Author: Cisco Baez

Words from the Pastor
Welcome to the August RFFD of 2019! It’s wonderful to have you with us here today. I am excited to see you here and I hope that God speaks to your heart and you allow Him to change you from the inside out. Remember what Max Lucado said, “God takes us just like we are but He loves us too much to leave us there.” And praise the Lord that He doesn’t. He works on us and molds us and makes us into the people He can use right where we’re at. I hope that you can remember this. He (God) wants to use you right where you’re at! You may be the only Bible someone is ever going to see. Oh my! I know that for me at least, that can be scary!
I was reading this morning (Tuesday) in Proverbs. What a great book and since there is 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs, I can start in the book on the 1st of the month and read a chapter a day and be done with the book by the end of the month. That way I can claim to read 12 books a year! What a deal! And even though I have been reading the Book of Proverbs for a long time, I always seem to come across something new, or at least something that convicts me and makes me think. Like today I read, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” (Proverbs 15:28 NKJV) Does that convict you like it does me? A modern-day proverb that I read the other day said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; They listen with the intent to reply.” Yep, ain’t that the truth? Have you ever noticed how some people always have an answer or a comment even when you’re not really needing an answer, all you need is a listening ear? Have you ever been that person? I have. I have an opinion and I will give it to you even if you don’t want to hear it!
Interesting isn’t it that God gave us two ears and one mouth. Do you think He may have done that for a reason? I think that I mentioned James 1:19 a few weeks ago, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (NIV),” but for me anyways I feel it bears repeating. Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry! That is so important folks. It is very important in our churches, in our work places, where we shop, where we play and most importantly, in our homes. That’s the relationships with those that are closest to us. You know, the ones that you are constantly hanging out with and the ones that you don’t mind them seeing all your faults.
So next time someone is pouring their heart out to us, can we just listen? And listen intently? Are we able to allow others a chance to share their true feelings with us or a burden with us or a doubt with us without us trying to fix it? You pray for me and I’ll pray for you.
Please let me know if you need anything. Naomi and I love you! -Pastor Steve

This Sunday we have Ranch Family Fun Day! Come and join us and bring a friend or two!

Also, could you please bring a can or two of non-perishable food to church this Sunday? (20oz beef stew and 15 oz canned vegetables are needed)

Our food collection has fallen short:
We have no extra food to stock the mini food pantry next to the Sonoita library.
We have no extra food to bring to the Patagonia Food Bank where they feed mostly single senior citizens.

If each of us bring two cans of food to church each month we will be in good shape to help our community in need.

Thank you!!

Words from the Pastor
Who likes change? Someone (And it wasn’t Mark Twain!) said, “Politicians and dirty diapers need to be changed often and for the same reason.” Now that’s not the same reason that we change things in the church, but change is inevitable. Why? Because the church, which is made up of people like you and me change. Someone said that we go through “life stages,” and I like that. The church is not a building but a living, breathing organism that grows and changes shapes. Now the message is always the same because Jesus never changes, but the church must change or it becomes stagnant.
The early church realized this early on. In the Book of the Acts of the Apostle, in the second chapter and verse 41 Luke writes, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Can you imagine that? In one day, the church went from 120 to 3,000 people! Talk about change and in a quick hurry! Hoorah for God and His message about Jesus. And, as I stated, God never changes so the church today needs to be growing also. And I believe that here at Canelo Cowboy Church we are growing. Not 3,000 in one day, but we are growing numerically, and that is because of people like you that are sharing your faith and bringing people to church.
I have heard people say that it’s not about church numbers but it’s about an individual growing in Christ, and I do agree with that. But if that individual is growing in Christ and has a healthy relationship with Him, then that individual should be reproducing. I am talking about reproducing Christians as Jesus told us to in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen” Reproducing by making disciples!
If a rancher has 100 head of cows and 10 bulls and there is no calf crop then he better figure out why. If he doesn’t he will be out of business in a quick hurry. And I believe it should be the same way in the church, we need to be making baby Christians or the church is going to be out of business. We need to be making disciples like Jesus commanded us to!
Here at Canelo Cowboy Church we have been doing great job of that. We have been reproducing amazingly well and now we have a problem. A good problem mind you, but it is a problem none-the-less. We are running out of room to fit everyone. If you would have told me that we were going to have this problem when I planted this church 13+ years ago I am not sure I would have believed you, but here we are Praise the Lord!
So, that’s where we need the change. The leadership has decided that we are going to need to go to two services starting in October so you can have a choice of when you want to come to church. That will free up some seats and the church can keep growing!
I am looking forward to this Brothers and Sisters! I think that God is going to bless and who knows, maybe down the road a few years we’ll need three services! We will talk about this more, but I did want to give you a heads up. So, thank you for reproducing! It’s a great problem to have. And if you want to talk about it just let me know and we can get together. In the meantime, let’s keep sharing our faith and reproducing!
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