“Fight the Good Fight!”
5/27/2007 - Marsing, ID
Ricardo Rodriguez – pastor_rr@yahoo.com
II Tim 2:1-4
“1Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
“1PUES tú, hijo mío, esfuérzate en la gracia que es en Cristo Jesús. 2Y lo que has oído de mí entre muchos testigos, esto encarga á los hombres fieles que serán idóneos para enseñar también á otros. 3Tú pues, sufre trabajos como fiel soldado de Jesucristo. 4Ninguno que milita se embaraza en los negocios de la vida; á fin de agradar á aquel que lo tomó por soldado.”
For many this weekend is a time of remembrance. This is a time to remember those who have given their lives for this country. Today the flag of this country flies high and proud representing its 50 states and its original colonies. God bless our troops and men and women who serve with valor.
For the church, our flag is the word of God. For us everyday is a day of battle. For the church there is no rest, for our enemy is never at rest. Our home is not this land but a land beyond the skies, a land which Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you…”.
Paul is one of our Patriarchs and represents the many men and women who have taken with valor the word of God from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and even to Marsing, Idaho.
Yesterday as we were receiving the blessings of God and the Holy Spirit moved in abundance, I don’t know how many of you realized that we had a bit of Apostolic Heritage with us. We had among us a daughter of an Apostolic Patriarch Antonio Castañeda Nava and his granddaughter and great grandchildren as well.
It seems coincidental but I have been spending time reading about some of our Apostolic Church history and some of the experiences they went through.
• Francisco Llorente (Primer Presidente de la Asamblea Apostolica en USA)
• Antonio C. Nava (Pionero Apostolico)
• Jose A. Ortega
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• Romanita Valenzuela (Instrumento para llevar el Mensaje Apostolico a Mexico)
• Felipe H. Rivas (Primer Presidente de la Iglesia Apostolica en Mexico)
• Marcial De la Cruz
• Emeterio Reta (Hasta el Fin Luchare – Canto)
• Lorenzo Salazar (Primer Misionero Apostolico)
• Baldemar Rodriguez
Nos faltaria mucho tiempo para recordar grandes hombres y mujeres que han dado su vida por nuestro Dios y la obra de Dios.
Paul tells Timothy:
v. 1 “...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…”
v. 2 “…the things that you have heard from me… commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also…”
v. 3 “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…”
v. 4 “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
We are fighting the good fight in the army of the Lord!!
It’s not your fight, its not your army the battle belongs to the Lord! If the battle belongs to the Lord, Victor belongs to the Lord and we will enjoy the blessings of our Lord and Savior.
As soldiers of Jesus Christ we will be able to say as the Psalmist:
Psalms 56:3
“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
Prov. 6:5-6
“5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
“5 Fíate de Jehová de todo tu corazón, Y no te apoyes en tu propia prudencia. 6 Reconócelo en todos tus caminos, Y él enderezará tus veredas.”
If we trust in him to lead us into battle we will be more than conquerors!
That one day we can say as Paul:
II Tim 4:7-8
“7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
“7He peleado la buena batalla, he acabado la carrera, he guardado la fe. 8Por lo demás, me está guardada la corona de justicia, la cual me dará el Señor, juez justo, en aquel día; y no sólo á mí, sino también á todos los que aman su venida.
