By: Alan Morales

Devotional
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)

Reflection
It is clear that much of our world today revolves around the idea of happiness. Today, the culture screams “do what makes you happy.” It is this type of mentality that has swamped the self-help section of book stores and as a result, this is where you commonly find “best-sellers.” For many, happiness is not something, but it is the only thing and many are willing to spend money, time, health, and even compromise relationships in order to feel that sense of pleasure. If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves stuck in the same cat and mouse game that the world seems to find itself in. The reality is that happiness is very precarious and although you might be happy right now, something can quickly change that.

What then should we think of happiness? One of the great things about our God is that He has not called us to live miserable lives of penance. When we were saved, Jesus liberated us from the impending judgment that awaited us so that we would enjoy our new life in Christ. We see this in our everyday lives, whether it is celebrating Christmas with our families, having fun on game nights with friends, or doing the hobbies we love. We are called to enjoy our life in Christ because we have been freed from the penalty of sin and death. However, as valuable as those things are, we should not depend on the temporary things of this world because as soon as they're gone, we will be disappointed. For example, what would happen if you lost your sense of taste? For those of us that suffered through COVID-19, life was so miserable! I never imagined how much of my life depended on the sense of taste! As much as I'm ashamed of saying this, it was as if life was gloomy and without hope.

In the Christian life, the source of our hope is not on temporal things that produce happiness, rather, it is based on an eternal God that produces joy. Happiness is a state of emotion that is unstable and is as temporary as the things we place our hope on. However, joy is a stable state of being because of the one whom we find our hope in – an eternal and holy God. We find this to be true when we look at the two men who were traveling to Emmaus in the book of Luke. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to them as they were talking about His trial and crucifixion. When Jesus asked what they were talking about, Luke records that they “stood still, looking sad” (Lk 24:17). Then, replying to Jesus why they said, “...we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened” (Lk 24:21; emphasis added). The two men were sad because they had put their hope in a political agenda. They had expected Jesus to come and redeem Israel through political success and instead of looking at Jesus as the savior of their souls, they were simply looking at Him as someone who would give them what would make them happy. This is why Jesus goes on and tells them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Lk 24:25). Those men did not believe in Jesus and therefore, they were without joy.

While people waste their life by chasing smoke through happiness to be fulfilled in some way, true joy can only be found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the good news that is the Gospel, He dwells in us and produces fruit in our lives. Notice how joy is part of that fruit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” (Gal 5:22). Therefore, joy is not something that is innate to us, it is something supernatural that only the Holy Spirit can give. Joy does not mean that you don't feel sadness or anger because I’m sure we have experienced plenty of that this past week! However, it does mean that even in the midst of suffering, disappointment, or longing, you have hope and peace knowing that God is still on His throne. Church, as we observe lent, let us not go with hopeless hearts as if Jesus was defeated, rather, let us have joyful hearts knowing that our Savior is alive and well.

By: Alan Morales

Devotional
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16)

Reflection
There has been a big misconception about God: God is much more angry and unkind in the days of the Old Testament than in the New Testament. In the New Testament, God is all about grace and love. I think, however, that once we define what grace is, we will see that God has revealed His love and grace toward mankind from the very beginning.

Grace is unmerited favor. In other words, it is something that someone does for us when we don't deserve it. Adam and Eve served as our human representatives and when they sinned against God, we sinned in them. Therefore, we are all undeserving of God’s help, love, peace, and forgiveness, yet, He has freely given us all of that and much more. 

In the Old Testament, God showed grace to Adam and Eve by clothing them when they had sinned against Him. God showed grace to the Israelites when, even after their constant rebellion, He rescued them from the desert and captivity. God showed grace to David, who committed adultery and murder, by forgiving him of the sins he committed. God showed grace to Nineveh, a nation that oppressed His own people, by sending Jonah to preach to them so that they would be saved. These are just some examples of grace in the Old Testament out of thousands. However, if there's something we've learned from our little survey of the Old Testament, it is that God’s grace is endless and it doesn’t stop there. All of those pieces of grace in the Old Testament came together like a puzzle in the New Testament and culminated in the saving work of Jesus.

Being fully human, Jesus served as our new representative and experienced everything that we do on a daily basis. He experienced loss, pain, anger, hunger, thirst, and sadness, all without sin. Additionally, being fully God, Jesus left heaven to dwell in this world that is marred with sin to give Himself up as the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for undeserving sinners. It is through His perfect being, or “fullness”, that we are able to be saved (John 1:16)! 

To hammer the final nail in the coffin of this misconception, the beautiful news of the Gospel was not first preached in the New Testament by an apostle. Rather, it was first preached in the Old Testament by God, Himself! Right after Adam and Eve sinned, God tells Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15). When Jesus came, He gave a fatal blow to sin and death at the expense of His own life for you.

How often are we full of joy because of this great reality? These wonderful truths seem to be overshadowed during our busy weeks. At times, we may even go to the extent of believing that we deserve more than what God has already given us. This was the case for the people in the Old testament when God said to them, “I have loved you”... But you say, “How have you loved us?” (Mal 1:2) Although God had done everything to save His people from exile, they were ungrateful. They ignored all the grace He lavished on them and instead of being filled with joy for what He had done, they were filled with bitterness because they wanted more. Have you found yourself in that position? If so, I would encourage you to reflect on your life and remember all that the Lord has generously and graciously given you. When we have a prideful mentality, not only do we stop seeing God's grace for the gift that it is, but we also prevent ourselves from living a joyful life in Christ.

Maybe you don't struggle with entitlement or ungratefulness. Perhaps you struggle with receiving grace and have difficulty going to God because of your sin. You tell yourself, “How could God ever love a sinner like me?” We have all been there and that is a very appropriate question to ask. However, like the person whose pride prevents them from finding joy in grace, you are prevented from finding joy in grace by your guilt. I would like to encourage you to go to Him. Do not delay! Don't wait until you're doing “a little better.” He waits for you now, like a loving Father with arms wide open even in your unfaithfulness. You are worthy to come before God, not because of the things you've done, but because of what Jesus has done for you. His death was not meant to condemn you, rather He died to redeem you, and in His death, He nailed your guilt to the cross. Church, let’s rid ourselves of our pride and guilt and look to Jesus for the savior He is. Once we do, we will be full of joy knowing that we have “received grace upon grace” (John 1:16).

By: Alan Morales

Devotional
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Reflection
Imagine working at a job where you couldn’t talk to your boss or supervisor personally. In order to get to them, you had to go through another individual (or third party) so that you could communicate with them. Your superior had told you that if you had any questions, comments, or concerns, you were to tell the third party and they would relay the message on your behalf. How would you feel? Impotent because you cannot give the message yourself? Frustrated and wondering if your superior cares about you or your concerns? Anxious because you can’t be certain that the message will get to them and in the way you want it told? Although all examples and analogies have shortcomings, this is what the people in the Old Testament dealt with when it came to their relationship with God.

Since their sinfulness separated them from a just and holy God, the people in the OT could not personally go to God for anything. They were not worthy to do so. Instead, they had to go through a third party, a priest. Priests were specifically appointed by God to live strict and holy lives so that they would be worthy to come before Him. Their major responsibility was to stand before God on behalf of man and before man on behalf of God. Since there was no personal contact between God and the people, every time God’s people sinned, the priest would offer a sacrifice of forgiveness to God on behalf of the people so that God’s wrath would be temporarily satisfied. The same would go for those who wished to offer praise or thanksgiving to God. Further, priests were also the mouthpieces of God, and when He asked something of His people, the priests would relay His message. By necessity, everything that involved God and the people, the priests were also involved.

Although a lot of time has passed since then, we are still the same, sinful, and unworthy humans as the Jews were in the Old Testament. To prove this, how many times have you sinned before coming on here and reading this blog? Have you burst out of anger against your wife or your husband? Have you been unjust to your children? Have you been having sinful thoughts at home, work, or church? If so, welcome to the club. Since we have fallen short of God's standard, just like those in the Old Testament, we are not worthy to go to Him for anything. We deserve nothing more than to be tossed out of His holy presence forever. In short, what we deserve for our sinfulness is death. So where is our hope?

In the letter to the Hebrews, our author knew that his readers were very familiar with the tradition of the Old Testament. The Hebrews knew and continued to practice the law, including going to priests. The author of Hebrews writes to them to make it clear that there is no longer a need to go to a priest in order to communicate with God. Instead, he writes that we could approach God personally through Christ, who is now our Great priest.

The author proclaims about Jesus, writing, "He is able to save [completely] those who draw near to God through him..” Although the priests of the Old Testament were viewed as worthy by God, they were inadequate in that they were sinful men who could not save people from their sin. When priests provided sacrifices to God on behalf of the people, this would only temporarily cover their sins until another sacrifice had to be made. However, in addition to Jesus being a sinless man, He is also God. Therefore, He has the ability to forgive people of their sin completely and cause an internal heart change. But as we see in our verse, He saves those who draw near to Him. The way we draw near to God is through the confession of our sins to Jesus. When we confess our sins, not only are we acknowledging Jesus as king, but we are also accepting the charges put against us. Namely, that we are sinners worthy of death. By nature, we think of ourselves as self-righteous and self-sufficient, with no need to turn to God. However, in confession, we are acknowledging that we are not perfect and are in need of a savior. This is the internal work of Jesus on our hardened hearts.

The author continues,"... since He [Jesus] always lives to make intercession for them.” The only reason we can freely confess our sin is because Jesus intercedes for us. Jesus is currently seated at the right hand of the Father, pleading on your behalf that He would forgive you of your sin, continue to sanctify you, and keep you saved. This is not because you deserve it, but rather, because Jesus paid a great price for you. Church, we can personally and intimately go to Jesus right now and confess all of our sin. I encourage you to make your prayers, praises, and thanksgivings known to Jesus. He forever lives to intercede for you, and we can have confidence in knowing that when we come to Jesus, we are approaching God Himself. Church, "let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:16).

By: Alan Morales

Devotional
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Reflection
After being baptized, Jesus went on a 40 day fast where He was ultimately led into the wilderness (desert) to continue His fasting. In the Old Testament, there is a very strong connection between the desert and preparation/testing. For example, the desert served as preparation grounds for Moses' ministry as well as Israel's testing from God. In this case, Jesus was getting prepared to fulfill His ministry, specifically, being a sacrifice on behalf of sinners. How are we to understand fasting?

Fasting is a physical demonstration of a longing heart for Jesus. When we fast, we are showing that we want nothing more than to be with Jesus; we are showing that we love nothing more than we love Jesus; we are showing that nothing captivates our attention more than Jesus. This is why during this time we abstain from any type of distraction, including food, and pray or meditate on His Word as if nothing else existed. The center and the motivation of our fast should always be Jesus, if He’s not then we are not only doing it wrong, but we are doing it in vain.

When we look at Jesus fasting, He would often do it in solitude. It was certainly an intimate act when we read in the New Testament that He would go to pray alone. He wanted to be alone with God the Father and enjoy that time with Him.  Why do you fast? Is it because you want to be intimate with God and be changed by Him? Or do you do it so that you would get something from Him? Church, it’s time to check our motivations for fasting because although fasting for a better house, a good job, or a nice car is not bad, fasting is meant to be a transformative means of grace. Fasting is not meant for our gratification in material things, but sanctification in godly things.

There is no doubt that fasting is a special and intimate discipline, however, we will also find that it is difficult to do. This is because fasting exposes idols in our lives when we abstain from everything but God's Word. In fasting, God’s Word shines a light into the darkest depths of our hearts. Why do we constantly think about the Cowboys game or any other NFL game when we fast? Why do we have this urge to look through our phones? Why do we start thinking about work or our hobbies? Those are all good things, however, if they stop us from having intimate time with God, that might be an indicator that something in our lives is an idol.

In this passage from Matthew, we see that as much as Satan tempted Jesus, He pushed back with the Word of God when being tempted. This says plenty of the depth of Jesus’ heart for the Father. There were no idols in His life to uncover. He was sinless. What we do see is a Jesus that depended on nothing more than the Word of God to sustain Him, and as Christians, we should too. What captivates your heart? What idols prevent you from spending intimate time with God? This is important because this speaks volumes of what you believe about God and about His everyday graces.

If you have been fasting for the wrong reasons, or if you have idols in your life that you are not engaging, I invite you to repent. The Lord has made this means of grace to be special and regular, not selfish and optional. As we get ready for our next fast in this season of Lent, let us approach God with repentant hearts. Fasting is a privilege for the children of God, and we can only fast properly when we come before God and confess our sins.

By: Alan Morales

The Lenten season quickly approaches and many Christians and churches tend to shy away from this beautiful season for a variety of reasons. At Storehouse Community Church, we wish to engage this season of the church calendar by asking ourselves a question: how do we, as the church, prepare our hearts for the approach and celebration of Easter? 

Certainly, we are not advocating that the lenten season is the only way to prepare our hearts, but we are saying that it is a wonderful opportunity.

Lent is a remarkable time in the history of the church and is a cultural value in the Rio Grande Valley. Here are a few thoughts on why we observe Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season:

1. Historical
Lenten is not a time or period that is found in the scriptures, but rather has been a historical tradition of the church where we evaluate biblical truths.

2. Confession of Sin and Repentance
Historically, Lent or Ash Wednesday, has been the 40 day period leading up to the celebration of Easter and in this time the church often reflects on our own mortality, the confession of our sins as we repent and turn to Jesus, and our hope of the Gospel. 

3.  Fasting
Unfortunately, many will view this season as a dietary opportunity rather than a time of worship. During Lent, fasting serves as a time to encounter God not necessarily your struggle with chocolate. 

In the 40 days leading up to Easter, the church has used this time to fast from certain foods, activities, and media as a reflection of Jesus' 40 day fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The purpose of fasting isn't dietary, but worship and communion. 

4. Preparation
The Lenten season is a preparation for the grand celebration of Easter where Jesus conquered the grave and defeated Satan, sin, and the grave. It's a triumphant reminder of the return of our Lord, restoration, and that He will make all things new. 

The tradition of the Lenten season stretches back 2000 years and our participation is one of church history and devotion to personal growth and discipleship.

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, March 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Old Church Winery (700 N Main St.) for our Ash Wednesday Service; hope to see you there! 

RECOMMENDED READING
• Journey to the Cross by Will Walker;
• Why Bother with Lent? by Chuck Colson (Gospel Coalition);
• Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope by Matthew McCullough