Dear friends and family:

OUR PRAYER RETREAT AND MEN’S SEMINAR WAS A TREMENDOUS BLESSING! NEXT MONTH WILL BE OUR WOMEN’S RETREAT. PLEASE SIGN UP.
TODAY WE WILL TOUCH ON A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT AND ONE OF THE GREATEST OBSTACLES TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: PRIDE.

- Most of us struggle in this area.

- Pride keeps us from growth, from Gods blessings.

- Pride keeps us in bondage.

- Pride keeps us from moving forward.

- Pride keeps us full of ourselves and NOT full of God’s Spirit.

- Pride is the reason for the destruction of many homes and ministries.

Pride was SATAN’S downfall, and evil is impregnated with it.
The Bible tells us:

ISA 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven,

O morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

you who once laid low the nations!

ISA 14:13 You said in your heart,

"I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne

above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

ISA 14:14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High."

ISA 14:15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

Pride tells us that we are our own Gods, that we know the answers, that we don’t need anyone, that those who open up or seek help and redemption are WEAK.

Pride tells us that we deserve better, that life is unfair.

I read something that I want to share with you which describes in a very clear way what Pride will do to our lives.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny . . . because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment . . . because you “deserve better than this.”

I cheat you of Knowledge . . . because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing . . . because you’re too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness . . . because you refuse to admit when you’re wrong.

I cheat you of vision . . . because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship . . . because nobody’s going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love . . . because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven . . . because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth.

I cheat you of God’s glory . . . because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater. You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you. UNTRUE!

I’m looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry.

If you stick with me, you’ll never know.

We ALL struggle with it, and we do so in very different ways.

The past nine months have been very difficult for me in many respects. I have worked night and day trying to be obedient to what God has shown me. I have been “pushing forward - a man on a mission.”

I have been hoping that this fellowship of believers would grow, not in numbers but in their relationship with God. I’ve been emphasizing relationship, restoration of the individual, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. I’ve been fighting to keep the doors open with out resorting to financial manipulation.

But, lately I have started to feel frustrated. I have come to the Lord and have found myself complaining.

“God what is wrong with these people?

God why don’t they get it?”

In my frustration, I have found myself becoming self-righteous.

You see, one of the greatest manifestations of PRIDE is thinking that you are better than others that you have it together, that you are doing it right and that the others are not.

We forget that self-righteous people crucified JESUS.

If you spend time looking for other people’s mistakes, judging, criticizing, thinking that you have the answers, my friends, you are in a dangerous and sinful place.

If you spend time feeling sorry for yourself and complaining, then you also are in a dangerous place.

Remember that Pride will disguise itself as false humility.

During my devotionals, the Lord has spoken to me and shown me that Pride is the real reason I feel this way. Pride is the real reason we are not moving forward and growing. Pride is the root of apathy. Pride is the reason we stay as carnal Christians and don’t grow up. We behave as brats and we are unable to overcome. We complain, criticize, or simply we just don’t care.

He reminded me that HE is in CHARGE. He has used some of you to speak to me and to humble me. Recently I received a wonderful E-MAIL from someone I love and respect greatly because he has always been genuine. He reminds me a lot of the Apostle Peter. Anyway, he said something that really made me think. I want to share some of it with you.
“I know that you know that many more great thing will happen in "His" time. Please be patient with us and remember what Moses went through. We could be stuck in the desert for forty years.”

He is right. It is not for me to decide when we get out of the desert. Moses lost his cool and struck the rock. This kept him from entering the Promised Land.
He is right. I need to be patient, and I need to understand that God’s will be done not mine, and that everything is in HIS time. I need to understand that this is HIS church, and I need to ask for forgiveness for my attitude and I need to humble myself. Pride has kept me from the truth.

It is not easy for me to share my struggles with you, but I have learned the hard way that our only hope is to humble ourselves.

Luke 14:11

11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

It also says:
2CH 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

May question to you is, are we willing to humble ourselves? If we are, I invite you to come to the altar of the Lord.

God bless you
Pastor Ruiz