God Hates Hypocrisy

Based on Romans 2:17-29 (New King James Version)

“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.”

 Today’s message is simple, but certainly the most challenging. This deals with a person’s most intimate side, and we all have this capacity (some more than others): to be a hypocrite. Because unfortunately, we all have a certain type or measure of hypocrisy. What makes this type of message very difficult is that it is very hard to admit something like this. If you call someone a hypocrite, I don’t think they will take it too well. The good news is that we can all change this, little by little. And, God is the most interested of all to end this evil, because he hates it. He will try through all means necessary to remove this issue little by little, through His Word, and through circumstances. This is one of the main goals of the process of sanctification: eliminating hypocrisy.

The first point: We all have it. Hypocrisy is synonymous, or directly related to lying and deceit; to help provide some clarity. The Bible says: …let God be true but every man a liar… Romans 3:4, and, “‘…All men are liars.’” Psalm 116:11. It is also written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9. So then, unfortunately, that sums it up well for all of us.

With every evil, it is necessary to know how to identify it and define it, particularly in our own life. And this is what makes it very difficult. No one likes to admit that they have a problem, and especially something that sounds this bad. Many things can happen. Either the person tries to justify themselves by saying: “maybe I have some, but not that much,” or someone starts changing their focus from themselves to someone else, seeing that other people have this problem, but not them. Or simply, they avoid it. They think that by just leaving things alone without resolving them, that somehow, things will get fixed on their own; or by blinding themselves to the truth that the wrong will disappear somehow. It’s like the liar that brainwashes himself with: “It’s not a lie if I believe it”. The issue is that justifying ourselves does not fix anything, nor focusing on other people does it make it better, nor avoiding the problem. And finally, the only one you deceive when you brainwash yourself with your own lie is you.

Now, let’s see the different ways that possibly this very evasive problem can reveal itself. There are people that exaggerate smaller problems, thereby demanding more perfection without them demanding the same from themselves, o committing bigger wrongs then what they are accusing other people of. The Bible gives this example: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Lucas 7:1-5.

There are other folks that accuse others to hide their own problems, or they make like they care about something, but they are more focused on their own interests. The Bible gives this example: “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” John 12:3-6.

There are people that try to give an appearance of holiness and perfection that does not exist, but instead, there are hidden things that only God can see. The Lord confronted them in this manner: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28.

And well, there are those that say or desire to do something, but when the time comes, they do something completely different. And the Scriptures give us this example: “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples.” Matthew 26:33-35. And if we remember the story, all of them, except John, abandoned Him.

There can be more examples, but I think you get the general problem and how it shows itself. If you have a problem visualizing, I would suggest that you take an event in your life and see it like if you were a spectator, like if you were watching a movie where you are the main character. Do you like what you see? God doesn’t like any of it, and desires for each person to change through His Son Jesus, because He knows that each person can change and be transformed, if they legitimately make Him the Lord of their life. The Lord makes treasures out of things that are not so valuable. Do you want to change and be different? Lord bless! John

The Works of the Heart

Based on Romans 2:1-16 (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.”

I heard this once in a movie I saw some years ago and it was well engraved in me (obviously), “Why is the only real source of power—without it you are powerless.” There are many things that people do out of custom.  They are people that just react.  Others think, but only up to a certain point.  And there is a select group of people that do things with premeditated intentions, for better or for worse.  However, what God cares about the most is the “why” they do or do not do things.  And moreover, God bases everything on the why or the intention.

One of the things that is most commonly applied today to understand the why or the intention of people is psychology.  Psychology, as a field of study related to the self-conscience started in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory dedicated exclusively for the study of psychology in Leipzig, Germany. Wundt was the first to refer to himself as a psychologist.  This so-called science is relatively new, but many, even professing Christians, so called experts in the Scriptures, and theologians not only study psychology, but they have intimately intertwined it with the things of God.  Having studied some psychology myself as a basic studies requirement in college, I was able to understand certain aspects that do not agree with Biblical principles.  And this mainly involved free will and the responsibility for our actions.

Yes, it is true that our environment can influence our decisions together with our experiences, but it is not entirely the reason why a person does or does not do something; what defines the “why” or the “intention” of a person.  There is a big Biblical problem with something that takes away the responsibility for someone’s actions.  In the majority of times, it is very convenient to blame someone or something so that there is no feeling of remorse or guilt, for starters.  Many excuses can be made.  In the fall of man at the garden of Eden, we can see the first example: Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent had no one else left to blame.  It is possible for there to be mental problems, but in the majority of cases, the majority of people can exercise their free will to do or not to do something, even those atrocities that are attributed to mental problems.  People today should assume the reality of their responsibility, and should not blame Satan so much, others, etc.

Now, what does this have to do with today’s passage?  Paul teaches regarding judgment relating to what the Lord said: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5. It’s important to see if there is hypocrisy, and judgment with condemning, but even beyond that, what is the reason they are doing it, or not doing it?  For example, there are people that say that they don’t like to judge anyone, not necessarily because they’re good people, or because they have a high level of forgiveness, but rather, they hypocritically don’t do it so their own evil does not come into the light.  Most of the time, there is always a very different reason to the act itself.  The Lord says this regarding deceit: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10.

One of the things that each person should do is study themselves, study the reason for why they do things (the why). The Lord warns in this manner: “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. The Word also says 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.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. So, even though someone may do incredible things, they don’t always do them for the right reasons, or, they don’t do the good God desires; when a good intention is joined to a good action. And the only way the two can meet is when God is really loved (first), and when a neighbor is loved (second). Otherwise, a true good intention cannot exist, and the why is just a wrong covered by an apparent good action. Whatever a person does, what matters the most is the intent of the heart, if that intention is focused on God. So then, is the work of your heart good or evil? If it is evil and you wish to change it, you can choose to change it in Christ. Lord bless! John

The Risk of Refusing to Believe

Based on Romans 1:16-32 (New King James Version)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” Bonhoeffer was a German Christian preacher with incredible convictions. After Hitler rose to power, and while he lived comfortably in the United States, he decided to leave both his position at Union Theological Seminary in New York and his fiancée, to return to Nazi Germany. He was imprisoned for two years because he was accused of plotting to assassinate Hitler. When he returned to Germany, he said, “I have come to the conclusion that I made a mistake in coming to America. I must live through this difficult period in our national history with the people of Germany. I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people.” He was killed just two weeks before the United States freed the camp where he was imprisoned. What would drive a person like Bonhoeffer to do something so drastic for his faith in Christ?

Bonhoeffer was of a similar mind as the Apostle Paul. Neither man was ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and neither of them had any issue challenging world powers because of it. Paul preached the Gospel during a time when Caesar (the supreme leader of the Roman Empire) thought of himself as god, and it was law to proclaim him as lord. Bonhoeffer did not have a problem to leave the comfort of the United States and his beloved fiancée to face head on Adolf Hitler and his war machine because of his love for God and for the Gospel in Germany. And both men died for their faith in the Lord.

The faith that God teaches us through His Word is something that should shake our very existence. It has the power to change any human, any group of people, and even, a world empire, if they allow for it to work in their lives. It is the most liberating power known to mankind; God’s awesome grace which allows for the sins of man to be forgiven forever. Yet, despite the eternal love and liberating power God has for mankind through His Son Jesus Christ, it is not valued as such. As so-called Christians, many teach a “cheap grace” as Bonhoeffer mentioned. God’s grace is taken incredibly lightly, and the responsibility and implications that come with the Truth of God. People are taught commonly (and of course, many cling on to it because it is convenient) not to worry about repentance; not to worry about following and obeying God. These things are taken as optional or not necessary. There is no regard for discipleship (which means to follow Christ, in obedience and lifestyle). The theology that is preached today involves ease and human love (which evades the Truth of God).

And in conjunction with this, there are those that hear the Gospel, but harden their hearts to it, dismissing God and His teachings. They would rather cling on to so-called science and human knowledge then understanding who God is and what He wants to share with them (which is nothing less than pure good). It is becoming quite common today to see God as something of the past, like a superstition or ancient belief that belongs to the weak-minded, the intellectually incapable, and to poor and underdeveloped groups of people. We are living in times where the majority of people don’t take God seriously; both professing believers and unbelieving people. There is a problem that arises with all of this.

For both groups, there is something that needs to be made clear, for your own good (since this is what God truly wants for you). There is a truth in the Bible that is misunderstood: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 103:8. God is in fact very merciful and gracious, but “slow to anger” does not mean that His anger will never come. God patiently waits, giving people the opportunity to understand and to convert. But, there is a limit to his mercy and grace. There is a breaking point; even for Him. And here is where the balance of our passage today comes in. In short, if you refuse to see God for who He is, and acknowledge Him and His ways, He will give you up to what you want. He will give you up to everything that is contrary to Him. After all, if you refuse to believe in Him, and follow life (eternal life), then that is the only fair thing to do. That’s ultimately what a rebellious person desires—to do what they want. But the problem with that is that there is no life outside of God. There is no true intelligence. There is no wisdom. There is no love. Outside of God, there is only death and destruction; sooner or later. “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. And, even if you don’t do those things that displease God, but yet, support the people that do them, then you are just as guilty. What’s wrong is wrong, no matter who does it and/or who supports it, and the reasons they might brainwash themselves with for doing either. There is truly a risk for refusing to believe as we should. So, are you really believing and following the Truth of God, no matter what? Lord bless! John

God's Desire to See Fruit

Based on Romans 1:8-15 (New King James Version)

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”

Michael Jordan once said, “In any investment, you expect to have fun and make money.” Not only is Michael Jordan one of the greatest basketball players the game has ever seen, but he is also a pretty savvy businessman. His natural athletic talent gave him the ability to make a large amount of money as an athlete, but his business making decisions is what has made him one of the wealthiest super star athletes; currently worth approximately about $1.2 billion. Not bad for a Brooklyn-born, North Carolina-raised middle class young man, right? I guess it is fair to say that he knows a little bit about business, despite other challenges he may have had.

I would think it is pretty safe to say that everyone wants to see some sort of yield from things they invest in (and maybe have some fun along the way). I don’t think anyone wants to lose on anything. If a couple buys a house, I think they would like for the value of that property to grow over time. Just like the person that decides to invest in stocks. There are folks that make different investments, not just in money. People invest time and energy into relationships such as marriage. Parents invest into their children, for many years; and yes, quite a lot of money as well (especially if it involved a university education). Good companies invest in their employees, especially on those employees they would like to keep for the long time. Professional sports teams invest in players, sometimes incredible sums of money, with the idea that those players will help their team grow, perform, and of course, win championships. Every single investor, no matter who they are and in what they invest, even if it is a personal love relationship, they would hope that something good comes out of what they are investing in. Do you like to lose?

Believe it or not, God has expectations as well. Even though He has given us so many things out of pure love, including the life of His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that we could be saved, He does desire to see something in return; not out of obligation, but nonetheless, something good. The Lord gave us the following example: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30.

And here is where today’s passage comes in. Paul starts this passage with very strong feelings of admiration and joy towards the folks he is writing to. And because of these strong feelings, a great love has developed for them. These folks bring him joy. And not only that, he would also like to invest in them, so that they can grow even more, bearing more fruit. Fruit is imperative in the life of every believer. God’s grace through Jesus Christ is free, but He does desire for fruit to come forth from each of our lives. For it is written: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:1-2. “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:8. “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” Romans 7:4.

Not bearing fruit is a big a problem. Jesus gave us this example: “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away.” Matthew 21:18-19. So, something good should be produced in our lives, and it should be for Him.

What is this fruit He wants? The Bible teaches us this: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. God ultimately wants to see Himself in us in some sort of way, which is the miracle that occurs when we are regenerated through the work of the Holy Spirit in us; transformed to have God’s characteristics so we can be light in this dark and lost world. For our own good, we should inspect ourselves with the Word of God, so we can understand what is really happening in our lives. So, is God’s fruit being produced in your life? Lord bless! John

Transformation Through Obedience

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

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Watchman Nee once said, “Attempting to follow Him without denying the self is the root of all failures.” To be able to understand even better the book of Romans, we need to understand the writer (although all Scripture was inspired by God). The Apostle Paul was not always, the Apostle Paul. As a matter of fact, before converting to the Lord, he used to be Saul of Tarsus. As Saul, he was probably the worst enemy Christianity had at that moment. Paul shared a little bit of how he was in the following passage: “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” Acts 26:9-11. He didn’t do out of evil what he had done with the Church. Instead, he thought we was serving the God of his fathers by persecuting something that was seen as pagan and blasphemous; something that was going against his God.

The Bible gives an account of Paul’s conversion in this manner: “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” Acts 9:1-9.

What happened? Paul had an encounter with God. But not only that, something happening in Paul’s heart that changed completely the course of his life. He knew how to recognize and respect the One that he encountered. He was able to recognize God, as God should be acknowledged; as Lord. And not only did he call him Lord, but he obeyed Him as such. There were no questions. No discussion. Paul did not express his opinion at any moment. There wasn’t a, “Let me think about what you are asking me to do, and if it makes sense to me, then I’ll do it.” Even though he was a greatly reverenced man in his society, a political and religious authority, a man of power, and possibly, even of certain wealth, he had the capacity to respect the vision and to know that it was Someone of supreme authority. That it was not just some radiant light, but rather, it was Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. And this was enough to change the complete course of his life. At a key moment, he surrendered completely to the lordship of the Lord.

This is one of the main problems that Christianity has today, at least, the Christianity in developed countries. So-called Christians do not see God as God. A phenomenon has occurred that has minimized God in many people’s view. The Lord is seen as a savior, as a servant, or like a being that is almost like us. He is not seen as Lord, as God, as the one that is seated at the Righthand of God’s Throne, as His real title: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. The Lord is not respected. What is being preached commonly is a God that is subject to people’s spoiled ways, that He is subject to our opinions, that obeying Him is an option, and that His Word is a book of suggestions. I have heard so-called believers personally say when being a Biblical truth was being shared, “I don’t accept that!” And well, maybe many people don’t say it like that, but they yell it out with their actions; and even worse, they yell it to God. But, to most people’s detriment, obstinacy and human opinion do not dictate the course of the universe, and even less, they cannot turn God to their servant.

Jesus is our Savior. That’s why He came to the world. But, for there to be salvation, He cannot be recognized as Savior alone. He must be acknowledged and accepted as Lord. For it is written: “In fact, it says, ‘The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.’ And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:8-9. When you accept Him as the Lord of your life, He is the one that must take the reign and the authority in your life. You must surrender Him, 100%, so that you can belong to Him. Otherwise, you are only following a sad and poorly structured religion that will take you nowhere, no matter how much you brainwash yourself. God is nobody’s slave! And, God’s immense mercy cannot be confused for tolerance, o least of all, for approval.

The other truth is that surrendering your life to Christ is an obedience (because acknowledging Him as Lord is simply a reality, not a favor). For it is written: “You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth…” 1 Peter 1:22a. Obedience to God without reservation is fundamental and essential so that God can work in our lives. As it is also written: “So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23a. And finally, the best advice that Mary, the Lord’s carnal mother left embedded in the Scriptures when referring to the Lord: “His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’” John 2:5.

A person’s transformation can only occur through total obedience to the Lord. Without obedience, there is no salvation, no transformation, no promises; basically, there is nothing. So then, are you obeying God, being transformed daily? Lord bless! John

Promises Through the Process

Based on Micah 4 (New King James Version)

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. ‘In that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast and those whom I have afflicted; I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a strong nation; so the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever. And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.’ Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pangs have seized you like a woman in labor. Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, o daughter of Zion, like a woman in birth pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, you shall dwell in the field, and to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. Now also many nations have gathered against you, who say, ‘Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.’ But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand His counsel; for He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. ‘Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hooves bronze; you shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the Lord, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.’”

Rick Warren once said: “Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It's a journey of discovery - there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.” I think everyone likes to receive promises of blessings, of good things, and of future triumphs. Promises feed our hope, especially when we are going through difficult moments. We always want the promise of a better tomorrow, where everything will be resolved, and where the bad and ugly is left behind, forever. There are also promises of love, of feelings, and of care; when a couple promise each other eternal love when uniting in marriage. In a similar manner, when a new mother and father receive with love a new baby that enters the world; small, fragile, and defenseless; by promising to take care of and raise to the best of their abilities. Promises can give a lot of inspiration to continue moving forward. But, what is it that gives a promise some sort of credibility or validity that a person can put their trust in it? For a promise to have some sort of value to someone, the person that is making the promise must be considered; the factors that validate the person and the promise itself.

For example, in the bond of matrimony, what should be considered so someone can take seriously the promise of love the other person is giving? One of the first things that a person should consider of the person that makes the promise should be their character. What kind of a person are they? Are they a person that truly loves them, and if they know how to love? Is the person responsible, capable, well-intentioned, loyal, faithful, etc.? Are they trustworthy? There are many elements that are truly critical in the character of a person, especially to be able to put some sort of trust in them. And those qualities are not seen right away, but only through the passing of time. This is why many relationships fail, because trust is put on someone that does not have good character, or at minimum, they don’t possess the characteristics that are essential to having a good marriage. I don’t want to sound mechanical or cold, but the butterflies in the stomach don’t help very much, nor physical attraction, nor emotions that come and go depending on the circumstances. Together with love (the most important ingredient), there are other ingredients or essential characteristics that should be a part of the person so that some sort of trust can be put on them, so that a marriage can at least have a chance for survival.

The second thing that should be taken into account is the capacity of the person, or in other words, if they can truly fulfill what they are promising. Even though there may be the best intentions and characteristics in the other person, there are promises that cannot be fulfilled physically. For example, there are people that promise that they will always be there for the other person. This is actually impossible to do. There are times that the person can and will fail because they cannot always be at your side at every moment. There are moments where life gets complicated and people are left alone, per se, in a given moment and emotionally. Daily concerns many times create such a distraction that there is no time to talk, or to vent, etc. There are couples that are so absorbed by this life and its activities, that, as the years go by, people wind up being two strangers sleeping in the same bed. And quite possibly, there may have been good intentions, but that’s all they remain as; good intentions. We are very limited and in different aspects. The process of this life many times chokes out even the best intentions and feelings. Many things are dissolved with time. It’s like the sea that hits land; year after year, wave after wave, it continually erodes even the firmest of land masses.

Now, how does all of this work with today’s passage? Well, God’s promises can be taken very seriously by basing ourselves on the first point we saw: the character of God. God’s virtues are incomparable. God is love. God is faithful. God is merciful. God does not lie. God has given us many things without deserving them; among them, the most important: eternal salvation through His Son Jesus. God does not change; He has been, He is, and will always be the same. He is eternal. And well, God has an endless list of other qualities as the being He is that gives us many reasons to trust His promises. God also infinitely surpasses the other aspect: His capacity. He is God. He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. In other words, He can be everywhere at the same time, He knows everything, and He can do anything. Basically, He has no limitations.

And the last point, while in route to receiving the promises that God has for those that love Him and look for Him, God desires to carry out a process of transformation in each human being. And this process means that we will go through difficult times, moments that will shake the very foundations of our lives, but with the goal to get rid of what does not have value, and create a treasure out of our lives. Fire is the only thing that cleans gold. So then, the process is part of the way to get to the promises, if we remain in Him, letting Him complete His work in us. So, are you willing to follow through with the process to be able to receive the eternal promises that only God can give and fulfill? Lord bless! John

The Consequences of Idolatry

Based on Ezekiel 23:1-30 (New King James Version)

“The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: ‘Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They committed harlotry in Egypt, they committed harlotry in their youth; their breasts were there embraced, their virgin bosom was there pressed. Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. Oholah played the harlot even though she was Mine; and she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians, who were clothed in purple, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. Thus she committed her harlotry with them, all of them choice men of Assyria; and with all for whom she lusted, with all their idols, she defiled herself. She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt, for in her youth they had lain with her, pressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their immorality upon her. Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness, took away her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword; she became a byword among women, for they had executed judgment on her. Now although her sister Oholibah saw this, she became more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotry more corrupt than her sister’s harlotry. She lusted for the neighboring Assyrians, captains and rulers, clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. Then I saw that she was defiled; both took the same way. But she increased her harlotry; she looked at men portrayed on the wall, images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, girded with belts around their waists, flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like captains, in the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity. As soon as her eyes saw them, she lusted for them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their immorality; so she was defiled by them, and alienated herself from them. She revealed her harlotry and uncovered her nakedness. Then I alienated Myself from her, as I had alienated Myself from her sister. Yet she multiplied her harlotry in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, when she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. For she lusted for her paramours, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. Thus you called to remembrance the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians pressed your bosom because of your youthful breasts. Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you, from whom you have alienated yourself, and I will bring them against you from every side: The Babylonians, all the Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, all the Assyrians with them, all of them desirable young men, governors and rulers, captains and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. And they shall come against you with chariots, wagons, and war-horses, with a horde of people. They shall array against you buckler, shield, and helmet all around. I will delegate judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. I will set My jealousy against you, and they shall deal furiously with you; they shall remove your nose and your ears, and your remnant shall fall by the sword; they shall take your sons and your daughters, and your remnant shall be devoured by fire. They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewelry. Thus I will make you cease your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt, so that you will not lift your eyes to them, nor remember Egypt anymore. For thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hand of those you hate, into the hand of those from whom you alienated yourself. They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry. I will do these things to you because you have gone as a harlot after the Gentiles, because you have become defiled by their idols.’’”

John MacArthur once said: “A gospel that does not confront sin is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.” This is one of the greatest problems the Christian world has today: not confronting sin. This has been happening for a while where many Christian churches and leaders have been evading the calling out of sin, and acting against sin as they should. And well, many like what they are hearing also. The devil has been able to infiltrate very subtly his own gospel, guiding people to sin (because he cannot make you sin), or to miss the mark.

There is something we must be very clear on. Many times, we associate sin with things that appear to be terrible, such as killing someone. But the truth is that sin means “to miss the mark”. It means to not be exact. There is a precise point to get to, not a general area or place. This implies a certain perfection. For example, there are not many perfections of something. Perfection refers to something singular, unique, without comparison, exact. It’s the same as the truth. There are not many truths about something; either something is truth or a lie. And, both the exactness of perfection and truth do not depend on a perspective, but rather, perfection and truth are what they are in any place in the universe. In other words, God is perfect and the truth here on earth, on the planet Neptune, in other galaxies, in the spiritual world, other dimensions, etc. Therefore, Satan’s work is relatively simple: just to deviate things a little bit so he can persuade you to sin. So, if the perfection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ always confronts sin, in one way or another, how can something so important be discarded? For example, without repentance and conversion from sin, there can be no salvation. One of the greatest errors that have been preached from many pulpits and places is: to be saved, you just have to believe in Christ. That is not entirely true. There must be repentance and conversion from sins, or else, the entire ministry of John the Baptist was completely unnecessary, because John the Baptist was preparing the way for the Lord; John’s baptism or the baptism of repentance. If John would have not existed, then it would have not been time for the manifestation of the Messiah on earth for the salvation of men.

So, what does this have to do with today’s passage? We read of the fall of the people of God and the punishment that God would bring upon them (which did occur) because of their unfaithfulness to Him. Even though He had rescued them from Egypt, they went back and worsened their sin before God, putting their eyes and trust in things they shouldn’t, making idolatry of temporary things instead of always appreciating what He did for them, and keeping their eyes set on their God. When we forget God’s goodness, and we start to trust in other things, sooner or later, we will fall because of our own sin. Nothing should take the place of God in our lives! Neither family or loved ones, nor things of the world, etc. He always should have first place in our lives. Sinning is very simple; it’s simply losing focus on God and on what His Word teaches. It doesn’t mean that we will be perfect here, but for your own good, let God continue changing your life instead of accepting your current condition and excusing the sin that still dwells in your life. Never justify sin; neither your sin, nor being an accomplice to other people’s sin. Conquer in Christ, because you can and you must, by leaving any kind of idol (that which disturbs your walk in God). Are you trying to avoid the consequences of idolatry by confronting the sin in your life? Lord bless! John

Revival Comes with a Change in Heart

Based on Psalm 85 (New King James Version)

“Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”

Do you feel quite troubled by your problems? Do you feel like there is no point to this life? Do you feel alone, even though you may be surrounded by people? You can’t enjoy life like you would like to? Do you feel empty inside? Do you feel like when you pray that your prayers are not going where they are supposed to? You don’t feel like praying or reading God’s Word very much? God doesn’t mean much to you these days? Well, this is common, and something can be done about it.

To start, one of the things that you must understand is that life should not be like that. There are many that ignore these problems thinking that this life cannot be perfect, and that this is normal. And of course, life here is not perfect, and it never can be either. But, you shouldn’t get used to things that are truly problems. You shouldn’t stay like that because it is critical that you fix it, for your own good. So then, the first step is recognizing that there is a problem. Because when you leave problems alone, they will not get fixed, but rather, they will get worse over time. Nothing gets fixed on its own. All problems need attention and action. What also must be kept in mind is that personal problems always become problems for everyone else. Every problem (big or small) affects the person that has the problem, and it will start to affect the people that surround them also. So then, you not only have to do something about it for your own good, but also, for the good of those that surround you.

Now then, the most important thing that must be seen is: the cause. What is it that makes us feel this way? The greatest challenge in being able to resolve a problem is being able to find the problem. And you can’t fix a problem by just dealing with the symptoms alone. For example, let’s suppose someone has strep throat (or a throat infection). The symptoms are very similar to influenza or a really bad cold. It comes with throat aches, fever, coughing, etc. Now, if the person takes things to treat the symptoms like cough syrups and pills to lower the fever and relieve headaches, all they are doing is just dealing with the symptoms, but they will never get better. The only way to deal with this sickness is by: visiting the doctor, doing different tests to see what is really happening, and to undergo treatment with strong antibiotics for many days. That’s the only way they will be healed. If a person keeps taking things to just alleviate symptoms, and that’s it, they will get worse with time, developing rheumatic fever, and possibly even death. But, all that can be avoided if they act, by getting to the root of the matter, and treating it effectively and energetically.

So then, what could the thing that causes some of these problems (or similar to them) that were mentioned at the beginning? Like it should be done with all things, it is necessary to be objective and sincere (and this is never easy because most people do not like being honest with themselves, preferring to lie to themselves). The Bible teaches this: “And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’” Exodus 20:1-6. The greatest problem that exists in both the unbelievers and many so called “believers” is the problem of idolatry (everything that has priority over God). And this does not always involve statues or images, per se. By just simply putting our will before God’s will, we are committing the most contemptible of sins, before the eyes of God (I didn’t say this would be easy). God should be in first place in our lives. If the focus of your life is simply just you, or other things (whether they be your problems, worries, entertainment, etc.), then, those are idols. There are many gods, with different names, appearances, etc. And just in case, this is not the devil’s fault. The devil can tempt you, but he can never dethrone God in anyone’s life. That is your decision.

But, this can be changed. It is your decision. And here is where we can see God’s true love (not the love that has been falsely painted with the acceptance of sin, and abuse of God’s grace). For it is written: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.” Micah 7:18. If there are problems in your life, that is what God uses to bring you closer to Him. Because God says this: “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.’” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. “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. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil.” Isaiah 1:16

Every personal revival starts with a change in heart, by seeing things just as they are, not excusing evil. God warns as follows: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” Isaiah 5:20. If you want a true change in your life, change the way you think and give first place to God, because that is the only way that you can attain the joy, peace, and happiness that all of us need, which never depends on our circumstances. Have you had a change of heart so you can have a true revival? Lord bless! John

Maintaining a Good Relationship with the Lord

Based on John 15:1-11 (New King James Version)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. ‘As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ‘These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.’”

Fred Brooks once said: “How does a project get to be a year late? One day at a time.” Time is something of great importance and value. The experts on money, finances, and business say: time is money. Everything takes time. Currently, it seems like days are shorter. It feels like there is less time than ever, like if the sun sets much faster than before. What is harder to deal with is that there is nothing that can stop it. There is no time machine so you can go back, or jump forward. Many things are done to try to avoid the effects of time, but nothing can be done. Days go by, and years are left behind, while we move forward to an inevitable end. Meanwhile, what are we doing with our days, while we are here in this world? I understand that we all have our obligations and responsibilities with our families, with our careers and jobs, with taking care of what we have, with our health, etc. Time flies between one thing and another. Everything requires time, and we dedicate time to a lot of things. There are some of us that need to work hard daily, to be able to pay our debts and bills. Money is not everything, but it is necessary for many things. And unfortunately, we cannot just live on air alone. There are those that don’t have to work anymore because they have already put in their time. But now, the clock runs differently for them. They start feeling those things that come with time, like wear and tear of the body, sicknesses, etc. It doesn’t matter how many surgeries or treatments people undergo trying to seem younger, or all the exercise and special diets they do, the organs last only so long, and science is very limited with many things. Not everything can be fixed today. And furthermore, it seems like things are ruined even more with medicine than the damage the actual sickness causes. If you don’t believe it, just watch a commercial that announces some sort of newer medication, that even the medication itself can cause death, potentially doing more harm than the sickness itself.

Where am I going with all of this? Our passage today encourages us to not only believe in the Lord, but to something deeper and with continuity; to remain in the Lord. We read clearly that having the benefit of the Lord in our lives does not just consist of a momentary decision taken at some point. Instead, it is necessary to remain in that decision continually. It is not just a matter of one day, but of a lifetime. Salvation is not just based on one moment, but also, on continually remaining in Him, doing those things that He advises and commands us to do for our own well-being, and so we can be of blessing for those that are around us. We should yield fruit so we can be pleasing to God! And if there is not fruit, in the very least, there is a serious problem, or even further, something very hard and unpleasant will happen in the future, where there is no blessing or eternity.

How should we remain in the Lord? Daily! The Word explains the following: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalm 1. We see that the Scriptures teach us that it is a day and night type of thing—regularly. The Lord also clarified it as follows: “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” Luke 9:23. So then, if we truly want to be blessed in God, and be able to yield the fruit He is looking for, we must remain in Christ, walking with Him daily. The Bible also teaches us that the way we can start fresh and new, without any weight of sin is by being in Christ, for it is written: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. You are a new creation when you are in Christ, remaining in Christ; not because of a prayer you did once upon a time and nothing else happened in your life after that.

And finally, the Lord teaches us the following: “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.” Galatians 5:16-25. We must remain daily in the Lord, looking for Him regularly, and doing regularly what pleases Him; yielding much fruit. All good things, big and small, happen with the daily walk. So then, are you maintaining a good daily relationship with the Lord? Lord bless! John

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