Hello All,
Our church is going to Family Camp this week. Our destination: Sequoia National Park! It's going to be a very laid back week, but a good one for bonding and enjoying the body that the Lord has seen fit to join us to. Most of you who know me, know that I am not an outdoorsmen. I am an indoorsmen all the way! The best camps I have ever been too were named Hilton or Radisson, had air conditioning and an indoor pool! So, this will be an experience.
One really cool thing though was that I was given the opportunity to write the devotionals for our camp. I am finding that I truly love to write and had a great time writing these devotionals. We'll see if they will be a blessing or if I'll need to author a second edition! Here is the first one:
"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:” Revelation 2:1
Before Jesus addresses the issues of each particular church, He turns their attention to who He is. It’s really the right place to be mentally, where we stop what we are doing and mentally course correct. After all, He is to be our ultimate vision in terms of what we are to be as human beings, and in terms of what our reward is to be. He is both our desire and motivation. If we could keep our vision here, it’s likely that we would avoid the traps that each of the churches fell into.
Notice here that we are to focus on Him first, because He is more important that our Pastors and elders. Christ is the head of the Church. He directs traffic, guides the decisions made by His men and lends His Spirit to comfort and lead the daily activities of the church. He holds the leadership of our church in His hand.
Now, this hold is not a death grip! There is not a holy vice grip forcing the eldership to remain there! I have found that this loving Hand is wide open, allowing men the comfort to remain, while simultaneously employed as the Hand of loving correction. But Christ’s exhortation to the Church is that He is in control and we must acknowledge His sovereignty over His own Church.
The second area of focus comes on where Jesus places Himself. He chooses to walk in the midst of the seven lampstands or churches. He walks there, among them. He sets His Spirit among us and allows us to enter into loving fellowship with Him.
Ultimately, what Jesus offers the church of Ephesus and Calvary Laguna, is the comfort of His presence and the promise of a relationship with Him. We do well to establish this before we continue on. Can you answer honestly that knowing Christ, learning to please Him and enjoy His presence has been or is the result of your efforts today? If you cannot answer definitively, resolutely, “yes,” then you run the risk of falling prey to the various dangers that are seen in each of the experiences of the early churches of Revelation.
Let us then proceed with caution and constantly examine our activities in light of this concrete foundation.
As always, I ask for your prayers, that our church would be blessed as we hang together this week. Pray for our safety on the way, once there and on the return home.
Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez
Our church is going to Family Camp this week. Our destination: Sequoia National Park! It's going to be a very laid back week, but a good one for bonding and enjoying the body that the Lord has seen fit to join us to. Most of you who know me, know that I am not an outdoorsmen. I am an indoorsmen all the way! The best camps I have ever been too were named Hilton or Radisson, had air conditioning and an indoor pool! So, this will be an experience.
One really cool thing though was that I was given the opportunity to write the devotionals for our camp. I am finding that I truly love to write and had a great time writing these devotionals. We'll see if they will be a blessing or if I'll need to author a second edition! Here is the first one:
"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:” Revelation 2:1
Before Jesus addresses the issues of each particular church, He turns their attention to who He is. It’s really the right place to be mentally, where we stop what we are doing and mentally course correct. After all, He is to be our ultimate vision in terms of what we are to be as human beings, and in terms of what our reward is to be. He is both our desire and motivation. If we could keep our vision here, it’s likely that we would avoid the traps that each of the churches fell into.
Notice here that we are to focus on Him first, because He is more important that our Pastors and elders. Christ is the head of the Church. He directs traffic, guides the decisions made by His men and lends His Spirit to comfort and lead the daily activities of the church. He holds the leadership of our church in His hand.
Now, this hold is not a death grip! There is not a holy vice grip forcing the eldership to remain there! I have found that this loving Hand is wide open, allowing men the comfort to remain, while simultaneously employed as the Hand of loving correction. But Christ’s exhortation to the Church is that He is in control and we must acknowledge His sovereignty over His own Church.
The second area of focus comes on where Jesus places Himself. He chooses to walk in the midst of the seven lampstands or churches. He walks there, among them. He sets His Spirit among us and allows us to enter into loving fellowship with Him.
Ultimately, what Jesus offers the church of Ephesus and Calvary Laguna, is the comfort of His presence and the promise of a relationship with Him. We do well to establish this before we continue on. Can you answer honestly that knowing Christ, learning to please Him and enjoy His presence has been or is the result of your efforts today? If you cannot answer definitively, resolutely, “yes,” then you run the risk of falling prey to the various dangers that are seen in each of the experiences of the early churches of Revelation.
Let us then proceed with caution and constantly examine our activities in light of this concrete foundation.
As always, I ask for your prayers, that our church would be blessed as we hang together this week. Pray for our safety on the way, once there and on the return home.
Blessings...To Our Friends,
Frank Sanchez
1 comment:
your post made me think of this awesome book i read based on a passage in revelation chapter 3.
maybe you have read it...if not, you should... :)
http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Letters-Pergamum-Story-Testament/dp/0801026075/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0846411-3446404?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185858320&sr=8-1
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