Shepherd's Watch Ministries

To my fellow Believers in Christ regarding tonight- Halloween: It's not what you take away from a holiday, it's what you add to it- Jesus Christ! Romans 14:5 One person decides that one day is holier than another. Another person decides that all days are the same. Every person must make his own decision.... BE ENCOURAGED! See more

America experienced what is known today as The Great Depression. It lasted from August 1929 to June 1938, almost 10 years. The economy was devestated when the stock market crashed in October 1929. Over 10,000 banks failed, unemployment rose to 23.6% at its peak. Food and bread lines could be seen everywhere. This dark period and these significant events lasted from 1929 through 1941. In President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 inaugural speech he told the nation- "the ...only thing to fear, is fear itself." He went on to lead our nation out of despair until his death in office. Proverbs 9:10 tells us- The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. The word fear in the Hebrew means "awe". When we have an "awe" or reverence for the Lord, fear no longer has a stronghold over us. It's at that point that wisdom opens up our eyes and hearts to rely on God and not look to "man" to calm our fears and deliver us from whatever we are going through. Today, we are experiencing a great depression in so many areas in this country and our lives. But know and believe this- no political leader, new government edics, executive orders, programs or government money will calm our fears. Our fears will only be calmed when we look to Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. He promised this when He told us in His Word- "let not your heart be troubled." If Jesus calmed the storm, imagine how He can bring calm into your life if you lo let Him! BE ENCOURAGED! Message With A Purpose Ministry Pastor Jim Olaiz, Jr.

Message With A Purpose Change Begins From The Inside Matthew 21:1-9... When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the crowd was hoping He would be the one to fix their external problemtheir oppression by the Romans. As He entered Jerusalem, they cheered and praised Him. The laid their coats and branches in His path as He rode a young donkey. Unbeknownst to them, the problem was not with what was going on around them. The problem was their unrepentant hearts and unfaithful relationship with God. The lyrics in the Michael Jackson song Man in the Mirror opens up with a decision being taken, to making a change. It’s at that moment when you are so fed up, that you finally decide enough is enough! It’s that time in your life when you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. So often we can’t impact the world around us, especially with those things that are out of our control. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. But if we set our minds and hearts to making a difference, then change begins within ourselves. We must look inwardly first, that includes taking a hard look at our relationship with Christ. Scripture tells us in John 15:4-6 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. So if you are concerned over unsettling changes in your life, your family, in our country and in our world, then take a hard look in the mirror. Ask yourself, Where am I with my relationship with the Lord? Be honest! I know that’s difficult for us, but it’s the only way to start to make a difference. Remember, there’s always room for improvement. Prayer: Father, speak to my heart. I’m open to your Word as I reconcile my life with you. Show me where I need to improve. Help me to manage my thoughts, words and actions so they bring honor and glory to your name. Work within me to be a genuine ambassador for You to the world around me. I know I won’t be perfect until I am in eternity with you. But, help me recognize and acknowledge my sins and confess them to you. I will know then, that I can press on in life with joy, a safe and peaceful mind and a love for others in my heart. BE ENCOURAGED! Pastor Jim Olaiz, Jr. Message With A Purpose

Message With A Purpose: Give Us a King Like the Rest of the Nations I Samuel 8:1-22 The nation of Israel in the Old Testament came to point in time where they no longer wanted God to guide and rule over them. The prophet Samuel, who was appointed by God to lead them and judge over their disputes and problems. As he grew old, Samuel appointed his sons to take over his responsibilities. However, they were not men of integrity and good character.... But rather than to ask Samuel to intervene with the Lord on their behalf to provide them a new leader, they demanded a different option. The nation of Israel no longer wanted the Lord to rule over them. They were outright rejecting God from their homes, schools, places of worship and most importantly- their lives. Samuel was displeased with their request, but he took their demands to the Lord. The Lord responded by saying- Do everything they say to you . . . for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their King any longer. But the Lord in His true gracious attribute gave a warning to give to the Nation of Israel. He said to Samuel to relay this warning- Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them. Samuel conveyed the Lord’s warning and then added more serious warnings that was coming with their choice. Read I Samuel 8:1-22 for all the details. Our nation is entering into a new era tomorrow. An era that has been preceded more and more by the rejection of the Lord in literally in every aspect of our society. The Lord no longer is welcomed in a multitude of places, like- our schools, halls of justice, our venues of democracy and more importantly, our lives as a nation. In closing; there are two things to remember. One; The Lord always has a purpose in what He does. The bible and world history are replete with examples of good and bad leaders. And, the Lord will accomplish His purpose through whichever leaders He puts in place and allows. And, when He is done with His use of a particular leader, He will remove them. Two; GOD IS IN CONTROL So do as the scriptures tell us- pray for those in authority. At times it doesn’t make sense when we are instructed to do something that the Lord as ordained. But Proverbs 3:5 tells us- Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. BE ENCOURAGED! Pastor Jim Olaiz, Jr. Message With A Purpose Ministry

Message With A Purpose: It's been mentioned in the past few weeks that Christians should remove themselves from several media platforms, e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Why? Because the bias and the censorship against those who post conservative or faith-based opinions. I weighed the pros and cons to removing myself for sometime. There is credence to deleting these accounts, no doubt. And I respect these points of view. However, I've decided to keep my acco...unts open for one simple reason- to continue to share the gospel of Christ. It's my assertion that I, as a pastor, need to use whatever means to continue communicating God's Word- especially in these trying times. Can you imagine how Paul the apostle would have used these media platforms to do his God given calling to share the Gospel. Look at how much ground he covered with just what he had available to him. Horseback, camel, walking, synagogues, open amphitheaters, private homes and anywhere he could stand and speak. Now, image if he were alive today with what we have available to reach people today? It's for this reason that I will be keeping these account open to do the work that the Lord has called me to do. I believe that the unsaved (pre-saints) need to hear the Lord's salvation message. And the saved (saints) need encouragement, hope, teaching and strengthening. Especially now! I truly believe that there is one more great rival and last calling to Christ, offering salvation and forgiveness of sins before HE returns. And, with that rival, a great harvest of saved souls will follow, for the Lord's glory and for an everlasting life in eternity with Him. So to that end, going forward, I will be; one, sharing under a new banner of "Message With A Purpose", to reach you all and anyone you share my messages with to accomplish my goal. And, two; to invite other pastors to join me in keeping their accounts open to perpetuate the Word of God. (Pastors, feel free to use the attached logo if you decide to join me when you post your uplifting messages). My request of you my "friends", "followers", etc., is share any of messages that you find redeeming to those who you are connected with. Join me as we move forward encouraging others and caring for others in these upcoming challenging times ahead. Make no mistake, their is storm brewing. Let's prepare ourselves and share with other to "Good News" of Christ. The beauty of you all joining me is- if anyone of us get's censored or banned, there is more of us to keep the Lord's Word moving forward! BE ENCOURAGED! Pastor Jim Olaiz, Jr. See more

Let's celebrate all this week the birth of the Savior, our Savior- the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. In spite of all the restrictions we are currently living under, remember that we are free in Christ. BE ENCOURAGED!