Eddie Rivero

The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being. – Lee Iacocca

"That's My King" Video

"That's My King" Video.

"You can't discover new lands until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

Don't Give Up! Read Romans 8:37-38

Never tell me the sky's the limit, when there are footprints on the moon!

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." – Albert Einstein

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failures, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat. — Theodore Roosevelt

Jehovah-Jireh, The God Who Provides

It's been almost 6 years since we experienced an amazing miracle at a church I pastored in Little Havana.  Just a few days ago, I was facebooked by a former church member that lived the experience and whose life is now dedicated to serving God.  Then today, this article came across my desk again and I said to myself, “Lord, you must want someone to hear this story again.”  So I share this in hopes of sowing a seed of faith into someones heart that may need to hear this miracle of provision.  Maybe you are facing an insurmountable challenge, a huge mountain stands before you, or you are in the midst of a raging storm, whatever the metaphor, I can tell you from past experience that "God answers prayer".  He will see you through and your best days are still ahead of you.  PS:  There are other little stories attached to this miracle, which maybe one day I will put down on paper.

Small church witnesses God’s provision

Mon, 31 Jan 2005 - 12:46 PM CST

A Bible study lesson taught was a lesson learned for members of Centro Cristiano Casablanca in Miami, Florida -- God provides. Prayers concerning church finances have been miraculously answered for the church and its senior pastor, Rev. Eddie Rivero.

On January 19, 2005, the Wednesday evening service was interrupted as a group of about 300 congregants from Miami Vineyard Community Church flooded into the 200-seat sanctuary.

As the congregation of Casablanca sat looking at each other in wonder, Kevin Fischer, pastor of the thousand-member nondenominational church in the suburban Miami-Dade area, handed Rivero an offering of $57,156.25. It was a miraculous answer to prayer.

Casablanca Christian Center is an inner city Assemblies of God church planted by AG U.S. Missions as part of a program called Hispanic Project 2000. The church is located in the heart of Little Havana in Miami, where drugs, crime and vandalism are common.

Now led by Rivero, a bilingual Cuban-American, the small church holds English and Spanish services on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings to reach an area highly populated with immigrants as well as English-speaking second and third generation Hispanics.

Rivero was pastor-founder of New Life Assembly of God, an upper middle class congregation in the Miami Springs area, for nine years. He was assigned by the Peninsular Florida district to oversee Casablanca in November of 2003. The two churches joined under Casablanca’s roof located on Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street), a well-known street in Miami’s historic Little Havana, in March of the following year.

Separately each church had experienced its own share of struggles, but it was in March of 2004 that the newly-joined church was hit hard financially. Rivero reports that by the end of 2004, the church was $19,000 in the red. Rivero had not taken any money out for his own salary in three months.

However, Casablanca never stopped tithing and giving to missions. “We felt God would bring us out of our financial difficulties and that with His help we would ‘give’ our way out,” says Rivero. “God went way over what we expected Him to do.”

At the time, Fischer was preaching a series on giving and stewardship at Miami Vineyard. In the past, the church had been known for its generous offerings to churches in need.

“Pastor Fischer really felt that God was leading us to step up to the plate and do it again for an inner city church,” explains Jim Dimos, business manager at Miami Vineyard.

After much prayer, Fischer felt God leading the church definitively toward Casablanca Christian Center.

“When Kevin [Fischer] called to find out how they could help, I just asked for prayer and that is all I was expecting,” Rivero states. “I knew God would eventually pull us out of our financial problems, but I was not expecting this.”

During the second week of Fischer’s giving series, an offering was taken for Casablanca.

“It [the offering] was dramatically larger that week,” says Dimos. “There was a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in the church.”

Casablanca Associate Pastor Tony Villasuso was leading the English service on Wednesday, January 19 -- a lesson on Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides.

“My associate, not knowing how many people were outside, told them to come in,” Rivero explains. “They began slowly trickling in -- about 300.”

The church was jam-packed when Rivero arrived. Wondering what was going on, he called Fischer up to the pulpit.

“He said, ‘we are on a mission from God’ and handed me a letter,” Rivero states. “I read it and began to cry. Everyone was standing and shouting. It blew us away.”

 

The service ended with prayers of blessing for the churches and pastors, and the two congregations worshipped together.

Rivero says there is still a buzz going on at Casablanca Christian Center and in the community. “It has caused a stir in churches, in the city and in the media. It is a great testimony to the community about two churches from two different backgrounds.”

One un-churched community member told Rivero, “Now I know there is a God who provides.”

Miami Vineyard also saw God’s provision through their giving. “Our tithes and offerings increased 50 percent the week before and the week after the offering was taken for the Casablanca,” says Dimos. “Those additional amounts equaled what we would have normally received -- almost to the penny.”

According to Rivero, Casablanca was able to completely pay off their debt. He says they will use the rest of the money not only to help the church, but to continue their ministry of outreach to the neighborhood in providing food, clothing and other services.

“God has brought us out of a rough financial situation,” says Rivero. “He knew our need. It’s an amazing blessing.”

http://www.miamivineyard.com

http://www.eddierivero.com

Home Construction in Haiti

Mission of Hope's MOH 500 project is going strong with 32 homes completed and another 32 homes currently under construction.

 

Influence of Color

I'm working on rebanding my company (logo, webpage, social media marketing, etc)  Here's an interesting article about "color".

Influence of Color by Pat Verlodt
May, 2001

The color of things around us is often taken for granted. It seems there is a large majority of people who don't give a second thought to the colors around them, they think they fell out of the sky. Very little thought is given to why colors affect us or even the fact that they really do influence us.

Since today's methods of communication has evolved into Web based advertising, it is important that you convey your business's message in the most appropriate way with the most appropriate colors.

We appreciate color in our surroundings, such as the appreciation of a blue sky, a grassy knoll or a garden full of colorful blooms. Most of us are sensitive to the color we wear; although many wives claim their husbands are color blind. We are affected by colors in our personal environments but often do not understand why we dislike or feel uncomfortable in one room and feel relaxed and contemplative in another. Color plays a very important role in our lives and the right color for your company's image is absolutely crucial.

Advertising gurus know the value of good color selections in the marketplace, as do designers of the products they tout. Our buying habits can be biased by the careful use of color. The appropriate color can make the difference between a best seller and a dud. So where do you fall? What can you do to improve your image in the marketplace or on the Web?

Since yellow pages offer no opportunity for the use of color then Web pages and advertising collateral are the obvious vehicles to employ the principles of good color use.

What are the "correct" colors? Blue Moods:  A large part of a color's message is part of our own built in instincts of what a color means. We are often reminded of tranquility when we see blue, as it is representative of blue skies and calm blue waters. Human beings are drawn to water as a primordial instinct--we need it to live and it makes up a large part of our matter and being. When asked to think of a place that comforts and relaxes us most people will say an ocean or lake view, a waterfall or a clear sunny day--all with the color blue in common. Blue is also one of the first colors we see as infants and on the side of physics, blue is on the low end of the visible spectrum and therefore less jarring. Blue comes in many forms from red side blues that include periwinkles and cobalt blues to deep midnight blue, navy, sky and baby blue. The green side of blue includes aquas and peacock blues.

Bright blues are eye catching and make an impact. They make good backgrounds for white copy; light and soft blues are good backgrounds for black copy. Subdued blues, such as navy and dusty blue, are more serious and trustworthy.

Green, the Color of Money:  Green is often connected with the memory of green grass and trees; it is the color of new growth, health and vitality. Green as a color denotes friendship and conversation. Banks use green because it is comforting while at the same time it reminds us of money. It can be a high end green such as forest green or a jazzy green such as lime. Bright greens can catch the eye but they do not convey the idea of quality and value, stick to dark green for that reaction

Yell for Yellow:  Bright yellow is the most visible and eye catching color, and it is a perfect background for black copy. It is a warm, sunny, exciting color and is connected with youth, vibrancy and outgoing personalities. It is a major component in fast food signage, along with orange and red because it excites and expresses speed. Yellow combined with white loses its impact and is good in large amounts due to its brightness.

Orange You Glad:  This warm shade is often misunderstood. It is associated with inexpensive products, i.e.: Howard Johnson signage. It is associated with autumn and therefore the end of a season. It currently is enjoying an up trend in fashion, but that usually doesn't last long. It is homey and can be exciting in its brighter shades and is traditional in the terra cotta shades. Peach and tangerine shades are more feminine than the deeper rust shades.

Red is Ready:  Red is a very common color to find in graphics and signifies passion and power. It falls in the far end of the visible spectrum and therefore can agitate in large amounts for long periods of time. It loses its power in the light shades for rose and pink and takes on a sweet, feminine persona.

Purple Power:  This hip shade is a newcomer to many markets. It was once thought of as a feminine color then the line dividing male and female colors was obliterated and it appeared on automobiles, once thought to be a male dominated product. It also appeared in men's clothing such as ties and shirts and most of all on sporting goods for both sexes. It has the reputation of being regal and royal but also youthful and fun. Children often pick purple as their favorite color.

Putting it Together:  Colors never stand alone; they must always be used with other colors. Putting the right colors with the wrong colors can destroy their impact, so follow these simple rules:

1. Select background colors that are a strong contrast to the copy used with them, such as black on white or yellow, light letters on dark backgrounds.

2. Select a color that you feel gives your message impact. If you stress trust then use blue, if you stress excitement use yellow, etc.

3. Look at color combinations used in current advertising for influence, such as the yellow, orange and red used by fast food restaurants to indicate speed and efficiency; red, white and blue for patriotic. Red, yellow and blue are considered youthful.

4. Use colors of the same temperature together to reinforce a feeling. Blues and greens together are soothing. Reds and yellows together are bold and exciting.

5. Use opposite colors for impact. Colors that are a mix of a warm color and a cold color can create impact and interest, such as blue and yellow together.

6. Avoid using colors that have a history or other meaning such as red and green (Christmas), orange and aqua (Howard Johnson's), etc. Color is part of your life whether you like it or not, so use it to your advantage to send silent messages to your clients via your Web page or advertising material.

Pat is president of Color Services and Associates, Inc., a color consulting firm.  She can be contacted at patscolor@aol.com.

 

http://www.theriverogroup.com

http://www.eddierivero.com