Posted on Wednesday, December 20, 2006                                            by Llenis M

As Christmas draws near we must remember the importance of Christ’s sacrifice for mankind. We often hear each Christmas about Jesus’ birth and his coming to this world. It seems that after hearing it over and over again, we sometimes loose the tremendous meaning and sight of what it really meant for Christ to become a man. Before this world was established, he already existed in the everlasting.

From the moment that he decided to leave his throne, and position of royalty, he withdrew himself from his greatest love, the Father. Jesus knew what it meant to be humble. This amazing quote describes it this way, “The proof of humility if the willingness to reach.” Whom did he want to reach? You and I. Philippians 2:6, “Who, being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing.” Jesus could have used another method to have saved the world, but instead he choose himself to be the sacrifice. Jesus’ love is demonstrated to us in that he exchanged his glory to become a servant of man. Jesus, the son of God became obedient to man, to the extent that he allowed himself to be subjected to death of the cross. In bible times, anyone who was crucified on a cross was accursed. He allowed man to mock, betray, and ridicule him for our sake.

If you can just pause right now and meditate on this. All along he knew who he was, and where he came from, yet choose to render his rights as King. He choose to humble himself before the world. James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”  Until this time I have never ever heard of a King leaving his kingdom and riches to become poor, much less willing to die for criminals. Yet our loving Savior Jesus did, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth!”  

In this season I hope that you can take a moment and reflect on God’s greatest gift to you his son. May you appreciate his humbleness and embrace his sacrifice dearly. Merry Christmas!

    Posted on Wednesday, November 8, 2006                                               by Llenis M

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1   In today’s society many wonder who Jesus really is. There is so much confusion about his deity and preexistence. The bible tells us that he was God before he came to live on this earth. He was the Creator of all living things. His embodied himself in a human flesh in order for us to get the message of eternal life. My father once said, Jesus didn’t just say “I love you,” and leave us in destination of eternal condemnation.

No, he chose willing to humiliate himself and become like his creation in order for us to understand him. I like the way Billy Graham puts the analogy of what Jesus came to do on earth. He said imagine yourself see some ants going straight into destruction (pretend some water), and you know their headed that way, you can try to speak to them and tell them no to go into that path, but they won’t understand you because their ants. The only way they can understand you if you can become and ant like them. John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Jesus in the same manner knew that we wouldn’t believe in him, unless he came into the world. It had been prophesied by his prophets and he fulfilled his promise.

The whole point of Jesus coming to the earth is so that we may believe truly that he is the Son of God. Can you answer that question personally? Who do you think he is?  Jesus doesn’t want us to just hear about the Gospel and find as a religion, but to go beyond that and believe his message in our hearts. John 3:14-15, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the dessert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone that who believes in him may have eternal life.”  God Bless!

    Posted on Wednesday, September 27, 2006                                           by Llenis M

As I sit here pondering on the road in which this generation is walking towards I feel overwhelmed. We are headed to complete destruction. Why do I and others feel this way? After hearing these statistics and observing our nation’s moral condition, I find our values threatened. Take a look for yourself.

This generation views 16 to 17 hours of television each week and sees on average 14,000 sexual scenes and references each year. That's more than 38 references every day.

Internet- This generation spends three hours a day online and is the first to grow up with point-and-click pornography. Almost 90 percent of teens have viewed pornography online at one of the 300,000 adult websites, most while doing homework.

Music-More than 25 percent of teen-targeted radio segments contain sexual content; 42 percent of the top selling CDs contain sexual content.

½ of them are no longer virgins.

1 in 4 use illegal drugs

40% have committed self-injury

Over 1,500 kill themselves each year

53% believe Jesus sinned

83% believe truth is relative

1 in 5 contemplated suicide

Now if you haven’t noticed your youth in church take a good look at them again. They have no interest in God and feel totally uninterested in what God has to say about their lifestyle. No wonder we have such a battle. Look at all the worldly influences that surround them. I must first admit that I have often felt frustrated with their behavior and response to God. I am concerned for them because one day they will be the leaders in the church, home, and nation.  

What will be the outcome if we continue to ignore this situation and not bother to pay notice to the symptoms of distress they face. Look at what God’s word instructs us to do. We are to teach them to value God’s commands. Psalms 78:4, “We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.” As followers of Jesus Christ we must pray that God will show us how to understand them and win them over to him.

Who will purpose today to live a godly life that requires holiness without compromise to the world’s desire? Is this our responsibility, or should we leave this to someone else? God commands us to show the way of truth by our testimony. Yes we can preach all we want, or claim to know Christ, but deny his power. Psalms 78:5-6, “That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children; That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” It’s time to reflect first with ourselves. How are we modeling a Christian example to others? Next, are we praying instead of criticize the youth in our church? My prayer is that we respond to the times that we are living and once again return to God wholeheartedly.

    Posted on Wednesday, August 16, 2006                                                 by Llenis M

Well greeting to all IPF readers, it’s almost back to school time for those who are in school… Interesting today I had something else to share with you, but I felt led to write about obedience and faith. I don’t know about all you out there, but this topic is one that I usually say “ouch” to. Simply because we live in a world that does whatever they please, or whatever floats your boat.  

This worldly mentality infiltrates us constantly in every zone. In church we hear about obeying God. However, what does this really mean? There are several examples in the bible that talk to us about men and women who have obeyed God blind fully, because they believed God’s promises. It’s hard to obey when we don’t see or feel God near us. The book of Hebrews chapter 11 mentions the names of those whose names are written on God’s hall of fame. Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and others have something in common; they obeyed God on which was unseen. Hebrews 11:29, “By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned. 

Here we find some lessons to live by in our Christian walk. In order for the Israelites to have been able to cross over to the other side, they first received a promise from God. Their promise was to possess the land of Canaan; therefore they were able to do the impossible. In the same manner, we as believers have been promised eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. We have the bible full of statues, ordinances and counsel to live by. We have the responsibility then to obey God even when we face ourselves unwilling to obey God. Faith is doing something Godly with a God given purpose.  When we decide to act upon what God has said and trust that he will work out our visible problems, it is called faith. Let us persevere in doing what is good for the Lord. It is said of Moses in verse 27, “By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for he persevered, as one who sees Him who is invisible.  Let us then aim to obey God, for we will attain what he has promised.

    Posted on Wednesday, July 5, 2006                                                           by Llenis M

Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the  face of the earth,  and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Have you ever wondered why you weren’t born in any other time in history like when Christ lived on earth? It was appointed that you and I live in this time in History for a purpose. God has appointed us to face the challenges our present world faces because he knew that we could endure.

Peter, Paul and the other disciples faced shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment for the gospel.  However, we today as Christ’s disciples also face trials, tribulations and persecutions in a different form.  People, including the church are confused in telling right from wrong.  We no longer know if Gay Marriage is permissible, we cannot define what is wrong.

Our convictions have become weakened and we no longer feel offended about movies that portray anti biblical truths. We are living in the end times and many Christians are not ready.  Paul warns Timothy saying, “There will be terrible times in the last days”, moments in which many false teachings would arise. He goes on to list some descriptions of what people would live like in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 (lovers of themselves, and money, without self control, not lovers of the good,  having a form of godliness, but denying its power).  

Basically that is the world we live in today, but what has happened to the church.  Why have we allowed ourselves to become complacent with sin and our walk with God? May we return to Christianity 1 on 1, searching the scriptures for only in God’s word will we find wisdom to face each theory, lie and deception from the devil? Paul’s advice to Timothy can also help us today, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

    Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006                                                       by Llenis M

Have you ever had to swallow your words when someone made up terribly upset? It is quite difficult to do well to others when they have offended us. Perhaps at one point in life you have faced a situation like this. Maybe someone in authority said some things that really offended you, or your boss totally crushed you with their words. At that moment our natural instinct is to retaliate and win the argument! Others sometimes choose to keep their mouths closed and keep it inside. This truth of what later can turn into resentment must be dealt appropriately. Honestly, I don’t think it is quite simple to just forgive and forget each time the same person repeats the same behavior over and over. Consequently the issue is ignored and not dealt with. People do not know how to work with the small incidents and thus becomes big incidents in the future. Later on in life the behavior is repeated with others and is manifested in bitterness. God doesn’t want us to carry baggage from the past. Each opportunity the devil has he will just continue to flood your thoughts with animosity towards that person.

That is why it is important that we ask the Holy Spirit to help us do what is right and instructed in the word of God. Each time we continue to ignore the situation the enemy is gaining ground and deepening the roots of bitterness into our hearts. We want to prevent that! This is a subject that is unspoken and often time overlooked. We can find godly counsel for daily life circumstances. Before we fall into the trap of debate that offends, God’s word Proverbs 15:1 tells us that, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.” Solomon advises us to consider the tone that we use when we are in an argumentative conversation. Proverbs 16:32, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit better than he that taketh a city.” We need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us this kind of self control. Imagine all the times that we have said things that we wished were never said.

Often times in the midst of an argument people say things that they do not mean, but once those words have been spoken they are too late to take back. Proverbs 29:11, “A fool uttereth all his mind; but the wise man keepeth in it till afterwards.” If you find yourself full of resentment ask God to remove it from your life. When you face situations that can result in resentment by words, remember what God wants us to do. When we fail to apply God’s principles in our lives we are target for diseases and unfruitfulness in our Christian life.

    Posted on Wednesday, April 5, 2006                                                        by Llenis M

As I begin to write to you I am amazed at God’s ways and doings. It doesn’t take much to realize that God wants us to be near those who need him urgently. Let me explain… Perhaps in our daily life we come across people that have been hurt. Most of these individuals we know put on a smiley mask to hide the inner hurt they bear.

Some of them have been abandoned by a father or mother who never cared to know them. Others have felt rejection their whole life, or have low self esteem. We may be unable to see the wound that is bleeding in their heart. Often times, when we come across these people, we automatically conclude that they are bitter, and miserable. We think their attitude stinks. We are blinded by our thinking. We will never know about the nights they cry themselves to sleep. If you happen to know anyone like this God wants you to do him a favor. God has placed these people into our lives for a reason, so that we can reflect Christ’s love and good works. Ephesians 1:11-12, “In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…in order that we, who were the first hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” We can bring hope and love into their lives. Jesus’ brother John tells us that, I John 2:9, “Anyone who claims to be in the light, but hates (detest) his brother is still in the darkness.”  

Often times, unintentionally we demonstrate carelessness towards the needs of others.  God’s word commands us to love others so that through us He may be revealed. God plan is for us the body to reflect him in this world. Who else is going to do the job? How is the world going to find out that Jesus is real? Epesians 2:23, “And God placed all these things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is the body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” One of the many ways that God’s fullness is expressed in through the believers. I John 3:18, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.” God doesn’t want us to just say we love others, but to also demonstrate it by sharing his words of grace with others. We can do this by lending an ear, offering some advice, or just showing you care. Let us not become like a bottled water that cannot be unopened, to quench thirst.

    Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2006                                             by Llenis M

I was rushing to the stores today to find last minute candies for my students, and to my surprise the shelves were completely empty! I went to another store and found the candy and final detail for the Valentine Party at school. While in the store, I paused and took a moment to look around at all the people who were carefully selecting candies and gifts for their loved ones. I couldn’t help, but notice the intention of each heart was to please that special someone. Earlier in the day, while driving on the streets I came across all the commotion of people buying balloons, presents and gifts for Valentine’s Day… once again their motives was to express their heartfelt expression. Then I glanced at a man who was cheerfully walking out with his children carrying a beautiful, dozen roses’ arrangement for his wife.  And all this filled my heart with special warmth.  All this proved to me that humans need and want to give love. That is God’s image in our lives. Mike Murdock states that, “the proof of love, is the passion to pleasure.” What an amazing truth.  When you love someone you try to please them. We try out best not to hurt them, speaking kindly, and doing everything they enjoy.  

In the same manner we as believers also try to please the Lord when we are in love with him.  But, the truth of the matter sometimes, our love towards him can become cold and we no longer aspire to please him, but out concern is to please others. Several times we become like that individual described in I Corinthians 13:1, “gifted in speaking in tongues, used in prophecy and have revelation of God, but no love”. And to what are these things to others if we don’t have love.  Who is that love? We can become empty of him, if we are not careful. The only love that is unconditional is Jesus Christ. He is love… His proof of love still remains as the greatest gift anyone can give. His passion was to please us, because he loved us. Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. He took our place and saved us from everlasting hell. This was short, but a quick thought, and reminder to you that you are loved. How about letting him know today that you too, love him?