by Anita Mondragon
by Mike Mondragonn
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom bedecks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10
by Anita Mondragon
“NOW is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
In John 10:9, Jesus said: “I am the door. If anyone enters by ME, he will be saved.” One day, the door of God’s mercy will close. Our response to Jesus, and His offer of salvation will determine our destination. Come now…while the door of mercy is still open!
I walked among the dead today;
I saw their markers in a row…
And not a sound was heard at all,
No one was sure just how the fire had started. Perhaps it had begun in the basement of the building where some old rags had been stored too close to the furnace and ignited. As the crowd in the street looked on in dismay, a man shouted, “Look!” as he pointed to the window full of smoke. A brave young fireman had gone up just moments before on a ladder and crawled through the burning window to look for survivors. Now, here he was, coming back out! As he stepped onto the first rung of the ladder, the crowd cheered with a loud voice. Everyone was relieved that he had made it! But…something was wrong! Read more…
I have a laser light I use when I play with my cat. She’s an indoor pet, and although she is only a year old, she’s already fat from lack of exercise. She loves the interaction between us, and becomes quite grumpy and aggressive if I fail to have play-time with her on a daily basis. As she and I played this morning, I heard God say to me, “You know what Neat (that’s my nickname), you’re just like that cat. You’ve become fat and lazy…almost complacent in your prayer life. If you would just interact with me on a daily basis, you wouldn’t be so frustrated!” Are you sitting in the boat next to me, or am I all alone here? Do you only pray when you need something, and can’t seem to ‘fix it’ by yourself? Just like my cat needs to interact with me, I…YOU…WE, need to talk and commune with God every day! We’ll be much happier if we do! …As a matter of fact…everyone around us will be happier too! By: Anita Mondragon
Looking up at the almost naked trees, I could see new life trying to come forth. Small green buds were popping out of the branches, pushing off the last dead clinging leaves. The trees would soon be in full bloom…lush…green…beautiful!
It had become a ritual for Braden to walk the small parcel of land left to him by his father. It was almost as important to him as his morning devotions. In the middle of the property, was a small pond. On hot days, he would stoop down to drink from its coolness. It was so beautiful…like a small oasis, with tall trees lining its edges and giving shade to the weary traveler! The pool sparkled so cool and clean, its contents so refreshing. It was his sanctuary…his refuge.
devil. When we face these obstacles, we must NOT look at the physical implications. The devil will ALWAYS make the problems appear to be much larger than they are! I don’t have a dishwasher, so every time I have company over for dinner, by the time they leave…I have dirty dishes on the stove, the counters, and filling both sinks! It looks like it will take me all night to get the kitchen cleaned up. But…once I sort everything out, I find, it’s not really that big of a job after all. The same holds true of the trials and tribulations we face in life. Sometimes, our problems look insurmountable…but if we give them to God and let Him sort them out, we will find they really aren’t that big! Ministry is no different. When and if God calls you to do something…just go ahead and do it. There will be many who tell you that you’re NOT qualified, you can’t do it, it’s impossible, stop being proud, etc. The disdain and angry remarks will continue long after you have accomplished your task. But if you do it as unto the Lord, and in the power of HIS might, you WILL achieve success! Dr. Jeremiah gave five key points in becoming an Overcomer. 1. Refuse to be discouraged. Be persistent in your calling! 2. Reinforce your focus. Look to God for direction and help. 3. Reflect on your past victories. Take a look at what God has brought you through. So encouraging! 4. Run toward the problem or challenge. Meet it head-on! 5. Remember WHO your captain is…THE LORD ALMIGHTY. Do it for Him! In his message to the troops, General Dwight D. Eisenhower started out his speech with these words, “…The eyes of the world are upon you…” The eyes of the world are upon us Believers who profess to KNOW and serve a living God as well, but even more importantly, the eyes of the LORD HIMSELF are upon us, and when we follow His call, He will show himself strong in our behalf and we WILL succeed in our purpose! Take a look at 2 Chronicles 16:9…it’s a promise you can count on! 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. -2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV The General’s speech went on to say, “Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely…. But I have full confidence in your devotion to duty and skill in battle.” Can God Almighty say that about you? Is your heart completely His? Can He count on you to be devoted to His cause? This battle between Believers and Satan’s hoards is REAL people! ON YOUR FEET SOLDIER! Put on the full armor of God and get ready to fight! Anita Mondragon
Pastor has been doing a series of sermons titled, Equipped 2 Serve. In this series, we as Believers are learning how to make a difference in the world in which we live. We are learning our purpose, or put another way, we are finding out what kind of tool God made us to be. We are all made with specific skills-unique to the purpose God has designed for us! What a wonderful thought! There’s no one quite like me…or like you; we are Special in God’s eyes, created for a certain task and time.
