THE SEEDS OF FAITH EVENTUALLY BLOSSOM!

By Noel Serrano

There is no greater assurance and there is no substitute for steadfast prayer from loving parents who lived on their knees, interceding with intensity , for their children. My late mother, Felicita M. Serrano , my late Aunts Nieves Bosch and Hilda Bosch, spent many hours on their knees pleading and crying out to the Lord for their children. They placed a high priority in raising their children in the admonition of the Lord. They were constantly vigilant in instilling in all their children, the seeds of faith and a love and trust in Almighty God. I can still hear the echoes of these two sisters, crying out to the Lord in the early morning Prayer vigils,"Lord save our children!...Save them, Lord!" This was there way of life and they would place a high priority in the salvation of their offspring. There was no compromise nor deviation from this "Prime Directive" They were well-versed in the clear examples of biblical parents who lived a life of faithful prayers for their children. They clearly understood the example of Abraham when he prayed for Ishmael. Genesis 17:18 reveals Abraham interceding and declaring to God "If only Ishmael would live under your blessing" God answered his prayer and said: " And as for Ishmael, I have heard your prayer and I will surely bless him" Our parents were also aware of the examples of Job, when a period of fasting had run its course, job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning , he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts". This was Job's regular custom. Job 1:5 I n their lifetime, these sisters saw many of their children backslide and many would spend their life outside of the direction of the Lord. This did not distract them. They kept pressing on and became more determined to intercede for their family with continued zest. Waiting for God to answer prayer is often the most difficult component in the lives of men and women of prayer. It requires patience, trust and a complete resignation to ones will. These women of faith pressed on through the years, praying, not only for their children but also their children's children. Many years have passed on since these wonderful ladies have all gone to their reward, but their prayers still echo and reverberate. We are now seeing the results of those prayers, even now. The Grandson of Felicita M. Serrano recently had a major encounter with the Lord. The Lord has saved him and his home. My son, NWS, recently contacted me and informed me that God had placed a new ministry in his heart and he has totally surrendered to God' Will. We see these answered prayers in the life of Jeffrey Torres, a nephew of Nieves Bosch. The Lord made himself real to Jeffrey and now he loves the Lord with full devotion and is also active in ministry. Patrice Mohammed, a niece of Felicita M. Serrano, now sings for the Lord and is very active in her church. Rev Carlo Serrano, a grandson of Felicita Serrano, now inspires  many youths to come to the Cross of Jesus. These are second generation "flowers" that have bloomed due to the answered prayers of strong women of faith that never wavered in their trust for desired salvation of their offspring. God has blessed the many nephews and nieces of Hilda Bosch. This is not a coincidence and it is not a whim of nature. The salvation of our children come from a loving and merciful God who hears the cries of the righteous. The outcome of these prayers may come many years later and may arrive, long after the prayer warriors have departed to Glory but there is no doubt that prayers will reach their desired destination and ultimately sprout the fruits of the blessings! When this happens, let us never proceed from a false assumption that this was attributed by our children, as if it was their idea. We must look back to our parents and grandparents, who laid out a strong rockbed of prayer and intense intercession for the future generation. we must be like them. We must continously pray for our children and the new generation that is to come. There is no greater feeling of joy and happiness than to see ones offspring, on fire for the Lord.

LIVING WITHOUT FEAR

By Irving Serrano

Can you imagine working late. When you finally hit the streets, you are no longer surrounded by the working class. The sun has gone down and you make your way down a street that you would prefer not to if you could help it. Now your surrounded by a different element of persons. You make your way down the subway to wait for the next one to come, because you just heard the train you should have been on take off? You hear strange sounds and laughter of people gathering on the platform. Your heart is beating faster, your head feels like its going to explode because your worried someone may approach you with bad intentions. Every time someone gets closer to you, you try to remain calm as to not panic. You know you just can`t run away; one because you have to get on this next train in order to get home. And secondly in reality, nothing has happened. No one has said anything to you. The train arrives, you board and continue your way home. This is a very real scenario that many face on a daily basis. It is wise to plan out ahead the route you intend to travel. Its even better to travel with a friend. Sometimes we put ourselves in certain predicaments that lead us to worry, we develop anxieties, and fear. In situations as I described, Christians say a silent prayer. When a thought of danger pops up in our head, we tend to think about different passages we read in our Bibles. (Joshua 1:5) There shall be no man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life;"I was with moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee". In translation God said; No one will be able to oppose you successfully! A nice cross reference could also be acknowledged. (Deuteronomy 31:6) " Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you". It is all to important to know God, but its more important to yield to His will, in all things. God speaks in(1st Kings 11:38) If you do what ever I command you, and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, As David my servant did. I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David, and will give Israel to you. (1 Chronicles 28:20) David also said to Solomon his Son," Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you. He will not fail you, or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Temple of the Lord is finished. If you are Gods Child, and you walk in faith. Obedient in following His word. You should never walk in fear, never allow the anxieties to overwhelm your mind. (Isaiah 54:17) No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgement you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from me, declares the Lord. In closing, choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude with God, is going to determine how your going to live your life.. May God bless you.

Love always, Irving Serrano

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

By Irving Serrano

Jesus said; " The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel (mark 1:15). The Apostles,'went out and preached that people should repent` (mark 6:12). Jesus declared," I tell you no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish". ( Luke 13:3,5) " Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19) One fundamental lesson we as Christians must learn is; God knows best! God knows everything! He loves us as His Children (adopted into His family through Christ) and has set principles for us to live by in His word, the Bible.We must follow Gods principles. They are for our own protection. We live in a hostile world that has willfully rejected it`s creator God, and we, as His Children, are not immune to the worlds trial, tribulations, and temptations. Once we learn this hard lesson, and we out grow the childish notion that we know better than God, then it`s easier to submit to Him and say "Lord, forgive me, I was wrong....I`ve been living a life you disapprove of and I want to change. Help me to live the life you approve of. " This is the essence of repentance. To repent is to regret your sin, denounce your sin, turn from your sin, and turn to God. The Bible declares; " It is appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgement" ( Hebrews 9:27) The Bible also says, "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved "(Romans 10 :9) So consider yourselves Disciples of Christ. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves, Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?...".Unless you are disqualified" May God bless you. Love always, Irving Serrano

WHAT IS THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST!

There are several things that help others learn of God, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. An evangelist should be able to do these and many more.

1. They start new churches, but never so many that the churches are left alone after being established. Some apostles worked with new churches for three years or more. Today, an evangelist has a home congregation that they seldom leave unless it is to hold a "meeting."

2. An evangelist should be knowledgeable and have an understanding of the Gospel in order to give advice and help in building up their congregation. An evangelist builds up these congregations to where they are self-sufficient, keeping in mind that the goal is to be autonomous.

3. They must establish workers in the church by developing leaders and good home study programs which will help members to grew and work on their own.

4. They should periodically check on those they started or helped to start; ensuring they have remained faithful.

As I listened to an Evangelist expand on the Word of God it made me wonder as to what his work is: story telling or spreading the Gospel. So many Christians today cannot tell you even what they must be doing, let alone what an elder, deacon, or evangelist must do. I felt it my responsibility, as a Christian and leader of a congregation to examine this work. I do not aim this at any particular person only as a desire to improve our brotherhood.

As one reads II Cor. 4, Paul speaks of the ministry and spreading the Holy Word of God. My understanding from research is that an evangelist is to follow the standards set forth in God's Word, the rules set up for bishops, elders, or deacons; many of these qualifications are also for any Christian; so why should they not also fit the life of evangelists? Unfortunately the men who enter this work do not always accept these qualifications and many more.

There are some points to examine and questions to be answered. First, does the evangelist have an office? The evangelist's work is much like that an Apostle could do; except of course, giving out various powers. Therefore, he can be called an evangelist, but has no office any more than an Apostle had an office.

What does he have to do to qualify? In Matthew 28:18-20 Christ told the Apostles what was expected of them. An evangelist needs full knowledge and understanding of the Gospel to do his work. II Timothy 4:5, Paul told Timothy "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." For a man to prove that he is ready for evangelistic work he must have full knowledge of God's Word. Now read Acts 6:1-5 noticing that it was the brethren of the church who chose them to be deacons, not the person himself. This could be for an evangelist as well.

Rom 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek." The evangelist must be able to face anyone with the truth.

Too many times, I have seen good men, good evangelists, become as rulers over small churches. Let us consider what we have done or perhaps not done. I Tim 4:14, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Every congregation is autonomous and no one man can or should, rule. Each church is to be subject to God's Word.

We don't want to fall into the unscriptural pastor system of one-man rule. Consider Jeremiah 6:16, we must heed these words. Notice also Jeremiah 12:10-13 and Jeremiah 23:1-4. These Scriptures should be contemplated seriously.

Let us hold to the Old Path, evangelist. Consider these scriptures as you do the work of God. Being in a leadership role, I have had to deal with the same scriptures. It was asked of me if I considered myself the main stay of Okemah. I must say no one man can hold a church together. It takes abilities and courage of all members working together to make a church. It is not an easy task to be an evangelist or leader of a church. As leaders we have forgotten souls because we have become complacent; secure in the fact that we are in the Lord's Church. I remind you of the reason God sent his only begotten son: to save the world from their sins. We have forgotten this, making us as bad as the Jews in their self-righteousness.

It is easy to keep Titus 2:15 when you are standing before brothers and sisters of like faith. Why not spread the truth to the world? The apostles were commanded in Matthew 28:18-20 "to go, preach and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." Lately I have heard plenty on preach, plenty on baptize; but nothing on go to all the world. Go where--to establish a church? When was the last time you wanted to build up the church other than your own congregation? Notice II Timothy 2:2, how many have we taught in a private method to lead and build fellowship? We all will be judged for things done. In II Timothy 4:1-5 we are taught to preach the Word. How can an evangelist do this by just holding meetings that tickle the ears of other Christians? Too often you and leaders fall short of edification. It is no wonder so many have fallen away.

I Thess 2:4-12 tells Christians "We are allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts." Let us not forget whom we serve. II Cor 4:5, 7-12 we are servants of God and Christ to bring the Gospel to the world, not the world into the Gospel. The apostles gave their lives that we might learn of the Gospel and share it with the world.

We all have failings in our lives - we are human. Paul told us and the Romans in Romans 7:13-25, "Therefore, put God and Christ first that you may serve God, Christ and the Holy Spirit." Come on leaders, evangelists, let us do the work we are meant to do!

BE BLESSED!

By Irving Serrano

Have you ever went to work feeling lousy, such as having a flu? Or have you felt the economic pressures of being broke immediately after getting paid? These are things that really chip away at ones motivation in life. Even for Christian folks. We spend so much time learning and chasing after Gods spirit, that we some times don`t train ourselves to clearly see Satan's attempts to draw us from Gods grace. Some times we have regular troubles, like anyone else. Dealing with unemployment, illness, maybe our Children seem to go astray. In what ever circumstance we find ourselves in Christ is there, and ready to magnify His strength. When Christ walked this earth, He was tempted by Satan. Quite obviously Satan threw all He could at Christ, and Christ overcame the Devils fiery darts simply by rebuking the Devil where He stood. We often here the words; 'rebuke the devil, and he will flee'. God does not want you to live in hardship, He wants us to love Him, and acknowledge that He loves us. Many confuse the idea of repentance of their sins, and allowing God to be their Savior, versus just turning from sin because they don`t want to suffer the consequences of their actions. (Psalm 3:8) from the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessings be on your people. (Nehemiah 9:5) Stand up and praise the Lord your God who is everlasting to everlasting. "blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessings and praise. (1st Peter 3:9) Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessings, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (Genesis 12:2) I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (Romans 15:29) I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. It is God`s desire that we receive His blessings, but we can`t unless we are in the place of His blessing. A place that is reserved for over comers. If your not experiencing the thrill of putting Satan to flight and receiving answers to your prayers, you are living below your privilages in Christ. I know you want God`s blessing, so get serious about being an over comer and put yourself IN THE PLACE OF HIS BLESSING. (Rev 3:21) "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne" May God bless you.

Love always, Irving Serrano

WE ONLY NEED TO PRAY!

By Irving Serrano

" Have you ever struggled with prayer? Does prayer seem like an exercise in eloquent speech that you just don`t possess? Prayer is not a mysterious practice reserved for clergy and the religiously devout. Prayer is simply communicating with God. Listening and talking to Him. Believers can pray from the heart, freely, spontaneously, and in their own words. There is no correct, or certain posture for prayer. In the Bible, people prayed on their knees ( 1 kings 8:45) bowing(Exodus 4:31), on their faces before God. (2 Chronicles 20:18; Mathew 26:39), and standing (1st Kings 8:22). You may Pray with your eyes opened or closed, quietly or out loud....however you are the most comfortable and least distracted. (Mathew 6:7) " When you pray, don`t babble on and on as people do in other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again, and again. Prayer develops our relationship with God. For an example; If we never speak to our spouse, or never listen to anything our spouse might have to say to us, our marriage relationship will quickly deteriorate. Prayer-communicating with God, helps us grow closer and more intimately connected with God. (Zechariah 13:9) " I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ` These are my people; and they will say, "The Lord is our God". There are many who pray daily, maybe several times in the day. However they limit their prayers to the surroundings of their homes, and their loved ones. God is all mighty, capable and willing to grant you the desires of your heart. We live in a great nation, unfortunately not everyone share our love and devotion to God. If more people would pray for our nation, and those leaders of our nation...God will answer! May God bless you. Love always,
Irving Serrano

WHY AMERICA NEEDS OUR PRAYERS!

Many People today feel helpless as they look upon events that are unfolding before their eyes and cannot believe that things are taking place in our country that would not have even been imagined just a few short years ago! The America of our forefathers is disintegrating more rapidly that we could have ever imagined. Prayer is powerful and we must always remember that God is in control. Every American can participate in prayer, young, old, rich or poor. An example of a prayer might be something like this.......

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Heavenly Father...

Thank you for the multitude of blessings You have bestowed on this great country of ours. No other nation in the world enjoys so much material abundance, freedom and peace. I ask for your protection for our servicemen and women who are abroad and at home. Please give them courage and conviction to face whatever unknown circumstances come against them. Please protect our country from evil both inside America and from around the world. Give strength and courage to God fearing men and women to stand up and fight against any and all evil influences and tyranny in our nation. I pray for our leaders to be motivated by Your Word and not seek greed, power and corruption for themselves. May they lead with wisdom and have You and America's best interest at heart. I pray for future generations of Americans that they are not left decimated by the decisions our lawmakers have foisted upon us. May future Americans seek Your Truth and Your Will much more than our own generation. Forgive us for our complacency in the past and our failure to honor You as we should have. Have mercy on us and our children. In Jesus' name I pray....

Amen

Evening Prayer

Someone has said that if Christians really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.

Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchhill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, it's people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. The Gala Foundation and all its Web-Sites are launching a Prayer Campaingn for our Country. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 Central) (7:00 Mountain) (6:00 Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7