God's Word - Alive & Powerful

Hebrews 4:12

 ¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 

Throughout history the Holy Spirit has shared the wisdom of God with mankind through the Word.  We believe whole heartedly that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.  We believe that if you obey His Word it will penetrate deep within your mind, soul, and spirit to transform you.  In Psalm 119, the Psalmist refers to God's Word as able to keep our way pure (v. 9), preserve our life (v. 25), strengthen us (v. 28), make us wiser than our enemies (v. 98), light our path (v. 105).  These are just a few examples listed by the Psalmist.  If you believe, trust, and obey God, He will truly transform you by His Word today.

Have a great day!  God bless you.  

Louis & Elisa Quintana  

Yield Eternal Results

Titus 3:4-7

 ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

One of our favorite things to watch on T.V. is someone undergoing an extreme fashion makeover.  What a joy to watch these individuals get excited about their new look.  Seeing the before and after pictures is sometimes awe inspiring.  What an awesome transformation on the outside that takes place.  Unfortunately, nothing an individual does on the outside to improve their physical appearance has an eternal effect.  Only the awesome spiritual transformation that occurs inside a persons heart and mind when they give their life to Christ yields eternal results.

Yield eternal results by living out Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Changed Into His Glorious Image

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Everyone has a story.  What's your story?  Who are you? Where do you come from?  What life events have framed your world?  How did you get to where you are today?

Chances are, the condition your life is in now may not have happened overnight.  Many of us are on the road we are on due to choices and decisions we have made along life's journey.  Some good, some bad but mostly happening over time.  Ever have those thoughts within your own mind before and after you do something.  You might say, "I'm so glad I made that choice/decision," or "Why did I just do that?"  The truth is, even if you have given your life to Christ, you are going to have to make choices and decisions everyday that will lead you to victory or to defeat.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 it says, "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."  Being "changed into his glorious image" is a process.  God can bring instant victory into someone's life if He chooses, however, more times than not, there is no accelerated path to change.  The path to change requires hard work through obedience, discipline, dying to self, and a whole lot of faith.  When you stay on this path the fruit of a Godly character and a clear conscious is a reward worth living for.

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Where Do You Stay?

John 15:1-4

¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Growing up in California we thought everyone in Texas spoke with that famous Texas drawl we saw depicted in the movies.  To our surprise we found that most Texans our age don't have an accent at all.  There are definitely different words and expressions used here that we didn't hear growing up.  Like the word "fixin" means preparing or getting ready.  People say, "We are fixin' to go to the store."  The expression "That dog will hunt" means "it's possible" or saying "That dog won't hunt" means "it's impossible."  An example of this could be someone saying, "I think the Lakers are going to win the championship."  Your response might be "That dog will hunt!"  The expression, "Where do you stay?"  took us awhile to understand.  What people were asking is "Where do you live?"

As we think about how God transforms our lives when we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, the later expression makes a lot of sense.  In John 15:5, the greek word for "abide" is the word "meno."  It means "to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy)."  Many of us understand this because we know that "there is no place like home."  We "visit" our friends homes but we "stay" in our own home.  Home is where you spend quality time with your family.  It's a place you cherish and make life long memories with Dad, Mom, brothers and sisters.  As we "stay" in Christ we are positioning and connecting ourselves to the source of life.  How do we do this?  We do it by "staying" in faith, "staying" in His Word, and "staying" in fellowship with other believers.  The evidence of "staying" is that your life will begin to bear fruit.  The fruit of the Spirit evidenced in your life is a testimony of God's awesome transforming power at work today!

So, "Where do YOU stay?"

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana 

Yield To The Holy Spirit

John 14:16

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,"

Ever find yourself in a situation when you're standing in line at the store, waiting to be seated at a restaurant, or put on hold on the telephone for what seems to be like an eternity?  The longer you wait the more you grow impatient.  You want service and you want it now!  Why is it that we can't wait for some things but then don't mind waiting for others?  The truth is, there are some things you can change and there are other things you can't.  The good news is that the things you have direct control over and the things that are controlled by others can be influenced by the Holy Spirit.  Influence that comes by way of changing you from the inside out or changing your circumstances from the outside in!  No matter which way, the Holy Spirit was sent to be your Helper.  

What do you need help with today?  Yield to the Holy Spirit and He will lead, guide, and direct you on your journey everyday.  

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Marriage - God's Picture of Love

Ephesians 5:31-32,  

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church (see also Genesis 2:24).

Since we have been married we have had a greater understanding of God's love and covenant with us.  Our love has deepened as we view our marriage as a similitude that God has given to show us what our relationship should be like with Him.  From Genesis to Revelation marriage was on God's mind!

Allow God to show you His love and teach you how to share it, especially if you are married.  

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Keep Love In The Center

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  ⁸Love never fails...¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

We have learned a lot about each other over the past twelve years but when we sit and really think about it we have learned more about ourselves.  Engaged couples often ask us, "what is marriage like?"  Our response:  Being married is awesome, wonderful, exciting, and adventurous!  However, it is like taking a hand held mirror, holding it in front of your face, and instantly getting an up close view of who you really are.

Early in our marriage there was a tendency to focus on each others weaknesses and inconsistencies rather than focusing on each others strengths.  We quickly learned that neither of us needs to say much to point out these things, the longer we're together the more they are exposed.  We also learned that the more we focus on them, the more it strains our relationship.  We have learned to focus on each others strengths which encourages us to want to change in the areas we know need improving.  These changes help bring us into greater unity and harmony and helps to keep love in the center of our relationship.  It's a continual learning and growing process.

Today focus on the strengths of your spouse, children, friends, family, co-workers and keep love in the center of your relationships.

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Follow The Leading Of The Lord In Confidence

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This coming Sunday will mark our twelfth anniversary.  We moved to Texas from California just two years after we were married.  This probably doesn't seem like a big deal for some of you reading this but as we look back over the past twelve years, most of our married life has been lived in Texas.  A big deal for two people raised around close knit families.  

As we look back over our past ten years in Texas, we realize that time has passed so quickly.   We often think of the time when we drove away from our hometown and headed East.  Picture with us two home grown Californians driving through West Texas hauling their most prized possessions in a moving van.  What an experience it was!  We found out quickly what a West Texas storm was all about.  We watched in amazement as we saw right before our eyes a storm rise in the North, sweep Southwest, and then shift East again.  We got stuck right in the middle of it.  We were slammed by rain, hail, and the wind was blowing so fiercely that the tumble weeds were moving faster than any car on the highway.  Fear gripped us as we could see lightning striking the ground less than 100 feet away.  We thought, "Should we turn back?  God, have you brought us out here to kill us?"  No kidding, we had this thought.  Anyway, we lived through it and arrived at our destination safely.

Your life journey and pursuit of God may lead you to a different city, state, or country.  Even though there may be storms along the way, do not allow them to get you off course.  Push forward and do not turn back!  Follow the leading of the Lord in confidence and He will "give you hope and a future."

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Love Sacrificially and Give Unselfishly

This morning Yahoo! Sports posted an article written by AP Sports Writer Tom Withers titled, "Redemption:  Bryant leads Lakers to 15th NBA title."  Mr. Withers writes of a formerly challenged relationship between Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson and noticed that "Following the game, the pair shared a long embrace.  Jackson, who once called Bryant “a selfish player” now sees the 30-year-old in a far different light.  “He’s learned how to become a leader in a way in which people want to follow him,” Jackson said. “That’s really important for him to have learned that because he knew that he had to give to get back in return, and so he’s become a giver rather than just a guy that’s a demanding leader. That’s been great for him and great to watch."

This article reminded us of our relationship with each other and how in marriage we have to learn how to become unselfish givers rather than selfish demanders.  How many times have we found our relationship strained by selfishness and the demands of our self seeking agenda?  After almost twelve years of marriage we have lost count!  When we live unselfishly and love sacrificially we have noticed that our relationship grows to new depths.  It allows us to be better leaders of our family and to follow God's plan for our lives.  

God demonstrated to us how to be givers in John 3:16, "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."  God gave because He loved.  He loved sacrificially and gave unselfishly by sending His Son for the "redemption" of man.

Today love sacrificially, give unselfishly and see all of your relationships grow to new depths. 

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

From Prison To The Palace

Genesis 40:14-15

¹⁴ But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon."

Psalm 75:6-7

⁶ No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man.  ⁷ But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

Ever drive by the county court house where you live?  Chances are you will never see people waiting in line wishing the judge would issue them a prison sentence.  Who wants to be locked up behind bars?  No one!  Especially if you're innocent.  Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers then falsely accused by Potiphar's wife for something he did not do.  Imagine the confusion, the emotional pain, fear, anger, hatred, and resentment one can have if put in this situation.  Who wouldn't want to be freed? 

Even though Joseph was dealt these circumstances the Lord was with him, gave him success, showed him kindness, and granted him favor (Genesis 39:3, 21-23).  As a slave, Joseph worked diligently while he was in prison and God's grace sustained him.  Even though he wanted to get out so badly, God kept him where he was.   When the time was right God released him from prison and placed him in the palace.

Whatever your situation is, God has positioned you at the right place, at the right time, for the right reason.  Only He can "exalt a man," grant him His favor, show him His kindness, and make his way successful and prosperous.

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

Integrity Maintains The Dream

Genesis 39:6b-10

^6b Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷ and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"  ⁸ But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Joseph's rejection of Potiphar's wife is what we consider one of the most honorable acts ever recorded in the Bible.  It is one of the greatest victories by a man of God that demonstrates the potential we all have to maintain our character and our relationship with God.  Joseph's fear and reverence of God was evident in his actions not only in public, but more importantly, in private.  He thought before he acted.  He pondered the relationship and trust he had with Potiphar but considered his relationship with God far more important.  Although his integrity cost him his position in Potiphar's house and landed him in prison, it aligned him for God's greater purpose to serve Pharaoh and be "put in charge over the whole land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:41).    

We heard of another pastor this week stepping down from his position due to an emotional and physical affair with his personal assistant.  This shows us that we are all vulnerable to making unwise decisions and choices.  The enemy works diligent at trying to get us to let our guard down.

Today, consider your relationship with God to be far more important than a moment of fleeting self gratification.  Keep your way pure, keep up your guard, and make choices today that will bring you another step closer to fulfilling the dream God has placed in your heart.

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana 

Be Careful Who You Share Your Dreams With

Genesis 37:4-5

⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.  ⁵ Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 

Reading about Joseph's ordeal after sharing his dream with his brothers, got us thinking about how Jesus used wisdom when He told the disciples "not to tell anyone" that He was the Christ (Mark 8:29-30).  Why did Jesus say this?  Maybe it wasn't time for it to be revealed.  Maybe He knew that His disciples would not give an accurate definition of who He was and that their view of "Messiah" was not what Jesus wanted shared with the crowds of people.  Maybe He wanted His life to be defined by the Father and not by man.  What do you think?   Joseph was hated by his brothers but eagerly shared his dream with them anyway.  What can we take away from his example?  Be careful who you share your dreams with.  Not everyone is going to agree with your dreams and aspirations.  There may be people around you that may not share the same excitement about your dreams.  They may even be provoked to jealousy or hatred toward you.  As you live your life, there are people who are there "with" you but who are not "for" you.   When God gives you a dream use wisdom and yield to the Holy Spirit's warnings on when and who to reveal them to but do not allow fear to seize your heart and keep you from pursuing them. Have a great day!  God bless you. Louis & Elisa Quintana

May Every Dream You Dare To Dream Come True

Mark 9:23

And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”

"May every dream you dare to dream come true."  Today is Elisa's birthday.  These were the words written on the front of her birthday card that she opened this morning.  Our daughters could hardly wait to get out of bed this morning to wish Mommy a "Happy Birthday!"  As they arose, Mommy was still out on her morning walk so they prepared her birthday cards and present and waited as patiently as possible.  The card they had picked out for her was the "best" card for this special day.  In the center of the card was a big paper pop-out birthday cake!  They were so excited to see her face when she opened it.  Then came Daddy's card for Mommy.  Thanks to modern technology, there are some really cool birthday cards that have a line or two from famous songs that play when you open it.  The girls knew as soon as Mommy would open the card the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" sung by Martina McBride would blare out from the center.  What a fun sight to see this morning.  Receiving birthday cards is fun but watching our daughters reactions is even "funner!"  

The card and song brought this question to mind, "What is your dream?"  Some people dare to dream dreams that seem impossible to achieve while others try to figure out what their dream is.  This is how we define dream:  It's that thing inside you that burns with passion, brings joy to your heart, puts a smile on your face, while at the same time brings you to tears!

Some of you are standing in that "somewhere" time in your life where the "skies are blue."  You have dared to dream and now it's time to start living your dream.   Take that first step toward living your dream.  That "somewhere" is now!  Even though it's scary, challenging, and may require lots of sacrifice, "build it anyway... dream it anyway... believe it anyway... love 'em anyway... do it anyway" (Lyrics from Martina McBride's song, "Do It Anyway").  Remember, "All things are possible to him who believes."

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana

A Longing Fulfilled Is A Tree Of Life

Today was supposed to be a fun day as our oldest daughter was scheduled to celebrate her last day of school at an end of year class party.  Our plan was to attend the party with her but instead she had to make a visit to the doctor's office due to an unexpected illness.  She was able to return to school for the last 30 minutes of class, but she had to keep her distance from the other students to keep from spreading the illness.   She sat and watched her classmates participate in all the fun and games and told us she wished she could play.  Instead, she sat patiently and watched and was consoled by some yummy snacks.  As parents we search for things to say to encourage our children when they are down or not feeling well.  We tried encouraging her by telling her this was the first day of summer vacation.  It only helped a little bit until we reminded her of our up coming vacation to California!  She loves going to California.  It didn't take long before we saw a small smile appear from the corner of her mouth. We thought about the scripture in Proverbs 13:12 that says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."  Remember the longings the Lord has fulfilled for you in the past and have hope that he will do it again for you now and in the future. Hope you had a great day!  God bless you. Louis & Elisa Quintana

Have Faith, Trust, & Obey God's Word

Genesis 6:11-14 "11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood" (NIV). Noah had never seen it flood or rain. He had never seen any constructed vessel like the one God told him to build, yet when Noah heard God speak he trusted His word and followed His instructions (Genesis 6:22, 7:5).  Everyone during this time in history lived immoral lifestyles but Noah feared God and lived a righteous life.  Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God."   Live a righteous, blameless life today.  Have faith, trust, and obey God's word and He will deliver you from destruction! Have a great day!  God bless you. Louis & Elisa Quintana

Tell God What You Need...Thank Him For All He Has Done.

Phillipians 4:19 "9And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (AMP) We are living in difficult times with the current global economic downturn.  Many companies have downsized while others are seeking bankruptcy protection so they can reorganize to stay open.  Even though times may be tough for families across the globe, we can rest assured in God's word that tells us that He will "liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."   We are reminded of God's promise to Noah after God had destroyed the earth with a flood.  The waters receded, the ark came to rest on dry ground and Noah offered a sacrifice to the Lord.  God said in Genesis 8:22,  22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night” (NLT).   Trust in God's word that says in Phillipians 4:6-7, "6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (NLT). Have a great day!  God bless you. Louis & Elisa Quintana

What Is God's Will For My Life? - Conclusion

Psalm 37:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  

Proverbs 3:5-6 

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

So, what is God's will for my life?  Who do I marry?  Which house, car, clothes or shoes do I buy?  Should I go to college?  Which college should I go to?  Where should I work?  Which church should I attend?  Still none of these questions are answered or are they?

Finding God's will for your life comes when you "delight" and "trust in the Lord."  What does it mean to "delight" or "trust" in the Lord?  It's doing what we wrote about last week:  Repent of your sins and receive eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Be filled with His Spirit to live a sanctified life.  Humble and submit yourself to God's will and endure suffering when and if it comes.  Be thankful in all circumstances!  

If you are living this way, then you will begin to think in line with what God's will is for your life and "lean not on your own understanding."  All of your decisions you have to make should be made with a righteous mindset acknowledging Him in the process.  Direct your decision making by whatever is pure, holy, right, and just.  Maintain your core values given in God's word through Jesus Christ in ALL of your decisions.  

As long as you are in right standing with God, many of the decisions that you need to make right now are going to be based upon what you like and what you like to do.  What do we mean?  What we mean is simple!  What do you like?  What do you like to do?  Where are your gifts, talents, and interests taking you?  If you are seeking to be married, changing your career, longing to have a child, etc., where are these desires coming from?  We believe God placed them in your heart!  God will not place a desire in your heart that is contrary to His ways.  He will not compromise Himself!  Whatever He shares with you will be His "desires."  Today align your life with His by delighting and trusting in Him and "He will make your paths straight."  

Have a great day!  God bless you.

Louis & Elisa Quintana