San Carlos Community Church

Following Christ

sancarloscommunity — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:49:55 +0000

What does Jesus require of a follower of his? Jesus uses hyperbole in Luke 14 to teach the truth that we are to love him more than our family. We are to pickup our cross and follow him, denying our wills. Lastly, Jesus says we are to count the cost before we decide to follow him.

If we learn anything from all that Jesus taught it is that when we make the crucial decision to follow him life cannot stay the same. What he demands of his followers is complete obedience and allegiance beyond anything else in this life.

This cannot be termed easy believing, there is nothing easy about it. It is sacrificial, self denying and total commitment.

Journey to Bethlehem

sancarloscommunity — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Can you imagine the conversation Joseph and Mary had between themselves after each was separately visited by the Angel of the Lord?

“Mary, what did the Angel say to you?” “Joseph, what did he say to you?” You know the amazing thing, God spoke the same message to both of them. It was a message we all need to hear and believe. “You are to call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Who are Jesus’ people? You and me! Do I need saving, yes! “Immanuel” – Jesus, “God with us” came to seek and save us. Ask yourself, “Why would God come down here to earth to save me?”

Merry Christmas!

Mining the Depths of God

sancarloscommunity — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:05:53 +0000

Read Job 28 and you will find the very first comments about mining and precious metals in the Bible. The curious thing about it is that nothing of those things are hidden from God. He knows they exist, where they are and how to get to them.
So it is with us, nothing about us is hidden from God. He knows where our heart is – with him or far from him. God sees through the muck and mire of the layers of sin, rebellion, and escapism that we are covered in and he sees Jesus righteousness covering us.
Oh, the depth of the riches of God that he would love one such as me.

Leveling the Field

sancarloscommunity — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:58:55 +0000

One of the promises of Christ coming to earth is that the landscape of life will change. “Valley’s will be lifted up, mountains and hills leveled and uneven places made smooth and rough places made into a plain” Isaiah 40.

Is Isaiah talking about the physical landscape, or the realm of the human life? Sin’s culpability is that it ruins life, causes great pain and destroys peace within the soul. Therefore, life becomes like the landscape full of ups and downs, difficult if not impossible to maneuver.
Jesus Christ, the Messiah – Savior is the Leveler. Tired of the ups and downs, let Christ level your life.

Wake Up Call

sancarloscommunity — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:38:22 +0000

Walking through cancer surgery and doing a lot of listening to God has brought forth some new understanding. There is some wondering that goes on in the heart about the importance of oneself in the scheme of life. Quickly the reality sets in that people live and die everyday and life goes on and suddenly you realize that your importance isn’t what you thought it might have been.
God has made it very clear during this time that he doesn’t need me, but that he wants me! It is a marvelous thing to realize you are not needed by the God of the Universe, but that you are wanted by him.
Jesus Christ came to earth to die for my sin on the Cross and to bear my judgment. He did that because God wants me. He is the only God in all the world that moves toward me. He came to serve not to be served. All other gods need to be served. Our great God serves me by wanting me and he demonstrated that.

Sunday Morning

sancarloscommunity — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:35:45 +0000

Having come through surgery three weeks ago, strength is slowly returning to my body. Sometimes the urge is so great in my mind to get up and get going, but I am quickly confronted with the fact that the body is not quite ready for that yet.
I am especially reminded of that today, which is Sunday. My mind tells me to get going and get back to preaching, but my body says “not yet.”
I guess I am learning “to be still before the Lord.” This is not so easy for this driven man, but necessary for me to learn. “Wait on the Lord, just wait.”

Angels of God

sancarloscommunity — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:41:05 +0000

Psalm 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear and him and delivers them.

I was in the hospital recently for surgery and 10 of our church folks came into pre-op and prayed over me before I went under the knife. I felt the reality of the Lord encamping around me so strongly as those dear folks prayed over me. It was the body of Christ in action in such a beautiful way and it brought such great peace to my heart under stressful circumstances.
I love the way God takes his Word and makes it a reality and I love the body of Christ!

Cancer Surgery

sancarloscommunity — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:43:43 +0000

In couple of days I will be going in the hospital for surgery to remove a cancerous prostate. We are praying that God will prevent the cancer from spreading outside the gland to other areas of my body.

Honestly, I can’t say I am looking forward to this, but it is and will be an another opportunity to trust God completely, because I have no control over this whatsoever.

Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.”

It is so good to know that about our God!

Protectionism Unmasked

sancarloscommunity — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:52:49 +0000

Having been diagnosed with prostate cancer a couple of weeks ago, I have been pondering God’s involvement in it. The sovereignty of God demands that he be in complete and total control of all things, which I believe he is. How can we say, God is sovereign and then fall backwards to denying that he is not sovereign over the creation of cancer and the allowance of it in my body? Sovereignty demands that God oversees everything, even though it may, as Job experienced, look like the hand of Satan is behind it. God is over Satan and all evil is under God’s divine authority.

Therefore, God supervised the forming of cancer cells in my body and allowed them to infiltrate my inner being, of which he knows perfectly. But the question arises, “Why?”

The answer, so that God will get the greater glory. Being Creator God, he must be in control of his creation or it isn’t his. What God permits, he permits for a reason and that reason is even his own design.

That Nasty Word

sancarloscommunity — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:57:26 +0000

Doctors called a week ago, asked me to come to their office in order to inform me that I have prostate cancer. Hmm, not the news that one wants to hear. Went home to figure out and ponder life, not much time though because in less than twenty hours I had to stand in front of the Church and preach. Got out of the shower the next morning and shared with Karen that this cancer may be a great gift from God. If we stop leaning on false props and God allows us to depend more on Him this nasty word might turn out to be something very, very blessed.