Romans 14 - 11.29.23

Scripture

“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” Romans: 14:4, NKJV

Observation

It is easy for us to feel self-righteous and point fingers at our brothers and sisters in Christ who do things differently from us. God has called us and appointed us to bear fruit for Him. Each of us have been called from different backgrounds, cultures, and circumstances. God expects us to live our life faithfully for Him, and not judge our fellow-Christians over trivial things. For example, some people are vegetarians, whereas some eat meat (verse 2). Paul reminds us not to judge and criticize each other over our food choices. I know some Christians from some cultures who believe that celebrating any holiday, including Christmas is wrong. Many other Christians celebrate special days. Again, Paul reminds us (verse 6) that whoever celebrates a day, celebrates it to the Lord, and whoever does not celebrate does not celebrate it to Him. The point is that none of us live for ourselves, we all live for Him (verse 7). It is not our business to judge our brother or sister in Christ. God is responsible for him/her and is able to make them stand.

Application

God is responsible for me, and for my brothers and sisters in Christ. He knows my struggles. When I fall, he picks me up and helps me to walk again. I will stand because God is able to make me stand. I will trust Him and live my live faithfully for Him.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you because you have not called me to judge my brothers and sisters, but to love them. Thank you because you are the one who is holding up, each one of us. You are our rock. Thank you because I can trust you to make me stand, and not fall. You are the one who makes your children stand. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Asha Chacko George

Amos 8 - 11.28.23

SCRIPTURE:  Amos 8:11 “The days are coming”, declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.”

OBSERVATION:  Many people had abandoned the Lord, but they still pretended to be religious.  Their wealth, power, and prosperity caused them to become greedy, self sufficient, and,  they ignored the needs of the poor, whom God loved.

Amos spoke out boldly against their sinful lifestyles.  Their self-sufficiency and pride showed up in the way they were so consumed with enriching themselves.  Because their sin was being exposed, the king and the advisors looked at Amos as the enemy, not as a spokesman for God.

So… because of their rebellion and disobedient hearts, God sent a famine throughout the land, and caused them not to be able to hear His Words!  “People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it.” (verse 11, 12).

APPLICATION:  When our appetite for pleasing ourselves becomes greater than our appetite for pleasing God, He allows us to fill ourselves with those substitute gods in order to teach us how futile they are, and what emptiness they bring in the long run! We tend to long for something greater than ourselves when we feel empty and hopeless! 

 It’s God desire to bless us with good things, but when those blessings cause us to become self-sufficient, and we stop relying on Him, He helps us by causing us to remember how much we need Him.  The spiritual hunger and thirsting that He caused the Israelites to have was for the sole purpose of helping them to search for Him, long for Him, and re-connect with Him! 

PRAYER:  The worst thing I could ever imagine is for God to be silent!  When we don’t hear from Him, we lose hope!  And when He’s silent, its because we’re the ones who‘ve distanced ourselves from Him. 

I pray my heart will always be in tune with God’s voice, whether it be through His Word, through the Holy Spirit, or through a brother and sister in Christ. 

Lord, We are so blessed to be guided by You!  Thank You for not withholding Your love from us even when we stray! Thank You for Your patience, love, compassion, and guidance that You give as we put our trust in You.  I pray we will hear You and obey, and that we will keep our focus on pleasing You more than ourselves because absolutely nothing is able to satisfy the longing of our heart’s more than You Lord!

- Robin Orefice

Romans 12 - 11.27.23

Scripture

Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

Observation

In this chapter, the Apostle Paul is writing the Roman Church and encouraging them to live their lives in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God. One of the things that they can do to show that is by loving and honoring one other. Paul reminds them that God has blessed them and given them so much, that they should use those blessings/gifts to bless others and most importantly…to truly love and honor each other.

Application

Take some time to show someone love and honor today. ❤️

You know, here at Desert Streams Church, we like to take the month of November and use it as month to give honor and thanksgiving to those in our church body. We have a “Wall of Honor” where you can write a thank you card to honor someone and place it on this wall for them to receive. Let me tell you that it’s been so great to see this wall filled with so many cards, filled with so much love and words of adoration for one another. It’s a great habit to build on and something we should all continue, even past this month of November.

Even as I was reading this chapter and came across these certain verses, I couldn’t help but think of certain people I wanted to honor today:

“If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.-Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭

With this verse, I think of people like Joni Ragsdale, Cindy Howard, and my wife (Michelle Gaddi). You ladies are such gifted teachers. Your hearts to help kids learn and grow in their faith and education is second to none. I honor you all today for all the hard work and dedication you put in your craft.

“If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”-‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭

This verse brings multiple people to mind. Tina Kudelka and Robin Orefice, you two women are so encouraging. I know personally, as well as from other people, just how much your words of encouragement mean in our lives, so thank you for your faithful service in this ministry.

To Carol Fish, Rich and Crystal Flory, you all are some of the most giving and kind hearted people I know. Carol, your heart for our youth and the homeless is unmatched. You truly inspire me in the way you go about doing things for them. Rich and Crystal, every time there is a need at church, you both are there. Whenever someone is sick, you guys are there delivering home cooked meals. Whenever someone needs a ride to church or the doctors, or even the airport, you are there gladly to help them out. You two are amazing, and I just wanted you to know that.

I want to encourage everyone out there to not just use the month of November to honor and give thanks to people. Let’s continue to build on this every month. Let’s have a culture here at DSC that truly shows that we honor God by loving Him and loving people! ❤️😊

Prayer

Father God, thank You for surrounding me and my family with such a loving church. Thank You for the leadership of Pastor Levi and Pastor Katie who encourage us and guide us to live godly lives. May the lives we live be honoring to You. May we as a church can be united in loving You, loving others, and making disciples wherever we go. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi