Running the Race

Based on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New King James Version)

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Vince Lombardi once said: “I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” For how many things do we fight for in life? There are many children and young people that start fighting very early in life, trying to stand out in school, spending long hours studying and doing homework for many years so they can get good grades, with the goal to get into a good university. And when they get into that university, the fight gets even harder, possibly spending many nights without sleeping, without having some fun, abstaining from some enjoyment and hobbies with the goal to earn that degree they want so much. And of course, when they graduate, they have only arrived to the start of a long professional career, where they have to work even harder so they can get a good job, or be able to excel and achieve the goals they have set for themselves (which could take years), and if they find the opportunities they need.

In a similar manner, there are many young people that also work very hard at a favorite sport, spending many hours of their free time doing exercise, practicing, and training to be the best, trying to produce much fruit from their natural talent. Quite possibly, they try to eat healthy, leaving aside any bad vices that can only hurt their bodies. And those that focus even more try to carefully pick their friends and relationships so that they don’t get involved with any bad influences, those that can drag them down at a given moment and ruin a stellar career quite quickly. Both the intellectual and the athlete work very hard to exceed their own expectations. And in that dedication, a special care or love is cultivated which pushes them to even make hard sacrifices with the goal to reach their dreams and goals. Many things in life demand love and passion so a person can stand out and be the best. It demands sacrifice.    

The Apostle Paul speaks in the same manner about our walk with the Lord. Even more so, he uses the metaphor of a race to be able to explain the level of dedication we need to apply to something so important as a spiritual race. Running is probably the most difficult of sports because it is the one that is within most people’s reach. So, since many can do it, then special and more drastic measures need to be taken to be able to stand out. To be a competitive runner, extreme physical rigor that demands: a very strict diet, high physical demand, and even more important, a great ability of concentration, especially when doing distance running, are required.   

Let’s think a bit about what it takes to run a long distance, like a marathon. The official distance for a marathon is 42.195 kilometers, or 26.219 miles. The men’s world record was set by Dennis Kimetto of Kenya. He established the record in the Berlin Marathon in 2014 with a time of 2:02:57. To be able to achieve that time, he had to keep an average speed of 20.58 kmh or 12.79 mph. He sustained an average of one kilometer in less than three minutes, or one mile in less than five minutes. Not only did he have phenomenal physical endurance, but he was also able to sustain incredible speeds for a human. Can you imagine the incredible determination and training this man had to have to be able to achieve such a record?

Now, coming back to something of more importance, especially considering that it is related to immortality, and not to the terrestrial and material (that today is, but goes away tomorrow), the writer of Hebrews taught us this: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4. To be able to run as needed, we need to get rid of unnecessary weight. The runner is extremely light physically, and what they wear to run is also extremely light. We should fight for the same thing spiritually.

But each race has a goal, a focus; something that motivates us to run. The Bible teaches us this: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Our race should be for love, and nothing else. It should be about loving God back because He loved us. That should be the reason for running. For it is also written: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:8-10.

What does loving God consist of? “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.” Deuteronomy 11:1. If we really love God, we will look to obey Him, running our race in Him with patience, knowing that someday we will see Him face-to-face. One day, we will get to the goal, if we genuinely run towards the goal. Now, are you running the race, because you love Him for what He has done for you? Lord bless! John

Giving to the Lord

Based on Mark 12:38-44 (New King James Version)

“Then He said to them in His teaching, ‘Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.’ Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.’”

Francis of Assisi once said: “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Sometimes, people don’t get involved with certain things either because they think it may be difficult, because of fear, or because they believe it is impossible to make some sort of difference. Doing what is right is never easy. Possibly, and humanly speaking, doing what is right can be the most difficult thing to do at a given moment. To be able to understand a little more, we must deepen into something very critical: understanding that there is such a thing as absolute truth.

One of the biggest problems that exist today is relativism, and of course, it becomes even a larger problem when trying to use that way of thinking with the desire to remove God from things. A very serious problem today is being able to define right and wrong. Through relativism, being able to distinguish between right and wrong is put under a very subjective focus. In other words, the question turns rather quickly into: does something seem right or wrong to you? From the moment that something is taken to an opinion, and God is taken out of the equation, it will turn into something very subjective, and of course, relative to what an individual wants or desires to think; to do as they please. In other words, relativism tries to take God off His universal throne (if it were possible), and it sits each human being on their own throne, giving them an apparent power over universal reality by using something as limited and fallible as an opinion. This is very problematic.

Let us take this to a very common idea that exists today, in that many opine that all religions take you to the same god. Basically, many think that the Judeo-Christian God is the same god of the Muslims, and the same god of other religions also. How could have the same god told us that Jesus was His Only Begotten Son from the heavens when He was baptized by John, and at a different time, tell Muslims centuries later that Christ was only a prophet and that Muhammad is a superior prophet, and that we the Christians are the devil? At very minimum, it is quite confusing, no?

And here is where our reading today comes in. There is such a thing as absolute truth, and it is defined by a person (by God through His Word). If we cannot believe in absolute truth, then morality is useless. And of course, why worry then about hypocrisy, trying to do what is right, and even sacrificing yourself for what is good? Blessed be God that He exists, and that He has given us the knowledge of good and evil; but also, giving us a way to able to reach eternal life, despite our evil! It is good that such a thing as the knowledge of good and evil exists. What is the value in that? Let’s take this to a personal level. What would happen if someone killed someone that you loved very much just because they felt like it, and there was nothing to hold them back or punish them for their action? How would you feel? And not only that there is nothing to hold them back or punish them, but even more, they are congratulated and rewarded for the wrong they did? Let’s take things to something that people don’t consider being “that bad”, like lying. Do you like being lied to and deceived? Are you understanding the value of right and wrong, and why it cannot be subjective or relative?   

And now, beyond good and evil, God did something even greater than justice itself. He gave His Only Begotten Son, a holy and sinless Being, that never did wrong, so that people like you and me (that have sinned and have done wrong many times throughout our lives) can have the hope of eternal life, and the knowledge to do those things that please God because they also produce good and blessing for others. As it is written: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. And this is what His Son suffered for us: “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” Isaiah 53:3-9. Was it fair? Not in the least. It is not fair for a truly good being to be sacrificed for those that do not do good. Notwithstanding, here is where we see the value of our God: A God of love, of mercy, of teaching, and of instruction for universal good (not for a subjective good).

And finally, God offers us salvation so we can be a part of the plan to help others. He desires for good to be permanently flowing. For it is also written: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’” Mark 12:29-31.

Do you want to do the impossible? Do what is necessary, surrendering your life completely to a God that truly loves; do the possible, and dedicate your life to Him because that is what is fair (He has given you everything, even though you cannot fully understand it); and you will find yourself very soon doing things that you never imagined—the impossible. Lord bless! John

The Lord is Our Help

Based on Psalm 121 (New King James Version)

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.”

I think we can all agree that we live in an imperfect, and sometimes, harsh world. In general, many injustices and pain occurs. For example, there are people that die from hunger every day, including innocent children. The statistics are as follows according to “world hunger statistics” (statisticbrain.com): Each year, 7,665,000 die from hunger. Out of that, 1,250,000 are children. There are about 945,000,000 people that do not have enough to eat daily, including 11% of homes in the US are at risk of hunger. There is hunger basically all over the world.

There are people that die every moment for different reasons. In 2014 in the US alone, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the statistics are as follows: 2,626,418 died that year. 614,348 of those died because of heart problems. 591,699 died because of cancer. 147,101 died because of chronic breathing problems. 136,053 died because of some sort of accident. And the rest died because of stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, influenza or pneumonia, nephritis, nephritic syndrome, or nephrosis. Incredibly enough, 42,773 of those deaths were because of suicide. In other words, almost 5 people per hour committed suicide. 42,773 people in the richest country of the world took their lives because they felt that there only solution was death!

And with all of this, we can include thousands of people in the entire world that have lost their lives due to war (like in Syria where we saw many people brutally murdered because of someone that is power-hungry). Natural disasters have also claimed lives like in Peru and Colombia. Desperation grows incredibly in different countries of the world like in Venezuela because of people in power that have a corrupt mind; or like in Central America because of delinquency, violence, and crime. And to all of this, we can add terrorist attacks like the ones in Russia and Sweden that just happened days ago; and in Egypt more recently, where two Coptic Christian churches were attacked where 43 people lost their lives.

We are surrounded, one way or another, by: death, disaster, hunger, sickness, etc. This is our reality, no matter how many people try to avoid the thought, thinking that if they ignore it, that it will not get to them. And as we can understand; neither money, nor power, nor a stable location, nor youth, nor any other thing can assure us that nothing will happen to us. We need help! Or at least, people with some sort of intellect understand that help is needed (because we are too vulnerable and limited).

The good news is that God offers us help, especially during our moments of need. Now, can God help us with our daily problems? Yes, He can! The Word of God says that He listens to those that love Him and follow Him. The Lord can do great things in our lives and around us. But, does God answer everyone’s prayers as they would like Him to? And the answer is, “no”. God is not a magician, or a genie, or least of all, our servant. Here is where many make the mistake, especially when they look for the Lord because of an interest, or just for the “fish and loaves of bread”. And of course, here is where many lose interest for God, because He does not answer their wishes, or because they don’t get what they want.

The help that the Lord offers goes beyond the material, the physical, and trivial needs. What the Lord tries to affect with His help not only involves the momentary need, but also, the need in the long run, and the eternal. And to be able to understand this, it is necessary to get rid of a superficial and selfish mindset. It is necessary to go far deeper, where values are greatest. Now, do I say this so I can give some sort of air of security to faith, to be able to respond to those that doubt the existence of God, His power, and His omnipotence? Of course not! It is relatively easy for God to do whatever He wants. God can defeat entire armies now, just as He did during Biblical times. If you doubt that, just read recent history about the Six Day War in June 1967. Many people with good understanding call the victory “miraculous”. God can raise the dead, heal cancer and other sicknesses (He healed me and that’s why I’m alive today), provide work, supply needs, deal with hunger, and an unlimited number of other things. There is nothing impossible for Him!

But, what do we gain by only getting our daily problems resolved? Lazarus was raised from the dead by the Lord, but he died yet again. Just like if God healed every sickness, those same people that were healed will one day die because of age. Money will all be consumed someday. And of course, even though there are many things that are blessings here and now, they will finish and/or end at some point, if they belong to the material world. So, what kind of help is truly worthwhile?

The most important help has to do with the soul. God is the only one that can regenerate someone’s soul and life; things that this world or anything in it can never change. And this is what God is most concerned with. And by virtue of having the power to regenerate the internal being of a person through Jesus Christ, many miracles and incredible things can happen. For example, if those 42,773 people that took their lives would have understood and accepted Christ as the Lord of their lives, they would be alive today. The addict can leave their vice, whether it be alcohol or drugs. Families can be healed. If we had Christ’s love, we would feed the hungry, help the widow and the orphan. There would be more peace around us. Our prayers would have more power because we would be united under a similar mindset before the Almighty. Christ’s influence would be incredible if we all looked for Him, obeying His Word. The Lord can be our help! And if we die, so what! God is our sure help in eternity, where we will receive the fruit of our hope: eternal life.

So then, are you looking for the help that can only come from God through Christ? Lord bless! John

Keeping the Faith Until the End

Based on Genesis 25:29-34 (New King James Version)

“Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.’ Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright as of this day.’ And Esau said, ‘Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?’ Then Jacob said, ‘Swear to me as of this day.’ So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

The Bible teaches us this: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” Romans 1:17. Why is faith so important? Well, within the natural, it is very important. Because, in the end, the simple definition of faith is: believing in what you cannot see. Whether people realize it or not, everything in the world and each person in the world runs on faith. From when we come out of the womb, we practice faith; even if it is instinctive. One of the first impulses of a newborn is eating. And of course, the newborn does not ask or understand what’s being put in its mouth. The only thing it knows is that it’s hungry, and it will eat whatever is put in its mouth; no doubts. While one grows, someone teaches them how to walk. And, how does it happen? The youngster trusts the person that is holding them in some way, that they won’t let go, and they start taking their first steps, trusting instinctively that their legs will work without understanding how. They know nothing about muscles, about balance, or gravity. But, nonetheless, they push themselves to walk with the help of someone they trust. No matter how you look at it, it’s faith. As children, we accept most things on faith. We accept that what we are taught is true, without having any kind of idea if it is right or not. A human being is not born with knowledge. Everything is learned, especially what is intellectual. When we are adults, we practice faith in different ways. We practice faith when we eat (like when we were children – some things don’t change). We practice faith when we believe an employer will pay us at some point, and we trust that payment will happen timely. We practice faith when we get in a car or in some sort of transport every day, trusting that we will get to our destination. We get on a plane confidently assuming that we will get to where we want to go, flying kilometers or miles above the earth’s surface.

What do these examples have to do with faith? Everything! Regarding food, were you there when the fruits or vegetables were grown, or when the cattle was raised and fed, or when they made the bread, or when all of this was cooked? How do you know if things are healthy or clean? But, without knowing any of that, you ate it, and you did not doubt for an instant. Did you see if the company you work for has enough money in their bank account to pay you? How are you so sure that they will pay you? It’s the same thing with cars and planes. Do you know how they work? Are you certain they will not fail? What assures you? Nonetheless, all these things and more you do without any doubt, without knowing how they work, or without any concrete assurance. All of this and more is done with faith (and in some cases, with either a very incredible or foolish kind of faith, considering the evil that exists, and the negligence we see daily).

But now, we will try to tie all these things together with the passage we read today. We use faith daily, and on things that are here now, but gone tomorrow. Esau sold his birthright (which not only meant succeeding his father as the head of the family, but even more importantly, receiving a special blessing or spiritual privilege that was passed from father to son), for a plate of food. Esau focused more on solving a temporary problem than on the importance of what he was giving up; as a man, and as a being with a soul. Basically, Esau sold the blessing on his soul to supply for a temporary and physical need. He did not apply any faith for the well-being of his family, nor for economic well-being (because by succeeding his father, everything his father owned would have been his), and even less, for his own and his generation’s spiritual well-being. He threw it all away for food! Sounds stupid, right?

Well, the big problem is that many people sell their spiritual and family well-being for things that are not worth much; just to get by or for something temporary; or they sacrifice what is holy for things that only last for a little while, for something short-lived. People prefer to apply their faith to material things, or temporary things, or superficial things, then to apply their faith to save and benefit their own soul. This happens every day! And this is the temptation we face every day, especially as disciples of Christ (those that have decided to follow Christ). There are many temptations, but the main temptation is to abandon the things of God because of sin and the world. There are many that sacrifice their walk with Christ because of giving into their own lust. They give up and go backwards because some sort of need overtakes them, or rather, because they allow themselves to be overtaken. For example, this happens when a believer does not find a mate, and prefers to not only look in the world, but also, starts adopting the practices of the world with the goal to find someone (no matter how). By trying to fill their loneliness, they go away from God. They will fornicate if they have to. They start entangling themselves with the other person’s world. They will unequally yoke themselves. And they will continue falling until they get what they want. But that is not what God teaches. For it written: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:12-15. And there exists an endless number of other examples of how a birthright or blessing from God is sold for things that are not worth much; for temporary and passing things (e.g. because of money, harmful relationships, vices, pride, trying to follow society, things that are abominable to God, etc.). No matter how you look at it, the practice of sin destroys a person, leaving behind damage in this life, but even more importantly, affecting eternity. Nothing in this world should be worth more than your soul. And finally, the Lord says this: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8. God loves you (a lot), but you should also start loving and valuing yourself. Will you acquire and keep your faith in Christ, until the end, no matter what the cost? Lord bless! John

Following the Crowd

Based on Revelation 18:1-20 (New King James Version)

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. ‘The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ ‘And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ ‘They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ ‘Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!’”

Do you remember this very famous quote most parents use to tell their kids: “If everyone else jumped off the bridge, would you jump too?” Even though many of us laughed, or got angry when we were told this, especially when we wanted to do something, I think this saying should be brought back into the repertoire. The issue today is that no one is trying to be better or different to the rest. Instead, everyone is trying to imitate or fit in with the rest of the world. I’m going to sound like an old man, but once upon a time, there was this mentality of bettering oneself that no longer exists. People before wanted to be better, especially as a family. Manners, good customs, morality, etc. use to exist. What happened with our society? Now more than ever exists the desire to imitate and to fit in with the rest; and unfortunately, not for anything good. Even though it is true that much hypocrisy existed or there was some hidden stuff, but, at least the desire to look decent existed. And if that kind of mentality existed, there was a social limit to immorality. Many things were not accepted before because they were viewed as wrong. The issue is that what is wrong has turned into a matter of opinion or perspective. And of course, after applying relativism, what was wrong has been turned into something acceptable. Something that was wrong or unacceptable before is not seen like that anymore, but rather, it is seen as an option or as an alternate lifestyle. And everything is justified with: “If it’s not hurting anyone, then, carry on!”

The tool that has been used to promote this phenomenon (per se), is the media. I’m not going to say that the inventions of radio, television, or the internet are evil within themselves (because they are not). They are tools. A tool is only an object, without reasoning, and without free will. The problem is how the tools are being used. And well, the whole world attentively tries to imitate the evil that is transmitted through these tools. Through the media, a lot of evil has been propagated to all parts of the world. As an example, someone uploads some garbage into youtube here in the US, and in moments or in days, there is someone else imitating it in China. Some may say then, “Down with youtube!” But that is not solution, because the imitation would happen just as immediate once they were exposed to it personally. The only thing difference is that it would take a little longer to happen.

The issue is: “Why are people not teaching anymore to be different?” Things like: “I don’t care if Peter’s parents let him do whatever; you are not going to do the same!” Or, just because thousands of people “come out of the closet” does not mean that it’s acceptable, or least of all, seen as something good before the eyes of God. Neither fornication (having sexual relations with someone before or outside of marriage) or adultery is acceptable either. What is wrong, is wrong, just as the Bible teaches (not opinion or human exaggeration; because there are also things that religious people say that they are wrong, and they are not). The point is that you should be careful with following the crowd nowadays, no matter how shiny, powerful, or untouchable it may seem (as we read about Babylon). An inevitable judgment is coming upon every nation, and even more importantly, upon every person that commits abominations against themselves, and against the Holy God of the universe. Just because your eyes have not seen it up to now (or maybe you have not noticed yet), does not mean that it will not come. Therefore, God says this: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14. God, through Jesus Christ is the only one that possesses the eternal, for it also says: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6. The divine wisdom teaches this also: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Matthew 16:25-27. The world will only bring you destruction. God loves you and wants good for you; that you repent and avoid what is coming; while there is still time. So, are you following the crowd, or following God? Lord bless! John

The Importance of Being Faithful

Based on Ruth 4 (New King James Version)

“Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, ‘Come aside, friend, sit down here.’ So he came aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, ‘Sit down here.’ So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, ‘Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’’ And he said, ‘I will redeem it.’ Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.’ And the close relative said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.’ Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel. Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, ‘Buy it for yourself.’ So he took off his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, ‘You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.’ And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, ‘We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.’ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.’ Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘There is a son born to Naomi.’ And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.”

A.W. Tozer said once: “Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.” One of the hardest things to find in this world is faithfulness. What is normal (or average) is to be unfaithful. Intimate relationships are found among the average. If marriage was not respected before, it is now respected less than ever. Each person puts conditions and limits, with very material and superficial agreements within the marriage. When the other person does not do what they are supposed to, according to some sort of personal criteria (not what God teaches; the Creator marriage), or they do not fulfill the required duties, then divorce or cheating within the marriage occurs. Very few people stay through the difficult moments, or also, they give in to those things where there should not be any negotiation. They remain faithful to evil things, or to a harmful relationship, doing things that go against the will of God. What is written is fulfilled: “They will call good evil, and evil good.”

In the same manner, or to a worse degree, God is treated also. Many so-called believers treat God as a servant. And, God should watch out (per se) if He does not take care of superficial petitions that are prayed for. They think that by dedicating a selfish prayer, focused many times on vanities, that God “has to” answer. God’s will is not looked for, but rather, that “my will” be done. God is demanded upon, without any kind of respect, or fear (let’s not even think that some sort of love exists towards Him). God is simply not thought of as God. Many continue seeing a crucified Christ hanging on a cross; ready to be beaten, insulted, and humiliated. No respect for God exists; but even more, very little faithfulness toward Him.

What does this have to do with today’s passage? Ruth is a Biblical example of faithfulness. Being a woman of pagan background, she knew how to be faithful. If you read the book (which I recommend), you will see that Ruth could have left Naomi alone, a poor widow that also had lost her children (one of which was Ruth’s husband). There was no human relationship between them. But Ruth did not leave her. Instead, despite that she was a pagan woman, she accepted the God of Naomi for the love and faithfulness she had towards her, and she accompanies her mother-in-law back to her land. She found God through her faithfulness, by being faithful to a person that really needed faithfulness. And we see through Ruth that being faithful to good things has rewards. Despite being something detestable to God, because of her faithfulness, not only does she find God’s grace in finding a new life, but also, she becomes part of something supremely important and Holy to God. Her son Obed would come to be the grandfather of King David. Ruth also becomes part of the most important genealogy in history, the genealogy of the Son of God; because the Messiah was to be called the “Son of David”.

God looks for faithfulness in us, in His people. God desires that we become part of something truly special. But if we are unfaithful to Him, will we become part of God’s plans? The evil servant teaches the abuse of God’s grace; that it does not matter what you do; because God remains faithful. But the Bible teaches this: “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, ‘If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?’ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” Ezekiel 33:10-11. It is also written: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9. God’s faithfulness is seen when He forgives our sin when we repent with all our heart; not when we persist in our evil. If you haven’t been faithful, change! So then, are you being faithful to God? Lord bless! John

More Than Words

Based on Isaiah 55 (New King James Version)

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.’ Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.’”

Blaise Pascal once said: “Words differently arranged have a different meaning, and meanings differently arranged have different effects.” Have you ever thought about the nature of words? How did languages come to exist? Why can words affect us positively or negatively? What is really behind words? What is it that gives a word meaning or its value?

If we think about it, in a simple way, words are just letters or characters (like in Asian languages) based on certain sounds, depending on how they are pronounced and put together. In a physical sense, a word is something insignificant. Notwithstanding, for humanity, there can be no communication or understanding without words. It is the only way to understand each other, of being able to talk, to come to agreements, to give value to things, express feelings, stipulate contracts, etc. The only way we can express clearly complete thoughts and ideas is through words. We don’t have another way to communicate effectively. So, how does this collection of letters or characters come to make sense for us (I’m trying to go beyond languages, something deeper)?

Looking at things scientifically, everything that is experienced as a human being on this planet is based on the brain’s interpretations, by receiving electrical signals transmitted by the detectors that are connected to the five sense: vision, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. So then, if our reality is determined by electrical pulsations interpreted by the brain, what is reality? (That’s another topic, but it’s related to what we are talking about today). By joining both things, words work in conjunction with our senses to help us understand and survive on this material world.

Now then, if we introduce the Word of God, the issue is even made more complex. We are getting ourselves into something much deeper: the relationship between the senses, the mind, words, the visible world, and the invisible and eternal dimension. Here is where the idea of words have a multidimensional impact. If we let the Word of God guide us, words are essential, but when interlaced with the soul. In other words, it’s not just about something intellectual, but also of joining words with a person’s soul: the deepest thing in a human being. The words that we find in the Holy Scriptures are more than just good literature, but also, an explanation to the universe and the eternal.

To start, everything began with Almighty God pronouncing or mentioning creation into existence. He spoke and things came to exist; everything that was created (we are not a cosmic accident). Everything was made through the Word of God. For it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4. The Word, or the Logos (in the Greek), was the Word of God made life through Christ. Christ is the Word of God or the action of God. Existence is only possible through Him. The light, trees, animals, stars; from the smallest to the most infinite was made through the Word of God. Humans exist and subsist because the Word of God makes it possible. Every human being lives because the person of God through Christ makes it possible.

And well, there are those that accept the Word of God, and others will not. The Scriptures relate this story: “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.’ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” John 6:60-69. Peter had started to understand the value of the Lord’s words; that they were more than words. It is also written: “But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’’” Luke 4:4. If someone does not realize the importance of what God says, they will never come to understand that everything is in God’s words. They will sink in other words without meaning and significance. The one who looks for God and His Word will find the eternal knowledge that transcends the temporal and imperfect. Do you understand that God is more than words? Lord bless! John

Doing What is Necessary

Based on Acts 6 (New King James Version)

“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.’ And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.’”

Craig Groeschel wrote this once: “Belief overflows to behavior. First, we need to change what we believe. When we truly change what we believe, we'll gladly change how we behave.” There is an incredible number of ideals and beliefs. Most people profess in having some sort of ideal. Even more, there are those that call themselves moderates. They are neither on one side or the other. They are somewhere in the middle. And well, even that is an ideal. Many people try to express what they believe. Many people declare ideals in conversations. They write about their ideals. And they even teach those ideals. There are personal ideals, religious or political ideals, professional ideals, etc. Every person believes in something, or in some things that compose their character or way of being. And of course, it does not matter how much they say it, teach it, or even make a living by writing them. In the end, what a person truly believes will be seen in the way they are; in their behavior.

Now, turning things towards Christian beliefs or ideals, how many profess to believe in God? How many profess to being Christians or followers of Christ? How many preach, teach, or even write about their faith in Christ? Many! So, why are things so difficult? Why is there more disorder than order? Why are there more people with needs than before? Why is there more pain and less hope? Because if we are the number we say we are, at least here in the US, life would not be so difficult. It wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be better. I don’t believe in false doctrines that teach that God will make you rich or that you will never be sick (because that is not what the Bible teaches, or else, Christ and the Apostles would be the first failures), but if we all believe what we say we believe, the world would be a better place. What do we believe then?

For starters, many people would not be so destitute because the church would tend to their needs (not their wishes or excess). There would be less sick people because there would be more power in the church and in its prayer. A local church that practices what the Bible teaches, starting with its pastor, would be a church full of love and spiritual provision. We are called as disciples of the Lord to provide for needs, just like the Lord did while here on earth. He gave love, example, teaching, food, healing, freedom, and even resurrection before He Himself was resurrected. Some will say: “Well, He was the Son of God.” And yes, He was, but He also said that we would do greater things than what He did (John 14:12). The Lord taught this: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” Matthew 25:31-40. Even though we cannot change the entire world (because all of this will pass), that does not mean that we should not fight, and that we should let ourselves be absorbed by the world and by our own sin. We need to fight!

We, as children of God, need to bear fruit, if we really believe what we believe. In the end, what we are will be clearly seen by our actions (our fruits). For it is written: “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:20. And, we will be judged by what we do, or not do. It is also written: “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” 1 John 3:10-11. The Gospel is about our personal salvation, but it is also about following Christ, sharing the Gospel with others, serving the needs of others, and even possibly, suffer tribulation for doing what pleases God (like Stephen). This is also true, although difficult: Just because you do good does not mean that everything will turn out fine here. But, in the end, it is of extreme urgency to do what is necessary; for your own good and for others. Are you doing what is necessary for the Lord? Lord bless! John

Followers of Jesus

Based on 1 John 2:1-17 (New King James Version)

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

One of the most abused verses, per se, is the first verse of today’s passage. It is used many times to preach a very liberal gospel. It is taken out of context and used to promote a doctrine that looks to please the masses. It is a very common problem trying to abuse the grace of God.

Now then, is God in reality patient and forgiving? Of course He is. He is more than merciful with our imperfection, knowing that we have much to learn and change. But the problem comes when folks try to abuse the Grace of God. I say “try” because it cannot really be abused. In other words, the Grace of God does not operate at our pleasure, thinking that our opinion will change God’s Holiness and Sovereignty. I have tried to clarify this many times, that neither the visible world, nor even less, the invisible one operates based on our criteria. God does not work with our opinion, but rather with reality and an unalterable Truth. Whoever wants to follow an uncertain doctrine with very weak foundations is free to do so, but do not think for a moment that God is “so good”, or that He will exercise a subjective goodness that He will change His holiness characteristic for his love characteristic (or moreover, turn it into spoiling). He is as much Love as Holy. And in neither term does neglect occur. Both characteristics are identically important.

So what do the Scriptures teach then? What they teach is that those that call themselves Christians have to be what the very name means: followers of Christ. The Lord Jesus is our example, and as such, if we want to do things legitimately, we must then be followers or disciples of the Lord, just as the Apostles were, and all of us that have followed after them.

The Apostle John is many times referred to as the apostle of love. But if we read what God inspired through him, we can see the word love a lot, but surrounded with many determinants. John was the most rigid writer in the Bible when defining a person that is called a believer. In our passage today, John is greatly defining; you either belong to God, or you don’t; and what you are will be seen by what you do; not by what you say. In reality, he is very strict in his determinations, never leaving any room for accepting lukewarm or mediocrity. For John, either you are or you are not.

Being guided by the context, and the epistle in its entirety, we can see that the Holy Advocate that we have exercises His defense with those that try to be followers of Christ. In other words, it’s based on the person that tries to follow God’s commandments and loves their neighbor at the same time. In its totality, things are based on the most important commandments that the Lord reestablished in the Gospels: You shall the Lord your God with everything you are (the first commandment), and; you shall love your neighbor as yourself (the second commandment). The issue is that a disciple of Christ should try to follow the Lord; trying to walk as He walked. It’s not about someone that looks to disobey God and tries to get away with what they can; and even less, to be a person that lives like the world, doing what the world does. In the end, the Bible teaches us to be Holy, or set apart. We can’t be like the rest. We should let the process that God wants to carry out in our lives happen, day by day, changing, leaving behind what produces death. There is where we see God’s love. His desire is to renew, repair, and finally, make brand new what was lost, broken, and destroyed. His plan is to help us get to perfection, to become a special treasure; not staying content with being something of little value for the reason of following an evil influence that the majority of the world follows. He wants to transform us for eternity; for the incorruptible; for immortality.

If we understand this, we will then understand that it is worthwhile going through some difficulty while here on earth, instead of staying the same as everyone else. And more over, His desire is that we be transformed so we can help win those that are as lost (our neighbor) as we were once. The kingdom of God can only grow as we persist in overcoming the world that surrounds us, by trying to follow Christ faithfully. Otherwise, many people will not experience the grace of God because of those that knew the Truth, but decided instead to follow death and the world than life and eternity. The Word says like this: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9. So in summary; do you follow the Lord, or the world? Lord bless! John

Keep God First

Based on Genesis 2:8-25 (New King James Version)

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’ And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

Kirk Cameron once said: “The history of the world is the story of people getting off track.” Today, we read how things were in the beginning. God had made the world and everything in it. And the Word says that He had seen that it was good. And towards to the end of creation, God made man and woman. Up to that moment, there were no problems. Neither death, nor war, nor sicknesses existed then. Adam and Eve literally had paradise in their hands. What happened? By what we can see and observe, everything that was created, has the ability to choose. The Bible even explains to us the fall of Lucifer and a third of the angels (now known as Satan and his demons), and how they chose. God had also made man with the same capacity. Every being with the capacity to reason (what has a soul), has the ability to choose, because God wants the basis of everything to be love. And love is choice. Neither obligation, nor duty, or slavery exists in love. God desires for everyone to choose what they want to do and be, because He is a God of free will. If it were different, love could not work.

So, what happened with Adam and Eve? Before Satan would show up on the scene, we can deduce that something had been happening in the heart of man (by their fruits you shall know them), and sadly, it’s something that continues happening even today; and maybe, more than ever. Man lost the ability to be grateful and value what God had done for him. You cannot see any contact or communication with God, and that’s that God had created them, and that they didn’t know anything else. They engrossed themselves in their tasks and in themselves. Instead of drawing closer to God to learn who He was and how He had made things; they departed and focused more on other things.

The same happens today. Most people forget about God. They don’t appreciate what He has done, and what He continues to do day after day. Instead of looking for the Creator by observing creation, they focus on it and on themselves so they can somehow disprove that God exists. They would rather believe in an accident than on a God that loves them exists; the One who made everything. And not only that, He gave what was most precious to save them; Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. There are people that turn their reasoning to something lower than animals; because even soulless animals know how to appreciate those that feed them.

And the problem is that nothing cannot work without God. It is simply the mechanics of the universe. God is the key for everything in life. Without God, nothing can be good, nothing can last, and nothing can be gained in eternity. If we recall the story of man’s fall, we see that Adam and Eve were separated at the moment Satan tempted Eve. And when we read what happened, we see that God was not a priority in either of their lives. They preferred to believe an animal that had not given them anything instead of remembering the words of the Almighty who had given them everything, even the breath of life. It had never even crossed their minds that they could not disappoint God. There are no visible feelings related towards God. On the contrary, they were tempted with the idea of being like God. They envied him!

How can we avoid such a fall and coldness in our lives? Love for God is everything. It’s essential. For it is written: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40. You cannot lose the focus that God must be first. By not putting God in first place, you turn the blessings and goodness of God into a curse for your own life, like Adam and Eve did; by focusing more on paradise and on themselves, instead of looking for the Creator. Having a family is a good thing. Having a career or a job is a good thing. Having possessions and money is good also. But you cannot love those things more than the One who gave them to you: God. You cannot forget that everything that you have and are is because of Him. The Lord also taught this: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37-38. Paul also said this: “The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” 1 Corinthians 16:21-22.

If you do not keep God first, you will bring destruction and curse to your life, and to everything that God has given you. Are you keeping God in first place in your life; loving Him, and looking for Him daily? Lord bless! John

A Greater Purpose

Based on Genesis 47:1-12 (New King James Version)

“Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, and said, ‘My father and my brothers, their flocks and their herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan; and indeed they are in the land of Goshen.’ And he took five men from among his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers.’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘We have come to dwell in the land, because your servants have no pasture for their flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.’ Then Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father and your brothers have come to you. The land of Egypt is before you. Have your father and brothers dwell in the best of the land; let them dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know any competent men among them, then make them chief herdsmen over my livestock.’ Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.’ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh. And Joseph situated his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. Then Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, according to the number in their families.”

John MacArthur once said: “You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read, and your life is under scrutiny every day. What do others learn from you? Do they see an accurate picture of your God?” I don’t know how many of you might remember the life of Joseph (Jacob’s son), but it was not always a life of greatness, of happiness, and prosperity as we read in today’s passage.  For those of you that do not know about Joseph’s life, he was sold by his brothers as a slave when he was very young (some believe he was a teenager), because they envied him.  And to be able to hide the evil they had done, they told his father Jacob that he had been killed by a wild animal.

And well, when a person was a slave, especially during those times, they had no rights. Human rights did not exist nor was there a government organization that would watch for the welfare of all people.  They didn’t have vacation, retirement plan, health insurance, possessions, etc.  In addition, and during those times, depending on a person’s nationality or background, they would have less value than an animal.  Slaves were beaten, incarcerated, abused, and even killed, without any kind of punishment because they were considered property.  A slave was not worth much. They just had a use.  That was Joseph’s reality for many years, before God would allow for him to be Pharoah’s right hand person; possibly the most powerful man in the world during that time.  I can believe that Joseph never imagined that he would get to where he got to.  I don’t think he could have imagined it when he was with his father and brothers, before being sold.  I don’t think he imagined it while being bought as a slave, nor while he was a slave.  I don’t think he imagined it when he was put in jail for a crime he did not commit.  I don’t even think he imagined it at the time when he interpreted Pharoah’s dream, which is what God used to give him the authority that he finally received.  He was only able to see things clearly while they were happening, but not because he knew exactly how they were going to happen.  The only thing he saw was a dream he had where he saw his brother’s bushels inclined towards his (Genesis 37).

In this life, it is very difficult to know what will happen in each person’s future. There are people that think that everything will be fine, and that they will have everything; but something happens along the way where their whole coarse is changed. There are people that think that they will never leave misery behind; that they will never see a better tomorrow. This life is full of surprises; good and bad ones. It’s unpredictable. A person that understands anything about reality knows that nothing is sure here, and that anything can happen to anyone at any moment.

But, if we go even deeper. What repercussions will my actions have? We know that the large-scale things are set, no matter what we do. God has established the universe under a supreme order or a predetermined structure, and that nothing can be done about that. No one can change that; not even Satan. But within those large and immovable pieces there exists a certain level or dimension that does leave a lot of things both movable and adjustable. And there is where we need to get to so we can understand certain very important things; like Joseph did. 

Joseph was able to get to where he did not just because God had showed him something before it happened, but also because he was able to keep his course towards and disposition for God, so that he could get to where he had to be. What Joseph achieved was not by accident, but it was the compliment between the work of God and his determination to remain faithful to the God he followed. Joseph did not give up on his faith when he was sold as a slave, nor when he was accused falsely, nor when he was in jail, and even less, when he became great. He remained steady and firm on his faith towards his God. He did what was right during the good and bad times. God’s grace never left him for the same reason. And because he remained faithful to God, he was able to bless his father who never stopped loving him, an entire nation, and even his brothers who brought nothing but pain on him. And with this, he was able to be a part of the puzzle God was putting together as time went on. Joseph’s actions continue making an impact even today, and will continue to do so as long as God’s Word remains; forever.  

What we should keep in mind is that our actions can have incredible repercussions. We might ask ourselves many times: “What am I doing here? What is my purpose?” And what is certain is that no matter where we are, if we remain faithful to the Lord, doing that which pleases Him, we can have an incredible impact, something we cannot imagine. It all depends on how we act, if we decide to be salt and light in the world, despite our circumstances. But if you become like the world that surrounds you, dark with no savor, you will be forgotten and no one will remember you, not even God. My question to you is this: “Do you form part of the greater purpose of God by remaining faithful to Him, even during the hard times?” Lord bless! John

Opposition to God

Based on Ezra 4 (New King James Version)

“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, ‘Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.’ But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, ‘You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.’ Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. In the days of Artaxerxes also, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion: From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions—representatives of the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and Shushan, the Dehavites, the Elamites, and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond the River—and so forth. (This is a copy of the letter that they sent him) To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, and so forth: Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations. Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay tax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished. Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king, that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the result will be that you will have no dominion beyond the River. The king sent an answer: To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the remainder beyond the River: Peace, and so forth. The letter which you sent to us has been clearly read before me. And I gave the command, and a search has been made, and it was found that this city in former times has revolted against kings, and rebellion and sedition have been fostered in it. There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the region beyond the River; and tax, tribute, and custom were paid to them. Now give the command to make these men cease, that this city may not be built until the command is given by me. Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the hurt of the kings? Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease. Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

Joyce Meyer one said: “Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.” Doing what is right will always have obstacles in this temporal world.  There’s no way to avoid.  When you decide to do those things that please God, the world in general will not support it because it is against God.  That is why the Lord taught about the narrow path in the Gospels, because it is much easier to follow or give in to evil than to please God.  As an example, and as we read in today’s passage, even though King Cyrus had decreed that the temple of God would be rebuilt, not much time had passed by until the enemies of Judah and Benjamin would oppose the work of God.  These different people were able to disturb the work of God in such a way that the reconstruction of the temple would be suspended for many years.  Why does God allow for things like that to happen?  Why is it that it seems that evil always wins or that it has more power than good?

Before answering these questions, we need to understand other things so that we can get to a more complete answer.  There are two powers that produce obstacles so that good cannot prevail.  One is more known than the other.  The first power is the devil and his minions.  From a certain moment before the creation of man, when pride was born in the heart of Lucifer where he wanted to be like God, God’s number one enemy was born.  And when he fell, a third of the angels followed (these are known today as demons or as spiritual hosts of darkness). This is what constitutes the most important enemy an obstacle to God.  This second power is less known, or rather, lest recognized as such.  The Bible teaches about the sin that dwells within our members.  Each of us is born with this fault; because we were conceived and sin as the Scriptures teach.  Rarely is this recognized because of the pride that exists in man.  In reality, our lust is probably the greatest obstacle that there is for the work of God; even more than Satan himself.  Sometimes we give too much credit to Satan for the evil of this world.  He can only tempt us.  What makes sin run rampant in the world is when human beings put it into action.  For example, Satan did not kill millions and millions of Jews that Adolf Hitler killed, as example.  He only gave him the idea, the motivation; and from there, Hitler put his death machine to work with the help of other thousands that liked the idea as well (Hitler did not do it alone).  And like this exists uncountable other occasions where the Devil only speaks or whispers in the ear of man; just like he did with Eve, when he tempted her to eat of the forbidden fruit.

But, where does patience come in? Even though it seems like evil wins, if we desire eternity, we must fight with patience for good. Let us keep these principles in our hearts. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:7. If we remain and are patient with Christ, triumphing over what we still have inside, despite finding ourselves fighting against the whole world that surrounds us, we will achieve immortality; of which neither Satan, nor his spiritual hosts, nor anything on this planet can give us. We might lose some battles here, but we will have won the eternal war, conquering with the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. The question today is: “On which side are you on? On God’s behalf, or on the side that opposes God? Lord bless! John

Your Heart's Disposition

Based on Acts 14:1-23 (New King James Version)

“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there. And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!’ And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.’ And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.’

Marcus Tullius Cicero said: “The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.” If we go by what Cicero said, there wasn’t a whole lot of wisdom found in the public that was present in our story today.  What was the problem?  How could there be so many different reactions, changes in feelings, and apparent misunderstandings?  At least it doesn’t seem like it was a language problem.  Then, what was it?  The big problem was, and still is today is the disposition of man. Man’s disposition is guided by something that only belongs to him.  Within the great spectrum of God’s power and dominion, in which everything God has established is subject to the great cosmic design, there exists a measure of freedom to which many refer to as free will.  Free will is under the reign of man’s thoughts and reasoning.  God made people with the capacity to think, to feel, to be able to interpret what they desire to interpret or how to interpret it.  Unfortunately, this reasoning is many times guided by the lust or affinity to sin that each person possesses inside.  Instead of listening to their soul’s desperate desire to be redeemed from the punishment of sin, they give into the evil of their thoughts and the sin within their members. In other words, they are guided by the desire to satisfy the evil intentions contained within them, those which can only be entertained temporarily through the five senses.

We can see the intentions of the different groups involved in the story in this manner.  There were Jews that just did not want to believe, no matter what the apostles would do.  There was a deep envy or anger which extended from those that were instrumental in the death of the Lord (even though we’re all responsible, but these in particular envied Christ), and their evil was transmitted in the same manner to others like themselves.  There were other people that were consumed with idolatry and other vain things involved with that.  Within the idolatry was the exploration of pleasure, including deviated sexual pleasures and with substances.  Many of the rituals consisted of orgies, drunkenness, exploring with stupefying substances, gluttony, excess, etc. And well, between the moral and spiritual deviance, the envy and evil of the Jews, everything ended up with: from worshipping them like gods, to killing Paul (it was a very mercurial multitude), who was resurrected in this occasion. And in the minority were a select few that were able to understand what Paul and Barnabas were preaching, and they were not only able to believe in Christ, but some were also healed (like the crippled man, where the problem started per se).  

The same problem exists today. There is a great spiritual block because there are many people who have the disposition of their heart focused on evil, in fulfilling their wrongful desires, and in rebelling against God. We see this clarification in the Scriptures: “And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’” Matthew 13:10-15. In the end, there are many folks that don’t have a language problem, or an understanding problem, or lack the ability to change; but rather, their hearts are dulled in their sin, with very little disposition to listen to the reasoning of the Almighty. And with this, we understand that although God is love, He also has a limit with constant rebellion. But, God continues to call to repentance because He desires good for man, and not eternal punishment.

Today’s question is: Where is the disposition of your heart, on God or on something else? Lord bless! John

True Liberty in Christ

Based on Galatians 5 (New King James Version)

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Pope John Paul II said: “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” Many controversies have existed about salvation, and if you can lose your salvation or not.  As always, opinions vary and there are many.  And as mentioned many times in the past, the universe is not based on an opinion.  There is such a thing as absolute truth: the Truth of God.  There is no opinion that can change or cancel out the existence of Almighty God.  It is impossible that the opinions of one person or an entire society can impact in some way the Almighty.  And that is why, if the Truth of God is truly irrefutable, then there is nothing left but to depend on and search His Word so we can find the Truth.

An important principle to bear in mind is that we can depend on the Word of God because it has no controversies; from Genesis to the Revelation.  His Word works in perfect harmony. Each part agrees with the other.  If someone finds some sort of contradiction it’s because they are studying a Bible version that is not trustworthy (because there are incomplete versions or bad translations of the Bible, especially in these last decades), or they are missing intermediate pieces, those parts that tie different passages together when seen in conjunction.

The first point is salvation.  The bible is very clear in that you cannot earn salvation through works.  You can never justify yourself through human works, or penance, or religious practices, etc.  This is what the Bible declares: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.  And this is the problem that the Apostle Paul is trying to fix through this letter to the Galatians, because many Jews had started to compel believers to live like Jews, by teaching them that they had to believe in Christ and also fulfill the law of Moses to obtain eternal life (like circumcision).  The Lord Jesus set the complete plan of salvation in this one passage: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15.  Repentance consists of: asking God to forgive all of your sins and leaving them behind.  And, believing in the Gospel consists of believing and making Jesus (the Gospel) the Lord of your life; because after all, how can you ever belong to God if you never give him your life, making him the Lord and owner of your life?  This is the way that we are saved in Christ.  You don’t need anything else.

The second thing, of whether we lose your salvation or not, can be explained like this.  The Apostle Paul explains very clearly that there are things that cannot become a practice in the life of a believer, that they cannot become a lifestyle for someone that says that they belong to Christ.  The Lord through Paul teaches that we must walk in the Spirit.  The Scriptures also say this: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. So then, it is very clear that the salvation that God gave us through the Lord was not so we can continue doing those things that produce death, but rather, that we dedicate ourselves to doing good works.  It is also very logical in that, if God rescued us from eternal death, why continue looking for those things that produce death?  Let’s look at this example.  Let’s say someone smoked cigarettes for many years, and that’s how they got lung cancer.  But, they were cured from their cancer.  Would it be logical for that person to continue smoking the same cigarettes that could cause them cancer again?  That is what happens when a believer practices those things that produce spiritual death.  They might not think it’s sin because they think that they are hurting no one with what they’re doing, but they’re fooling themselves, because they are hurting someone: themselves.  The Word also says this: “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’” Hebrews 10:29-30.  Is it worthwhile playing with God?

So then, if you are not saved in Christ, what are you waiting for?  And if you are saved in Christ, don’t turn back!  Don’t get involved with things that are not worthwhile!  Always remember: your salvation is free, but it cost the highest price possible.  Enjoy your freedom in Christ, but in good things! Lord bless! John

How To Gain God's Favor

Based on 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 (New King James Version)

“Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’ ‘But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. ‘And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’’”

John C. Maxwell said: “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” In today’s passage, we read of the incredible encounter a man had with God Himself. We read of the promise that God made to Solomon in response to his earnest prayer and sincere sacrifices. It was truly evident that Solomon had found the favor of God.

As we read about Solomon’s life in the Bible, we can see that God did allow for great things to happen to him and to his people. The kingdom of Israel had reached its peak during Solomon’s reign. He was known as the wisest man the world has ever known, and possibly, the world’s richest man also. As a testament to the incredible prosperity God had allowed for Israel to enjoy, Solomon had built buildings using vast amounts of gold, silver, bronze, and many different precious stones. But, despite all the things that God had allowed for him to accomplish, something went wrong. Even though Solomon had a glorious start, he did not have a good end. By involving himself with many women (700 wives and 300 concubines), many of them pagan, he forgot exactly what God had warned him about. Solomon gave into the sin of the different women he got involved with. The Bible says that he did finally worship other gods, thereby being unfaithful to God. He forgot the very thing God had warned him about; something He told him in person. And not only Solomon, but all of Israel and Judah after him. Why did that happen?

This is unfortunately a common problem, even today. Many people either get too close to the people they shouldn’t get close to, or they get lost within the iniquity that still dwells within their flesh. If we are to attain and remain in God’s favor, there are things that we must be very careful with. John Maxwell gives us a really good road map (based on Biblical teachings) in the quote above; to not only change our own lives, but also, to help change the environment that surrounds us.

The first step is: admitting our mistakes (or sin). And herein lies one of the major issues we have today. Many people are too quick to justify sin, or do not wish to see what is wrong as wrong. According to the Bible, there is wrong and there is right. And if we stray away from that standard, then what becomes the standard? Do we know more than God to be able to have the ability to know fully what is wrong and what is right? It appears that many people don’t have a problem in telling God that He is wrong, or at least, do not have a problem in distorting the standard that the Bible teaches. Without admitting our sin and seeing it exactly for what it is, it is impossible to be restored before the eyes of God. Without complete repentance, there is no salvation, no restoration, no healing, and ultimately, no life.

The second step (if you can get through the first step) is where learning occurs. God wants us to learn from our sins, to understand what is right and wrong. If we can learn from our sins, then we can profit from them. When we learn from our mistakes is that we can then avoid those same or similar pitfalls in the future. The cycle breaks, and a new trend begins. The cycle needs to break!

The third step is where we start affecting our environment, by correcting our mistakes. The Bible refers to this as “fruits worthy of repentance”. If we can right the wrong, restore that which is broken, and reward the injured party, that is where people can physically see the manifestation of God. God is in the business of changing lives, and impacting other people’s lives through those lives He has changed. Here is where God’s grace has been abused. Many flawed teachers and preachers teach that if God has forgiven you, then you don’t need to worry about anything else. That is very far from the Truth. Throughout the Scriptures, we are taught to right the wrong. Within our means, we are to restore that which we have damaged. This is what brings healing to our own lives, and to those that have been harmed. This is what truly brings God glory. God’s grace needs to be expressed in action, not just words. Could you imagine what this world would be like if every person that professes to be a believer in Christ tried to go back and restore the damage done to those people that have been harmed somehow? The healing that would occur would be incredible!

We are ultimately taught through the examples of the Bible so we learn through other people’s mistakes. We can find God’s favor by simply following Christ and at least, try to do those things that truly please God. Here is the main theme of the Bible: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. You can find God’s favor by coming to Christ and surrendering fully to Him, and by doing what He taught us to do. Do you have God’s favor today? Lord bless! John

What is Faith?

Based on Hebrews 11:30 – 12:2 (New King James Version)

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Billy Graham once said: “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” Many people find important the concept of faith and use it for many things. They believe that faith is essential to succeed in life. Many motivational speakers tell you that you need to have faith in yourself so you are able to reach your goals, or make yourself happy. Strong management people train people to set various milestones and goals, thereby exercising their faith in a system or practice to achieve them. There are those that teach you to have faith in people, in ideologies, etc.

What makes these concepts very attractive to many people is because everyone would like to achieve their own personal goals. And what probably causes even more attraction is that some people seem to have found the answer to get what they want. Many books are sold. Television shows and interviews occur all the time with people that seem successful. Some people seem to reach all their goals and objectives and lead an “enviable” life, and a lot of people want to know what they did to get there.   

There are those that consider themselves religious or spiritual that teach a lot about faith as well, and how properly grown or exercised faith allows you to accomplish many things. Those that are more charismatic will teach you that proper faith will allow you to cause miracles to happen, enjoy perfect health, and of course, financial prosperity. They paint a picture of heaven being possible here on earth. But, despite the many uses that people have found for faith, we should try to understand what real faith is (because there are so many opinions about it); at least, what is it that God says about it. And I guess the greater question is: does faith produce success?

Regarding the definition of faith, the Bible tells us this: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. The Bible tells us that faith is essential. For it says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. One of the main examples that we have of faith in the Bible is Abraham, for he is known as the father of faith. The Bible mentions this about Abraham: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10.

Is faith a vehicle to achieve what we want? Biblically speaking, no it is not. We read that many incredible things happened because of the strong faith that many had in the Bible. But we also read (as in today’s passage), that many did not receive the promise here on earth. They actually had a pretty hard life. So, we see that faith is something much different than what many think it is, even as compared to those that would consider themselves “spiritual” teachers. We understand through the various Bible passages that faith should be placed on God. And that our belief should be strong enough in God that we should obey God tells us to do. So, we can define Biblical faith as this: It is a personal relationship with God that allows for believing without any reservations, putting your whole self in God, and doing what He tells you to do; whether you understand or not, and whether things turn out great or not. Obedience is the fruit of true faith in God. Because if there is no obedience to the Word of God, then there is no faith, at least the way we can see it in the Bible. All the examples of faith that we see in the Bible obeyed God.  

Some people may get what they want here on earth, achieving their personal goals and desires, acquiring some measure of human success. But, that is all they will get. You also may need to be careful with what you want because it may not be God that is giving it to you. Satan loves to help people follow the way of error. But when we exercise true Biblical faith, we are allowing for God’s infinite wisdom to be realized in our lives. And in that, we must bear this in mind: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:7-9.

So, are you exercising a very limited and carnal approach to faith, or are you living the faith that yields incredible things that transcends this very temporal world? Does your faith consist in obeying God, or trying to get God to obey you? Lord bless! John

Wisdom for a Lifetime

Based on Proverbs 1:1-7 (New King James Version)

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Helen Keller once said: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Today’s society has reached unimaginable developments in science and technology. We can operate a variety of very sophisticated machines with an app from our smartphones. We can operate with robots. We have cars, trucks, and even heavy construction machinery that can operate by themselves. The capacity for artificial intelligence (AI) is already here and developing rapidly. But, with all the fancy stuff we have today, our collective vision has become more and more limited, focusing only on the now, without any thought for the eternal. There is no thought even for old age or life-impacting decisions. We try to act futuristically, and create futuristic stuff, but it appears that every personal decision made by people is only based on very temporal and futile things. Relationships and family are disposable and sin runs rampant. What are we doing?

It appears that many people devote themselves more to things that are very temporary. But, money comes and goes. Careers have a beginning and an end. Technology only works in the here and now (and when there is power). We can’t take our houses, cars, bank accounts, or earthly success with us. Our degrees will stay on the wall we hung them (I can’t remember exactly what I did with my architecture degree, but it’s somewhere). Our smartphones cannot contact those that have passed away. Worldly pleasures and entertainment are momentary. And human knowledge and success has limits. Just ask Steve Jobs, if you can.

So, should we quit everything and let it all go? Yes and no at the same time. Yes, we should understand that life is uncertain and that anything can change in a blink of an eye, especially when it comes to living a life of sin and misplaced priorities. But no, it does not mean that we just get rid of everything. Here is where wisdom comes in. And the only thing that can teach you wisdom is fearing God; which means that we do have to acknowledge that He exists, and that we will give an account for our actions. He is Love, but He is also Holy. For it is written: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. The Lord also said (for those of you who might think that we should not pay that much attention to the Old Testament because we now live under the dispensation of God’s grace): “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. We need to think about what we are doing here, while we are here, and that what we do or not do here affects what happens after. We don’t know when our own personal end is coming. It is foolishness to believe that we are untouchable. There are people that may grow to be old. There are people that may not get the opportunity. There are people that may only get one chance to make things right with the Lord. You never know and you should live that way, if you are wise. Most things in this world are an illusion.   

Here is the other thing that may complicate things a little more. Just because we do things right does not mean that things will necessarily go well. Actually, life may be even more complicated for those that try to do those things that please God. So why do them? Aside from the fact that we should do things because of the love that God showed us through His Son Jesus Christ, everything that we do counts after this world has ended. Paul wrote this: “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:16-19. Our success is not necessarily here on earth. See, for the Truth to be Truth (the Gospel), it must work in every part of the world. It should work in the United States, in Chile, in New Zealand, in Russia, in Yemen, in Syria, etc. Paul also said this: “Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast. For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:18-28. Following Christ and His wisdom does not ensure “human success”, but it definitely ensures “eternal success”. That’s the vision we should have for now! For it is also written: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelations 21:4-7.

So, are you searching for and applying in your life the wisdom that transcends this very temporary life? Lord bless! John

When the Oven Gets Hot

Based on Daniel 3 (New King James Version)

“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: ‘To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.’ So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?’ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ ‘Look!’ he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.”

Oswald Chambers said: “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” Many things can happen during our lifetime that can challenge our faith. Many times, doing that which is right brings challenges as well. Nothing in the Bible assures us about living a life of peace and tranquility here on earth, where everything goes well. Life is hard!

But when we find ourselves in those moments of hardship, even when we may have done nothing wrong (at least as far as we know), we should think on how we will react to those times. And of course, many of those difficult times catch us off guard. There is usually no warning. And just because you are dealing with one challenge does not mean that others will show up at the same time. It’s like a hurricane sometimes, that when you think you have gotten through the tough part, and the rain suddenly stops and there is calm, you may just be going through the eye of the hurricane. Why talk about hardship during Christmas? Well, hardship does not take a vacation or recognize federal holidays. And many times, meaningful holidays make tough moments seem even harder. So, where am I going with this?

Well, like the three men in our story today, we should face our moments of hardship head on, with our trust only on God. The worst thing anyone can do is decide something based on fear. Fear should never be the deciding factor in anything. For it is written: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. We need to get rid of fear in our lives!

So, when the oven of life gets hot (and we all have our ovens), we shouldn’t worry about what the odds are or who we must face. Our confidence and direction should only come from God, the Eternal and Almighty One. Merry Christmas and Lord bless! John

Beware of Serving Other Gods

Based on Deuteronomy 12:29–13:18 (New King James Version)

“When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. ‘Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. ‘If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst. ‘If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you. ‘If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’’—which you have not known—then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you, you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock—with the edge of the sword. And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the Lord your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.’”

Dr. Charles Stanley said: “God’s voice is still and quiet and easily buried under an avalanche of clamor.” The world is a noisy and very active place. It is full of distractions, activity, energy, entertainment, war, plaque, etc. There is so much to look at and so much to observe! We have so many things competing for our attention. Everything around us emits some sort of noise, light, movement, etc.; with the intent to attract one, if not, all of our five senses. It is quite difficult to just concentrate on one single thing in a given moment.

Most of that activity is Satan, especially when it has to do with pulling our attention away from God. In today’s passage, we read of very stern warnings from God relating to the worship of other gods. God’s warnings were so harsh that if anything or anyone tried to take you to something else, that either the person or object had to be destroyed. And during the time that God was giving these directives to His people, there were many gods. People worshipped different gods, animals, and even demon or malevolent creatures, with the intent to gain favor, or to obtain some sort of benefit or power. They worshipped these variations of deities for some sort of reason that made sense to them.

There were horrible practices such as the worship to Moloch. He was a Canaanite god, precisely the one that God warned against in this passage. To find favor with this god, people made child sacrifices. The statue was made of bronze, shaped with extended arms. The ritual was to heat up the statue with fire until it was burning hot. Once it was hot enough, people would lay their children (alive) on its extended arms, burning them to death. Why would anyone do such a horrible thing, offering their own infant sons and daughters as burnt offerings? I don’t know and I don’t know how they could watch and listen to that happen! Horrible, right?

Some may say, “Well, I certainly don’t worship any other gods.” And here is where we must be careful. Many people may not worship animal-like idols, or observe cruel practices, but Satan has managed to give brilliant disguises to the gods of today. What we must understand is that people were created for worship. Whether we understand it or not, because we were created for worship, our function is worship; no matter what we do. And what determines our worship is our devotion. If your most meaningful and significant attention is not towards God, then you are worshipping something else. That thing or person you pay more attention to has become a god. Even if the atheist says, “I don’t believe in anything;” because we are creators of worship, then they have become their own god. There is the god of money, the god of pleasure, and god of ego. Many people kill their unborn children today through abortion, so that personal plans and goals are not interfered with (that’s their god). They may not necessarily put their infants on a burning statue, but they kill the innocent nonetheless (the worship to Moloch continues – there were 664,435 legally induced abortions in the US). There is the god of family, of careers, etc. Even your problems can become an idol, when that is all your thinking about; consumed by circumstances. Everything you give priority over the Lord turns into a god, an idol. And when that happens, everything after that turns into a mistake, a problem, a wrong turn; and it will lead to certain destruction in the end. We can even turn the blessings that God gives us into idols if we pay more attention to them than to Him. There is a place for everything, but nothing should take God’s place in your life; for your own good.    

So, are you serving other gods and idols? Lord bless! John

The Need for Self-Examination

Based on Romans 2 (New King James Version)

“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written. For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Pele, one of the greatest and most well-known soccer players in the world, said: “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” He also shared this before: “I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, ‘Listen. God gave to you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God no one will stop you, but you must be prepared’”.

I like sports, but among my favorites is football (soccer). While growing up, I would always hear about Pele. Thanks to the science of video, I have been able to see the great Pele in his splendor. It was a true delight to see the wonderful things that Pele used to do, the way he would move through different defenders, and score goals from so many different directions and distances. He made it seem effortless, magical, and poetic (at least to those of us who enjoy the sport). He looked like he was dancing with the ball sometimes. He would always wind up with the ball somehow. It is wonderful to see great athletes in action!

As I cited some of his words above, he was great not just because he had a “God-given” talent for the sport, but also, he loved and worked hard at it. He was self-critical. He sacrificed himself to become the best. That is not the story with many other athletes, despite their incredible talents. Some lack discipline and never become great or well-known. Others do make it to the big time, but become absorbed by the crazy life that surrounds the celebrity life and wealth. They give in to bad influences. Many lose their great abilities because they don’t take care of themselves, taking for granted the very thing that gave them success and great wealth.

What does this have to do with today’s passage? If you truly want to be good at anything, you must subject yourself to self-examination. Things don’t just happen all by themselves. Great opportunities cease to be great opportunities if they are not cared for. Talent is useless if all the other factors are not there. You will not be able to accomplish good things, especially before the eyes of God, if you don’t truly apply yourself to what He really teaches. There is no such thing as a “pedigree” before God. Everything is based on you as a person. Nothing is gained if nothing is cared for.

And the worst thing that can happen to anyone is when they start justifying the wrong they do by leaning on their own subjective judgment. The Bible teaches this: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:7. We learn to do what is right by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives through the Word of God. We need to learn to be sensitive to God, and to seek to understand what is it that He needs to work in our lives. We shouldn’t worry too much about what other people are doing. We should worry about what God thinks about our actions. Everything that we do here on earth matters in eternity. Don’t believe the lie that God does not pay attention to the things we do wrong here! And everything we do, whether wrong or right, has consequences here, and after.

We should meditate on what we are doing, and why we are doing what we do. We should pray to see things clearly, and for God’s direction on how to deal with those things that need to be fixed. Without self-examination, people can become hypocritical, self-destructive, and destructive to others. So, are you willing to take the challenge (because it is not easy) to look at yourself sincerely, and do something about things that are wrong? Lord bless! John