Submission and Obedience

Why did Satan tempt Jesus with power? Because power would save Him from the cross. In other words, power would do more than just bring Him luxury and fame, it would save His life. But Jesus said no to every voice that tried to divert Him from the path that would lead Him to His death. And we must ask ourselves, how was Jesus able to overcome such a strong and persistent temptation?  

The answer is simple: submission and obedience. Philippians 2:8 tells us that Jesus “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” The keywords are “to the point of” meaning Paul is not only referring to the obedience to die but the obedience that brought Him there. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.” Jesus was able to overcome the persistent temptation to take power by being completely submitted and obedient to the Father.

Matthew 4:1-11 is a lived example of James 4:7 where James tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Through these passages, the Bible teaches us that the key to resisting temptation is not self-discipline, or even quoting Scripture, but complete submission and obedience to God. In the end, obedience and submission are about trust. It is saying to God that you trust that His way is better, so you are willing to be obedient to His commands. It is also saying to God that you trust that He is wise and strong enough to handle your life.

The road to victory over sin, holiness, godliness, and a soul that bears the fruits of the Spirit goes through the gate of submission and obedience. If you are struggling and would like some accountability, or a spiritual guide, please reach out to me. I would love to take that journey with you.

My friends, my prayer for you is that you may submit to God, that you may have victory over your temptations.

—Pastor Alex Portillo

Why Do We Keep Talking About Love?

Why Do We Keep Talking About Love?

When I was in high school my friends and I had three things that we always talked about: girls, cars, and money. But we were fooling nobody. The obvious reality was we had no girls, no cars, and no money. So of course, no one took us seriously.

You might remember I shared this illustration in a late 2020 sermon, but I want to bring it back to your attention because it perfectly illustrates a point: When we talk authoritatively about something but do not possess it no one takes us seriously. Unfortunately, this illustration perfectly captures what often happens in the church: We talk a whole lot about love but have very little of it. It’s easy to understand why it’s so hard for non-Christians to take us seriously.

We donate some money, we say hello to a stranger, we have empathy for someone, and boom we think we understand it and possess it. Yet, a study done by the Barna Group in 2018 shows that while six in ten (62%) non-Christians and lapsed Christians are open to talking about faith matters with someone who would listen without judgment, only one-third (34%) see this trait in the Christians they know personally.[1.] We may have objections but the literature for the past 20 years shows a similar pattern. If you think you are not one of these unloving Christians, I encourage you to examine your soul because there is a 66% chance you are perceived as unloving. We would be proud (which is a sin, ref: 1 Jn 2:6; Jam 4:6; Prov 18:10–12) to believe we are the exception without self-examination.

Some might say, “why do we keep talking about love? We need to move on and talk about deeper things.” Ellen White says, “You may study [God’s] love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend… the love of God… Eternity itself can never fully reveal it.” (5T p.740) and Paul says, “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Eph 3:18-19 NLT).

Why do we keep talking about love? Because eternity isn’t long enough to understand the depths of His love. Therein lie the riches and wisdom of heaven. And in that love lies the example for the church to follow if it is to be a witness of the risen Christ (John 13:15). Regardless of your good and loving works, I encourage you to examine your soul, meditate on the love of God, and ask yourself, “how can reflect the love of God more today?”

—Pastor Alex Portillo

What Does God Want? - Micah 6:6-8

This past week we looked at what God truly wants for us in this life. It's so easy to look so far ahead, that we miss the plain words of Scripture right in front of us about what God wants from us. Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

God calls us to remember we are mortals. It's easy to get frustrated with our mortality as we each try to carry a superhuman load each week. We dream of doing the spectacular to really make a name for ourselves! Paul, however, showed us a better way, when he said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

Jesus was the embodiment of Micah 6:8! Jesus showed us how to act justly by the way He treated everyone. Jesus showed us the extremes of loving mercy - even giving up His own life for all, including His enemies! Jesus humbled Himself to leave Heaven and walk with us on this earth, and still humbles Himself every day to walk with us if we are willing.

Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. If we focus on the simple, it could prove quite profound.

May God's word move in our hearts this week as we seek to touch this world with the goodness of God.

—Pastor Michael Brackett

Is Being a Fashionable Christian Realistic?

This past Sabbath we looked at how we can be fashionable Christians. In Colossians 3:5-14, the apostle Paul uses the metaphor of taking off old clothes and putting on new clothes to explain the new way of life that we are to live in Christ. While this is a great message, I would like to spend a moment asking the question, is it realistic? After all, we live in a cold, brutal world, don’t we? We have to look out for ourselves, for our families, and that means that at times we have to be tough and put ourselves first. That is to say, if we truly put on the new clothes that Paul was talking about (compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love) we are setting ourselves up to be a doormat for people to walk on. Some people might even go as far as to say that people who clothe themselves with the list above are associated with being cowards,

pushovers, and wimps.

In his book, Paul for Everyone, the Prison Epistles, N.T. Wright argues the opposite. Wright explains that putting on kindness, love, patience, meekness, humility, and compassion does not make us weak, but strong. After all, have you ever tried to love and forgive someone who has hurt you? Have you ever tried to truly be kind and compassionate to those who are unkind? If so, you know that it is not an easy task. In moments where we are tempted to think

that living the Way of Jesus means we are aligning ourselves with the way of a coward, Wright reminds us that compassion is not the same thing as being sentimental, that being kind does not

mean being soft, that being humble is not the same thing as having low self-esteem, and that meekness is not the same thing as weakness. No, for a Christian who clothes themselves with

these virtues is like a wild horse that has been tamed, all the power is still there, it's just under control.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ, may we all continue to walk in the Way of Jesus. Even when the world is cold, mean, and self-seeking, may we continue to be a community that is compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient, and loving.

— Pastor Evan Davies

Back to Basics

While it is still early in the new year, we have to say we are living in very interesting times. My son’s father-in-law is a Lutheran minister, 100 miles north of New York City. He once told me about the surge in church attendance following September 11, 2001. Even two hours north of the tragedy, in a classic New England village, in Rhinebeck, NY; there was an increase in church attendance.

Isn’t that how most of us react to challenges and stress? Our human predicaments easily remind us to go back to the basics, to the ABC’s of our lives: God, family, friends, church, community. It’s a natural human instinct. In Romans 2:14,15, Paul reminds us that each of us (not just believers) have a God-given conscience built into our hearts. 

We often hear that “someone found God” or “they are searching for God.” The Scriptural and more accurate picture would be that God has never been lost, it is we who have gotten lost. And, it is in trials, heartache, and sorrow, that God’s built-in GPS, in the human heart, always points to home. To a place of rest, security, and safety. 

We are all in different places in our Christian experiences and in our shared walk through life, but we all equally share in life’s many and varied challenges. Scripture tells us this is the human dilemma.  Today’s trials are a reminder that now is the opportunity to draw closer to the author of our faith, to place our trust in Him, to live our daily lives in the A, B, C’s of our faith. 

As Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” I want to emphasize two words: “cast” and “cares.” In Greek, the word used for “cast” describes a physical action, as in throwing or ejecting: the purposeful action of placing all of our anxieties on God. It is something we must do ourselves, which requires that we admit, “humbling” ourselves, that we can’t do it by ourselves. We need to just step out of the way and let God.

The other word in 1 Peter 5:7 is “cares.” This is another word in Greek for “anxiety.” Peter is telling us that God cares for us. Peter is telling us to let God worry about us. Stop worrying about yourself and let God do the worrying. Once we realize the utter futility of our abilities, it is so much easier to turn things over to God. In God, we are promised rest; even in the middle of the storm, we are promised peace. 

Jesus said to each of us, " _______ (insert your name) I’ll be with you … day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (MSG)

—Dr. Bill Pritchard

All Things Work Together

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”—Roman 8:28 NKJV

This oft-quoted verse testifies of the sovereignty of God, not to the beneficent outworking of circumstances. It does not say that God “wills” everything to happen, but that God takes everything that happens to us and makes it come together for good. In the words of Joseph, “you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good” (Genesis 50:20 MSG).

When we read the entirety of Romans 8 we see that Paul’s confidence that God will bring good out of evil comes from the grace God has already given. Mainly, the grace of adoption by which we are called His children and given the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14-17, 23). As His children, the Spirit helps us in our weakness and perfects our prayers to be in tune with the will of God (Romans 8:26-28).

With such grace, how can things not turn out for good? As God’s adopted children He cares for us as a parent does her/his child. (Matthew 7:11). And what are God’s plans for His children? 1. To be conformed to the image of the Son 2. To justify 3. To glorify (Romans 8:29-30). Despite the difficulties of life, our failures, and imperfections, God makes all things come together that all His Children may reflect the character of Jesus, be set free of sin, and be brought into communion with Him.

Trust that God is taking all the pieces of your life to bring good. For it is written: "where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20 NKJV).

—Pastor Alex Portillo

Understanding the Loaves

This past Sabbath we explored Mark 6:45-52. I pointed out that Mark finishes the story by adding a detail that neither Matthew nor John include, “And they were afraid, for they did not understand the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” What loaves is Mark talking about? He is referring to the loaves that fed the 5,000 earlier that day (see Mark 6:30-44).

What was there to understand in the loaves? Simply, the miracle resembled the feeding of the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16). Had they understood the loaves they would have seen that the same God who provided in the desert was now providing before their eyes. The power of the story is that it reveals the divine nature of Jesus.

And according to Mark, had the disciples understood this they would have been able to see that it was Jesus walking on the waves. As I have wrestled with this reality I have come to see that many times in my life when I have been afraid and unable to see Jesus in the world it is because I have forgotten the divine nature of Jesus. For in His divine nature lies the assurance of my salvation and a revelation of the character of God.

In Scripture, understanding is not simply an intellectual exercise but a spiritual one (consider Luke 24:15). But “understanding” and “grasping” are different. We may not grasp the divine nature of the Son, but we can understand it. We may not be able to comprehend how God become human or how mortal flesh contained divine glory, but we can understand that it happened.

And according to Mark, understanding the divine nature of the Son is necessary in order to see Jesus walking on the waves. What does it mean for us though? It means that it is necessary in order to see Jesus everywhere we go and in everything we do.

All glory and praise be to the Living Word, our Savior, and King, Jesus Christ. 

—Pastor Alex Portillo