Longview First Assembly

EASTER 2012 UPDATE

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:43:22 +0000

Dear LFA family,I don’t know where to begin in expressing what I feel in my heart right now. We’ve had a couple of days to reflect and process our Easter Sunday experience and we still feel as overwhelmed by God’s favor now as we did Sunday afternoon. I guess you can say I shouldn’t be surprised, after all, we believed God for miracles and we “Circled” those PRAYERS for weeks. Here are the miracles we prayed for: Between both services we had 548 people come through our doors, which is a RECORD for Longview First Assembly. We had 11 people raise their hands to accept the RESCUE of God in their lives. Back in late 2011 I heard the voice of God very clearly that this would be the year of Jubilee and that 2012 would also be the year of increase. In the last few weeks, not only has God brought the increase, HE has done in it in ways we never thought or imagined. We have seen the increase in our finances as well. Since February, we have only had 2 weeks that we were under budget in our weekly income and I attribute that to an increase of people who have decided they could NOT afford to NOT give to God. In other words, I have heard many testimonies of families in our church who have experienced increase in their OWN lives by receiving job promotions and raises and I know that it is not a coincidence. It is the promise of God when we obey HIM in every area of our lives. What this means is that we are in the beginning stages of a powerful move of God both Spiritually and Numerically. I’m so thankful to pastor a group of individuals who desire to follow God and see His hand move. I’m also thankful for everyone who made this Easter Sunday the success that it was. It was because of YOU, so THANK YOU. For the next few weeks we will continue to talk about “RESCUE” and what that means for you and I. We will discuss a few areas in our lives, even one area we didn’t even realize that needs a RESCUE. This week specifically, we will spend a few moments comparing the lives of 2 individuals in the Bible, Peter & Judas, who made a mess of “The Story” and learn how their reaction to the mess is what separates them. For those of you who invited people to come this Easter and they didn’t, Don’t give up. You have planted a seed that continues to need water. We have made invite cards for this month’s sermon series as well. If you have someone who did come, keep inviting them to come back so they can begin the discipleship process through our LFA small groups and GREAT Sunday School classes. There are exciting days ahead us LFA, we are living in a very strategic time in Church history. Let’s do all we can to be a part of the greatest revival this country has seen.

Edgar & Stephanie Ayala

PRIDE… In the name of love?

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:29:57 +0000

PRIDE… In the name of love?

During “THE END” sermon series, I recently mentioned that the greatest sin that has crippled nations, destroyed countless marriages and keeps us from becoming the leaders God wants us to be is PRIDE.

C.S. Lewis said:

As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.

I recently read somewhere where a person was doing a “soul-search” and he asked himself 3 questions in effort to expose traces of pride that he maybe didn’t know existed.

1) Am I willing to allow another person to do what I think I MUST do? (This one is for all the CONTROL FREAKS out there, LOL)

2) Am I willing to do what I am doing, even if no one else KNOWS I am doing it?

3) Am I willing to let God use me for a season, and then be okay with Him later putting my work into the hands of another?

YEAH… I thought the same thing you are thinking after reading the questions. These are not your ordinary questions you would ask when thinking about PRIDE. But then again, what is ordinary anyway.

PRIDE is a funny thing because it CAN creep up in areas we never knew existed. So seriously reconsider reading them again and do a little soul searching of your own.

WHICH QUESTION LEAVES YOU THE MOST EXPOSED?

What “DISCOVERY” will you uncover today?

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:44:13 +0000

Discovery Day?

Today we celebrate Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the New World. Wow! How would you like to have one of those days? And on a Monday too? Most of the free world just hopes to make it past the first workday of the week without anything going wrong, yet today we observe a man who set out on a conquest….what exactly he was looking for is up for debate, but that really doesn’t matter, the point is, here is a man who had strong convictions and was determined to follow his heart and set out against all odds in search of the truth, with reckless abandonment. What does that say for us today? Being a follower of Christ, we KNOW what the truth is; yet we all have been guilty to cower down and retreat at the sign of opposition. My prayer today for you and me is that we are “found faithful, even to the point of death.” Revelation 2:10

What “DISCOVERY” will you uncover today?

Happy Columbus Day!

I REMEMBER….. I CAN’T WAIT

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:35:04 +0000

We are coming up on our second week of THE END series, which is bringing up all kinds of emotions, thoughts and feelings about my future, our future. I don’t know how many of you know this but being the Disney enthusiast that we are at the Ayala household we are fully aware that this week marks the 40^th Anniversary of the opening of Disneyworld in Orlando, FL. Well that brings me back to my childhood growing up in southern California and my memories of Disneyland and walking through the gates for the first time and being flooded with all the smells, the sights and sounds, I mean you can almost taste it. Then I REMEMBER, now being an adult with kids of my own, taking our kids to Disneyworld for the first time and not only experiencing all the emotions that come with that but looking down and seeing the excitement and a sense of AWE on their faces. There are not many experiences in the world that compares with this, except for one. This memory I have yet to make, but I CAN’T WAIT to experience heaven and walking through the gates of eternity as a family and being able to see the sights and hear the sounds and the overwhelming sense of AWE of my God.

What is your favorite family memory?

What is it about heaven that you are looking forward to the most?

Any thoughts?

Be still and let go – Pastor Edgar

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:00:43 +0000

If you’re anything like me you desire instant gratification when it comes to the things of God. Not only on the timing but also on HOW things should happen. But I find myself challenged by a short, simple phrase in God’s Word that packs a very powerful punch

Psalms 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”

The Hebrew word for “Be Still” is LET GO OF YOUR GRIP

Be still and let go of your own understanding.

Be still and let go of your desire to control what others think of you.
Be still and let go of your need to control outcomes.

What will you “Be Still and let go of” today”?

Edgar