Lack of Repentance - 2 Chronicles 21

Based on 2 Chronicles 21 (New King James Version)

“And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn. Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel. Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever. In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit harlotry, and led Judah astray. And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of your father David: Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.” Moreover the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”

A person may read this passage that talks about King Jehoram and say, “He was truly a very bad person, and he got what he deserved.” And yes, it’s true, that he was a person that did evil to people that had not done nothing wrong to him. And yes, he did follow idolatry and paganism, and not only did he do it, but he also made the people of his kingdom follow this evil also. And the saddest thing about this was that he had a father that did not give him an example of doing the evil he did. In summary, he was an evil person.

Why did this happen? What we understand through the Word is that each person has the power and right given by God Himself to decide for themselves whether they want to look for and follow the Lord or not. Bad influences may have an effect, because we see that he joined himself with a daughter of King Ahab that also was coming from somewhere evil, but within his heart, and the reason for why he got together with another person with bad intentions was because evil was within him. For one reason or another, Jehoram felt attracted to do evil, and he allowed himself to be influenced by his wife’s evil. Influences are factors, but as we saw before, he had a father that did not give him a bad example, a father that may not have been perfect, but who feared the Lord. So then, in this manner, we do see this concept of free will because Jehoram chose to be influenced by his wife and not by his father. This is what the Word says in relation to free will: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. ‘See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” Deuteronomy 30:11-20a. So then, it is very clear that God gives us all in general choice. This issue that we are robots or predestined to walk a certain path does not exist, at least in general (because there are exceptions). For if it were so, why would the Lord then give the counsel of His Word? And why would there be judgment and punishment for the person that does not look for God and does what is evil before His eyes? Is God unjust, and that He punishes a person for following His design? Impossible. God is not only just, but He is good also, giving every human being the opportunity to repent from their evil.

And this takes us to the worse evil Jehoram did, the issue that he never repented. All of us were born in sin, and are sinners, and because of our nature and evil deeds, whether a few or many, fall short of the glory of God. This is what the Word says: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. So then, no one is better than the next person. We have all sinned, and we all deserve hell. But, if a person repents from all of their sins, and looks for God’s favor through Jesus Christ, then they can obtain His mercy and even change the course of their eternity, as it is written: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17. Jehoram’s end could have been different if he would have repented, like others did before him, those that did enjoy God’s mercy despite their evil deeds. So then, if you have departed from God, look for His mercy and repent with all of your heart so that you can receive His forgiveness and not lose what He has for those that love Him, while there is still time. You are free to choose. Lord bless! John               

The Consequence of Living a Foolish Life - Mark 12:1-12

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

“Then He began to speak to them in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. ‘Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?’ And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.”

There is a grave problem today, and I’m afraid to say that it is worse now than ever before, and it’s something that will worsen by the day. How long will this go on for? I know that God will allow for things to continue, but there will come a day when the Lord puts a limit. What is this problem? It’s the problem of foolishness. There is such foolishness in the world, and even in God’s so-called people that is quite hard to understand. The issue sounds general, but we will try through the Lord to define the problem more exactly, and of course, to see it through the eyes of the Most High. The foolishness that exists today is about each person doing as they please, and thinking that their will shall come to pass, and not God’s will, even in God’s judgment. In other words, their foolishness is such that they think their opinion will govern here and now, and even in the future. We live in a time where the majority of people have adopted Satan’s mentality, and surprisingly enough, even much of God’s people. What is this mentality? Many might say it and others not, but their behavior reveals something like this: “My will be done instead of yours Lord.” How can I say this? Very easily. The majority just do as they please, and they look to fulfill their desires, instead of looking to do God’s will. And that is nothing more or less than what Satan has looked to do since his fall, when the mystery of iniquity entered. It’s a mystery that is hard to understand, but because it’s a mystery to us does not mean that there is no logical explanation. But be it as it may, and however it came, this mystery of iniquity, this feeling that is within Satan’s heart, is the same that is within many people, of looking to do what they want to do, and think that that things will turn out as they say.

Now, how can this be seen within God’s people? The majority try to treat God as a servant, and here is where many supposed believers fall, and they interpret and use the Scriptures to support their ideas and wishes instead of trying to see what God is saying, and to do as He commands. This is seen in many distorted and demonic doctrines where man puts himself in God’s position, and they try to put the Almighty in a position of servitude. And of course, they don’t look for God’s will through the Scriptures, but rather, they look to support their ideas, and use the Scriptures to support their desires. Quite practically, many Christians live their lives in a way like Israel did many centuries ago, as it was left written: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25. But the issue is that there is a King, an Almighty God, and making like He doesn’t exist, or like if you can manipulate and command Him, does not change the reality that He is King and that His will shall be done no matter what man thinks or does. God does not stop being God even though a person tries to make like He doesn’t exist, or like He is not God. Our opinions do not govern reality.

Just like we saw in the parable, that’s how the end will be, and that God is God and that He will judge each person according to what they do and think, and this includes God’s so-called people. It is foolishness to think that we will not give an account for all our actions quite soon. It doesn’t matter what certain people say or preach, we will all give an account for our actions, especially those of us that have come to the knowledge of the Truth. The one that knows the Truth and does not look to do the Father’s will is the one that will suffer the worse in the coming judgment. This is what the Word says: “…For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:10b-12. Notice that the writer of the epistle (inspired by the Holy Spirit) is the Apostle Paul, and he includes himself in this issue of giving an account, for it says: “…each of us shall give account of himself to God.” And it is also written: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear 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. And here he makes the same emphasis, that he includes himself. So then, is it not then a mistake to think that if these holy apostles included themselves in God’s judgment, and that they would be judged in the end, that the same would not happen to us? Are we more than the apostles? I don’t think so.

We need to be very careful, and instead of looking to do our will and fulfill our desires, we should, for our own good, look to do God’s will. It is necessary to treat God as Who He is: God, and that Jesus Christ is God and Lord also. He is the legitimate heir to everything that belongs to God the Father. They killed Him, but He was resurrected and is now sitting at the right hand of God’s throne, reigning as Who He is. The Lord Himself said this: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. Even doing those things that seem like God’s will can be wrongfully done if they are not subject to the Father’s will. Everything, and especially within our very being, should be subject and under God’s will. This should be our feeling, our desire, because in the end, the Lord will come again and judge each person, and He will be the One to decide what will happen to each of us. It’s too much to risk to not look to do His will. He is not going to ask anyone for their opinion, and least of all, guide Himself by what we think. God is God, and His will shall be done, and He will decide our eternity through what He has established through the Scriptures. So then, are you living a foolish life, thinking that your will shall be done instead of God’s will in the end? Lord bless! John           

The Power of the Gospel - Acts 5:17-42

Based on Acts 5:17-42 (New King James Version)

“Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.’ And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, ‘Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!’ Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came and told them, saying, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!’ But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.’ When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: ‘Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.’ And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

Was it easier for the Gospel back then? Many might say erroneously that it was easier before to follow the Lord and share the Gospel than now. And I have to say that it would be an error because the beginning of the Gospel was very difficult, starting with the Lord Himself. We need to remember that the religious with the consent of the people and Rome (by virtue that Pilate made it possible), practically the entire world crucified the Lord. There were only a select few that were with the Lord. And after the Lord, there were many highs and lows, and the numbers grew, but then they were persecuted and dispersed. And as we read in this passage, the apostles were jailed and beaten. So then, today is still probably easier to follow the Lord than before in many places. So then, what is happening today?

According to the latest statistics of this kind, supposedly there are approximately 2.382 billion Christians in the world, which makes us still the religion with the most followers in the world. But does it have the same power it had before? Can we see the power in the church that was seen in the apostles? We are a very big number, but unfortunately, we do not see what we saw with the apostles, not even the shadow of what was written. Why? Is the problem that the Gospel lost Its power somehow? Has It grown weaker over time?

The first thing we must explain is that the Gospel has not lost Its power because It is something based on the Person of Jesus Christ, and just as the Word says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. The Gospel is not a religion, but rather, it is about a relationship with God. It is the plan of salvation for mankind through the Lord. So, it is impossible for It to have lost Its power. How do I know God has not changed? Because all of the things that were created and established by God continue the same. The sun rises and sets just like before. The stars and celestial masses continue in the same order the Almighty left them. And blessed be the Lord that both the small (per se) and the even the largest and infinite things that we depend on remains the same as the Lord maintains them through His person, by virtue of His own existence.

So then, what has changed? Man. There is much mixture, sin, and lack of faith within God’s supposed people, and that is what has changed the effect of the Gospel in the world. There are no longer men and women with the faith from before, like what the apostles and disciples had when they purposed within themselves to spread the Gospel just as the Lord commanded them when He said: “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15. They took this challenge very seriously. As a matter of fact, the Gospel had reached practically the entire known world at the end of the first century. How amazing that in less than 100 years, with something that began with just a few men and women had been spread throughout the whole Roman Empire, and far beyond, in other cultures and languages! Was this the result of the work of the Holy Spirit of God? Of course, but also, in conjunction with the faith and dedication of people that valued the Lord, those who found it more than reasonable to even lay down their lives for the Lord they loved, and the faith they confessed.

And this takes us to our final point. Can the Gospel gain back the manifestation it had in Its beginning? Of course, when God’s so-called people come back to a true faith in the Lord, when they leave aside sin, carnality, and the things of the world. Today, it appears that money, sin, and carnality reign more in the church than the Word of God. Someone asked me a long time ago: “Why don’t we see the miracles from before?” And I had to respond shamefully: “Because of the sin of God’s people.” We are the ones that make the greatest power in the universe seem inferior. Just as the Word says: “…the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you…” Romans 2:24. God desires to show His power, that many people may come to the knowledge of eternal life, but that will only happen with a repented and united people, one that truly loves and treats the Lord as such. So then, do you really want to see the power of the Gospel in your life and around you? Lord bless! John               

Finding Mercy through Good Attitudes - Luke 15:11-24, 16:1-9

Based on Luke 15:11-24, 16:1-9 (New King James Version)

“Then He said: ‘A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. ‘But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’ ’ ‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ‘But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.’”

“He also said to His disciples: ‘There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ ‘Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ ‘So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. ‘And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.’” 

Despite both parables being relatively different in its circumstances, there are identical things between them. The first thing we could see is possibly something so obvious that it is missed. Many times, there are such obvious things, and our focus is so limited, that we lose sight of learning essentials. This happens with almost everything that God does daily. People look for God’s personal manifestation and they lose sight of the obvious because of lacking faith and a sinful heart. God manifests Himself always, and He demonstrates His power and glory at every moment. Nothing in the universe moves without His will. There is an endless list of things, and all subject to the will of God. And they consist because of the Almighty’s presence. We see even what we call the most simple, and we take them for granted also, like the beating of our hearts, or the breathing of our lungs, or the functions of our brains, each thing happens within ourselves without making them consciously work, and each happen by the will of God, because those are sustained by God’s presence, as it is written: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. The majority of times, because of our sin, we lose sight of the great and obvious, things that are too important, more important than the vanities and temporary things on which we are usually focusing on the most.

So then, what is obvious between both parables? In the one with the prodigal son, it’s simply that you should not waste or lose what God gives you. Don’t live in a lost manner doing things that have no gain, because if you lose them, they will never come back. The time that God gave you will never come back. The wealth that God gives never comes back. The health and youth that God allows for people to have never return. Whatever was spent or lost is gone forever. So then, why wait to be hungry? Why come to do and suffer things unnecessarily? And in the second parable, it’s the same thing. Be a good steward. Don’t waste the goods of the Lord. Don’t put yourself in a place where He will take your stewardship away, because that is what is going to happen if you don’t take care of what God gives you. Some may say, “What has God given me that I will need to give an account for?” Of everything you have, whether it be your health, your loved ones, your wealth, your talents and capacities, everything that you have was given to you by God. It’s not always about money and riches, although we will give an account for those also. Quite simply, it is not worth running unnecessary risks, and going through completely avoidable heartache. It is foolishness not to value what you have, and more so, because not only they can be lost, but because you will give an account someday. Each person will give an account for their life, especially those of us that have received the knowledge of God. For it is written: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’” Hebrews 10:26-30. So then, take care of what you have and use it to do the Father’s will.

Now then, what else do we see in these parables? That if we have done wrong, we can find grace before God if we do things that please Him. The prodigal son reasoned, and he went back to his father’s house, but with a humble and contrite heart, completely repented from all his wrong doings, and he looked for the one he harmed, his father. If we return repented from all of our sins with a contrite and humble heart to God the Father we have offended with our evil works, He is sufficiently good to forgive us through His Son Jesus Christ. In the same manner, if we do as the unjust steward did, of forgiving others their debt, of showing mercy to others, we will also be praised by the Lord, just as the Lord Himself prayed: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6:12. We receive God’s forgiveness when we forgive others. Is it fair to forgive the wrong that was done to us? No. But also, was it fair for the Perfect and Holy Son of God to pay for sins He did not commit, for your sins and my sins? Absolutely not. God justified us through the most unfair thing in all of history, that the Innocent and Perfect paid for sinners. So then, do you value what God gives you? And if you have done wrong, do you look to do things that God commands so you can find His grace? Lord bless! John

Giving the Lord His Proper Place - Ezekiel 45:1-3

Based on Ezekiel 45:1-3 (New King James Version)

“Moreover, when you divide the land by lot into inheritance, you shall set apart a district for the Lord, a holy section of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits, and the width ten thousand. It shall be holy throughout its territory all around. Of this there shall be a square plot for the sanctuary, five hundred by five hundred rods, with fifty cubits around it for an open space. So this is the district you shall measure: twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide; in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.”

There is a detail in this passage that gives us great direction to what involves following the Lord, and that is that we need to give the Lord His proper place. This passage applies to when the people of Israel were coming back to their land after being punished by the Lord because they were unfaithful. And their unfaithfulness was so that God allowed after many years and generations of patience, for their enemies to come upon them, and for them to be destroyed, and the few that survived were either transported as slaves or remained as servants in Israel to cultivate the land that remained. The great sin that Israel committed was spiritual adultery or idolatry, by having a divided heart between God and paganism. Their idolatry was such that they had filled God’s temple, their cities, and their homes with different idols that belonged to the same people they conquered and those that surrounded them. And of course, they practiced everything that had to do with that idolatry, thereby profaning what is Holy and abolishing God’s law. So, what does God look for in the end?

We see first of all that the Lord told them to separate a portion of the land (not all of it) for the Lord, and that the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place would be in that place, and of course, that it should be located in the heart or the center of the land, in Jerusalem. So, does God want it all? Yes and no. We know that everything belongs to God, all of the universe, not just this world. But, interestingly enough, within what is practical, He did not ask for everything, but rather, for a portion. So then, it is on completely accurate what some people think, that the only way to glorify God is to give him everything. But also, it is not like how many also think that you can live a religious life, for example like those that go to church and think that because they give a little bit of time, some money, and maybe a little bit of help to someone, that everything necessary is done and that they could live in a destructive and sinful way with the rest. There are many that have their moments of holiness per se and then they live like if they don't know God. That is not what following the Lord is about either. So then, what does God look for in us?

There is a first place that the Lord looks for. There is a priority. The word of God says this: “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 12:29b-30. Does God want lands and money and material things? Not necessarily. We can draw a line from today's passage to what we were talking about and that the Lord wants the portion within us that is most intimate, the heart. What God looks for the most is for the heart of man, and He desires for man to love him. This is the most important, the utmost, the all of God for man. And of course, He wants for the heart to reign over everything else, like the soul, mind and strength. In the same manner, He looks for our lives to be submitted to Him, and that we allow ourselves to be guided by Him so that we can know how to deal with everything that surrounds us, with our families and our loved ones, with our jobs, our businesses and studies, with our neighbor, and even with our enemies. In the end, everything should be under His direction. And this is quite practical and logical. If there is life only in God and He is the greatest Being, the most powerful and wise in all of the universe, at the very least, would it not be convenient for us to be guided by such a Being, and to take His advice for every aspect of our lives? Who knows more or is more powerful than God? And of course, who can love us more than God? This subject of following the Lord should be logical to a person that has any kind of reason. The problem is that most people think that they are more intelligent and capable than God, and they show that through their actions.

Now then, how can a person live practically this faith on a daily basis? This is the council of God's word: “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:22-24. We have to do all kinds of things in this life. We have to take care of our families and our loved ones. We have to work. We have to take care of the things we have. It is necessary to love our neighbor also, and that can involve doing good to them when they need it. In other words, there must be action. This is what the word says also: “Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” Matthew 22:15-21. This will sound strange, but when honoring and respecting the authorities, even those we don’t like, we are honoring God. We have to pay taxes. We need to respect the authorities. We need to respect our bosses and supervisors. God is not in favor of revolutions or rebellions. Despite Rome being a harsh and cruel empire, with a desire to rule the world, the Lord did not promote any kind of rebellion against it. So then, we fulfill God’s will when we simply do everything like unto Him, allowing ourselves to be guided by Him.

And here we arrive at the last point: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. We must simply do the will of the Father in everything in our life, and not allow ourselves to be guided by our opinion, but rather, looking for His opinion in everything, looking to do what He wants us to do. That is how we can serve the Lord, by allowing ourselves to be guided by Him, and giving Him the priority in everything. There is a place for everything in this life, as well as time, but we should always look to love the Lord and to put Him in first place in our lives, always consulting Him for His will, and doing as He commands. So then, are you giving the Lord His appropriate place in your life for your own good? Lord bless! John  

The Sin of Disbelief - Hebrews 3:7 – 4:2

Based on Hebrews 3:7 – 4:2 (New King James Version)

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ’ Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”

There is only one thing that matters in this life, and that is, whether we really believe in the Lord or not. There is nothing more important because everything stems from what we believe in. It is the root for everything in our lives. This is what determines what we do here, and if we will enter the kingdom of God. There is much confusion over this because quite simply, in one way or another, most people do not live out a true faith. I’m afraid to say that within our churches, and in the ministry, and even within Bible schools and seminaries, there is hardly any of the faith that the Bible teaches, of the faith that makes a person come to obtain the eternal life and reward that God desires to give. There are things that sound like the truth, and that seem to guide towards the way to life, but they are not God’s pure and holy truth. There are many illusions, vanities, likenesses, but in most places, there is no acceptance of God’s truth. Most people, even those that believe that are educated and knowledgeable in the things of God suffer from unbelief, and therefore, will not have eternal life.

But many might say, “How can that be?” Many say they believe, and they confess to have faith, but there are always doubts, and those doubts can be seen in the way they live their lives. What was Israel’s problem in the desert? And we should take this into consideration, especially those of us that say that we are a part of God’s people because Israel was God’s people. We need to remember that faith in Christ adds the gentiles (those that are not of Israel) to the people of Israel, so we need to pay attention to this issue because it matters and affects us directly. Most of the people of Israel always doubted God depending on the circumstances, and if God was pleasing them or not. If things were going the way they wanted, then they glorified God. But if things changed a bit, God was no good for them anymore. And their hearts were always wondering between God and the idols they left behind in Egypt, like the golden calf they made for themselves when they thought that Moses had died. There was no stability in their lives. And this made God grow weary, and God made them wander in the desert for 40 years, a journey that should have supposedly taken only 11 days according to some scholars. Their hardness of heart was such that God made them go round and round until the generation that left Egypt perished, except for Joshua and Caleb.

This same evil continues today, and probably stronger than ever before. There is much doubt, much double mindedness, much unbelief, and God is sought after for convenience rather than because of faith. And even worse, the majority treat God like a servant and they treat themselves as god and lord. That is the grave problem that exists, that God is treated in the manner that they see how it suits them. And of course, the devil takes advantage of this to tempt people, so they don’t believe in God, to plant doubt, to make God seem like He is not worth anything, and that the only thing that matters is that their wishes come true and to live life however they want. This is the temptation that the devil will always try to employ, and this will happen until the day you take your last breath, to leave God, to doubt Him, and to finally not treat Him as Lord. But the Word says this: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:12-17. The devil temps through our own lust and appeals to our evil desires. He doesn’t need to look for anything beyond that. The evil is within us and free will gives us the power to either choose to give into the evil that is within us, or to reason and adopt a true faith in the Lord based on everything that God is and does for us. Ultimately, faith is completely based on the reasoning of man. A person can spiritualize things all they want, but in the end, God made us with reason, and this reason is what interprets the Truth of God and the devil’s lie, and decides what to give in to. This is why there is a judgment. But the Word says: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:7-8. Everything that these verses say are completely based on decision. If a person has any kind of reasoning, and they believe that God is God, they would treat Him as such, and they would do as He says because reason would justify looking for their own good, to be on the side of the most powerful Being in the universe. It is illogical and foolishness to do something else.

And this takes us to our final point. What is faith finally about? It’s about loving God. If we see, understand, and accept God for Who He is and everything He has done and does day after day, but the most important, the eternal life that He gives freely through His Son Jesus Christ, this “should” take us to love God. Love is the only logical manner to correspond to God’s love. Love should produce love, not hatred, or doubt, or selfishness, or obstinance. This is the end that God looks for: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5. If a person really believes in God, they would learn how to love Him, and would ultimately do as He commands, no matter what, because they would understand who He is and what is truly of value: eternity. If God is not loved, and He is not sought after or followed, quite simply, there is no faith, but rather unbelief. So then, do you love the Lord so you can have eternal life, or are you still lost in unbelief, looking to fulfill your own will? Lord bless! John    

Reactions to the Lord - John 9

Based on John 9 (New King James Version)

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, ‘Is not this he who sat and begged?’ Some said, ‘This is he.’ Others said, ‘He is like him.’ He said, ‘I am he.’ Therefore they said to him, ‘How were your eyes opened?’ He answered and said, ‘A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.’ Then they said to him, ‘Where is He?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.’ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, ‘This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.’ Others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?’ And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, ‘What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’ But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered them and said, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.’ His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’ So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, ‘Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.’ He answered and said, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.’ Then they said to him again, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?’ Then they reviled him and said, ‘You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.’ The man answered and said to them, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.’ They answered and said to him, ‘You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?’ And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.’”

Blaise Pascal, a respected mathematician and scientist said this: “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.” The issue of believing or not believing in Christ has really nothing to do with the manifestations of God. Through time, we have seen in history that the Lord manifested Himself in many ways, such as in divine power, in miracles and wonders, in raising and ruining kingdoms, in a still small voice just like consuming fire, in many different divine and undeniable ways. And in more recent history, the Lord also came in human form, in love, with incredible patience and goodness, and with such humility that He even let Himself be sacrificed as a Holy Offering so He could give access to all men to God’s salvation. Despite all of His manifestations, the great majority of people have a severe problem in having a genuine faith in God, and this does not consist in just believing (because many say that they believe), but even worse, in following Him faithfully. So, what is the problem then?

If we see things very objectively, it is not really God’s problem, but rather, it is quite simply man’s problem that they choose to not believe and follow the Lord. Just as we have established, God has manifested Himself in so many different ways that there is no excuse to not be able to believe in Him. It is not a problem of proof, but rather of wills, of wanting to believe. If a person truly wants to follow the Lord, they are able to, and they would have overwhelming reasons in being able to obtain a true faith, just as those great people from before did, like many kings and princes did, just like many priests and prophets from antiquity, just like many other more common people did, uncountable people through time. And of course, we read of everything Christ did while here on earth, and how He conquered death and left an empty tomb and was seen ascend to the heavens to take His rightful place at the right hand of the throne of God. So then, there is conclusive evidence to show that there is only one explanation for everything: God. But man is free to choose what they want to believe, and the great majority do not react to the Lord and His works in faith.

In today’s passage, we see a great audience involved in this miracle, we see this blind man that was healed, his parents, the religious, and of course, the neighbors, the spectators. Each person chose how to react to the Lord. The work was undoubtable, and the miracle irrefutable, but, nonetheless, each one chose either to believe or not believe. The man that was blind chose to believe in the Lord, but after the Lord clarified things for him. The parents of the blind man saw what happened, but there was no acknowledgement, but rather, they feared the religious and chose to honor the desires of men rather than God. And of course, no matter what the Lord would do, the great majority of the religious were determined in killing the Lord. They simply envied the Lord, just as the Word says, and the envy that was eating at them was only going to produce death and destruction. The great majority of people envy God just like the religious do and like Satan does, because they desire to carry out their will, and that everyone support and approve what they do, even God Himself. So then, having said all of this, how do you finally choose to react to the Lord? In envy, or in loving and following Him faithfully as Lord? Lord bless! John

God Can Bring Blessing through Trial - 1 Samuel 30:1-24

Based on 1 Samuel 30:1-24 (New King James Version)

“Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, ‘Please bring the ephod here to me.’ And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?’ And He answered him, ‘Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.’ So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. Then David said to him, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you from?’ And he said, ‘I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.’ And David said to him, ‘Can you take me down to this troop?’ So he said, “’Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.’ And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, ‘This is David’s spoil.’ Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man’s wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.’ But David said, ‘My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.’”

There are few times in this life that certain apparently bad things will happen that will not be our fault directly. I have to clarify because everything adverse and evil and painful that happens is because of the sin of man, whether it be through our actions directly or through other’s actions. And the greatest evil that sins bring cannot be seen in this world as many suppose, but rather, when a person dies in their sins. The greatest consequence for our sins is eternal death, when we have not done what is right before God, by repenting and converting from all sins, and making Jesus our Lord. That has the worse consequence. If a person dies without Jesus as their Lord, not even God can change that result. If a person dies without doing the will of the Father, there is no remedy before God’s eternal judgement.

Nonetheless, there are moments that we have not done something wrong against God, and very difficult and exhausting things might happen, and the Word of God defines this as trial or tribulation. And God teaches that, “…We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22b. No one likes going through trials and tribulations, but these happen like it happened to David and the people that were with him. We don’t see that anyone sinned directly, and so, we can catalogue this evil that happened as a trial (because God sometimes allows for our enemies to come upon us as punishment, because of abandoning Him and committing serious wrongs against God). In the end, nothing happens without God’s will being involved. God does not bring evil directly, but He does allow for them to happen, but everything with a purpose, and in this case (as in every case), to see what people will do.

What do we see in David and in the people? There was a moment of great sadness and pain. And of course, it was very justified for them to think the worst, because all they knew was that their loved ones were no longer there, and that quite possibly, they could have been killed after, or made into slaves, or their women raped, ultimately, any kind of horror that could go through a person’s head when they don’t know what is happening. And David was seeing even worse evils that could happen to him because of this problem. But David did not leave the Lord, but actually quite the contrary, he looked for Him. There were no reproaches made against God. David did not say, “Why did this happen to me?” But rather, David consulted the Lord, and the Word says that he strengthened in the Lord his God. God allows for these things to happen to see what we will do. It sounds cruel, but everything in God has a purpose, as it is written: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. David chose to love God despite the circumstances. And so, God used this apparent great and undeserved evil for good, and God brought about blessing from something bad not only for David, but also for the people. Trial and tribulation are very difficult, but they have their reward if a person chooses to love God, and consults God, and abides faithful to God. We may not see a supposed good here and now, but the greatest good is in eternity, as it is written: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. The trial that will always be in effect in the follower of the Lord is to see if they will abandon their faith because of the circumstances. But only those that resist until the end will receive the crown of life, those that love God. We must love God in the good and the bad so we can receive the greatest blessing: eternal life. So then, will you choose to love God despite the circumstances, and look to do His will? Lord bless! John            

The Sin of Fear - Judges 6:1-10

Based on Judges 6:1-10 (New King James Version)

“Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. Also I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ”

Disobeying God is the worse evil a person could ever do. There is nothing worse that can have such dire consequences than this. It’s one of the easiest things to do, but for different reasons, most people do not obey God. And then many ask, “Why are the things in this world in such bad shape?” Does God allow for so much evil because He likes death, pain, anguish, or confusion? No. It is not God’s will for all of this to be happening. These are all consequences of sin. Lack of obeying God is truly what is most destructive to man.

The people of Israel suffered many times because of disobedience, for not attending or taking into consideration God’s voice and commandment. After this episode, per se, of the disobedience we just read of, there was an event even far worse where God allowed for the nation to be destroyed, and most survivors to be taken captive. God sent prophet after prophet to warn the people of the evil that would come, but they never listened. And they disobeyed so much that they finally surpassed God’s patience. And this is what the Scriptures say that happened consequently: “We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.” Daniel 9:10-12. And what is written in the Law? “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.

Now, we need to ask: “What causes disobedience?” One of the main reasons that provokes disobedience against God is fear, something as simple as that. As we read at the beginning, the people of Israel did what was wrong before the eyes of the Lord because they feared the gods of the Amorites. What is the wrong they did? The people quite simply, to appease the Amorites, they worshipped their gods and committed like that the sin of idolatry, and all because of fear. How many times do people disobey God and all because they fear something or someone more than God? But the Word of God teaches us that we need to fear and love only One above all things: God. If a person fears or loves more someone else, they are committing the sin of idolatry. This is what the Word says: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37-38. Fear (as in being afraid) does not come from God, but rather, it is instilled by the devil. The devil is the one that tries for people to be afraid, and with the main reason being to precisely cause disobedience against God. He is the one that tells you: “If you please God, you will lose your family and loved ones,” or, “your children are not going to love you anymore,” or, “you are going to lose your job or ruin your career,” or “you are going to make a certain person your enemy,” or “people are not going to like you,” etc., etc. These are all examples of what the devil tells you to tempt you to disobey God. What did the devil probably tell Israel when they lived in the land of the Amorites? “If you don’t worship the idols of the Amorites, the Amorites will destroy you.” Does any of this sound familiar? The devil is always talking, and he tries to incite (because he cannot force anyone, because we all have free will) disobedience.

And well, this is what the Word says regarding fear: “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:17-18. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. In the Lord, there is simply no place for fear or cowardness. But unfortunately, we live in a world full of cowards, and this is the reward for the cowardly: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8. The only ones that will please God are those that obey God, and God is the only One worthwhile obeying. There is no eternal life in anyone else. We owe everything to Him. We owe Him our existence, our breathing, and the beating of our hearts, and of course, the way of salvation He has created through His great love, through the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus. We don’t owe nothing or no one as much as we owe God. Therefore, disobedience is an injustice and an insult to the God we owe everything to. There is no one greater or better than God. If you choose to fear more something or someone else, then you will only attain the reward that person or thing can give you. Can the devil give you eternal life? But, if you fear and love God, you will attain what only He can give. It is written: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21. So then, what will you choose to do with your fear? Lord bless! John               

There is no Room for Selfishness - Philippians 1:21 – 2:11

Based on Philippians 1:21 – 2:11 (New King James Version)

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

One of the most promoted messages by the world today is selfishness. Practically everything in the world now tries to inculcate this mindset that a person should just look to make themselves happy, and that they should put their goals, their desires, and why not, even their pleasures before everyone else. We live during an era that selfishness is taught and glorified. And this is what the devil is trying to establish quickly today, so that the world can unanimously tell God in the near future that, “Our will be done and not yours.”

And how can I say that this wave of selfishness is diabolical? Very simple, because the entire Bible, the Word of God, is against selfishness. Every precept in the Scriptures, and of course, God’s intensions are against selfishness. If we see clearly today’s passage, we will see that the main theme is about thinking and even sacrificing oneself for others. Everything is about God and about the neighbor’s welfare. And this should not be surprising because all of the law and the prophets, the perfect will of God, is that we love Him, and that we love our neighbor, 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. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’” Mark 12:29-31. There is no kind of selfishness message here, about fulfilling our carnal will. And this same order is what the devil is trying to destroy by any means necessary, to try to undo what God commands so that his plan can come to fruition; that if it were possible, to be like God. The devil envies God, and he desires to have what God has, and to do as he wishes. This was and will always be the devil’s goal: “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.’” Isaiah 14:13-14. The devil is in direct competition against God. He is God’s opposite, and so, whatever God establishes, he wants to undo. Whatever God creates, he looks to destroy. If God says something, he wants to instill doubt, just as he did with Adam and Eve in paradise: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Genesis 3:1-5. Welcome to today’s world! The devil is working in such a way today that even human beings are doubting their very own nature, and the world applauds and even says that you should be proud of being something different to how you were created. And he promotes all of this on the basis of selfishness, by looking for your own happiness. But the Word teaches this: “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:7-8.

Now then, anyone might ask, “Why is it wrong to look for my happiness? Why can’t I just do whatever I want?” And the problem is that just like everything the devil promotes, that a person instinctively looks for their own harm. By looking to fulfill your own will primarily, and not look to do God’s will, you are determining your own path to death. This is a fact: God is life, and the devil and sin are the way to death, for it is written: “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. So then, everything that supports sin leads straight to death. The Word says this also: “For I have come to ‘seta man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:35-39. Is the will of God truly to cause division? No. Division is caused when people are focused in looking for sin. And for our own good, to be able to find life, we must follow life, we must follow God, no matter what happens here and now. Looking for sin, in pleasure, in vanity, and in self-pleasing, even though it feels good for a moment, will only take you to emptiness and perdition. This whole world and everything in it will pass, and we will all need to give an account before a Holy God, the One who is an example of not being selfish, but rather, the One who considered more a fallen humanity that has sinned against Him willfully. Blessed be God the Father that He did not even hold back giving His Only Begotten Son so that we could have eternal life! So then, will you choose to do your will for your own perdition, or will you look to do the Father’s will Who desires to give you eternal life? Lord bless! John

The Intentions of the Heart - Matthew 6:1-21

Based on Matthew 6:1-21 (New King James Version)

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 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.

There is a line, per se, that connects this entire passage, and that is: motivation, that which generates action. But where does motivation come from? Science tells us that motivation comes from a place in the brain that is called the amygdala. This area is crucial for motivation. And when it is stimulated, it sends a signal to the prefrontal cortex where this information is stored, that which keeps our memories, or also helps us to process information so that we can either respond or ignore. But to be able to see God’s point of view, we need to go deeper. Yes, it is true that the brain has much to do with this, but there is a more exact site that we need to deal with. God talks about the heart of man, and that there is where the motivation we will be talking about comes from, from the intent of the heart.

We will not go into the issue of where is this heart that the Bible speaks of at this point. The Bible uses the term “heart” to be able to describe the main center of a man, what is most intimate in a human being, and there is where motivation or intention comes from. Wherever it is, this is where all of our being rests, where a man’s soul resides. And here is where we will need to differ with science, because human science can only deal with the visible world, with the physical. Science can simply not deal with the heart. Psychiatry tries in a way, and they even use chemicals to alter or correct issues that have to do with the heart, but the great majority of times, it is not possible to deal with invisible things through physical things, or in that case, with chemicals or medications. That’s where science’s limit come into play.

Now then, many times people make the comment that a person should follow their heart to make decisions that go beyond logic. Many say that you need to “feel” things so you can determine certain things in life. But should that really be the compass (per se) we should use to give our life direction? Biblically speaking, it is not a good idea to let ourselves be guided by our heart because our heart is not good (I’m sorry to say because I know that this will offend many, but the truth is the truth). This is what the Word of God says about man’s heart: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Matthew 15:18-19. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9.

Why is our heart like that? What is it that determines it to be evil? And here is where the word “sin” comes in. Many try to put sin in a place where it only means to kill someone, or for things that society deems as evil, but sin involves many things. But if a person says that they believe in the God of the Bible, they should give more credence to what God says is sin, and not what human beings desire to define as good or bad. This is what the Bible says about our sinful nature: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. After Adam and Eve’s fall, every human being after that inherited sin, and this is at the center of our being, of our heart. So then, if you follow your heart as it is, you are allowing yourself to be led by something that will guide you straight to hell, because only sin will guide you, and the wages of sin is death.

So then, what should we do about it? How can we change the intent of the heart? We must understand that this is crucial because on this basis is that God will judge us, as it is written: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. It all starts with acknowledging God’s existence, and looking for this God, for it is also 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. God appeals to our senses and to our reason, to very basic things. And He tries to break our pride through circumstances that can help us see the obvious, that we are empty, limited, fallible beings, and that we quite simply need Him for everything. Look at the universe, both the small and great, and what we are in comparison, and you will realize that we have no control over anything, and that by logic, we should look for this Creator and Almighty Being, because it is the only sensible thing to do. And finally, God changes the heart through repentance and conversion, when a person realizes their sin and their limitations, and make Jesus their Lord. Our heart can never change without complete acknowledgment and repentance from all sin. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is our only solution. So then, do you truly desire for your heart to have divine intentions for eternal life? Lord bless! John             

Following the Doctrine of Christ - 2 John 1

Based on 2 John 1 (New King James Version)

“The Elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.”

In this passage, we read that the Apostle John writes to an elect lady and that she has some children that walk in the truth. It doesn’t say who this lady is, but some think that it may be Mary, the mother of Jesus, and others think that it could be another woman, because John is much older when he writes the letter (it is believed that this epistle was written during his long stay in Ephesus, between 70-100AD). Nonetheless, whether it is Mary or not, it was a woman that not only knew how to walk and abide in the Lord herself, in this doctrine of Christ, but also, she knew how to raise children in this same doctrine. And it should be clear that effective teaching is only possible when there is teaching by example. The “do as I say, not as I do” thing does not work very much, least of all now in the time we are living in. But what is this doctrine of Christ John talking about, and that we need to abide and work on to be able to receive reward?

The first indication that he gives us is that he is talking about a commandment that has to do with love, and that it is necessary to walk in this love. And well, if he mentions it as the “doctrine of Christ”, it must mean that either this is based on the Lord, or that it must follow the way the Lord lived, or also that it could be both points. To define this doctrine, it is necessary to see what the Lord said, and this is what we read in the Scriptures: “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31. So then, it is clear that this is the doctrine of Christ. And as it was established before, the Lord taught this with His own example, because He loved (and still loves) God above all things, and with all of His Holy Being. And also, He loved His neighbor as Himself. The Lord is the perfection of the example that is necessary to follow. We read this: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:9-10. There are many that believe this: “Well, that was the Lord, and no one can be perfect like He is.” And yes, that’s true, but, nonetheless, He is the example, and it is necessary to follow the example in order to please God. There is no other way if a person truly desires to attain God’s salvation. Faith is not about words, but rather, about actions, about demonstrating to both God and man of being capable of following this doctrine of Christ. True faith has works, fruits that demonstrate a true and real faith.

For example, this is what the Word teaches: “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:17-19. When a person truly loves God, they don’t fear anything, because they know they are doing His will, and whatever happens, they know that they are safe in His hands. They don’t even fear death, because they know that the fruit of their life in Christ will render for them eternal life in the future. And how can a person know this? It is written: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21. The person that loves the Lord and that follows His lead will be able to know God exists because God will manifest Himself to them.

Now then, how can we live out the doctrine of Christ? We read this: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” Colossians 3:18-25. There are people that think that they need to abandon everything, and not have anything, but that is not necessarily God’s will. Each person has their own path with the Lord, and that’s why it is necessary to follow the Lord as the Lord, and for Him to say what needs to be done. But the foundation that must exist for everything to count towards eternity, is that the Lord needs to be the reason for our existence, because we love Him. That must be the root for everything in our life. If I love my loved ones, it’s because I want to please Him. If I do my job well, or embark in anything in my life, it’s because I do it for Him. If God is not the reason for why we do everything in our life, even though it may be something “good” per se, it will not count for God. What matters most is the reason or the why of the work, as it is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. Our love for God should be the foundation of everything and for everything in our life, without exceptions. So then, are you following the doctrine of Christ so that you can have eternal life? Lord bless! John          

The Reason for Why We Struggle - 2 Timothy 1:1-12

Based on 2 Timothy 1:1-12 (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.”

I think we can all agree that this life is not easy. And this life has never been easy. Ever since man fell into sin, the world has been harsh. There are difficulties and complex situations in all things. And now, with all the more reason, thanks to COVID, everything is even more difficult. This COVID issue has made an already hard life even more difficult and complicated. And of course, the most difficult thing, that if there were diseases to worry about, now one more has been added that has taken the lives of many people. So far, it is estimated that more than 6.58 million people have died worldwide thanks to this new pandemic. In the US alone, more than 1 million people have died. To put it in perspective, the total estimated loss of life from the Vietnam War during the years 1954-1975 was 3,595,000, and this includes the loss of soldiers from all the countries involved, civilians, and where the war took place, in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. A war of almost 20 years had fewer deaths than an epidemic that has not yet been in existence for 3 years. I hope this is really ending.

This life has become even more difficult than it was, and for many reasons, not just because of COVID. It's a fight. As much as we think that we now have many breakthroughs and new technology, it seems that things are getting even more difficult. Within all the difficult, today we face economic struggles, health struggles, personal and intimate life struggles where you can no longer trust almost anyone, because at the moment you least expect, everything can change in a relationship. There are parents who mistreat and even torture and kill their own children, and also children who do unthinkable things with their parents. There are people who take the lives of others in violent attacks, assaults in schools, in stores, in churches, and in other less unexpected places. And what about marriages? The only reason I think the divorce rate has remained constant at about 50% is because there is a larger group that has embraced the norm of living together, and those statistics are harder to quantify. But I am very sure that if the statistics of marriages with those who live as couples are put together, the numbers of failures would be even higher. And of course, there are wars and conflicts, violence and crime, shortages, plagues. In short, the list is endless, and the Bible warns us that things will get even worse, until the end of humanity. There is no good news for this world.

And after that? If we have any kind of reasoning, we should understand that this world will pass one day (thank God). Everything we see, the physical, the material, nothing will be left, even you and me. From the dust we came from and to dust we will return, just as God said. All of this that we mention of course has a reason, and it has everything to do with the passage that we read today. Every human being fights for different things, for good things, and for not good things. But, everything requires effort, and everything that a person undertakes involves sacrifice. Every action has consequences, depending on what it is. And of course, if you fight for the temporary, the reward will also be temporary. But Paul mentions something very important, that he suffers, but for something, and he is not ashamed of what he suffers for, because he is convinced of something, he is sure of receiving something further, a deposit for that day. What day is he talking about? He is talking about the day that every human being must always take into account, the day of judgment. And this is what the Word says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. This day is believed to either be very far away, or that there will be no such judgment. And incredibly enough, as part of new teachings and doctrines, it is believed that Christians will not be held accountable for our actions, but that is not what the Bible teaches. This is what the Scriptures say: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. And so, the only thing that saves man is doing the will of God, beginning with true repentance and conversion from all sin, and making Jesus the literal Lord of our lives. And in this way, precisely to live this life as the Lord commands, doing the will of the Father. Otherwise, everything one does is wrong, even those things that are seen as good. How can that be? The root of everything, the reason for which we must fight, what God ultimately protects and keeps for us is obtained only by fulfilling this through the Lord Jesus Christ: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” Deuteronomy 6:4-6. This is the culmination of the issue, and the reason for why Paul legitimately struggled: “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 14:7-9. If we fight for anything in this life, the reason why absolutely everything must be done must be because we love the Lord and because we are convinced that we are doing His will. Otherwise, if anything is done seeking to fulfill our own will, we will only have hell as our reward in the end. Because this also the Word says: “The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” 1 Corinthians 16:21-22. So then, what is the true reason for your struggle? Lord bless! John

Intimacy with the Wrong People - Nehemiah 13:1-14, 23-31

Based on Nehemiah 13:1-14, 23-31 (New King James Version)

“On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel. Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. So I contended with the rulers, and said, ‘Why is the house of God forsaken?’ And I gathered them together and set them in their place. Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!...” “…In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, ‘You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?’ And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!”

One of the greatest problems in our Christian communities today, what has brought the greatest decadence (apart from the falling away and the love of money of the so-called servants of God) within the people of God is the union with the forbidden. This was a problem for Israel which caused their destruction in times past, and it is also now for the universal church that has been corrupted. And this evil is causing such a problem that not even the world can tell the difference between what is or is not God’s in God’s people. There is practically no difference with the world and that’s why not many people come to Christ. There may be churches that are growing and increasing, but either because people are being entertained, or because they preach to them things that are convenient, but not necessarily because they are truly converting to the Lord.

Many think that this issue of being “unequally yoked” as the Apostle Paul refers to it only has to do with marriage. And yes, a disciple of the Lord principally should not join themselves with an unbeliever, but this issue involves any kind of intimacy, with any kind of union, like friendships, business partnerships, all relationships that have some form of personal intimacy. The Word “yoke” implies a connection, a dependence, something beyond. This is what the Lord says: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God…’” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16a.

Nehemiah mentions the evil that Solomon did, as it was left written: “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.’” 1 Kings 11:1-11. And so, if Solomon fell with all of his wisdom, what will happen with us?

This is what the Word finally says: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4. So then, what kind of intimate relationships should we form? Use this as a basis, including for yourself: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. The only people that will enter the Kingdom of God are those that truly love and fear God, those that look to live according to His will. This should be our personal goal, and the basis for our intimate relationships. So then, do you love and fear God, and do you create intimacy with people with the same mind? Lord bless! John

Worry About What Really Matters - Luke 12:13-34

Based on Luke 12:13-34 (New King James Version)

“Then one from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But He said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’ And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’ Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ ‘So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Then He said to His disciples, ‘Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? ‘And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. ‘Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Is it wrong to have wealth? Is it bad to worry about things that are necessary for the body? Are there limits we should keep in mind? Seeing the context of the Word, we should be able to understand that the Lord is not condemning having what is necessary, because if it were so, then the Father would not provide such a thing, because nothing bad comes from the hand of God. What is necessary is necessary, and God is the One that will provide it. So then, what is the issue that the Lord is dealing with here?

For starters, we see here that there is an argument with an inheritance, and an inheritance is not something necessary. In other words, it is not revenue that you count on, otherwise, a person would need to depend on the deaths of much family, and often. So then, it can be concluded that an inheritance is an unexpected wealth that is received, economically speaking (although there are people that are so evil that they wait anxiously for what they can get when a person dies, like vultures rounding their prey right before dying, and that is the problem). That is why the Lord first warns against covetousness, because He knows that good intentions are not behind this argument for the inheritance. Remember that He was (and is) God, and God knows everything, even the deepest things within man. There is nothing hidden from Him. And the Lord continues dealing with this issue of covetousness with the parable of a man that wanted to store even more for later, and that he was not considering that he could die at any moment, and that all of his effort would be lost in the future.

So then, is it wrong to worry about needs? The issue is that our focus should not be on the things of this world. Of course, we need to work, and be responsible. Furthermore, it is part of our testimony as Christians to be responsible people, and the Lord even taught that we should pay taxes, and that we need to give Caesar what is Caesar’s, but also, and even more importantly, give God what is God’s. And there is the issue. We need to work. We need to keep track of what is necessary. We need to be responsible with everything in our life, but never at the risk of giving more importance to the temporary than to what really matters, what belongs to God. Nothing in this temporary world or what is material should consume us nor monopolize our thoughts. As the Word says: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12. From the moment that something outside of God governs our thoughts, and takes priority over everything, it has become an idol, and idolatry is sin. And one of the things we must be most careful with is greed, and turning greed into idolatry, because both, especially when combined, are a path that leads directly to perdition. The Word says this for example: “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. Do not eat the bread of a miser, nor desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, and waste your pleasant words.” Proverbs 23:4-8. When greed turns into idolatry, there are two very destructive things for the soul that happen: the fear of God is lost, and there is so much trust in the illusionary that people do whatever is necessary to gain what they desire. All limits are gone.

So, what should we do as believers? This is God’s counsel: “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. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.” 1 Timothy 6:6-14. And this is what should matter to us, what is most important because our future depends on this: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear 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. We will all need to give an account, without exception. Do not let yourselves be deceived by doctrines that deny divine responsibility, by doctrines that put God’s grace as a license to sin. God cares a lot about what His people do. Therefore, this is what you should really be concerned with above all things: “Will I be truly pleasing to the Lord when He judges me? Lord bless! John

The Knowledge of His Will - Colossians 1:9-18

Based on Colossians 1:9-18 (New King James Version)

“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.”

What does salvation in Christ consist of? Does it just consist of believing in Christ and nothing more? Should there be something more than just a simple prayer confessing a faith? Does salvation have more purpose than just escaping hell and getting into heaven? My hope in Christ is that there are many people asking themselves these questions, but it seems like very simple answers are looked for and accepted. We live in an era where egocentrism and selfishness rule. The great majority of people only look for what is temporarily convenient. And if they are given answers that align with that, then they are content. The majority are satisfied with things that in the end align with their goals.

The first thing we could say is that there is nothing wrong with asking God genuine questions. But the issue is that worthwhile questions are what should be made. And for this to happen, a person needs to take their focus away from themselves and open up to a much larger view. The reality of the universe does not consist of what we are going to eat today, or the shoes I’m going to buy in a few days, or whether I’m going to get married or not, or if interest rates will rise or fall, or who will be the next head of state, etc. To be able to make worthwhile questions to God, the focus should not be on the superficial, or on vanity, or on this passing world, because absolutely everything we see will one day go away. Money, power, fame, comfort, and even our personal relationships will end someday. All of this physical and visible world will cease to exist for you and me, as well as for all humanity. Our eyes may not see it, but all of this will end someday. And if that is true, should we then worry about it so much? It’s not that it doesn’t matter, because it affects us, but should our attention be so focused on all of this? And the answer should be, no. This is what the Word says, which should help us focus on what really matters: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” Matthew 16:25-27.

Let’s see for a moment the Apostle Paul’s focus. The Word says: …that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…” So then, what can we see here? From the moment that he is talking about the spiritual, he is no longer dealing directly with the physical or carnal, but rather, with another kingdom, another dominion, and of course, something that affects the here and now also. In other words, to be able to deal with the here and now, and in such a way that it aligns with the future, he is focusing on the beyond, on the permanent. The invisible and spiritual world is immovable. The immovable should always be put first so that we can then know how to deal with the temporary, and never the other way around. If a person is always focused on what is carnal and temporary, they will never understand, or worse, or get right the eternal. They will always err, and remember that the meaning of “sin” is to “err”. This is the problem with sin, the issue of not understanding, or less, doing those things that are completely right with God. If there is error or sin, then quite simply, they have not hit the target, the center of everything. That is why the Holy Spirit through Paul guides us to make the spiritual the most important, so that we don’t sin, so that we get things precisely right. The things of God have an incredible exactitude. They are not as general as some make them out to be. For example, this issue that all beliefs take us to the same God is absurd. If that were true, then there would be a crazy and schizophrenic god. It can’t be the same god that tells one group to love their neighbor, and to love their enemies, and tell another group to kill the infidels. And also, that the same god tell you that there is one eternal life after all of this, and for the same god to tell someone else that lives are recycled, and that a person lives many lives, and the only thing that changes is the form between one life and another. There must be some common sense employed, although unfortunately, common sense is not very common today. Sadly, I see that that the more “intelligent” and “evolved” our civilization thinks it is, the more foolish and decadent it becomes, by destroying its own nature.

Now then, let’s see the questions made at the beginning. Salvation consists of many other things, but it has only one focus. We know through the Scriptures that there must be first complete repentance from all sin, and a conversion without any reservations to the Lord. That should come before a person asks the Lord to come into their heart. And there is something very practical in this. In order to legitimately start over in Christ, everything should be left behind, there should be a turning way from everything that caused spiritual death in a person, for the wages of sin is death. And also, the other practical side to this is that for Christ to come in and reign as Lord in a life, there must be a complete surrender, and that can only happen when there is true repentance and conversion from all sins. And second, there should be this faith that accepts Jesus, not just as Savior, but more importantly, as Lord, because a savior only gives you a service, per se, but the Lord guides you to what you must do, and where you need to go. All of this is very practical when it is understood. And this new birth is just the beginning. Salvation does not consist only of a beginning, but also, of a continuance, an eternal path without end. And there are many things that need to occur on a journey like that. There is a lot to be done, and for all eternity. That’s why we are taught in this passage that we must be filled with all knowledge of His will, so that we can walk as is worthy of the Lord, and not just here and now, but for all eternity. And what should be precise in all of this? That the beginning, the present, and the end is Christ. We need to think about Who we belong to and Who we should serve. A person will never get to anything eternal if they are only thinking about themselves, and about fulfilling their own will, instead of having their eyes put on Christ, and looking to comprehend, to understand, but above all, to do His will. So then, are you looking to fill yourself with His knowledge so that you can do things that are worthy of Him, for your own good, and for His glory? Lord bless! John

Stay Away from Bad Influences - Numbers 31:1-18

Based on Numbers 31:1-18 (New King James Version)

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.’ So Moses spoke to the people, saying, ‘Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian. A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.’ So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword. And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast. Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. And Moses said to them: ‘Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.’”

To be able to understand this passage better, we need to understand what happened, although we are given a glimpse of the problem. The issue that happened was that many of Israel developed relationships with these Midianites that they encountered on the way to the promised land, a people that were dedicated to paganism, to Baal worship, basically a personification of Satan himself. And when Israel intermixed and even married their women, God’s wrath came upon Israel, and many died because of His punishment. The worse problem with this relationship with the Midianites was that not only were they dedicated to Baal worship, but they tried to influence and even convert Israel against their God. They tried to conquer Israel in a very subtle and calculating manner to destroy them as a nation, by trying to make them abandon God, and convert them to becoming like them, in the end, converting them into becoming Midianites instead of retaining their identity as Israel and remain being the people of God on the earth. If they would have accomplished that, the world would not have had any kind of hope, and there would have been complete spiritual darkness over all human civilization. They were a terrible influence, of the worse kind. That was the problem that God had with them, and the reason for why He was so inflexible in His direction to destroying them.

Unfortunately, this issue of the devil trying to use people with bad intentions to take believers away from way of the Lord still remains today, and worse than ever. We know that the world is the world, and that it is directly opposed to God, as it has always been. But now the big problem is that much of that world is trying to conquer God’s people, so that they abandon the Lord, and like that, establish a completely evil reign over the planet. That has always been Satan’s plan, but now, it’s worse than ever. And to our disgrace, Satan is fully immersed in our churches and in ministries, because of that evil and subtle influence that he employs. God’s people are falling today precisely because of this evil, for developing relationships with the forbidden, by forming an intimacy with that which goes completely against God. That’s why you need to be careful with who you deal with.

The Word is very clear with this issue of forming relationships with people that have no attraction for the Lord. For it says like this: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:14-15. Quite simply, we cannot unite with people that want nothing to do with the Lord. In other words, there are differences between people that are in the world, those that are neutrally foreign to God because they have never heard of the Lord, and those that know about God and refuse to believe in Him and in His Christ. This is the ugly truth, but also the difference within that ugly truth, that the whole world is under Satan’s dominion, but there is a difference between those that don’t know the truth at all and those that refuse to accept the Truth, having known it in some way, and I say in “some way” because the majority of the world does know Who God is and that Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son, but refuse to accept Him.

Now then, how should we conduct ourselves, those of us that truly know the Lord? We are still under the dispensation of God’s grace, so then, we shouldn’t kill anyone, just in case. This is what the Word says: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” Jude 1:20-23. We need to give people an opportunity, so that they know the Lord, but not by forming an intimate relationship with them, because the Word also says this: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4. “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them.” Jeremiah 15:19. That is why we see in the key passage that the Lord gave an order to leave alone the girls and boys in this occasion, because they were redeemable, because they could be taught in the ways of the Lord. And we also see this: “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.” Matthew 19:13-15. Within all of the evil and rebellion against the Lord, there can always be a childlike person that can listen to and accept the Truth of Christ. But otherwise, it is good to depart from everyone that can be a bad influence. So then, are you a good influence for the world, or are you allowing yourself to be drawn away by its evil influence? Lord bless! John

The Faithful in the Lord - 2 Timothy 4:6-22

Based on 2 Timothy 4:6-22 (New King James Version)

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”

We see in the passage that the Apostle Paul lived through loneliness both in the ministry and personally as he got closer to the end. And we see that he points out people that were with him before that are no longer with him, and that they have not abided faithfully. But we see that he highlights something, pointing out the reason for why they abandoned him. He relates the love for the world as the reason for why they abandoned him.

To start explaining, and especially as it relates to our times (because the Word is always applicable to the present), today more than ever we see a universal cooling that is happening within the church in general. There might be things that seem like care or concern for people, but unfortunately, we know that it is not so. Our churches have become more a place for social gatherings or circles where people meet each other because they have a personal or secular affinity, or even a business interest rather than a spiritual relationship as the Lord commands. Many times, visitors can come in, people looking for help, and they usually go completely unnoticed because people in church are more worried about their own things. Sadly, I have to say this because we sometimes need to go to different places, and when people don’t know us right away, there isn’t even a greeting. I think to myself: “If they do this to me, how much more indifference or even rejection will a stranger or even a visibly poor person will experience? But, unfortunately the following that we see written is being fulfilled in general in the church: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. This is what is happening within many of our churches today, and even worse, within the ministry. Disgracefully, that is where all the evil comes from.

Why does this happen? We know that the Word must be fulfilled, but each person chooses on what side of the fulfillment they are on. The major problem that the apostle points out is precisely the love for the world. There is an environment where the focus of the church is more of wellbeing in and relationship with the world than doing the Father’s will. People preach more about the things of the world, and how to fit in the world than seeing what God’s will is. The prayer of the Lord Himself has been changed, where instead of saying: “…Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” this is today’s attitude, “Your kingdom not come, and You do our will here on earth and in heaven.” It sounds horrible, but that is what is clearly visible. And why does this happen? Because the so-called church wants to be friends with the world rather than friends with God. And this is what the Word says about this: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4.

Now then, maybe a person might ask, “How should we live in the world?” What should stop is being lukewarm, or in other words, this issue of trying to get along with God and with the world (or the devil). One of the greatest violations that go against the Gospel is this doctrine that teaches that repentance is no longer required, and that a person just needs to believe in Christ, and that’s what saves them. When a person comes to Christ, there must be a complete repentance and conversion from all sins. If that doesn’t happen, there is no salvation. That was what John the Baptist’s ministry was all about, and what prepares the way of the Lord. But without that preparation, without that conversion, it is impossible for Christ to come in. But, since that is allowed and even taught (to attract the masses), then there are no converts. The world comes into the church, and of course, it starts to reign in the church. Quite simply, a religion is adopted rather than a reality in Christ. And this is what the Word says: “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?” 1 Corinthians 5:9-12. The problem is when the church admits, accepts, and even supports sin. The world is the world, and if they don’t know the Truth, then we need to give them the opportunity to know Christ. But the person that confesses being of the Lord must leave the world behind. And if they don’t leave it behind, then the church needs to help them make a decision, for them to either finish converting or to leave, but to make a decision. In the same manner, if so-called believers want to have intimate relationships with the world, then they should go to the world if that is the intimacy they prefer. But this lukewarmness and this intimacy with the world is what contaminates the church, and of course, that is where the unfaithfulness to God and to those who truly serve will be seen. That is why the Word itself says: “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. This is God’s will: “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them.” Jeremiah 15:19. This is what determines salvation: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So then, do you love the world, or do you love God? Lord bless! John

Worry About Yourself - Romans 9:6-29

Based on Romans 9:6-29 (New King James Version)

“But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called.’ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: ‘At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As He says also in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.’ ‘And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.’ Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.’ And as Isaiah said before: ‘Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.’”

One of the most important principles that we should understand for our own good is God’s sovereignty. God is supremely sovereign. There is nothing or no one higher, nor more powerful than God. And therefore, nothing or no one can command Him, and far less, judge Him. It is impossible. Unlike our temporary and insignificant world, there is no such thing as democracy in the universe. God was not elected. God is not ruled neither by a people, nor by a senate, nor by a parliament, nor anything like that. God has always been, is, and will always be forever and ever, amen. He is the I AM. And this is the principal theme of this passage, as is practically all His Word in its fulness. It’s all about Him because He is the Supreme of all the universe. It’s simply an irrefutable and unavoidable fact. Everything starts with Him and ends with Him.

Now then, does this passage favor such a thing as predestination, and that everything is predetermined for every human being? If it is taken on its own, of course, but God did not compose His Word so that it can be defined by a few verses. God inspired through the Holy Spirit another 65 books, and much more information (per se) within this same book of Romans. Therefore, for something to be taken as truth, it needs to be compared to the rest of the Word, but not with the goal to find a contradiction, but rather, with having an open feeling through the Holy Spirit to be able to understand the entire issue. A few verses should never be taken to create a whole doctrine out of them because that is where precisely the error starts, and God is not the One that creates contradiction; but rather man. This goes hand in hand with God’s sovereignty. It is not God that needs to accommodate to man, but rather, man needs to accommodate to God, therefore, man needs to put forth the effort to see God’s Truth in its fulness through the Scriptures. We need to always, always, always, bear in mind “Who” things are about. And so, if a person wants to have an encounter with God and come to understand His Truth, it is necessary to have the correct disposition.  

Apart from God’s sovereignty, what is the other important issue that is being exposed? That there are certain people that God may have potentially predisposed for wrath? No. What the Word exposes here is God’s mercy, and how God dispenses His grace. And finally, that everything is personal. As we established, God owes no one anything. But, despite that, He under His own will chooses to have mercy, and here we see His great goodness. It is very probable that both the people that received this epistle to start, and all of the time after that up to us that are reading it today, are enjoying God’s mercy, because through this and through so many other things, He is giving us the opportunity to be exposed to His Truth and to be able to understand it. And that is what should matter to you and to me. Whether there may have been others predisposed or predestined for perdition or not, that is their affair. The only thing that should matter to you and me is that God is looking upon us with mercy at this very instant.

Your salvation depends on your personal decision. This same example we see in the Word: “Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, ‘Lord, who is the one who betrays You?’ Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, ‘But Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.’” John 21:20-22. “Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’” Luke 13:23-25. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So, what matters is what you do with the opportunity He is giving you. Your way is not predetermined. He is giving you a choice, and He says for you to strive to enter, and to do the Father’s will. The Word says this: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8. Your decision and determination are what will dictate your eternal future. When each of us stand individually before God’s throne, other people will not matter to us. I can assure you of that. Therefore, be wise and worry about yourself, and make sure that you are justified before God, but not based on your own opinion, or by what you prefer to believe, but rather, by what God truly says in all of His Word. God is sovereign and He is not going to judge you based on your opinion. So then, are you truly doing the will of the Father? Lord bless! John

God’s Judgment is Coming - Jeremiah 15:1-9

Based on Jeremiah 15:1-9 (New King James Version)

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth. And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.’ ’ ‘And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,’ says the Lord: ‘the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. ‘For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing? You have forsaken Me,’ says the Lord, ‘You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting! And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, since they do not return from their ways. Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, a plunderer at noonday; I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly. ‘She languishes who has borne seven; she has breathed her last; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded. And the remnant of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies,’ says the Lord.”

Today’s message is not easy to accept, but at the same time, because the problem that the Lord has is not easy to accept either. Many that prophesy or preach and teach lies promise peace, and prosperity, and that everything will be fine, but that is not true. They are not speaking on God’s behalf, but rather, they are trying to please people. And for what? For their own gain. And some might say, “That is the problem that there is, that there are many charlatans and liars in the ministry, and that’s why we are where we are. And yes, it’s true, but they are not the only ones. If it were like that, then the masses wouldn’t follow them. And also, there are many that think that they are fine, and that they fear the God. But is that really the case? Are the people that follow lies and fables not as evil as those that preach lies and fables, just like those that think that are fine, but they are only looking to do their own will? Is there true faith on the earth, or are there things that seem like they are good? That is the problem, and there is nothing that can be hidden from the Lord’s eyes, and that’s why we are where we are. And even more, everything will get worse because things are quickly worsening. There isn’t a true turning to God, but quite the contrary, and that attitude is what makes God’s judgment come faster.

What is the problem that exists today? The majority despise God. But the grave problem is that they despise Him knowing Who He is and what He has done. There is no lack of knowledge of the Most High and of what He did through His Christ for all humanity. The majority know that God exists, and they know the meaning of the cross. So then, there is no desire to look to believe in Him or to fear Him. It’s either a conscious lack of respect or hatred. And that is what brings about His judgment. But there will be some supposed believers that will say, “God is good, and He will not allow such judgment, because He is love.” And unfortunately, that too is a lie. The Word of God says that He is slow to anger and great in mercy, but that doesn’t mean that His wrath will never come. And you can’t fool God, because those same people that speak of such love say this for their own convenience, because they want for God to justify their sin and to accept them with their abominations. The Word says this: “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’ ‘Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit’; ‘the poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” Romans 3:10-18. The Lord also says this: “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence?’ says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ ‘You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?’ says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 1:6-8.

The issue that exists today is that despite people knowing who God and His Christ are, instead of looking for Him and with legitimate reasons, the majority only want to do their will, whether it be despising God, or looking to use Him. He is not acknowledged for Who He is, and far less, they don’t look to do His will. The majority think that the purpose of their life is to just do whatever they want. Almost every human being, whether unbeliever o even the supposed believer, says in their heart: “My will be done, and not yours God.” That’s what they show with everything they do and think. And God did not make us with that purpose. Whether we want to accept it or not, God created us for Him, and not for ourselves. And until a person does not come to understand that they will never see life. This is what the Lord says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. So then, while a person does not look to do the Father’s will, and that this dictates the course of their life, they are still on a way to death. The Word also says this: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7-9. This is an unbreakable spiritual law. So then, it is not just God’s punishment, but also, it is part of a natural consequence in the universe. There is no life outside of God and His will.

So then, what does produce life, and will help me avoid God’s judgement? “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’” Mark 12:29-31. And in loving God, there is no looking for your own convenience, but rather, love is unselfish. So then, will you come to love God as you should so you can escape the coming judgment? Lord bless! John