Christmas: It's still legal

As Christmas approaches, we wanted to share with you a great message for the Holidays. The Lord led us to design a special "Christmas Still Legal" shirt that boldly communicates one of many realities about Christmas, and that is that Christmas is still actually legal in most states :-) With so much anti "Christian" media propaganda being circulated these days, we can't forget our country was founded and established by Christian values. "...if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name..." 1 Peter 4:15-17

(message continued below)





As Cuban immigrants who fled from an oppressive communist regime, my family embraced the American values and freedoms of this country, and quickly became US citizens decades ago. We came to this country in the pursuit of the American dream and the ability to worship God freely.

I must tell you something, my mom startled me the other day when she said "Aurelio, I'm afraid the conditions in this country are starting to resemble a lot like when Castro took over Cuba. We lost our freedom of speech, our freedom to worship and our human rights as citizens. The 'State' took over and controlled everything" I was shook to my core when she told me this. I was amazed at how this could happen again. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9

With all of this said, please pray for this country and be grateful to God for our current freedoms. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:7-9 Celebrate Christmas this year openly with others. You may very well be the closest "Jesus" to someone this Christmas. And remember to love God by loving others, in the name of Jesus :-)

Who are you?

Do you ever feel like you have no identity, like you don’t fit in anywhere? Do you ever feel rejected or condemned? God says in the Bible that if you’ve put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, He sees you as ‘holy and blameless’. As His child, you belong to Him and are awesome in His sight. So why don’t you feel that way? Could it be that you don’t choose to believe and trust the truth of God’s Word? When you practice your faith by choosing to believe the Bible instead of your feelings, you can experience true joy the way God wants you to.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you DO have an identity and that is as a child of God. God chose you to be in Him before He had created the world. He knew you would be born and be called His very own! He did not just choose you and set you aside for a later time or another place, but He actually made you to be in Him, right NOW! “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” Ephesians 1:4-7

Because you are in Jesus, you are part of His body. And how could Jesus look at His own hand for instance and say it isn’t good? You are pure in His sight because you are now a part of Him. When Jesus sees you, He sees you as clean and innocent not by anything you’ve done, but only by His death. He paid the penalty of your sins with His own life because He loves you so much.

The Lord is more ready to pardon you than you are to sin; more willing to forgive you than you are willing to forgive yourself. Ask Him to forgive you at any time and He will do it. Satan can accuse and attack you all he wants, but remember you are not of Satan you are in Jesus by your faith. As horrible as you may think you are, Jesus washed away your sins; that’s how valuable you are to God. And that’s how powerful His sacrifice was for you. You are His child!

So the next time you feel left out, unworthy or hopeless, choose to believe the truth of God’s Word and be confident that you are ‘holy and blameless’ in the sight of Jesus. And that makes you special to Him regardless how you feel about yourself. Have you confessed your sins and chosen Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of your life? If you have already, then congratulations. If you haven’t, then just do it right NOW. God will forgive you and make you His very own because He loves you just the way you are. =]

I Killed Jesus, and Jesus saved me!

From time to time we develop NOTW shirts that are extremely thought provoking and the newly developed "I Killed Jesus" is most certainly one of them. We are praying that many people will come to faith by the powerful scripture on this shirt and through your efforts in sharing the gospel."...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:15 I have personally worn this shirt and know firsthand how it quickly leads many to ask, "What does this mean?" Please let me share a normal dialogue below that you can expect, and how you can use it to share the gospel message of grace, truth and love of Jesus.

You killed Jesus???...What...???

Yes, it was my sin that sent Jesus to the cross.

What sin? Do you mean to tell me that you are a sinner?

Well yes... I am a sinner, God calls us to be perfect but who is? If you have ever lied, cheated, stolen or even had any bad thoughts in your head, the Bible considers that sin.

Wow...I never really thought of it that way. But why did our sin cause Jesus to be crucified?

Because God sent His son Jesus to this earth to pay the penalty for our sins. In the Bible, God says that the penalty for any sin is hell. I am sure you do not want to go to hell when you die, do you?

God forbid you died tonight, would you go to Heaven? How does a person get to Heaven???

I’ve done more good than bad. I think I am basically a good moral person.

Well... I hate to tell you the bad news, but you cannot earn your way into Heaven by your good works.

Well then, how does a man go to Heaven if we are all sinners and you cannot earn your way into Heaven??

Great question. The Bible says there is only one God, and one way to God and Heaven, and that it is through faith in God's son Jesus Christ.

Do you mean that by simply believing in my heart that Jesus can be my Lord and Savior, I can go to Heaven?

Yes, we are saved by our faith in Jesus. God loves you so much that He sent His one and only son Jesus Christ to save us from the due and just penalty for our sins... Hell.

So how do you get faith? What must a person do to go to Heaven?

You pray to God and ask Him to forgive your sins. You place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, to be the Lord and Savior of your life. You ask God to make you the man or woman He wants you to be.

Moses and his Promise Land - Jesus and His Grace

MOSES, A PILLAR OF FAITH Moses was a great man, a man who responded to God's call on his life and sacrificially served the nation of Israel. Moses could of lived a privileged life as an Egyptian leader, but instead chose to subject himself to a life of sacrificial hardships because he loved God and God loved Him. Moses spent the last 40 years of his life dedicated to leading the Jews to God's "Promise Land". God used Moses to free Israel from 400 years of Egyptian slavery and to take the Jews into God's "Promise Land". A land flowing with milk and honey (Deuteronomy 26:15). By all accounts you can most certainly say Moses was a great man of God (Deuteronomy 34:12). Even the apostle Paul spoke highly of Moses. "By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." Hebrews 11:27

MOSES, PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FAITH & NOT BEING HOLY Once Moses and the Jews reach a place called "The Waters of Kadesh" in the desert of Zin, it is here that Moses faces one of his most challenging trials ever. God tells Moses to speak to the rock in order to get water to flow from the rock (Jews needed water). Instead of Moses obeying God exactly, Moses actually hits the rock in anger. Moses gets upset at the people of God and upset at God, and thus breaks his faith with God. Why? because the Jews who Moses was leading to the Promised Land had actually become expert grumblers over the years (grumblers like you and I). Year after year they complained at Moses, never realizing they were actually grumbling and complaining at God’s given circumstances. In this particular place in their journey after years of complaining to Moses, Moses loses his cool and says things he will regret. God then prevents Moses from ever entering the "Promise Land". "...because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel." Deuteronomy 32:48-52 Because they failed to show self-control, not trusted God and disobeyed God, thousands of them perished before reaching the “Promise Land”. They did not drink of the spiritual water that came for the spiritual rock that was Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:1-6) In spite of God's just punishment of Moses for not being Holy before God and the people of God, Moses was allowed to see the Promise land, but only from afar.

WHO MAKES US HOLY? If Moses being a great man of faith was punished by God for breaking his faith and for not being Holy, what do you think would happen to us today without a savior to makes us Holy? Would we also then only be able to see God’s grace from afar? Not at all, on the contrary, through Jesus believers can experience the “Promise Land” now. Why? because through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we can enter and live within His grace every day, always! What the "Promise Land" was to Moses back then is what the grace of Jesus is for us today. "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" Ephesian 1:4-5 Do you truly appreciate how good we have it? Do you realize that God sees us as Holy and Blameless in His eyes, in spite of our countless sins against man and God. Can you only see Jesus from afar, or do you walk with Him in grace? Remember that when we chose Jesus, we chose grace!

OUR HOPE AND PEACE How often can we inadvertently let God down by our poor thoughts and poor choices, and yet never really pay for our mistakes. How often do we mess up and yet are still allowed into the "Promise Land" of His grace. As I reflect on the precious sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, I see God's grace overflowing in my life giving me everything that I need to be at peace with God. ”Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1 Can you see God's overflowing grace in your life? Has God really treated you like you deserve, or are you like me, a person who God has been given more than he deserves?

OUR PROMISE LAND Today, you and I get to live in God's "Promise Land" through Jesus. While mercy abounded in the old testament for people of faith, grace was brought by Jesus in the new Testament. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 In spite of the ten commandments and the requirements of the law of Moses, people back then got to see God through their obedience and faith in God. The consequences for being Holy back then, are still the same consequences today. Break one commandment, break one law and the penalty from our righteous and just God is still, Hell. And yet today God not only provides us with His mercy, but allows us to partake in the grace of Jesus because of our faith in Him. The grace of Jesus abounds through the sacrificial work of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ leading us into repentance as we realize our unworthiness. The more His grace, the more we realize our sin and the more we are grateful for His forgiveness and providential mercy. And lastly, while we can at times feel convicted leading us to repentance, we are never condemned. Wow, that is true love! "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

Praise Report

Dear Friends in Jesus,

By God's grace and your prayers, you and I got to boldly preach the gospel again this week. Through God's Holy Spirit we shared the bad news of the gospel, as well as the good news of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ! Over 1900 people listened, and 240 people received Christ!

a. Rancho Community Christian - Temecula, 180 attended, 30 decisions.

I challenged the students to only pray to receive Jesus Christ if they were serious about changing their lives and following the teachings of Jesus. To my surprise 30 of them decided to not just believe, but to also follow and obey Jesus! They agreed to not mock God!

b. Synergy Outreach Concert - Palm Desert, 200 attended, 40 decisions.

I shared how I suffered from depression until I got medication. I was then led to pray with a young believer who also suffers from depression. She was relieved just knowing that other believers can suffer from depression as well, and that there was no shame in medication.

c. Spirit West Coast - Delmar, spoke 2 times, 700 attended, 90 decisions.

I am always amazed at how when only given 15 minutes to share the gospel through God's Holy Spirit, people can respond to the call of Jesus. The power of God resides at the foot of the cross.

d. Calvary Chapel - Corona, spoke 3 times, 800 attended, 80 decisions.

We invited our C28 customers to attend all 3 services and over 800 people attended. In the first service a loyal C28 customer drove all the way from Moreno Valley, and to my joy she gave her life to Jesus!

Through your prayers I was able to boast about our Lord Jesus and of His wonderful grace. I spoke on Isaiah 65:1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' And through your prayers God made Himself known to those who did not seek Him.

Who is this King of Glory?

Dear Friends,

This Easter, I don't want bunnies, I want Jesus. I don't want to merely know "about" God, I want to actually "know" God. Who is He, this King of glory, who by His resurrection from the cross saved a wretched soul like me? "Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— He is the King of glory." Psalm 24:10 As a people and nation we are good at knowing "about" God, but poor in actually knowing God. Moses said to God, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:13-14 I'm convicted as I write this because I realize it's easier to merely know about God, than to know Him personally. How often do I want His rest, and yet make little time to be in His presence. Did you know that to have His presence is to have His rest? Will you seek His rest by giving Him your presence through prayer, the reading His Word, worship and/or quiet times with Him alone?

ENTER HIS THRONE ROOM OF GRACE When we spend time with Him, we get to know Him. Spending time with Him through prayer and reading the Bible is more important and beneficial than doing things for Him. God invites us to spend time with Him and gives us access to Him by our faith in Jesus. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16 Imagine that, not a throne of condemnation, not a throne of punishment, but an approachable throne of mercy and grace to help us in our times of need! If you need closeness with God right now and already know Jesus by faith, then enter His throne room with confidence, not scared like a stranger, but with confidence like a child of God. Wow...what a great God!

IT'S WHO YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW OR WHAT YOU DO Will people remember you for the things you did for God? Or, will you be remembered for God's mercy displayed through the grace of Jesus Christ working in you and through you? Will they say you knew the Lord in an intimate way because you believed, trusted and obeyed God? Will they say that even though you made a lot of mistakes in life, you knew God’s grace and believed in Him? "Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." John 6:29 Do you spend time listening to God and therefore know God (know His small voice), or do you merely do things for God? Do you sometimes identify with Martha who knew Jesus as a friend, but did not know Jesus? "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said...She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better..." Luke 10:39-42 Imagine if after all the distractions and busyness of life, when it's all said and done, God said, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:22-23 What a sobering verse for all of us who label ourselves "Christians".

GOD SEES THE LIGHT IN YOU Believer, you may be feeling condemned, beat down, exhausted, and even mourning over your countless sins. But know with certainty that the Lord Jesus sees the "light" in you, the light of His grace working in you that He placed in you. "God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness." Genesis 1:4 You may be convicted by mistakes in your life and feel apart from God; or you may be asking "what light working in me?" But stand firm knowing that God sees His light and that is what matters most (not what we see, but what He sees). Why? Because God is our judge! While we may feel unworthy in our standing with Christ, know that Jesus never loses hope in us because He sees the light that He has placed in us. God sees us as unstained children by our faith in His Son Jesus Christ. "…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 Once in His grip, we are always in His grip. Through our faith in Jesus, sinners like you and I are atoned for, made right, forgiven 100%. When we repent, turn to Him and believe in Him, we are saved forever! That is how powerful, perfect, righteous, and majestic His sacrifice on the cross was for our sins. We sinned but He paid our debt--that's His wonderful grace.

REST EASY You may already know Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, and yet at times feel at war with God. Take heart--you are not alone. Please know it doesn't matter whether you feel like you are innocent or not, what matters is that your judge (God) sees your innocence through His Son Jesus. The truth is that through Jesus we have peace with God whether we feel like it or not. Jesus said at the cross "…"It is finished"..." John 19:30 meaning His job had been completed for those who would believe in Him. Jesus was the perfect man for the perfect sacrifice because He was God in the flesh--sinless. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand..." Romans 5:1-2 All of us go through dry times in which we feel apart from God, but rest easy knowing our faith in Jesus gives us the "justified" and permanent standing that God requires. We can rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus because our past, present and future sins have been paid for by His blood. Will you now take the time to look towards Him in prayer and receive His grace? If you need to repent from your sins before God, then do it right now. Cast your cares upon Him and ask Him to help you; He will do it! "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

REJOICE, I SAY IT AGAIN REJOICE This Easter, will you turn from your self-sufficiency and look to the Lord Almighty, our King of Glory? Will you turn your face to God in all humility and allow the grace of Jesus to give you rest and peace? "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26 Turn your attention to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the One who took our place on the cross for our sins, and rejoice in Him. If you already know Jesus by faith, take the time to reflect on the cost of your salvation and celebrate it with gladness and a grateful heart. Will you go out of your comfort zone and share the "Good News" of your salvation with others? Will you share the love and grace of the risen Lord Jesus with those who do not deserve it? If you do, God will be glorified in your life :-)

New It's Not About The Bunny Shirts

This shirt was designed to remind us of what Easter is all about, and that is Jesus Christ =].

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C28 Interview on CBN

Please check out this cool CBN interview of our C28 Richmond and C28 Virginia Beach Franchise stores HERE.

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New Brand - CanvasThreads

Please check out our new clothing brand 'CanvasThreads' where the shirts are designed and chosen by YOU--the public! Graphic artists can win $400 for their Christian shirt designs and the shirts are sold on www.canvasthreads.com.


About C28
C28 is a Christian store chain, featuring a large selection of bold Christian gifts, such as t-shirts, purity rings, music, and accessories.

What is Canvas?

Dear C28 Friends,

As you may know, a few months ago we launched a new site and Christian t-shirt brand called 'CANVAS' for the purpose of giving graphic artists everywhere an opportunity to design shirts that glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the CANVAS brand spun off C28, we have been led to give CANVAS its own identity as a brand.

Please enjoy the new look of the CANVAS site and if you haven't yet joined the CANVAS community we encourage you to do so!

Canvas - An international artist community where the shirt designs are designed by YOU and chosen by YOU!

Canvas is a community voting website that allows you to express yourself and glorify God through your art. The community votes on Christian t-shirt designs submitted by Canvas members. The winning designs are printed under the Canvas Label in limited runs, for purchase through C28.com, C28 stores, and other select Christian retailers.






About C28

C28 is a Christian store dedicated to sharing the gospel through apparel. The Christian clothes, Christian jewelry line, music, and accessories all support a positive Christian lifestyle.