Isaac Gonzalez

Lorica Of Saint Patrick

Isaac G — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:20:03 +0000

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity
Through belief in the threeness
Through confession of the Oneness
Towards the creator.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension
Through the strength of his decent for the Judgement of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim
In obedience to the Angels,
In the service of the Archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of Holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun
Brilliance of moon
Splendor of fire
Speed of lightning
Swiftness of wind
Depth of sea
Stability of earth
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s host to secure me
against snares of devils
against temptations of vices
against inclinations of nature
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear,
alone and in a crowd.

A summon today all these powers between me and these evils
Against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of heathenry,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that endangers man’s body and soul.

Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Thrones,
Through confession of the Oneness
Towards the Creator.

Salvation is of the Lord
Salvation is of the Lord
Salvation is of Christ
May thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Filed under: Devotions Tagged: Church Fathers

Last Sunday…

Isaac G — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:13:00 +0000

Beautiful One – Jeremy Camp version
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Ghost Ship
All Creatures Of Our God And King – David Crowder
Doxology
Offertory:
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed – Welcome Wagon version

This last Sunday was a little special, since our senior pastor was in town. We have a church plant in Asheville, NC, which he pastors, and he comes back to town every other month. While he’s gone, I as the assistant pastor preach and lead things. We have been using this time to cast vision and refocus back on Christ and the local church.

This weekend I also didn’t have a drummer again, so these songs do work pretty well acoustically. As you could probably tell I’ve also been on a big hymns kick lately. Many in our older generation love them and the songs just have a rich heritage and theology.

Please check out the Sunday Setlist blog here.

Filed under: Sunday Setlists, Worship Tagged: Sunday Setlists, worship

3 Ways To Deny God

Isaac G — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:19:38 +0000

From Trip Lee:

Have you denied the God of the Universe? Believe it or not, this is an important question for all of us to think about. It’s clear in Scripture that eternal life is freely given to those who trust God and believe His Good News, and just judgment is carried out on those who deny Him. But there is more than one way to deny God. Here are three that I found in the New Testament.

1. Denying that Jesus is Who He said He Was
“Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? That is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
1 John 2:22-23

There are many people in our world today who think of themselves as spiritual or even religious people. They believe that God exists, and they attempt to worship him in their own way. Maybe they even see Jesus as a great teacher or a prophet from God. But if they don’t believe that Jesus is who HE said He is, they are denying Him.

Seeing Jesus merely as a great moral teacher is still rejecting Him and therefore rejecting God. God directs our attention to Jesus as the Savior of the world and He doesn’t offer us any alternative paths (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

So rejecting Jesus is rejecting God. But, as John 1:12 says, “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Anyone can be a child of God, if they would believe upon Jesus.

2. Not Acknowledging Jesus Before Others
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my father who is in Heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my Father who is in Heaven.”
Matthew 10:32-33

So maybe we do confess that Jesus is Lord in our hearts. But we can still deny Him by being ashamed of Him before others. Now, we have all been slow to admit our faith before others. We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards religion and specifically Christianity. Christians are painted as morons who believe in stupid, harmful, and bigoted fairy tales. This can sometimes lead us to shrink back, and refuse to acknowledge Jesus before those who we think will mock us.

This is tragic. It makes Jesus look small and it’s a denial of everything that He is. But be warned, if we decide to deny Jesus before men, He will also deny us before the Father. And when we stand in the presence of God unless Jesus says, “He’s with me,” we’re not getting in. The proper response to the Christ is not shame or fear, but boldness and an eagerness to share Him before others.

3. Hypocrisy
“They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works.”
Titus 2:16

So maybe at this point you feel like you’re doing pretty good. You confess Jesus as Christ, and you are proud to say that you are a Christian. My next question for you is, “What does your life say?” It is possible for us to shout from the roof tops “Jesus is Lord and I am His disciple!” yet have such messy lives that our words are drowned out.

In Titus 2, Paul speaks about false teachers denying God by their works. But any of us can live in a way that contradicts what we say. Faith in Jesus will always change the way we live. So if your life looks like nothing has changed, something’s not right. Our lust is a denial of God’s good plan for sexual desire. Our pride is a denial of God’s place as center of all things. All of our disobedience is a denial of God’s role as rightful Lord of all Creation.

You words may acknowledge Jesus, but do your works deny Him? Are you loving others (John 15)? Are you obeying Him (John 14:15)? Are you bearing fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)? Are you sacrificially giving yourself and your resources to others (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)? Are you seeking God in His Word?

Many of us will look at these points and see some of ourselves in one or all of them. If you do feel shame because of the ways you’ve denied Him, there is Good News. Even denial of God was paid for at the cross by Jesus, as we see so clearly with Peter. If you turn from that sin of denial, and receive Jesus by faith, that sin will be forgiven.

source: bragonmylord.com

Filed under: Devotions, faith, Gospel Tagged: Bible, faith, truth

Why infant baptism?

Isaac G — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:47:30 +0000

This a summary of the sermon that I did Wednesday night before e performed abaptism on a baby. Needless, to say, this has raised a few eyebrows and questions, so I wanted to share my study on this.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

To learn what baptism is, we first must ask, “What is faith, and how does it come to us?” Is it something we do, for God, or is it something that God puts does in us? We read in Romans 10:17, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ”, so we see it is a gift that come directly from Christ through His Word. Ephesians also tells us that this in not of our own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,” He works it in us, and we can allow it to work, or reject it.

With this in mind, we ask what is Baptism? Baptism is water used in the inclusion with the word of God. We find this Word from Jesus in Matthew 28:19 and 20 which says, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Baptism is the water combined with the Word, so this is a tangible audible and visual proclamation of that Word. Technique, immersion or sprinkling, doesn’t matter, the principle thing is the Word of God combined with water.

This isn’t a good work that we do for God, it is God’s work in us to claim us as His own. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession states that “Baptism is a work, not which we offer to God, but in which God baptizes us…and God here offers and presents the remission of sins, etc., according to the promise, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. (Mark 16:16)”

So what does this baptism do in us?
First, in this the promises of God are brought to us. Titus 3:4 - But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The word for washing here means bath or bathing, which implies baptism but when you look at it in light of all the other other verses on baptism, it begins to make more sense. In this baptism, we become “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Baptism is also His covenant with us. Colossians 2 speaks of baptism being the “circumcision” not made with hands. God instituted circumcision in the Old Testament as a sign of His covenant with His people.

Second it cleanses from sin. Ephesians 5:26 says “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,.” This is, again, Christ’s work in us to cleanse us, not our own work. With this cleansing He also gives us a clean conscience. 1 Peter 3:21 “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” This verse explicitly says, Baptism now saves you. Do we save ourselves, cleanse ourselves, or give ourselves a clean conscience? No, that’s fully God’s work in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit.

Third, baptism imparts the Holy Spirit and newness of life. After the Holy Spirit is poured out on the Day of Pentecost and tongues of fire rests on the Apostles and they beginning to speak in other tongues, Peter preaches, the crowd is convicted, and they say “What shall we do?”. Peter doesn’t tell them to pray to receive the Holy Spirit and tongues of fire will come, He says in Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Romans 6:4 also says that “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” This putting off of the old man and a putting on of the new man in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Last, and one of the best things is, it brings us into the family of God. 1 Corinthians 12:13 - For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. He tells us to make disciples in Matthew 28, which is bringing people to His family as His children. He also tells us how: by baptizing them, and then teaching them. We see Jesus is present in the water claiming us as His brother (or sister), bringing us into relationship with the Father, filling us with His Holy Spirit. Rom. 6:3 - Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Col 2:12a - having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him!

None of this undermines the need to walk in daily repentance and renewal. We still must lay hold of faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must daily die and rise to walk in newness of life. Paul even points to baptism to call others who are in sin to account in Romans 6 says “You were baptized, why are you living like this? Don’t act like someone who isn’t a Christian.”

Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

This baptism is a beginning work of renewal that has to continue, and will be brought into perfect completion in the life to come.

So what about children?

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”!

If we look at the book of Acts, we see when Cornelius and Lydia were converted, they AND their whole household were baptized, men, women, slaves, and children. If we also look at early church practice, it was normal to baptize babies of Christian parents. This was common place until the 1500′s and the dawn of enlightenment and the exalting of human reason, because some people began to believe that people have to understand what’s going on. Even today, 75 percent of the Christian church in Catholicism, the Orthodox church, and some Protestant traditions such as Methodism and Presbyterianism still practice infant baptism.

The first question we must ask is, does a baby have sin?
Romans 3:23 states “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, and all does include small children. Psalm 51:5 says that we are brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did our mother’s conceive us. We are born with sin and a sin nature. Ephesians 2 even says that we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

The next question is, can a baby have faith?
Jesus always says that to receive the things of God we must become as a little child (Matt 18). We have to become vulnerable and helpless, unable to do things for ourselves, and fully trust Him to attain to faith. Little babies show they have the ability for faith by trusting their earthly parents to care for them and reaching for them, much like the nursing babies were reaching for Jesus, and he said to “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” The most convincing passage we see that speaks to babies having faith, is in Luke 1:15 where we see that John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from His mother’s womb.

Children are unable to choose God, as are we but He pursues us. Just as children are unable to choose to be circumcised (refer back to Colossians 2 equating baptism to circumcision), to get their shots, or to take care of themselves, we are unable to cooperate with God in His work of claiming us through baptism.

Does baptism, or anything pertaining to the Christian life for that matter, depend on our understanding or God’s Word & work? Proverbs 3:5 tells us to not lean on your own understanding. I doubt that any of us really understood what we were doing when we first came to the Lord. Paul tells us that in this life we see through a glass darkly, but in the life to come we will see things faces to face. Paul tells us in Romans 5:6 that Christ died and claimed us while we were helpless, but I really love how the Message translations words it. “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway.”

Everything depends on Christ and His work, not ours. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve us and He serves us by His Word working on our behalf despite our understanding or lack thereof. Isaiah 55:11 says “so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it [to do].” This is to demonstrate not only His sovereignty, but also His great love for us.

Luke 10:21 - In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

Children do have to be trained up (Prov. 22:6) as they mature, and have to lay hold of faith that Christ has imparted but this baptism is a first step toward that.

Filed under: faith, Gospel, Sermons, Theology Tagged: Baptism, Bible, faith, Preaching, Sacrament, Sermon, theology, truth, worship

A New Year’s Day Sunday Setlist

Isaac G — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:39:01 +0000

One God – Ghost Ship
Glory To God Forever – Fee
The Solid Rock – Passion Hymns version
The Love Of God – Ben Crist

We were missing a drummer for the service, but we still managed to make it pretty upbeat. We served The Lord’s Supper and the sermon was on Healing, so the songs we directed on God being our only hope and on His love for us. Definitely a blessed service.

Go to theworshipcommunity.com’s site for more info on the Sunday Setlists program.

Take some time and check out the songs from Ghost Ship and Ben Crist.

Filed under: Sunday Setlists Tagged: praise, Sunday Setlists, worship

Devotions

Isaac G — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:23:26 +0000

If there is one standard in the New Testament revealed by the light of God and you do not come up to it, and do not feel inclined to come up to it, that is the beginning of backsliding, because it means your conscience does not answer to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you for going on as a more true disciple of Jesus Christ or for going back as a deserter.

-Oswald Chambers from “My Utmost For His Highest”

Filed under: Devotions Tagged: disciple, faith, Oswald Chambers, truth

Grace & Good Works

Isaac G — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:38:37 +0000

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

We are not saved by what we do or don’t do, but because we are saved, we do, as a response. This is the dichotomy and mystery of the Christian faith. And our self-centered, idolatrous heart wants to gauge our worth and righteousness by our work, instead of Christ’s work. As the rich young man asks in Matthew 19:16, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”.

We try and do all the right things to make sure we are saved, when Jesus has already done the work, and we lay hold of it by faith. James rightly says that faith without works is dead, but too many times we get the cart before the horse. We think that we must do the right thing, and the problem is, because of sin, we cannot. But Jesus has done the finished the work, sent His Holy Spirit, and “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to HIS own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 emphasis added).

Good works as Paul says in Ephesians is God’s work in us. It is a response by His power to what He has done. We certainly do not use this freedom as an “opportunity for the flesh” as Galatians says. This isn’t a freedom to live in sin and not serve the Church and our neighbor, but His grace is a freedom FOR doing those things. Even as Paul said in Romans 7, who will deliver me from this body of death, to be able to do the things I want to do? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

You see, our good works, without the enablement of God’s grace, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, are filthy rags and worthless, but His works through us is a different story.

This is such a tension. There’s so much fear in the body of Christ that if we don’t emphasize what people should do, then they will live in sin, but if we preach grace and His work the opposite will happen. Well never be able to live up to a standard of the Law, and we’ll be left bitter and frustrated if we try. What He has done, as opposed to what we can do, is the true Gospel.

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Hebrews 6:1 (ESV)

Filed under: faith, Gospel

Recent purchases

Isaac G — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:00:25 +0000

So I have a slight book addiction.

Here’s what I purchased with the Christmas money/giftcards that I received.

Ordered from Amazon:

http://amzn.com/0570032210

http://amzn.com/0618056874

http://amzn.com/031049298X

http://amzn.com/143352306X

Picked up from the bookstore today:

http://amzn.com/0140444491

http://amzn.com/0743291476

http://amzn.com/0142000655

Additionally, I pick up a copy of Elisabeth Elliot’s “Passion And Purity” to replace a copy that I lent out and never saw again, but I’ve already read that one.

As I stated before, I have a book addiction, and desperately need an intervention. Or more time to read.

Filed under: Books

Sunday Setlist Christmas Edition!

Isaac G — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:17:15 +0000

This Is War – Dustin Kensrue
Hark The Herald Angels Sing – Dustin Kensrue version
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Holy Night

This is the first Christmas that I actually used a full band. It was definitely different and had more of a bluesy, but joyful, feel. I also didn’t get a chance to practice with the band so it was a little scary going into the service but every worked out and sounded really good. I was really excited to use This Is War. Definitely an awesome Christmas song. Mars Hill Church has a version that adds an additional chorus that is really good but we didn’t use that one this year. It really worked as an opening song, since most people aren’t too familiar with it (though I have been doing it as an offering special for the last few weeks, so that helped), and also it worked with my sermon of Christ coming as our peace to restore us from sin.

If you follow my blog, I obviously love what Dustin Kensrue does. Acoustic rock, that’s folky in places, and bluesy in place, and perhaps a taste of country. He has an excellent Christmas album that you should pick up.

Check out theworshipcommunity.com’s Sunday Setlists program at http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/sunday-setlists-179-merry-christmas/

Filed under: Uncategorized

Setlists 12/18/11

Isaac G — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:23:14 +0000

Morning:
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee – Passion Hymns album version
My God Reigns – Darrell Evans
Came To My Rescue – Hillsong United
You Are My King (Amazing Love)
Offertory: This Is War – Dustin Kensrue

Evening:
Ancient Of Days
Awesome God (Your Voice) – Vicky Beeching
You Bled – Rend Collective Experiment
Offertory: All Creatures Of Our God And King – David Crowder Band version

This morning I felt God wanting to share the salvation message after “You Are My King” so I spoke a few minutes and shared how to be saved with the congregation. Confess, Believe/Repent & Be Baptized.

This evening, the team started playing and messing around about 5-10 minutes before service and we just had fun playing a few songs like Everlasting God and Agnus Dei while people were coming in. Definitely added a laid-back element to the service that was really refreshing.

Check out the Sunday Setlist program here

Filed under: Sunday Setlists Tagged: Sunday Setlists