We are in need of true leadership.

In leadership there is a difference between being the peacemaker to prevent conflicts and running away like a coward when conflict is inevitable. As a Christian leader I am ashamed to say that throughout my years in ministry I have met many "leaders" (and I use that word loosely) who in their actions show that they are afraid to stand up for what is right because they are afraid of conflict. They allow lies, rumors, gossip take over the church for fear of conflict. They lose souls, and many of the people they lose give up on God because of the way they were treated and not defended and protected. In any leadership position whether it be religious, business, etc conflict should always be the last resort. if you are unable to be the peacemaker and conflict is inevitable and you run away like a coward and betray good people then you need to step down from that leadership position and let someone else take over. From my experience, in the church you cannot preach that we should not have fear and then run away and betray people as soon as conflict knocks on your door. Same thing goes for business and other types of organizations. If a diplomatic solution cannot be found and conflict is inevitable then you must face it head on. I say this to say that sometimes you just have to face things head on. if you cannot then find someone who will. Running away and betraying good people will not solve anything and the problem will just continue to grow. Nip it in the bud before it is too late. Those are just my worthless two cents, Be blessed, stay strong. God loves you and so do I. Remember we must walk and act as Christ did. When diplomatic and peaceful solutions were not available He met it head on.

A Valentine Forever

First and foremost I will say that yes I know that Valentines Day was created by the Catholic Church, in order to get the pagans away from their Roman roots. In short it started as a pagan holiday. For many of us scholars this is an obvious thing. Personally I celebrate it on a daily basis, meaning I celebrate the LOVE of Jesus Christ everyday. I celebrate the LOVE I have for friends and family everyday, and I celebrate LOVE in general everyday. One of the things that I have learned is that God wants us to enjoy life as long as we don't break His word. I believe that God doesn't care one way or another if we celebrate foolish things such as birthdays, valentines day, etc. As long as we do not try to say God wants us to celebrate these things or say that the Word of God commands us to celebrate these things we should be fine. Celebrations of foolish things are a way for us to unwind, to fellowship with each other outside of the church ministry setting. The word fellowship simply means to come together. When my brother and I go to a movie we are in fellowship and celebrating our relationship as brothers and friends. So personally I do not see a problem with celebrating holidays such as Valentines day as long as we put it in the context that it is a foolish holiday where we celebrate and let loose. As long as we are not doing anything to break God's commandments we are OK. Now if you yourself feel convicted to not celebrate certain holidays then hey, more power to you. I believe we can agree to disagree but do not go on a rampage to condemn anyone who just wants to have fun. As long as they are not breaking God's commandments and doing something to defile their body to each their own. I know many might agree and many might disagree but as I stated earlier we can agree to disagree on this one. As we all get closer to God we must all ask Him to reveal to each and everyone of us His will for us as well as whether or not certain things we do are OK with Him or not. We are not perfect and must all draw closer to God and be refined. Stay strong and stay vigilant. God loves you and so do I.

Forgiveness In The New Year

Today is Sunday January 17, 2016. Many people have made new years resolutions, but I wonder how many have made it their resolution to forgive? Have you made it your resolution to forgive all those that have done wrong to you? I can sit here and quote scripture and tell you what the Word says but let us take another approach. Forgiveness is not about the other person, it is about you. It is about you saying that they will no longer have power over your life and you are choosing to move forward. We have all made mistake and committed errors. How can we expect God to forgive us if we do not forgive others? Remember that we are not innocent of any sin. One of the hardest things for a person to do is forgive. The person who did us wrong will probably never apologize or ask for forgiveness. In those cases we must just take the higher path and forgive. Release yourself from that grip that they have on you so you can peacefully move forward. I would rather have peace of mind than sadness and anger in my heart. So what is your resolution? I hope that forgiveness is one of them.
Stay strong and ever so vigilant. God loves you and so do I.
- Pastor Josue Mercado