Beloved, has the Holy Spirit caught you by surprise lately? Has He unveiled to you a deeper understanding of the person of Jesus Christ? We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is always at work trying to drive us into a more intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He always speaks through His inspired Word, the Scriptures. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 16:13-15, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Beloved, Jesus Christ is the one great glorious theme of the Holy Spirit. He never speaks of Himself because the role of the Spirit of God is to bear witness to Jesus Christ alone. The Holy Spirit is silent concerning Himself so that men may see the glory of the Father revealed in the Son. Beloved, should we be surprised that God can surprise us and amaze us??  No, because He is God!
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Blessings,
Pastor Joe

Beloved, who are we to show partiality? Unfortunately, our society is all about making distinctions. For example: Black vs. White; Men vs. Women; Skilled vs. Unskilled; Rich vs. Poor; Young vs. Old; Professional vs. Blue Collar; Healthy vs. Handicapped; Educated vs. Uneducated.

Beloved, we are not to try to anticipate who is a good prospect for receiving the gospel and who is not – don’t fall into the trap of spiritual profiling. We need to understand that with God there is no partiality, there is no favoritism in salvation. We need to proclaim the
message of saving grace to everyone! 

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Also Acts 10:34- 35, “So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no
partiality,  35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Blessings,
Pastor Joe

​Good Morning. Sheila and I would like to thank you for all of your prayers for us. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and emotion but through it all God was faithful and His grace was sufficient. My Mom is now with Jesus and we rejoice! Please continue to pray for the family as they mourn her passing. 
 
While I am here with you today, I will not be teaching. Pastor Tim Brown of CC Fremont, CA will be giving us a great word from the Lord. Pastor Tim just finished up our Men’s Retreat and we were blessed! I will return to the pulpit next Sunday!
 
Blessings!
 
Pastor Joe

Beloved, there was a prejudice ingrained into the hearts of those Jews who first became Christians. Because they were Jewish, because they were God’s chosen people, they believed that they were superior to all others. Hence, the early church struggled to allow Gentiles into fellowship. It was this prejudice that the Lord was attempting to remove from the hearts of the Apostles who were all Hebrews. The church was going from Jew to Gentile and everyone needed to be on the same page in order to allow for growth. Though it took some time and was not pain free, eventually Gentiles were allowed into fellowship.
It was the Apostle Paul who wrote to the Galatians in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, whatever background we may have, whatever social-economic status, education level, race, or ethnicity; it is Jesus Christ who has brought us all together. Beloved, at the Cross we stand equal, sinners in need of a Savior. We are one in Christ Jesus solely because of Christ’s work on the Cross.
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Blessings-
Pastor Joe

Beloved, God has revealed Himself to mankind in different ways. First God has revealed Himself through creation as Scripture says in Romans 1:20, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
Secondly, God has reveled Himself through man’s conscience. Romans 2:14-15 explains this, “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.”
God has also revealed Himself through His son, Jesus Christ. John 1:9 says, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
Beloved, every person has been given enough light, enough revelation of God to know that God exists. He has placed a Christ shaped vacuum in each of us in which only Christ fits. Will you respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ today?
Blessings-
​Pastor Joe

 ​Beloved, as we enter into the end of Chapter Nine in the Book of Acts we notice a transition. For the next three chapters, the Apostle Peter takes center stage. The Gospel has gone from Jew to Samaritan and new week will reach a Gentile for the first time. Meanwhile, the Apostle Paul will be gone for several years. For seven to ten years Paul will be out starting churches when suddenly Barnabas returns to his life. In Acts Chapter thirteen we notice the Apostle Paul returning to center stage. But for now the Apostle Peter is running the show. He leaves Jerusalem and begins to minister in the surrounding area. The Lord uses Peter in a
powerful manner as people are healed and raised from the dead. Beloved, it has been said that man can live without food for forty days, without water for four days, without air for four minutes but without hope for only four seconds. If there is a situation in your life, which requires a miraculous response, please note that God is in the miracle business. Our Creator is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. Place your need in His hand and allow Him to work. Beloved, He is able! Remember what Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Remember, earth hath no sorrow that heaven cannot heal!
Blessings-
Pastor Joe

Death has followed the Apostle Paul since the early days of his ministry. It all begins when he gave up his former life, was born again and the old man was killed. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” What followed were numerous death threats, near- death experiences and the daily battle of dying to self. The Apostle Paul was familiar with death and guess what, so should we. It all begins like it began with the Apostle Paul as we give our lives to the Lord. The old man is destroyed, and God creates a new creation, “the old has gone, the new has come!” Then, as we identify with Christ, we come to the realization that our lives are hidden in Him as Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Inclusive with this is the daily battle we face as the Spirit battles against the flesh. The Apostle Paul said that he needed to die daily, 1 Corinthians 15:31 says, “I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Blessings-
Pastor Joe

Beloved, there is a pattern developing in the Book of Acts on whom God uses.
Notice: when God wants to reach the Ethiopian Eunuch what does He do? He brings Phillip to speak to the Eunuch.
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Notice: when God desires to bring Saul to Himself He uses Stephen and Ananias to speak to Saul.
Notice: when the Lord desires to reach Cornelius that He will use Peter to speak to Cornelius. Why doesn’t God just tell the Eunuch, Saul and Cornelius Himself? Why? Because God confines Himself to use people to reach other people!

Beloved, God wants to use your mouth, your feet and your hands. Are you available? Are you going to be obedient? Beloved, God has a vision for you! His vision for you is that He desires to use you! God uses people. God will use you if you allow yourself to be used of God. Remember that He is looking more for availability than for ability. Are you available?
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Blessings-
Pastor Joe

​Beloved, of all the people in the Bible, besides Jesus Christ, the one person I desire my life to emulate is the person of the Apostle Paul. Since Paul ministered most of his life as a single man, I can relate to him. I want to have his passion for the lost, his desire for the truth and his relentless and uncompromising push to finish the race for which he was called. Honestly, I often wonder how he lived the life he lived. How he did not involve himself with the affairs of this world but was totally heaven and Christ minded.
Adrian Rogers said this of Paul in his message entitled, “How to Measure a Man.” He said, “There he goes, the greatest Christian who ever lived, can you see him, humpback, hobbling along, his body, bent, broken, scarred from the whippings, the stonings, the imprisonments, being pickled in the Mediterranean Sea, a little grey head, squinting eyes, the greatest Christian who ever lived.”
​Beloved, in a world, which measures success by brawn, brains and bucks, Paul was consumed with Jesus Christ and Christ alone. No one has a great life that lives a selfish life. Beloved, may our lives be poured out as a love offering for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Blessings-
Pastor Joe