Overcoming the Sin Within to Desire Jesus

Based on John 7:25-36 (New King James Version)

“Now some of them from Jerusalem said, ‘Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.’ Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, ‘You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.’ Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. And many of the people believed in Him, and said, ‘When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?’ The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said among themselves, ‘Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

I remember that I had a stage in life during my early childhood years where I ate very little, especially healthy food. I detested eating vegetables and other foods that were good for me. I was awful! My parents tried to make me eat going about it in a nice way, and not so nice way, but nothing worked. I think the only thing they didn’t try was knocking me out with anesthesia and feeding me intravenously. As a few years went by, and because of weakness and having exposed myself to extreme and unexpected cold weather, I got very sick. And because of that, I nearly lost my life. If it wasn’t for the divine power of the Lord upon my life, I would not be telling this story today.

What was my problem? Why didn’t I choose to eat well while things were still ok, and avoid getting sick? It was explained thousands of times to me that I had to eat because it was good for me, so I could grow and avoid getting sick. Even though I was a child, I was old enough to understand what was being said. It wasn’t a question of lack of intellect. It wasn’t because I was being told to do something that was beyond my physical reach, because my parents always found a way to have good food for me every day. It wasn’t that I lacked the aptitude or ability to be able to eat, because I had my hands and my mouth. I had very good teeth (I would bite my sister sometimes when we would fight. She’ll tell you I had excellent teeth). I was able to see what was put in front of me. And sometimes, to try to convince me to eat, they would try to make food look nice, and pretty, and appetizing. So, what was my problem? I didn’t like the flavor or the sensations that many foods gave me. It was simple obstinance. I didn’t like it, and no one was going to force me to do something I didn’t like, neither trying it the easy way and even far less, doing it the hard way. And this foolish obstinance nearly took me to the grave while still being young. What does this have to do with today’s passage?

We read that many people would ask themselves if Jesus was the Christ. We see that some people looked to kill Him. Others were indecisive. Others maybe believed, but not enough to leave everything and follow Him; without complete surrender. And similar to the problem I had with food, people not being able to accept Jesus as the Messiah did not involve a lack of learning, or a problem of not being able to understand, or a problem with a lack of capacity of being able to believe. Nothing physically or mentally was impeding them from believing as they should. There were no mechanical impediments, per se. Because the Lord Himself declared this: “You both know Me, and you know where I am from…” So, if the Lord said so, then it was so. God doesn’t make mistakes. The root for such disbelief was sin. Sin within people is what interfered with being able to believe as is necessary. Now, we need to make a distinction within sin itself. We need to dissect sin per se. We need to understand something important. Within our being, there is such a thing as choice, the ability to reason and make decisions despite what we may be feeling or wanting. The sin that does not let a person make the decision to believe is pride. Even though a person knows what is good, they simply refuse to do it or believe it because they feel they have the power to do so. So then, it’s not necessarily the other types of sin that limit faith. Pride against God is the most destructive of all sins. It’s when a person says within themselves, “I don’t want to believe because I don’t feel like believe,” or “I won’t surrender to the Lord because I want to do whatever I want to do.” The sin of pride is synonymous with rebellion. And if you ask a person why they don’t believe, if they were sincere, they would say, “I choose not to believe because I can, and that’s it.”

The Bible teaches us that when the Lord really loves us, but has to deal with the sin of pride, He tries to break that pride. It’s not that He likes to break us, because God is love, but rather, the level of pride a person has is what determines this. This is what the Scriptures tell us regarding His so-called people’s sin: “Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O house of the king! For yours is the judgment, because you have been a snare to Mizpah and a net spread on Tabor. The revolters are deeply involved in slaughter, though I rebuke them all. I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; for now, O Ephraim, you commit harlotry; Israel is defiled. They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst, and they do not know the Lord. The pride of Israel testifies to his face; therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also stumbles with them. With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them. They have dealt treacherously with the Lord, for they have begotten pagan children. Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage. Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah! Cry aloud at Beth Aven, ‘Look behind you, O Benjamin!’ Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke; among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark; I will pour out My wrath on them like water. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked by human precept. Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah like rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue. I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” Hosea 5. The Lord gives opportunity, but He warns that there is a limit also, and that you need to look for Him while the opportunity is still there. For it is written: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6. If a person has too much pride, the Lord’s calling may end at some point. When does this happen? Only God knows. So then, are you trying to overcome the sin of pride within you so you can desire Jesus, as is necessary? Lord bless! John

Aligning with Jesus

Based on John 7:14-24 (New King James Version)

“Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, ‘How does this Man know letters, having never studied?’ Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?’ The people answered and said, ‘You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.’”

There are a lot of things that can be seen in this passage, but we will only see a few. One of the things that needs to be seen is that although Jesus was 100%, He was also 100% God. There was a very different process in the Lord as compared to our own. He did grow up humanly speaking just like all of us, in terms of His human body. El also developed just like us in His intellectual capacities. For example, he learned how to speak and express Himself. But, He starts showing His divine aspect in the knowledge of the things of God, and in His revelation. And here is where the big difference between Him and us lays.

They themselves (the religious) noticed that there was a very advanced level of learning, despite the fact that He did not follow the steps they did. The Lord was not taught the Scriptures by the learned Jews. He did not study in their schools. He never obtained the credentials that people of education would acquire during those days. His humble background did not afford Him that possibility, especially since that type of thing was reserved for people of wealth and position. Carnally speaking, the Lord was none of those things, but rather, quite the contrary.

So then, how did He know what He knew, and even more, how did He learn to do what He did? The answer is very simple, and it lays in His divine nature. Jesus was (and is) God. And as God, He naturally possessed the knowledge of God; it was in Him. And to understand even more, He was (and is) the Word of God. John said this of Him when God revealed it to Him: “In the beginning was the Word (speaking of Jesus), 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.” John 1:1-3. So then, even though He was speaking about His Father, Jesus could not avoid speaking of Himself, because He was much God as God the Father. So then, when He would reveal the Father, He could not avoid speaking of Himself, because He was the Word of God. And moreover, when everything was created, God the Father created everything in conjunction and through the Lord, when He “spoke” things into existence. The Lord was the vehicle (per se) through which creation was possible. In other words, without Jesus, God the Father could not have created anything, because such “word” would not have existed. And here is where we see the integrity of the being of the Trinity, but in particular, the dynamics between God the Father and the Son (Jesus). Even though they are two very distinguishable beings, both are part of the integrity of one another; both are necessary to one another. Without the thought of God the Father, the Son cannot do anything, because the initiation of all divine thought originates from the Father. But also, without the Son, God the Father cannot turn his thoughts into a reality in the physical and spiritual universe. This is what the Jews refused to believe, because they had the capacity to understand these concepts. But, even though they refused to believe, and even killed Him, the Truth that Jesus is God could not be covered nor stopped because the Truth is unstoppable, especially the Truth that God is God, and nothing or no one can change that.

The other truth that could be seen here is the issue of whether a person aligns with the Lord or not. As we read in today’s passage, and we have seen at other occasions, there were very few people that would listen and accept Jesus. There were more enemies than friends, and such were His enemies that they finally killed him. The irony (although when the truth is seen, there is no irony) was that the religious were the ones that hated Him, and they hated Him until death. Why? Because they were simply not aligned with Him. Even though the religious said they believed in God, and that they respected and taught the things of God, they were quite far from God Himself. How does that happen? One of the main things that determines this is the intention of the heart, or the “why” things are done. The pharisees did not do things for God, but rather, to make themselves stand out and shine, to have dominion over the people, to have good economic status, etc.; the same reasons for why many people do it today. If the Lord were here today on earth, the religious would try to kill Him again, and the majority in that group would be priests, pastors, preachers, ministers, etc. Everything would repeat itself all over again just like before. There are many that seem like followers of God, but it’s only an appearance. How do I know that? Easy, because if all those people were with God, they would do just as God commands. And everyone of us that truly look to love and follow God would be united in harmony doing what the Lord desires. Many times, these religious people focus on things that are not very important, and they push aside that which is of extreme importance to God. For the Lord Himself said this: “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Luke 11:42.

What is finally the will of God? Exactly what the Lord Himself did on earth. The Lord taught that the most important thing was to love God above everything else, and second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Lord taught about eternal life, the will of God, and He helped everyone in need, those that had enough faith so that God could work in their lives. The Lord did not fight to construct buildings, or to make His fame grow throughout the world, or for material things, or for human flattery, or for positions of power, etc. He did not speak to people to flatter them, but rather just to tell them the Truth. And His fruit was: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; the fruits of the Spirit. And if we have His same feeling, then we would be doing and showing the same things, and it would come out of us naturally because these are things He produces in us; you don’t have to force them.  

So then, are you aligned with the Eternal God, with Jesus? Lord bless! John

Valuing Jesus

Based on John 7:1-13 (New King James Version)

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers therefore said to Him, ‘Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.’ For even His brothers did not believe in Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.’ When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, ‘Where is He?’ And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, ‘He is good’; others said, ‘No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.’ However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”

I would like to ask you some questions (and I know that maybe many of you may have already had this experience because painfully, this issue is common). If one of you have had certain problems or symptoms with your health that give the appearance of cancer, and the doctor sends you to undergo a lot of tests and analysis to see what exactly is happening, and the day comes that the doctor needs to give you his/her diagnosis based on all the information he/she has, and acting quickly with the treatment is critical, what would you like for the doctor to do with you? Would you like for the doctor to delay the appointment and avoid talking with you because they are concerned more with how you will react than your health? Would you like for him/her to lie to you and tell you that everything is fine, so he/she does not scare you or make you uncomfortable? Would you like for him/her to beat around the bush, not speaking clearly, and risking that you don’t understand what they are saying, leaving you even more confused? Or, would you like for the doctor to tell you the truth (even if it is hard to accept), and how to best deal with the situation as quickly as possible so you can have a good chance to survive? I think even though it may be hard for us, we would prefer the last option, right?

Now, I believe the majority of us would think that it is important to know the truth when something is wrong with our health. By seeing the reaction of many people over the years, I have noticed that not only do we want to know all of the details, but also, we look for all kinds of solutions, especially if it is something that is a matter of life and death. But, what is curious is that when we talk about spiritual things, of eternity, there is no such alarm, at least among those that feel that they have a long time left or that everything is relatively fine. Coming back to the series of questions made before, at least when paying attention to the way people act (not paying to attention to what they say, because people say many things), the majority of people either don’t like to listen to what they need to listen to, because it’s unpleasant, or they like being lied to indiscriminately so they are not uncomfortable, or that they like being spoken to unclearly because somehow, the confusion can be left aside and resolved another day. Since many believe that the things of God, life and death, and eternity are not important, or just simply, that they are not real (at least at the moment), they don’t take these things seriously. And the majority of people do not like being told God’s truth. And I believe that this was the problem that existed when the Lord was here on earth, and even now. I have observed that in the end, the majority of people are attracted to lies, and that is why they don’t look for the Lord, or simply, they just don’t like looking for Him. And here is where we get into today’s passage.

In what we read today, we see that not many people were fans (per se) of the Lord. Neither the Jews (that were supposedly the more religious and believing in God), neither people in general, and not even his brothers (because clearly, even though they were brothers, they didn’t believe). The great multitudes followed Him only because of the miracles He did, or because He healed them, or gave them food, etc. But when the time came about speaking the truth, many people didn’t like that. For it is written: “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?’” John 6:66-67. At that moment, the thousands abandoned Him, and the only ones left were the twelve and some women. And of course, when we talk about the religious people, they disliked Him so much that they wanted to kill Him, and looked for ways to do so. That’s why when He was in front of Pilate, and Pilate asked the people what he should do with the Lord, the multitude yelled, “Crucify Him!”, because He no longer pleased them.

The issue with not valuing Jesus and His Truth is that you are ruining your own life, sooner or later. Nothing happens to God if you don’t listen to Him, and a lack of faith and appreciation for the truth does not make Him less real, nor does that affect the reality that He is God. We are the ones that need His Truth. He does not need us. He does not depend on us. People need to convince themselves that no matter how much they don’t like truth, or try to dodge it, or that they desire the lie more than the truth, the Truth is the only thing that will help them, no matter how difficult it may be. The sick person needs the medicine; and not the other way around. For it is written: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31-32. God’s Truth is the only one that will bring freedom. And together with that Truth is that other things like the way to God and life come also. For it is also written: “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. Peter also said this when the Lord asked them if they would leave Him also: 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 6:68-69.

The big problem is that when the truth of God, Jesus, is avoided, evil starts to fill the void left by the truth. The Bible teaches us this: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4. The one that comes to fill the void that the truth leaves when it is rejected is the lie, nothing more. And with the lie comes the devil, for it is written: “…He (speaking of the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44b. The lie only brings destruction and death, no matter how attractive it sounds, no matter how much they like listening to it. Wide and easy is the path to perdition!

To be able to have eternal life, not only do you need to believe in Jesus, but even more so, you need to follow Him. And the only way that something is truly followed is when it is valued. So then, do you value more lies, or are you learning how to value Jesus and His Truth, so that you can truly be free and obtain eternal life? Lord bless! John

How We Need to Accept Jesus

Based on John 6:41-71 (New King James Version)

“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, ‘I am the bread which came down from heaven.’ And they said, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?’ Jesus therefore answered and said to them, ‘Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Medraws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’ The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’ These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. 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.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?’ He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.”

The majority of people believe in something or in someone. Almost no one has a problem with accepting that there is something that exists beyond us, or in something above us. In the US, and according to a survey done by Pew Religious Landscape in 2014, approximately 3.1% of the population say they are atheist, and 4% say they are agnostic. The balance says they believe in a God or in a being. I have been able to more or less experience this data personally with the majority of people I have shared a conversation with through the years, even with those in foreign countries where I have visited or lived in, that almost everyone has told me that they believe in someone, and that it is not hard for them to believe in a god. Just the other day I was speaking with a young person who is a recovering alcoholic that has been clean for over 10 years, that he was taught in Alcoholics Anonymous to cling on to a higher power, and that this faith had helped him move forward. But, there was a problem in the conversation. We didn’t have any issues in talking about a higher power, or even being able to concentrate that higher power in God. The problem surged when we started talking about Jesus, and how Jesus needs to be believed in. Everything was fine until that point.

Here is where the problem with faith occurs in many people, when we start talking about Jesus and who Jesus is. Many have this issue, and the large percentage of believers that the statistics give start to change. According to Pew Research Center, approximately 67% of the US population say they are Christians. It can still be thought of as a considerable majority in the US (although it’s much less in the rest of the world), but things start to change. So then, and just as it happened with this young man, a large majority of people believe in someone, but not necessarily in Jesus.

Now, within those that say they are Christians, how exactly do they believe in Jesus? There are many that do say they believe, but the differences start emerging in “how” they believe in Him. The majority see Him as a Savior. And yes, of course He is the Savior of the world. But, how many do believe in Him as the Bible teaches, as the Lord and God He is? And many say that they believe in Him in that manner also, but is it a reality? Do they believe and follow Jesus as we are taught? Is He the everything in our lives, the reason for our existence, the One that dictates the course of our daily life? And here is where everything changes, and that large percentage turns into a very small number. How can I say that? Easy! At least here in the US, if we say that there are so many believers in Christ, how can there be so much sin (not that God expects anyone to be perfect)? How can there be so much wrong, starting with those that say that they are not only believers, but also, even ministers and preachers of the Word of God? And here is where today’s passage comes into focus.

The Bible teaches us that we should believe in Jesus as Lord, as God, and as the Savior; as the only begotten Son of God. And not only accept and believe in Him as such, but also, so that it can be something complete, we need to make ourselves one with Him. This is what eating His flesh and drinking His blood means. We need to get to such an intimate relationship with Him that not only does He come inside of our lives, but through the work of the Holy Spirit and His Word, He needs to become part of everything in us, just like food. When we eat and drink something, those substances go into our mouth, are digested in our stomachs, and its elements transform and travel through our entire body, to every cell within our being, giving us nutrition and life. Food and liquids sustain us. They also help repair what is damaged. Without these things, no one can live to see tomorrow. It should be the same with the Lord in our lives. We see in the Bible that many were able to come to believe in Him in some manner, and even follow Him, but the majority of people could not deal with this, and they left Him. Only the twelve remained along with some women, and even one of the twelve was not be trusted because he would come to sell the Lord. The same thing happens today. The majority look for the Lord to solve their problems, for a number of different reasons, but not to make themselves one with Him, and so that He can become the center of their lives. And the problem with that is that you cannot get to have the life that God talks about unless Christ becomes your sustenance. If people do not eat or drink from the Lord, there is no life; just like if we left food to the side. We would die sooner or later. So then, do you accept Jesus as you need to so that you can have the life He desires so much to give you? Lord bless! John

The Problem with Disbelief

Based on John 6:27-40 (New King James Version)

“‘Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.’ Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’ Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’”

Everyone chooses to either believe in someone or something, because we were simply made with that capacity and function. It is something that is inevitable. Even the hardest of atheists that say they don’t believe in absolutely nothing believe in something or someone. If they refuse to believe in God, or in some sort of deity, then by default, they come to believe at the very least in themselves, in their intellect. So then, if we understand that each person, by default, comes to believe in something, then everyone has the ability (per se) for faith.

Like we have explained many times before, each person has the capacity for faith, and a lot of faith. The person that says that they do not have much faith is not very observant, and moreover, they use their faith for things, or do things, that can be considered quite scary. Logic goes hand in hand with divine faith. Let’s meditate a bit on what many people that say that they don’t have faith do on daily basis; and with this, I’m giving you fair warning because we are going to get into very personal things here.

One of the things that is mostly practiced today is sexual liberty, and what I am referring to is all sexual acts that are outside of the marriage, whether it relates to single people or married people that have affairs. The Bible refers to this as fornication. The majority of people practice this, of having sexual relationships with different people (we won’t get into the issue of homosexuality, lesbianism, etc., because that is something that goes beyond fornication, and of course, for worse). In the US, before graduating from high school, 62% of students have already had sex. And of course, the numbers jump even higher for when they turn into adults. Within those that have “healthier” practices are the people that have sexual relationships with people they are dating or that are having something a little deeper (before marriage). And they do it for many different reasons. The big problem with this is that yes, it is sin before the eyes of God, but also, there are logical reasons for what it is wrong (because God is the most logical being that exists). There are people that are always washing their hands and disinfecting themselves, but yet, they are able to have intimacy with people they barely know, exchanging bodily fluids and allowing themselves to be touched, without any concern. There are people that hate using a public restroom, but yet, they get intimately involved with people that use those same public restrooms that they fear, and of course, thereby exposing their bodies to the most intimate contact with the filth they fear. Just using statistics that relate to the US (because statistics are much worse in other countries), according to American Sexual Health Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every two people (50%) that are sexually active ”will contract” a sexually transmitted infection (STI) before the age of 25. Almost 20 million new cases of STIs occur each year, and 10 million of them occur among young people between the ages of 15-24. Today, 25% of all Americans have an “incurable” STI; that’s 1 out of every 4 people. 85% of Americans that have herpes (about 42 million people) don’t know that they have it. With all of this, and no matter what precautions a person takes, even while trying to keep a monogamous relationship, what can ensure someone that they won’t catch something, or that they might already have something and not know it? And yet, many choose to believe that a small piece of material over their bodies will protect them completely, like if it was some sort of magic forcefield that will keep them safe from any sicknesses and uncleanliness.

And well, we could even talk about things that could be even more dangerous, by getting involved with a stranger; sharing intimate moments with them when a person is most vulnerable physically. Have the people that have invited strangers into their beds thought that they might get someone who is mentally unstable, or a murderer? Don’t they think that their contraceptive methods might fail, and that someone might just get pregnant? Don’t they think that the other person that is getting intimately involved with them might have ulterior motives? The majority of people do have bad intentions, especially when it involves sexual relations. There are many real risks involved. But, the majority of people don’t even think about one of these things before getting involved with someone. They would much rather believe in their instincts (or just go with the moment), in their intellect, in the other person, in so many things that are fallible, limited, untrustworthy, or even unknown and insecure, and yet, they “cannot” come to believe in God like they should.

The problem with disbelief is this: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36. And the simple reason for why a person “cannot” come to believe is explained by the Bible in this manner: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:18-21. So then, the problem is not lack of faith, but rather, a person not wanting to change and leave sin behind; and that’s it.

If the Lord is not believed in as is necessary, there is no salvation, no forgiveness, and no life. And a person exposes themselves to all the evils that sin brings, because sin only brings destruction, sooner or later. So then, do you believe, as you need to, in Jesus and in what He teaches so that you can have life and have it abundantly? Lord bless! John

What Do We Do With Jesus?

Based on John 6:16-26 (New King James Version)

“Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone—however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks—when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, when did You come here?’”

What was the real reason for why Jesus came to this earth? We see through the Scriptures that the Lord did many things. He healed the sick. He freed the demon-possessed. He did signs and wonders. He fed thousands of people. He taught many things. And He even raised from the dead some people. John also explains that only some things were written about what the Lord did, as he explains in the following passage: “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” John 21:25. So then, we only know what is necessary through the Scriptures.

Although all of these things are good, and part of the manifestation of the Messiah, the most important reason for why the Lord came to this world was to take on our human form, to pour out His blood and die on the cross, and to be raised from the dead. Why? Because this was the only way that we could obtain the salvation that He taught about, the power to be born again in the Spirit. And together with this, it was the only way that God Himself can come to live inside of our being, through faith in Jesus. Otherwise, God cannot convert us into His temples, those that are not made by the hands of man.

Why is it so important for God to come to live inside of us? One of the problems that the disciples had, and all the others that preceded the resurrection of the Lord was that there was no forgiveness of sins. The sacrifices and following the faith in the Lord only allowed for the covering of sins. And the Spirit of God was only able to be upon or with a person, but not inside. In this passage, we see that the disciples did spend some time separated from the Lord even though they were following Him. In this passage, we do not see the detail that the Lord Himself sent them ahead of Him. Both Matthew 14:22 and Mark 6:45 gives us part of the story where the Lord commanded them to go without Him. So, it’s not that they wanted to take off without Him.

The issue is that there is a huge difference between God being with and/or around us, then being within us. The Lord can only come to live within our being when we give ourselves or surrender ourselves completely to Him. That’s the only way we can come to belong to Him, and there is no other way. And by virtue that He lives within us, His Holy Spirit can work within us intimately, in the deepest places within us, those places that even we ourselves are not very aware of. So then, when you invite Him to be inside of you by faith, you don’t have to worry if you took Him somewhere, if you had to leave Him somewhere because He was busy doing something else, etc. He will be within you wherever you go. For it is written: “…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” John 14:23b.

Now, what do people try to do with the Lord? Incredibly enough, many do not look to have the Lord inside of them, and for many reasons. By what we see in this passage, there are people that simply look for the Lord so they can receive things, to get what they want, to fulfill their desires. They don’t want a personal relationship with Him, or least of all, a commitment. The majority of people look to resolve their problems, like their economic needs, their health problems, and many other things, with almost all the reasons involving temporary things. It’s not that these things are bad and that we should not ask for them, but they should not be the main reason for why the Lord is looked for, or even worse, that these things are the only reason for why He is sought after.

There is something that we all know that can apply to this concept, and that is: the golden rule. The golden rule was said by the Lord: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31. This rule also applies to God, and it can be said in the following manner: And just as you want God to do to you, you also do to Him likewise. For example, would you like it if your loved ones only looked for you because they just want something from you? Would you like for people to try to manipulate you, so they can get things from you? Would you like it if the only reason people are with you is because you do want they want you to do for them? Would you like for someone to pretend to love you so they can use you? I believe we all want to be loved genuinely, and we want for people to be with us because they want to be with us, despite the circumstances. So then, if we desire real love and loyalty, don’t you think God deserves the same, especially considering everything He has done, is doing, and promises to do for us in the future?

So, the big question is: “What are you trying to do with the Lord?” Lord bless! John

Misconceptions

Based on John 6:1-15 (New King James Version)

“After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.’ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?’ Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.’ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.’ Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

Unfortunately, many of us err because we do not understand what we need to understand. And by not wanting to understand (because “being able” to understand is not the problem), we make life more difficult for ourselves, sowing more evil than good. And by making wrong decisions, we throw away a lot of valuable resources, like time, money, and finally, spiritual gains. When mistakes occur, even though things may look good at the moment, you are going down a twisted path that may lead to an uncertain and evil end. Therefore, we need to correct these misconceptions so that better things can be achieved (for our own good, and for the good of others), but it’s not easy because it goes against our very nature.

The first misconception that we see in this passage (or more exactly, the one with the greatest importance) is the issue that they saw Jesus as a prophet. That is a huge problem. Jesus was not a prophet, and He cannot be acknowledged as such. If Jesus is not acknowledged as what He truly is, and with a complete internal conviction, nothing will be gained. There will be no salvation, or forgiveness of sins, or divine direction, or godly blessings, etc., etc. Quite simply, without acknowledging and accepting Jesus as who He is, then the only path left is hell (it’s not my opinion, but rather, it’s what God’s Word says).

Jesus was and is God. He has to be acknowledged and accepted personally as the Almighty God, the Most High, the Creator, and everything that is a part of being the only God, as part of the Divine Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), because the three are one. If you do not believe in His divinity, then you will not be able to experience His divine power, starting with eternal life. And the second way that He must be acknowledged as is as the Lord. In order for God’s salvation to take effect on your life, you have to belong to Him fully and completely. He has to be the Lord of your life. As you can see, this has nothing to do with being a mere prophet.

The second misconception is related to the first one, and that is: We are not the ones in charge, but rather, God is the one in charge. From the moment we acknowledge Jesus as God and Lord, then as logic would dictate, we need to do what He says as opposed to us trying to command or manipulate Him. It is impossible and absurd to try to command or manipulate God. And besides, nothing good can come from that. The problem is that nothing good comes from trying to get our way or trying to fulfill our desires (and I know it is difficult to accept this). We need to understand that our instincts and desires are governed by the sin that lives within us. That’s the problem. When we surrender our lives to the Lord, it’s only the beginning of a long and hard process of trying to submit those instincts and desires under His dominion. So then, we are incapable of thinking and doing good on our own (I know this is hard, but don’t get discouraged or rebel because you are only going to hurt yourself).

We see this, for example, when Peter tries to persuade the Lord about not dying: “Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matthew 16:22-24. When we think carnally, we are only putting into action Satan’s will, and not God’s will. The Word also says this: “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” Jeremiah 7:22-24. When we look to fulfill our will (or achieve our own supposed happiness), we go backwards, to the past that God needs to bury so that He can make new things in our lives, so that we can live the abundant life He wishes to give us. It’s not about happiness, but rather, it’s about eternal purposes that go beyond our supposed happiness or fulfilling our own personal desires. This is what the Word says also: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:7-9. If we desire good for our lives, we need to change our way of thinking through the work of the Holy Spirit and His Word in us. Our understanding needs to change just like God counsels us here: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2.

Do you want for your life to truly change? My best counsel for you is that you should leave behind these misconceptions and hang on to the Lord with all your heart, following Him (and not your carnal desires) each day faithfully. Lord bless! John

Living Life for the Lord

Based on John 5:30-47 (New King James Version)

“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. ‘I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

For what or for whom are you living your life? Have you ever asked yourself that? I believe the answer for some people is easy. There are others that I don’t think they have ever asked themselves this question. And well, I believe some think they know the answer, but if they look at their lives, they might see something different. And if there is something that I try to do intentionally in the Lord, at minimum, is to try to make people think and meditate. Thinking and meditating is something that doesn’t happen often today. It’s ironic that this is happening in a time like now when we are living in a moment where we have the greatest access to information man has ever had. We don’t think much, because if we did, our lives would be very different (at least, I hope that would be the case).

I don’t think many people understand the value of this life, and moreover, the value of what is to come. But, let’s concentrate in the here and now for a moment. What is the purpose of people’s lives? If we observe and look around, different people have chosen different reasons for their existence. The most common one is selfishness, living to make oneself happy, in one way or another. There are others that have decided to live primarily for a human love, for a family, for a career, for some sort of ideal, for material things, for pleasure, and for a number of other things. There are some people that have no course for their life. They just live life. They treat themselves like a very small piece in a giant machine. And of course, if you really want to see the reason for your existence, I would suggest that you sit down for a moment (or do it walking, however you want), but in silence, without nothing or no one around you; without distractions, and think and meditate on what you are doing daily, and why you are doing things. If you do it genuinely, the answer will become quite apparent.

Why does it matter to know why we do things? Because life has a value. If you are living and breathing at this very moment, it is because God has allowed for you to exist. And as much as Satan and people try to take life in different ways and in different moments (before being born, when young, or as adults), you are alive at this very moment, and for a reason and a purpose. Even the hardest and most evil human being is alive at this very moment because God allows it. There is no other reason, and that life has a purpose. And when you live life without good direction, you finally hurt yourself and everyone around you. And probably the most harmful purpose for anyone to live for is for themselves (it may sound illogical, but it’s the truth).

If we see the life of the Lord, even though He was God, He did not live for Himself. Everything He did was for the Father. He was only looking to do the will of the One that sent Him. He did whatever He saw the Father do. The Lord imitated God the Father to the point of perfection in the life and the works of His Father. He spoke about His Father. He shared with us how to live life and to do what is good. He did signs and wonders, such as the world had never seen. He healed the broken hearted. He made the cripple walk, the blind see, and relieved people of other sicknesses. He freed those that were demon possessed. He raised the dead; children and adults. He obeyed the Father to the point of surrendering His own life in the most painful and agonizing way a human could ever die. But, despite that, even though it cost him a great deal of pain and sacrifice, He did the will of the One that sent Him. And blessed be God Almighty and our Lord Jesus for that, because, what would have happened if the Lord wouldn’t have done everything He did? What would have happened if He would have forgotten His purpose, the reason for why He came into this world? He was (and is) God and He had all the power to decide and to do as He pleased. He would not have ceased to be what He was if He would have done differently, because it is just a fact, that He is God. And nothing can change that.

And now, how should what the Lord did affect us? If we understand our position (that we are nothing, and that we had no hope without Him), and that He did something great for you and me (personally) because He just wanted to, don’t you think that should be enough to live life for Him? If you have truly decided to follow Christ and have made the Lord the master of your life, the Bible teaches us this: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Colossians 3:23. If we desire to have a full life here, and more importantly, after all of this, the Bible also teaches us this: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7-9 

So then, if you live life just for yourself and for temporary things (even though they may not be evil within themselves), you will only receive something temporary (if you are able to obtain what you want). But, if you live life for the Lord and for His purposes, you will have what is eternal guaranteed, and God might even surprise you during the here and now also. So then, are you living life for the Lord? Lord bless! John

Acknowledging Jesus

Based on John 5:16-29 (New King James Version)

“For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.’ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.’” 

In this passage, we see a couple of reasons for why the Jews wanted to kill Jesus; because of doing things they considered unlawful to do during the Sabbath, and because He said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. But there was another more powerful reason that was eating away at their own soul, because they were full of evil. The Apostle John had noticed the two reasons of which he wrote, but incredibly enough, an unbelieving man had noticed the most important one; which was envy. For it is written: “Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.” Matthew 27:17-18. Envy was the root of all the hate they felt for the Lord. This was the evil that was born in their heart that stimulated them to kill God’s only Son, the same God they said they were following. Why?

They hypocritically justified their hatred with Biblical reasons. It was true that the Sabbath had to be respected (although Jesus as God could do whatever He wanted). It was true that no one should make themselves equal to God because the penalty for that was death (although it was true that He was the only begotten Son of God). But, their wrath grew within them because they did know that the Lord was truly the only begotten Son of God, and that He was truly God. They knew it and believed it, but not for repentance and conversion, but rather, hatred and envy surged. They hated the idea that the Lord was able to do things they were not able to. They hated the idea of the multitudes following Him. They hated the idea that they were not the focus anymore, but rather, that the Son of God became the focus. No matter how farfetched this sounds, this was the truth.  

We see someone else in history that was also driven by envy; Satan. The Bible teaches us about the envy and the hatred that Satan (before known as Lucifer) felt against the Almighty Himself, for God the Father. For it is written: “How you are fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” Isaiah 14:12-15. Satan, as he filled himself with groundless pride, He came to envy God, and that was what the cause of his fall. He did not know how to accept the reality that he was not like God, nor could he ever be like God, and that he could never take the Most High’s legitimate place. This was the same evil the Jews that killed the Lord had within them. They wanted to be like the Lord, but they could never be that, and that ate their soul up. There are people that have God complexes, and this evil is much more common than you think.

Although we were made in God’s image and likeness, the issue is that no one can be like God, under any circumstance. It’s naturally impossible. And at the same time, not even the most remote feeling, nothing that could even resemble wanting to be like God should exist in our heart. And more over, and this is the culmination of today’s thought, the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, must become the everything in our lives. Jesus can not only be our Savior and Lord, but He must also be our God. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, the Messiah, was and is God. And if that realization does not exist within us, without our very heart, our soul, our mind, our entire being, then there is nothing. The Bible teaches us this: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36.

So then, this is what we need to keep in mind: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-4. Jesus is the Word. Jesus existed since the beginning. Jesus made all things. Jesus is the life and the light. Jesus made man, for it is written: “Then God said, ‘Let Us [plural God] make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” Genesis 1:26a. Jesus (or God) made Himself flesh. God was with man on this earth. God was mocked and beaten. God was crucified. God descended to the depths of the earth. But, God was raised from the dead at the third day. And now, God is seated on His legitimate throne, in the highest place in the heavens, where Satan wanted to be. And God will come for His people and judge the nations. God will condemn to eternal punishment all those that did not accept Him as such. And God will reign forever and ever, Amen.

Now, have you acknowledged and accepted Jesus (God) for what He is? Or, are you part of those that envy Him, trying to make yourself like Him? Lord bless! John

The Intentions of the Heart

Based on John 5:1-15 (New King James Version)

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, ‘It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.’ He answered them, ‘He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’’ Then they asked him, ‘Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?’ But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.’ The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.”

Have you ever asked yourself, “why do sicknesses exist?” And the answer that the Bible gives us is that sicknesses come because of sin. When sin entered in the world through Adam and Eve (because both of them fell), everything that produces pain, damage, destruction, and finally death came in. That is why God cannot stand sin. If we read the beginning of the book of Genesis, we see that God made everything good. The world was not made with sin. Unfortunately, sin was brought into a good world, a clean and pure creation, and it ruined everything. So then, sin itself and everything it brings with it is not what God desires.

The issue is that sin brings death. It produces death, even in that which is good. It contaminates things. For it is written: “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. And as a consequence, sin produces everything that drives towards death, like sicknesses (because something has to happen so a person can die). So then, we cannot blame God for these things, at least not directly. God wants to produce more of Himself; to produce life. For it is also written: “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23b. “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.

Now then, why do people get sick? There are three main reasons for why a person may get sick (because there may be other reasons). The first one is because we simply live in this world, in a place of sin, an imperfect world. It doesn’t happen necessarily because a person did something wrong individually, or by themselves. In other words, they are not paying for something wrong they did out of their own free will. It happens because we are where we are, and there is nothing you can do about it. For example, a small child has not had the opportunity to sin by their own free will yet (although we are conceived in sin), but they can get sick and/or die also. It happens every day.

The second reason is because of direct consequences from our actions. In other words, a person gets sick because they have done things that naturally produces sicknesses and death. If a person does not take care of themselves, they can cause themselves problems. That is why we must be careful with what we do with our bodies; with what we eat, with what we ingest, and with what we expose ourselves to. And well, there is a list of things that a person should avoid. That’s why drugs are bad; the illegal and legal kind (prescribed by doctors). Drinking alcohol can bring problems also, in any quantity (because everyone is different). Smoking is bad, because it contains things that are harmful. Certain foods, or foods in large quantities can cause harm. That’s why a person should have a balanced diet and do some sort of regular exercise. Being overweight (or underweight) does not help anyone. And like that, there are many other things. Bad lifestyles (certain sins, like fornication and adultery) and physical abuses that not only may cause, but rather, will cause something bad sooner or later, and no one is exempt from that. The Bible teaches us that we become the Lord’s temple when we surrender our lives to Him. He comes to live by faith inside our hearts. So then, His Word teaches us that we must take care of His temple and to avoid things that can affect us, because it also says that He will destroy those that destroy His temple.

And the third reason for why a person can get sick is because of punishment. God can allow for something to happen to someone that didn’t necessarily abuse themselves physically, and here is where we see today’s case. This man who the Lord healed had done something in the past that produced this ailment, because the Lord Himself declared it. He did something that God simply did not like. The Word teaches us this: “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. And we see that despite the Lord healing him, he continues doing evil. Why did he go and tell the Jews who had healed him if he knew they were looking to do something wrong to Him? Even after having received a miracle, undergoing a huge change in life, having suffered for thirty-eight years, he still didn’t learn. That’s why, if God forgives you, and He also heals you, then stop doing what is wrong. Leave sin behind.

There may be other reasons (because we have limited space here), but finally, each person knows why they have what they have. And whatever your condition may be, my counsel is to look for the Lord, and to change what you need to change. Because in the end, even though there may be healing, something worse can happen, whether through your own abuse, or whether you are doing something that God simply does not like. Think for a moment: “What is the intention that God sees in my heart?” Lord bless! John

Issues of Faith

Based on John 4:43-54 (New King James Version)

“Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’ The nobleman said to Him, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ‘Your son lives!’ Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.”

The majority of people have a big problem with faith in God, including those that profess to believe and follow God (it’s hard to believe such irony). There are many that doubt God’s existence. There are many that do not fear Him, even using His Name in vain and in a disrespectful and mocking kind of way. Unfortunately, this is nothing new, because the Lord Himself suffered it while in the flesh during His stay on this earth. And it will keep on happening until everyone sees who God really is. How can you see the lack of respect and disbelief? In many ways.

One of the ways that we see it is in today’s passage when the Lord said: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” What is the problem with this? The problem was that there was doubt with everything God had done. And to make it worse, there was such doubt and disrespect that it gets to the point that people required signs, a demonstration of His power. This issue was seen in another part of the Scriptures when it says: “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign…’” Matthew 12:38-39a. Basically, when a person demands a sign from God, they are treating Him like a cheap magician, like if He needs to perform a cheap trick to entertain them. There is so much pride and hardness of heart that they demand a sign, thinking that they are in a place to humiliate God by getting Him to serve them and please them. Sounds bad, right? Well, this happens at every moment and many people practice this. How many times have you heard someone say: “If God doesn’t answer the way I want, then I won’t believe in Him.”? How many people continue to doubt the existence of God and even question His Word, wondering whether or not it is true? And if God doesn’t do a trick for them (per se), they won’t believe. Almost everyone has no issues in doubting the existence of God, the works of God, the person of Christ, and the Holy Scriptures; and especially when they feel that God does not fulfill their personal requests, by pleasing them with their selfish desires. And to add to the problem, how many times does God answer their prayers and petitions, and even then, they doubt in following Him, not respecting Him, and not being grateful for what He had done? As the Preacher said, “There is nothing new under the sun!”

The issue is that it may not be necessarily about a lack of faith or disbelief in a person, but rather, even though they know within themselves that there is something or Someone greater out there, they simply feel that they are greater and stronger than God Himself. Pride is such in so many people that they believe that God is there to serve them and to tolerate their pride. Or, at the very least, they think: “I don’t know who God is, nor am I interested to know; but well, if He exists, then let Him serve me.” And there is where the big problem is with faith in God.

What people need to worry about is that they will not always be able to abuse God’s goodness, mercy, love, and patience. God is incredibly patient, but not infinitely patient. God has His limits, because in the end, God is love, but He is also consuming fire. Just because God loves us does not make His worthiness and honor go away. God is God. For our own good, we need to understand that God the Father is sitting on the throne of the universe, and that His only begotten Son, Jesus, is the Lord. He is no longer the God that made Himself flesh so He could die for us on the cross. This is what the Bible teaches us: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16. The Word also teaches us this: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. If you were able to have life, it’s because He allowed it. If you continue living, it’s because He allows it. God is the One that allows for your heart to beat and to be able to breathe. If your end comes, it’s because He allowed it. And finally, it is God who decides who lives forever and dies forever.

So then, if you have never understood your position and God’s position, I recommend that you start to understand, and quickly. If you never respected Him, start now. If you never feared Him, start now. If you never loved Him, start now. Start trying to treat Him as He deserves, while there is still time. For it is written: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36.

So then, have you decided to triumph over your issues of faith before it’s too late? Lord bless! John

Sharing Jesus with Others

Based on John 4:31-42 (New King James Version)

“In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’ But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat of which you do not know.’ Therefore the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.’ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’”

Why did the Lord come to world? What was His purpose? I think we all know why: to save us from our sins and to transform our lives. Throughout the Lord’s entire physical life, we can see that this was His focus. We could see His intention in everything He was doing. His dedication was such that He compared the sustenance of His body to doing the will of His Father. His food was to do the Father’s will, and to finish His work. Throughout His ministry, He shared about His Father. He spoke about the kingdom and how to enter it. He taught us how we should live. And as we also read and know; He fed the hungry. He freed the demon-possessed. He healed the sick. And He even raised the dead. Everything He did His whole life, and until His death and resurrection, was (and is) with the purpose to save us and transform us. But, what other purpose does salvation, in addition to having eternal life? A purpose that is just as great!

Everything the Lord did (and does and wants to continue doing) with our lives is so that we can continue perpetuating an incredible movement; that others may come to be saved and transformed until the time of the dispensation of God’s grace ends. God has given a timeframe so that people can come to salvation. We don’t have a clue on how long this will be, but we know through the Scriptures that there is a determined period of time that only God the Father knows about. That’s why the Word encourages us to seek for God while He can still be found. But the moment will come when mankind cannot be saved. But until then, the Good News of Salvation must continue being spread to every human being; to every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, for as much time remains, because that’s how we got here.     

The Gospel entered my life many years ago (over 36 years ago), through a person that was a complete stranger to me back then. And the person that shared the Gospel with me was also ministered to by someone else, and so on. And if we drew a line, the start of the origin of my salvation would reach of course the Lord Himself, but also, it would pass through one of the apostles or another disciple of the Lord. But, one of those people that was around the Lord Himself was the precursor of my salvation; someone that at some point heard, believed, was saved, and felt compelled to share their faith with the world that surrounded them. And of course, all the work is of the Lord through His Holy Spirit. But, God used some human being that was touched and transformed by the Lord Himself.

For example, Paul is the one that is attributed with giving us the opportunity as gentiles (those of us that do not come from Israel). Paul was known as the apostle for the gentiles. God used him to travel throughout much of the known world at the time, to preach about the Lord’s salvation to different nations. But we also read that Peter was used in the life of Cornelius, a centurion in the Italian Regiment of the Roman Empire. Cornelius was a roman. And we read in Acts 10 that Cornelius and a large group of people that were with him that came to be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. The point is that someone centuries ago was touched by the Lord and others became part of the chain. And as the chain grew through the centuries, I have to think on everything that must have happened so that the Gospel could reach me; the sacrifice, the pain, the effort, the commitment, faithfulness, etc. of so many faithful brethren that were before me. And through me, by sharing my faith with others, that touch of the Almighty continues with other people, other generations, until the determined time is fulfilled. And of course, I can’t just think about the chain that was formed so that I could be saved, but also, the other chains that were formed so that I could receive the Lord’s Word through other people all of these years which has helped me grow and remain faithful until now. Have you ever thought about the incredible process that started with the Lord and has continued through the centuries so that you could have the opportunity of being saved and transformed by the Lord?

So then, if we understand that, then we understand how important it is to share our faith with others, but of course, if we have truly been saved and transformed by the Lord. Because, how can something be spoken of if this has no real meaning in the life of a person? If the Lord does not mean much to you, nor what He has done through the ages for you, then, of course, there can be no inspiration. But, if you have experienced the true touch of the Lord in your life, if He has transformed you and made you a new person, then you have much to talk about and share. In the end, we cannot be selfish with the Lord, or fearful either. We must fulfill God’s purpose which many faithful people before us understood; that others must come to the Lord, or at the very least, give them the opportunity to receive something. Now, if they listen or not, that is not your problem. What matters is that you understand what God has done for you, and that you share Him with others that were just as lost as you once were before; without hope and without faith.

So, first of all, have you come to know the Lord personally and intimately? And if that has happened, do you value all the effort it took so you could have Him? And if you have understood, are you talking about Jesus to other people that also need to be saved and transformed? Lord bless! John

God Reveals Himself Only Through the Spirit

Based on John 4:19-30 (New King James Version)

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What do You seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?’ The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ Then they went out of the city and came to Him.”

We will only see a part of this passage, because there is a lot here. What does this mean, “when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him?” The answer is, “a lot, and many will not understand it.” The issue is that this directly refers to what the Lord explained to Nicodemus, that it is necessary to be born again, to be born of the Spirit. We cannot come to God through our own terms, or through our means. There is nothing that we can really offer to God that may have any kind of value, at least, something that comes from us.

The first thing that makes it difficult to deal with this issue is our pride, or our lack of understanding our position. In all reality, we are nothing. We really don’t have any value. Like the Psalmist said: What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? Psalm 8:4. So then, if we are nothing, what can we offer to God? What kind of worship would be able to come before His presence that would be pleasing if our being has no value? The Word also says this: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6. So, what needs to happen so all of this can change?

Before getting to that point, we need to understand something else. We are not the ones that look for Him. He is the one who initiates contact, for starters. He is the one that constantly calls. We were (or maybe some still are) so lost and blind that we had no idea of our need, of our condition, of who God was, and of who we were (or some may still be). Just like we saw in the story of the Samaritan women, it was not her that went looking for the Lord. She had no idea who He was until He started revealing Himself to her. He was the one that drew close to her. He was the one that started the conversation. He was the one that started bringing to the light what was deep inside of her. He was the one that started revealing certain truths. The effort was all from the Lord. The Word teaches us this: 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 4:9-10. So then, when was it that He started showing Himself to us? Since the first moment we started to experience the creation of this world. For it is written: “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.” Romans 1:18-20. We were (or some may still be) so insensitive, that we did not realize that God was trying to speak to us a long time ago, since a very early age. Our five senses are the transmitters of God’s works and His presence. Through our eyes can we contemplate the works of God. Through our hearing we listen to what God has made. We smell the work of God. We taste the work of God. And of course, we feel the different things God has made. And all of these things were made through the power of His Word. Despite all of that, many are still and may continue completely insensitive to God because the fulness of their sin and death is reigning in their lives, being guided by the desires of darkness and evil. This is hard, but it’s the truth. The only way many of us will come to listen to God is when our pride is broken, when we start to realize that we need something greater than ourselves.

Now, how can all of this start to change (and here comes the good news)? By being born again in the Spirit. A person needs to start over through God, through the power of the Lord Jesus. And as a start, there needs to be total and complete repentance and conversion from all sin. They have to turn away from everything that has been the root of their blindness and insensitivity. And they need to make Jesus the owner and Lord of their lives, surrendering the most intimate part of their being: their heart. There is the beginning.

And now then, here is where we get to the explanation of the worship that reaches God. By being born again in the Spirit, we take in the Being of God into our hearts. And by doing that is that the works that coincide with what the Bible teaches now count, because we are giving God something that flows from Himself. The only thing that changes in the condition of a human being that has God is that they turn into a fountain for the Living God, something that flows from deep within their being. And there is where the worship to the Lord becomes living and a fragrant odor. And it is not necessarily about songs, but rather, of service and of actions based and guided by the Spirit of God within our being. This is what truly is the will of God. It is not necessarily what we do (or about the type of work it is within itself), for it is written: “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. What matters is “why” we do what we do, the intention of the heart through the Holy Spirit of God.

So then, have you experienced God through His Spirit in your life? Lord bless! John

We Need to Let God Deal with us Intimately

Based on John 4:7-18 (New King James Version)

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?’ Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.’”

God desires to do great things in our lives. He wants to change us and transform us, to give us life, and life in abundance: eternal life. That was the purpose of the Lord, to be able to give eternal life where there is only death and darkness. And that this life might reach every person, at least, that each person might have the opportunity, because there is where God’s goodness is manifested. Even though we are not aware of it (like many people blame God, saying that God does not give the opportunity to everyone), we have the faith and trust that in one way or another, God gives (or has given) the opportunity to each person to come to the knowledge of salvation. But, what needs to happen so that this fountain of water can manifest itself in a person’s heart, in the center of a person? A person must let God deal with them intimately; completely, without obstacles or reservations.

What we can see in this passage is that this woman wanted to have what the Lord was offering her, but the Lord starts to bring to the light what is most intimate in her; her sin. In our society today, (and as it has always been), everyone hides something or some things. This is titled today as “our privacy”. Privacy is incredibly important to everyone. Everyone wants to keep their privacy safe and sound. But despite that, God continues to be the same yesterday, today, and forever. And He needs to penetrate that “privacy” for our own good.

The big problem that happens if we don’t let the Lord enter our intimacy, by letting Him deal with that intimacy, with the secrets, with the evil that is hidden within, with everything that is buried deep within us, is that life cannot manifest itself. We continue in death. No matter how much a person bathes, and perfumes themselves, and tries to look like a decent and exemplary person (socially speaking), they still have death, decomposition, and spoils within them. It’s just as the Lord said about the Pharisees, that they were whitewashed tombs because they were clean on the outside but horrible within. And well, if you know anything about water, you know that water is an element that gets contaminated quite easily. When waters are stagnant, a horrendous smell emanates. When water is dirty, you can see it clearly. And of course, you can’t drink it. Maybe there is some water that might come out of a person, but if the water is mixed with stuff that is dirty and contaminated, what is going to come out is quite unpleasant; just like the Word says: smell of death.

So then, just as the Lord showed us, we need to let the evil within us come out. And rest assured (and that is why hardly anyone likes to get close to the Lord), the issue is going to turn very public real fast. But what is good about things to come out not only before God’s presence, but also, before others by virtue that God is dealing with those issues, is that freedom, salvation, restoration come into the picture and that living water of which the Lord spoke manifests itself. That is why the Lord said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. When we let the sin in our heart come out, God takes that burden. God is the one that cleanses. For it is also 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.

Now, how do we know that what is revealed in secret to God comes out publicly? Look at today’s passage. The truth that this Samaritan woman was a woman that had many lovers or sexual partners is being read by everyone today; and millions have read it, and millions more will read it, because it has been imprinted in the Word of God. But, who cares about that if God has forgiven, if He has cleansed, and if He has brought out life from what was once dead? What is beautiful is that this woman let her sin come to the light, and she showed it to everyone, but so that God could work in her life. And thanks to that, not only was she forgiven and restored, but also, others that heard believed in the Lord as well, because of her testimony. That is why the Word also counsels us with this: “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.

So, if you want to continue hiding death and evil within you (although God knows everything, and He also says that everything will come to the light, sooner or later), you will never have living water within you. But, if you decide to let God work with everything that is inside your heart, and you bring it out to the light, and you leave it behind, God can do great things in your life, starting with granting you eternal life. This is really your decision and your part in the affair. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, but you are the one that decides to give in or not. And with that decision is that eternal life come into the picture. Any other way, a person continues abiding in darkness and in death.

So then, do you really want living water to flow out of you? And if that’s the case, are you letting the Lord work within you intimately? Lord bless! John

Jesus as a Human Being

Based on John 4:1-6 (New King James Version)

“Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.”

Many do not understand the Lord’s human aspect. There are almost always misunderstandings about this. For example, many people say: “He was able to do what He did, and He endured what He did because He was God.” Others go a completely opposite direction because they only see Him as a human being with limited abilities and powers, and that’s why they don’t respect Him. There are those that see Him extremely human, but in a sinful kind of way, and they think that He had problems and temptations with lust, including sexual weaknesses. In summary, the majority of people go all over the place as it relates to the Lord’s human aspect, because they don’t quite get to what the Bible teaches.

The first thing that needs to be understood is His real genealogy, where He comes from. First of all, Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity. His beginning as a Being was not here on earth, even though He was born here in the flesh. He is the Eternal God, the Lord of Hosts, the Alpha and the Omega, etc., etc. So then, He was (and is) 100% divine. The other thing that must be understood is that His Father was (and is) God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. So, His Father being who He is makes Him not entirely similar to us in that regard, with fleshly lusts like sexual desires, with the temptation to steal, to kill, to have vices, to lie, to be greedy. In summary, He did not have any of the evil works of the flesh. Now, the human aspect He did take on was from His earthly mother Mary (who was virgin). He was able to take on through her a carnal form, to be born and to live as a human being who was pure. So then, He became 100% man through Mary.

Because the Lord was a man, with flesh and blood (but without evil desires), He lived just like us. God took on our form to know exactly what each of us feel. He took on all of our human frailties and experienced them in the flesh (literally). He knew what it was like to be tired, as we read in today’s passage, when John wrote: “…being wearied from His journey…” He knew what hunger was, having a completely empty stomach, for it is written: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.” Matthew 4:1-2. He knew what it felt like when you lose a loved one, and He even cried because of the pain He felt (for Lazarus). For it is written: “And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’” John 11:34-36. He also experienced agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, for the Scriptures also say: “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44. The Lord experienced abandonment (because He took on our sin), finding Himself completely alone. We see this in the telling of His crucifixion when it says: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” Matthew 27:46. And of course, as part of the sacrifice on the cross, He experienced injustice, being mocked, being scorned, extreme physical tiredness and pain, torture, hemorrhaging, and finally, death. The Lord experienced everything a human being could experience, with reference to our human frailty.

What value does this have? A great deal! God knows everything about us because He is God, but now even more so, because He experienced through His Son what it feels like to be human. He lived it. And the great value that this has is that He humbled Himself for us. He felt what we feel. And He feels compassion because of this. For it is written: Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16. So then, what better God and Intercessor could we have like the one that took our form (because of love), who wishes to be with us through everything we might go through without ever abandoning us! That’s why He left the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, so that He could live by faith in our hearts. The Lord understands everything you feel, and He cares.

The last aspect that we will see is that the Lord is our example. Despite feeling wearied, and everything else He could have felt, He did what was necessary. He did everything the Father commanded Him to do. He obeyed! For it is written: Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. Hebrews 5:7-9. We are called to be like Him. God’s purpose is to turn each of us into little Jesuses (per se). So then, if the Lord was able to obey in everything, despite having all of our frailties, God can also do great things in our lives through our obedience.

So, do you understand just how much God loves you, how He understands you, how He has compassion on you, and what He wants to accomplish in your life? Do you understand that there is no one like the Lord? Lord bless! John

Faith Needs to be Centered on Jesus

Based on John 3:31-36 (New King James Version)

“He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

I believe that most people do not have much of an issue in believing that there is “something” (per se) beyond us as humans. And with people that believe that there is a god, they believe a little more than an agnostic in reality, because for them, that god can be a thing or a being, not necessarily the Almighty God of the Bible. So then, the majority of people believe in something or someone. And those that have a bit more faith come to believe in a God, but that’s it. The big problem of faith with the majority of people, including with those that say that they believe in God, is to be able to believe and accept Jesus as God. This is a problem for many, even for those that say that they are Christians. All the issues actually start when Jesus is mentioned, and He then becomes a point of contention. Many people are accepting when talking about God, but not about Jesus.

The problem is centered around how the Lord is viewed. They just cannot get it in their heads that the Almighty was able to be concentrated in a human being, in a man. What is ironic (or more so, what is unfair) is that God is penalized for having humbled Himself to that level, that He took our form so that He could give us the greatest service mankind ever needed; of being saved from our own sins and from eternal death. And the issue is that people don’t value what He did while here on earth, nor do they see the incredible prophetic fulfillment in the life of the Lord; the Messiah that Israel was waiting for. It is also not possible for them to believe that He was raised from the dead. And well, it is just hard for people to believe in Jesus in general.

Now, we need to see something very clearly, that it is not a problem of not being able to have faith, because people exhibit faith all the time. For many, it is easier to believe in things and people than to believe in Jesus. People many times justify their disbelief with the idea that they cannot see Him, or that they weren’t present at the time of the Lord. They say they can’t trust the Scriptures either, whether they are credible or not. There are many other excuses, because that’s what they are: excuses.

Think for a moment, “In what do the majority of people believe in?” They believe in money, in other people that are just as fallible and limited as they are, in objects without life and soul, in gods made out of metal, wood, or any other material, in nature, etc., etc. They believe more in a plate of food served in a restaurant where they don’t even know where the food came from (if it’s organic or not, if it was grown with pesticides and insecticides), how it was made, what it actually contains; and whether the server dropped the food on the floor, picked it right up and put it on the plate again. You might say, “How can you say that?” Easy! Because it happens. And there are many other things that happen with food before it gets on the table, all nice and neatly adorned. They would rather trust more in something like that, to the point of putting it in their mouth, without any questions, than to choose to believe in Jesus.

So then, if they could have so much faith and trust in so many other things and people, then what is the problem with believing in Jesus? The problem is choosing to believe in Him; nothing else. Because the person that does not want to believe, they are not going to believe, no matter what Christ does for them. Some say that they would believe if they could just see the Lord demonstrate His power and glory. He did that before coming to this earth, when He was known as Jehovah to the Jews. But they saw Him as harsh, inflexible, that He was only looking to destroy and punish people (which is not true). And well, Jesus also showed His power through the miracles He did with food, healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising some from the dead. But, it seems like that isn’t enough. And even further, they see the miracles He does every day; the universe, the sustaining of life, the seasons, the light of day, water, and so many other things that can only subsist through Him. But, it’s not enough either. He showed His love and devotion to us, by dying on the cross for us, for our sins, but that too is not enough. He was raised from the dead and seen by His disciples, by the hundreds, but that’s not enough either. He waits for us with open arms, but many turn their backs on Him, being despised and rejected, because even though He is God, He is humble in His calling out to us. So then, the answer that people don’t believe because they don’t want to believe is logical, because the Lord cannot do anything else for them.

The problem with not wanting to believe, or more exactly, in refusing to believe, is that everything has a consequence. And despite His great love for us, if a person refuses to believe in Him as God, as Lord, then salvation is not possible, because they are despising the only One that can save them. That’s why it’s not necessarily punishment, but rather, a natural consequence. The only One that can remove the wrath of God from abiding on us is Jesus. For it is written: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. Money cannot do it. Your family cannot do it. Your career and your successes cannot do it. Other false gods and idols cannot do it. No one or nothing else can take away the wrath of God from abiding on us.

So then, it’s very simple; either you want to believe or not believe in Him. If you refuse to believe, then nothing can be done for you. But, if you do decide to not only believe, but even more so, to accept Jesus as God (as what He is), and you make Him the Lord of your life, not only will the wrath of God be removed from abiding on you, but you will also see the glory of God. For it is written: “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’” John 11:40. So, is your faith centered on Jesus, as the God and Lord of your life? Lord bless! John

Gaining a New and Greater Identity Through Christ

Based on John 3:22-30 (New King James Version)

“After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!’ John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.’” 

Charles Spurgeon once said: “Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self.” What are we really? Do we have something to be proud about? Are we as great and strong and powerful as we think? Are we worth so much by ourselves that we don’t need to be changed or transformed by God? I think one of the greatest problems that exists with people and with their acceptance of God is that they believe that they are more than God, and that they don’t need God because they feel their lives are better off without Him. And together with this thought, they detest the idea of losing their identity and will. Let’s go a little deeper with this issue and our previous questions.

I must warn you that today’s meditation does not have a happy beginning, humanly speaking, because it goes completely against our own pride which is the root of much evil. The reality is that we are nothing without God. Man did not create himself, nor did they have any part in the creation of the world. Charles Darwin and many others that thought of themselves or still think of themselves to be intelligent, fantasied a great deal with the idea that God does not exist and that we are a cosmic accident. But, whether they believe it was an accident or not, man had nothing to do with what happened. Man is extremely limited. We were not able to create or make anything. Power and control is only an illusion.

Now, looking at things spiritually, if we are nothing as human beings, we are even far less by ourselves without God. Man cannot do anything for themselves spiritually. No man can save themselves. Without God, we are all lost in our sins, separated from everything that is good. For it is written: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. The Word also teaches us this: “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13. The only way that we have to be able to get close to God and be saved is only through Jesus. Because outside of Him, we can do and are nothing.

Through the Lord, everything can change, especially if we realize that we need Him infinitely, leaving aside all our foolish pride. The Bible teaches us that: “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. Through the complete repentance and conversion from our sins, and by accepting Jesus as the Lord of our lives, we can be transformed. It’s not that we lose our identity, but rather, God through His Holy Spirit regenerates what was lost, making a new creation out of us. We are still ourselves, but through Christ, we become a new, regenerated being, completely ready so that God can work the fullness of His purpose in us. Of course, when we surrender to Him, it is only the beginning of the process. That’s why His Word also teaches us this: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2. Through time, as we continue submitting to Him, surrendering to Him, is that the transformation starts and continues until we take on the image of our Lord.

Now, coming back to today’s passage, what happened with John should also happen with us; that it is necessary for Him to increase and that we decrease. Again, it does not mean that we disappear, but rather, that Christ and His virtues need to shine more in our lives so that the marvelous purposes of God can be fulfilled. God wants to work through us, through our being. When we understand that it is God that needs to grow in us, then we will understand what needs to happen in our lives, for our own good, and for the good of those that surround us.

In summary, and what we should consider: If we are truly nothing without God, then why be afraid of ceasing to be something that does not help us in anything? And considering even more, if we can attain everything through Christ, by letting Him grow in us, then, is it not worthwhile to take on a better and more significant identity through Him? Do you understand that your own identity by itself cannot compare to gaining a new and greater identity through the Lord? Lord bless! John

God's Love and Light

Based on John 3:16-21 (New King James Version)

“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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” 

I know that John 3:16 is probably the most widely known verse of the Bible in all the world. You can many times see the signs in the stadium stands at an American football game. And I think it’s so popular because it talks about God’s great love. God loves the world, and He gave His only begotten son, Jesus, so that everyone could have the opportunity to be saved. If we take some time to meditate on what God’s love means, it would be a never-ending thought. For example, God, the Creator of heaven and earth cared for us, and He gave what was most loved and precious to Him, so that we could have eternal life. And He did not have to do it. He sent His Son to pay for our sins, for our wrongs, to take our place on the cross. And going even deeper, if we see things clearly, God sent His Son to die for His enemies, because if we have not given our lives to Him, then we belong to someone else, to Satan. We are children of darkness because of the sins we have committed, because of being born in a world of sin, being conceived in sin. Since birth, we were foreign to all of God’s promises. We didn’t deserve anything. I know it is difficult to accept this, but it’s the Truth. So then, if we see it that way, we can see even more God’s love, Someone who died for the salvation of His enemies, to convert His enemies into children of God, children of light. That’s why it is so important for us to give God our lives, so that we can leave behind the darkness, and belong to Him.

God wants for everyone, no matter what they have done or been, to come to the knowledge of the Truth. This fact shows His great and profound love. For it is written: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4. So then, there is no one that can say that God does not love them. He loves the entire world, without exceptions.

The issue is that everything is conditional with God. He will not force anyone. Everything is conditional because it is based on love, and love is based on choice. God chose to love the world. He didn’t have to love the world. But He chose to. In the same manner, belonging to Him is also a choice, based on faith and love. And what needs to be kept clear is that each choice has consequences. That’s the way the universe was established, and there is nothing that can be done about it. So then, it’s not God that condemns a person to hell when they don’t want to believe in Jesus, but rather, the person condemns themselves by not laying hold to the gift of salvation. This is a universal law: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. If a person chooses to believe in and accept Jesus as the Lord of their life, then they make God the owner of their life. If a person does not choose to believe and accept Jesus as the Lord of their life, then they are continuing with their original master, and they will condemn themselves to an eternal death. It’s your decision! Try to see things logically. If a person does not want to be with God, nor obey Him, then why would God go against their own will and desire, forcing them to be with Him for an eternity? And of course, God allows that the fruits and desires of each person come upon them, for good or evil, for it is written: “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. A person will receive what they ultimately desire within themselves. And God has already taken care of this through the universal structure that He created way before the foundation of this world.

And finally, we will explain what the light of God is about. We all come from darkness. It’s just a fact. But within the power of choice, we can decide to leave the darkness through Christ. When He presents His light through His Word and through His call to follow Him, we have the option to come to the Light of God. So then, if there is someone that wants to be freed from the darkness, they can be free, if they decide to belong to God. What is necessary is to accept that we have done wrong, that we have sinned, and that we want to leave that evil behind, to leave sin behind, for it is written: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 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. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10. If we are honest with ourselves, before God, we have forgiveness and salvation. He is so good that He makes all things new for those that love Him and look for Him. And if we follow Him faithfully, He transforms us into light. He told us that we would be the light of the world. For it is written: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15. He transforms us into light through Jesus, so we can be light to others that the need the Light of God. That’s how we see the continuity of God’s love, from person to person, from generation to generation.

So then, have you understood the love God has for you, by looking to be part of His light for the world that surrounds you? Lord bless! John

We Must Pursue Jesus with the Heart

Based on John 3:1-15 (New King James Version)

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

In this passage, we read the most important principle that exists in the Word of God so people can be saved. A person will or will not enter heaven, or obtain eternal life or not, depending on how they understand this passage. So then, it is obvious that you have to try to understand it, meditate in it, and act in a precise manner. It doesn’t mean that it is difficult, because it really isn’t. What is most important is “how” it is understood and what winds up happening with this knowledge.

The first aspect that needs to be seen is that it is not a matter of intellect or study, but rather, of disposition. We see an important religious person (Nicodemus) struggling to understand what the Lord is trying to explain to him. This was an extremely well-educated person, especially in the Scriptures. A person like him could recite from memory any part of the Old Testament, word-for-word. He had not only learned the Scriptures, but also, he learned everything involved with their writing; the context, the history, etc. Nonetheless, and despite his human intellect and years upon years of study, we see that all that effort and knowledge was not helping him. The Bible teaches us that we need to make ourselves like children so that we can enter the kingdom of God, and a child does not have years of study. What a child has is that they don’t question what is being taught. They are sensitive enough to God to accept it and believe it. Having that kind of disposition is what makes being born again in Christ possible. You need faith, at least enough to be able to believe and to start learning from the Lord. And since it is not about intellect, then what you need is the heart; the desire to want to submit to God, to accept what He wants you to do. For it is written: “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10. The only intellect needed is the ability to understand the Word that is being shared.

How do you come to be born again? The Lord said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Being born of water represents John the Baptist’s baptism, the baptism of repentance. This baptism is not literal, by being immersed in water (like the baptism of the believer, the one that was established after the Lord’s resurrection). So then, being born of water is when a person confesses all of their sins before God, repenting and turning away from all their sins, completely converting to God. That is why the baptism of repentance that John demonstrated was by immersion, in other words, when one completely buries the old man and comes up from the water as a new and washed person by God. And being born of the Spirit happens after repentance, when a person believes with all of their heart who Jesus really is (our God, our Lord, and Savior), that He died, He was buried, and at the third day, He was resurrected and raised by God. And believing this, they ask God to come into their life and heart. When these two things are done, with all their heart, that is when a person comes to be born again, being regenerated by God. Then a great miracle occurs; God through the Holy Spirit comes to live inside a person’s heart.

When this new birth happens, then the first and greatest step a person could ever take is established. But, so this can happen effectively, there needs to be two things that are essential; so they can come to salvation and so they can follow the eternal path that is laid down by the same salvation God gives through His Son Jesus Christ. And these two things are: that you need to understand who Jesus really is, and that you need to start loving Him. Since it is a new birth, it’s a beginning, but a beginning and a foundation so that other things can come. The Word teaches us this about Jesus: “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. Jesus was God made flesh, so He was 100% man, but also 100% God. He was made flesh so He could be the sacrifice for all of our sins, but He was and is God, the Eternal God, the Alpha and Omega (the beginning and the end) also. And the second thing is that our relationship with God must be set only on love. At minimum, when we start on this path, our love for Jesus starts. And the same love should continue growing over time. For it is written: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ 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.” Matthew 22:36-38.

So then, you are born, you follow, and you obey God because of love; never out of obligation, but being conscious about who Jesus is: He is God. Our life should start with Christ (at some point), and continue by following Christ for who He is and for what He did for us, and obeying without question because our end, or rather, our eternal continuity depends on Him. So then, are you pursuing Jesus with all of your heart? Lord bless! John

Cleaning the Temple

Based on John 2:13-25 (New King James Version)

“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’ So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.”

Even though all sin is unrighteousness, the Bible teaches us that there are certain things that simply can neither exist in the physical temple where believers come together, nor even less, inside our hearts. And as we read today, the Lord could not tolerate the issue of the love of money in the temple. How can we draw a line from selling in the temple to the love of money?

The issue, as the Lord Himself explained it, was that the temple was made for prayer, as a place to speak to God, to look for God; not to conduct business. What was happening was that the priests would allow for the things of the Lord to be commercialized, with the goal to make money. Back then, animal sacrifices were still in effect for the atonement of sins (which God changed forever through the Holy sacrifice of His Son on the cross, offering Himself as an eternal sacrifice for the sins of men). And what was happening was that when people would come to the temple to present their sacrifices, the priests had to inspect what they were bringing. And the Law of Moses taught that everything that was to be presented to the Lord as a sacrifice had to be pure, without blemish, and of the firstlings. And of course, in order to profit from this, they would inspect what was brought and they almost always conveniently found something wrong. And for people’s convenience, they would sell them what they had, because what they sold was of course acceptable. What was also probably happening was that people were not bringing anything either, thereby coming empty-handed, and they would come to the temple with the idea to conveniently buy something there. In the end, everything was turned into a filthy business, concentrating more on money than on what it was all really about: in coming to the House of the Lord to look for His presence, and for the priests to help people have an encounter with their God.

The same commercialization exists today with the things of God. Many preachers, pastors, leaders, etc. profit with the Gospel. Everything is centered more on money and in taking advantage of others instead of doing what God desires and commands. The ministry is more of a way to subsist; a vehicle to make money. People profit with other’s souls. In many places, just as it used to be during the Lord’s time, everything is centered on making money, on materialism. Money is loved more than God. The love of money takes the Lord’s place unfortunately.

What’s the problem with this, with the love of money? The first problem is that it turns into an idol, into a god. And God is very clear with this issue, for it is written: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3. Absolutely nothing can take the place of God. He must be first. The Bible also teaches this: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10. So then, it’s not that money within itself is bad. The problem is when you love money.

The practical problem that the love of money has (per se) is that when money is loved, then what is truly valuable is traded for something that is only an illusion. Money in all reality is an illusion; it’s a reflection of the material world in which we live in. Both money and what it can buy will all go away someday. And when you die (because that day will come for everyone), it will be of no good to you. You can’t take it with you. And, how logical is it to turn something that is an illusion into the center of a person’s life? The love of money and the material world (because that is what it represents) is passing. And for the love of money, in order to obtain things, people do unspeakable things. Nothing is sacred, and what is valuable is tossed away.

And finally, the Bible teaches us that when God comes to live in our lives, we become His temples. For it is written: “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” 2 Corinthians 6:16. The temple that God is more interested in is our temple. And of course, if He hated what was happening in the physical temple which is passing, how much more do you believe it will displease Him if this evil is in our hearts? God will neither tolerate it in the place where His people come together, and even less, in the heart of man. God knows everything that is inside a human being, for it is written: “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.

So then, are you allowing the Lord to clean the temple of your heart so that it can become the place He desires for it to be, for your own good? Lord bless! John