A Living Faith - Exodus 20:1-17

Based on Exodus 20:1-17 (New King James Version)

“And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth  generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him  guiltless who takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in  six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.’”

What is a living faith? Many have turned God’s things into something that is not God’s will. Many have converted what is His into a system of rules that go way beyond what the Bible teaches, turning things into regulations and standards. Others have done the opposite, and have made things into something so liberal that they teach you to just live your life any way you want because God loves you, and He is going to forgive everything, and like that, they incite you to abuse God’s grace. And there are others that center everything on a church, and that the all of a Christian is to be in church and do religious things. I think that what the majority have in common is that you should always tithe and give offerings, because when it comes to money, all of the above ask for it in some way, either soft or subtly, or directly. It’s not that tithing, and offerings are bad, but each one of us are able to see if something is used legitimately for good or for other things (logic helps a lot here). The issue is that a living faith consists of fulfilling and living the Word of God. But let’s explore a bit more to be able to understand better.

The first thing we understand is that everything is based on the Word of God because the Lord Himself said this, as it is written: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17. So then, if the Lord Himself did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, then we should not do it either. The Word of God exists so that it can be fulfilled all around us and within us. But it is necessary to understand it so we can fulfill it, and here is where many don’t get it right. The issue is that faith in Christ needs to come in first so that you can understand and do what He wants you to do, because then, what would be the reason for doing things? The Lord always has to be the reason for why we do things, in one way or another, or else, all is in vain.

But, in the end, this is what the Word of God teaches regarding faith and works (because a living faith can be seen through works): “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:14-26. The Ten Commandments (what we read today) have two directions: the first set of commandments consist of our relationship with God, and the ones that come after have to do with how we treat our neighbor. That’s why the Lord explained things even more simply when He said: “…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. All of the law and the prophets consist of what the Lord said, and the New Testament is simply the work and the fulfillment of the Word of God through Christ’s universal church. That is the reason for why the Gospel has been spread throughout the whole world, because it is about fulfilling what God wants: sharing the Gospel with every person. That was the Apostle’s motivation, and the motivation of those of us that follow after. And all of this is action, not just talk. We have what we have today because of those faithful people of God, people that had a living faith, that dedicated themselves to spreading the Word of God and helping their neighbor, and it cost them hard work, and sacrifice, and their own lives.

So then, you need to live faith. It is necessary to do those things that please God. All of those that teach that works do not matter usually cling on to the following passage, but magically forget the verse that follows: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. The Word of God also teaches 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. 

So, if you are convinced that Christ has saved and redeemed you, do you then have a living faith? Lord bless! John

The Problem with Unbelief - Matthew 13:53-58

Based on Matthew 13:53-58 (New King James Version)

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Unbelief is the most destructive of all sins because it is the one that simply does not allow for you to believe in God, neither in who He is, nor in what He is capable of doing. Complete unbelief is what takes a person to eternal perdition. And if there is a measure of unbelief in a person, at least not total unbelief (because there are levels of unbelief), it will affect negatively those areas that are linked to the unbelief (if you believe that God is only good for certain things). Faith is everything to every human being. Without faith, you cannot get to anything of value, especially to the great things of God. For it is written: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

Today, many people see God as a legend, or as part of a children’s story. When you talk about God, it’s like talking about a cartoon character, or something similar, but only that He is something that is older and that He was invented by a church institution so that they could be able to control the ignorant masses. Those of us that believe in God are seen as people without education, people that are extremely limited, or simple and even superstitious people. In the end, faith in God does not have much value in today’s “developed” world. Today, just as before, people believe more in the power of the material, in money, in people, in science and technology, and in other similar things. Those things have much more value than anything related to faith in God. And well, each person is free to choose to believe or not believe. But, like we have said many times, absolutely everything has consequences, and if you don’t see the consequences here and now, you will see them in the future, because ladies and gentlemen, the truth is that every human being shall die, and every human being will stand before the Great and Eternal Throne of God, whether they want to believe it or not. And when they are there, they will remember words like these, either for good or for bad, depending on what they decide to do with the Word of God, because God’s Word does not come back empty handed. The Word of God is fulfilled exactly, because either you believe in Him and you receive His salvation and the blessings that come with that salvation, or you don’t believe in Him and you lose the opportunity for salvation and all the blessings that come with that salvation. The Word of God is fulfilled either for blessing or for curse. As it is written: “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; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20.

The issue is that there are greater things that talk about God, things that are taken for granted because they are so great and immovable, such things that should not be ignored, because they are simply too great and are completely out of our control, those that proclaim God’s greatness, those that should at least cause some sort of curiosity for the Omnipotent God. As it is written: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20. This planet and all of the universe was created by God. It was not an accident or an explosion like many scientists affirm. Furthermore, the truth is that we have no control upon this planet, neither on the stars, and not even on this planet’s gravity. All of that exists and remains not by human hand, neither by money, neither by science or technology, nor by anything that many choose to believe in. We don’t even have anything to do with the beating of our hearts, but rather, it is something completely involuntary. You live and breathe because of something, or rather, because Someone allows for it to happen. And that is God, whether you want to believe it or not.

Now then, one of the things that affirms that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, that He is God, is prophecy. Isaiah wrote the following over 700 years before it was fulfilled in the Lord’s life, which reveals that not only Jesus is the Messiah, but also the greatest act of love that not anyone could fulfill, as it is written: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53. And this Jesus does not change, for it is also written: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.

And so, the issue then becomes simpler, and it involves a simple decision: “Do you believe that Jesus is God or not?” If you believe in Him as God, you will attain eternal life and see the glory of God, but if not, the opposite will become your reality. Lord bless! John

Running a Race Worth Running - Hebrews 12:1-4

Based on Hebrews 12:1-4 (New King James Version)

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him  endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” 

There are different types of races in life, per se. For example, many people live the experience of long university studies, those that go beyond graduating from high school, or the studies that precede the university. In other words, there are careers that take more than four or five years of university study, like if a person decides to study for a master’s or a doctorate. In the career of medicine, after finishing studies to get a doctorate in general medicine, some continue studying a specialty, like cardiology, pediatrics, etc. And after all of this preparation that consists of more years of study (and more money), and of practice, a person finally gets their specialty. Nonetheless, after finishing a specialty, with practice and everything, in reality, this is only but the precursor to the career, because then follows the work and continued studies, year after year, to be able to stay current with scientific advancement and even to be able to retain a license. So then, there are people that never finish studying.

Other people have different challenges that can involve other capacities, like, for example, raising children. When a child is born, it is only the physical beginning, but in reality, to be a good father or mother, the preparation should start much sooner than before having children, like when a person is a teenager. The reason is that their upbringing may determine the way they will raise their own children (not always, but many times). So then, the responsibility starts much sooner than when a child is born. And well, after birth, then there is the responsibility of raising them, in providing for, teaching, and of course, loving a child. After a child matures, the struggle doesn’t stop there. The work of a parent, in particular, a parent that follows Biblical principles continues until God says so. This does not mean that a father or mother needs to continue supporting their kids, or carrying their responsibilities, because that is wrong, and that is seen very much nowadays, where grandparents raise grandchildren as opposed to just caring, instead of the children raising their own children, and that the parents are the ones that face the irresponsibility of their children, and so, they end up spoiling their kids. The work of a parent consists of praying for their children, giving advice, setting an example, admonishing, and helping when necessary. That is the work that should never end, because that work should transcend the generations, where not only their children experience it, but also, their grandchildren, and other generations, if they get the chance. That is a long race also.

In the end, whether it is a university career or a career in raising children, and all other examples, all of them consist of a lot of work, something that is not done in just a few days, but rather, it consists of decades, and an entire life’s work. They are things with long trajectories, and that deal with life’s occurrences, whether it rains, or snows, or if tragedies or accidents occur, whether there is money or not, etc. No matter what happens, a person always must fight for something in life, even to survive. Because we don’t just eat for a few years, and then stop eating all of sudden, right? We have to eat daily, and eat balanced (if possible), so we can have a good health. We must get dressed daily. We need a place to take shelter from the elements, at least, when we sleep. Everything in this life requires a lot of work. Everything in this life is a race, or rather, there are many types of races within the life of a person.

But Paul is referring or is trying to help us focus on a particular race, on one that is different to all others. To deepen even more on the matter, so we can understand, it is necessary to use the measure of time to be able to see the value of the different races. This doesn’t mean that the others are not important or worthy, and that we should not run them (per se). Nonetheless, which one is the most important one? Let’s see, for example, a career or a job, that when we lose our abilities, whether it is by virtue of time or another unexpected reason, they can no longer be practiced. The career of a surgeon ends when their hands lose their ability, or when their eyesight is affected. They cannot operate any longer. The career of an athlete is limited to even less years because in order to compete or participate, they need to maintain a very high level of health and vitality. So then, accidents or an excess in injuries end the career of an athlete. If we see something even more difficult and painful, like if a father or mother loses their child because something went terribly wrong, their work with that child sadly ended at that very moment, because there is nothing more that can be done. When life ends, everything changes. And that is what Paul is trying to help us to keep in mind, the race that can take us beyond the physical limits, beyond the limits of this life, because this life is temporary. But, if we have come to God’s kingdom through Jesus, we have a race in front of us that has no limits, and that what we do for it transcends the centuries and into eternity. In eternity, we are not going to be doctors, or lawyers, or parents, or anything that has to do with this very limited and superficial world. We will be more than that, and it will be forever. God has purposes prepared for those that love Him that we cannot even imagine, because they go far beyond the vanity of this planet. As it is written: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9. The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit also said this: “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.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8.

So then, we know that following Christ is not easy, but rather, it is difficult, because it goes against our own nature, and it defies our limited intelligence. But faith is the only vehicle we have that can take us far beyond what is material and temporary. And if it is difficult for you to remain in the Lord, just remember what Christ did for you, and that He did it without any obligation, so that you could attain the great promises that only God can fulfill. So, are you running this race that has a greater reward and duration than any other? Lord bless! John

What is the Word of God to You? - Acts 17:1-15

Based on Acts 17:1-15 (New King James Version)

“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.’ And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.”

John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States proclaimed: “I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters, every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.”

As we can perceive in today’s passage, everyone reacts differently to the Word of God. Some are attracted to it and are even convinced and captivated by the Truth of God, considering today’s example which involves one of the most prominent figures in US history, a man with great history. To start, this John Quincy Adams was John Adam’s oldest son, the second president of the United States. He was a highly educated person, having graduated from the University of Harvard as a lawyer. Before becoming president, he had served as an ambassador and then a US senator. He was a man with great experience and reputation. He held on to the Word of God not because it was something popular, but rather, because he was convinced that it was the Truth and he believed that it had to be part of every person’s daily life.

Nonetheless, others are not attracted as much to the Word of God, but rather, it can even awaken such negative feelings that they can come to do unthinkable and immeasurable things. They can come to cause harm, to do unjust things, and even kill because of it. We see in this passage that some of the Jews who were unpersuaded rose up and took some more people (by spending their money and using their influence, because no one was going to do something for nothing, especially evil men), and created a mob that set the whole city in an uproar, and they even attacked the house of an innocent person. And in their great hypocrisy, they did everything with the excuse that those that preached altered the world while they were the ones that were really stirring up the people and leaving a disaster of large proportions behind (literally).

Why is there such an immense difference in feelings? How can a man like this John Quincy Adams who was a president of a nation, not only believed personally, but also, encouraged others who would listen to him to search the Scriptures while these Jews that did not believe cause such destruction because of their anger and wrath, because of their envy against the Word of God? The issue is that the Truth, by virtue of being the Truth, cannot simply be accepted by everyone, because of the sin that is in men. Now then, the Bible teaches that we are all sinners, and if that is true (which it is), then none of us should be able to accept the Word of God, if it is the sin within us that causes enmity with the Word of God. And here is where we need to draw a line, per se, within the world of sin. The Lord teaches us through the Apostle John: “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.” 1 John 5:16-17. So then, even though all sin is unrighteousness, there are some that do not cause death. Now, the goal is not to excuse sin, but rather, to try to understand the type of specific sin that causes such rebellion against the Word of God. We need to try to identify precisely not just the symptoms, but the cause of the illness, so we can deal with the real issue, not for God’s benefit (obviously, because God has nothing to lose), but rather for our benefit, so that we can put what we need to put before God so that not only do we come to have Christ’s salvation, but also, to be able to grow without obstacles (because salvation is just the beginning of a narrow, long, and hard road, because it involves the greatest war that can ever be fought, the war against ourselves).

The primary sin that determines everything in a human being is unbelief. There is no worse sin than this, because even pride, all though it is a very bad sin, it does not have the same impact as unbelief. Even pride can be subjected if a person believes. That’s why the Bible is very clear with this, when it says: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36. So then, and to start, there can simply be no salvation if a person does not believe in Jesus as Lord. And when a person comes to believe in the Lord, if it is something genuine (because there are many that say that they believe, but have still not come to that reality), it is only just the beginning, because there is also something like a level of unbelief. The level of unbelief is what determines how much a person looks to obey and follow the Lord. In other words, if a person can believe some things but has trouble with other things, that is what determines their walk. So, everything in a person depends on their unbelief, and everything in the life of a person is determined by their level of unbelief. Therefore, today’s questions are rather simple, yet determining: “Do you believe that Jesus is God?” And, “Do you believe in the Word of God, that it in fact is the Truth?” Lord bless! John

Is God in Your Life - 2 Kings 1

Based on 2 Kings 1 (New King James Version)

“Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, ‘Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.’ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’’ So Elijah departed. And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, ‘Why have you come back?’ So they said to him, ‘A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’’’’ Then he said to them, ‘What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?’ So they answered him, ‘A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.’ And he said, ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite.’ Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: ‘Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’’ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: ‘Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’’ So Elijah answered and said to them, ‘If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: ‘Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.’ And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.’ So he arose and went down with him to the king. Then he said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’’ So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?”

The problem that we read with Ahaziah exists and is very present now in so-called God’s people, possibly now more than ever. And the problem is looking for help in other things than in the Lord. And the problem circles around the issue that if someone really believes in the Lord or not. Although many may say that they believe in the Lord, do they really believe? To start, have they dedicated themselves to know the God of the Bible? And, have they been able to understand that for things to work as they should, that He has to be the Lord of your life, not just a title? These are the problems that reveal cases like the ones with Ahaziah, that people don’t believe in the Lord as who He is, and even far less, He is not the Lord of their lives. Many walk through life as if though God didn’t exist, and that is why the Name of God is blasphemed. The world, the ones that do not know the Lord cannot come to believe, and even blaspheme thanks to those that say they are God’s people. For these reasons is that when someone speaks of God to them, they think they are being exposed to a Being that is a fable, like Santa Claus.

How is it that we can detect this issue in our own lives? Ask yourself these questions: “Who do you turn to for direction in your life?” And, “where do you go first when something happens? Let’s see the issue even more clearly. Even though you might you believe in the Lord, if both Him and His Word are not where you turn first to be able to do what you need to do with your life, then that’s a big problem. And well, if when difficult circumstances arise in your life, you go first to human or earthly things, there is also a problem. And these are the reasons for why the great power of God is not manifested, not because God has changed (because He never changes), but rather, because there is a severe problem. So then, how can God manifest Himself in a person’s life if a person doesn’t even look for Him, nor follows what He teaches? They can say they believe in God all they want, but if they don’t look for Him nor do as He commands, then what do they really believe? The big problem is that the majority that are a part of God’s people do as they please. Like the Word says: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” If we made it fit as things happen today, it would be something like this: in these days the people live like there is no God, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. And well, together with the problem of not looking for the Lord’s direction, even far less will they run to Him for when needs arise, because everyone tries to fix things as they please.

This is what the Word teaches us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33. The majority of times, the world and the things of world become the god of supposed believers. Baal-zebub has different faces and appearances nowadays, but it’s the same thing. Let’s truly define Baal-zebub: everything that is either not of the Lord, or of the devil, or that is being used by the devil (because we can turn God’s blessings into the tools of the enemy if they take God’s place). So then, in order to fix their problems, the majority either turn to money, or to their family, or to their friends, or to the church, or to human intellect, etc. There are times that Baal-zebub presents himself as fear, and that is what directs a person. The Word says this: “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 4:18. Our faith should only be in the Lord, as it is written: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. We should always look first to the Lord for our guidance, to fix our issues. When we do these things, then we are demonstrating that there is a God in our life, and there is where God wants to work and do incredible things. God can even use difficult things to demonstrate that He does exist, and so that others can come to believe, like He did with the Apostle Paul. Even though he was the apostle with the most difficult human life, he is the one that God has used to inspire the greatest faith in the entire world. Many through the centuries, and today, believe in the Lord in part because of the testimony and fervent work of this great man of God. And well, we even see Elijah, that he made fire fall from the sky because he believed and had God in his life.

So then, is God in your life? And if you are not sure, fix that problem today. Make a decision for Him! Lord bless! John

How Do We Know When We Are Doing Good? - 3 John 1:11-12

Based on 3 John 1:11-12 (New King James Version)

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

How do we know we are doing good? O even more specific, how do we know if God sees as good what we are doing? In today’s passage, we read very definitive things, without any grays (per se), because the Word simply says: “He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” There is no long theological explanation on the issue, and very simple and direct words are being used, such words that even a very small child can understand. And it speaks about Demetrius, and that he was a person that demonstrated, without any kind of doubt, that what he was doing was good, the good that the Apostle John was talking about. So then, what is good?

Through time, the majority of people have formulated their own opinions of what it means to do good. If you took a public opinion poll, there would be many different answers. And quite possibly, there would be even more different answers within the church environment. In the world, the opinions might vary around the following: that doing what is good consists on either not hurting others, or supplying the needs of the less fortunate, or letting people do whatever makes them happy, or giving love (and that may vary greatly as well based on the different opinions that there are about love). And well, if you asked people within the church, these might possibly be their answers: to live a moral life, or to give love, or to fulfill the commandments, or to be a good person and help your neighbor, or to go to church, or to participate in church activities, or to dedicate yourself to a ministry, and so on. And within the confines or limits of the Bible, all of those things are good, but it is not necessarily the good that God is looking for. How is that?

We read, for example, of how severe and strict the Lord was in explaining that not all would enter the kingdom of heaven, even those that do things that anyone would say that are good things, things that go far beyond what we noted previously, for it is written: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. What is the will of God, the good that we should do? The Bible further complicates things (per se) through the following passage: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. But, even though we said that this may have complicated the issue, the truth is that this passage gives us a north, a direction, that love is what defines what has value for God, the good. The Lord finally clears everything up with this very simple passage, that defines both the Old and New Testament, the all of man: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. Mark 12:29-30. So then, if we understand the simplicity of what the Lord explained, we can then understand that what is most important is the “why”, the reason for why we do things, and that this should be what generates the other actions, and that is what defines if what we do is good before the eyes of God or not. So then, loving the Lord must be the reason and the root for everything a person does, what generates the action, and that the action be founded on the will of God, on His Word, and from there stems everything that directs our interaction with our neighbor, or rather, the second commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Now then, why should we love God above all things, and with all of our being? Because it’s the fair thing to do. The Bible tells us this: “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. And God demonstrated His love for us in the following manner: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. No one has done, nor can do, nor will be able to do what God has done for each one of us. And the greatest injustice in all of the universe is not returning that love in the same manner, because it is an unmerited love, only by His grace. There was no obligation due. God does not owe us anything, not at the very least. Nonetheless, He is the One that allows for you to exist, to live, to breath, to be able to do everything you do, and have everything that you have, and even more importantly, He was the One that opened the way to salvation through Jesus Christ, so that you could have eternal life. You owe Him absolutely everything. Therefore, is it fair to give the priority to something or someone else that has done far less for you? No! The all of life is to try to be fair with God, and the only way to do it is through Jesus Christ, because we cannot do it alone. And the fruit that shows that the Spirit of God is living inside of your life is this: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. If you do not love God, then you have nothing, you are not doing what is good. The Bible tells us this: “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ‘I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” Revelation 2:1-5. Loving the Lord is everything, and what should be the reason of our existence and for our actions.

So then, do you love the Lord? Is he the priority in your life? Does He have first place? “And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 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.’” Luke 13:22-24. If you do not love Him yet as you should, then put in the effort in learning how to love Him, because it is the best work that you can do, and it is totally within your reach. Remember that faith without works is dead, and that loving God and doing things for Him is the work that defines us before God. Lord bless! John

Who Are You and What Are You Doing? - Matthew 7:15-23

Based on Matthew 7:15-23 (New King James Version)

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 ‘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.  22 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?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!.’’”

Today, and now more than ever, we see much corruption in the people of the Lord, in particular, in many of those that say that they serve God, those that supposedly teach the Word of the Lord, those that have put themselves in leadership or high visibility positions so they can influence and be able to attain what they want. Quite frankly, not everything that shines is gold. And the worst problem is that what they say sounds like the Truth, seems like the Truth, and they even use the Bible to substantiate their teachings and doctrines. They do just like Satan did when he tried to tempt the Lord Himself, when he put Him at the top of the temple and told Him to cast Himself down to show that He is the Son of God, and he manipulated a passage that is found in Psalm 91 to get Him to do it, where it says that He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways, in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. It sounded like the Truth, but it was not, and moreover, he was trying to make the Lord do something that goes against God’s will. But God will never obey Satan, and we should never do it either.

If the lie seems so much like the Truth, how can we then filter out what is evil, what should be cast aside? Just as today’s passage teaches us, we can see what a person is if we understand how to decipher or discern their fruits. And well, this can only be done through the Holy Spirit and the Word, but for that, you need to be born again. This does not consist of intellect or some human teaching, not even on our instincts. Everything can be seen in the person’s fruit, and by fruit, we are talking about what a person produces. What is their product? What do they do? Their actions are what demonstrate what is in their hearts, their intentions. The Word speaks to us also about the following: 3 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.” 1 Timothy 6:3-5. Quite simply, one of the clearest ways of being able to see a deceiver is through their personal practices. Because there are those that ask to help others, but they don’t give anything for the cause, but rather, they look for their own convenience, and they look for it and accept it as “a blessing that comes from God”. These are the people that suppose that godliness is a means of gain; everyone that uses the Lord’s things to favor themselves, in one way or another, bearing on other people, and not on their own work. So then, not only should you be careful with the Christian millionaires (because those should be obvious not to follow), but also, with those that seem like they don’t have very much. And this passage is very clear in what we should do when we find someone like that. The Bible does not teach us to pray for them, or to be subject to them, and of course, even far less, to support them in their evil. But it says simply: “From such withdraw yourself.” So then, put some distance between them and you. You don’t have to make a spectacle, just look for another separate and distant path from them.

Now then, what will happen with those people. Will they be punished? Of course, but that is up to God. The Lord is going to sort everyone out, per se, and very carefully. Even more so, the Lord will sort through all of us (and here is where we start turning the attention from others towards each of us), especially if we live the moment of the church’s rapture, when the Lord comes for His “true” people; not for those that say they are His people. For it is written: 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:36-44. The Lord knows who is who, and everything we think, feel, and do. He knows everything and based on that knowledge is that He will do things. That’s why everyone will be judged; not just the unbelieving. Do not let yourself be deceived by the same people the Word warns us about, by false prophets and corrupt men. Even those of us that follow the Lord will answer for our actions. It’s not a popular belief because hardly anyone likes the idea of responsibility, of having to answer for the wrong they do. God forgives. There is no doubting God’s forgiveness, but with the condition that we follow Him, that we remain in Him, that we let Him work in our lives, little by little being transformed into new people, taking on the Lord’s characteristics; not for us to continue doing those things that produce death, by practicing sin, by trying to abuse the grace of God.

The Bible is very clear on the issue of doing the will of God. So then, it does not just consist on saying you are a child of God, or by trying to convince through a position or posturing. That really does not matter. If there are no fruits or clear actions that demonstrate before God that you are doing His true will, there is nothing of value. We read of this from the Lord Himself relating to His earthly family: 31 “Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.’ 33 But He answered them, saying, ‘Who is My mother, or My brothers?’ 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.’” Mark 3:31-35. You can say, pretend, and try to convince all you want, but if you are not doing the will of God, you are nothing before the Lord. So, who are you? And, what are you doing with your life? Lord bless! John

Coexisting with Other People - 1 Peter 2:11-25

Based on 1 Peter 2:11-25 (New King James Version)

11 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth’; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

This is another message that is not hard to understand, but rather, many people may find it difficult to accept. The issue we see in today’s passage consists of how we should coexist with our earthly authorities. There are instances where we might be able to deal with people that are pleasant as authorities, people that we might possibly feel some sort of closeness and affinity with, and that makes our subjection easy to fulfill. But our subjection turns quite difficult when we have to deal with unpleasant people or with people who we have deep disagreements with. In the majority of times, having to deal with someone unpleasant, or evil, or with different thoughts and ideas, or incompetent, or simply someone we just don’t like, life then becomes very difficult for us, and we feel stressed, or tired, or disheartened. I think we have all had this problem at some point. What else does the Word teach us regarding this?

The Bible continues telling us very clearly the following: 1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:1-8. So then, the Word of God is very clear in that we should be subject to them and respect them, and that we should try to do what is good at all costs.

In one occasion, the religious people tried to see what the Lord Himself would say about the same issue, about how to treat authorities, especially those that are unpleasant and unjust. To be able to have a better idea of what they were dealing with, we need to remember that the Roman Empire had conquered and occupied Israel by then, and not peacefully, but rather, through its powerful legions, crushing everything that would get in their way, and imposing its will and laws upon nations and people as part of its dominion. So, these people were neither living in a democracy, nor with human rights, nor anything that had to do with avoiding psychological abuse. The things we have today in the majority of civilized nations did not exist back then. So, our civilization today had nothing to do with what the Lord endured while here on earth. And this is what happened in that instance: 15 “Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 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. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ 21 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.’ 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.” Matthew 22:15-22.

So, considering the tyranny of the Romans, and that the Lord did not at any instant incite any kind of rebellion or resistance, how do you think we should live today? The Lord simply is not in agreement with any kind of rebellion. As people of God, we need to try to live in the most peaceful way possible, just as we are taught in the Word, of trying to be at peace with all people. And just as He Himself taught us directly, that we should give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s. If you have a bad supervisor, pray for him or her. Do not despise or speak bad about them behind their back. If a policeman did something wrong to you, pray for them. Try to resolve your problem peacefully. If you don’t like a president or a person in a similar position, pray for them. And if that authority is not in agreement with what the Word teaches, and they are inciting you to go against the things of God, simply vote for someone who does support the things of God. Otherwise, you need to respect them. And if you don’t find the way to deal with your authorities, pray to God for a way out or for help, so that He can open another door. Whatever you decide to do, try to do it peacefully, leaving on high the Name of the Lord, and not giving any reason or inciting for the Lord to be blasphemed by your actions. Remember that the Lord sees everything, and that we will give an account someday. So then, are you coexisting with others in such a way that they can see the Lord in your life, so that they can believe also? Lord bless! John

Living by Faith - 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Based on 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (New King James Version)

7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

This is possibly the easiest message to understand, but it is also the most difficult to accept, because it is either the one that helps you to continue moving forward with the Lord or abandon and turn away from your faith in the Lord. One of the things that the Lord is always trying to cultivate in us is faith, and faith always pushes you to go forward where the flesh feels uncomfortable, where everything goes against our human nature. And this process is what helps to define if whether a person truly loves the Lord or not (because love and faith go hand-in-hand, per se). Here is also how we can detect whether a doctrine is in agreement with what the Bible teaches, or if is something that just sounds nice and attractive, attempting to please and attract the masses.

For starters, following the Lord can imply that either things may go well, or for things to not go so well (carnally speaking). What the Lord is mostly interested in is in helping us grow, to be different, to continue being transformed by taking more His likeness and that we continue leaving behind our sinfulness. A person might say, “I am not that bad that I could declare myself sinful.” But we need to understand what it means to be “sinful”. People almost always associate the word “sin” with things that seem bad or terrible in human terms, like killing someone or something like that. The word sin means missing the mark. So then, when we talk about sin or being sinful, we are not necessarily talking about something that seems ugly to us, but rather, of everything that sin is, and that is what God tries to deal with each one of us. And unfortunately, each one of us, by definition, without exception, continue being very sinful beings. So, the only way that God has to be able to change those things that are not changed voluntarily in our lives is through pressure, through difficult circumstances, whether they are circumstances that we brought upon ourselves because of our own disobedience, or because God allows for difficult things to happen that we may have not necessarily done wrong, and here is where we get into a difficult territory.

I don’t think anyone likes going through tough times or difficult situations. I think we would all like, first of all, for things to turn out the way we would want them, and that our will be done and not the Lord’s will. And this includes that everything turn out the way we would want them, that everything goes well, that our family be fine, healthy, without problems, that we have a good financial status, that we have no enemies, that everyone would like us, etc., etc. But, that is not the way things work, and unfortunately, things don’t turn out that way because God wants for us to suffer or to go through tough times, but rather, what determines that we have problems is sin, whether it be our own personal sin, or the sin of people that surround us. So, if you wish to assign blame to something for your tough time, you can point the finger either at yourself or to someone else, but not to God. Why? Our own beings consist of sin. That’s what we are made of. And as a consequence, sin is what makes this world so unpleasant. So, either we are the problem or someone else is. But, if you think that the other person is the problem, don’t worry, because by virtue that you are sinner, you may also be doing something wrong to someone else, consciously or unconsciously. That’s why the Apostle Paul said this, inspired by the Holy Spirit: Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Galatians 6:1. The issue is that we all make this world more unpleasant together, in one way or another. Our sin is what makes things that are even out of our control happen, because we live in a decaying world. We owe this to Adam and Eve, because of their disobedience and hunger to be like God. But, let’s not be too harsh on them, because it is easy to condemn someone else when you know the consequences of things. They did something incredibly destructive, but they did not have an idea of the consequences. That’s why obeying God is something so crucial; which is apropos to what we are dealing with.

So then, if they are trying to teach you (by using wrongly the Word of God) that you will not have problems, and that everything will go smoothly and splendidly, they are lying to you. If you are in a place like that, run, because it’s not God that is ministering, but rather a dark and evil power that desires to deceive you so that you do not look for God’s purposes, but rather, that you look to satisfy your own carnal desires. Whoever tries to get something from you will always tell you things you want to hear, something that sounds pleasing and that feeds your desire for comfort and selfishness.

This is what the Word of God teaches: “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. This can consist of pleasant or not pleasant things, whatever makes your faith progress, for it is written: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. When your faith progresses, your sin lessens, and you concentrate more on the invisible than what is visible. The end of this is that what is visible will end soon, but what is invisible is eternal and much better than what you can imagine. So then, are you learning to live each day by faith, with your eyes set on the One that desires what is good for you? Lord bless! John

The Book of Your Life - John 21:20-25

Based on John 21:20-25 (New King James Version)

20 “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?’ 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, ‘But Lord, what about this man?’ 22 Jesus said to him, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.’ 23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?’ 24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”

Books of all types have been written in the world and throughout time. And in many occasions, the books that have been written have to do with a story or an account of something, whether it was true or fiction. For example, many books have been written that consist of stories that are dramas, or action, or about romance, or comedies, and there are those that are a complement of all those things. And in every occasion, there is a protagonist and there are other characters, and depending on what the protagonist and other characters do in the story is that interest grows for the book. In more modern times, if there is a book that gains some sort of special attention, the film companies then make a movie out of it. And well, they try to find actors that can portray as faithful as possible the characters in the book, and the point is that the movie captivates the audience as best as possible so that it can be successful. And now, even more so, after the movie is shown in cinemas, then it is shown on television or available for rent, so that it can be seen many more times over. There is not one movie that is made with the goal to fail and that no one would like it.

Now then, in today’s scene (per se) of this very real story, we see more than three beings (the others will be seen more clearly later). We see the Lord, Peter, and John, at least more directly. And Peter (like many times he had done before), with his questions and declarations, asked about John. And something very interesting happened. Instead of the Lord giving him some sort of explanation, he turned the attention back to Peter, and that he should not worry so much about John, but rather, that he should worry more about himself. And this introduces our first point: Many people make reference to others, especially when they are trying to divert attention. Have you noticed that? Even more so, there are many people that judge God for what happens to others. There are people that even determine if they want to be believe in God or not based on their judgment against God. For example, there are people that say that they cannot believe in God because they focus on everything bad that exists in the world, and that if a good God existed, why does He allow for so much evil to occur. The most interesting thing about the issue is that those that complain about this do not do much for their neighbor. They judge God, but they do nothing to help either. And here is where we can apply what the Lord said to Peter, “what is that to you?”  

There is something that eludes many people, and that is the purpose of God for our lives. When we love the Lord with our whole being, and when we love our neighbor (because there is an order of priority), in fulfilling that which the intention of God’s law and the prophets consists of, a person is actually doing themselves the best service possible. Because if you don’t love the Lord with all of your being, and your neighbor as yourself, in the end, the person you are affecting negatively the most is you. Quite frankly, you don’t love yourself at all. How can that be? Let’s follow the logic for a moment. When you make God the center of your life, the Bible guarantees you eternal life. And when you seek to follow God’s purposes, by loving your neighbor, everything you do has eternal reward. In other words, when we turn our focus completely towards the Lord and others, we are really achieving something better for our lives, both here and now, and for eternity. There is no greater good for a human being. But, if you don’t love God, then there is no eternal life, no Holy Spirit, and no blessing for your life. And well, you can try to help others, but that will not count for anything because God is not in it. You are completely out of sequence, out of order. The first thing needs to exist so what follows can be possible. So, if you think you are doing yourself a service by not following the Lord, by not coming to obey and look to fulfill His purposes, you are very mistaken. There is no life, nor good, nor blessing, nor anything like that in selfishness.

And here is where we will try to combine the different thoughts. The truth is that we live in a place where a great number of beings and people are watching you, like if your life was being read or seen in a movie. There is something that is being written about you at this very moment. The Bible teaches us this: “1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2. Who is this great cloud of witnesses? I present to you your audience. To start, there is the Divine Trinity and their celestial legions. There is also Satan and his demons. And regarding the visible, there is your family, your loved ones, your coworkers or school mates, the people in stores, people on the street, etc., etc. You have a big audience, both visible and invisible (for the moment).

Now, what books is John referring to? The Lord did many works during His time here on earth, many of which were not written in the Bible. What was inspired and written in the Bible was enough so that we could understand what is necessary. But, because of those works, there are many others that followed; a never-ending chain was created. And how can we see that chain of books today? You and I are a product of that chain of events. That’s why John refers to things the Lord “did”, because those first many things were the ones that made possible today’s things, and those that will continue happening until eternity. The concept of time and sequence of events is something incredible and hard to explain, but it is what it is, whether we understand it or not.

In the end, and considering what we have said today, what’s the book of your life about? What would the different beings that are seeing it say? Is Jesus the main character, or is He a character that comes and goes only, without any kind of importance? Is it a book or a movie that only reflects the self-destruction or just plain existence of a selfish being without God? Would God want to see again the movie of your life, or just seeing it once is more than enough for Him to not want to see it ever again? Lord bless! John

The Implications of Love - John 21:15-19

Based on John 21:15-19 (New King James Version)

15 “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ 16 He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ 17 He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.  18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you  where you do not wish.’ 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’”

What is love really? I believe that through time, and especially in our era, love has been confused or substituted with other things that are not love. What we see today in general has really nothing to do with Biblical love. And well, if we say that we are believers, then the authority on love for us should be God because the Bible teaches that God is love. So then, if God is love, then He should be the standard so that we can get to understand what love truly is. And so, He should be who we learn from. Otherwise, whatever we learn from the world, or even from other people is not really love, but rather something inferior.

Let’s ask ourselves some questions so we can observe the things that happen today. Is it love to let a person do whatever they want? Is it love trying to please in everything a child or another person? Is spoiling or lack of discipline a sign of love? Is instigating or supporting sin in another person evidence of love? Is not giving someone advice or staying silent before sin love? Is it love to abandon someone in their time of need? Is it an example of love to break apart a family in order to follow personal likes or desires? Can a person love another when they are unfaithful to the person they say they love? Is it love when two people are attracted sexually? Is having sex the way to show love to another person? Is something love when it goes completely against what the God of love teaches?

If we allow ourselves to be guided by the Word of God, nothing of what was mentioned, nor anything similar are examples of love; not in the slightest way. To start, God is the first one that gives us counsel on right and wrong through His Word, so then, instruction is the first example of God’s love. Together with that, the Bible teaches that if God considers you His child, then He will discipline you when you do something wrong, for it is written: 5 “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” Hebrews 12:5-8. And why is that? Easy! He desires only what is good for you; not your destruction. Because if He allows you to follow a path of destruction, what will happen? You will be destroyed! So then, God is not in agreement with spoiling, or letting a person do whatever they want, or inciting or supporting sin, or with remaining silent before the sin of another person, or anything like that. And if we see the rest, love has nothing to do with abandoning someone in need, or breaking apart a family for selfish and sinful reasons. Didn’t you promise to be with your wife or husband, no matter what, because of love? What happened with that love promise when you let your career get in the way, or your desire to have more, or when you allowed for that other person to get into your life (because the other person has no obligation whatsoever with your husband or wife)? And what about sex? Sex does not equal love. Sex can simply be a physical attraction, or even entertainment, like it happens most of the time today. It’s like a hobby or a sport. And unfortunately, sexual practices have been perverted, and they call evil good and good evil (interpret as you will).

What is love then? The Bible teaches us this: 4 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love is the most important fruit of the Spirit, which is what helps determine whether a person has the Holy Spirit or not, as it is written: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. So then, neither going to church, or preaching, or singing in a choir or in a worship band or going to seminary is what determines that you have the Holy Spirit in your life. And if we go further, the Word also shows us this: 1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. So, neither doing spiritual or good things mean that you have love, the fruit that determines the Holy Spirit is in your life. The love of God must be the intent of your heart so that something has value. There are many that have confused neighborly love as a sign of God’s love as well. As an example, I have met many atheists that are more sensitive to pain than the majority of Christians. This should be the order: My love for God is what motivates my love for my neighbor, even for the one that is my enemy.

There is only one thing that has always been God’s goal for us since the beginning: love. The foundation of everything in life, even the foundation of God’s commandments has been, is, and will be love. This is the foundation of everything: 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5. And this is what the Lord wanted to get to with Peter. Peter admired and respected the Lord (which is good). But, when Peter denied the Lord, that showed that he had still not learned how to love God. Peter was finally able to come to love the Lord through the Holy Spirit, because he even died for his Lord.

So then, do you understand what real love means, and the implications that this love has? If you understand, do you then love those that surround you? But even more importantly, which is what determines your eternal salvation and everything you do: Do you love the Lord? Lord bless! John

Listening to and Obeying the Lord - John 21:1-14

Based on John 21:1-14 (New King James Version)

1 “After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We are going with you also.’ They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?’ They answered Him, ‘No.’ 6 And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.’ 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, ‘Come and eat breakfast.’ Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, ‘Who are You?’—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

In today’s world, there is an incredible amount of voices and distractions.  Thanks to technology, there is an overabundance of things that can captivate our attention. Today, not only are there people around us, but also, we have the radio, television, the newspapers, and even more absorbing if we dedicate ourselves to navigate it, we have the famous world of the internet with its websites, social media, etc. It’s truly incredible everything that exists that tries to attract and speak to us, at every moment, every instant, even in the early morning hours when we should be sleeping. But, is it good to pay attention to all of that? It depends.

For example, relating to the tragedy that happened in El Paso, Texas recently, it was found that the suspect responsible for the massacre put his manifesto in a website that is said to be in the dark web, the same place that the other shooting suspect involved with the New Zealand incident use to visit (I will not name the website because I don’t want to help its proliferation, and don’t be curious). It is reported that it’s a forum where many unleash their hate and discontent with many things, in such a way that they feed each other with their feelings, without any restraint. And I hope you understand that such a thing is not good to search for. This is an example of something that is bad, something we should not pay attention to.

Let’s see another example that may surprise you. Let’s see Peter’s example. At a given moment, the Lord rebukes Peter when Peter tries to convince Him of not allowing Himself to undergo the pain that’s about to happen to Him. This is what we read: 21 “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ 23 But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matthew 16:21-24. Now then, Peter did not turn into Satan at that moment, but rather, what happened was that Peter allowed himself to be influenced by Satan, and through that influence, he tried to convince the Lord about something he thought was right, because he thought he was taking care of his Master.

So, what do we understand here? That we need to be careful with who we listen to. But, how do we do this? It is understandable that going to an evil website is a bad idea, but Peter was one of the most important disciples of the Lord; he was like the leader of the group. And we can take this forward to today, that if we need to be careful with the world, this also teaches us that we need to be careful even with other believers, and even with supposed leaders and teachers of the Word. Not everything that shines is gold. And maybe even a person that is very faithful to the Lord can have a bad moment, just like Peter. So then, how do we do things? We need to discern the source from where the information comes from, what’s feeding the message. If it is hatred and rage what is feeding the source (like the website where the El Paso manifesto was placed), we shouldn’t pay attention to it. If it is something human (like what happened with Peter), even though it seems good or harmless, we shouldn’t listen to that either. We need to know when it is truly God the one that is feeding the source, or when it is God Himself that is speaking. Just as the Word tells us many times: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 11:15.

But, to be able to know when it’s the Lord, whether it be through a person, or through a television or radio program, or something in the internet (like this very thing you are reading from this ministry, because not everything in the internet is evil), you need to learn how to filter what is of the Lord and what is not. And the only way that a person can be able to do such a thing is by having a very close relationship with the Lord, through an intimate relationship, by spending time with Him, praying and studying His Word (because the Bible is the Word of God). Because there are many things that seem good, and there are many that utilize God’s Word to substantiate their teachings and preaching, things that really do not concur with everything that is written. That’s why we need to get deep into God’s Word, and of course, we need to be guided by the Holy Spirit. This is the only way that we will be able to discern if something is really from God or not.

Now then, why is it necessary to know how to listen to the Lord? Because if we see what is obvious in today’s passage, we see that His disciples found great blessing by obeying the Lord, and quite unexpectedly, when they were tired. And it can be said that it was out of luck (per se) because they didn’t know that it was the Lord that spoke to them. Obeying the Lord (even by accident) always brings about great blessing, in one way or another, but especially, for what really matters; for our soul. The soul is what matters most. And of course, God can also give other things that are necessary in the present. Obedience is what the Lord desires from all of us, for our own good and for the good of others. So then, are you listening to and obeying the Lord? Lord bless! John

The Need for Genuine Faith - John 20:24-31

Based on John 20:24-31 (New King James Version)

24 “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ 27 Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29 Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Blaise Pascal said, “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.” The greatest problem that the majority of people have had and continues having is the lack of faith in God. In all reality, this is the root of all problems between God and man. For some unjustifiable reason, it is very hard for mankind to not only believe in God (or in a god, as in many cases), but rather, in Who God really is. As we read today, even those chosen by God could not find the way to have the faith they should have had, even after seeing and living everything they experienced while living with the Lord. This is not about an attack on Thomas, but we need to see the example of disbelief he gives us so that we can also understand the problem that exists today, because there are way too many Thomases all over the world, principally even among those that call themselves servants of God.

What do we see in Thomas? Thomas must have already heard about the Lord before being chosen as a disciple, that Jesus was someone special. And this can be assumed very easily because how would a person leave everything they had to follow Someone with no value (just as Thomas did)? Moreover, Thomas lived with the Lord during the Lord’s documented, 3-year public ministry (because the three years that were documented “limitedly” only talk about certain things; not everything, just like John himself said). So then, Thomas saw much more during that time than what we read of, and he saw it day and night. Thomas experienced even the most significant miracle which was the resurrection of Lazarus, where the Lord rebuked Martha’s (Lazarus’ sister) disbelief, which has to do with the problem we are talking about today. For it is written: 38 “Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ 40 Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” John 11:38-44. So then, if there is no faith, then you cannot see the glory of God (just as the Lord told Martha). Therefore, what else did Thomas need so He could believe in Jesus as the Messiah? Where did the Lord fail to demonstrate that He was the Son of God? Nowhere. This is not God’s problem. The problem resided only in Thomas.

But now, we are going to move the observation lens from Thomas to today, to put it on us. What is our problem? Why do we have the disbelief that exists today, even within the so-called people of the Lord, and even within those that serve the Lord? For this is clear: just because a person serves God doesn’t mean that they believe in God as they should. You may ask, “How can that be?” The sin that dwells in all of us puts some sort of leveling (per se) on the faith in the Lord. There are many that believe, but in a limited fashion. There is an “up to a certain point” in many people. Because people may believe in God, and believe in Christ, but not to the depth that they need to believe. It’s like if many had different sizes for God. And I’m not talking about the heresy that many people do with God, that they believe that faith is something to put God at your service (because it is a heresy to try to turn God into your genie, or your magician, or into something worse, a servant or a slave). That is not faith! What I am talking about is the problem that many have where they cannot simply just see the Lord fully, or at the very least, they don’t try or intend to see the Lord with His full power, honor, glory, majesty, etc.

This is, in the end, the problem that arises when the Lord is not believed in, as it is written: 6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. When we, at least, don’t even try, or even more clearly, don’t’ desire to see the Lord for who He is, we will not see anything of significance, as we see in this story: 53 “Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:53-58. This is a very big problem. For the Word declares this, which is what takes away any kind of excuse or justification from mankind for not being able to believe as they should: 18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20. So, we come back to what Pascal said. If there is not at least a desire to believe, the shadows that exist in faith will blind you, and you will never see the Lord just as He is. And if you cannot see Him as He is, then you will never attain what is most important: the salvation of your soul, which is what should be more important than anything else.

So then, do you have that much-needed genuine faith, for your own good? Lord bless! John

The Holy Spirit is Essential to the Mission - John 20:19-23

Based on John 20:19-23 (New King James Version)

19 “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”

Do we truly understand the reason for why the Lord did and suffered everything He went through here on earth? Unfortunately, a great number of believers still do not understand, because either there never was the focus that should have been there to start, or because they lost their focus along the way. We will try to explain through this passage what should occur in our lives, and what should never be lost, because these are the moments (per se) when these problems occur.

Through this passage, and even though the disciples had believed to a certain degree (but not completely yet) in the Lord, we see one of the greatest symptoms that shows the problem: fear. In the true believer and follower (because we shouldn’t just believe; we should also follow the Lord), there should be no fear. Fear, principally the one that involves proclaiming faith in Jesus, should not be a part of our lives. If there is fear, it’s because something very crucial hasn’t quite happened yet; the Holy Spirit has not yet entered in the life of the person. When the Lord gave them the Holy Spirit, fear exited their lives, and that only happens through a genuine conversion. If we read the disciple’s actions after this event, we can see that they left their hideout and started living a normal life, without fear. So then, the Holy Spirit is the One that takes fear away, for it is written: 7 “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. When the Holy Spirit is fully operating in a person, fear leaves, and love, power, and a sound mind along with the other fruits of the Spirit start filling the void fear left.

The Bible shows us clearly that when the Holy Spirit comes and fills someone, what should start happening is that they start speaking openly about their faith in the Lord, because that is the most important part of the Lord’s mission: the sharing of the Good News of salvation with people, just like the Lord did with the disciples, and just as He instructed them to do, and so on. For it is written: 31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31. The word “boldness” in the original means: confidently, without fear, with courage. So then, speaking God’s Word with boldness implies that there is no fear, and that if flows freely because there is confidence.

So then, what is the problem that surges at the beginning or along the way, with relation to the focus that we should have on the Lord? The problem is the heart’s intent, what has to do with the “reason” for why the Lord is sought after or followed. The “why” is what determines everything in a person’s life, and that is precisely what God sees. As it is written: 9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. And so, what does the Lord see in many people? Unfortunately, He sees nothing related to what is most important. This is what we read as well: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive,  because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 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 4:1-4. There are simply just too many people being greatly influenced and governed by the world, like at the beginning, and also deviating again to the world with the progress of time. This is the true friendship with the world that displeases God. The problem is that there is more of a desire for the things of the world than for the Lord, so then, at the very least, there is spiritual adultery in people’s lives. This is the question we should ask ourselves: “Are we friends with God or friends with the world?” “Is God our priority or what we desire to obtain from the world the priority (because they are two completely different things)?”

Here is where we see what the focus of our faith and hope in the Lord should be. The Lord did not come to this world with the purpose of us having the things of this world, nor what involves that which is temporary. The Lord came for only one reason: to deal with sin. There was really no other purpose. He did not come so you could have a better job, or so you could have money, or so you could have the relationships you desire to have, or so you could accomplish your worldly goals, or so you could excel in your environment, or to make you smarter, or to fulfill whims. He didn’t come for any of that. He did not allow Himself to be mistreated, nor to be spit on and whipped, nor to be crowned with thorns, nor to carry a cross while He walked bleeding with his skin and flesh torn, nor to be nailed to the cross He carried so that you could enjoy the delights and vanities of this world. He did not come to this world so He could be your life coach or your motivational speaker. Are you getting the point? The Creator of Heaven and Earth, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords died so He could deal with your sin, so you could have eternal life. For it is written: 9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:9-11. It is also written: 23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. This was the Lord’s mission (He came to fix your problem, because this was not His problem), and this should become our mission as well, when we have come to understand the “why” God did what He did. So then, if you don’t understand what your greatest problem is (sin) and that He came to solve that problem, then you have another big problem, because you are still then under the influence of the world and the sin that dwells within, the same sin that will cause your eternal destruction, sooner or later, if you do not repent and convert completely to Him.

So then, is the Holy Spirit working in your life so you can continue fulfilling the Lord’s mission? Lord bless! John

If You Look for the Lord, You Will See Him - John 20:1-18

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

1 “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’ 3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, ‘Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ 16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’’ 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.”

In this passage, we see very important things, like the resurrection of the Lord, which is the most important piece of our faith, but we can also see the meaning of this miracle and how it is relevant to us at a personal level. Quite simply, the resurrection of the Lord is the key point in that we believe in a living God. No other being with religious significance has this valuable characteristic. With all due respect to other religions, their principal figures are still buried. Mohammed did not rise, nor did Buddha. And so many other beings that say that were gods continue buried without any sign of life. But, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, left His tomb empty, and now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of the Eternal God, as the God and Lord He is. But, in the end, what does that mean to you and me?

To be able to understand this more clearly, we need to focus better on a key person in this passage, on Mary Magdalene. What is it that makes Mary so special? A lot! Furthermore, she possibly becomes in this very moment the most important person of the Gospel because through her is that the miracle of the resurrection is transmitted. Otherwise, the disciples would have never found out in the precise moment the fulfillment of what was said, that the Lord would be raised on the third day. If it were not for Mary, maybe a lot of time would have gone by because the disciples did not go looking for the Lord like she did. She was the only one of the Lord’s followers that went to at least be close to His body. She was the only one that went looking for Him, and the soonest possible. And as a result, she went ahead to tell the disciples, that the Lord’s body was nowhere to be found. And this is what makes Peter and John run to go see.

The other curious thing that we see, even though the Scriptures say that Peter and John believed, that the Lord did not manifest Himself first to them. And even more curious, Mary did not yet understand what had happened. But, because she was the first one searching, the Lord manifested Himself to her first, and in a very privileged and personal manner. No other being had this privilege. And through this manifestation, Mary is the first one to not only give the news that the Lord was raised, but that she saw Him with her own eyes. What is it that allows for Mary to have such a privilege, to have even more of a privilege than Peter and John? To understand this, we need to see Mary’s life. The Bible teaches us about Mary: 2 “and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons.” Luke 8:2. The Bible also teaches us this about Mary, which is what makes her so very different to the others: 36 “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.’ 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ So he said, ‘Teacher, say it.’ 41 ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?’ 43 Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one whom he forgave more.’ And He said to him, ‘You have rightly judged.’ 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ 48 Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ 50 Then He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.’” Luke 7:36-50. This is Mary’s story: A sinful woman, despised and a social outcast, someone who the Lord had compassion on and freed her from the power of seven demons. Mary simply felt a deep gratefulness and love for the Lord, something that went beyond what others felt. This is what made her look for the Lord. And this very special feeling in her turned Mary into the most important figure involved with the Gospel’s announcement: that Jesus was raised and is alive!

Now, what does this mean to us? If you feel what Mary felt, you too can look for the Lord, and He will show Himself to you personally, and He will do great things in your life and through your life because He is the God that conquered death. So then, are you looking for the Lord just like Mary did? Lord bless! John

We Need to Conquer Fear - John 19:38-42

Based on John 19:38-42 (New King James Version)

38 “After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.”

In today’s passage, we see examples of two people that unfortunately were fearful; Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. These men had very good intentions, but they were governed by fear. Textually, the Scriptures tell us that Joseph of Arimathea was fearful of the Jews and that’s why he believed secretly, and we can also deduce that Nicodemus had the same fear because John intentionally mentions twice that he went to go see Jesus at night. Why would anyone do something at night? Out of fear, so that they would not be able to see what he was doing. This is what the Word indicates to us: 20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:20-21.

If we dig deeper into the issue, and although many may not perceive it as such, fear is sin. And although all unrighteousness is sin just as the Word says, there are differences, in the sense on how they affect things and the consequences they bring about. If we see it clearly in the Word, fear is in the same category as pride. For example, we see the following: 8 “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 first type of person that heads up the list of the condemned (per se) are the cowardly. And well, the cowardly are people that are governed by fear. It’s true that the others will also go to the same place, but for some reason, the cowardly head up the list. There are no accidents in the Word. Everything that is written is precisely intentional, so then, we really need to weigh this issue.

What are the consequences of fear? Many! And I would venture to say that there are just too many bad consequences that fear brings about if it is not used appropriately (because according to the Word, we do need to fear something, or rather, Someone). Ill-used fear paralyzes. For example, there are many people that do not make a decision to follow the Lord because they are afraid of their family, of losing friendships, of having problems with authorities, of having problems with work, of losing control over their lives, etc. And well, because of that fear, they simply do not come to God’s salvation. So then, because of the fear they feel, they sentence their own soul to eternal perdition. That is a great loss! Many times, people don’t speak the truth with others because of fear, and that’s why they omit, and hide, and lie. And also, when the truth finally comes out (because absolutely everything comes out to the light, sooner or later), there is where everything that was hidden because of fear is damaged. Because of fear, many believers do not confess their faith publicly, and they hide that within themselves, with the excuse that this is something personal, that it is something between God and them. Yes, it’s something personal, but we cannot be ashamed of something that is so great and special. Therefore, that fear also cause the created punishment, that the Lord Himself will deny them in the most crucial moment for every soul, as it is written: 32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33. The other example of the damage that fear causes is that many believers are paralyzed and do not share the Gospel with those that surround them, for fear of being despised, mocked, rejected, etc. And by not sharing the Gospel, those people do not receive possibly the only opportunity they might have to get to the salvation that God desires for everyone to have. So, that fear deprives other people from having eternal life. What do you think God’s opinion is on the matter? Will the Lord justify something like that? I don’t think so. And possibly, these are only but a few of the many other examples of the damage that fear causes, or rather, ill-applied fear; because as stated previously, a person does need to feel fear, but correctly. For it is written: 27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:27-28. The only One that can destroy both the soul and body in hell is God; no one else. So then, we should not fear people, nor circumstances, nor death, and not even Satan himself. The only One we should fear is God because all things depend on Him, from the smallest and most insignificant, to great and eternal things. There is no one higher than God.

In closing, let’s see the advice the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy regarding fear, and of what Timothy should worry about more, what he should be doing, and the example that Paul himself demonstrates to him, as it is written: 3 “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, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 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. 6  Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For  God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8 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, 9 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, 10 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, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 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.” 2 Timothy 1:3-12.

We all have some measure of fear; but some more than others. We all need to conquer our fears, for our own good and for the good of others that surround us. So, whom do you fear? Do you fear God or people and inferior things? Lord bless! John

Religion vs. Fulfillment of Scripture - John 19:31-37

Based on John 19:31-37 (New King James Version)

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’”

People many times confuse the things of the Lord in the sense of how to follow Him. Unfortunately, the majority of people follow more a religion than having a relationship with the Lord. Some may ask, “What is the difference?” And to answer that, we need to dig deeper (per se) and go beyond the surface of things and get to the depths of a person: the intention of the heart. The heart or the center of a human being is what reveals everything.

If we see today’s passage, we see one of the many examples of the Jew’s religiousness. For starters, religion (as is practiced or as created by man) serves the Lord no purpose. Religion can be defined in general as follows: Group of beliefs or dogmas regarding a divinity, involving feelings of veneration and fear towards it; moral norms for the conduct of a person or society; the practice of rituals principally involving prayer and sacrifice to render service. A relationship with God has nothing to do with beliefs, or dogmas, or moral norms, or anything like this. This is what the Pharisees practiced. They were more concerned with fulfilling certain things in the Scriptures, but only within what was convenient for them, and for their glory, so that people could admire and revere them. But their hearts were very far away from the Lord. In this passage, we see that they were more focused on the Preparation Day and the Sabbath than what truly mattered. What good was keeping the Sabbath, the Preparation Day, the sacrifices, the stoning of sinners, and other things they felt that were important if they wound up persecuting and even killing God? They were so blinded by their pride and religiousness that they felt envy towards the Living God, and they planned and executed the Messiah! That is why religion doesn’t work. Religion within itself is garbage and is only a tool that Satan uses to guide man down a path of deviation and self-righteousness.

What does God truly desire? God is not necessarily interested in how many times you go to church, or how much you tithe or offer, or how much you help people, or how much knowledge you have of the Scriptures, or how moral you are, etc. What God is interested in is that you surrender your heart to Him, and that the intention of your heart be to love Him above all things. As it is written: “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. God is interested in the intention of your heart, for it is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. It is also written: “For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:4-5. If you don’t love the Lord, and that this love is the reason for why you do things, nothing that you do will have any kind of value. Unfortunately, many good people (per se) will wind up in hell, despite their good works.

In the end, and because of that love, of that complete surrender to Him, to please and obey Him, is that then you look to fulfill His Word. You have to come to fulfill God’s Word in your life. If a person does not live the Word of God, then they do not have life in Him. This is what James tries to explain, as it is written: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26. When we believe in the Lord and we love Him, we will look to obey and follow His Word, because the Word of God will be fulfilled, as It says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:35.

This is something many people don’t understand either. There are many that misinterpret this passage: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11, thinking that if a person is exposed to the Word of God, that their heart will surely be touched, and that in the end, they will come to salvation in God. It would be good if it were like that, but it is not so. Exposing a person to God’s Word is the best you can do because that increases the probabilities of a person’s conversion, but it does not necessarily mean that the Word of God will dominate a person’s life, in the sense that they will be saved. The Word of God is always revealed as a two-edged sword, or that it cuts both ways. Make no mistake: the Word of God is fulfilled completely, and in every dimension possible; it is fulfilled literally (there is a heaven and a hell, and God did physically divide the Red Sea before His people, as examples), and it will also be fulfilled spiritually (in the things that go beyond what our human eyes can see). The issue is that the Word of God is fulfilled for blessing or for cursing of a person. That is the reality of the Word. How can I say this? Judas Iscariot is not in heaven, but rather, in hell, despite the three years he heard all of the messages from the mouth of God Himself, and the wonders and miracles he saw. Annas and Caiaphas also were exposed to the Word of God, and I am very sure that they are burning in these very moments; and will be for all eternity. So then, exposing a person to God’s Word does not guarantee that something will happen, because again, everything depends on the intention of the heart, on what a person decides to do with God’s Truth.

So then, and as always, we should take inventory of our lives when we are challenged by the Word. Do you love the Lord with all of your heart and that is the only reason you do the things you do? Do you look to fulfill the Word of God in your life, by trying to please the Lord in the things that really matter to Him? Lord bless! John

It Is Finished - John 19:28-30

Based on John 19:28-30 (New King James Version)

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

There are times that we think that the more words we use to express a thought, the more meaning we think things have. In the same manner, many people think that if they use difficult or eloquent words to say something, that whatever it is they are saying becomes even that more special. But, in the end, what matters most about words is the “Who” says them, and the “What” they were doing. The most significant words of the Lord’s ministry were these very short phrases, like the ones we read today: “I thirst” and “It is finished”.

The first phrase we will see is: “I thirst”. What does this mean? Well, the first thing, and what should be quite obvious, is that the Lord was completely human also. Even though He was (and is) God, He took on our form with all of its weaknesses, frailties, and needs. Shortly after the Lord was preached in many places, a heresy began surging that involved saying that Jesus was only a spirit, and that He was not manifested in the flesh. It is believed that one of the main reasons for John writing this gospel was in response to heresies like these. The truth is that Jesus lived and suffered everything with our same form. He lived through the sacrifice for our sins with all of our human condition. He felt the scorn and the lashes. He felt the extreme pain and exhaustion when carrying the weight of the wood on which He would be hung. He felt the crown of thorns on His head. He experienced the pain of being nailed to the cross. He felt the pain of hanging for all the time He did while His lungs were being destroyed because of the torture of the crucifixion. And moments before breathing His last breath, He said these few words: “I thirst”, because He was in fact thirsty. He could not go much longer. And of course, the worse thing you can give someone that is thirsty is vinegar. And when this happened, the prophecy written in Psalm 69:21 was fulfilled, which says: “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” When He experienced the entire horror of the cross and its process (because it was meant to be a death with a long process), as God and as a human being, there was nothing left unfulfilled. The Lord suffered it all, to pay for all of our sins.

And this takes us to the second phrase: “It is finished”. As it was said before, there was nothing left undone nor to be suffered through. The Lord fulfilled the entire sacrifice so that nothing would be left incomplete. He fulfilled the sacrifice perfectly. Every word was fulfilled. Every prophecy was realized. Nothing that was supposed to be done was left undone. And of course, the only one that could have done this was God, because a human being is not capable of controlling things in such a manner. There is no human that could have fulfilled things that began showing themselves since the fall of man, hundreds of years before He was born into this earth, like the sacrifice that God Himself did for Adam and Eve to cover their sin, their evil, and their shame, by killing an innocent victim so that they could have skins to cover themselves. That was the beginning of everything the Son of God would come to fulfill, that the Holy One, the Perfect One, the Lamb of God would come to pour out His blood and die for all of the guilty sinners which we all are.

The following prophecy describes everything the Messiah would suffer for us: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53. This passage is what shows the culmination of the “It is finished” in the life of the Lord.

And finally, the reason for why the Lord suffered all of this was simply because of love. There was no other reason. As we all know very well: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So then, today, by seeing these very simple words, but with these extremely significant actions, the following question must be asked (because a challenge should always be made when the Word of God is shared): “How will you correspond to the “I thirst” and “It is finished” that God fulfilled for you, so that you could have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life?” Lord bless! John

Test of Love - John 19:25-27

Based on John 19:25-27 (New King James Version)

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

I will give you a warning, before starting, that this message may not be liked by many people, and because of two simple reasons. The first reason is because although the world talks a lot about love, people don’t really understand what love is. And the second reason is because many follow the Lord for some sort of interest, but not because of the love they should have for Him, for the type of love of which the Bible talks about. The majority of people that either say that they follow the Lord or love the Lord is because they want something from Him, nothing more, and they can only follow Him while things go the way they want them to go. My sincerest desire is for this to be understood, even though it is something extremely difficult, because in the end, this is what following the Lord is all about. There is no other greater reason.

For starters, today’s passage is one of the most significant passages of the Bible, with regards to human response towards God. Despite all of the great miracles and wonders that the Lord did, despite the thousands He fed, and taught, and healed and freed, this handful of people were the only ones at the foot of the cross, during the most difficult moment of His sacrifice. The only one of His disciples that the Bible teaches that was at the foot of the cross was John, the disciple whom He loved. John and these women, these very few people were the most faithful to the Lord. They were with the Lord in His most crucial moments, during the time when even His Father had to separate from Him, when all our sin was put on Him, and finally, when He breathed His last breath. They were with Him when not even the Father was able to.

And, what do we predominantly see in this disciple? The Lord asks John to do something very important, to take care of Mary, His earthly mother. Why was the Lord able to do this? Because He knew that the only person whom He could entrust so special and important task was John. Why? Because He knew that John loved Him, because He had seen it, because He knew that John’s love for Him would make Him faithful. It wasn’t because he was the most apt, or the smartest one, or because he had the best financial position; nothing of that entered into His decision. John’s love for Him was what gave Him that ease.

The most important element we can see through this passage is love. Everything in the Lord centers around love. This women and John did not follow the Lord out of selfishness, nor because He did whatever they wanted, nor out of commitment, or anything else. They followed only because of love, and we can see the faithfulness of their love until the end. What did they see at this precise moment? A great King on the cross? A rich man? A powerful man? A man with good appearance? At that moment, the King of the Universe allowed Himself to be reduced to a beaten, flogged, barely naked man, that was crowned with thorns and nailed to a cross, where they could see some of His bones on some parts of His body wherever the blood stopped to flow over. They saw Jesus, the Person they loved, and that they needed to be with Him when no one else wanted to, when they saw everything without hope. Love for God is everything. The Bible teaches us that it must be the first fruit that needs to be in us, to show that the Holy Spirit truly lives in us. For it is written: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. The Word also shows us that love goes beyond even doing incredible things, as it is also written: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. So then, neither miracles, nor knowledge, nor spiritual gifts, not even faith necessarily determines our love for God. The love of which God talks about goes much beyond that. After being resurrected, the Lord asked Peter only one thing: “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?...’” John 21:17a. This is what God is mostly interest in.

The Lord also taught us that He must be first in our love. For it is written: “Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’” Luke 14:25-27. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to hate your family for no reason, but rather, that when there needs to be a decision made, if you have to choose between a loved one and God, that the decision needs to be made for God. And if you choose for the Lord, that you need to bear that decision daily, because yes, following the Lord is the harder road. Following the Lord implies leaving aside your will, your desires, and your other loves for Him.

I will share something personal here. I lost my father not too long ago. He died because of cancer. During his sickness, I felt that God was testing me. When I saw things turning for the worse, I felt like if God was testing me to see if I loved Him, if I would continue loving Him despite the unanswered prayers and seeing what seemed to be inevitable. I remember that when I asked the doctor (it was an evening that I was working until late in my office; completely alone) to tell me how much time he thought my father had left; he told me, “John, I think he has about six months left.” At that moment, I felt a great pain, but at the same time, this thought would come back: “Will you continue loving the Lord?” Finally, my father went to be with the Lord, and a short moment after his passing, when I was alone, it was no longer a thought, but rather, this direct question came from the Lord Himself: “John, do you love me?” Feeling a very deep pain, I was able to answer: “Yes Lord, I still love you”.

A person can say that they love the Lord very easily when everything seems fine. But, the moment will come when God will allow for some very difficult things to happen in your life, things that are unrelated to the errors that you may have committed, because when we commit mistakes, we are only dealing with the consequences (these are not tests), God will also ask you: “Do you love me?” So then, you should think about this, to make sure that you are following the Lord how you should: “Do you love the Lord, no matter what happens, even when things go totally opposite to what you want? Will you be like John and these blessed women at the foot of the cross? Lord bless! John

God on the Cross - John 19:17-24

Based on John 19:17-24 (King James Version)

“And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ ’ ’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore the soldiers did these things.”

Do we understand well the sacrifice the Lord did for us? I believe we all understand in general what happened (although there are many that profess to be believe in Christ, but they don’t believe this in its entirety), but many need to understand the depth of what really happened. To understand what the Lord did for us is like a person crossing the Pacific Ocean on a great ship, that they see only as far as their eyes can see the extent of the water’s surface and its waves, but they don’t have a clue of the depth they are crossing nor everything that the great sea contains while traveling comfortably on that ship, without any effort, ignoring the reality they are traveling on.

For starters (and we have seen this before), we must always try to understand as clearly as possible the “Who” of the event. Jesus was a man, but He was (and is) God. The God of the universe allowed Himself to be nailed on that cross. And here is where not only gentiles have issues, but also, the majority of the Jews also, that Jesus was the same Jehovah (or Lord) of the Old Testament. He was the One that was at the creation as part of the Trinity, where Genesis relates a plural God, or in other words, a God that is comprised of more than one being. The God that Genesis 1 and 2 talks about is the Trinity. The Apostle John starts precisely with this concept, explaining the deity of Jesus, as it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. Historically speaking, John is precisely believed to have written his gospel with the purpose to clearly establish to the later-formed churches, to leave completely determined that Jesus is God, as he tried to counteract a movement that started during that time where they were putting in question that very fact. So then, this same Jesus was the One that was involved in the creation of everything, including the creation of man, when God said, “let us make”. This same Jesus was the One that was with Abraham, with Jacob, with Moses, with David, with Elijah, and with all others. This same Jesus is the reason why we can exist today, because God is the One that makes possible the existence of everything through His presence. The Apostle Paul explained it like this: “For by Him [speaking of the Lord] 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. So then, even though it may be repetitive, it is ultra-necessary to understand the “Who” of the situation.

The other aspect that we need to understand in particular so that a person can genuinely come to salvation or to be born again like the Bible explains involves repentance, which is what the sacrifice of the cross is all about. To be able to understand this concept, we need to go back to the origins of the sacrifices, what God Himself would use to demonstrate what would happen after with the Lord. When a person would bring the innocent victim (an animal without blemish, as the law dictated) to be sacrificed as the atonement or covering of sin before God, the priest would take the victim, position and tie it to the altar, but the person for whom the sacrifice was being done for needed to put their hand on the head of the victim while the priest sacrificed it as a sign that the innocent was dying to cover (because before Christ, there was no forgiveness of sins, nor washing of sins. It was a temporary cover for the responsibility of sin) their sin before God. By putting their hand on the head of the victim, they were acknowledging before God the responsibility for their death.

And this is what is crucial for each of us to understand. There are many that might say, “If I would have been present, I would not have been in agreement with the death of the Lord.” But, the reality is that, if you don’t take responsibility for the Lord’s death on the cross, you have no salvation. You need to assume complete responsibility for the death of the Innocent on the cross, because He took your place to pay for your sins. Just as the sacrifice in the law, you need to put your hand on Christ’s head to take responsibility for His death before God so that all of your sins could be more than just covered, but rather, washed and forgiven. And this is what happens through repentance and conversion, that when you come before God with a humble and contrite heart, acknowledging everything you have done wrong, and clinging on to the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross, where He poured out His blood and gave up His life, so that you could have forgiveness, then the miracle can happen. Without that, there is no conversion. Without that, there is no eternal life or salvation. That is why that what is foolishness to many is the all of the gospel that we preach, the gospel of a crucified Christ. Just as the Apostle Paul said: “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks  foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:22-24. In its exactness, the passage that we are looking at today practically relates the all of our salvation: that God, while being God, took the form of man and the Sacred Victim so that we could have complete remission of sins.

So, it is completely necessary to understand just “Who” precisely was the One on the cross, and what happened at the cross so that there could be salvation. Without this acknowledgement and complete faith in this great act, you will never experience God’s forgiveness, nor God Himself. Without that, you turn what is most precious in the universe into one more sad and poor religion, into something lifeless and without hope. So then, do you understand that God died for you on the cross, and accept complete responsibility for what happened, so you can have the life that the Lord desires so much for you to have through Him? Lord bless! John