West Vision

Helping from the heart means giving purely out of love and empathy, completely detached from the desire for applause or public recognition.

When we serve others in secret, our focus stays entirely on the person in need rather than on building our own reputation. This quiet, selfless approach closely mirrors the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6:3–4, which instructs: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." True generosity doesn't need a stage; it finds its fulfillment simply in knowing it made someone else's burden a little lighter.

Sometimes the battles we fight in life come close to overtaking us. But just in the nick of time, things change. That's because my God is an on-time God. And He is always right on schedule. Isaiah 60:1 says: "arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

As 2023 winds down and we anticipate the start of a new year we must continue the transformation that those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus have started. The old year is ending and while the new year approaches, some of the same challenges believers faced in the last twelve months are going to be with us into 2024. But our faith must never waver. Because God will always be by our side. We continue to build upon the rock that the builders rejected. Psalm 118:22-23 tells us" “the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the LORD had done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Oh and before I forget, let us always be ever mindful that no matter how many times a snake sheds its skin, it will always be a snake. Keep that in mind as we head into the new year. Have a blessed and enjoyable Saturday.

When you serve in Christian ministry, sometimes the monotony can be overwhelming. When you're charged with pastoral care, the burden is often multipled. That is why today it was refreshing when, in the midst of an outreach at the Barranco Evangelical Church, the young man shown in the picture, ignoring all the noise around, walked up the his pastor and said "I want to pray for you." He proceesed to lay hands on his pastor, and prayed for her. When he was finished, the boy proceeded to get his toys and joined other children and young people at play outside while the adults carried on inside. It reminds me of Psalm 8:2 in the English Standard Version which declares: "out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger." To God be the glory, now and forevermore, Amen.

Practice makes perfect; but our mindset can make the best laid practice nothing but a total waste of time. You see, our attitude dictates our altitude in life. Remember that in today's world, "people may hear your words, but they feel your attitude." (John C. Maxwell) If you can confidently boast that it doesn't take much for you to go from 0 to 90 in terms of getting angry, that should be your first indication of a disaster waiting to happen. When we get angry, our mouth tends to move at twice the speed at which our brain can process things. And that is never a good place to be. Brothers and sisters, as we go about our daily activities today, may we be armed with the words of Romans 15:5, which tells us: "may the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had," Amen. In other words, as Brian Tracy puts it: "you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you." A blessed Thursday everyone.