A disturbing development in the Middle East: Christians in the epicenter are experiencing a dramatic surge of violence and persecution at the hands of religious and political extremists. Iraq, Israel, Iran, Egypt and many other parts of the world are seeing a surge of violence against believers in Jesus. Please read the article, published by the Joshua Fund, “Ten Ways to Pray for the Persecuted,” which you can find HERE. Then, please pray!
Jan 062011
Rebuilding Babylon in modern Iraq –a fascinating story about the ancient city where Daniel was held captive being reconstructed. And a look at Ezekiel’s tomb…read the article on Joel Rosenberg’s blog HERE
Jan 052011
Light changes what it touches…
Christmas arrives at the darkest time of the year, during the shortest days and longest nights of the winter solstice. That’s why one of my favorite things about Christmas is the lights. What a beautiful thing it is that the lights of Christmas pierce the darkness!
Starting in November the stores begin putting up their lights. Then the city lights brighten the landscape. Then the neighborhood…and finally, the Bentley lights go up and for me, the season feels right.
Light played a very important role in that first Christmas. The angels lit up the sky with glorious light, as “the glory of the Lord shone around them,” sending the shepherds to Bethlehem. The magi followed a beautiful, bright light in the sky, the Star of Bethlehem, and found the baby Jesus.
Dark Days
Even as the seasons change, so our life circumstances and mental and emotional states go through days of joy and days of darkness. When we experience one too many dark days, one relentlessly following another with seemingly no way out of the despair that chases you, it’s easy to start doubting —even doubting God and His love for you. The prophet Jeremiah, one of God’s own spokesmen, admitted his personal despair and doubt: “I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting bottom” (Lamentations 3:19-20).
When you need LIGHT to cast away the darkness and shadows of doubt, remember, it is in the darkest part of the night that light will shine the brightest.
“The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” —Psalm 27:1
Light Changes What It Touches
Do you know that light actually changes what it touches? When the light of the sun touches us, it give us life, nourishing warmth, and nutrients like vitamin D.
When the light of God touches us, we are changed—and we see our circumstances differently as the holy light of God dispels the darkness and gives us new insight and a bigger picture. Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). The apostle John wrote this truth to the early church: “I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and you, because the darkness is passing and true light is already shining” (1 John 2: 8).
The true light is already shining! We don’t have to make it happen! (We don’t need to add that to our list of pressures.) Jesus is shining in the darkness, desiring to ease the burdens you carry and give you a lift of hope and glory in this season of giving. Let yourself receive the blessings and protection He desires to give you. “But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3).
God uses His sovereign power not to destroy us, but to bless us and place us in the center of His glory!
I pray that you will experience the love of His light and allow yourself to break the gravitational pull of everything weighing you down. Let Him raise you up to be seated—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—in the heavenlies with Christ Jesus.
I pray that this season is one of glory, LIGHT, and love for you and your family.
In case you haven’t already seen it, here’s a link to a wonderful version of the Christmas story – one that is sure to make you smile:
Many blessings to you and Merry Christmas!
Pastor Ray
Joy to the world…really? Wow, some days I’m just not feeling it.
Well, it’s conditional, I’ve heard. If you know the Lord—then you have joy!
Well, you say, I know the Lord, but joy is elusive. Sometimes it’s just so hard to keep up with it all. I do my devotions, I try to obey, I fail and repent, and now I need to get into the holiday spirit with a joyful attitude. I’m trying. I’m really trying!
Recently, as I was teaching out of 1 John, I read: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
People read that and right away focus on the “keep His commandments” part. That’s when we start trying too hard. You promise yourself you will do better, be more disciplined, more focused, more diligent. Well, my friend, my hat is off to you. Bless you for your efforts, but I fear that you will find little joy in these endeavors.
How can you try too hard to obey the Lord, you ask. After all, doesn’t the Bible teach us to be spiritually minded? “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God … those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8).
The burden just got greater. I’m afraid I live in the flesh too much. I don’t know how to stop it!
Let’s go back to 1 John and look at the second half of that verse: “And His commandments are not burdensome.”
Do you believe that? His commandments are not a burden—but the legalism that tries to enforce them is. When Paul speaks of “the mind governed by the flesh,” he is referring not just to the deeds of the flesh that trip us up, but to the mindset that tries to control and coerce ourselves and others toward “holiness.”
When we declare our faith, God begins the sanctification process, transforming us to be like Jesus through His Word and His work in our lives. But the carnal mind, the one “hostile to God”—teaches a legalist, rigid structure. Legalism teaches us to discipline the flesh to walk with Jesus. But the flesh cannot please God— not even the disciplined flesh.
Legalism is a false holiness, devoid of joy. That’s why self-righteous people are generally so miserable—and even more intent on making others miserable. Self-righteousness produces a critical and judgmental spirit, which we turn around and inflict upon others, missing the fact that we have fallen for a trap: one can have “a form of godliness” but deny the power of true godliness in our lives (2 Timothy 3:5).
Believers who spend all their time fighting the flesh rather than nurturing their spirits become lukewarm. They lose their “first love” for the Lord and are miserable beings trying to quench their emotions. They might have all the right answers, but they don’t know God!
I realize that many are just trying to hang on and do what they think is right and what will please God. But that can put a lot of pressure on us to work hard as we struggle to “hang on.” We need to quit struggling and rest in the knowledge that He is hanging on to us. He holds us first, which allows us to hold on to Him. “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” He promised.
Look at what Paul wrote to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
He gave Himself for us! The focus of the incredible love of God is you. It’s all about Him loving you and you learning to receive that love. Only when we receive His love can we begin to respond in loving Him and others.
Living by faith means that we, our natural selves, are crucified, dead, gone. We can’t perfect our flesh, and our attempts to do so only feed a carnal mind. Being a “new creature in Christ” is not about you imitating Jesus, but about Jesus living in and through you. We can quit fighting sin with our flesh and allow His Spirit to fight for us. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal,” the Apostle Paul taught us (2 Corinthians 10:4). It is God who makes us holy and—dare I say it? Happy!
Yes, you can be happy. You can enjoy the fruits of God’s love. Happiness isn’t defined by our circumstances, but by our relationships—specifically one relationship, with the Lord.
As you meditate on His Word and pray, surrender to Him and let His holiness make you happy. Holiness is happiness. It is abundant life. It is “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter1:8). It is peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Joy to the world, the Lord has truly come. May His power and love dwell within you and bring you the most holy —and happy—of holidays. May you know true Joy.
Pastor Ray
Your comments and feedback are always welcome: media@maranathachapel.org
Oct 262010
Oct 162010
Already tonight the angels are joining us as we sing and worship the beautiful Savior and Lord Jesus! We will look even more deeply into the Love of God and how we can have the assurance of His love, and experience that glorious Peace that passes understanding. Can’t wait to share with you what the Lord has put in my heart… Love ya, Pastor Ray
Oct 042010
What ever you are dealing with or facing, I want to encourage you this week the way a friend encouraged me with God’s Word:
God is sovereign. All authority and all power is His. —Matthew 28:18
Nothing takes Him by surprise. All circumstances are His servants. He knows the end from the beginning. —Psalm 119:91, Isaiah 46:9-10
His word is forever settled in heaven. —Psalm 119:89
Romans 8:28-29 is still in our Bible. He does all things for our good and His glory is to conform us to the likeness of Jesus. There is no circumstance, person, place, or time that the blood of Jesus does not cover. The one who spared not His own Son will freely give us all His best things. —Romans 8:31-32
He promises that He is for us and nothing can separate us from His love. That was settled on the cross. —Romans 8:35-39
God’s loving-kindness never ceases. His compassions and great faithfulness never fail. They are new every morning. —Lamentations 3:22-23
He supplies all our needs by His riches in Christ Jesus.— Philippians 4:19.
He knows and cares. The very hairs of our head are numbered. —Matthew 10:30.
He promises that He is God of all comfort, Father of mercies. —2 Corinthians 1:3-4
He is able to supply His abundant grace to us in any situation, so that in all things, at all times, we have all of His sufficient grace we need for encouragement and hope. —2 Corinthians 9:8
He is able to show His perfect power in our weakness. —2 Corinthians 12:9-10
We can know with certainty that He is able to guard what we have entrusted to Him. —2 Timothy 1:12
He promises that He is our strength, our shield, our strong tower, our refuge, our hope, our joy, our peace, our everything, our all. —Psalm 18:1-3, Colossians 3:11
He promises to renew our strength as we wait on Him. —Isaiah 40:31.
He promises that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is with us, a very present help. Hebrews 13:5-6.
He never goes back on a promise. Joshua 21:45
He has a heart that tears can touch and invites us to climb up in the Father’s lap and just cry. —Hebrews 4:15, Psalm 56:8
He gives gladness instead of mourning and praise instead of fainting. Weeping endures for a night, but He gives the joy that comes in the morning. —Isaiah 61:3, Psalm 30:5.
He is enthroned on the praises of His children. —Psalm 22:3
When we lift Him up continually in a sacrifice of praise, we glorify Him in this situation in the here, and now. —John 12:28
It’s Yom Kippur! The Day of Atonement, one of the great Feasts of the Lord, was ordained by God in Leviticus 23:26-32. As we’ve studied and learned about the Feasts of the Lord, we discover they all point to and are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Passover, for example, represented the forgiveness of sin, and Jesus became the ultimate Passover lamb, offering forgiveness to all humanity. So, we might ask, if Passover meant the forgiveness of sins, why do we need a Day of Atonement? Why another sacrifice for sins? The answer is that Passover was forgiveness for individual salvation, while the Day of Atonement was forgiveness for the nation, or national salvation.
The Day of Atonement originated after Israel worshipped the golden calf (Exodus 32). God was angry with them, and was ready to consume the whole nation and start all over with Moses. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). They had brought this sentence of death upon themselves, and God, being holy and righteous was bound to put them to death. But God didn’t want to. He was looking for an excuse not to. Someone to intercede for the people so that God would spare them by a gracious response. Moses prayed, “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin — but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:32).
It was on that day that God put into the heart of Moses a passionate prayer of loving intercession. The entire nation was spared judgment. The very first Day of Atonement! God then “spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). When Moses finally came down from Mt. Sinai with the new set of Ten Commandments, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining while he talked with them. On this first Day of Atonement, Moses reflected the very glory of God! Moses is a beautiful type of Jesus Christ. We all deserve God’s judgment and death, because God is holy and just. But God doesn’t want to judge us, so He sent His Son Jesus to lovingly intercede for us, to offer Himself as our substitute sacrifice. At the Second Coming of Jesus Christ His face will shine with the brightness of the sun, and “so all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26).
With what is happening right now with the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, may I suggest we pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), and for many to come into a personal relationship with the Messiah, Jesus Christ. I believe it is also important this weekend to pray for our own nation, and ask for God’s forgiveness of our own sins, to humble ourselves before Him and ask for His grace and mercy over our beloved country.
For a great article explaining more about Yom Kippur, please go to Joel Rosenberg’s weblog: HERE http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/yom-kippur-where-do-we-receive-atonement-today
Pastor Ray
Jul 142010
Hi everyone!
Just a few things to pass onto you:
If you missed my interview with Pastor Mark Biltz last Wednesday, in which he talked about the biblical significance of eclipses and signs in the sky, you can watch it on Maranatha Chapel’s website HERE . Also, kind of interesting that Chile was hit with an earthquake just hours after the solar eclipse seen in that part of the world…
I also want to encourage you to read a new booklet: Inside the Revival by Joel Rosenberg. It’s now available at our Maranatha Chapel bookstore for 99 cents if you are in the San Diego area, or at your local bookstore, or online at Amazon or Christianbook.com and others. It’s full of inspiring true stories about how God is drawing Muslims around the world to Jesus Christ and how believers can be involved. “Learn, pray, give, and go,” Joel writes. Praise the Lord for the work He is doing in the Muslim and Christian communities!
Exciting times!
Maranatha!
Pastor Ray
Your comments: media@maranathachapel.org