tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205111662009-10-01T09:25:45.993-07:00Welcome to a cyberdevotional from Santa Rosa Adventist Church. This column focuses on Biblical topics that can help life work better.Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-90847524620317039762009-01-02T11:35:00.000-08:002009-01-02T11:36:06.271-08:00

Book ReviewKnight, George R. The Apocalyptic Vision and the Neutering of Adventism. Hagerstown, MD. Review and Herald, 2008 I just finished reading this short book (107 pages) and thought a short review might interest you. Let me start with the end in mind. This is what Dr. Knight says as he concludes the book. It is a comment as to where this book came from. This book comes from the core

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-89206667217740997462008-09-18T11:34:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:36:54.011-07:00

Book ReviewHaugen, Gary A. Just Courage. Downers Grove, Il. Intervarsity Press, 2008 I just finished reading this book this week. This book was written by Gary A Haugen, who gave up a six figure income to work with the International Justice Mission, an organization dedicated to living out God’s command from Isaiah 1:17, “…learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-81206386335711348362008-04-23T18:53:00.000-07:002008-04-23T18:54:59.243-07:00

Book Review: “UnChristian,”by Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 2007 This book is the result of a research study looking at what today’s generation, those between the ages of 16-29, think about Christianity. I think this is something that should interest us all since that is the generation we have lost or are losing in the Adventist church. Did you know that

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1354653668739715772008-01-29T13:30:00.000-08:002008-01-29T13:31:48.588-08:00

I first heard of Mike Yaconelli the first time I attended a Youth Specialties conference. Later, I found out he was the co-founder of Youth Specialties, a ministry for youth pastors and youth workers. Shortly after I moved to California in 2003, I heard he died in an auto accident here in Northern California, where he lived. Messy Spirituality is the last book he wrote. In it, he focuses on

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-78235128067738028142007-10-10T16:51:00.000-07:002007-10-10T16:52:39.519-07:00

Book Review: Escape from the Flames: How Ellen White grew from fear to joy.Thompson, Alden. Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press 2005 In the Adventist church, Ellen White is probably best known for her writings, especially her counsel to the Church and her devotional commentaries on the Bible. But, she was also one of the founding members of the Adventist church, who grew and matured as she traveled

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-76016390156784473892007-06-29T15:54:00.000-07:002007-06-29T15:55:38.303-07:00

Book Review: “Generous Orthodoxy,” McLaren, Brian, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2004 “The world has changed. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was, is lost, for none now live who remember it.” (Galadriel of Middle Earth) Are you are familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings? Have you read the books? This line comes from the first book, “The

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-24329357507366212182007-06-29T15:33:00.000-07:002007-06-29T15:48:58.835-07:00

You might be wondering why we worship on Saturday instead of Sunday. The answer is simple. Let me explain… God loves us. He loves us so much he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us, to die a death you and I inevitably will face and unfortunately deserve (John 3:16). The Good News is if we choose to believe in Him and accept Him, and this gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8, 9), we can have eternal

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1170964515960121902007-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:002007-02-11T00:25:05.480-08:00

Integrity is an excellent, thought provoking book on a subject of great importance. Often, we don't realize the importance of living lives of integrity. Dr. Cloud challenges us to think about integrity in three different areas: Competencies (the things we do), Relationships (our interactions with people), and character (who we are).Integrity, Cloud, Henry, Harper Collins, New York, N.Y., 2006An

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1170446005651827902007-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:002007-02-02T11:53:25.663-08:00

“Where are you?” God calls Adam after his fateful choice in the garden. Not long before, God and human beings had walked and talked together as friends. Suddenly, a rupture (a chasm) opened between the visible world of Eden and the invisible world of God. Separation was not God’s plan. For thousands of years, people accepted the fact that there were two worlds, the visible and the

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1140570292007722602006-02-21T17:04:00.000-08:002006-02-24T10:23:50.103-08:00

Our hearts hunger for order in the chaos of this life. We long for connectedness, for community with other people, for meaningful relationships with others. We strain to see God in this world, to hear God’s voice and discover our purpose on this earth. Our desire is to understand God, the world around us, and our relationship to others.In the beginning of this earth’s history, when there was

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1140207671029304332006-02-17T12:13:00.000-08:002006-02-20T16:15:30.706-08:00

Have you ever made a mistake? Welcome to the human race. It just means you’re alive and human.The Bible says in James 3:2, "We all stumble in many ways." We’re all living proof of this verse. But every one of us wants to succeed at everything we do, nobody wants to be a failure.I’ve never met anybody in life who’s said, “My goal in life is to fail.” Everyone wants to succeed. As a society, this

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1139851546644587712006-02-13T09:24:00.000-08:002006-02-13T09:26:07.176-08:00

This week, I invite you to devote your time to focusing on God's love for you. Imagine Him sending you a valentine or love letter. What would it look like? What might it say?Look up Deuteronomy 33:12, Ephesians. 5:1, Colossians 3:12, how might God address you?Here are some more…write down a letter to you from God using these verses: Isaiah 43:4, Isaiah 62:3, Jeremiah 31:3, and Zepheniah 3:17.

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1138853033472143292006-02-03T19:56:00.000-08:002006-02-05T18:41:59.260-08:00

As we near Valentine's Day, I invite you to reflect on your relationships, especially your relationship with your spouse:How do you communicate love to your spouse?What is his/her primary love language? What is yours?Dr. Gary Capman speaks about five love/relational languages (they are lised below). You can find out more at www.fivelovelanguages.com. I invite you consider these as you reflect

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1138392786815059062006-01-27T12:12:00.000-08:002006-01-27T17:34:47.393-08:00

I have been reading through the Psalms with a friend (two psalms a week) for over 10 months or so. I have learned much from David and Asaph and other writers who penned these devotional reflections. Below are my thoughts on one psalm. I invite you to reflect on it this week.PSALM 56“Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. My

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1137786377530177522006-01-20T11:42:00.000-08:002006-01-25T22:31:24.120-08:00

It seems like many people today lost in the area of personal finances. What’s the solution? Here are some questions to consider:Read Proverbs 28:26. What is a wise decision you have made financially?What is a foolish decision you have made financially? What was the cost (not only the financial cost)?Why does it make sense to take a percentage of your income and live of it?Are you tracking

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1137134421907229452006-01-13T22:39:00.000-08:002006-01-13T00:13:27.973-08:00

Discontentment is robbing our generation. We are bombarded with messages every day that cause us to be unsatisfied with our circumstances. We walk around with this sense, this desire, to upgrade everything we have. The thing is money does not quench hunger; it only causes it to grow. So, what do we do?This week, I invite you to consider the following questions: What do you have that you are

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20511166.post-1136516336253366312006-01-06T18:58:00.000-08:002006-01-13T00:14:20.806-08:00

Have you ever been lost? Maybe it was bad directions, or you took a wrong turn, or something distracted you. Today, million of Americans find themselves lost financially. Are you one of them? If so, how do you find your way to where God wants you to go? As we begin a new year, I invite you to reflect on the following question, maybe even choose someone to discuss them with. What are some

Ron Aguilerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07649016117947829211noreply@blogger.com