J.O.Y. (JESUS ONLY YOU)

Christmas is right around the corner and as I look around while driving home I see lights that say Joy and Joy to the world. Joy means to be happy but it doesn't mean happiness. Why do I say that well because my life can be full of hardships but I can still have the Joy of the Lord in my heart. Joy for me means something else that I hope it will mean the same for you. It means Jesus Only You. Joy should stand for Jesus Only You for everyone. Since Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas this should be on everybody hearts. Believers should always celebrate Jesus life daily. Joy also should have a special meaning for non believers and that is that JESUS OFFERS YOU. Jesus offers you the gift of salvation. It doesn't matter who you are, what situation you are in. God loves you just how you are and if you are broken even better because the Lord loves to fix things. I wish people would just open there eyes and see the beauty of Christ. The beauty of the Father and the greatness of His love. When I was a little kid I remember Christmas would be the best time of the year. I used to love the lights, the tree, the scene, and the presents. I remember people used to tell me lets see what Santa Claus is going to bring you this year. I hope you've been good so Santa Claus can bring you something nice. Now having kids of my own I don't want Santa Claus bringing me or my kids gifts because Jesus gave us the best gift of all. SALVATION! God is who I put my hope and trust in. Jesus is the big brother I look up to and live my life after. Jesus is my Lord! I want people to understand we are the same...doesn't matter rich or poor, black or white. We have the same heart, the same blood, the same emotions...BUT BEST OF ALL WE HAVE THE SAME JOY!

JESUS ONLY YOU!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Highway to Hell

This title was once a famous song and I believe the reason why it was so famous was because people believed in it. People believe that there final outcome is going to be hell. I have heard people that I met say were all going to hell so might as well do what I want. It pains me because they are so far from the truth. The truth is that there is a hell. The truth is that one day non believers will go there. Also this truth is the most important out of all the truths I just gave you and that is GOD WILL NOT SEND YOU TO ETERNAL DARKNESS. ONLY YOU CAN SEND YOURSELF TO THAT PLACE. I hate when people say God is love and merciful. He will never send anyone to hell...and they keep living the same way believing in that. Yes God is love and He is merciful. In fact all through your life God is giving you the chance to get into Heaven and avoid Hell. See God will never send anyone into hell. If you don't believe He simply will not let you into His house. What people don't understand is He has every right to do whatever He wants. God doesn't want to see people go to hell...He didn't create man just so He can condemn them. God gives us every chance to enter His Kingdom. My son Isaiah will always be my son till the end of time. I love him more than anything but if I told him never to steal and he goes out and steals. He goes to jail because of it, It is not because of me he is in jail. It was not my will to have him in jail. My son had every chance to do the right thing and simply chose the wrong one. By the way my son is only 9 and he was the only example I can think of. (sorry son) As you can see It's not God's will to see people in Hell.



There is a story of a man who was out hiking. He came close to a cliff because he wanted to look down. He slipped and lost his footing fell over the cliff but before he went down to far he was able to grab a branch. As he hung there on the branch he yelled and yelled for help but there was nobody around. Then suddenly at the top of the cliff there was a somebody who said I can help you, just let go of the branch and take my hand. The man puzzled said who are you? My name is Jesus I can save you if you just let go of the branch and take my hand. The man was losing his grip of the branch and said no I can't, you're not strong enough to lift me up. Jesus said please just trust in me, believe that I can save you and you will be saved. Yet the man on the branch still said No and then said is there anybody else up there. The world is always looking for the wrong Savior. Money, companionship with the wrong person, reliability in the wrong economy, and anything else they think can save them. Jesus is the truth, the light, and the way. NO ONE...NO ONE will get into Heaven unless it's through Him. So if that is you thats hanging on that branch waiting for somebody else. Think again before it's to late. Let Jesus save you and start taking the HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Long Distance

Did you know that God is in another realm then we are. He is seated on the throne in Heaven. Seems like such a Long Distance away but in reality it's not. A lot of believers have a Long Distance relationship with God. What that means is they treat Him like a distant relative that visits once in a while. They get all excited when they feel His presence in Church but when they go home He is not involved in there lives. You will never see God from a distance. You will never see His face especially if you're trying to see Him from a distance. God speaks to us every day. He tries to be involved in our lives always. But if you're to far from Him. You'll never hear or see Him. I understand it gets tough to stay in constant connection with the Almighty. In our world it's so easy to reach for things that you see instead of reaching for Him that is unseen. I've been through it. I have had a Long Distance relationship with God. I have called out to Him from a far only to feel bad because I felt He wasn't listening. God is listening and He is answering but if you're to far from Him. It's pointless for Him to respond because you won't be able to hear Him. So how do you stay close to God?

How do you stay close to distant relatives? First step is to call on God. We don't need a phone to call Him. We can just close our eyes and believe in our hearts and begin to talk and we will be where He is. Best part is that there is no long distance phone bill. With God you always have free minutes and He always has FREE TIME TO TALK TO YOU! Second thing is to always pray. When you feel that God is not near or times are getting tough pray and He will answer. The Bible says ask and He may give it to you. Remember it doesn't say whatever you want it's yours. It says He may. May being the key word because God wants only the best for you. Thirdly is read the Word. Read your Bible. If you really want to hold God's hand...READ HIS STORY. The Bible tells you everything you need to know to be close to God. Lastly, serve God. Be a channel for God's blessings not a reservoir. Be ready to preach the Gospel. Be ready to help others. Be ready to just serve. When you serve God, it means you carry His heart. There is no better way to stay close to God then by carrying His Heart.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Limited Time Only!

This phrase is used when something is only temporary. For instance if you walk by a store window and it said that everything in the store was on sale but for a Limited Time Only. That would imply to hurry up and buy before the sale ends. For believers it something similar but yet different. There are two definitions I want to use for this phrase. The first is to imply that the pleasures of sin are a Limited Time Only. Sometimes sin feels good but it's only temporary. Sin doesn't take the place of joy and happiness. Sin doesn't drown out your problems or situations. Sin is an illusion orchestrated by the master of disguise the devil. I have gone one day in perfect harmony with God to the next day feeling guilty because I sinned and sinned. It is hard...believe me it is so hard to resist. I can begin my day praying in the morning and praising God only to have it go away in the afternoon when my boss says something or does something. The devil knows people. He knows exactly how to set them off or set them up. He puts the bomb in our hands and entices us to light the fuse. We as humans have the divine nature like our Father to create great things...but being human we also have a sinful nature and the capacity to destroy life. The Bible states that the wage of sin is Death.

The second part I want to emphasize is that Life itself is a Limited Time Only! Life can be over before you know it. Only God knows the place and time when He calls you home. So many of us live by time. I don't have time for this and that. Time is important but you have to use it wisely. You have to live for moments. Moments are pages that you write your life story on. When God looks back on your life...He doesn't look at the time you wasted but the moments you lived for. There was a story I heard about a man who was at the end of his life. He always wanted to climb the highest mountain around but never had the time. So one day he decided to climb the mountain only to die on the way up. Everybody criticized him and asked his son why did he climb the mountain to die? The son responded he didn't climb the mountain to die...He climbed it to live. Don't wait till the end of your life to really live. Life is a Limited Time Only! Live for God use the moments you have to make Him happy and I promise you that He will in return bring you Joy. God created life and humans to co exist in harmony. As Christmas approaches use moments to makes things right with family, friends, co workers, and acquaintances. Jesus was born not to condemn our moments but to bring LIFE TO THEM!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Radar

In war if you would happen to appear on your enemy's radar then you would be in trouble. The enemy would know where you would be at and send their forces to stop you. Being Christian if you are on the devils Radar then you are definitely doing something right. The more you are connected to God and ready to fight, the closer you are to the devils stronghold and the more you light up the Radar. The devil leaves you alone when your doing his work but the moment you open your eyes. You realize that his work only cause heartache and pain. Once you decide to get married to Christianity and say I do. You appear on the Radar! Your hardships and trials all depend on how much you appear on the Radar. The path of Righteousness involves a lot of trials and tribulations. The more you get tempted you should jump for joy because you are on the right path. The devil gets mad when you work for God...and the more overtime you put in just makes the devil furious. Which then means more temptations and trials. I know life gets hard and it seems like there is no way out.

Trust in the Lord to get you through anything. Stay on course and stay strong. It's only good and evil. Trust in the goodness of God. God will protect you and help you. Evil is going to throw everything at you when you appear on it's Radar. I admire Pastor's and Teachers of the Word because I know for every life they are trying to save. They move up the devils most wanted list and have bulls eyes on them where ever they go. Believe me if you have a bulls eye on you...rejoice because you are on the path to Heaven. Rejoice in every trial and tribulation that is thrown at you because that means you are standing up for God. It means that you are fighting a battle worth fighting. Every temptation, every trial, every battle the devil is trying to stop what your doing because he knows your winning. In war you try everything possible not to be noticed so you can sneak behind enemy lines. In the battle of good and evil being on the devils Radar is exactly where you need to be. The devil needs to see how many people are willing to stand up and fight. Imagine if the devil looks at the Radar and sees all the Christians in the world ready and willing to stand up and fight for God. It's so glorious! Remember the more trials and temptations you get, the closer you are to getting to God. STAY ON THE DEVIL'S RADAR!!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

I'm Christian!

Being Christian isn't just showing up to Church on Sunday. It's more than just telling your neighbor you're Christian. You can actually be Christian without words because I can preach to someone without saying anything. A lot of people have the wrong idea about being Christian. They show up Sunday to Church ready to be Christian but during the week, there to busy to spend time with God. They pray once or twice a day or sometimes not at all during the day and call themselves Christian. Being Christian is to be plugged into God daily. A lot of people will say well I pray daily. Here is what I'm getting at. If you wake up and pray daily and the rest of the day is your time then you're not really plugged in. All you're doing is keeping a habit. The way to be Christian is to be Christ like. Jesus prayed all the time. He didn't have a set time when He prayed. His habit was to stay plugged in. You might say of course He was plugged in because He was God. What God requires for us to be called Christians is time. Time spent with Him, Time spent with the Word, and Time to share the Gospel. I am not trying to offend anyone with this article. I can say this because I call myself a Christian but don't spend a lot of time being a Christian. I am like the rest of the world wrapped up in distractions that I don't make time to spend with God.



Everybody looks to God when troubles arise but when the waters are calm they don't. Lets make this perfectly clear GOD IS NOT A GLORIFIED HANDYMAN! Somebody once told me that God fixes things for His love for people but He doesn't agree with the situation. I don't blame Him. If I knew someone that just came to me for money all the time but didn't want to spend time with me any other day. I would be upset to. I would help that person because I love people and I love to help but It would bother me. Being Christian is putting God first in everything. Not just on Sunday, not just when problems arise, or not when you feel like it. God is first in everything and above all. What makes you Christian is keeping an intimate relationship with God all the time. Praise God when your at your job, Praise God when your in your car, but Praise God all the time just because He loves you and He made you. Glorify God in everything that you have and do. Pray and talk to God all the time. Being Christian is hard at times but the reward will be worth it. So I encourage everybody to BE CHRISTIAN!



Yesus Gitano,


Carlos

Pulled Away

Every day we wake up is another day to be Pulled Away. Better believe it that you will get Pulled Away. When you have the devil against you life is hard. You see life is the heartbeat of God, the joy of a new song, the rhythm of a drum, the love of another. But Sin is the living trial, it's the pothole that flattens your tire, it's the bill you get with no money to pay, Sin is the vacuum that sucks you into darkness. Sin is what Pulls you away. See God says man will always sin and fall short. What we have to understand is that the pothole was always there but you never saw it. The bill you received came from something you did or bought and chose just to ignore it. We will always Sin but some of the sins can be avoided. We will always get Pulled Away but the question is how far away are you? Sin hurts God because He knows that when you sin the devil is what is pulling you away or trying to pull you away. God knows if we are going to sin or not before we do it...and God puts the pothole in the road to see if you notice it before it's to late. I have seen the pothole, been stuck in the pothole, only to go through the same pothole again. See you can't resist sin with human nature. It takes only divine nature to resist and defeat sin. That's why Jesus was so perfect every time the devil tempted Him. He was able to resist because He had divine nature.

It's our human nature to be Pulled Away but in order to resist the devil we have to ask God daily to give us divine nature. God gave us grace so we can go under His wing away from darkness. Here is where a lot of Christians stay and get comfortable. God also requires for us to come out from under His wing into darkness and bring light. But also where a lot of Christians backslide because they get Pulled Away so much that they get ashamed to come back under God's wing. Here is what I know it's okay to stay under God's wing until your ready to be a light. But without divine nature you are not going to be that light and you will be Pulled Away. I know it's hard to step out because of the potholes and things to pull you away from God but what I know from the depths of my heart is that God allows you to make mistakes so you learn and trust Him more. What I've learned is that when I got stuck in a pothole I looked to God and asked Him to show me where the potholes are so I avoid them. Sin is inevitable and getting Pulled Away is a part of life. But the Holy Spirit is the rope and Jesus is the lifeguard that walks on water ready to PULL YOU BACK!.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

1 on 1

The only way you will ever get to know someone on a more personal level is by 1 on 1. In a crowded room you will only get the basic information about someone but in order to get to really know them. You would have to spend time with them. God requires that time with us. The creator of Heaven and Earth, the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega wants a 1 on 1 relationship with us. I never really had a relationship with my biological father like I would've liked to have. But God knows me, He knows my heart and what it desires. He takes care of my needs no matter how insignificant they may be compared to the rest of the worlds needs. He does it because He cares about each and every one of us. The Father only wants to see good things in your life but in order to be able to do that. You have to receive the blessings. Simple way means in order to win the lottery, you have to buy a ticket. Or to win a prize on the radio you have to listen and call in. The point is that in order for you to want a relationship with God and receive His blessings you have to look for Him. You have to seek God's presence in order to receive His presents. I'm going to do something a little different today. I wrote a poem that goes with what I'm talking about.


How to Build a Relationship With God

First we need FAITH to be our solid ground
Then the SAVIOR and LORD so that it doesn't fall down.
TRUST will be the roof to protect us from the rain
HONESTY and UNDERSTANDING will be our window pane.
PRAISE and WORSHIP will be the stairs that we will climb
COMMITMENT will be the wood to stand the test of time.
OUR HEART will be the door and only HE will have the key
The relationship is complete now, and now we can be FREE.
We will start a beautiful garden and plant LOVE to watch it grow
Our SINS are the rain, but His FORGIVENESS the rainbow.
GOD can be the fence made of steel as strong as can be
That way FOREVER and EVER we will always have security.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Flexible

One of the number one rules of being Christian is to be Flexible. The road to Heaven is hard and it requires sacrifice, hard work, commitment but also Flexibility. The reason being is that what my plans are, may not be God's plan. Like the song says I can plan a nice picnic but I can't predict the weather. Christians have to be able to adapt to any situation and in any environment. I can think that I'm going down the right path and God says nope and changes it. This is where a lot of Christians back slide because the path God lays before them is a path that seems to be to difficult for them. Being Christian you would think that because God is all powerful and all loving that He would just give us a path that is easy to handle. But what Christians don't realize is that it is easy to handle. It's harder to grasp but easy to handle. Yes the economy is bad, the world doesn't seem to be getting better, and it seems that people are getting more and more discouraged because of it. But I'm here! Were here! My Lord and Savior has taken care of me every day of my life. Situations I've been in...things that I went through. I'm still here! He has taken care of me to this very day and I have hope and trust that He is going to continue to take care of me.

Life is full of surprises sometimes there blessings and sometimes there hardships. But everything is God's will. If we are to remain strong, we rely on His might and His guidance. We trust Him because a true believer knows that the Father only wants what is best for His children. God only wants what's best for us...but sometimes what's best for us is not the easiest path. The reason being is God wants us to learn in life and He wants all of us to be saved and have Eternal life. He wants His people to look for Him in difficult times and He wants us to help each other along the way. Be Flexible and ready to take on any challenges that are presented before you. Rejoice in trials and tribulations because the Lord says to. Being able to adapt is key for Christians to survive in this world. Remember be of the world but not part of it. ABOVE ALL BEING FLEXIBLE MEANS WE ARE NOT BROKEN EASILY!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

TD!

In American football when one team goes across the other teams goal line it's called a Touchdown. Or TD for short. It's the culmination of a lot of hard work, practice, and strategy. It doesn't matter whether the team wins or loses because during a touchdown the entire team celebrates. But for Christians TD means something different but should have the same type of results. For Christians it means TESTED DAILY. Every day Christians are tested. The Bible says God disciplines those He loves. We are tested because God loves us that He wants us to be strong and wise. He wants us to have the will to resist any opposition or any darkness. When my son doesn't do his homework, he faces a consequence which could be not going outside to play. For us as Christians not reading the Bible could lead to us falling easily to temptation. Disobeying God leads to a path of darkness and temptations. Did you know that in America marriages have a 69% percent of surviving. God said that when you get married it should last forever and with the same person. Marriages fail because they don't pass the test. Marriages are one test that Christians have daily. Marriage is something that takes hard work and understanding. Marriages need God's foundation and love in order to survive.

Christians are tempted daily by the devil. He knows our wicked ways and excels at exploiting our weaknesses to his advantage. Diets are a multi billion dollar seller not because people want to be healthy but because they want to look good. Jesus says that if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out because it's better to lose an eye then have your whole body go to hell. I rather be blind then constantly be bombarded with sex. Magazines, TV, movies, billboards it's all about looking good instead of feeling good. Everyday it's a new temptation and a new chance to fail the test. We get tested daily and we as Christians need to have the Word in our hearts, in our minds, and in our hands to avoid failing. I know that the road to righteousness is not always the easiest but believe me when I tell you that it has the best reward. God uses bumps in the road and turns them into blessings. When Christians are tested we as a Christan should rejoice when we pass the tests and we should encourage each other when we falter. We are TESTED DAILY because God disciplines us but we are TOUCHED DAILY because God LOVES US.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Illuminate

When Jesus came to this world He said He was the light of the world. If we are to follow Jesus our lives should reflect that light. Illuminate means brighten with light. If Jesus is to be the center point of your life...then your life should radiate bright light. You should be receiving bolts of lightning of the Holy Spirit that penetrate deep into your heart, mind, and spirit. Bolts that transform darkness into light, sin into righteousness, and despair into hope. When cockroaches are around and you turn on a light, they scatter because they are afraid of the the light. They are vulnerable because they are seen. Sin is afraid of light for that very same reason because when light shines upon sin...it is seen. A lot of people don't realize what there doing is a sin and that's why so many are lost. They don't see the light! We as Christians need to help people see the light. But we will never be able to show people the light, if we ourselves don't have the light living in us. We need to have the Light of God dwelling in us so much that we are ready to do anything for God.

What that means is we as Christians need to start being uncomfortable with ourselves and comfortable with God. The world has comfort zones they like staying in. It gives them peace and serenity. It's a little circle of happiness they build so they don't feel out of place. Some people go to Church on Sunday, read the Bible and pray occasionally. That is great but God calls us to a higher purpose. It seems like time is going by fast these days but Christians are maturing at a slow pace. What I'm trying to say is that if God calls you to preach in front of 100 people be comfortable with that. If God wants you to lead a Bible Study in your own home be comfortable with that. The point is that you will never be open to God's will until you Illuminate your life and your life will never Illuminate if you don't get rid of your comfort zone. Jesus died for us on a cross. He bled for us! I don't think He was comfortable doing that but He did it because it was God's will. Jesus allowed God's will to direct His life...His comfort zone was whatever God wanted. He was the perfect example of Illuminate. I pray God will Illuminate your life today, tomorrow, and forever.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Thanks Given To God

Tomorrow everybody will be enjoying a nice big Turkey dinner. It will be a great time with family and friends and people you care about. I always enjoy the stuffing as well as the mashed potatoes. We have to remember though it's not the turkey we celebrate it's the Blood Of The Lamb that we give thanks for. It's the sacrifice that He made on that tree so we can be cleansed and made righteous. He gave up His throne to become a man. I never wanted to give up the remote control to my wife...I can't imagine giving up a throne to be crucified. Our lives are dedicated to Jesus because of what He did for us. We need to tell everyone we know what He did for them as well. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. It's not like God had 3 or 4 Sons where He didn't mind losing one. But He sent the only one He had...That's major.

Remember be thankful for the food your going to eat, be thankful for the time spent with people you love, be thankful for the time spent with God always, be thankful that if you don't have anything, you probably still have more than others. Like my son once told me the man always complained about his shoes till he met a man with no feet. So if you don't have a job be thankful that you have freedom. If you don't have money, be thankful that you life. If you don't have food to eat, be thankful there are places you can go to help you. But especially if you don't have Jesus, be thankful that you can always accept Him and He will welcome you with open arms always. This thanksgiving be thankful because God loves you more than you'll ever know. It's not just one day but every day that THANKS GIVEN TO GOD!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Judged!

I had an appointment to see a judge today regarding a case I had. As I sat in the courtroom I saw more and more people stand in front of the judge. They were scared and nervous at first but as the Judge handed down fines and probation they seemed to be relieved that it wasn't more serious. When it was my turn to stand in front of the Judge I was nervous because here was a man who had the power to determine a mans fate. At any given moment as the people plead guilty to there charges, he had the power to take there freedom. As my case was presented, the Judge dismissed my case. I walked out of the courtroom saying to myself I do not want to ever be standing in front of a Judge again. Then I thought about God. He is the public defender, and also Judge. God does not want to see anyone perish. He strategically places His servants in places to help you on your path to Him. To help you believe, to help you understand, but most importantly to help you when you fall. Even when you don't want God the defender in your life. He loves you so much He is still willing to help you. He wants to defend you against all evil but you have to choose Him. Not only choose Him but trust Him so He can show you the glory. Mostly every body in this world lives by seeing is believing. There will come a day where every knee shall bow because they will see Jesus. For people who believe right now...seeing is not believing. Believing is knowing that God is with you. Knowing that God will never abandon you.

God is also the Judge. As in my case God will sit before the throne and view your life. He will go over your case details and make a decsion based on what you believe. Remember your reward is for how well you followed God but your entry into Heaven is based on what you believe. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking on how good they are or how much they give will get them into Heaven. Ehhhh! Wrong God doesn't care how much you give...He doesn't look at your wallet, He Judges your heart. Ephesians says that we are saved by grace. God gives us grace as a gift...not because of your good works. Of course we being servants our function as servants is to serve. Serve God and serve others. We don't serve to get on God's good side or to receive brownie points. We serve because of the joy of Christ that lives within us. One day everyone will be Judged by God but why wait till the end of your life to start making a difference. I don't want to stand in front of God and have any doubts. I want to stand in front of God and have Him say your case has been dismissed because of your faith in Me, because of your willingness to serve the Lord, and your undying love for my Word. I want God to look me in my eye and say WELCOME HOME GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Walk with Victory!

I remember playing basketball and walking off the court sometimes we won and sometimes we lost. Every time we lost I would walk off the court with my head down wondering what I could of done to help win. I would hold my self responsible thinking if I could do more I would've changed the outcome. My coach would see me and tell me that I can't change the past so just let it go and focus on the next one. The next one would come and when we won. My attitude was totally different. My walk was different, I was proud of the team and would walk with a big smile and confidence knowing that if we played them again we would be able to win. In life a lot of people do the same thing. When hard times come people walk with there head down thinking what they could of done to change the outcome. We can't change the past, so there is no point in thinking that you could of done something different. In life there is no excuses, only solutions. When I played basketball I always made a reason to why we lost. But what I should of done is find ways to make things better. In basketball it's not how great of a player you are...it's how much confidence do you have in your ability to play the game. Same goes for us as Christians it's not whether we are great Christians or not. It's how much of Christ lives in us and our ability to have Him direct our life.

Anybody that believes is already in victory. Christ already won the game for us, so there is no need to be ashamed any longer. No need to walk with your head down. No need to stress about things that have no meaning. I know it's hard not to stress about bills and money but be thankful for what you do have. So we have bills...we also have life and the gift of air to breathe. We have no money...but we have the freedom of religion, we have the freedom to visit the park or beach and see the beauty of God. We have no jobs....but we have the ability to still help people in need. Like praying for the homeless or the sick. God will always take care of us. His promise says He will never give you more than you can bear. I remember seeing the movie the Wizard of Oz and wanting to go down that road. While Dorothy walked down the road they had hope. But my hope isn't found in Dorothy it's found in JESUS! My path isn't down a yellow brick road. My path leads to a ROAD PAVED WITH GOLD! Every body who believes has hope in the one true God so WALK WITH VICTORY!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Take His Place!

Lets say for instance that you were sound asleep and when you woke up. You were in God's presence. God looks at you and says you will have to go to Earth and suffer the world's sin. You will have to be tortured and punished in order for the world to be saved. The world will hate you and crucify you because they don't understand. Will you do that? Can you do that? Jesus suffered more than we can ever imagine and yet people don't fully comprehend what He did for us. He gave us a second chance to live. He is the Bridge into Heaven. Jesus main purpose was to bring sinful people to a Holy God. People hated Him because He was trying to bring light to a darkened world. People still hate Him today because He is still trying to bring light to this darkened world. When I was growing up and and saw Christians and they would preach to me. I would see them act a certain way and be a certain way. They would tell me they don't drink or go to clubs. They don't listen to certain music and they would say Jesus can set you free. So I thought about it and said you can't really do what you want...doesn't sound like freedom it actually sounds like your a slave to your religion. I never understood it till now. It's not that I'm a slave to Christianity, it's that I freely give up being part of this world to be a part of something greater.

Jesus said in order to follow me, you have to deny yourself daily and take up your cross. Our bodies are evil from head to toe. Our hands, our eyes, and our heads are evil. While we live in this world our bodies want us to give into temptation daily. The devil uses temptations for the flesh to take you from the light into darkness. We have to let our bodies die to get out of darkness...That's why it's call born again. To Deny yourself is to deny your flesh. Deny the desires of the flesh. Follow your heart, love with your heart. Guard your mind and let your body be crucified daily. Righteousness is the only way into God's heart. Though, the question still remains Can you Take His Place? We were predestined to Take His Place! God wants us to spread the Gospel and do what Jesus did. To bring a sinful man to a Holy God. I don't look at it though as our jobs as Christians. I look at it as a privilege and an honor to Take His place and tell everyone I know about the Gospel.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Routine

Every morning I go through the same Routine. I pray, sit down at my desk, and write my blog. A Routine is defined as a habitual procedure. More simply put an habit of some sort. Every body has them and every body goes through Routines. If you eat dinner at a certain time or go to the gym at a certain time. Then those are Routines. I pick up the kids daily at the same time that is considered a Routine. What I'm trying to get at is that our lives are filled with Routines. Usually Routines are always the same. Really nothing changes but our encounters. Our encounter with what food we are having for dinner, our encounter with the closet choosing our clothes for that day, but especially our encounter with people and God. You see I don't care if I go to the same job, doing the same thing for the rest of my life, I don't care if i wear the same clothes till I die or if I eat the same food over and over again. But, what I do care about and what every body should care about is your encounters with people and God. First with people, I may run into the same people every day at work or somewhere else but my Routine shouldn't be the same. I shouldn't just say good morning and that's it. Every time I run into people is an opportunity to change somebodies life. To offer something they might not have. Joy and Happiness. To be a part of the greatest family on Earth. God's family. God desires us to get along that's why Jesus said love God and your neighbor. If He didn't want us to be in Unity he would've just said Love God. But God gave His Son to the world that whoever believe in Him shall not perish. I ask everyone let not your Routine with people be the same. Maybe the person your trying to save is not coming around because your doing it the same way always. Say something different, try something different, give a different Bible verse. Most important let them know they are loved in different ways.

Our Routine with God has to be different daily. I talk to God every chance I get. I love talking to Him and know that He is there for me. But I can't get up and pray every day and just say hey God thanks for everything...Amen. The only way God becomes real is if you treat Him as real. When God created Adam and Eve...The Bible says that He walked with them. That's what God wants with each and every one of us to walk with us. We are His greatest joy and love. Over and over again the Bible shows His great love for us. I don't understand how people can just ignore Him or treat Him like a lucky rabbits foot. So when things are going wrong you bring Him out and hope He fixes everything. That's not what God is! God is Lord and King. He deserves everything from us and nothing less. We must humble ourselves before Him. Remember you stand tallest on your knees!! Let every chance with get to talk to God be different. Every day we may go through the same Routines but let our encounters be different. Let our encounters with people always be different. Let us not fall into the Routine of just saying hi and going on about our day. That's not what God intended us to be like. Let our Routine with God be different and let God know how much you love Him. Once your encounters change, your Routines will soon turn into Rewards!!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Fairy Tale!

Being here in California I have the chance to go to the Happiest Place On Earth or so it's called. A place where you can see all the characters from your favorite Disney movie. A place where you pay roughly $80 dollars just to visit this land of make believe. The more I thought about this place, the more I thought they should change the name to the most expensive place on Earth. Although, the purpose of this article though is not to compare prices at a theme park. It's to tell you that there is another place you can go to that is not make believe. There is a place where you can have the best time of your life and it's all free. Church is open everyone, not only those who can afford it. At Church you can go as many times as you like. Disneyland is a great place to go I'll admit. My girls when they go there they have a great time. We have annual passes to go there. I'm not saying don't ever go to Disneyland but what I am saying though is Church is the happiest place on Earth. You can go to Church and it has all your favorite characters from the Bible. I may on occasion be upset about something unrelated to Church and when I come out of Church I'm carefree. My spirit and heart are free. I am ready to face any challenges and know that I'm going to win. Every day thousands of people visit Disneyland so they can go back to when they were kids and have no worries or problems. For one day they can forget about the problems of the world.

The reason Disneyland is so successful is because they sell you a Fairy Tale. They want you to think that in there world every thing is so amazing and drama free. But in reality there are people committing crimes every day. Some really petty and some really disturbing. There is no Fairy Tale in the world we live in, there is only The Truth. The Church is where you need to be. Having Jesus in your heart is where you need to be. Being focused and in tune into God's plan is where you need to be. The Bible says that this world will end but it's going to get worse before it's gets better. A Fairy Tale is a story that is suppose to bring you comfort and hope. Keep Jesus in your heart and you'll have all the comfort you'll ever need. Tightly grasp your faith and remember God's promise and you'll always have hope. In a world where murders are climbing at an alarming rate, where the economy doesn't seem to be getting better, and it seems the end of world is getting nearer and nearer. We as Christians need to stand together and show everyone that the Church is better than make believe, Heaven is free to anyone, and that THE TRUTH is better than any Fairy Tale!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Ticket To Ride!

Anywhere you want to go if you take a plane, train, or bus you will need a Ticket To Ride. Of course you can always drive yourself but it's not always the best way. This past summer when I went to Ethiopia every plane we went on they asked for a Ticket. So in order for me to get to my destination I need a Ticket To Ride. Our lives has the same set up because when we die God will ask for your Ticket To Ride! While were here on Earth this is not our final destination. Just like me going to Ethiopia I was just visiting. We are all visitors here on Earth until we get called home. Only difference is which home are you going to? Is it paradise or fiery pit! With God there is always hope...there is always joy in knowing that paradise is available to everyone. You just need a Ticket To Ride! To obtain the Ticket is the easy part, holding on to your Ticket is the hard part. All you have to do is ask God for the Ticket...But here is the hard part. You see you are unable to use the Ticket until you die. So if you asked God for the Ticket when you are 20 and you live to be 100 then that means, you have to hold on to the ticket for 80 years. Believe me when I say that there is someone out there that would love for you to miss your Ride. The devil will do everything in his power to make sure your Ticket does not get used.

So what is your Ticket and how do you stop the devil from trying to take your Ticket from you. Your Ticket To Ride is our savior Jesus Christ. The Bible says that He is the only way to the Father. That no one will be able to go to the Father unless through Him. God is the destination but Jesus is the Ticket To Ride! The devil doesn't like Christians very much. He would rather have you in a fiery pit then in paradise. He doesn't sound like much of a friend but yet, people rather hang out with the devil then with God. People rather continue to live in sin then in glory. People rather give up there Ticket To Ride then stand up for God. The way you hold on to your Ticket is to fight. Fight your flesh, fight your desires and fight the devil. But how do you fight if you have no weapons? God's Word is the best weapon you need to fight. Read it, learn it and live it. As long as you follow the Word...You will always have your Ticket! It's okay to back slide but remember why are you sliding back? It's only because the devil is trying to take away your Ticket! Every day you hold that Ticket in your hand is a day, your going to have to fight to keep it. Jesus said it Himself if you want to follow Me then you will have to pick up your cross daily. It doesn't say weekly like every Sunday. It says EVERY DAY. If I live to be a 100 or not...My Ticket is clutched in my hands and I'm not letting anybody take that from me. I will stand up for God. I will fight for my Ticket and for my brothers and sisters Ticket as well. Fight for Jesus! Let the world know that they just need a Ticket To Ride to be in paradise!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Goals for God!

Goals are defined as the end toward which effort is directed. In life you set goals for which you live by and once those goals are accomplished then you try to set new goals. In the picture is Bob Elliff. Bob was diagnosed with cancer and is very close to be heading home to be with God. I'm a little jealous because he gets to see God and hang out with Jesus. But I know my work here is not done. I never got to get personal with Bob but every time we spoke he would always make me laugh. He reminded me a lot of my grandfather in that aspect that he had the power to make me smile with a quick remark. I may have not known Bob like his relatives or his close friends. But the chances I had to meet him he showed me his love for life. He showed me God's heart where he was always willing to give a hand. My wife told me something that I believe is true and I hope that It helps people cope with this transition. My wife told me that maybe BOB'S GOALS FOR GOD HAVE BEEN MET AND HE GETS TO GO HOME NOW. I saw this and was like wow! You know what maybe your right. Every single one of us have Goals For God. Bob who had a life that God would be so proud of, maybe accomplished his goals here on Earth and Our Lord said okay it's time for your reward. Only God knows when those Goals are finished but His Word tells us how to get there.

We has Christians have to encourage and lift up each other. We have to encourage others to live out there Goals For God! We have help people get on the right path. What saddens my heart is that non believers can out live guys like Bob. Bob who has a heart to serve, and wants to continue to save people are taken back home. While non believers keep denying God. I believe that's because God is still hoping that they will also accomplish there Goals. God is full of mercy and grace. God would like to see everyone saved. I believe that's why I haven't gone yet because my purpose, my Goals for God have not been fulfilled. To people reading this please life is to short to let your Goals be put aside. Make your Goals for God your top priority and do everything you can for fulfill them. You might be sitting there thinking what are my Goals for God...Read the Word and your life will have purpose. It will have meaning! Your Goals will come before you and when they do. Be prepared to do what God has you do. Whether you try to save your family member...or if your praying for a whole community. Don't wait till somebody needs your help because there are people that always need somebody. Be that SOMEBODY!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

P.S. This blog is dedicated to Bob Elliff. Your life is a great example of Goals For God!!

Pretend!

This past Halloween I put on a costume from movie that my kids like watching. My 1 year old didn't know it was me underneath the mask. So I took off the mask to show her but, She was scared when I put the mask on even though she knew it was her daddy. There are a lot of times that Christians pretend to be something else. They go to Church wearing masks and put on a costume. They look like Christians, worship like Christians, but when they leave Church, they forget all about Christ. Believe me I'm been there! When I was younger I would go to Church every week and I would be worshipping and saying Amen. But as soon as Church was over I would remove my tie and put my Bible away till next week. Church was a chore for me instead of being a blessing. You know that there are places where they don't allow you to praise God and worship Him. Here in America we have the freedom to choose when and where to worship God. The Bible says blessed are those who seek God with there whole heart. Be like Jesus! The non believers who are in constant sin have more hope than you as a Christian if you pretend. The reason is because the Non Believer who sin really don't realize that they live in sin. They don't have Godly eyes to see what there doing is wrong...So there is hope for them if they accept God and be transformed. But PRETENDERS! already know the difference and still choose to live the way they want. It's sad to say but God really dislikes those people a lot. They are called hypocrites and have no place in the Kingdom.

I understand that this article might be a little harsh but I can't ignore this very important subject. PRETENDING is not the same as making a mistakes. Christians make mistakes all the time. That's what helps us grow. I am talking about going to Church every Sunday but yet, still living your BC lifestyle. Before Christ lifestyle! Be true to God and to yourself. Like our Pastor said when you write your book and present it to God. You want to be sure that God is going to open it and say WELCOME HOME GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. A sin is a sin no matter what kind it is...but the worse kind of sin is knowing that it's wrong but you still do it anyways. That just shows that Jesus doesn't live in your heart and your only pretending to be Christian. Again it's okay to make a mistake or falter from time to time. But it's not okay to falter every time! God is great but He's not dumb. He knows who PRETENDS and who seeks him earnestly. Life is full of smiles and second chances. Don't miss out to be real for God! Don't give up your spot in Heaven and just be yourself...remember take off your mask! DON'T BE A PRETENDER...BE A CONTENDER FOR THE KING!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Can you Walk the Walk?

I remember my coach saying when I was younger "Anybody can talk, but you need to Walk the Walk" This expression is known by everyone and there are many forms you can say it that mean the same thing. Like don't write a check that your butt can't cash. What this expression tells us is that anybody can say there millionaires but not everyone is. If you say you want to buy a new car, then you need to put the work in to get that new car. As Christians the expression also applies to our lives. God set the perfect example. God talked the talk...and then He send Jesus to Walk the Walk. Every time God said something He backed it up. That's why it's so great to serve Him because you know when He makes a promise. He intends on keeping it. It's one thing for us to say that were Christian but it's something different to lead a Christian life. If your talking to someone about Jesus but yet your actions are not Jesus like. Meaning you don't live or act like a Christian. Nobody is going to believe you and credibility is what makes you walk the walk. Jesus said to follow me...imagine if Jesus would hang out at a bar or lie about things. Nobody would want to follow Him. But, Jesus lived a perfect life He was able to walk the walk. Now I'm not saying live a perfect life but I am saying Live like Jesus. There was an expression that helps rather nicely here. What would Jesus do? Live your life always asking that question at every crossroad and I believe you'll be fine.

There is a Bible verse that scares me a little though. Jesus says not everyone that says Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom. Jesus, Himself is saying you can't just talk the talk, you have to Walk the Walk. See I can go up to someone and say God loves you but if I don't really believe it or model my life after that...then it's all for nothing. You see you have to know that God love you and that God loves everyone. You have to see what God has done in your life and the blessings you have received. So then you can show everyone else what God can do in there lives and the rewards they can receive. Everyone can I say I love you, but the real work is proving to them that you love them. Showing them how much you really care. Jesus said you have to confess with you mouth that He is Lord. Everyone can do that right! Jesus knew this and that is why He also said and believe in your Heart that I am Lord and you will be saved. It's very easy to say Jesus is Lord...I can walk up to any random person and ask them to say Jesus is Lord and they have no problem saying it. But to stop them from looking at porn, getting drunk, doing drugs, lying, sleeping around, and things like that is something else. See people need a reason to continue to live the way they do. Without any guilt or shame. If God isn't real, they have no reason to stop living that way. Jesus said if you want to follow me then take up your cross daily!! God doesn't expect you to go out and save the world like Jesus. But He does expect you to live like Jesus. Everyone can talk the talk...BUT CAN YOU WALK THE WALK?

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Stand Out

Back when I was in High School there was a word that was used to describe people who excelled at academics or sports. In a class that had 30 students if 1 person was able to do really well on a certain subject they were a Stand out! Same thing in sports if one person was faster, stronger, or more agile then that person was a Stand Out! Colleges love people who stand out because then that means the school will stand out. It's the reason athletes make so much. Because they are able to excel at the sport better than most people. Same word applies to God's children. We as Christians are chosen because we have the potential to Stand Out! Now your thinking but how do I have the power to excel at being Christian? The key word is found in the word Christian. Christ gives you the power to excel. There are a lot of people that need healing not just there bodies but there spirits also. Christ came to heal the world...We as Christians have that same power. We are able to heal and bless but some of us lack the faith or the courage to do that. How many of us have seen a homeless man that looks down on is luck and instead of praying with him. We just give him some money and walk away. I know because I have done that. By doing that am I not doing what everybody else does. To Stand Out is to really try to impact this persons life. Tell them about God, pray for them, and give them encouragement.

In the movie Troy with Brad Pitt. A young boy tells Brad Pitts character I wouldn't want to fight the man they want you to face. Brad Pitt looks at the boy and says that's why nobody will remember your name. Two things jump out at me from this one line. One is Fight for God! With all this talk about Darwin and evolution. Fight for God, Fight for what you believe in, Fight the devil and all his ways, but especially Fight for the people that don't know God. Fight for there salvation. The more we can Stand Out the more people we can save. Number 2 is do something so God remembers your name. It's great to get recognition here on Earth but it's so much better to know that God loves you to Stand Out for Him. Jesus Stood Out but yet people rather believe in evolution then the one living God. Now I don't want anybody thinking that they have to stand on street corners and preach in order to Stand Out. Not at all! One of my favorite quotes is Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words. What does that mean is just LOVE. Love God, Love yourself, Love your neighbor, and Love people. Love is showing not saying. Stand Out today by doing something nice for someone you don't know. The world is not getting any easier for Christians so if you can STAND UP for God then you'll definitely STAND OUT!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Sow My Lips!

Yesterday I started thinking how awesome our God is. When God created us, He did it with a purpose. We were created so perfectly or were we? I heard a story yesterday about someone using something God gave them in a wrong way and I started thinking. I stood in front of a mirror and I was looking at God's creation and I said wait a minute. Something seems out of place. Something doesn't seem right and I wondered why God would do that. As I looked, I saw everything I had came in pairs. I had two ears, two eyes, one nose but with two nostrils, two arms, two hands, two legs, and many more. I then realized why then do I only have one mouth. Did my super powerful God...The one that gives light to the world make a mistake. Did He just get so tired from creating that He was like oh well the people look fine with just one mouth? From my walk with the Lord everything that I've come to know is that God doesn't make mistakes. He gave us one mouth on purpose. As I looked in the mirror some more and saw all the pairs...I wondered why God gave us one mouth on purpose.

God knows what He is doing. He leaves nothing left to doubt. In His word there are many verses letting us know why we have only one mouth like in Psalms and Proverbs. I'm going to break it down why God did this. It's actually pretty simple. I have never met anyone who always said the right things. Everyone at some point in time or another has hurt someone using their mouth or has hurt themselves. With one mouth it's so easy to lie, imagine if we had two. Lies would be everywhere. With our mouths we have the power to destroy with words of discouragement, criticism, and gossip. But God knew this and in so He gave you one mouth. God knows everything, so He also gave you something else that does not come in a pair. Your heart! If you put your heart and your mouth together you can create beauty. God knew that one heart meant one love and one mouth meant one voice. Use your love and your voice to help others. We have two ears so we can hear heartache. We have two eyes so we can see right and wrong. We have two arms so we can embrace unity. We have two legs to stomp on injustice. Yet, we have but one heart to love the world and one voice to try and save it. There are times where I need God to Sow My Lips but I know that God gave me one mouth for a reason. To anybody reading this, LET GOD USE YOUR VOICE TO SAVE THE WORLD!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

To Clean or not to Clean

Every day in America people clean there houses. Usually Monday through Thursday you'll find me cleaning my house. Since my wife goes to school at night during this time It's my duty to keep our house clean. There are times where I just get really exhausted and I don't feel like cleaning. There are times where I clean really good but the kids make a mess all over again. But my favorite is there are times were I just don't want to clean and my house looks like it was hit by a hurricane. The reason I am bringing up cleaning is because that is essentially what we must do as Christians. In order to stay on the path of righteousness we have to be constantly cleaning our mind, body, and spirit. There are times in our lives we should be praying more or reading the Bible more and we don't. You see if I don't pick up my house daily, My kids will make a mess not purposely but it will get messy. In our lives if we don't ask God to cleanse us daily, the devil will start to come in and make a mess...but he does do it purposely. Just like cleaning our house, it's a duty that needs to get done. So we as Christians cleaning our lives daily is something that needs to be done. I remember when I accepted Jesus, I thought to myself cool I don't have to worry about my life anymore. Meaning I thought I was completely healed of my addiction. I thought because I accepted I would be transformed never to worry about it again. How wrong I was. You see when you accept Jesus, He does transform you BUT you have to do your part. You have to be dedicated and make a commitment to clean every day.

Sometimes I look at my house and be like not again when is the cleaning part ever going to end. I look at myself and I say the same thing. When am I going to be sin free? The truth is our flesh is weak. It will always need to be cleaned and there are times were we will get exhausted and not want to clean today. Remember everyday that you don't clean your heart and spirit. Is a day the devil has the chance to attack. Everyday you get tired and worn out to be in prayer, spend time with God and cleanse your spirit. Your inviting the devil into your life. The devil has been around since the very beginning. He knows everything about humans. He knows our weakness better than we do. He knows how to get us dirty and keep us dirty. He knows how to put dirt in our lives and he also knows that sometimes we will falter in cleaning it up. This is what I love though and what gives me strength and hope. When I clean my house I love the feeling of everything being clean. I take pride in knowing that my house looks nice. I can relaxing knowing that everything is taken care of. The same works with God. When you spend time with Him and He is able to help you clean. You will love the feeling of being free. You love the feeling of not being ashamed. You can relax knowing that God is in control and the devil with all his tricks will never dirty you. God promises that with the blood of Jesus you will be clean! Everyday I get faced with the decsion to Clean or not to Clean? The answer is simple give me my God, His Word, the broom, and the vacuum and I will always choose to stay clean and righteous.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

People Mover

I remember when I was a kid a ride at Disneyland called the People Mover. It was simple all it did was move people around. In a sense that is what God requires of us to be, people movers. Every one of us has the ability to change somebody's path. God wants us to change people from self to God, if He didn't then we would all be isolated. Like my Pastor said we all have divine appointments. I had one yesterday that I honestly didn't meet. I went to get food last night and the guy taking my order had a disability. It seemed that he had trouble walking and I felt a tug on my heart to tell this guy Jesus can heal his disability. I felt that if I just put hands on him and pray that God would fix him. But I didn't! My heart was ready to just do it...but the more I thought about it...the more my mind came into play. I started telling myself do I have that much faith that I can heal this person with God's help. What if the guy really believed and nothing happens...he's going to get mad at me. Also there were a lot of people around. I missed it. I missed my chance to be a good Samaritan. When I was leaving and got in my car I felt so guilty that I had the chance to be a People Mover and yet I didn't even move. Imagine if this guy was completley healed and could now walk properly or better yet run. His life would've have been changed and I believe he would've been a great witness.

My heart felt so sad because I didn't do anything but when I got home the Lord spoke to me through my 9 year old son. I explained what had happened to my wife and my son. Then my son said something that 9 year old don't usually say. He said maybe God was showing you how blessed you are. I said what do you mean, my son said well there is that story about the guy who always complained about his shoes until he met a man that had no feet. My son said maybe God wanted you to see how blessed you are. It was so great to know that even if you miss a divine appointment God still shows you how blessed you are. Yes I didn't help that man at that moment but that doesn't mean I can't pray for him. It doesn't mean that I will never see him again or have another chance to help someone else. With this story I want to make 3 points. Number 1 is that don't be afraid when you have divine appointment. Don't lack the faith or strength to help you do what is right. Remember the Bible says the Holy Spirit will always direct in what to say and what to do. Just have trust. Number 2 if you do miss an appointment don't feel guilty or put your head down. God still loves you and He knows your heart. Everyone falters just don't give up and know that you are blessed. Number 3 is let God make you a People Mover...Let God move in your life and then you'll be able to move in others. Remember it's okay to miss an appointment but don't miss your chance to make up for it. Be a People Mover not a Slow Poke!!

Yeus Gitano,

Carlos

Artificial

In a world where everything seems to be more and more fake. Where you can visit a surgeon and alter your appearance. A world where men can alter animals, plants and food. God is the most realest thing around. God who is an invisible God but yet you can feel. People deny God because they don't believe He exists. Since they can't see him they chose to believe He is not there. Which really confuses me because there are people that lie about who they are and what they do. But yet people believe them right. I mean I can tell people about God and they would be like well where is He? I don't see him. But yet I can tell the same people that I graduated from this college and they would believe me. Even though I never even been or seen that college. These people have never seen me go to college so what is the difference of them believing that, then believing in God. Not that I've ever told anyone that I graduated from college but still God shows proof of His existence. He performs miracles daily...He shows you He was there in the beginning and He'll be there in the end.

One thing that I really dislike is when people say Thank God without really thanking God from there hearts. They say it like an expression they heard when they were younger. An expression that there parents or grandparents used to say. An example of this is someone who is on the phone for a long time and just wants to end the call and finally when they hang up they say Thank God. It bothers me because it has nothing to do with God and they believe in God but they don't believe in Jesus. It seems fake to me because instead of thanking God for what you have in your life...your thanking Him because a phone call ended. It's frustrating to me because people just don't understand. They don't get it! In an Artificial world we live in. People need to realize how important having God in your life really is. We as Christians need to let everyone know how real God and Jesus are. Especially since we are coming close to the end of days it's imperative that we spread the gospel. Artificial also means man made which has me thinking people praise Artificial things especially if they benefit man kind...which is okay but people really need to praise the Creator of Man!! I thank God everyday not for a phone call that ended but because I have life. I get to wake up today and see the beauty of His creations. I get to spend time with His people. I get the chance to praise Him and Worship Him and there is nothing ARTIFICIAL ABOUT THAT!!

Yesus Gitano

Carlos

Crossroads

There are times where we end up at a Crossroad in our life and a decision needs to be made. Sometimes the decisions are easy and other times they are very hard which brings along stress. This morning God spoke to me about this and He told that even if I'm wrong He'll be with me. These past couple of months I have been wrong a lot. I have been making the wrong decisions. I have been standing at the Crossroad and not letting God help me decide which way to go. The dictionary defines Crossroad as a crucial point where a decision needs to be made. As for me missing Church, not praying enough, not reading enough, not spending enough time with my kids. These are all crucial things that I have missed because I made the wrong decision. God told me this morning that even if I'm wrong, He'll stand by me. It was a song on the radio but it spoke true to my heart. I have been wrong and missing my daily meetings with my Heavenly Father but yet, He loves me still and if you listen closely He still says I'm here! What a great God we have. To everybody reading this I want to encourage you when you are stuck at a Crossroad...and believe me I know every single person has them. Let God be God. Trust Him to do His thing. There is a word that I have learned over the years that applies nicely to when your stuck at a Crossroad. The word is Wishy Washy!! Well it's two words...and they might not be words after all...Oh and yes it took me years to learn these words. Lol! So these words mean that you can't have doubt. If you come to a crossroad and God tells you to go down this path. Even though at that time the path doesn't look right. You can't have doubt. You need to trust the Lord with all your heart.

There is a story of a lady who became the head of a non profit organization to help the homeless. She is also the CEO of two other organizations one to help feed the homeless and the other to help get there lives back on track. Before she had all these titles she herself was homeless. At that moment she could of cursed God for becoming homeless. Here is a person that is now living on the streets not knowing what's going to happen...but she came to a Crossroad where she decided to trust God. You see the path you take might not look enticing or right but in God's eyes everything He does is with purpose. God opened doors for her and because she wasn't Wishy Washy her life was turned around and now she is able to help others that are homeless. I just want people to know whether your at the top or the bottom life will give you difficult decisions to make. Make sure that God is involved...Make sure that not only is God involved let Him lead. Remember life is not a sprint it's a marathon. So while your running you may not see the finish line but believe me when I say that when you reach it. It will be worth it. Crossroads are put in our lives because that is what life is, Choice!! We all have the chance to chose which path to take. Remember it's okay if you chose the wrong way...God is always with you to help you find your way back. Don't be afraid to ask for His help if you get lost. God will always STAND BY YOU!

Yesus Gitano

Carlos

The Fallen!

How many people have fallen? How many times have I fallen? It's hard for me to grasp the reality we live in. Our nature is sin...our very being has evil in it. Evil runs through our veins and the devil is always trying to pump more darkness into you. I never met a person who was not angry in there lives. People love sin! My pastor once told me that sin is pleasurable other wise nobody would fall to it. My heart requires goodness yet my life sometimes has anger and selfishness. Why? The one reason that I came up with is because I fail. We all fail!! No one person in this world can conquer sin by themselves. Here in America we walk around like facades...to everybody we know life is so great. But behind the scenes there are battles within ourselves. Battles that make us warriors or cowards. Our hearts desire peace and yet houses across America are filled with domestic warfare. There are more than 6 billion people in the world today. I have to wonder how many of those are fallen. I have to think that not all 6 billion plus will be saved and it breaks my heart. What's worse than that is for the people that are going to be saved or trying to be saved. That's where the devil attacks the most. When you are part of the world...you are part of the devil's alliance. So there is no need for him to bother you. But when you become Christian as soon as you say yes to Jesus. Your name just went up on the devils most wanted list and the more you glorify God. The more your name gets hated by the devil.

I fail over and over because I try to beat sin on my own. I prostitute God's love because I choose to say when I need him and when I don't. I am unworthy because I use God. This is why the world fails and why so many have fallen. They build them selves up so much that they can't be humble. You can have everything yet still have nothing. Because you don't see the value of God and you don't see what your worth. God values each and everyone of us so much that He is willing to offer you grace. What I come to love about God is that He is your friend for life. He wants only the best for you. He doesn't care that you fail...He cares that you learn. He understands the devils ways and He does everything He can to equip you for the battles. Believe me nowhere does God say you will never fight. I believe you fight only to build up the courage to better resist the devil. We are labeled The Fallen only because we were born into sin and sin is what continues to keep us from God.

The word redeem means to buy back or repurchase. We were once God's people before sin...then we changed ownership because the devil likes that we sin against God. Walk with your head held high because God has redeemed His people. He loved you and I so much that He was willing to buy us back. Live with God in your heart and walk with Him and you will no longer be fallen but LIFTED UP!

Yesus Gitano!

Carlos

Is God Listening?

I thought about this last night and I just had to ask. Is God Listening? I mean it is an honest question especially when the world is the way it is. People losing jobs, losing finances, people even losing there lives. Did you know that 153,000 people die a day. That is roughly 6,300 per hour or even 105 per minute more or less. Still that is a lot of people dying every day. So the question still remains Is God Listening? God is who all powerful and mighty. The one that in an instant can snap His finger and the world can be made better. As I thought about this question and about all the tragedy and things happening in the world. In what I know about God in the short period I've been learning. I came to this answer that is also a question. The answer was Are We Listening? Are We Listening? The way to better explain this is to think of our lives like a movie. God is the director, the producer, and the writer. We as actors need to do our part in the movie. God as the writer gives us a script...we'll call the script The Bible. In the script it explains to us what are our parts in the movie. It tells us our lines, it tell us how to be, and it actually tells us everything we need to know. So we have our script. Now God the producer creates the scenery for us and also creates the scenarios. But He says whenever you come to a part in the movie where the scene changes right away or things are getting a bit crazy...stick to the script. Now God the director says all you have to do is listen to me, whatever I instruct you to do in the movie do it and you'll be rewarded. God the director gives us instructions to follow and that's it. Simple right! There you have it. You have your script, your scene, and you have the director helping all the way. So Are We Listening? I mean you have everything you need to make your movie great but yet we as actors decide we want to do things our way.

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 It's one of the most poplar verses in your script but so hard to read. There are two kind of people in the world from my point of view. People that live there lives right and people that live there lives right now. People that live there lives right are the people reading off there script. They are the ones trying to follow the director's instructions. They want there movie to mean something, have a purpose. The people that live for right now. They don't read off there script, they don't follow God's ways, and there only care is I Don't Care!! They don't care about security for the future. They don't see past the trials and tribulations. They only live for right now. Out of the statistics I gave you for the amount of people dying every day. The people that live by the script. There hard work, there sacrifice will be rewarded. For the people that don't care they have no reward and for lack of a better word there movies tank. But here is the great news until you die your movie is not yet finished. So I encourage everyone...read your script, live your movie, but above all Listen to God. For those that know of people that don't care...don't give up. Keep trying...and Is God Listening? God is doing more than listening, He's helping you create your movie. The real question is ARE YOU LISTENING?

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Am I Weird?

There are times where I do something or eat something and my wife says to me. Your weird!! I started thinking why am I weird? If you have 5 people that watch only movies and 5 people that listen only to the radio. Which ones are the ones that are weird and which are normal? What are the standards by which we are to live normal? What is normal? God created everyone of us differently. No two people on this planet are alike. Not even twins...yes they may look alike but they are different in some way. So wouldn't all of us be weird? I mean if we are all created differently then that makes us all weirdos...lol. Especially us being Christians if the outside world would go to our service and see us worshipping they would be like man those guys are weird. I had the same feeling when I recently went to Africa. I saw the people there worshipping and I thought to myself these guys worship weird. But yet what is the standard for normal? So I decided to look up weird in the dictionary...here is the meaning it says of strange or extraordinary character. Gee that helped...what I'm not getting is who is it strange to? My pastor doesn't have a t.v. in his house...90% of the United States has a t.v. in there house. Does that make him weird? Or is he normal and 90% of America is weird? I'm mean there really isn't any drawbacks from not having a t.v. His electric bill is lowered because of it, He is not manipulated by the worlds views shown on the t.v., he doesn't waste away sitting in front of it, and lives a healthier lifestyle. That doesn't sound weird to me and actually sounds like common sense in which would imply normalness to me. So I came to this thought...If I was brought up in a world where I drank only water all my life and then all of the sudden realized that there is apple juice or soda that I can drink also...I would view the juice and soda as being weird. Why because growing up all I knew was water. So I think the world is confused on what is normal. Here is what I know normal to be.

With the world changing, people changing there is only one constant that stays the same. God!! God will never change and God set the standard for normal. God created you to be you! That's normal. Don't be anything else then what God wants you to be. If you like eating mayo on your tortillas then do that. Everyone is different and that's what makes you normal. My wife is total opposite of me and I love that.. That doesn't make her weird that makes her unique and that's what life is all about. Our uniqueness is what makes us normal. The world is using the wrong standard to view people and so this is where the word weird comes into play. First off only God judges so regardless if people do different things...we are all the same. Secondly it is our nature to view people and assess them...doesn't matter who you are you will always look at someone and think to yourself normal or weird. Although, it is our nature to do that you have to use the only standard needed to view. GOD'S EYES!! View people through His eyes and you will not see normal or weird...you will see brother or sister. So the question was Am I Weird? The answer is I was born weird but that's what makes me normal!!

May God Bless You and Keep You Safe

Yesus Gitano!

Carlos

Pass Away

It's a known fact that life passes away. Everyone you love will pass away...Everything you touch will pass away. Flowers, people, animals, cars, money...Everything in this world dies sooner or later and that brings me down. The reason why it brings me down is because if life passes away without full filing it's purpose then it's just a wasted life. I get up every morning come to work, put in my 8 hours then go home and spend time with my kids every day. Am I fulfilling my purpose or just taking up space? Someone told me today that the world is going to end and they said in 2012. I don't doubt this world will end but what brought me down about this person's statement was that they said they are going to get really drunk that day so they don't have to feel any pain from it. Is this the solution? To drown our pain away or future pain. Is society that lost it's much better to hide your pain then to find a solution? Alcohol and drugs hide your pain but for how long? In a lot of cases it actually makes the pain worse. I saw a movie this past weekend with my wife Sunshine Cleaning. It was a movie in which the main characters clean up a crime scene in which people kill themselves. It was disturbing because I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to kill themselves. By doing that your playing God and taking away the precious gift that has been given to you. I wake up in the morning and my life may not be that exciting but I'm happy that I have life. I can breathe, laugh, smile and enjoy. Yes circumstances cause stress and heartache and can be very hard but not hard enough to end life. Yes I'm sad because people don't see the joy of life. What can I do to help people see that? What can I say to make people see that there life doesn't have to be wasted?

In life everybody has a choice...everybody has a solution. Everybody has a way out from there troubles. Remember I'm saying everybody has a way out...in no way I'm saying you will be free from trouble. In fact when the world ends there will be more heartache and sorrow you will have to endure. I have sorrow because I have to realize that I can't save everyone. Please God give me the strength and the words needed to help as many people as I can. God is your answer. Always was, always will be. He is the First and Last. God knows everything about me and He knows everything about you. When life passes away... always stay focused on Him. Don't let anger, confusion, drugs, alcohol, and especially the Devil take your pain away. Let God heal your sorrows. Let God take you under his wing and protect you. His promise is that He will never give you more than you can bear. But the problem with that is that if your a really strong person you will have a lot to bear. Just stay strong!! Do not break!! Do not give in!! Evil is a very strong word but it's very easy to succumb to. God is good!! Trust God in everything. One day your life will cease to exist...don't wait for tomorrow when you can save someone today! Live for God.

May God Bless You

Carlos

When it Rains It Pours!!

So I'm sitting at my desk today after a weekend that was really difficult for me. As stated in my previous blog me and the family were looking for a house. We had to be out of our present home by 9/18. Me and my wife prayed all week as well as others also. So the Lord heard our prayer and we found a house on 9/17 a day before we had to move out...talk about cutting it close. I took the day off on 9/18 so that way I would be able to move out of the house. Well I was on my way to the bank around 7am and I get pulled over by the police. They ask for my liescence and go back to there car and I was like man I do not need this right now. I just moved into a new house and now I will have to pay a ticket. The officer comes back to my car and asks me to step out and takes me to the back of the car. I ask him what's going on and he instructed me to turn around and was placing me under arrest. I'm a pretty good guy, I don't drink or smoke. Never did any drugs, work hard during the week and you can find me in Church Sunday morning. So what possibly can this officer be arresting me for. Well it turns out there is an arrest warrant for me. Me!! Can you believe that..well I couldn't. Oh it gets better the arrest warrant is for 26,000 dollars. American Dollars!! I looked at the officer and said is this a joke maybe this was a new t.v. show or something and I was getting pranked. But sadly the officer said this wasn't a joke. So there I am for roughly 4 hours sitting in Jail. Not knowing what is going to happen just praying and praying.

See what I've come to learn in my walk with the Lord is that struggles and heartache come in bunches. The devil will seek to destroy you when you are at your weakest. One things goes wrong and your faith can get you through it...but when you have 3 or 4 or 5 things go wrong then your faith is really tested. The devil made it really hard for me this past week. He took away my house, He took away my car, he took away my freedom by putting me in jail. But he didn't take away my FAITH, he didn't take my LOVE, he didn't take away my TRUST, he didn't take away my STRENGTH, and he didn't take away my HOPE. You take all the material possessions away from me and you can even take away my freedom. But my faithfulness and my love to my Father, My Savior will never be taken from me. Life will be stressful and full of pain and hurt. But as long as you have hope you will always have life, joy, and happiness. Pain and hurt are always temporary. But the love from the father is forever. Your happiness will outlive your sorrow. The devil tested me but God gave me. God gave me back a house, my car and my freedom. God has blessed me more than I can ever imagine and forever will I be grateful. God not only gave me a house here on Earth but a house in His Kingdom. Not only do I have my car back but God gave me His son so I can take the road to Heaven. I am happy to be out of Jail I would hate to be there again but God gave me freedom from bondage physically but also spiritually. I am a free man with my x ray glasses(thanks Larry) to see my life the way God wants me to see it. No longer being ashamed of sin but being free from it. Thank you everyone who prayed for my housing situation. I ask God to bless each and everyone of you.

810

May God Bless you and Keep you safe

Carlos

Trust

Trust is a hard word because you are relying on something to happen not knowing if it's going to happen or not. My situation right now has me looking for God and trusting Him to help me. You see my life was great about a month ago but right now it's not so great. I had planned to move my family out of our present house with another house lined up...but the lining up part fell through so in a couple of days my family and I will not have a place to live. This is where the Trust part comes in rather nicely. I Trust in God to make things happen but I have to take the practical steps in order for God to move. I can't just say okay God I have no place to live and I'm just going to sit here waiting for you to give me a house. Doesn't work that way...I mean God is almighty and powerful that if He wanted to He can do that no problem...but what lesson would I learn. That when I'm stuck God can bail me out without me doing anything. Sounds great but no! I understand God is the creator of the universe but He is still my Father. As a Father he wants us to learn from our situation. In life the only way you can grow and move forward is by learning. As I get older everyday I am constantly learning. As Christians as we travel on our road to Heaven we will falter and make mistakes. But we learn...well for some of us...it takes a while of doing the same mistake over and over for us to say wait a second.

Right now I am putting all my faith and Trust in God because only He knows the best road for me to take. I trust in Him because only He knows the best way for my family to travel. Whether or not I get a house in a couple of days or have to live out of a hotel room. That does not change how I feel about God at all. I can never question God's will for my life. I may not understand it...It may frustrate me at times but I know deep down in my heart whatever He plans for me it's to better me as a Christian and as His son. Of course I would love for my life to be all peaches and cream but every Christian knows that sometimes life gives you a heartache and stress. But just take a second and imagine if life was always so grand and perfect. What need would there be for God. None right! So no I rather have the heartache and stress till He calls me home and I get to have a beautiful house right next to a river and live rent free for the rest of my eternity and have Jesus Christ or Paul as a neighbor. How cool is that? Of course my house would probably be small compared to Jesus's house but none the less I would love for God to be my landlord. I'm stressing right now because of my housing situation not for myself but for my family. But the big picture is that there are people dying of thirst, of persecution, people not having any jobs so in comparison my problem is not as great as others. My trust in my Lord is great not only for a house but just in my every day life. Every blessing I have is because of Him. One of the first lessons in learning how to Trust is you have to learn how to let go. Let go of your worries and your stress and let God be Jehovah Jireh.

May God Bless you and Keep you safe

810

Carlos

GOD'S WILL

IT IS BETTER, IF IT IS GOD’S WILL, TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD THAN DOING EVIL. 1 PETER 3:17


Wow it's been so long since I've been on here. I hear so many non believers use this term a lot without knowing the meaning behind it. Things like a baby is born without an arm…was that God’s will. Or a fire destroyed my home was that God’s will for me to be homeless. First off let me just say this God created us. And being his creation who are we to question anything he does. He could’ve destroyed us at any given moment because we disobeyed him. We chose to sin against him and because he loved us he sent his only Son to die for our sins. So honestly whatever God wants to do is okay by me. Secondly everybody has a purpose in life. We are designed for a reason. God plans everything out…things you might not understand or might not see at the moment but they are made with a direction.

I spoke to a lady once and she told me that she had a son who was born with a lung problem. He had to be on a respirator since he was born…she prayed to God everyday to heal her baby. After a couple of weeks the baby passed away. Now here is the question did God heal her baby? The outside world would say no. That God let the baby die…I believe not only did God answer her prayer. He healed her baby. He took the baby to be in Heaven with him where the baby will not suffer anymore. She asked for him to heal the baby and that’s what he did. She realized that God had done exactly what she asked for and praised him for it. A year later she had a beautiful healthy baby. Was God testing her faith? I believe so. I believe God wanted to see what would she do…and I think this is where our society loses. Our society is so easy to point fingers without fully understanding why. It is so easy to blame without taking a step back and seeing the whole picture. Most people can only see what’s in front of them. If I ask God make my life better and I get fired from my job. Am I asking for that? Not really but I understand because God knows that if I search for him he will provide. What better way of providing when I need it the most right. I think losing a job would be a perfect time. Or if someone would lose a house or a friend. There are many questions in life that have no answers and if I were, or anybody for that matter was able to answer them all. Then the God of Israel wouldn’t be almighty. The God who I praise and worship wouldn’t be so great. That is one of things I look forward to when I get to Heaven is being able to ask questions, but not now. Who am I to go against God’s will? Who am I to say why God this or why God that? I am a humble servant that needs nothing but grace and gives everything to him.

I understand what God’s will is. I know what his plan is. Is God’s will easy? That is the million dollar question and why so many get lost in the trials. 2 TIMOTHY 3:12 YES, AND ALL WHO DESIRE TO LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION. I believe this is one of the main reasons why people falter. They don’t know how to rejoice during persecution. Persecution is not easy thing to handle. I remember when I was trying to reach people and over 90% of the people I tried reaching hated Jesus and we’re telling me really rude comments. This was a person who they never met, never did anything to them and they hated him. They hated me for trying to change there life. I found it disturbing that what I was trying to do God’s will and they despised me for it. In society a lot of people get judged because they don’t understand. I think Christians everyday get viewed under a microscope. People are looking for any reason to point fingers because they need a reason to continue to live the way they want. You see if you tell them the truth and they don’t want to hear it they try to find a fault or more simply an escape. Jesus said if you want to be like me then take up your cross and follow me daily. Being Christian is very hard. Believe me the more you try to reach the non believers the more they try to nail you to that cross. Jesus also said that when the world hates you…they have hated me first. So I know that if someone is rude to me. It’s okay because they just don’t understand. We as believers trust in God to give us the strength and wisdom needed to help people understand. God’s will is never easy to do and sometimes very hard to understand because people get comfortable with there lives or don’t see the big picture.

But one thing I do know about God’s will is that we were designed to live it out.


May God Bless You
Carlos

Struggle

Finally my heart is complete again. My wife is finally home from her vacation with her family. It was a long time that we were apart but I'm so happy and glad she is home. It was a struggle at times because I tried to do things by myself. I was getting stressed out, losing patience at times and just getting angry...but it made me realize that what I should've been doing was asking God for strength and peace. I shouldv'e been praying more and studying the Word more. You see God is always there for you and He actually wants you to look to Him. Many times we as Christians forget that and try to do things by ourselves. Well I know I have. There are times where I feel that God is the creator and is to be praised and glorified for what I have and it's true but I have to remember that God is my friend also and He wants me to ask for help. Not only when circumstances are beyond your control but also when you have some bit of control. No matter how big or small the problem is He's your father who expects his children to have times of great struggle and that's where God really shines. That's when He's at his best. When He is able to prove to you that your not alone or there isn't anything He can't do if you believe. I'm reminded of the story of a lady in the Bible that had so much faith that she thought if she only can touch Jesus clothes He would help her. And that's exactly what He did. I believe that everybody has the faith to move mountains but they lack the vision to see it happen. What that means is each one of us has the power to do great things but at the same time we ourselves are the ones that hold back our potential. Why?



Well I can think of two reasons...the first is because we do not look to God enough. We don't know how to rejoice in the trials and tribulations because we are focused on ourselves rather than God. We look at the problems rather than the possibilities, we look at the troubles rather then the outcomes, but most importantly we keep our eyes on the dark rather than the light. It is very easy to step in a hole, stay in a hole and wonder why your still in the hole. We all step in holes I don't care who you are...it's going to happen. What you have to do is evaluate the hole and then ask God to help you and have faith knowing that God is going to get you out. That is the only way you will move that mountain. You have to stay focused on God and keep believing don't doubt not for one second. The second reason is simply the devil. The devil is a mastermind at confusing people. You can stand in front of that mountain have the faith to see it move but then the devil will come along and say "Mountain? Ha you can't even move this pebble" See the devil likes to trick and confuse you because once he knows he can confuse you then the better he will be at directing you away from God. You need to constantly ask the Holy Spirit to guard your mind. I have struggles and I falter just like anybody else but at the end of the day I still believe with God's help I can move that mountain.

810

May God Bless You and keep you safe.

Carlos