Matters of Importance - 2 Thessalonians 3

Based on 2 Thessalonians 3 (New King James Version)

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

There are two things in general that the Word is dealing with in this passage, and the two are related, and these are: work and sharing the Gospel. To start, work is something necessary. Each person should work as best as they can to provide for themselves. In the Primitive Church, as some call it, the brethren had all things in common, but to help each other, to provide for the needs of one another, but not to promote an environment for laziness and irresponsibility. That is the disorder that Paul is admonishing against, that believers should not take advantage of others and to do things that are not convenient. He is teaching them to be fair because it was not (nor is it) fair that some sacrifice their own possessions so that others that did not work can benefit. This also applies to those that take advantage of welfare programs and different types of assistance that governments give to help those that are more vulnerable. In summary, no one should take advantage of anyone, neither of wealthy people, nor of the government, supposing that the government has a lot of money that is provided by taxpayers (those of us that work). Unfortunately, there is much exploitation among supposed believers.

What else does the Lord counsel us through the Word with respect to work? He says this: “Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 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. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:1-11. So then, we may not have slavery now the way it was back then, but this does apply in the same way to the relationship between employers and employees. We should respect those that we serve, and do our jobs well, because that is why we are getting paid. It’s not a favor. And if a person is discontent with what they earn, they should pray and either study so they can be more prepared and apt for better employment or work harder to earn more. Any way you look at it, the Lord does bless hard work, effort, and of course, responsibility. But also, this same passage teaches us that we should be content with obtaining what is necessary. And how much is necessary? It’s very easy to understand that if we are truly focused on the Lord. We should concentrate in pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

Now then, we should clarify something, between the brethren that try to take advantage of others and those that use the ministry or use godliness for gain. The Word makes a difference. The issue is that the Word speaks about separating ourselves from those that take advantage, and to admonish them so they can be ashamed of the wrong they are doing, and to give them the chance to change. But there is a big difference with those that use the things of God for gain. The Word says very clearly that we need to withdraw ourselves from such, but it does not talk about admonishing, nor treating them as brethren. Why would that be? Because the person that uses the ministry for gain has their conscience seared. They have no qualms, and least of all, fear for the Lord. They introduced themselves in the ministry with the goal to gain, and God will judge these with eternal condemnation. If a person does not want to be part of that condemnation, it would be even more so wiser to take distance, just as the Word counsels.

In conclusion, what does being hardworking and responsible have to do with sharing the Gospel? A lot. It’s part of our testimony as believers so we do not give any reason to the people of the world to blaspheme against the Lord for our sake, as well as use our possessions not only for our own personal needs, but also, to help others that are less fortunate, to help those that cannot simply provide for themselves because they can’t, and of course, do all things with the goal that as many people possible come to be saved through Christ. Our goal should be to do all things as to the Lord, for the glory of the Most High, and for love for our neighbor. The only way that other people’s lives can be saved and the current bad conditions of the less fortunate made better is through God’s people. Many complain about how bad the world is and about other people’s suffering, but there would be less evil and less need in others if God’s so-called people would dedicate themselves to serving the Lord as the Word teaches so they can attain immortality. So then, are you concerned with things that do matter, starting with your own salvation? Lord bless! John

The Temple that the Lord Truly Desires - Ezekiel 42

Based on Ezekiel 42 (New King James Version)

“Then he brought me out into the outer court, by the way toward the north; and he brought me into the chamber which was opposite the separating courtyard, and which was opposite the building toward the north. Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door. Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the pavement of the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north. Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building. For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits. The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one hundred cubits. At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court. Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building. There was a walk in front of them also, and their appearance was like the chambers which were toward the north; they were as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan. And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, as one enters them, there was a door in front of the walk, the way directly in front of the wall toward the east. Then he said to me, ‘The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separating courtyard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering—for the place is holy. When the priests enter them, they shall not go out of the holy chamber into the outer court; but there they shall leave their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they may approach that which is for the people.’ Now when he had finished measuring the inner temple, he brought me out through the gateway that faces toward the east, and measured it all around. He measured the east side with the measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod. He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod. He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common.

Does God really want manmade temples? This is something that has caused many problems within our congregations for a long time, much after the Apostles left us. Some sort of building “may” be useful, but is it so necessary to invest so much money, resources, and time to be able to have a building (or some buildings) to do the Lord’s work? It would be very convenient for me to greatly affirm this, because of my degree, training, and work, because my education and training is in architecture, and my employment is in commercial construction, and by God’s grace and provision, I have overseen many significant projects through the years. But thanks to my faith in Christ and to my background, I can give a more exact teaching based on the Word of God, because if we believe in God, then everything should be seen through His Word, and we should never be guided by our opinions, or far less, by what is convenient to us.

Let us go for a moment to where our faith began, to Abraham. Abraham existed much before Jerusalem was established as the center for Israel and before the temple was built. The promise started with Abraham, the covenant that God made personally with man. What started it all? This is what the Word says: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10. So then, we see clearly the vision that God gave Abraham, something what was going to be built by God and not by man. We also see the following through the Apostle Paul: “Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.’” Acts 17:22-24.

So then, what is God truly looking to build? Through my background, I can tell you that a building needs a good foundation, but to be able to build upon the foundation itself, the superstructure, it is completely necessary to start with a corner so that the rest of the building can be located and given the proper orientation. The corner is the most important piece, the one that gives the location and order to all of the superstructure. So then, that principal piece, per se, is Christ. He is the One that gives the beginning and the orientation to this building that the Father is truly looking to build, as it is written: “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12. And this is the final product that the Holy Trinity desires to complete: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Revelation 3:11-13. We are the building that God the Father desires to build through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We are those components that were created and that need to be formed according to certain specifications so that the building can be and function as it must. There is a precision to the whole design. That’s why we cannot be whatever we want, but rather, we need to allow the Almighty to form us.  

And this is the final part, to help understand what is most important. The masterpiece of God’s ministry did not occur in a building, but rather, through Christ at Calvary. The Lord fulfilled His greatest work far away from a building, where He was nailed and raised upon a cross to shed His blood to wash away all of the sins of the world. So then, do you understand your part in the temple that God truly wants to build, and that you must be made to the necessary specifications to be able to fulfill your eternal function? Lord bless! John    

Insensitivity to the Gospel - Acts 28:17-31

Based on Acts 28:17-31 (New King James Version)

“And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: ‘Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.’ Then they said to him, ‘We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.’ So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say: ‘Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ ’ ‘Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!’ And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”

What determines a person’s insensitivity to the Gospel? Why do some listen and understand, and many others don’t? Is this something predetermined by God? Are we truly free to choose? Some are interested in knowing this. Others, not so much. It all depends, as we will explain and try to help understand through the Word.

There are some people that think that everything is all set, and that there is nothing else that can be done, that God has predestined or predisposed all things, even those that will or will not be saved. These are the same folks that believe this is like that because God is great, and that believing otherwise is questioning God’s sovereignty. The Word does give room to believe this, per se, that things are established already. There are places where predestination is mentioned. So then, can it be said 100% that there is no such predestination? No. It is possible that there may be certain instances of this so-called predestination and that there may be some people that exist with the sole purpose of not belonging to God, but this does not apply to everyone in general. This is something we must be very clear on, that we should not take certain parts of the Bible and forget about the rest. This is the problem with many doctrines that exist, that they take certain Bible truths, and they forget or deny the greater majority. In other words, let’s put it numerically, 5% of something cannot define the remaining 95%. That is why it is important to understand and comprehend the fulness of the Word, not just certain parts, because the Word, whether it be words printed on paper (or characters for other languages), or like we see it today, data on a screen, it is moreover the Person of Christ, as it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2. And also: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7. So then, this is what the Word declares about itself: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

So then, if we understand this, that the issue of predestination does not apply to the entire world, then we should understand that the issue of being saved or not clearly depends on the person. It is true that God calls. It is true that the Holy Spirit is the One that gives us conviction of sin, something that goes beyond the conscience. But we cannot lose sight of the fact that God calls at every moment, and through all created things, for it is written: “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 1:20. And also, the Holy Spirit is operating at every moment, starting by this same point, that everything that is created speaks of God, because the Holy Spirit of God works through the Word, not through feelings, because He works in conjunction with the Father and the Son, because the Three are One. Therefore, irrefutably, the Three think and do the same. None of the Trinity says or does something different. So then, God calls at every instant, and the Holy Spirit points to everything God does, and He is always urging to turn to God, to repentance, just as the Word says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. This short verse on its own (and of course, there are many more) urges us to understand that we all have a sin problem and that we fall short of the glory of God, and I don’t know of anything that could give more conviction than this. And this also helps us understand that (God be praised!) we are not predestined beings in general, because this same thing reveals to us that our destiny, because of our sin, would be fully hell. But Christ broke that destiny as it is also written: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

So then, what is it that finally dictates the insensitivity to the Gospel? It all depends on who or what a person decides to serve, whether God or the sin that dwells within them. As it is written: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:11-16. Quite simply, if you are more focused in your own vanities and selfishness, in the end, focused on serving sin, then you will not be able to understand, no matter what the Trinity does. To be able to have life, it is necessary to submit and obey righteousness, life—Christ. So then, who or what are you choosing to obey? Lord bless! John

The Rain is Necessary - Matthew 5:43-48

Based on Matthew 5:43-48 (New King James Version)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Apart from the air, water is what is most necessary for mankind to live. Moreover, approximately 60% of the human body is composed of water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, 73% of the brain and heart is composed of water. 83% of lungs is water. 64% of our skin is water. 79% of our muscles and kidneys is water, and 31% of our bones is water. And a normal person can die of thirst within 3 days. Undoubtedly, water is important for all body functions, for survival. Let’s think for a moment, “What would happen if there wasn’t any rain? Droughts have been seen in the past in different parts of the world and throughout human history, and they have been truly devastating. Everything starts to suffer when there is no water. There would be no water for food and animals. There would be no water for vital functions within different industries. And of course, we would start having serious problems not only because we would be lacking food and essential functions in society, but also, because we ourselves would not have anything to drink. And if a drought would last very long, it’s even possible that our civilization would cease to exist. It’s amazing how things would be affected when something so simple would be missing, and that no human riches or power would be able to fix such a problem!

The thought of water came to my heart the other day while driving to work, when I saw a lot of rain fall along the way. For starters, I began to think, “The day is looking quite ugly!” But suddenly, this question came to me, “What would happen if such a thing didn’t occur?” The majority of people do not like the rain. Rain makes the sky look dark and gray. Many people get depressed with rain. Many people complain when the rain ruins their plans. In summary, for many of us, the rain and storms are bothersome and unpleasant. Nonetheless, we saw before that water is essential for everything in the human body, and for everything on this planet, and that without water, everything would be destroyed. And how is water produced so that we could have it? Through the rain and storms, when the weather looks unpleasant and ugly, when the sky turns gray and dark, in the manner that it bothers many people, and even in ways that can be destructive, because floods can be devastating also. What a dilemma, no? What can we learn from all of this?

To be able to have something as necessary as water, and to be able to withstand it when it comes strong, the only way to be able to survive a storm and even floods when they come is by building on top of something that is higher than a possible flood and immovable. Because what good would it be that we have all of the rain we need, but not being able to survive it when it comes in a potentially destructive manner, in a manner that we could even lose our lives? The Lord spoke to us about this very same thing, and that it is necessary to base our lives on the rock, and doing such a thing is convenient not only to withstand storms, but also to be able to endure so we can take advantage of the blessing the water leaves. As it is written: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ‘But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.’” Matthew 7:24-27.

We already saw that water is essential for everything in life, and that without water, nothing can subsist. Therefore, if water is so necessary, then we would have to conclude that the rain and the storms are necessary also, because that is how water comes normally. There needs to be these gray, dark, and even storm-filled days so that we can obtain something as valuable and necessary as water. This teaches us that the storms of life are necessary so that God’s blessing can come through them. That’s why, instead of avoiding or complaining about the storms, we need to look for the way to endure them and even to harvest from them the great blessings that they do produce. Difficulty is necessary in the life of a Christian. Nothing in the Bible says that we would have a perfect and problem-free life here. And as we proved, problems are necessary and they even produce blessing. This is what we read also: “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:10-13.

The great thing about God is that if we are in Christ, with our eyes set on Christ, we could even walk on water in the middle of the storm, as we read here: “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” Matthew 14:24-31. That is why we need a genuine and true faith, just as we are warned: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. It is not necessarily God’s will to avoid problems and even problematic people (the evil and our enemies), but rather, to grow and even be fruitful through them, because God wants to gain from us an eternal product, to prepare us for this: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” 1 Corinthians 2:9. Do you understand just how necessary water is for you? Lord bless! John               

Self-examination and Conviction - 2 Chronicles 7:12-22

Based on 2 Chronicles 7.12-22 (New King James Version)

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

God had made a covenant with Solomon, after he had build the temple of the Lord. And the covenant consisted of, that if he remained faithful to God, that He would establish his throne, and that he would always have an heir to rule Israel. But this covenant was conditional, like all things in the Lord. Even in grace we have a conditional relationship with the Lord because it is a love covenant (nothing is forced). It has always been that way since the beginning. The only difference between the old covenant and the new covenant through Christ is that the Lord came to ratify His love for all mankind, and He opened the door wide through the cross. Everything else remains the same. God did not make a mistake in the old covenant.

Now then, if we read of Solomon’s life, we would see that Solomon was not faithful towards the end, even after seeing all the great wonders and blessings that God gave him. Solomon did just as God had warned him personally not to do, and he strayed and served foreign gods. Solomon did not end well. Why? What happened to him? God gave him everything, He gave him peace, riches, and power. Solomon was not missing anything. There is still no kingdom in history that can compare to what Solomon had. Nonetheless, he served false gods and idols, and his heart went after them; he pursued other things that had done nothing for him, nor had anything to do with his success. The Word says that joining himself with foreign and pagan women had made his heart depart from the Lord. But we need to think, “Why did he look for those women? Why did he have that communion and intimacy with the pagan?” Nothing happens just because. Solomon was faithful to God at the beginning and for some time, and he had even marveled God with his petition when he was young, while he was with his father David. Moreover, and as a result of his dedication, he received everything good after, even taking God to the point of making a covenant with him. One can say that David had much to do with Solomon’s good time. And if we see the words written in Proverbs, Solomon writes down the teachings his father gave him before dying. Obviously, all Scripture is divine inspiration, but God used David to instruct Solomon.

This evil also happened before Solomon, with a generation from Israel that came after Joshua, as it is written: “Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.” Judges 2:8-13. So then, we see that this deviation is something common unfortunately; almost systematic.

So then, what happened? The grave problem that happens is that there is very possibly a partial conviction, per se, in the people that this occurs to. There is something incomplete in their lives. They may believe, and even have good intentions, but there is incomplete conviction. They do not fulfill the part of the law that belongs to us to fulfill. That is the problem. When a person makes the decision to follow the Lord, they need to take the initiative to educate themselves and endeavor to understand why they follow God. That is the primary step where many fail, and the reason for why the deviation occurs after. This is what was said at the beginning, and what the Lord came to reiterate, as it is written: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.’” Mark 12:29-30. The words “soul” and “mind” are underlined because these belong to us completely, the practical side of following the Lord, because we need to come to understand, comprehend, and be rationally convinced why we believe what we believe. And this can only happen when we dedicate a conscious time to the Lord, when we read and study the Word of God daily, and of course, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul said this also: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39. Paul’s “persuasion” is the result of joining his heart, soul, and mind, all unanimously to conviction in Christ. And when these three are fully convinced, then our strength will naturally follow, in other words, good works are produced which are what every follower of Christ should have, just as He said, “You will know them by their fruits.”  Complete conviction is what will help to overcome temptation.

Each one of us should examine ourselves and be very sure of why we follow the Lord, and if we are really convinced of His Truth. For it is written: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2 Corinthians 13:5. If a person is not completely convinced and instructed in the Lord, it will be very easy for them to fall away and leave this faith in Christ after time and temptation. So then, do you know why you believe what you believe, if you say you believe in Christ? Lord bless! John        

The Past, the Present, and the Future of the Church - Colossians 1:24-2:10

Based on Colossians 1:24-2:10 (New King James Version)

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

When I read this passage, I asked myself, “If Paul were to visit one of our churches today, what would he say?” Would he be happy with what happens today? Would he feel great satisfaction for all the effort, dedication, and even how he died for the Gospel? What would be his thoughts if he saw what really happens in the majority of modern churches (not in all, by the grace of God)? If he saw the different buildings that were built and that are maintained, or the large salaries that are distributed, or the social events that are promoted, or the internal politics that have been created, or the little groups and/or closed social circles that have been formed, or the lifestyles that are promoted, etc., etc., what would he say? Knowing him through his work and writings, I think Paul would say, “It’s a good thing I did everything for the Lord, and my sacrifice for the church was a product of my love for Christ, and not for this.” I would think that, at the very least, he would feel great disappointment, and that the gospel that he preached would have no place in today’s churches. And quite possibly, the most terrifying thing is that many leaders and ministers that lead churches today would tell Paul, “The church had to ‘evolve’, and you Paul are the past of the Church, and we are present of the Church.”

Now, what we live today as the universal church of Christ, is it really a healthy development, or something else? If we compare it to what the Scriptures teach, and of course, starting by who founded the Church (Christ), we will realize that what we see today has nothing to do with what He designed. For starters, the Lord never received a salary, or property, or stock options, etc. for His actions. He never commanded to build a temple, but quite the contrary. He clarified that God did not live in manmade temples. The Lord gave free access to anyone that wanted to come to Him. Moreover, He would go to the poor, to the sick, to the weak, to those that society despised. He never sold His time to give a speech or preach. He never charged for His social help. And also, He said it Himself that the Son of Man did not have anywhere to lay His head. There is a big difference between how Jesus lived and what is done today.

Why did I start by seeing what Paul would say, for example, and not the Lord? The big problem is that many would say that that was God, and that things had to be like that for Him, so that what was foretold of Him could be fulfilled. And with people that think that way, I really don’t know what to say, because they are beings that take too lightly what the Lord did for us. So then, at the very least, I try to draw a line with someone that is like us (like Paul), so that we can see a closer example. Paul lived very closely to how the Lord lived, and he did things very similarly to the Lord. One of the principal things Paul did was to dedicate himself to the spread of the Gospel during a time that was very hostile for that. The prosperity or the golden age of the Church, per se, lasted very little after Paul’s conversion, because Paul preached during the worse time when the Roman Empire persecuted the Church. And of course, blessed be the Lord, that Paul was not the only one that also struggled for and even sacrificed his life for the gospel. There were many more that sacrificed much so that we could have access to the Gospel of Christ and to His Holy Word, the Holy Bible, the one that has been altered for some time now.

And I know that some would say, “It’s not our fault that Paul had to live through that time and that we live through another time.” And I would say to them, “Don’t worry, the time that Paul lived will come again, and it is coming sooner than they think, and it will no longer be easy to follow Christ like it is in many places in the world today. There are already many brethren that know what it’s like to fight for and sacrifice much for their faith, in different parts of the world. The big problem that we live today, in general, within the universal church, is that precisely the same things that Paul warned against are what have infiltrated our pulpits and places of worship. Philosophy, empty deceit, traditions of men, and worldly principles are well rooted within. This is what happens many times, that the Holy Spirit and the Word are not what generate the message or the teaching, but rather, a human thought is created, and of course, one that is attractive to the masses, and the Word of God is used (unfortunately) to substantiate that thought, to support what is convenient. It’s easy to see that because that is what Satan himself did, when he tried to tempt the Lord in the same manner, trying to make sound what he was saying as the truth. And of course, different sinful lifestyles that do not glorify God, and the excess that many try to use the things of God for have been justified that way. It is not Christ anymore that reigns in many places, but rather, sin and materialism. And finally, they have created a great population of people that look more for temporary wellbeing and fulfilling human goals rather than having their eyes on Christ and the eternity that He offers. That is what prevails today. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but hardly anyone wants to go through any suffering, and far less, die to be able to enter. They think they can introduce the world into heaven, and that is not going to happen.

The issue is that, if people really value what Christ and also so many others that followed Him genuinely did, I would think that the lifestyle of many people would change, and the evil that is in the church would be less. Sin and man would stop being glorified. So then, do you want to continue living through the corruption that exists today, or do you want to be part of the Church of Christ that does glorify God, the one that will enter heaven? Lord bless! John

God Rewards Repentance - 1 Samuel 7:2-17

Based on 1 Samuel 7:2-17 (New King James Version)

“So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, ‘If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.’ So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only. And Samuel said, ‘Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.’ So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted that day, and said there, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. So the children of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’ And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.”

Are the problems that we have always a product of our own sin? There is one thing we need to keep very clear, and that is that sin complicates and destroys everything in this world, for the wages of sin is death. Sin produces everything unpleasant in this life such as sickness, wars, poverty, hunger, pain, and even death. That is why God hates sin. He has allowed for sin to exist so that choice can be possible, so that free will can have a purpose. But, just because God allowed something (out of love) does not mean that He likes it. God made all beings free to choose their own path, but each path has a consequence, because God has given the power of choice even to the angels, and of course, some chose for evil, like Satan and what are now demons. In the same manner, man can choose, whether to follow God or follow the enemy. Love gives the power of choice because God ultimately wants those that are with Him to be with Him because they really want to, despite any circumstances. That is the greatest likeness the Most High made us with, that we also want to be surrounded by beings that truly want to be with us because they want to be, out of love, and not for any other reason.

Now then, coming back to our original question, “Everything bad that happens here and now is a product of our own sin? Not always are problems a product of our own sin, but yes, the majority of time it is our fault (and I know that no one likes to know that, but that’s the truth). The majority of times we either ruin things, or choose wrongly, or complicate things as a result of sin or many sins that we commit. If we see the passage we read today, Israel was pressured and overwhelmed by the Philistines because they chose to follow and worship other gods outside of the Lord. They forgot Who they really owed everything to, and they followed foreign gods and idols, and even Ashtoreth, a god that people they had conquered worshiped. Sinning against God through idolatry, for example, will never make sense or be logical, no matter how much man tries to excuse or justify it. Let’s think about this: “Why follow a god like Ashtoreth that even failed the same people they conquered?” Nonetheless, they chose to follow other gods, so then, God took away His divine protection. Most times, God does not need to exercise Himself much, per se, just only allow for the natural consequences of sin to take effect. Only God can bring about freedom. Satan and everything that belongs to him only brings pain and defeat, sooner or later. Everything of the enemy and the world is an illusion and temporary. There is only life in God, but when we do His will.

Now, what can we do about this? Does God simply just want to destroy mankind? No. This is what the Word says: “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, ‘If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?’ ’ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’” Ezekiel 33:10-11. The Word counsels us like this also: “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ So the people asked him, saying, ‘What shall we do then?’ He answered and said to them, ‘He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.’ Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than what is appointed for you.’ Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, ‘And what shall we do?’ So he said to them, ‘Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.’” Luke 3:7-14. Perfection here will never be possible because this world is corrupted, but yes, many things can change if a person truly repents and converts from all of their evil ways to follow the Living God, by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus, like the people did in today’s passage. And it’s simple, just try to do things genuinely, with all of your heart, and God will work. But what is most important is not necessarily to see things change here (because this is temporary), but rather, see God’s reward in eternity, in what is to come, when God Himself says to you: “… ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Cast aside your sin because it doesn’t help with anything, and put your eyes on Him that is eternal, faithful, and true. So then, will you look to continually repent, convert, and be transformed for eternal life, or will you continue being submerged in the sin that will only produce destruction and even eternal death? Lord bless! John        

Challenging the Almighty - Jonah 1:10-2:10

Based on Jonah 1:10-2:10 (New King James Version)

“Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, ‘Why have you done this?’ For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, ‘What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?’—for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.’ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.’ So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: ‘I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. ‘Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, o Lord, my God. ‘When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple. ‘Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.’”

One of the major problems that the majority of people have is whether or not God exists, and if what the Bible says about Him is true. Many, for example, believe that this story of Jonah and the great fish is like a children’s story, something fictitious. Many believe like a young woman once told me, that the Bible is only a book of metaphors. So then, does the God that the Bible talks about exist? And I would insist, “What makes more sense to believe, that God does not exist and that everything is only a cosmic accident, or that Almighty God truly exists and that it is better to believe in and follow Him while there is still time?” And also consider this, that there are two realities that are inevitable, whether you want to believe or not that there is a God: that there are greater things that are happening at every moment that we have no control over, and that our end will come at not such a distant future. This planet orbits around the sun without our permission, for example, and, no matter what man tries to do, whether they may be young or old, rich or poor, their day will come and there is nothing they can do to avoid it. Whether we want to believe in evolution or that Almighty God exists, we are less than nothing in the grand scheme of things, we are less than a thought at a given moment in the expansive reality of time and the universe. That is our reality and there is no one with some sort of intelligence that can say differently.

What I will affirm (because I do believe with all my being that God exists and that the Bible is His Word) is that at the very least, the Jesus that we read about did (and does) exist, the only begotten Son of God, not only because the Bible speaks of His existence and His actions, but also other historical texts written by people who were a part of the Roman Empire also speak of His existence, sources that had nothing to do with the Christian faith. For example, the writings of Tacitus, a Roman senator and historian speak of this Jesus, and even of how Pontius Pilate sent Him to be executed. And this is one of the many things that the Bible says about the Lord: “And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’—He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’” Mark 2:6-12. What can we deduce from this? That Jesus was (and is) God, and that He was able to affect both what is invisible to us at the moment (sin) as well as our material world, by healing the paralytic miraculously. So then, this God had power over the invisible and eternal as well as over the physical and temporary.

So, does God exist? Conclusively, this is a personal decision, but we also see throughout time that challenging this God that does exist only brings about problems. Whoever challenges God does not harm God, but rather, harms themselves. For example, this is what the Apostle Paul said: “At midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” Acts 26:13-15. Whether you want to believe it or not, this is also what will happen to all who dare challenge the reality of the existence of Almighty God: “Then He began to tell the people this parable: ‘A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. ‘Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.’ And when they heard it they said, ‘Certainly not!’ Then He looked at them and said, ‘What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’? Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Lucas 20:9-18.

And so, will you decide to believe in, honor, and love this Almighty Lord that loves you and offers you things no one and nothing else can give you, before it’s too late, or will you continue challenging Him until you are ground down like powder, that not even the memory of your existence will remain? Lord bless! John

God’s Truth will Offend Some People - Acts 21:26-36

Based on Acts 21:26-36 (New King James Version)

Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, ‘Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, ‘Away with him!’”

What wrong had Paul done so that he could be treated this way? If we see what the Scriptures tell of him, we will read that he did nothing wrong, but actually quite the contrary. Paul looked for everybody’s eternal good. That turned into his life’s mission, because of his love for Christ, and when he came to know Christ. So then, why was there so much wrath, so much anger, and the desire for him to die? Why would people desire so much evil against him when he was only looking to do good to them?

This unfortunately is nothing new, and the Lord himself taught us that moments like these would happen. He himself taught this: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, tor theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12. So then, not everyone will react well to what is good, and ironically enough, even those that called themselves believers and religious. They will not react well unfortunately when it has to do with God and with the things that truly belong to Him. It sounds ironic, but it’s true. Not everyone in the world likes God. How can I affirm this? Well, what evil did the Lord do while He was here on earth so that He could sent to Calvary? For what sin did they kill him, for feeding the multitudes, for healing the sick, for freeing the possessed, for raising the dead, for teaching of the kingdom of God, for teaching us how to obtain eternal life? Despite all of that, they killed Him, and in the cruelest of ways. This is what the Scriptures tell us: “Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 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. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.’” Matthew 27:15-18. Something so simple as envy was the precursor for the Lord’s death, something that He could do nothing about, a feeling that was plainly the responsibility of the person that felt it, because the Lord had done no wrong. Actually, quite the contrary, He did the Father’s will, and also, He behaved as the good God He is. Jesus was (and is) God. That was His sin, per se. Whether it is because of envy or because of any other evil feeling, something inside of some people that is completely out of our control, and even out of God’s control, will be what will provoke events like these that will even provoke the death of those that look to do God’s will.

Now then, this persecution that may occur is something we may have to endure, but it is part of the price for following the Lord. Paul knew of this price, and he was willing to pay it because he considered what the Lord Himself did for him, which He did for each of us also. God the father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for us, so that we by faith in Him, because of His sacrifice, could have the hope of eternal life. This is what Paul considered worthy enough to even die for. And this is what others encourage us through the Word to do: “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.” Hebrews 13:12-14. Quite simply, those of us that have decided to follow Christ do not belong in this place. This temporary world cannot be our goal, but rather, the world that is to come, the eternal one, the perfect place that God has prepared for those that love Him and that are willing to endure whatever it takes for His Person, that should be our focus. Just as the Lord said: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33. We should always think about this: God is always watching, and that our intentions and actions will define our eternity when we stand before His Holy Throne, the One that no one can avoid.

So, what should we do meanwhile as followers of Christ? We should continue forward with whatever God puts before us, knowing that there are eternal rewards reserved for us. But also, we cannot allow ourselves to be influenced by the mob, and by the evil influences in this world. If we see this passage carefully, the unrest of the multitude occurred because some Jews from Asia created the issue. A person will support evil things if they allow themselves to be guided by the flesh, by not putting their eyes on the things of God. Today, there are many so-called believers that support many evil things because they simply allow themselves to be influenced by evil, and like that, they support Satan and the sin that dwells within them rather than supporting God. We see this example in Peter when he let himself be overtaken by the flesh: “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. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:23-25. And so, we must pursue God’s truth, no matter what happens. And we must also be very careful with becoming part of the multitude that is in the wrong (because that happens quite easily), because this is what the Word says also:“who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:32. So then, are you willing to endure persecution and tribulation for the Onethat gave it all, without any kind of obligation, for you? Lord bless! John

The Salvation Cycle - Colossians 1

Based on Colossians 1 (New King James Version)

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”

If we see the complete passage, we should notice that there is a process, a divine cycle in God’s purpose for man. We see something that should happen in each of us, and that there must be a proceeding, a continuity. And together with this, we are given a reason, a why so that this cycle that we see continues.

I don’t know if people question now the way they used to, that what was (and is) the purpose for their existence. The great philosophers before tried to see this issue and give people some sort of an answer to the common man, because the great majority of people did ask themselves that question: “Why do I exist?” Today, I really don’t know if many people ask themselves this same question, or at least, it does not seem noticeable. And the reason for why I say this is because what we can quite evidently see today is that many people have determined that the purpose for existence consists of egocentrism or of looking for their own happiness. Many are very ready to accept that answer, and unfortunately, the great majority of believers also like that answer. The majority look to just do what they want; they look for their own happiness.

Now then, many then may ask, “Is it bad to look for our own happiness?” And the answer is yes and no. For starters, happiness is something that depends on circumstances, and circumstances change moment by moment, just like many people’s mood. And if we see what is obvious in the world, we would notice that we do not live in a perfect world, but rather in something corrupted and distorted, and I will always give this clarification: that God did not want things to be like that, but rather, sin and man’s decision to follow sin is what mainly has made this place so imperfect and unjust. And this takes us to give an explanation for why it is not necessarily good to look for our own happiness. When a person looks to fulfill their own interests, it is very easy to run over and harm others. And why does this happen? Because first of all, a person should think if what they are looking for is truly good. And secondly, when a person is so focused on themselves, their tendency will always be to ignore the welfare of their neighbor. This is one of the reasons for why families are so dysfunctional today, for example. A husband forgets that one day they decided to marry their wife and that there are certain things that must happen to take care of that relationship. And vice versa, a wife married a husband and they fail in the same manner. And also, a married couple decided one day to have children and forgot that there are certain things that need to be done so that children can be raised properly. But today, both men and women are so focused in what they want for themselves that they disregard their duties with their families. And this is only one example.

What is then this cycle of salvation that we see in this passage? We came to Christ because God was the one that started the cycle, by creating us, and then, by doing something for us that we could not do for ourselves. We were born and lived very far away from God in our beginnings, because of our sin. But He has made a way for salvation through Christ. But salvation does not have egocentrism as a purpose (although if you genuinely live out faith, you do obtain what is most convenient for you). We should not forget neither what God has done for us, nor the good we should do to our neighbor. Salvation is a process of beginning or of being born again in Christ, of growing and strengthening in the Lord, so that we can do the work He has for each of us, so we can help others come and enter the kingdom of God. And like that, help others grow and strengthen so that they could continue with this cycle of salvation, just as the Lord designed it for man. This is something very similar to the natural process of a marriage, of raising children, to at least try to make this earthly place better, so that as many people as possible can come to the eternity that God has for those that love Him and follow Him faithfully. So then, are you part of this cycle of salvation, or do you follow the devil’s way of egocentrism, the same that will leave you empty here and without any eternity in the end? Lord bless! John 

The Lord’s True Word will Always be Fulfilled - Jeremiah 37:1-19

Based on Jeremiah 37:1-19 (New King James Version)

“Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the Lord which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah. And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘Pray now to the Lord our God for us.’ Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison. Then Pharaoh’s army came up from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem. Then the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land. And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.’ ’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, ‘The Chaldeans will surely depart from us,’ for they will not depart. For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.’ ’ And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans left the siege of Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people. And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there whose name was Irijah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, ‘You are defecting to the Chaldeans!’ Then Jeremiah said, ‘False! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.’ But he did not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison. When Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days, then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’ And Jeremiah said, ‘There is.’ Then he said, ‘You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!’ Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, ‘What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison? Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?”

There will always be problems when disobeying the Lord, and such problems that will happen here and now, but even worse, after, when standing before His throne. We live in an era where our cultures and society have adopted a mentality where they think that man reigns and controls reality, both the person that is situated in place with human power as well as the common man, per se. Satan has worked in such a way in the world that the great majority of people think that their opinions define their own realities, even God’s actions and eternity. Man believes that everything will turn out just as they think, and unfortunately, the ones that have adopted this attitude, this mentality the most are the so-called people of God.

Just as Ecclesiastes wrote: “…there is nothing new under the sun.” What we see today is identical to what was seen before, just as we read in today’s passage. Zedekiah and the people of Judah did not obey the Lord. They did just as they pleased, and unfortunately completely contrary to what God had taught them so long ago through His Word. Instead of following the Lord, they followed other gods. And they followed such gods that even demanded the death of their children as part of the worship, to obtain their favor. The only difference between killing children before and now is that it was done for a god, to gain favor. Now, millions of children are being killed before being born with the excuse that a woman can do whatever she wants with her body. The god Moloch has the form of a woman today. That is the only difference. And the people of Judah, instead of loving their neighbor, they would treat them unfairly by wronging the innocent and the defenseless. In summary, Judah did what was evil before the eyes of the Lord, and for a long time, for generations. Our society, and even worse, our Christian communities are following the same path, adopting lifestyles that go completely against the Lord, and turning themselves into their own lords, or rather, enthroning Satan in their lives and serving the sin that dwells within their members. It wasn’t good before, and it surely it is not good now, no matter how much people think that everything will be fine and that no evil will come upon on them. They must have thought that nothing bad was ever going to happen to them, just like many think now.

Back then, they also had lying prophets, just like we have them now. Many prophets had spoken to Zedekiah and the people saying that everything would be fine, and that there would be peace and blessing despite all of the sin that was being committed, just like now. Jeremiah even asked the king, saying: “Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?” No matter what they say, no matter what they think, everything God truly says will come true. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, ‘You shall have peace’ ’; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ’ For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury—a violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. ‘I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. ‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord. ‘I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.” Jeremiah 23:16-26. Does this really need much explanation?

The things of the Lord are as simple as 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.” Galatians 6:7-8. Will God bless if His so-called people sin against Him by fornicating, by committing adultery, by looking for other gods, by looking to fulfill their own will, and like that, despising the Lord and their neighbor? Can life be produced when only death is sown? I don’t think so. So then, in what way will God’s Word be fulfilled in your life? Lord bless! John

Faith in the Person and Actions of Jesus - Colossians 2

Based on Colossians 2 (New King James Version)

“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—'Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

What should Christian faith really consist of? There is much confusion with this because many things have been conjured up that really have nothing to do with what God desires for man to do. There are many things that have been taken away and/or added to God’s precious plan. And that can be a product of only one person: Satan. The Apostle Paul speaks regarding these changes to the Truth of God and that they have come through man’s carnality. And that is of course true, but it is the devil that tempts man based on their desires, on the sin that dwells within man. This is what the Word teaches: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:13-15. So then, when the devil tempts human beings, he tries to tempt them based on the sin that already dwells within them. And of course, when man pays attention to the devil, they are doing it based on the evil that is within them, in one way or another.

Now, why does the devil work to do this? Because he desires for man to be lost and his task is very easy. All he has to do is try to produce a small deviation, and that is what the word “sin” means within itself: missing the mark. The word “sin” is an archery term that refers to when an archer misses the bullseye, that something went wrong with the targeting of the projectile, and that’s why it did not strike where it was supposed to. That is why it is an error to assume that sin only consists of something like killing a person, or something like that. And the gravest problem that could ever happen to a person is to not be able to retain exactly what truly takes them to salvation. And that is why the Holy Spirit through Paul warns that an exactness with the faith must be retained, so that the error is not produced. The greatest and most tragic problem that could ever happen to someone is to live their whole life thinking that they are in the right and realize at the end that they have missed the mark, that they have lived their whole life in a wrong manner. That is why any good archery master will always teach someone that the only way to not miss the mark is by focusing precisely on the target, and what needs to be kept in mind before the launch so that the strike can be precise.

So then, if we need to be so precise with our faith, then what should be our focus? Let us think first on what our focus should not be, so that we can see the Mark (per se) even clearer. The Bible teaches us about all the different things that are sin before God. But to be able to have a north, a more secure and general key, we should keep in mind that we should avoid teachings and doctrines that support and/or promote the things of the flesh, those things that sound attractive to the sinful desires of our flesh, and that is everywhere unfortunately. There is much more lie than truth out there. This is what the Word teaches: “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.” Galatians 6:7-8. When we focus on the flesh, there is where the problem starts. The flesh can never be linked in any kind of way with the Gospel of Christ. Let us see the problems that happen when the flesh is intermingled: “Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You! (speaking of the crucifixion)’ 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 (the flesh).’” Matthew 16:22-23. What would have happened if the Lord would have listened to Peter? Blessed be the Lord!

So, what should be our goal? Easy. It should be the person of Christ and what He has done for us, His merits. He is our model. We should not focus on other people (“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5), nor far less, on the things of the flesh. He (Jesus) needs to be the target for our faith, and we should do just as He taught us, to love God with everything we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If you make Jesus the literal Lord of your life, and you value everything He has done for you, that will assure you an ample entrance into God’s kingdom. Lord bless! John

Riches - James 5:1-6

Based on James 5:1-6 (New King James Version)

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”

Are riches evil? Within themselves, not really. It all depends on how you obtain them and what priority you give them. For starters, do riches only consist of material wealth? Not necessarily, but in the today’s passage, it refers primarily to material wealth. And more exactly, today’s passage refers to the rich and what will happen to them because of the way they treat their neighbor, or by being concerned only about themselves (selfishness), or by trusting in riches, or by taking advantage and/or running over those that are not able to defend themselves, the more vulnerable, or by living for pleasure and luxury. All of these illicit actions according to the Word of God are not only abominable before the Almighty, but moreover, they are worthy of punishment at present at some given moment, and if there is no genuine repentance before death, worthy of eternal punishment where there are no second chances. When men die, God’s mercy has ended because the opportunities that the Lord gives for repentance are over. That is why the Word tries to bring consciousness to the reader because all sin always has consequences, both here in the present, but far worse, in eternity. Nothing remains unchanged, because there are always consequences, even when receiving God’s forgiveness. God’s grace does not necessarily take away possible natural consequences.

What does the Word teach regarding riches? One of the first things we can see in the Word is that as followers of Christ, it is convenient for us to be content with what is necessary. What is necessary? There are many people that have different opinions regarding what is necessary. There are people that think that it is necessary to have a big house. There are other people that believe that it is necessary to have a bank account with a lot of money. There are others that believe that luxury is a divine right. Opinions vary. How can necessity be identified? By what God says that is necessary. This is what the Word says: “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, through this passage, we can deduce that if we desire more than just food and clothing, that we are surpassing the limits of what is necessary.

Let us see this through the Lord, because God’s goal is to make us like Him through the Holy Spirit, and not like another human being no matter how special and chosen they may have been. Our sight should always be set on the Lord and on no one else. Did the Lord have a palace, or a mansion, or even a house? No. He said that the Son of Man did not have anywhere to lay His head. Did He have much clothing, or different outfits for each day of the week? No. The Word does not say that He had such things. Did the Lord have horses and chariots? No, because even when He made His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, He rode on a borrowed colt of a donkey. How did the Lord eat? Did He have a storage place with food, or fields with crops? The Word does not demonstrate any of that. Now then, if we compare ourselves to what the Lord had, we could very easily discern that we are rich (carnally speaking) as compared to the Lord, because we all live in some sort of building, whether it is purchased or rented. We have a refrigerator/freezer and some sort of pantry with food in our home. We have clothing for many days and for different occasions, and so on. So then, observe well what you do because this Scripture may apply to you personally if you take advantage of others, or if you are selfish, or if you are trusting in riches, or if you have dedicated yourself to the pleasure and luxury of this world.

How should we live then? This is what the Word teaches us: “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.” Proverbs 23:4-5. “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.” John 6:27. “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.

Now then, does that mean that we should give our goods to those that do not work and/or are irresponsible? Under no circumstances. The Bible simply does not support irresponsibility, and far less, laziness, as it is written: “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12.

What can we understand through all of this? That each one of us will finally give an account of how we attain things, of what we do with what we have, and of how we treat our neighbor because God is watching, and because He will judge His people sooner or later. So, are you earning your sustenance and administering it in a way that pleases God? Lord bless! John

The Coming of the Lord is Nearing - 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Based on 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (New King James Version)

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

The times in which we are living in indicate to us that we are drawing closer quite quickly to an inevitable end. Everything points to a day when this world will end, and everything that exists will change, without exceptions. That is how things were established by God Himself. And there is nothing that will stop that. The only thing we can do is to be ready, by doing God’s will. There does exist these extremely large and cosmic wheels that control the progress of time and events, and these are unstoppable because they were set by the Creator Himself. But there is enough space within those large wheels for each of us to decide our own eternal condition, whether we choose to live for the Lord, or live for the world and its delights, by following the current that Satan himself inspires in the here and now. Nonetheless, and as we explained previously, that there are unchangeable things. There is this day that exists that will be the most decisive for all mankind, the day in which Christ comes for His Church, a day known as the rapture of the Church.  

The day of the Rapture, or as the Apostle Paul described in the passage we read today, consists of the Lord Himself coming for His Church and miraculously taking unto Himself those that belong to Him, those that follow Him faithfully. And we shall be taken and transformed in the clouds, those of us that are still alive physically as well as those that lay asleep in the earth. It will be a day like never before. The Bible speaks of two other people that did live a moment like this personally, of Enoch and the Prophet Elijah. The Bible speaks about this rapture in different parts in the Word. For example, we see this in the following passages: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:36-44. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. This event will occur someday, when the Father says so, and nothing will stop it and no one will know exactly when this will happen, but the Bible does teach us when this time will be near, by the events that precede it, and many things have already been fulfilled, and others are being fulfilled today.

People used to preach a lot about this before, when there was a great awaking in the world for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, during a stage when we could say that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the last times occurred. That is one of the signs that the Word speaks about that would precede this day of the rapture. And unfortunately, many believers either grew cold or took this delay of this prophecy of the rapture as a delay on God’s part, or something that is simply a myth. This is the sentiment that has extended also to many in the world where they see God and faith in Christ as something of the past, as an old tradition, or even as some sort of superstition, especially among those that consider themselves to be intellectual or advanced. They take divine mercy as a sign that God does not exist. But the Truth is that God does exist, and He is only giving an opportunity, as it is written: “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…” 2 Peter 3:8-10.

Now then, what is one of the greatest indicators of when that day will be fulfilled? The Bible teaches us that there will be a moment of apparent calm, and it will take humanity by surprise. It will occur at a moment when the world will feel confident in their activities, and living in a way that is completely careless. This is what is written: “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.

Therefore, how should each believer that does want to go with the Lord live their life? They should be busy with the Father’s business, just as the example the Lord left us, and not living like the world. This is the advice the Word of God gives us: “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-51. Whoever is not following the Lord faithfully will be left behind, and they will live things such as the world has never experienced. It is not worth exchanging eternal life for things that only produce death and destruction, things that don’t have any reward within themselves. So then, are you truly ready for the Lord’s coming, which can happen when you least expect it? Lord bless! John

God Will Judge Evil - Isaiah 33:1-16

Based on Isaiah 33:1-16 (New King James Version)

“Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; and you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered; when you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you. O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; when You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered; and Your plunder shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar; as the running to and fro of locusts, He shall run upon them. The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure. Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, the traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.  ‘Now I will rise,’ says the Lord; ‘Now I will be exalted, now I will lift Myself up. You shall conceive chaff, you shall bring forth stubble; your breath, as fire, shall devour you. And the people shall be like the burnings of lime; like thorns cut up they shall be burned in the fire. Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might.’ The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?’ He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil: he will dwell on high; his place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his water will be sure.”

Many people believe that because they don’t see fire fall from heaven or other extremely unusual things happen that there is no judgment from God, or they even doubt that God exists. Many think that God is like a myth or a part of an ancient tradition. And moreover, if “something” exists (like some think), that it or He is so good that He will not take into consideration sin, and that His existence, in the end, does not affect our existence. Many supposed Christians believe in this manner, or at least, that’s what they demonstrate. But the Truth is that God does exist, and He is Almighty, Holy, Sublime, and He has all authority and power to carry out the judgment that is on its way, whether they want to believe it or not. The Lord will not turn a blind eye to the rebellions and abominations of the world, and least of all, ignore what those who call themselves His people do. God will judge evil, no matter how nice and pleasing the so-called servants of God preach, and the way how they practically incite people to trample His divine grace, and everything based in that God is a loving and good God, and extremely patient. They use wrongly the Word that says: “…is not provoked… …bears all things… …endures all things…” That kind of teaching is not in agreement with what the Bible teaches. God is God, and He must be treated as such.

From where does this error come from that God does not judge? Like everything evil, it comes from Satan, from his ministers, just as the Scriptures say: …doctrines of demons. This is what the Word truly says: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ‘Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’’ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’ ‘For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. ‘Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 7:1-11. Many believe that because they made some sort of decision for the Lord, or because they go to some sort of church, or because they do something that seems good (although they don’t truly respect what the Word says), they believe they are part of God’s people, or “temple of the Lord”. But, we saw in this recent passage that it is not enough to think of yourself as God’s temple, but rather, there must be a change, and a continual change, and doing the things He commands. That is why I can confidently say that there cannot be the practice sin in a person that calls themselves part of the Lord’s people, because otherwise, sooner or later, the Lord’s punishment will come. Let us look at the history that is shown in the Scriptures, the same people of Judah that were addressed here. They sinned so much against the Lord with so many different evils before His eyes that the Lord allowed for them to be conquered by their enemies, and their land was left desolate and their cities destroyed, and even most of the few survivors were taken as slaves. Thousands of people died by the sword, so it was not even necessary for the elements to be affected. There are many ways in which God can show His profound disapproval. This was left for us as an example, if we choose to persist to sin.

This is what the Word commands regarding the problem of trying to abuse God’s grace: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Galatians 6:11-16. This is the greatest reality that we should fear (yes, be afraid of, even within God’s grace): “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.” Galatians 6:7-8. You cannot fool God.

And finally, do not be led by your own opinion, by what appears good to you, and certainly do not try to abuse God’s grace. This is the advice we get: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:7. So then, do you live your life as if God sees everything you do, and that you will one day give an account, whether it be here on earth, or in eternity? Lord bless! John

Honoring God within the System - 1 Peter 2:13-25

Based on 1 Peter 2:13-25 (New King James Version)

“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

God really cares about our conduct in this world, especially if a person says that they believe and follow Christ. All of God’s counsel in the Word points to the importance of having a godly lifestyle, to live in a way that not only glorifies God, but also, to be able to provide the greater good to all, the salvation of their souls. That is the fulness of God’s will, and that is how all of the law is fulfilled, just as the Lord Himself taught: You shall love God with everything you are in first place, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself subsequently. And one of the main ways that all of this is fulfilled is by the way that we behave within the system, how our daily living is with the authorities that exist.

If we look well into God’s Word, the issue of respecting all of the authorities is something of extreme importance. Nowhere in the Bible does inciting rebellion and/or destroying what is established is written. There is no passage in the Scriptures that demonstrates us doing away with the structure, even within very difficult circumstances. For example, the passage that we saw today and the ones we will see a little further on were written during a very difficult time for Christianity where an antichrist rose up (Caesar Nero), who persecuted the church, putting as a command that everyone in the kingdom had to confess that Caesar was lord. And whoever did not comply would either be jailed, or tortured, or even killed in the most horrible ways. Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit inspired these men of God to write that we should even respect and submit to this type of authority, not only as our duty before God, but also, so that through our Christian conduct that even the detestable and the evil could have the opportunity to be redeemed and saved by the Gospel of Christ (because God makes no exception of people), as it is written: “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” Titus 3:1-8.

I know that it can be difficult in many cases, and that we may have our preferences with certain authorities, or with certain people, but God does not teach us to follow our subjective preferences, but rather, to abide by what He has finally established, whether we like it or not. For it is also written: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:1-8. So then, it can be quite clearly that a person that resists the authorities, whether good or evil, ultimately resists God. And yes, whoever resists or opposes the police (or the rulers as they are named here) are also defying God Himself. And some may say: “You don’t know what they have done.” And yes, I don’t know what has happened to you personally, but God knows, and He is the one that says (paraphrased): “Respect them, submit to them, look for the salvation of their souls.” And this is not cowardness as some may take it, but rather, an obedience to the Supreme Authority that one day will judge every man and women according to what they have done, because there does exist a final judgment that no one can escape. God will judge every human being, especially His people, as it is written: “Therefore we make it our aim (the Apostle Paul includes himself in this), whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear (Paul includes himself again) before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. So then, whoever says that a Christian will not give an account is mistaken. That is why it is so important to live for Christ, and especially as it relates to what is established, the system in which we live in. We should do everything as to the Lord, and in such a way that aligns with the Holy Spirit and with the Word of God without exception, for our own good and for the good of all people. This is what the Lord commands.

So, are you honoring God within the system you live in, not only to be pleasing to God, but also, so that those that see your life (good or bad people) can see Christ, so that they could have the opportunity to also be saved? Lord bless! John

The Price of Following Jesus - Acts 21:15-36

Based on Acts 21:15-36 (New King James Version)

“And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge. And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that  you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.’ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them. Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, ‘Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, ‘Away with him!’”

There are many that say that coming to God’s salvation through Christ is easy, and yes, it really is. It is very easy to be saved, and the Bible explains that we even need to make ourselves like children so we can enter God’s kingdom. The Lord designed it that way, and that you don’t even need to do works to be saved, and that it is all received through grace. The only things that need to be done are to genuinely repent and convert from all sins, and believe and accept Jesus as Lord. If this is done in spirit and in truth, a person could very well receive the gift of salvation. But this is only the beginning. Starting this walk with Christ is easy, but sooner or later, the reality is that there is a price that needs to be paid when you genuinely follow Christ. And the price could be very costly.

The Lord spoke about this issue to His disciples, and that they should consider the cost, the same cost that we should consider also, all of us that have truly decided to follow Christ. This is what is written: “Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:25-33.

Now then, did the Lord say this to dishearten us? And the answer is: “no”. The Lord said this because sooner or later, it will come to pass. Sooner or later, there will be problems that occur because of this faith in Christ, even though we may try to be at peace with all (as we read today). There will be people that will dislike this Way, this faith in Christ, and this disagreement may happen with very close loved ones, even with parents, children, etc. It’s not that we are commanded to hate a loved one, but rather, that the moment will come when you must decide between the one and the other. In other words, the question that may surge at a given moment is: “Do I follow the Lord, or do I deny my faith so that I can keep and preserve this other relationship that is opposed to God?” That is the issue. And that can happen when you look to put God first in your life. And the issue can get even deeper depending on the circumstance, that we may have to think of the following: “Do I deny my faith, so I don’t lose my life?” This is what happened many times, and it happens now, where many people around the world pay the high cost of following Christ with their own lives, by being rejected by their families and even killed for their faith. Not much is known of this because the media doesn’t really look to publish such things, either because it’s not of importance to them, or maybe because they agree somehow.

Is it God that makes the way difficult? And the answer is: “yes and no”. No, because the world in general is in enmity with God because it follows Satan. God loves the world, and in such a way that He even gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that we could all have the opportunity of salvation. But yes, because the only way that we can come to have this eternal salvation is by denying ourselves, the sin that still dwells within us and that tries to ensnare us. It’s a condition that needs to be overcome through the Lord so that we can be with God, because God is Holy. In order for us to be able to be in His presence, we must also come to be holy through Christ, by abiding in Him, and by being transformed daily. This is the goal of the Holy Spirit and what the Word of God teaches. That is why that it is impossible to stay at a beginning and not pursue the goal that we have ahead of us. Access to Christ and His salvation is free and very easy, but there is a price to be paid involved with finishing the race and getting to the goal. So then, are you not only willing to believe in Christ, but also, to follow Him, no matter what happens, so that you can be able to obtain what God has prepared for those that truly love Him? Lord bless! John

When God’s Word is the Center of Everything - 1 Kings 8:1-11

Based on 1 Kings 8:1-11 (New King James Version)

“Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month. So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”

What we can see here in this passage is that after the Lord’s house was dedicated, and when the most important piece was placed in the Most Holy Place, the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. But if we focus on the detail, the Word notes that the ark contained something; the two tablets of stone that Moses had placed in there in Horeb, or God’s commandments. That was what was finally deposited in the center, in the most private place of the temple, the Most Holy Place. So then, what is the lesson here? That when we put the Word of God at the center of everything, starting in our own life, then we will see the glory of God. But how is this done?

If we start looking at this, it would be good to see the following: “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’’ The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” Matthew 19:16-21. We see here that the Lord makes it even more clear to the one He was speaking to, that if he wanted to be perfect, that he had to truly demonstrate the fulfillment of the commandments, that he had to treat God as God and Lord, the same person that was speaking to him. What was the Lord truly referring to? Precisely to the commandments, as it is written: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:2-6. What was the Lord trying to teach him? The practical side of fulfilling the commandments, because in the end, He was the One that actually wrote onto the tablets of stone that were in the ark. He was (and is) this God that commands us to love Him and to keep His commandments. This was to what the Lord was pointing to, just as He said it in another occasion: “…‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’’ This is the first commandment.’” Mark 12:29-30. This is the most important, the first commandment, and as such, the center of everything, because it tops everything. If this commandment is not understood and kept, then the rest is useless because this must be the foundation of everything so that a person could effectively keep the commandments and be perfect just as the Lord taught.

So, what does the Word of God have to do with loving God with everything we are? This, as it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4. The Word is God. Christ is God. Through this is that we understand that was is written are more than words on tablets of stone, or on sheets of paper in a book, or as it exists today, data on a screen somewhere. The Word of God is God Himself, no matter what form He takes, be it as it may, and that’s why the Word must be loved. And loving the Word means that it must fulfilled in every dimension. It must be fulfilled spiritually, physically, and literally. This is what the Word of God itself says: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The only way that the Word of God is fulfilled is when it is practiced, through every good work. The Word must be done, obeyed, fulfilled, believed, and of course, loved.

We see this matter of obeying in the life of Paul (before known as Saul) in the following passage: “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” Acts 9:3-6. What was the most important thing that Saul did? He asked with all of his heart, completely surrendered to the Power that went to find Him: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” And when he was told what to do, he went and did just as he was commanded to do. This is what should happen with the Word of God, with God Himself. Because the Word also reveals this to us: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘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. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’” John 14:23-24. The glory of God, the presence of God, will be revealed in the most intimate part of man when the Word is fulfilled just as it should be, starting with the foundation: loving God. So then, have you made the Word of God the center of your life? Lord bless! John

Abiding in the Lord - 2 Timothy 1:1-18a

Based on 2 Timothy 1:1-18a (New King James Version)

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day...”

What is the purpose of God’s Word? Why is it so necessary to not just study It, but also to live It? And the answer is that, from Genesis to Revelation, It is God’s complete counsel to mankind. And if we understand It well, we would understand that it’s not just about getting to God’s salvation only, but also, that it is about growing and being built up in such a way that we get to the likeness of Christ, that it is about fulfilling God’s purpose, that we become like Him. But, for that to happen, we cannot just stay with the simple fact that Christ saved us alone, but also, we must proceed and abide. God has fulfilled everything through Christ, but the work of Christ must be fulfilled in our lives, so that we can also get to the eternal goal, to be ready for what is coming (because it is also very clear in the Scriptures that there is a great continuance in eternity, and that we are not just going to be playing harps, per se).

There are many places in the Word of God besides what we just read where we are exhorted to abide, to continue moving forward. And if it were not so, God would not have expended so much energy through so many people through the centuries to impress that in this blessed Book. The Word of God was inspired by God, but written by men, where many people came to even sacrifice their lives so that this Sacred Book would be completed. It was not easy to compose what we have today so easily and in different forms. It cost many people much sacrifice, much time and dedication, and even pain and blood. Of course, it is all God’s work, but these blessed beings made themselves available to fulfill this hard task. So then, not only does this Book have incredible value because It is God’s complete counsel, but also, because it cost so many people an incalculable effort through the centuries, those who also abided in this blessed faith we have in Almighty God, just as Paul said it: “…whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did…”, meaning those that preceded us in the faith.

Let us see a few of these passages where we are exhorted to not only abide, but also to produce, and even to overcome: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:1-6. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:7.

So then, it is very clear through the Word that there must be a continuance in the faith. No one can just stay with the knowledge of salvation alone. And even though God desires to complete His plan in every person, free will still is in effect. God will not force anyone. The Lordship of God over our lives is voluntary, never forced, because it is a Lordship based on love and not on slavery. So then, are you abiding in the Lord in response to His great love and mercy? Lord bless! John

God’s Militia - Numbers 2:1-32

Based on Numbers 2:1-32 (New King James Version)

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.” And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred. “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.” And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred. “Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.” And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred—these shall break camp first. “On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.” And his army was numbered at forty-six thousand five hundred. “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.” And his army was numbered at fifty-nine thousand three hundred. “Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.” And his army was numbered at forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty—they shall be the second to break camp. “And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards. “On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.” And his army was numbered at forty thousand five hundred. “Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.” And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand two hundred. “Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.” And his army was numbered at thirty-five thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, one hundred and eight thousand one hundred—they shall be the third to break camp. “The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammi-shaddai.” And his army was numbered at sixty-two thousand seven hundred. “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.” And his army was numbered at forty-one thousand five hundred. “Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.” And his army was num-bered at fifty-three thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered of the forces with Dan, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred—they shall break camp last, with their standards.” These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.”

War is inevitable in this world. Unfortunately, this issue of war has existed and will exist until God deals with sin definitively, because sin is what produces war in the world, in one way or another. In ancient Israel’s time, God taught His people that there would be certain people that should be ready for war, as it is written: “From twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.” Numbers 1:3. So then, everyone who had the physical ability to go to war and twenty years old and above were candidates for the army. But God structured His people in such a way that they should not have a professional army like many nations have today, but rather, as a militia which is composed of men that had their normal lives like jobs, their families, etc., but for them to be ready for war for whenever needed.  

Now then, the most important war that exists now and that will be on going until God deals with sin once and for all is the spiritual war we have today. And what are being disputed are the souls of men. This war started when Satan (before known as Lucifer) rebelled against the Lord. The Bible teaches us that this started in the following manner: “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. This is the problem that started all of the evil that exists today and the reason for why we have this spiritual war. This spiritual war is the most important one because it defines a person’s eternal destination. As we have commented before, this temporary world is precisely that: temporary and passing. The spiritual world, or rather, man’s soul is something eternal. It is the most important likeness we have with the Most High, the ability to either live forever or die forever. That’s why this issue is so important. There is nothing more important than eternity.

What can we glean from this passage and apply to our daily lives? A lot! First, we need to obey God’s instruction. God spoke to Moses and Aaron, and He told them how things needed to be. He gave them His order. And if Israel wanted God’s blessing, they needed to do just as they were being taught. There was no conference, or vote, or a community meeting to question God’s instructions. In conjunction, we must trust in the Lord and why He says the things He says to do. No one knows more than Him. Secondly, we are unavoidably at war, and your soul and the souls of others are in play. This is something that must be understood clearly, including our enemy. All of the large things in this world are already structured, and there is nothing or no one that can change that, but each person’s story is being written as it is happening, and so, everyone’s outcome depends on what they do. And it is necessary to understand the enemy we have, what he is capable of, and that he is incessant. There is no such thing as a clean fight, as getting a break or a vacation, etc. We have an enemy that is all evil, and capable of all evil, practically without any limits, with a large army that is under his complete control. This is what the Word says: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12. This is our reality, and if your life is not completely subjected to the One that has overcome, to the Lord, you will not be able to overcome. Do not be confused with fables or erroneous beliefs. Christ has overcome all, but your story is currently being written. And so, you have not overcome yet. This is what the Word says: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:7. So then, are you a part of God’s militia, under the Lordship of Jesus, or are you still your sin’s miserable slave, subject to Satan? Lord bless! John