Crosslands Bible Church - P.O. Box 1309 Thoreau, NM 87323 - (505) 905-7065
Copyright 2008 Crosslands Bible Church Inc, All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2008 Crosslands Bible Church Inc, All Rights Reserved
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Hello everyone my name is Jacob Gonzales. I’m the fortunate Pastor here at Crosslands, and I want to use this space to tell you a little about my self and hopefully give a word of encouragement, and biblical instruction. My plan is to update “Pastor’s Corner” periodically, hopefully every couple weeks or so. So please stop by again for future postings. In the mean time I ask you to please keep our church, our leaders and myself in your prayers. Thank You and God bless you.
About Me
Where to begin? Well, I’m 31 years old, and have been involved in ministry for about 14 years, and a Pastor for nearly the last 6 years. I was born and raised in San Jose CA, but moved to New Mexico in 1997, when I got married to my lovely wife Regina. Regina and I met at Broken Arrow Bible Ranch, a camp that ministers to Native American youth here in NM. We have four children, Israel (11), Elisha (9), Rebekah (6), and Ezekiel who is (1). With four kids, trust me; life is never dull. I must say they truly are a blessing. I received my biblical training at the Indian Bible College - in Flagstaff AZ. The four years I spent there as a student weren't always easy, it took sacrifice on my part as well as my family, but every hour and dollar spent was well worth it. It was during my sophomore year that I was called to the pastorate here at Crosslands It was a huge step of faith, but it was not one we entered into lightly. As for my personal interests, I'm a huge San Francisco 49er fan, (Sorry, I'm from the Bay Area) as well a L.A. Laker fan. I enjoy playing and coaching sports as well. I've coached T-Ball, for 5 years and this year I was able to help coach my son's football for the first time. Some of my other interest are world religions, cults, Church history, and prophecy. So when I'm not preparing for Sunday Morning, you can often find me enjoying a book, studying one of these and other subjects. That is just a little about myself, thank you for taking the time to read this short bio, I hope your not falling asleep from boredom
Where to begin? Well, I’m 31 years old, and have been involved in ministry for about 14 years, and a Pastor for nearly the last 6 years. I was born and raised in San Jose CA, but moved to New Mexico in 1997, when I got married to my lovely wife Regina. Regina and I met at Broken Arrow Bible Ranch, a camp that ministers to Native American youth here in NM. We have four children, Israel (11), Elisha (9), Rebekah (6), and Ezekiel who is (1). With four kids, trust me; life is never dull. I must say they truly are a blessing. I received my biblical training at the Indian Bible College - in Flagstaff AZ. The four years I spent there as a student weren't always easy, it took sacrifice on my part as well as my family, but every hour and dollar spent was well worth it. It was during my sophomore year that I was called to the pastorate here at Crosslands It was a huge step of faith, but it was not one we entered into lightly. As for my personal interests, I'm a huge San Francisco 49er fan, (Sorry, I'm from the Bay Area) as well a L.A. Laker fan. I enjoy playing and coaching sports as well. I've coached T-Ball, for 5 years and this year I was able to help coach my son's football for the first time. Some of my other interest are world religions, cults, Church history, and prophecy. So when I'm not preparing for Sunday Morning, you can often find me enjoying a book, studying one of these and other subjects. That is just a little about myself, thank you for taking the time to read this short bio, I hope your not falling asleep from boredom
The Truth About Obedience Pt.2
The purpose in these two short articles is to help you see the truth that God more anything else desires his children to be obedient. God doesn’t want our lip service, He doesn’t want our religious piety, or all the church stuff that we think makes us a Christian. God wants obedience to His will, and to His Word, He expects us as Christians to lay aside our own desires especially when it is difficult to do so and submit to His authoritative will and Word.
Let’s define what obedience is. Obedience is an act of submission whereby a person willfully gives up his/her rights or desires and does the will of one who has given a command.
Obedience is measured by your actions, not your intent, not your motives, but simply by what you do. It’s not enough to want to do what’s right, or desiring to obey God; you actually have to do it, especially when your carnal flesh wants something else, that is when the true test of obedience is passed. Some times when people fail or fall into sin, afterwards they may feel guilty, they feel bad, they may even repent, and they will say well, “God knows my heart.” What does that mean, just because you feel bad about disobeying God, He now forgets about it, and says, “Okay, I’ll let it go this time.” No, even partial obedience is still disobedience; God expects full, non-compromising obedience. God takes the matter seriously; obedience is not something He can do without. But sometimes we as God’s children have the attitude; God knows I love Him, and I’m trying to do my best. Listen, you can not say you Love God and not obey Him, obedience is the evidence of love, “If you love me, you will obey My commands.” Is what Jesus said, not if you love me you will try your best. But we want to believe that so when we do fail, we have a way of lightening the blow of guilt, shame, and even consequence.
Most of the O.T. examples we looked at last time were unique, when God blessed it was miraculous, when God cursed it was just as extraordinary. What I want us to realize is that although we are the N.T. church God still expects the same obedience. He still honors and blesses those who are obedient, and those who don’t, He still chastises and disciplines. Now as we enter into the N.T. there are some unique teachings concerning obedience, some we’ll look at. But for the remainder of this time I want to look at two things
1.The Life of Jesus as an example of obedience
2.How obedience is a barometer for genuine faith
To begin examining the life of Christ I want to start by looking at two verses
Hebrews 5:8 - 9 (NASB) 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Philippians 2:5 - 8 (NASB) 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We know without a shadow of a doubt, Jesus is the perfect example of obedience, His entire life, not just aspects of it, not just some of it, but all of it was a picture perfect example of obedience; in word and in deed, look at our Lord’s own declarations
John 5:19 (NASB) 19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 12:49 (NASB) 49“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
His obedience serves a purpose, not just to prove His divinity, but for our sakes He was obedient.
1. For salvation - Hebrews 5:8-9 “…He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” The first thing we see was that he learned obedience from his suffering. The cross was an act of obedience, He submitted His will to Father and learned true obedience, by making the ultimate act of sacrifice. “And having been make perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation
2. For our example - Paul instructs believers to have the same attitude as Christ, in other words, mimic Him, copy Him. Then we’re told exactly what that looks like. Ph 2:5-8. He was obedient even to the point of death. Most of the time we’re obedient to the point of being uncomfortable, or when we feel like it, that’s not the example our Lord gave us. Our obedience should extend even to the giving of our lives. When we think we’ve been obedient and are content with ourselves, just look to the obedience of Christ and we’ll soon realize just how often we fail, how short we fall, and how disobedient we really have been.
Christ never deviated from this life principle, to obey the Father. He never slipped up, He never took a day off, He never settled for less than complete and utter obedience to the Father. Although we will never be obedient in a perfect manner as the Lord’s was, our standard should be the same as the Lords at all times. The reason for that has to do with the second topic I wanted to address:
Obedience is a barometer for genuine faith.
What that means is very simple. Our ability to obey God’s Word is a way to measure if we are truly children of God. This is true because obedience to God’s commands is a character trait of the children of God.
Andrew Murray, “School of Obedience” “In 1 Pet. 1:22 we read, ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth,’-the whole acceptance of the truth of God was not merely a matter of intellectual assent or strong emotion: it was a subjection of the life to the dominion of the truth of God: the Christian life was in the first place obedience.”
Romans 5:18 - 19 (NASB) 18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Adam’s disobedience made us sinful by nature, meaning that sin resided in the heart; it was part of our nature, part of who we were as people. Now listen, our sinfulness is made evident by our disobedience. In other words we were disobedient in our actions to the Law of God because we were sinners by nature. We could not obey, because our nature was corrupted, it was stained, and defiled by sin. That’s past tense; “we were made sinners.” Present tense is our new nature, the fact that we are now made righteous. Not by our own merit, not by our own deeds, but through the obedience of the One! Jesus Christ! What that means for the Christian is this, we are made righteous, and the evidence of that fact is our obedience now to the Word of God. Just as sin made us disobedient, righteousness makes us obedient. Obedience is a character trait of the Christian, it not something we try for a little while, “well, I’ll give it a shot” No it is our desire to obey God
When a true Christian is confronted by the Word of God, and we are shown by the Spirit of God a command that speaks to us, we are compelled to obey, it is our desire, it is our wanting to please and live for him in such a way that would be righteous and holy. Sometimes it is a process, sometimes it is hard, but the desire to please God and the effort is there.
Obedience is also a true test of whether we love the Lord as well. John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” The Lord couldn’t have made it more simple or plain, if you love the Lord, you will obey His commandments. Listen, Jesus could have given us any number of proofs, If you love me you will
·Go to church
·Tithe and give cheerfully
·Go into ministry
·Sing hymns and spiritual songs
There is only thing, obey His commands. This was major theme for the Apostle John obedience as an evidence of true love and faith is all throughout his writings
1 John 2:1 - 5 (NASB) 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
1 John 3:7 - 10 (NASB) 7Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
1 John 5:2 - 4 (NASB) 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
Last Updated: July 13, 2009
The purpose in these two short articles is to help you see the truth that God more anything else desires his children to be obedient. God doesn’t want our lip service, He doesn’t want our religious piety, or all the church stuff that we think makes us a Christian. God wants obedience to His will, and to His Word, He expects us as Christians to lay aside our own desires especially when it is difficult to do so and submit to His authoritative will and Word.
Let’s define what obedience is. Obedience is an act of submission whereby a person willfully gives up his/her rights or desires and does the will of one who has given a command.
Obedience is measured by your actions, not your intent, not your motives, but simply by what you do. It’s not enough to want to do what’s right, or desiring to obey God; you actually have to do it, especially when your carnal flesh wants something else, that is when the true test of obedience is passed. Some times when people fail or fall into sin, afterwards they may feel guilty, they feel bad, they may even repent, and they will say well, “God knows my heart.” What does that mean, just because you feel bad about disobeying God, He now forgets about it, and says, “Okay, I’ll let it go this time.” No, even partial obedience is still disobedience; God expects full, non-compromising obedience. God takes the matter seriously; obedience is not something He can do without. But sometimes we as God’s children have the attitude; God knows I love Him, and I’m trying to do my best. Listen, you can not say you Love God and not obey Him, obedience is the evidence of love, “If you love me, you will obey My commands.” Is what Jesus said, not if you love me you will try your best. But we want to believe that so when we do fail, we have a way of lightening the blow of guilt, shame, and even consequence.
Most of the O.T. examples we looked at last time were unique, when God blessed it was miraculous, when God cursed it was just as extraordinary. What I want us to realize is that although we are the N.T. church God still expects the same obedience. He still honors and blesses those who are obedient, and those who don’t, He still chastises and disciplines. Now as we enter into the N.T. there are some unique teachings concerning obedience, some we’ll look at. But for the remainder of this time I want to look at two things
1.The Life of Jesus as an example of obedience
2.How obedience is a barometer for genuine faith
To begin examining the life of Christ I want to start by looking at two verses
Hebrews 5:8 - 9 (NASB) 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Philippians 2:5 - 8 (NASB) 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
We know without a shadow of a doubt, Jesus is the perfect example of obedience, His entire life, not just aspects of it, not just some of it, but all of it was a picture perfect example of obedience; in word and in deed, look at our Lord’s own declarations
John 5:19 (NASB) 19Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 12:49 (NASB) 49“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
His obedience serves a purpose, not just to prove His divinity, but for our sakes He was obedient.
1. For salvation - Hebrews 5:8-9 “…He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” The first thing we see was that he learned obedience from his suffering. The cross was an act of obedience, He submitted His will to Father and learned true obedience, by making the ultimate act of sacrifice. “And having been make perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation
2. For our example - Paul instructs believers to have the same attitude as Christ, in other words, mimic Him, copy Him. Then we’re told exactly what that looks like. Ph 2:5-8. He was obedient even to the point of death. Most of the time we’re obedient to the point of being uncomfortable, or when we feel like it, that’s not the example our Lord gave us. Our obedience should extend even to the giving of our lives. When we think we’ve been obedient and are content with ourselves, just look to the obedience of Christ and we’ll soon realize just how often we fail, how short we fall, and how disobedient we really have been.
Christ never deviated from this life principle, to obey the Father. He never slipped up, He never took a day off, He never settled for less than complete and utter obedience to the Father. Although we will never be obedient in a perfect manner as the Lord’s was, our standard should be the same as the Lords at all times. The reason for that has to do with the second topic I wanted to address:
Obedience is a barometer for genuine faith.
What that means is very simple. Our ability to obey God’s Word is a way to measure if we are truly children of God. This is true because obedience to God’s commands is a character trait of the children of God.
Andrew Murray, “School of Obedience” “In 1 Pet. 1:22 we read, ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth,’-the whole acceptance of the truth of God was not merely a matter of intellectual assent or strong emotion: it was a subjection of the life to the dominion of the truth of God: the Christian life was in the first place obedience.”
Romans 5:18 - 19 (NASB) 18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Adam’s disobedience made us sinful by nature, meaning that sin resided in the heart; it was part of our nature, part of who we were as people. Now listen, our sinfulness is made evident by our disobedience. In other words we were disobedient in our actions to the Law of God because we were sinners by nature. We could not obey, because our nature was corrupted, it was stained, and defiled by sin. That’s past tense; “we were made sinners.” Present tense is our new nature, the fact that we are now made righteous. Not by our own merit, not by our own deeds, but through the obedience of the One! Jesus Christ! What that means for the Christian is this, we are made righteous, and the evidence of that fact is our obedience now to the Word of God. Just as sin made us disobedient, righteousness makes us obedient. Obedience is a character trait of the Christian, it not something we try for a little while, “well, I’ll give it a shot” No it is our desire to obey God
When a true Christian is confronted by the Word of God, and we are shown by the Spirit of God a command that speaks to us, we are compelled to obey, it is our desire, it is our wanting to please and live for him in such a way that would be righteous and holy. Sometimes it is a process, sometimes it is hard, but the desire to please God and the effort is there.
Obedience is also a true test of whether we love the Lord as well. John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” The Lord couldn’t have made it more simple or plain, if you love the Lord, you will obey His commandments. Listen, Jesus could have given us any number of proofs, If you love me you will
·Go to church
·Tithe and give cheerfully
·Go into ministry
·Sing hymns and spiritual songs
There is only thing, obey His commands. This was major theme for the Apostle John obedience as an evidence of true love and faith is all throughout his writings
1 John 2:1 - 5 (NASB) 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
1 John 3:7 - 10 (NASB) 7Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
1 John 5:2 - 4 (NASB) 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
Last Updated: July 13, 2009
