The Pursuit of Purity

Last weekend I had the opportunity to speak at a youth event called Radical Conference. And the topic I was asked to speak on was “purity” which I titled it “The Pursuit of Purity” and I focused on four important points. Today, I want to share the cliff notes, a quick synopsis of what I spoke about. Purity brings presence, power, protection and peace.

“This life was not intended to be the place
of our perfection, but the preparation for it.”
– Richard Baxter

Purity it’s much more than just saving sex for marriage. It's a lifestyle. In 1 Timothy 4:12-16,  the Apostle Paul instructed his apprentice; Timothy on this very subject. He told young preacher, to strive for purity in all areas of his life; including speech, conduct, love, and faith. He did this so that Timothy’s life and ministry would be protected by any naysayers that would later rise up against him. So today, I want to dig a little deeper than your typical sex driven "purity" conference we tend to hear and talk about four points that will help us in our continuous journey of seeking purity in our lives.

We are living in a generation where purity is becoming obsolete; it’s a thing of the past. It’s no big deal if we don’t save ourselves for marriage, our conversations have become contaminated, our eyes and ears are no longer limited to what we see and hear. The Christianity of this generation has slowly blended in to the perceptions of this world.

We are called to be light in the midst of the darkness; we are not called to blend in. And God is looking for a generation that can be radical enough to stand tall in the midst of adversity. He is looking for a generation of young people that will rise and declare God Word, untarnished and uncontaminated. Are we that generation whose faith will not fluster or shake but stand strong despite what popular opinion states? Are you that person? Are you a person of faith in a faithless world?
 

1. Pursuing Purity Brings forth the Presence of God

When we pursue God’s presence, everything else will line up to His Word.
When you pursue His presence, His commandments will no longer feel like rules and regulations that you have to abide by but you will feel delighted in pleasing your Heavenly Father.

• The presence of God empowers us when we are weak and feel fear
• The presence of God allows us to feel safe and secure in the midst of danger, obstacles, uncertainty and pain. The Bible says in Psalm 46:1 that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. It doesn’t matter what circumstances we may be facing, when we have the presence of God in our lives, we become radical for Jesus. Where there is fear, now there is boldness and confidence.
• The presence of God allows us to become intimate with Him; we come to know who God is on a deeper level. We know things we did not know before, our relationship with Him grows, our love for Him becomes more evident and obedience to His Word will be less of a “sacrifice” or an obligation.

We all love these two verses found in Psalm 37:5, 6

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

When we delight in the Lord, we are surrendering to His Will and His Ways. And when we do that He will grant us the desires of our hearts……BUT it doesn’t stop there……. Verse 5 continues saying: Commit your way to the Lord. (when we make a commitment, it’s a pact, it’s a promise, you are going to stick to it through thick and thin. The Psalmist is saying: Stick to God’s way….it’s going to get hard, but stick to it! It’s not going to be the popular choice but you have to be radical enough and almost “stubborn” enough to say NO, I’M STICKING TO MY COMMITMENT, MY PROMISE, MY WORD IS VALUABLE AND I WILL NOT BREAK IT! My friends can derail from the truth, but I am not! I will honor God’s Word in my life. I will trust Him with my life AND THEN, AND ONLY THEN will He grant you the desires of your heart.

When the going gets tough, we have to be people of a strong foundation; our faith has to be founded on the solid rock that is Jesus Christ. The winds will blow, the waters will hit your foundation but the house that is founded on the rock will NOT fall. If we are not radical in our faith, when tough times come, when the tough questions are asked, when we are faced in a sticky situation, we will become like the house that was founded on the sand and the waves will take it away.

2. Pursuing Purity Provides: Power

Purity in the life of a believer is extremely powerful. In fact, purity impacts our prayers just as faith impacts our works. Faith without works is dead and prayer without purity is limited.

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus makes a simple yet powerful statement.

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Many believe this is a promise that will be fulfilled when this life ends and we enter eternity. And this is true, but it’s also a declaration that Jesus makes to His followers and to us today.

There is power in a walk of purity that results in the ability to open our eyes to see what is found in Psalm 27:13 ‘…the goodness of God in the land of the living.’ A person who walks in purity has the ability to open his/her eyes and see the goodness of God in their life and in their surroundings. God’s blessings hover over them. BLESSED, Jesus says, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. I don’t know if you are yearning to see God, to see God’s greatness manifested in your life, to see His goodness and mercy poured upon their life. If you want to see His favor, if you want to see His promises fulfilled, and if you want to see His blessings poured down, having a pure heart will enable you to do so.

The power of God also gives us authority. You have power and authority to declare and decree the Word of God over your life and over the lives of others. Just because you pursue purity, does not mean you are weak, or you let people walk all over you, or it makes you an easy target and you get taken advantage of. All on the contrary, a person under the power of God; let me tell you, things have to change! The devil trembles when he sees young people on fire for God, unapologetic and radical for Christ. There has to be a shift in the atmosphere, the sick has to be healed and the oppressed has to be free. There is power in the name of Jesus.

Purity brings you before the presence of God and also leads to obtaining His power.

 3. Pursuing Purity Provides: Protection

Pursuing a pure life requires safeguards. These safeguards protect us and reduce the risk of temptations. As young people, we are confronted daily with temptations, your temptations may not be mine and mine may not be yours but they are present in our lives. The best way to pursue purity is to set up rules and safeguards for all areas of your life. Temptations are presented as opportunities to fail. They can be limited if you establish guidelines in your life.

The enemy has a calculated strategy against each and every one of us. Before he throws us a bomb to destroy, he studies us carefully, he knows what our weak areas are and he targets them. Don’t ever think for a second that the devil is dumb; he’s a very smart strategist that is why it’s important to be armed with the armor of God, because it will protect us from the enemy’s attacks.

We live in a society where there is temptations, left and right. Everywhere we go, we are being bombarded with the lust of this world. We have to be radical in our faith and in our purity to say like Daniel 1:8 says: “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.”

Daniel was determined, he made a decision, he made a commitment, and he made a promise. He stuck to his word to not contaminate himself with unacceptable food. We as young people, we have to be determined and committed to not be contaminated by the corruption of this world.

“There is no point in praying for victory over temptation if we are not willing to make a commitment to say no to it.”
– Jerry Bridges

As we pursue a life of purity, safeguards are essential because they will protect us. John 10:10 says: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Let me ask you this? If someone were to accuse you of something negative or make a scandalous comment about you, would others believe it? Pursuing purity protects and defends you and your reputation.
 

“^I is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.”
– 1 Peter 2:15

4. Pursuing Purity Provides: Peace

When we keep our eyes focused on God, we can expect peace as a result. When we let our minds wander and do not yield the calling of God to live a life of purity, we find ourselves dissatisfied, disillusioned, and broken. When we walk in purity, God will give us His perfect peace, a peace that surpasses ALL understanding.

You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
– Isaiah 26:3

One of my favorite verses of the entire bible is found in Philippians4:6-7). It's such a beautiful promise that encourages us and strengthens our faith. No matter what circumstances we may find ourselves, these two verses remind us to not worry about anything, all we need to do it pay about everything and give God thanks. He has it all under control.  

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. – Philippians 4:6-7

Imagine living a life of peace, ahh, so peaceful, huh?. The whole world could be tumbling down before you and you’re ok. You have a peace that surpasses ALL understandings. A peace that even if you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, you will not fear because He is with you! Those who pursue purity, who seek to know God, who follow Him and yearn to be with Him are able to experience this peace.

Conclusion

When we pursue purity, we enter into His presence, we’re given His power, we feel His protection and we find His peace. This is why God calls us to a life of purity, this is why we should strive to pursue purity because it draws us closer to Him, we become empowered, we become bold and fearless and despite what the world may say or do, we are confident in who we believe and where our faith stands, in Jesus Christ.

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

 

 

Left behind?

This past weekend was such a huge blessing for my life and family; and I’m sure for everyone who attended the Pastors and Leadership Conference led by Bishop TD Jakes.  No Church Left Behind was the theme and we were equipped with resources and empowered with knowledge and geared up to come back home and make a difference in our churches and communities. 

One of the things that I loved about this year’s conference is that they really took you back to school! There were a series of courses that you could elect to go to anywhere from church government, music ministries, church technology, funding opportunities, marketing, entrepreneurship; you name it, it was available!! I personally had a difficult time choosing which 4 courses I wanted to pick (if it were up to me, I’d go to all of them) but a decision had to be made and these were my choices.

1.       Creative Strategies in Marketing (Tony Scott)

2.       The Entrepreneur in You! (Darwin Bruce)

3.       The ABC’s of Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing (Joel D. Nori)

4.       Funding for Faith-based: The Power of the 501c3 (Aretha Olivarez)

These courses opened my eyes to see a whole new world of opportunities, the wealth of information that was delivered was truly life-changing. Every one of the speakers are inspiring to me because if they were able to reach the level of success  that they have as Christian, men and woman who love God and put Him first in everything; that’s shows me that I too can reach that.  The bible says, seek Him first and ALL things, everything shall be added on to you.  You can be Christian and be successful and I was able to witness it up close and personal this past weekend. 

I encourage everyone who reads this today that you too can work hard and reach your goals, whatever they may be.  They can be spiritual goals, ministry goals, business goals or maybe just personal goals; you too can reach them.  I can do, WE can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) Need strength, wisdom, guidance, favor, ask for it!! It is available and at your disposal. We are about to say goodbye to April and enter into a new month, May.  Get to work!! Don’t waste any more time, whatever you have been called to do, DO IT!! We do not want any church to be left behind, we don’t want any families to be left behind, and we don’t want any person left behind.  Make your dreams come true; one step at a time; one day at a time.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Anyone hungry? Let’s start chewing!!

Be encouraged, Be Blessed!
Landy Perez-Feliciano

The secret

 It's already the middle of January, can you believe how time flies? Pretty soon we'll be in the middle of the year!  But as each day passes, remain focused on your goals for this year.  Let this be a different year for your life, a year of fulfillment! Remember God will always be by your side but there will always be a part you have to do; God can't do it all for you! It takes faith but it takes work to see your dreams come to life.  And as we continue to walk in this year of fulfillment; in which, you will finally see your dreams come to pass, remember to worship.  That word of God that was spoken to your life as you begin to see those promises unfold right before your eyes, remember to worship your way through your victory!  You may still be in the "waiting room" hoping, believing and trusting that this will be a different year for you; worship your way through your trials, worship your way through your miracle!

The difference between 2012 and 2013 is your worship! I don't know if you understand what the power of worship does in a someone's life.  When you open up your mouth and you begin to worship God for who He is and not what He can give you; you are showing Him unconditional love. When you  begin to worship like if everything is alright when truly everything in your life is a mess, you are trusting God with your life.  When we begin to worship, we begin to declare and speak the unspoken, we begin to see the unseen.  There is a new vision, a new passion, the power to conquer the unconquerable. That power is bestowed in us and all of the sudden, nothing is impossible!  The bible says that He who is in us is more powerful than he who is against us and if God is with us, then who can be against us?  If Jesus dwells inside of us, there can be nothing that could hold me back!  Do you believe it?  I truly believe if we put our 'game face' on this year, some serious stuff will happen.  We will be able to conquer new territory, reach new heights and nothing shall be impossible!!!  But THE SECRET is worship!  Everytime you get discouraged, worship, everytime you want to give up, worship, everytime you start to doubt, worship.  Because worship will pave the way for you, it will make your journey alot smoother, it will direct you, it will take you to a new level so you can see things for a different perpective.  Worship will take you to God's heart and reveal to you His plan for your life. Worship your way to your victory!!!

I want to take this time to share with you this great worship event next weekend, January 25-26, 2013.  It will be an unbelievable experience!  I am personally super hyped about it because it's going to be a life-changing experience.  We will have two powerhouse women of God with an unbelievable anointing to worship and lead people to the presences of God. Joann Rosario-Condrey and Lilly Goodman will be joining us this year for our annual worship conference.  This year is extremely special because we will be celebrating five years of Adoracion Worship Conference (AWC) and it is truly an honor to have these ladies with us.  I encourage everyone who can make it to AWC '13 come on out because it will change your life!  For more info on the event, visit: www.adoracionconference.com
For more info on Joann, visit: www.joannrosariocondrey.com
For more info on Lilly, visit: www.lillygoodman.com

I leave you with this video clip.. enjoy! :-)

Be Blessed, Be Encouraged!

LandyPF

Secrets of a Song

This past Saturday the couples of my church hosted a marriage conference with Dr. David E. Clarke. He is a Christian psychologist, popular speaker, and successful author and through his Bible-based teaching and therapy he guides people toward healthy lives, marriages, and families. It was such a blessing to have him speak at this event, I know that everyone who there was empowered, motivated and determined to maintain their marriage as healthy and strong as possible.
Living in a society where marriage is not valued and quite frankly; where couples are not willing to fight for their union, makes it that much tougher to go against the current and not become another statistic.  That is why, I am thankful for our Young Couple & Marriage pastors: Ramon and Yudy Nina for constantly bringing great resources to the church that will strengthen relationships of marriages and couples.  We are Pro-Marriage and believe the sanctity of it and value the importance of Family.

The title of the conference was Secrets of a Song and Dr. David Clarke based his teaching on the book of Songs of Solomon. I encourage you to read this book from the Bible, its the greatest love story ever told.  Dr. Clarke was speaking about how to maintain the passion in your marriage forever.  It is often said that after being married for years, having kids, busy schedules, its hard to keep the passion in a relationship.  Why is that?  Because you're so focused on the kids, your work, household chores and a million other things, that your partner is put on the backburner and this becomes a routine that must be broken.

I want to share with you what Dr. Clarke shared with us, which is: Three practical ways to maintain passion in your marriage forever. 

Passion Principles:

1. MEN: Listen to you woman! We all know women love to talk, right?  Well, men it is important that you listen to your wife, even if you're not interested.  If it is important to her, it should be important to you too.  [Songs of Solomon 2:14] Solomon took time to listen to his lady.  Fellas, take time to listen to your lady.  Dr. Clarke recommends to take private time for your wife, take four days a week for atleast 30 minutes.  No kids, no pets, no tv, no phone And I'll add, No Facebook or Twitter!  Just you and her.  Take advantage of that alone time to talk and to listen to what she wants to say.  She will appreciate it.

2.  WOMEN: Compliment your husband frequently, all the time, always.
[Songs of Solomon 5:10] Solomon's wife complimens him all the time, he feels loved, respected and passion for his wife.  She compliments him physically and also his character. 
Women, compliment your husbands.  It is important for a man to believe that he is special and impressive.

3.  Pray Together:  The secret to a never-ending passion is in Songs of Solomon 8:6,7
The source is the Lord! It's by putting and maintaining God in the center of the marriage.  Pray together as a couple on a regular basis, it will strengthen your bond together as a couple.

We were so blessed to hear this word and although I've been married for less than two years, I know these principles will be helpful to me as it will be to those who are married for 3 months or 30 years.  There is always something to be learned.  Obviously, Dr. Clarke spoke about a lot of other things, I cannot cram two hours worth of information into a blog but I do recommend you to purchase his books.  He is the author of nine books, I purchased three books: Parenting Isn't for Superheroes (for when I have kids), A Marriage After God's Own Heart (it is important to keep God in the marriage), and Kiss Me Like You Mean It (which is the book he was promoting for this conference).  Check out his website for much more information about his work, www.DavidClarkeSeminars.com

I hope this information has blessed and encouraged you to keep the fire burning and the passion in your marriage.  It's never too late to take a step forward in your relationship, as long as both of you are willing to work at it and God is in the mix, all things are possible.

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥