Plugged in?

I think brother Isman said it best when he used it as an example of our Christian walk. A microphone isn't really a microphone unless it is plugged into an amplifier. It might as well be a glass of water or a rock. An amplifier has to be plugged into a source of power for it to work, otherwise the signal running through it is lost and no one hears it.

How is your Christian walk? Is you mike plugged in? Is your amplifier plugged into a source of power? God wants to use you and me to expand His kingdom and help to bring others to know Christ. If our source of power is weak or nonexistent then how could we be a microphone for God's word?

We need to get plugged in to God's word, it recharges our source of power (Faith). Sundays should not be enough. Fellowship, ministries, church functions and Bible studies are great sources to recharge our spiritual batteries. Brothers and sisters, are you feeling run down? When is the last time you checked your power source? Maybe it's time to get plugged in.

This year's retreat was truly an unforgettable experience. My wish is that more people can go to the next one. This was my first retreat but certainly not my last. To all my brothers and sisters in Christ, I would like to thank you for participating and feeding me spiritually. God is so amazing that we could share so much personal pain and become as close as we all became in such a short time. We would do a great disservice to God if we do not take all the power and emotion back to North Hialeah Baptist and share it with the rest of our church family.

I think my Jonah said it best when after service on Sunday he said " I don't want to go". I understand how he felt. There was such a great positive atmosphere, everyone was smiling and not one negative vibe could be felt. The world is still the same and troubles affect everyone but, for that weekend it seemed everyone left them behind and focused on Jesus and let God take care of everything else. Funny how it should take a retreat for us to be able to do what God has asked us to do all along.

For my brothers and sisters; nothing positive comes from negative thinking. Lets have a year-round retreat in our homes, in our work, at school and in church. Pack your suitcases with negativity and poisoning thoughts and leave them behind. The world has enough problems, do not contribute to them, be a solution and a light for others.

The Bridge

In my opinion, I feel that on occasion we allow ourselves to get bogged down and overwhelmed with problems that in many cases are beyond our control. Sometimes the Christian solution is not easily seen through the fog of minor irrelevant circumstances and general day to day trials. As Christians we owe it to God to put our fate in His hands because of the greatest sacrifice He invested in us.

I think the message of God's greatest gift can sometimes get watered down. I hope this short film puts the greatest gift to mankind in a new perspective. It was shared to me by a friend and the Holy Spirit put it in my heart to share it with you.

NHBC Couples Night

Thank you to all the couples that attended the "Fireproof" movie Sunday night. I thought the movie was great and it touched on a lot of topics which sometimes put a strain on marriages. It was especially refreshing to see a movie with God and Christianity in the main theme. A special thank you goes out to the Singles Group for providing child sitting services for many of us. Without them a Sunday night at the movies just would not be possible.

God's Musicians

A trumpet cannot make music without someone to blow through it, a guitar will not make a sound if no one strums it and a piano will not carry a melody unless someone is there to strike the keys. All of them beautiful instruments made from brass, silver, ivory and exotic hardwoods each polished to perfection but even more beautiful is the sound they were created to make.

If there were no one to play these instruments they would simply be decoration or considered art by some, just like a painting hanging on the wall. The would be no glory for the craftsman who labored for hours to make sure the pitch and tones were just right and pleasing to the senses, instead all of his work would go unnoticed by many.

Each of us is handcrafted. The craftsman who labored with skilled hands painstakingly created each one of us to be instruments. If our lives were to be placed on a mantle or hung on a wall then we would do our creator no justice. God deserves the glory and just like musical instruments we should be played and our music heard and witnessed by many.

Ephesians 5:19
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord