INSIDE OUT HEALTH - Part I

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

INSIDE OUT HEALTH – Part I

(1 Cor 6:19-20) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Today begins a three-part discussion about Christians and health. Why am I emphasizing the things of the body when it’s our spiritual life that relates to God? Because the Bible says we are a trichotomy of body, soul, and spirit. (1 Thes 5:23) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And what affects your body can affect your soul and spirit. What affects your soul and spirit can affect your body. Paul prays that his listeners’ body, soul, and spirit would be preserved blameless until the Lord’s coming. So before holistic health there was Biblical holy health!

Paul said to the Corinthians that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament there was the Temple in Jerusalem. Under the new covenant it is the temple of our body where the Spirit dwells. We belong to God. We were bought at a price (the precious blood of Jesus – 1 Pet 1:18-19). As a result we are to glorify God in our body and our spirit.

Our bodies are an expression of who we are. As believers we are called to do God’s will and the works He has ordained for us from before the foundation of the world (Eph 2:10). It takes a body to do that. So as we take care of our bodies we are taking care of that vessel of honor so it can be useful for the Master (2 Tim 2:20-21). When I realized this it changed my life. I was so busy living life and taking care of others that I neglected my own health. I loved God and wanted to serve Him by serving and sacrificing for others. My body, mind, and spirit took its toll and I was a vessel beginning to crack and fall apart. The Lord opened my eyes to the fact that when I take the time to invest in my health it is not selfish. In fact, it really means I am taking the time to fine tune my body so it can be even more effective to serve others.

I have come to the conclusion that we have a stewardship over our bodies and a scriptural mandate to take care of them. We can neglect our bodies but eventually it will catch up to us and we will have to pay. We keep up our homes, our cars, our computers, but what about our bodies? We only have one of them. If this one goes then I don’t have another one in the closet I can use.

So what does it take to get our bodies in shape? It takes what I call an Inside Out approach. That means the Spirit of God will open your eyes to the need for health and then give you the power to take the steps you need to take. (Phil 2:13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. You won’t fuss about what you have to do. You’ll be excited to make the changes from the Inside Out. It’s a lifestyle change instead of a temporary fix for your health. You will make changes not just to fit into that swimsuit this summer or to look good at the graduation or reunion. It’s a change for life!

Most people approach health from the Outside In. They go on fad diets and exercise like crazy only to gain their weight back after they reach their goal. This is a law approach: (Col 2:23) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in…neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

I am very excited to share more about Inside Out health in terms of food and exercise. Get ready for change!

Louie

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GIANTS

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GIANTS

(Numb 13:33) There we saw the giants…and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight…

It’s funny how when you’re a kid you’re always looking up at people. You couldn’t wait to grow up and get taller and match up to the size of others. It felt good to be an adult and look at people eye to eye. But then we found out that there were still giants in the land. But this time they weren’t tall people so much as towering circumstances in our lives. Situations that were large and overwhelming. Defiant ogres that struck fear in our hearts and made us want to run. Where do you turn when your state of affairs glare down at you and make you feel as small as a grasshopper?

God told Israel it was time to enter the Promised Land. So they sent spies from Kadesh Barnea to search out the land and bring back a report. It was truly a land flowing with milk and honey and they even brought back some of the tasty fruit of the land. But then a majority of the spies emphasized the fact that there were giants in the land so tall they felt like grasshoppers in comparison. This bad report frightened the heart of the congregation of Israel who then developed a spirit of unbelief. God got so mad at them that He promised that only their sons and daughters would enter the land. The rest would perish in the wilderness. Israel wandered another thirty-eight years until this literally came to pass. (Num 13-14; Heb 3-4)

Contrast this with young David. He was visiting his brothers one day on the battlefield and heard Goliath defy the armies of Israel. This outcry sunk king Saul and his soldiers in a paralyzing panic. But David told king Saul he could take the hulk down. As a shepherd boy he had delivered many a sheep from the lion and the bear. What could this uncircumcised Philistine do? Saul turned David loose on this formidable enemy and he took him down with sling and stone! David then went over to the fallen giant and cut his head off. This rallied the troops who then chased and defeated the whole camp of the Philistines! (1 Sam 17)

What was the difference between David and king Saul? Saul saw Goliath as bigger than himself. David saw God as bigger than Goliath. Listen to what Isaiah says about the vastness of God: (Isa 40:12) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? (Isa 40:15) Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing. (Isa 40:22) It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And ITS INHABITANTS ARE LIKE GRASSHOPPERS, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

What about those giants in your life right now? Will you be like the children of Israel and choose unbelief over faith? Will you be like Saul who was petrified with fear over Goliath? Or will you be like David and size up your circumstances to the bigness of God and speak boldly to that menacing monster in your life?: (1 Sam 17:45-47) Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

Will you believe? (Eph 1:19) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…

Louie

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BAPTISM

What a great baptism we had last Sunday afternoon at Mike & Jackie Machuga's house in Norco. The spa was heated up real nice and hungry souls for Jesus came in the water one by one. Then we had a great time of food and fellowship. Nobody wanted to leave! Here are a few pics and videos. Enjoy!


(Acts 10:47) “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

(2 Cor 5:17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

(Mark 10:7-9) ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Cheryl and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary so the theme of marriage is fresh on my mind. My recollections of this beautiful creature coming down the aisle to put her hand in mine for life evokes emotions that place me back in time instantly. Then the honeymoon up and down the scenic coast of California. Back to set up our new dwelling and then off to work. A few years later our first child and then another down the line. Both girls beautiful like their mom. Early struggles, patient perseverance, step by step building a life, a family, making that contribution to our society. Overcoming adversity, setbacks, discouragement. Rising out of the ashes to build again.

On our recent overnight getaway Cheryl and I were discussing about did we ever really think through those wedding vows we repeated to each other? And then to look back three decades later and to see that all those scenarios would come to pass in our marriage and family.

For better for worse: (Job 2:10) …Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”…

For richer for poorer: (Phil 4:12-13) I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In sickness and in health: (James 5:15) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up…

No one has a perfect marriage. Even long termers will tell you it’s a lot of work. But God made marriage not only to work but also to last. Here’s a few things we’ve learned along the way:

AVOID PRIDE. Stay humble because the minute you think you’re better or higher than your mate you set yourself up for failure. (Pro 16:18) Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY. Believe the best in him or her, even during those friction times. Never think of your spouse as the enemy because what you believe makes for that reality. (1 Cor 13:7-8) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails…

LEARN TO FORGIVE. You’re going to get hurt with the one you live with. Just think of marriage: Two sinners under one roof! Expect the ouch at times. But don’t hang on to the bitterness. Get mad and then get glad! (Eph 4:26) “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath.

STAY LOYAL. That’s the “till death us do part” of the vows. (Ruth 1:16-17)…For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”

A good marriage takes three. Husband, wife, and Jesus. Then you can say…HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

Louie

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CHILDREN'S MINISTRY YARD SALE

Today was the yard sale for Calvary Chapel Norco Children's Ministry. The church body really responded and cleaned out their clutter and brought the items over to Bruce & Phyllis' house in Norco. Many items were sold benefitting the Children's Ministry needs. Thanks to everyone pitching in. God always provides!!

Hans & Deborah

Phyllis with the joy of the Lord

Funny video of Asyhia.

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Deut 6:6-9
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

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MORMONISM

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

MORMONISM

During the 1820s, Joseph Smith worked as a farm laborer and developed his religious ideas, inspired by supernatural encounters. After 1827, by his own account, he visited yearly a book written in a hieroglyphic script on golden plates buried in a nearby hill. The book’s location, he said, had been disclosed to him by an angel (Moroni). In 1830 he completed the “translation” of these plates and published the Book of Mormon, which he believed to be a religious record of the ancient inhabitants of North America. Smith said that Jesus informed him that he should join none of the churches, for they were all wrong, and that Jesus would use Smith to re-establish the true Christian religion to the earth. On April 6, 1830, he organized the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

With his newly published book, Smith obtained followers, and a few years later they all left New York for Ohio in the pursuit to find a home for the religion. Smith and his group were forced to move on from Ohio to Missouri, where they were pushed out by locals mostly due to politics and the fact that most followers of Smith were abolitionists, which went against the current view of most Missourians of the time. They moved on to Illinois, where Smith was killed by local militia in 1844. Brigham Young was chosen as the next leader, and he led the group to Utah where it is centered today. Membership today is 13 million and is considered the fastest growing and most successful cult in the history of the United States, and perhaps the world.

Some see Mormonism as a unique Christian denomination. Others see it as a dangerous Christian cult. Examine the following main beliefs and compare them to scripture to make your own decision:

GOD: Mormons believe after you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god. The Bible says: (Deu 6:4) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!

TRINITY: Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Ghost were “three distinct personages and three Gods.” The Bible teaches God is three Persons, yet one God. (Mat 28:19)…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

JESUS: The Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God. God put forth His plan of salvation for the world, and Satan proposed his own plan. Jesus accepted the Father's plan and offered to implement it as the Savior. The Bible teaches: (John 1:1-3) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

BIBLE: The Mormons believe that the canon of Scripture is not closed and that “modern revelation is necessary.” They have other books they deem authoritative. The Bible restricts inspiration to the scriptures of the historical Christian faith: (2 Tim 3:16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God… Christians are to “…contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3)

SALVATION: Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse mankind from all sins and good works are necessary for salvation. The Bible says: (Eph 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

“If it’s true, it’s not new. If it’s new, it’s not true.” Don’t taint the paint. There aint no latter day saints.

Louie

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GOD'S WORK, GOD'S WAY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

GOD’S WORK, GOD’S WAY

(Luke 5:5) But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…

Do you ever feel like you’ve worked so hard at something and have gotten nowhere? Have you ever labored and toiled and have gained no further ground than when you first started? Have you ever invested in people and they haven’t moved one inch forward than when you first started putting into their lives? Then you must be frustrated and tired! It’s time to learn a very important lesson. It’s time to do God’s work, God’s way.

Peter was no doubt irritated. He had fished all night and caught nothing. He came in exhausted. He had labored with wearisome effort and didn’t have one fish to show for it. Now it was time to clean the nets and go home with nothing to report to the wife. Jesus came along the shores of Galilee and began to teach. The crowds were large and were pressing Him. He saw Peter’s boat and asked to be put out a little from the land so He could teach the multitudes from the vessel. When He had stopped speaking he instructed Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his net for a catch. Peter replied he had fished all night and came up empty but that at Jesus’ word he would let down the net.

Wow! Peter caught so many fish his net began to break. Others in an adjoining boat came to his rescue. Now both boats began to sink because of the weight. When Peter saw it he fell at Jesus’ knees and told Jesus he wasn’t worthy. Jesus answered and told Peter he would fish for men’s souls from now on. When the boats came in they all were so impressed that they left all and followed Jesus.

Do you ever feel like Peter? Laboring so hard and not much to show for it? Do you feel like giving up? What’s the sense of going on? You’ve been contemplating throwing in the towel and moving on elsewhere where it’s not such a fight? Have you been toiling all night and have caught nothing? Then learn to do God’s work, God’s way.

God has a work for all of us to do. Once we figure out what that work is we joyfully commence on a course of service. But after a while we find things getting harder and more resistant. So we put in more effort thinking that that is the what is needed. But things don’t change. Then we try working smarter. We start angling and jangling and then end up dangling. We end up getting so twisted up that God has to untangle us. We then turn to the Lord in utter futility. Then the voice of wisdom comes to us. It’s time now to do God’s work, God’s way.

It’s not only what we do for the Lord, it’s how we do it. Think of the task you have been assigned to in life. That job. That ministry. That family. That project. Your studies. Or whatever duty it is. Are you approaching that responsibility in your own effort or are you relying on your God’s strength? Does your attitude sync or stink? That’s usually the indicator. God wants us to enjoy the work of our hands (Isa 65:22). If you can’t whistle while you work then there’s a thistle in the irk.

Doing God’s work, God’s way is the light yoke Jesus promised. (Mat 11:28-30). Find new power in the Holy Spirit! (Acts 1:8) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… (Zech 4:6) ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.

It’s not working harder or smarter, it’s doing God’s work, God’s way. May your joy be full…and your nets too!

Louie

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