Author: Cisco Baez

Words from the Pastor
God has been dealing with me on my attitude here lately. I know that I preach all the time that the only way that we can have victory is if we change our attitude and allow the Holy Spirit to rule in our lives. The only way we can live a new life in Christ is to control our minds, you know, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (II Corinthians 10:5).” I feel that our biggest battles are the ones that we fight between our ears. We have a war going on inside of us constantly. It’s called the war of the spirit vs. the flesh. I don’t know about you, but in me it’s a constant struggle. Back and forth between the good and the evil. And it’s been going on since the beginning of time, since God put man and women on the earth and gave them a freewill. So, I guess it shouldn’t be such a surprise that it’s happening in me. But it just seems to happen so much!
Paul again writes in Romans 7:18-20, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Please notice that this is the Apostle Paul writing these words to the Church at Rome. He is confessing to us that he too has problems getting control of his flesh. “For I do not do the good that I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.” He just keeps on messing up just like I do. And then he admits it in verse 24, “What a wretched man I am!” And then he asks a very pertinent question, “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” Paul understands that he needs to be rescued. He understands that he can’t do it on his own. He sees that it isn’t by being good that he is rescued, it is only through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He writes in verse 25, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” It is all about Jesus! He is our fortress and our deliverer! He nailed all of our sins to the cross when He gave up everything for us. Trust Him in that. He loves you enough to never give up on you. We need to strive to do our best for Him, but we will never be able to do it on our own. It takes Jesus to get it done. Trust Him!
Please let me know if you need anything. You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. Naomi and I love you all. -Pastor Steve