his strength from God by calling God his fortress and refuge.

"For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday". (Psalms 91:3‭, ‬5‭-‬6 ESV).

Now with families watching over their children recovering in hospitals starting their trek back to not only the healing of their gun shot wounds, but also the deep mental scars etched in their hearts of this terrible experience.

Today one family mourns the loss of their son who died trying to shield other students during the mayhem and shooting in two class rooms. A terrible and horrific loss they must now face the rest of their lives.

I don't know how the parents or first responders feel and try to block out evil scenes of blood, suffering, and death. For some parents as they watch over their children in the hospital or in the safety of their own bedroom and home, are thanking God they are okay, this time.

There is a lack of confidence and safety in our society. I remember the days when I dropped our children at school, they would be in a secure and safe place until we picked them up. Now, many parents wonder if they will safely pick up their children or will their lives be disrupted by violence and death.

In a nation that has turned away from God and Churches, where we relay less and less on God, and our government looks for ways to deny the sovereign power of God over our nation, we must turn back from our idolatry and disobedience against God and His Grace and cry out to Him to save us from our evil ways.

The Holy Bible is filled with Scriptures that teach us how to cry out to God for forgiveness and Hope! There are many lessons demonstrating God's Grace for His people who turned to God in hopeless situations.

"For our shield belongs to the Lord , our king to the Holy One of Israel".
(Psalms 89:18 ESV).

It is our time to stop the evil ways, the hate and violence, the divisive nature of our country today and return to The Message of the Cross.

The Bible says "God is Love". Love covers all our wrongs, Love is the greatest of all Gifts of the Spirit. 

In 1st Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes about the strength of love in every situation in our lives.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away". (1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8 ESV).

So why are we holding back? Why are we denying the Power and Presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Why do we think we can repair what a broken evil sin nature continues to destroy in our lives? Why do we concede God's Power that is Greater that is in us, then what is in the evil one?

God, please bring revival to "our city" again. Save our nation! Protect our teachers in your schools! Protect our children and bring safety and security back to the halls and classrooms! Bring back prayer in our schools. Reject a school curriculum and teachings that deny the Sovereignty of God in our society.

God please hear our plea., and may we as a repentant city understand how Your Word can touch us and make a difference in our broken and grieving hearts.

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love".
(1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV).

Oh Lord, hear our cries and pleas for the restoration of Your Love, Amen!

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen".
(Ephesians 3:14‭-‬19‭, ‬21 ESV).

LFI ~ LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE
Rev. Fidel "Butch" Montoya
Remember: GOD LISTENS!

Thoughts and Prayers?

How often have you heard the phrase, "You are in my thoughts and prayers"?

It seems after a terrible incident or accident, wanting to show empathy, pity, or support, "thoughts and prayers" has become the new Hallmark response.

Some victims or friends and family members have outright rejected or criticized this phrase as if it carries no truly meaningful response.

In fact the Bible encourages each one of us to call upon The Lord whenever we need His presence in our lives.

In 1st Kings the Scripture states: "Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today.
(1 Kings 8:28 NLT).

Prayers are ordained by God as a means by which we can communicate our needs or as a means of worshiping and praising our Lord.

In the Book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul encourages each one of us to pray, through Christ as our interceptor who now sits at the right hand of God, and where our supplications are presented to our Father who now sits on the Throne of God.  "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need". (Hebrews 4:16 ESV).

In our time of need, if we sincerely present our prayers and our thoughts, we will find mercy and grace. We shall receive His response to our pledge of encouraging someone in need who we have said, "You are in my thoughts and prayers".

It is not a waste of time, it is not a worthless exercise to just make us feel good. If you tell someone they are in your thoughts and prayers when they may be in a time of need and inspiration, you must follow through and pray for them.

Likewise, we must understand in the fight for the soul of our country, in this civil struggle for the founding values and principles of our country, it will be fought on our knees before the Lord. Don't just say you are praying for our country, do it sincerely and faithfully. Prayers do mean something!

You may have heard of Nehemiah who served in a very important position before King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah was the person who tasted the food and drink of the King. Nehemiah was the official cupbearer. In this position it meant Nehemiah had access on a daily presence before the King.

Nehemiah had an urgent desire in his heart to go back and restore the grandeur and the walls that provided security for the city of Jerusalem.

Although the city and walls had been destroyed, now that the Israelites were returning, the walls needed to be restored to provide safety and security.

In Nehemiah 1:11, he cried out to the Lord in prayer that he might find favor in the sight of King Artaxerxes.
"O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer."

The judgment and penalty for the Israelites rejecting God and continuing in idolatry after being warned to seek the ways of the Lord, the city was literally destroyed.

While the Israelites were in exile, Jerusalem remained in a state of total destruction and in dire need of restoration. It became a deserted city laying in ruins with God's people displaced after  seventy years of exile. King Artaxerxes was allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem. After rejecting the commandments of the Lord, and being in exile, God was restoring His people.

Nehemiah presented his prayerful request to the King. "I said to the king, Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it." (Nehemiah 2:3‭-‬5 ESV).

The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” (Nehemiah 2:4‭-‬5 NLT).

Nehemiah was approaching the King after he had prayed to the God in Heaven. Nehemiah requested a prayer from the King, by asking him for a prayer to God.

Each step of Nehemiah's desire to return to Jerusalem, was led by prayer. Nehemiah's thoughts and prayers were answered.

An important point often ignored was the response of King Artaxerxes, "Well, how can I help you"?

What a powerful question by the King. Likewise when we pray by offering our thoughts and prayers, our God responds in a similar fashion. "Well, how can I help you"?

When you offer to pray for someone, do it! Your prayer by faith will reach the Throne of Grace. Much like incense, the rising incense mixed with our prayers do ascend to the Throne of Grace.

Remember we are encouraged to always pray throughout our day.
"Pray without ceasing".
(1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV).

Pray without ceasing does not mean you must excuse yourself from colleagues, have a very formal conversation with God. 

Throughout our day, there are moments of quiet where we can whisper our prayers. You can pray silently through the day. 

It is still important to have a prayer closet, a time of reading the Bible, mediating on the word, and whisper a prayer for those you may have pledged, "You are in my thoughts and prayers".

On May 2nd, it is National Day of Prayer across our great country. It is a time recognized where across the country, Believers gather to acknowledge our dependence on God to guide our leaders and nation.

Please join Prayer Intercessors from across our community on the steps of the State Capitol, May 2nd from 11 - 1 p.m. to add our clergy voices to the National Day of Prayer.

LFI ~ LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE
Rev Fidel "Butch" Montoya
Remember: "God Listens"!

Why We Were Created In God's Image

The most important season of the year is when Christian's gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb. It is the hallmark of the Christian faith when God gave His Son to die on the Cross bearing our sins, forgiving our sins, and saving us from our sin nature.

God sent His only begotten Son to die on The Cross to fulfill the promise of eternal life with Christ. It also symbolizes God's supreme value God places on life itself. To have His Son die on the Cross for our sins demonstrates the Offering of His Son as one of the most significant events in Christian history. Jesus Christ dying on the Cross and His Resurrection from a cold dark tomb, assures us of eternal life.

The death and resurrection is one covenant that many old time prophets spoke of God's Only Son throughout the Old Testament. It is the central truth of the Gospel.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, that unless we believe in the resurrection, our faith is in vain.

"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain". 1 Corinthians 15:12‭-‬14 ESV

The central purpose of giving His only Son was to cleanse our sinful hearts and assure each of us of eternal life, by accepting Christ as our now risen Saviour.

When God created the heavens and the earth, God was very clear He  created man and woman in the image of God. God did this so He could be assured of oversight over all of His creation.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26.

When Adam and Eve broke the one law God set in the Garden, they broke their relationship with God's promise of eternal life. That is the reason Christ had to die on the Cross and resurrect three days later to redeem our lives from eternal damnation and to eternal life. Being cast out of the Garden to a sinful and corrupt world was punishment for their idolatry and disobedience . 

The Spring season is often viewed as a time of renewal, a time when that which was in death is given new life. We see new life growing by watching the gray cold winter give way to a flourishing green warm Springtime. 

Likewise, the Message of the Cross renews the Gospel message shared by many old time prophets and Apostles. A Gospel message that never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Hebrews 13:8 ESV

In today's society, the Message of the Cross is often rejected as a myth or some ancient Bible fable. It is not a myth or some fairy tale. It is the ultimate principle and most important belief in the Bible for anyone who wants to accept Jesus as Saviour. "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood". Hebrews 12:4 ESV. Christ was serious in His commitment to fulfill the call of the Cross. 

We have devalued life to the point that nothing seems to frighten or shake us. Shootings and other violence kills and maims many every day. Domestic violence can often end in death or other long term physical force intended on causing injuries, or mental illness in continuing family disputes. Death by vehicles kills hundreds every year and life seems to just go on. Just another news story affecting someone else.

How can we not mention the hundreds of thousand of babies murdered every year. Past off as a health issue, and I agree that may be the case in some situations, unfortunately it is not the primary reason.

An important issue often ignored or overlooked is the responsibility of the man who was a full partner in the creation of every baby. How often do they abduct from responsibility leaving the young lady broken, confused, and susceptible to offers of "free medical health"?

While often referred to as a women's choice, the man must also accept his responsibilities to provide a life that addresses the needs of every child. The man who walks away is a coward who just may have looked at the relationship as a "one night stand," or was just irresponsible in his actions.

 

Since the Roe vs Wade decision was handed down by the Supreme Court, "there's been well over" 54 million abortions. The Guttmacher Institute has tracked roughly 49.3 million abortions through 2008". "Well over 54 million abortions."

God cherished life and in many instances in the Old Testament, God harshly punished Israel for turning to heathen worship, to the point of allowing the armies of the enemy to destroy God's most Holy dwelling place on  earth...the grand Temple constructed by King Solomon, along with the City of king David, Jerusalem. It was destroyed under very heinous and harsh conditions that befell on the nation of Israel.

In the old days, sacrifices to Molech were made by sacrificing crying babies as they were offered in a fiery sacrifice. "Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem". 1 Kings 11:7 ESV

"They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin". Jeremiah 32:35 ESV

As we may know, The Prophet witnessed the disobedience, the corrupt idolatry of sin to pagan Gods, and the ultimate judgment of God.

Some may question what does abortion have to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Cross, to the Tomb, to Resurrection?

It is because the Resurrection is about LIFE, not DEATH. It is about the renewal of life, and a new season...a time for a new life ordained by God. We have rejected His dying on the Cross for our sins, turning our back to the Risen Christ. We are living in idolatry and disobedience no different than by God's people in the Old Testament.

We too have the opportunity to accept a RISEN LIVING JESUS CHRIST as Saviour. 

We too have the free will to reject the offer of a precious life given to us by God, by  living in disobedience by choice. 

"But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die". Ezekiel 18:24 ESV

We too can continue to live in idolatry and civil disobedience to the laws of God and face the penalty of death in eternal hell, the only penalty ordained by God.

Or would you whether accept the truth of The Resurrection and let The Holy Spirit help you live a life free from the temptation of sin and despair? 

Free from a life of death to one of resurrected Hope and Faith?

Remember as we look to the Cross,  Christ died there to bring us the Hope of the Resurrection.

(LFI) ~ Latino Faith Initiative

Rev Fidel "Butch" Montoya

Remember: "GOD LISTENS"!

FACING DESTRUCTION!

There is without a doubt our country has undergone a time of deep division and strife during the last two years.  We are at the crossroads of reconciliation and moving forward or continued anger, hate, and a destructive mindset of slander and denying our way of life is so similar to those of the Prophet Jeremiah's day.

As I prayed and mediated over what I "wanted" to write about, I believe I was lead back by The Holy Spirit consider the issue of the Mueller investigation and not only the socio-political implications, but the deep religious consequences facing our country.

Not only has our political heritage suffered by the political hermoraging, but religious institutions and movements have been shaken to the very core of  religious beliefs and principles by a sense of tribal anger and hate! Deep religious polarization has in many instances replaced our spiritual traditions with a fake news gospel.

In the Book of Lamentations, the Prophet Jeremiah, "the crying Prophet" wrote the lamentations on the fall of Jewish religious social way of life.

In the Introduction to The Lamentations, commentators of the Bible describe the falling away of Judah as one of the most impactful events that had long term influence on God's relationship to His people.

"The occasion of these Lamentations was the complete and total destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldean army and the dissolution of the Jewish state both civil and ecclesiastical thereby".

Let that truth of Judah's sin of idolatry and disobedience slowly sink into the depths of our hearts. Do we stand at a similar crossroad today?

Matthew Henry Commentary lays out the grief and mourning of Jeremiah as a warning to our day. "We cannot but be concerned, in the reading of Jeremiah's prophecies, to find that they were so little regarded by the men of that generation but let us make use of that as a reason why we should regard them the more for they are written for our learning too, and for warning to us and to our land".

In the Book of Jeremiah, the Prophet wrote of the coming day of reckoning and judgment that Judah and Jerusalem would face for their falling away from God and failure to change from their disobedience and outright rejection of Jeremiah's message for repentance .

As is usually the case, the Prophet Jeremiah was persecuted and treated as an outcast for his prophetic message by the people of Judah. No one would accept his message against idolatry.

Jeremiah wrote the five poetic lamentations of grief and mourning after the fall of Judah and Jerusalem - as an eye-witness of the time of judgment that God's people suffered. The total destruction of the city of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah witnessed the actual destruction of The Temple, the grand and most glorious Temple built by King Solomon. As you may recall, God did not allow the Great King David to build this temple. The privilege of building the Temple would fall to King Solomon and it would be the most beautiful and world renown building!

This must have been a terrible consequence for Judah to witness and to suffer as the most scared place for the  indwelling of God's Holy Presence in the Holy of Holies.

I sense from reading God's Word and the same message of Jeremiah to Judah, we too are being warned about the American destruction by an army of resistance to the Word of God and the dissolution of the American state "both civil and ecclesiastical thereby".

While the destructive events our country has gone through are related to a political narrative, all related to implications of collusion, insinuation, and intimidation. I believe if we do not change course, we will all share the ramifications and aftershock of the pending destruction of our Republic based on desire to seize unlawful power and forfeit the election of the 45th President.

Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said this past week that an indictment of President Trump by special counsel Robert Mueller  could have eventually “led to civil war.” 

“If [Trump] had been indicted for conspiring with Russia to interfere with and affect the outcome of our elections, it would have precipitated a terribly divisive crisis that could have even led to civil war,” Gabbard said in a statement posted on Twitter.

That is a powerful statement for any politician to make, much less from a Democrat, that many Americans may have comtemplated if the alleged deep state coup had played out.

You can discount my words, you can say I am favoring one political party over the other, but all I am asking for each of us to stop and consider the danger we are facing if we forfeit our freedom and the right to vote for our leaders.

The damage created by an effort to discount the election of a President by alleging that the President was not fit to serve, a narrative created by top officials of the FBI, CIA,  other political operatives and many "journalists" in the main stream news media has shaken the very foundation of our government.

Isaiah 5:20 & 23 apply to the situation we find ourselves. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter"!

But please stop for a moment before saying I am some religious zealot. I also believe Christian believers have sat back and ignored the red flags that our religious heritage is also at stake. If we are looking for whom to blame for this dangerous predicament we face, we must first look in the mirror. I have at times, also been guilty of the anger and blowback from the political gamesmanship.

We must be committed to righteousness and justice. That also means we must not remain silent when we see injustice or hateful bigotry. Let the Word of God be our guide.

We are at the breaking point of decisive decision time regarding the radical change and repercussions from the fallout of the deep divide we suffer. Try to remove the political and news organizations narrative to report lies as truth, and ignore truth as lies. Can we pray and mediate as we contemplate the following Scriptures while seeking righteous change?

Lamentations 3:40-41 (KJV)  "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens" .

You can believe in what political beliefs you hold, that is a choice you have or will make.

What I am asking is for each of us to evaluate where we stand in relationship to God and His teachings found in The Lamentations of the Crying Prophet, Jeremiah.

If you can stand without a doubt and state we are not living in idolatry and disobedience to the ideals which our country was founded, that is your right and free will.

I feel deeply within my heart and spirit, our country... is at a very significant decision point.

Can we accept the Mueller Report and stop these needless investigations and intrusions in the life of every politician? Can we all just get along?

There are many important and critically significant issues affecting the well being of the people in our country. The issues are many, immigration, homelessness, mental illness, healthcare, hunger, poverty, veteran issues, and so many other issues.

Why can't we put our efforts and desire for a better life in these issues as some are placing in endless investigations and innuendo.

May we take the mourning and grief in Lamentations as our warning to change our lives of idolatry and mourn for God that He would change our hearts for good of all. 

What a sad state of affairs if we like the Crying Prophet, Jeremiah, we would witness the destruction of our Constitutional Republic, and end up mourning the loss of God's Grace upon our country.  

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old—Lamentations 5:21

LFI~LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE
Rev Fidel "Butch" Montoya
Remember : "God Listens"!

Trust God - All The Time

Often times it seems so easy to give spiritual advice to someone to stay tough and put their complete faith on the line for an urgent  need in their lives.

This particular verse in Isaiah is one that encourages us to stand firm and be prepared to put our faith to a test, and with great anticipation to receive God's blessings.

This verse in Isaiah encouraged God's people to stand with full assurance of the great blessings He was ready to share with them after enduring a 70 year period of captivity.

God promised a complete turn around, a time of great outpouring of God’s promises to change a bad circumstance after enduring a very long time of captivity and slavery.

God told His people that He would pour water on a thirsty land as well provide streams of living water on a bone dry land. Water representing His Spirit and fulfillment of His covenant promises.

Many have experienced a drought where the land cracks and breaks apart because of the lack of water. Nothing grows, and the hot sun and blowing dry wind prevents any possibility of rain or harvest.

When you try to encourage someone who has endured a time of testing or a time of difficulty and pain, the person you are trying to share God's promises with, can now turn things around with God pouring His blessings and gifts of renewal on a situation that seemed hopeless or a time of questioning. A time  wondering why you or a loved one are going through such a painful period of doubt and despair.

At the point where you think it can't get any worse, God reminds us that He has promised to restore our hope and faith. As a thirsty land soaking up water being restored on a destressed land that has struggled through a severe drought.

Often times it is easy for us to give advice or to ask someone to stay tough and put their faith on the line for an urgent and personal need in their lives.

This particular verse in Isaiah is also a promise that God has shared with each of us, encouraging us to stand firm and to be prepared to receive a dynamic outpouring of His power.

Because we have undergone a period of testing our faith and facing great difficulty has allowed us to pass through this period of self evaluation, challenging our values of perseverance and faith.

This verse in Isaiah encourages God's people to stand with full assurance of the great blessings He was ready to share with the Israelites after enduring the 70 year period of captivity.

God promised His people a complete turn around after enduring a time of heart breaking captivity and slavery after God punished His people for their disobedience and falling away from the ways God ordained.

God tells His people that He will now pour water (spiritually ordained blessings) on the drought savaged land and also provide streams of water on the land that suffered because of a hard pressed judgment against His chosen people, who had lost their way and turned away in disobedience and greed.

The drought upon the land and promises of outpouring of streams of water on dry land represents to each of us who have undergone through a difficult testing of our faith and belief in God’s covenant that He would provide blessings that would restore our dry bones, weakened hearts and souls cracked and broken because we may have rejected God’s presence and outpouring of His Spirit to help us overcome our sins and disobedience.

When you try to encourage someone who has endured a time of testing or a time of difficulty and pain, often the person you are trying to understand  that God's promises will now turn things around with His outpouring of His blessings and gifts of renewal because of a situation that seemed hopeless or a time of soul searching and questioning what you may have been experiencing.

There was a song that we sang in church that spoke of God "turning it around at the midnight hour"! We would turn around and around as a profession of our faith and belief God would take care of business, even at the darkness period of the midnight hour.

At the point where you think it can't get any worse, God reminds us that He has promised to restore our hope and faith as a drought dessert land soaks up water being poured on a land that has gone without moisture and rain.

I have recently gone through a time of testing and doubt over a personal health issue. Since last November, a week or so just before Thanksgiving, I lost my voice.

From going to sleep one night to waking up without the ability to express myself by speaking out loud. I figured it was just a passing case of bad laryngitis and it would soon go away.

After visiting the doctor, she said probably a virus… “go out and buy a vaporizer”. After weeks of little or no improvement, I went back to the doctor. Now the doctor said it was time for a visit to a throat/nose specialist.

With a very small camera, the Specialist ran it through my nose to see what might be causing the problem. The camera showed one vocal cord was not vibrating as it should.

The next step was a CAT Scan to see if there was something blocking the vocal cord nerve!

Immediately the specialist thought of “something” blocking the nerve. Something included a tumor or the possibility of the “C” word.

The CAT Scan would get scheduled for the following week. So meantime, all kinds of questions and fears flooded my mind and spirit.

To add to the anxiety, the scan was on a Thursday, but the specialist needed to schedule another visit over the weekend to go over the test results. A weekend of heightened fear and anxiety.

Meanwhile the depression of not being able to speak clearly created its own set of problems.

One important issue, the takeout person at the drive thru at McDonald’s could not understand my order. Had to try to explain my order  several times until finally the take out order person figured out what I wanted. But this just one small example demonstrating the quandary I was in.

I prayed a lot, questioned what was happening, was expending my faith at a considerable rate.

Like a cell phone, I was using a lot of data praying, laying awake at night, wondering why, or what was affecting my voice.

To make matters worse, the specialist said it could take 9 months to heal! If it didn’t get better by then, we would start all over again trying to find the cause for the lost voice.

The evil one and big liar certainly was playing with my mind and heart.

Now I was the one who needed someone to encourage me and rely on to pray with me.

My voice has improved, but still have a frog or two in my throat. If I speak too much during the early part of the day, my voice gets considerably weaker by the evening.

I am at the mercy of God’s blessing and healing. Maybe a time to revisit God's  goals and objectives for my life.

Yes, old guys have goals and objectives as well.

All this to get back to Isaiah 44:3.
"For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring".

God’s Word is clear and it speaks to me as well. Don’t give up. Rely on the promises of God to restore our land.

Expect a big outpouring of God’s promises to send the rain and streams of water to heal my dry broken land. My hope remains firmly planted on God's covenant to bless those who bless Israel.

I continue to join in prayer with others who have asked for God’s intervention in their lives. Please join me in a prayer  today for God's blessing on my life.

Special thanks to my colleagues who have joined with me in prayer and encouragement.

LFI ~ LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE

Rev Fidel “Butch” Montoya

Remember: “GOD LISTENS”

Beware of Thought Police

There is a dangerous and insidious movement gaining more influence in our society which must be exposed to be a false narrative of lies, generating fear, and creating a deep divide of racism and hate which is affecting every segment of our lives.

I call this movement the age of the “thought police” where there is an attempt to control and ensure conformity to the ultimate point that differing opinions are disallowed or shutdown completely.

The "USA Thought Police" are alive and well, but do not represent a movement of Light and Truth. Instead it seeks to destroy the voice of Christians who dare to speak out against this malicious  movement by liars, seeking to destroy and put a stop to a message of good will. 

We have seen where certain topics are not allowed to be discussed or debated in high schools or colleges. If you carry the label of a conservative, in many cases you are prohibited from making presentations. If you are a Christian and wish to participate in discussions or debates, many persons are eliminated because of their faith. 

This liberal narrative moves “under the radar” calling for complete conformity to this new age thinking that condemns differences which are prescribed by counterfeit prophets of integrity. Their message is inaccurate or distorted and when confronted, they are the first to call upon the "thought police" to enforce their fraudulent and distorted interpretation of their repulsive opinions.

In fact any message which
goes against this reprehensible wave of liberal thought which is attempting to controll our lives, calls upon those of us who oppose this repugnant philosophy to be prepared to defend our way of life. 

In Ephesians 5:6, the Bible encourages us to be careful what vain and erroneous philosophies gain control of our lives. 

"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." God's message is clear for those who abandon the Gospel for vain words, they will face God's judgment. 

In verse 7 of Ephesians 5, God's Word is clear as to what position we are to take. "Be not ye therefore partakers with them."

We must have a strong sense of urgency to be more aware of this reprehensible  narrative controlling fabricated lies and vain words about our beliefs as Christians. We cannot ignore the false narrative that seeks to destroy our way of life. 

These treacherous and deceitful teachers call for us to abandon our affirmation of Christ and His likeness by allowing the hate and fear to clash with our God ordained values by linking them to racism, bigotry, and deliberate distortions of our message. 

If you love our country, inspite of the unjust and immoral decisions of the past, if you believe in the Bible which is God's Word for our lives today, we are branded as racists and reckless or impulsive. 

God encourages each of us who claim to be followers of Christ to awaken from our stupor, to arise from our spirit of rejecting Life, and to walk in the Light Christ gives us to reject darkness.

The Scripture is clear and very plain for those who seek the Light of Jesus Christ.  "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."    Ephesians 5:14         

We are to be extremely careful that we do not allow sin to enter into our hearts. We are persons of light and it should be clear when darkness, that is sin, trys to replace the Light. We are in constant danger of allowing our guard down if we do not diligently follow the Life ordained by God. 

The Pulpit Bible Commentary explains our position against the evil counterfeit narrative which is attempting to devastate and crush our testimony of Light.  

Ephesians 5:11 states, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

"We are admonished to have no fellowship with sin nor sinners. Works of darkness are sinful works. These evil works that attempt to control our values and principles, try to control our conversations and way of life, come from the darkness of ignorance,  seeking to conceal the darkness of this evil and ever present narrative, and ultimately will lead to the darkness of hell if we continue to follow this fabricated evil way". 

Can you imagine if the Gospel had been shut down by the haughty leaders of influence like the Pharisees or Sadducees during introductory period of the New Gospel? What would have become of the this period of Christian history?

In Mark 1:1-2, we find the actual beginning of a new Gospel message of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist would announce to the multitudes that someone greater than he would come on the scene proclaiming a not a new false narrative of the New Gospel, but a way of life which would ignite the beginning of the early “thought police”, whose false enforcement of the new message would be tainted by fear and Intimidation?

In fact the opponents of Christ called His movement a political one because He called for alligence to the Kingdom of God. Rome did not allow anyone to speak against the Roman government. But Christ was speaking of a higher kingdom and did come to be Crowned the new Leader or High Priest. 

[1] “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
[2]As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee”.

John the Baptist, the person who was thought of as some strange eccentric madman who claimed a new
messenger was coming, someone whom John the Baptist felt unworthy to even unlace the new messenger's sandals. John was actually proclaiming “the beginning of the Gospel who was Jesus Christ".

This is so very significant in that this new Gospel was founded on Truth and Light, and would change the world. 

Keeping in mind, John the Baptist was a strange “character who was clothed in camels hair, with a girdle of skin about his loins, eating locusts and wild honey”. No doubt, it took a lot for people to accept the message of John the Baptist. 

[7] “And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose”.

Can you image having this outcast and heavy bearded looking person being your public relations guy, claiming that you were the new up and coming representative of this new message, and going further by claiming that this new preacher would also claim to be The Son of God?

The Bible tells that immediately the thought police went into action to discredit not only the new
Gospel, but to look for ways to destroy Jesus Christ as someone who also made the ultimate claim He was able to forgive sins, heal the sick and actually call himself the of Son of God?

The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted no part of a message that would not only question their way of life, but also call them sinners in need of accepting Jesus Christ as their Salvation. They too needed to be seperated from their life of hate, fear, idolatry and whose egotistical attitudes intimidated others by the way they chose to live. 

Claiming to give more donations than the poor, dressing in the finest robes of the day, and claiming to be much closer to God because of their self egotistical idolatry.

Today, Christianity is still condemned as a false narrative by many present day Pharisees, and where Christ-like individuals are ridiculed for their alliance to Jesus Christ, where God is questioned and condemned in our schools, public square, and by the new weapon of social media which is able to spread lies, fear, and ability to cast Christians as evil and hateful narrow minded purveyors of a false teaching in real time!  

The evil masters of the social media desire to control the values respecting life by supporting abortion and infanticide, they ridicule  those who voice a message of Life and Love. 

In fact many Christians nominated to judicial positions are often criticized by present day Sadducees as controlled by Christian dogma, thus making them unfit to serve as public servants. Unfit to serve because they support a life controlled by Light and not false messages of darkness. 

I believe without any doubt that the social media platforms are controlled and influenced by an evil agenda to disallow Christians who may have differing religious views, by intimidating and disallowing Christians from speaking out. 

When Christians do manage to share their values, in many cases, the message is censored or misrepresented by those who control the many platforms of the public narrative.

The real issue of the social media is its ability to influence or taint the public discourse with lies and fake news in real time. By controlling the message, evil forces are able to spread lies and disinformation.

Keep in mind, the evil one is considered “the big liar disguised as an angel of light”. When the absurdity of those who are out to censor, control, or shut down voices of reason and truth, we must be willing to stand for our values against the evil one himself! We must allow our light to outshine the darkness and evil of those who seek to destroy the real message of hope and trust.

The early Apostles were often run out of town for preaching the Gospel, they were condemned and criticized in the public square or at religious events, they had to hide or run for their lives, and many were stoned or beheaded by evil minded forces controlled by the evil one.

If you believe there are no evil influences affecting public policy or enacting laws that embrace infanticide, or that call for violent harassment or spreading hate and lies against Christians or other people of good will, and that demand their evil way is the correct way and threaten Christ-like individuals to conform to their way of life controlled and dominated by sin, you must be shaken from your sleep. 

If we do not share the Gospel, stand up for the Message of the Cross, defend our values and Christian-Judeo principalities on which our Republic was founded, and ensure we are not silenced by hurtful laws that are often enacted to only destroy or control our Spiritual message and determination for the Gospel, and to create and spread confusion and hate in our hearts and minds, and in those who seek a better way. 

It is so important to always keep as our anthem the truth that greater is He who abides in my heart and soul than he who is in the world.

No thought police, no communication technology, no group of evil and hate can ever knock us from our path, and we must determine to never allow a false narrative to take the place of the Gospel.

FLI – LATINO FAITH INITIATIVE

Rev Fidel “Butch “ Montoya

Always Remember : “GOD LISTENS”