2 Cor 1:3-4 “All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy, and the God who comforts us. 4. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others…”

its clear here that our experience, findings, insight, troubles, were in essence designed not only to develop us and changes us (Rom 8:28) but also to develop and help those around us. (v.4) I bodily challenge todays Christian to be a conduit, to take in and give out. to pour onto others the sweet riches of God and the relief of His words. May i never become content with being in the arms of God alone, but ALWAYS wish for others to reside with me… in His safety, in His peace, within His grasps. Matt 18 says “so it is the will of the father that none of these parish” you were saved to rescue, you were set free to remove the locks of those entrapped, to pull from the snare those that find themselves where you were yourself. may my head never be pointed too high that i miss what lay below, the slum i once called home. may my heart never stop beating with compassion for people around me… may my feet never stop treading on ground that crosses paths with the disobedient, Lord never do i wish to be so polished that filth disturbs me…

ID Card
your ID tells you who you are. it has a photo, when you were born, where you live, it basically defines and dictates you! sometimes the id we’ve branded ourselves with is inaccurate! consider Gideon who called himself the least of the least, yet God responded “the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor” what a contrast from what he seen in the mirror and what God seen. it could be very well that how you view yourself, your strengths, your potential, could be very different from how God sees you. sometimes life, circumstance, and time could damage individuals and starting over is just the ticket. the bible says anyone who is in christ is a new creation old things have passed away behold the new! lose your old ID card, you who as you read these words are cut to heart.

Social Security Card
YIKES… the word security sticks out to me! many people rely on their own ability, wisdom, and strength to get through life and circumstance. i say our security comes from God… when a person bears the load on him/herself the pressure could be dragging and stressful. jesus in the gospel of matthew says “come to me all you who are tired and weary and i will give you rest” your well-being is not a burden to Christ. he is very concerned with your daily details and overwhelmed dilemmas. and delights just be close to you! to hold you near his heart isa 40:11.

Makeup
guys relax… im going somewhere with this! makeup is used to cover blemishes, breakouts, things you dont want other people to see. often times people can pull this mentality into christianity with man.. and GOD! avoiding, in denial of, ashamed of areas in their lives. this reminds me of a highly called individual in the bible: Isaiah! when God called him he instantly shrunk back and said.. WOE IS ME, I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS! in other words he poured out his flaws before God! maybe as an excuse or maybe as a confession, regardless instantly upon hearing the call upon his life he chucks up why is not qualified… the moment we come to God with a clean and honest spirit, the bible says that after he said that the seraphim took live coals and touched his lips. THE VERY THING HE CAME TO GOD WITH… god touched it. no need to hide our areas, be dishonest with man and God. there is freedom in confession, freedom in honesty… God is a headhunter looking to punish, hurt, and destroy… we serve an anxious God to forgive, an anxious God to show grace, to love to accept to hold… even when jesus healed the man with a crippled hand, jesus asked him to reach out his arm… i could have been that he was hiding it, tucking it away behind clothes, shame, but the moment he exposed his weakness, his flaw and extended it towards Christ then and ONLY then did the healing begin. there is deep truth about God… lose the makeup brothers and sisters

i pray you were ministered to about things found in a purse! God bless please comment if you like the devotion or would like me to write more!

9:05 i just dropped my wife off at work and i couldn’t stop thinking about where this kid is, and how he needed my help (well God’s help) i picked up my phone, called that strange #, greeted again by misery, he grabs ahold of the phone and urges me to hurry, destination: behind a park trash can, in the same city as my church. on my way over there all i could think about was how many years i been saved, how long i’ve been a part of v.o. i’ve witnessed to meth addicts, i myself was delivered, i’ve seen young kids come in and be kept from such a lifestyle, but today was the day i would really see firsthand what our founder, elders, and forefathers were born in. my stomach was turning and internally i was battling if i would be able to be any kind of help.

9:30 i get to the park and my heart is racing, my spirit is crying. i see the trash can i start walking towards it… i knew on the other side of that bin was the embodiment of what this ministry stands for, what our legacy really is. i break the corner and im deeply moved by a body cramped up on the ground, covered in dry grass, lint, some dirt, but mostly anguish! i call out his name and he quickly jumps up trying to hide the fact that he’s in pain. his hands were shaking, his eyes were empty, but in his voice there was a curiosity of hope. “can you help me?” i looked directly at him and said “no, but Jesus can…!” we hop into my car. and make our way towards our mens home while we track down a place to take him. weird feeling as i drove, i felt like pastor sonny sr, pastor ed, ray torres, and others that went before me. a stranger i dont know, i dont really trust, but a stranger that i felt love towards, hope towards, perhaps birthed in the heart of God! i thought to myself why don’t i hear stories like this as often? is this good old fashion, aged balm no longer in the veins of my circles? whatever the case i felt connected, led, fulfilled, i knew that this moment was ordained by God not only for him (my strange companion) but for me, a young man in the vison, yet without complete understanding! ironically God quickly prompts me that im speaking at conference and i feel the overpowering direction to “not let the jrhighers loose this…” yes reach youth, preventative ministry, build churches, do things quality, but never… never… allow what and why we were brought into form become something ‘of old’ to put on the shelf, labeled “inapplicable” but to feed, practice, and search for… opportunities to put our hands in mud, reach into darkness… and be extensions of Gods hands and heart.

when we got to the home after talking to him and seeing his pain and cramps and shaking we laid hands and started to pray… here comes the magic of our ministry! once a junkie always a junkie, heroin latches onto your nervous system and after addiction takes place, no longer is getting high a desire but a bodily requirement, your body stops producing dopamine a natural neurotransmitter that gives a person a feeling of being happy, normal, content… your body needs the drug hence the withdrawals and symptoms of kicking. HOWEVER NOT IN MY GODS MED BOOKS… this kid begins to cry, i could almost see the pain leave him, the hurt leave him, the misery, awww miracle territory, legacy, vision, roots, a drug addict delivered, pain removed, he begins to cry out to jesus, and i wasent sure who was crying more.. ME OR HIM! “Jesus i need you” he repeats over again.. “PLEASE HELP ME” his genuine cry to God is fed directly to Him… we lead him to the Lord and for a brief second i see mission and purpose in this kids life, i started day dreaming of him one day preaching, with a family, a house, a call, a couple chapters later, but here i was given the privilege to see chapter one of a book entitled “keyson matthews”

Lord please dont let me loose a heart for this mission, this vision, let me walk in reverence, respect, and appreciation for those who pioneered before me. dont ever let ministry take MINISTRY out of the equation! let me inspire, invest, and spread this same spirit into jrhighers all over the world this conference as i minister! thank you Lord!

What i love most about God is how personal he is!! His loving traits, the breadcrumbs of his love scattered throughout our lives, the vastness of his GRACE… today as i type i evaluate who i am!! the good things i’ve done, the things i’ve forgotten, the successes, the failures, and one prominent thought comfortably lingers over me, “GOD IS FAITHFUL” (Philipians 1:6 “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion”) How true that this verse has become in my life!

“To know God means to know his creation”

the hebrew word for father “ab” ironically takes the crown of lexicon word code #1, (basically) it means you open a hebrew dictionary and the first word you see is “FATHER” funny how that works!! lets take Gods creation of a “father” in an attempt to understand a couple of things about our God.

FORGIVENESS
have you ever spilled milk? broke a dish, or knocked over a bowl of chips? or have you ever done anything that completely aggravated your parents? but no matter what you did your parents loved you too much to not forgive you (parents you know this) the beady eyes, the tears trickling (psa 51:17) to genuine regret… no parent could ignore (1Sa 15:25) but what does that say about God? was not the role of a father long ago defined by the father of all? was not the traits, compassion, love, all not laid out and etched out from His own makeup? Rom 1:19 says that God has made it plain who He is, in what he created! can we draw conclusions of who God is based on how fathers are?? you tell me

to be continued… comment if you want me to finish (i have about 3 more points)

Thank you for following our MEN’S RETREAT via our micro site (www.vochino.com/dmm) leave comments and praise reports below! thank you so much

let me stop there and say how ironic the wisdom of God can flip any circumstance for your favor! from being surrounded to surrounding your enemy, from running to chasing, from dying to defeating, from hiding to engaging, how great is the wisdom of God. in any circumstance small or large it is fully able to be changed by consulting and following the wisdom of God…

back to our story! (uhh ummmm) shall we? so into the heart of samaria an enemy army finds itself completely unprepared, and within the mercy of their enemy. at this point the king of israel proves the very reason why he’s king! he says a prayer that few pray! “FATHER SHALL I…?”

how quickly in our lives do we wrong who wrongs us, or hurt those that hurt us, in relationships, friendships, you name it! we at times can quickly payback whatever be hurled at us with even great demise. yet again watch as wisdom proves to be a determining factor! the prophet advises the king not to attack but rather prepare a feast! What mercy that resembles that of God! the bible says in verse 23 that the attacking force did not return. what proving results we see… how the king inquired of the Lord… and took heed to his words! very possibly an angered attack could have birthed a greater battle! yet kindness and grace left an enemy walk away with no intent to return!

how beautiful is the wisdom of God…

TO BE CONTINUED… too busy to finish it rt now

why people want to know their father

1. its where they came from
why do you laugh the way you laugh, act the way you act, u hot tempered, joyous, do you have a sense of adventure? guess people just want to know from which tree they fell

2. looks
i think i want to know what im going to look like wen i get older! LOL jk

3. close a chapter
the unknown has always kept minds ticking, thoughts from grounding, guess meeting the dude might be good for me!!

any one know ALBERT VILLANUEVA he’s cuban… thats pretty much all i know!

its all the child knows, he wakes up he sees dad! later in the day he hears dad talking, laughing, being angry, at night he watches as dad snores away! its ALL HE KNOWS!!! yet let time and influence settle in and slowly and surely the bond looses grip! suddenly the offspring seeks its own image, its own identity which in and of itself is NOT WRONG… suddenly being like dad is not what the kid desires! and even to some extremes desire to be the exact opposite. the intimate bond, likeness, similarity, unity… fades away as grains of sand pour down the hourglass of maturity. its actually a sad phenomenon to watch… the change the shift, the wandering away from the tree you fell from… some never return, from the very root they were drawn from… to become, to do… what they were never taught or shaped into…

yet not so in the kingdom of God… believer you should pray u never come to a place where the fathers image is not your pursuit, regardless of influence, time, or maturity… may we always resemble and strive to resemble our FATHER! whom loved when we were un-loveable, who held us in his arms, whom hemmed us up behind and before, whom sat and shared all you were, all he seen! my identity is in Christ! 

for years i searched for my dad! and to no avail… he remained a mystery! yet now in Christ i cant help but feel that it was Gods plan to have me to Himself! to have no other to call a FATHER other than him! im blessed this morning to know i have a dad whom loves me, who behind the scenes protected, guided, shielded, loved, comforted, provided, like a gentleman waited to be noticed… leaving breadcrumbs in my life He’d hope i’d see! and sure enough one day I was lead to an encounter with DAD… and from that day to now… and even beyond! ive found my strive…ive found my pursuit… a model, someone to teach me to be a man, a father… though at times i stumble, i struggle, i worry, i stress, i doubt, i lack confidence… the encouraging arms of a father are always faithful to lift me up! im so grateful today 

i close with this… are you like your father? can someone look at you and say ” I KNOW WHO YOUR FATHER IS!”

what im saying is there is an age of kid that your approach is very much important! i’ve been spending time with a very young crop of kids lately and how i be, show, and teach The Light! is very much different from how i would a high schooler or a young adult! obvious but not practiced as much as its proclaimed! the bible talks about spiritual growth referencing people that are able to digest milk and others that are able to digest meat! sadly enough there are people that fall into the categories below. i hope this helps to provide maximum growth and potential to your young disciples!

milky men
sometimes were too afraid to get spiritual and we miss major opportunities to share with our youth valuable lessons and experiences. we take the side of the spectrum that says “they’re too young they dont understand anyways” and so a big brother/sister we become providing great fellowship but no substance!? crazy yet take a look around today and you’ll see a weakening of the muscle we call “discipleship” and so instead of working at being creative to accomplish such a feat we come to the conclusion that just being around us… is enough! wrong! if you find yourself in this group pull yourself out! teach those you think wont understand! they’ll listen, they’ll get it… they’ll remember it… be intentional! over cereal talk about jesus… take them on a hike and talk about the narrow road! kids at this young age pull, retain, and are drawn to sensory experiences… so capitalize that anchor and use it to plant seed that will… “NEVER COME BACK VOID” i look around and see many young kids 9-13 falling through the cracks overlooked by leaders, overlooked by parents… yet this is the most pivotal moment in their lives the fork in the road, where the rubber meets the road… the wheel is being turned to the direction they’ll drive their ENTIRE LIVES… are you letting them steer or gently advising the direction in which they SHOULD POINT?…don’t answer it… just think about it and take inventory!

buffet bandits
the other side of the spectrum would be being over spiritual with them… never really having fun, being yourself, or showing them its fun to serve God! kids at this age battle being NORMAL… they need to know that you can have a relationship with God and still be an “air breathing human” this side fails to be creative with the approach and sits them down every hour reading from revelations while requiring a mandatory fast for a week! you get my point! you dont want to be a turn off! mess up here and they’ll take forever to finally let their guard down and give God a try again… i believe the reason why people fall off here is the failure to understand how your approach should vary from person to person! everybody has their own needs, personality, and perspectives… Paul said ” I WILL BE ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN” referring to exactly the topic at hand! how we should not only be sensitive but directed by what type of person we are reaching… your reaching a kid so think like they think… and let God become applicable to their lives! quit trying to make them come to your level and get on a knee and bow to theirs! didn’t Jesus do the same when we were lost? did he not find you in your sin, ignorance… and shame… so likewise COME DOWN TO THEIR UNDERSTANDING… yes it may take work, it may feel outside yourself! wait till you have kids! you wont be able to tell them… “FLOW BROTHER” LOL

our aim should be to find the fine balance of spending time with them, having fun, being normal, and feeding them spiritual food they “KNEW” not of!! not sure where your at… or if this even helps… but none the less take it for what it is! and attempt to disciple whom many if not all AVOID

NEWGEN ROCKS… SERVE GOD FOR LIFE