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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Militia - Numbers 2:1-32

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

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

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

Now then, the most important war that exists now and that will be on going until God deals with sin once and for all is the spiritual war we have today. And what are being disputed are the souls of men. This war started when Satan (before known as Lucifer) rebelled against the Lord. The Bible teaches us that this started in the following manner: “How you are fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” Isaiah 14:12-15. This is the problem that started all of the evil that exists today and the reason for why we have this spiritual war. This spiritual war is the most important one because it defines a person’s eternal destination. As we have commented before, this temporary world is precisely that: temporary and passing. The spiritual world, or rather, man’s soul is something eternal. It is the most important likeness we have with the Most High, the ability to either live forever or die forever. That’s why this issue is so important. There is nothing more important than eternity.

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

Doing What is Right in Our Own Eyes - Judges 17

Based on Judges 17 (New King James Version)

“Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, ‘The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.’ And his mother said, ‘May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!’ So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, ‘I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.’ Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah. The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. And Micah said to him, ‘Where do you come from?’ So he said to him, ‘I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to find a place to stay.’ Micah said to him, ‘Dwell with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.’ So the Levite went in. Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. Then Micah said, ‘Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!’”

We can see in this passage many things that were done wrong, not because divine instruction was missing, (and yes, it had something to do with there being no king then), but rather, because we see people doing simply however they saw fit. We see a son that stole from his mother, but we see that he is not reprimanded for that. Instead, he is blessed. We see this same woman dedicating her money to making idols. We see this Micah that made himself a house for his gods, and that he even made one of his sons follow and serve the same deviation. And we see that the madness does not stop with that, but also, he temps a Levite to become his very own priest to serve his purposes. And to top things off, we see the Levite follow along with the idea and also sins against the Lord because they paid him well. These are the evils that can be seen at plain sight, as we compare them to the commandments. In summary, we see nothing good coming out of any of this and all because a group of people dedicate themselves to just do as they see fit.

So then, what commandments do we see broken here? Well, many. “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.” Exodus 20:3-5. “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4:9. All of this was already written, but despite God’s law being present, they decided to follow their own ideas.

Today, not much has changed. Many still look to fulfill their own desires, whims, and create their own morality, even within the people of God. The only difference between then and now is that our civilization has created laws where many of them are consistent with the law we received from God (because man did not invent the Ten Commandments, but rather, God wrote them with His finger). For example, back then, since there was no king, no social authorities established, people could steal and there weren’t any big consequences. Today, that can’t be done because the law of not stealing exists in practically every place on the planet, and there are penalties if a person is found guilty. That’s why the Word says this: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.” Romans 13:1-6. And let’s leave something very clear, because many justify their disobedience to the authorities because they may have been unfair in certain instances. God inspired Paul to write the book of Romans in 57AD while he was in Corinth. Caesar Nero, the most vile and ruthless of the Caesars persecuted and killed many Christians during his reign (37-68AD). God commanded through Paul to submit to the authorities, and to even pay taxes while such an evil person as Caesar Nero reigned and did all the evil he did. So then, if God commanded this during such a time with such an authority, there is then no excuse now to do contrary because there is no comparison. If a person has a problem with that, I am just a spokesman for the One that commands it, but I am His spokesman because I desire to agree with the Supreme Authority of the Universe: God.

Many, especially, many so called believers in Christ like to do things as they please, and they see God’s grace as a license to fulfill their own will, and not God’s will. And many denote as legalism teaching what God clearly commands in His Word. But there is something that must be kept in mind, especially if liberty in Christ is used for sinning: “But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” John 6:68. God is not the one that comes out losing if He is not obeyed. God has nothing to lose. Man has everything to lose if they dismiss God’s counsel through His Word because God’s Word is the only thing that can produce life here and now, but even more importantly, for eternity. So then, it is convenient for us to seek doing God’s will in our lives, and to take advantage of the privilege of having His Word and His Holy Spirit. God does not cease being God nor does He cease to exist if man is lost in their sin, in their disobedience. It is simply not convenient for us to just do whatever we want. So then, are you living your life however you want, or how God says to for your own good? Lord bless! John

Treating the Lord as Who He is - Matthew 6:1-6

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

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

In this passage, the Lord is dealing with two things that are essential and necessary in the life of every one of His followers. These two things are not optional, if a person truly wants to maintain a relationship with the Lord. To begin to see this, something very basic must be understood. If a person has truly decided to follow Christ, then there must be fruit, there must be a manifestation of God’s work in their life. In other words, as a result of a person submitting to the Lordship of God, there must be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their life. It is impossible for them to continue living their life the same as before they made the decision to follow Christ.

The Bible teaches us that there must be fruit, and fruit consists of the following: “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. And as a result, each of these things (per se) are made evident through good works. In other words, a person cannot say that they have love, and they don’t do anything for anyone else selflessly. For example, when a person does something good for a loved one, that is nothing special because there is a personal interest in that. But, when a person loves a stranger or their enemy and does good to them just as the Lord commanded, something different is demonstrated in that and especially if it is done without the expectation of receiving something in return (because many people deal with strangers, and even help them, but they have a motive or an interest). That’s why the fruit of the Spirit can only be seen through good works. Moreover, we were given the opportunity for salvation because we were created for good works, as it is written: “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. And so, if there are no good works, if there are no actions that demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, then there is no life.

The other issue is that there simply cannot be any selfishness in the life of a Christ follower. It is impossible. And we understand this very clearly through the commandments that the Lord Himself reaffirmed: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 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. If we understand the explicitness of these commandments, then we can see that nowhere does it say here, “love yourself first”. If a person truly wants to fulfill the will of God, God should be first and the priority over everything. And secondly, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. So then, watching out for our own interests do not have a priority in what the Lord commands. That’s why the ways of the Lord are so contrary to the world’s ways, because the world (over which Satan exercises dominion), says the contrary. They say: “Love yourself. Look for your happiness. Fulfill your desires. Fight for your goals, etc.” Moreover, if the priority of a person is mainly focused on their own wellbeing, they are following more than anything a satanic influence, as we can see in the following passage: “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. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matthew 16:21-24. And this was one of His Apostles, the one that even acknowledged Jesus as the Christ. This shows us that if we are not careful, anyone can fall and follow a completely deviated path, just as the Word warns us here: “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 12:1-12. So, if the warning is written, then the danger exists (“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:22).

And finally, the lord teaches us that we must help real needy people (“For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10, and pray. But there is a detail, that these not only be done in secret (this does not imply that you cannot pray in public as some misunderstand. A little bit of common sense is required), but mainly on both points, that everything be done as if God is watching (because He is watching). This is the most important point, and that is why He brings it up in both instances. We should treat the Lord as Who He is, as God, as the One that sees everything, knows everything, weighs everything, and will even judge everything. “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 17:10. So then, are you treating the Lord as who He is? Lord bless! John

Punishment and Restoration - 2 Chronicles 33:1-20

Based on 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 (New King James Version)

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, ‘In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.’ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, ‘In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.’ So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the high places, but only to the Lord their God. Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. Also his prayer and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass, and the sites where he built high places and set up wooden images and carved images, before he was humbled, indeed they are written among the sayings of Hozai. So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.”

In this passage, we can see the different aspects of God, both His zeal and anger, as well as His great love and mercy. It cannot be said that if something happens to a person that it always has to do with sin or sins they may have committed personally. There are always exceptions. But, the majority of the time, God allows for difficult things to happen because there was sin, and in some way, that brought on God’s anger. Whoever says that God does not punish does not know the Scriptures, and ultimately, Who God is. God is love, but He is also consuming fire, and what determines how God acts depends on our actions. Nothing happens just because. There is always something.

In today’s case, we see the acts of this King Manasseh, someone that did take God to a point of anger, which is not easy because God is great in mercy. That is the other falsehood that many believe that the God of the Old Testament was harsh and inflexible. God was not as strict as some make Him out to be. Just look at Manasseh’s actions and everything he did before God’s anger came. Manasseh didn’t steal some gum, per se. Manasseh dedicated himself to practically do everything that could be done against the Lord. It’s as if though he had a checklist somewhere of everything that displeased God and he started crossing things off one by one, to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. Manasseh sinned to the point against God that he even passed his children by fire meaning that he sacrificed his children alive on an altar as worship to a completely pagan and evil god. Manasseh killed his own children, and did everything to worship a false god, to be able to find some favor to gain something material or some success in something, because none of those sacrifices had to do with any type of spiritual wellbeing, under no circumstances. So then, after seeing all of this, can anyone say that God was inflexible or harsh? God has always been great in mercy and all loving before, and is now. Many dare to judge God, but all of those people that dare to judge God never think about the evil that is done against God, all of the contempt and daily sinning that so many people commit against God. Many people comment: If God is love, why is the world the way it is? And I would answer, “what evil did God do to the world so that He could be so despised and hated? And I would also say, “Let’s not blame God so much for the things that happen because it is man’s sin that has made the world as hard as it is.” If you don’t believe it, just see what Manasseh did. What reason did Manasseh have to sacrifice his own children in flames? Was that God’s fault? Under no circumstance. Sin produces death, no matter how much people want to decorate it and justify it. Man must take responsibility for all their actions. And every single one of us has sinned.

Yet, despite all of the evil that Manasseh did, we can see God’s incredible grace, but when Manasseh repented. Nothing can change unless there is complete and true repentance before the Lord. It is necessary to understand that it is not God in the wrong, but rather, we are in the wrong. Ultimately, and seeing it very practically, it is not really humbling yourself being able to acknowledge a reality. In Manasseh’s case, he simply acknowledged the reality that he had sinned against God, and like that, harmed himself and all those that surrounded him, because we even read that he helped the entire kingdom stray away from God. Nonetheless, God always leaves an opening for repentance. Despite all of the evil that is committed against Him, God is so great in love and mercy that He leaves an opportunity for us to turn from our sins.

But, if we could see something else it would be this, and especially referring to God’s mercy, that it is not necessary to push the limits of God’s mercy. There are people that believe erroneously that God is the One that dictates when a person changes. That is not true. God is always with His arms wide open, always calling, and waiting for people to turn to Him. The problem is that the great majority of people do not want to understand until something catastrophic happens in their lives, until God allows something to happen that shakes the very foundations of their lives, per se. God loves everyone, and desires good for all, especially their eternal wellbeing. So then, since it all depends on you, do you want to experience God’s temporary and eternal punishment or do you desire to experience His grace, mercy, and love? Lord bless! John

Don’t be Your Own Worst Enemy - 2 Peter 2

Based on 2 Peter 2 (New King James Version)

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’”

One of the greatest problems in our society is the issue of substance abuse, both the legal kind (prescribed by doctors, or that can be bought at any store) as well as the illegal kind. Whether it be legal or illegal, it’s a severe problem. To be able to see the magnitude of this problem, we need to go to the statistics. In the US, it is estimated that 161 million people, or 66% of adults use drugs under prescription. Also in the US, it is believed that about 21 million people have at least one addiction, either with alcohol or another substance (from what we know, because not everyone admits they have a problem). Between 1999 and 2017, more than 700,000 people in the US have died due to drug overdose. It is estimated that alcohol and drug addiction costs the US economy more than $600 billion every year. This is the economic damage (for starters) that we are inflicting upon ourselves as a nation. And this is in the US alone. I’m very sure that the rest of the world has similar issues.

Nonetheless, there are people that are benefiting greatly from this catastrophe. There are many that live very well thanks to other’s misfortunes. With both legal and/or illicit gains, they can buy themselves mansions, planes, luxury vehicles, anything they want. They enjoy the delights of this world peacefully and grandly. Now, someone may say that these are detestable beings that do these things. But there is something to consider. Who are the ones that contribute so these folks are able to have what they have and live the way they live? Every amount of money that is used to buy their products is money that invested in their operations, helping pay their employees, and finally, giving them gains that go directly into their bank accounts or secret places. So then, there is something to consider. Who are at fault, the ones that sell and supply the substances or the ones that consume them, and like that, they feed the greed and evil of others? What would God say?

You may ask, “What does substance use and those that sell them have to do with today’s message?” There is a very similar problem with the evil that exists within the church regarding evil doctrines (although there are many people inside churches unfortunately that also have problems with the consumption of bad substances and those that sell them sometimes sit in church as well). I have heard many people through the years complaining about bad preachers and all the money they make, etc. And yes, there are many in the ministry that use the same for gain. And there are many of these ministers that are well known, but there are others that go unnoticed because maybe they are less flashy, or they have a more subtle message, speaking of things that seem healthy and good, but it is all an illusion. Some of you may say, “I know so and so is bad, but I don’t think it is wrong what this other person says.” And I would need to ask, “Are they good and acceptable based on your personal opinion or according to what God teaches in His Word?” And finally, both those that teach evil and support evil are involved with the same problem. And the problem surges when a person does not know what is approved by God or approved by man. And the way that the trap is set is by appealing to the weaknesses of our flesh. We cannot allow ourselves to be guided by and accept things because they sound good or pleasing. When we allow ourselves to be guided by the flesh, by corruption, there is where we fall with people that have evil instincts and intentions. It’s the same thing that happens with substances. Everything starts with a little and because it makes a person feel good somehow. But just because something apparently feels good does not mean that it is good. That is the danger and the problem that continues being proliferated everywhere. We cannot allow ourselves to be guided by our flesh and become our own worst enemies, becoming victims of our own evil desires. If you truly want the life that God offers through Christ, you should let yourself be guided only by what the fullness of His Word says and through the Holy Spirit, and not by what seems attractive to the flesh. So then, are you a prisoner of your own evil desires, and like that, your own worst enemy, or do you live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Word of God? Lord bless! John

True Love Explained - Ephesians 5:1-7

Based on Ephesians 5:1-7 (New King James Version)

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.”

Today, there is a great error that has been proliferated throughout the world, including within many churches, the error or sin that love means to justify and even fight for sin. This great contradiction is being supported by a great number of people, and it continues to grow rapidly, where things that are sin are put as examples of love. Quite simply, in today’s society, and within many churches, evil is seen as good and good is seen as evil, as I am very sure that quite possibly many will be offended when reading this message, and will say that this is a bad message, or possibly, they might even say that it is blasphemous, but his ministry, by the grace of God, is dedicated to sharing Jesus Christ and His Truth with the world, and not to propagate anything else (may God help us remain faithful).

Therefore, let us see more clearly the issue of defining sin and what it does. God defines sin through the Word for the good of mankind, because God since the beginning has tried to help mankind avoid what is harmful to them. Ever since God told the first man that he should not eat of the forbidden tree, He was not trying to hide something good from them, nor just because, but rather, because mankind was surely going to do die if they disobeyed. And thanks to that disobedience, we have what we have today in the world. We have death. No matter what mankind tries to do for themselves, whether they can even find the cure for all of the different kinds of sicknesses and plagues that exist, every human being will die at some point, without exception. No human will live forever. That is the great legacy that disobedience has left. This is the simple consequence of sin, as it is written: “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. And the Word also says this: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:13-15. This is the truth regarding sin. No matter what a person would want to believe, whether thinking that nothing bad is going to happen, or that God is wrong, sin kills, and it kills in the most definitive kind of way, killing both the body and the soul of man. Sin is what makes a person die physically, and forever, eternally separated from everything that is life for all eternity. This is the evil that God has tried to help mankind avoid sin man was created.  

Now then, let us go deeper into what God said in today’s passage that is sin, something that is not just sin, but the same kind of sin that can make a person not be able to have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God if it is practiced; the issue involving fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness that is related to idolatry. For starters, fornication consists of having sex outside of marriage. Whether they are partners (as they are called today), or casual sexual encounters, or the act of sex apart or outside of marriage (and regarding marriage, we are talking about the union between a man and a woman, just as God created it), all of that is considered fornication. In the context of this passage, uncleanness refers to inappropriate things related to fornication and also what the Law of God explains as things or voluntary acts that are unclean (or unnatural). For example, whether the coronavirus came to existence in China because there was a problem with bats and food, or whether it involved a sterile laboratory where trials and/or experiments were being done with bacteria or viruses, all of that before God is considered unclean. And regarding covetousness, the Bible says very clearly that the love of money is sin, and it relates it here to idolatry which defines all things that are put ahead of God, like money, family, etc., anything that is put ahead or given priority over God. If these things are practiced or they become a lifestyle, quite simply, those that live in such a manner will not inherit Christ’s kingdom (this is what the Bible says).

Let us try to see this issue in a practical sense so we can understand. If I have a son or daughter, and that son or daughter would like to play with a poisonous snake, what should I do as a father that wants what is good for them? Should I go get it for them so they can play with it? Should I support them in their search? Should I tell them that if they decide to do it, to just be careful? Or, if I really want what is good for them and to help them avoid all danger, should I not just explain to them the danger and that they should just avoid it for their own good, so they don’t even have to worry about anything? That is what God tries to teach us through His Word, so that we don’t just avoid getting into trouble, but even avoid the risk. But unfortunately, many don’t think that way because they either don’t understand, or they just don’t want to accept that the natural consequences of sin are that it produces death, just like when a human being gets bitten by a poisonous snake, when it injects its venom, and it is only a matter of time for the person to die. Many people think that, because they don’t just die right away, or because something humanly catastrophic doesn’t happen immediately, that the issue of sin and the evil it produces is a lie, that it’s a fable or an exaggeration. In the end, they believe the same thing the devil told Eve so long ago: “You will not surely die.” The devil’s lie continues being the truth to many, and unfortunately, even many supposed believers, especially those who even believe that since we have the grace of Christ, that everything is forgiven, and that there is nothing to worry about. Adopting a sinful lifestyle produces the same evil outside of God’s grace as well as within God’s grace. This is what the Word of God teaches.

So then, what is then true love? The only one that knows how to love perfectly is God, because God is love. True love will never consist of supporting sin because God will never support something that produces death and destruction in a human being. And if a person really wants to love someone, they should do the same as God does, by letting them know the truth so they can also have what Christ came to give, as it is written: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10b. Because God loves us, He only wants for us to live eternally, and so, He teaches us to do those things that produce life, and not the things that cause death, sooner or later. So then, what exists in your life, God’s true love, or the lie that produces eternal death and destruction? Lord bless! John

The Old and the New Covenant - Galatians 4:21-31

Based on Galatians 4:21-31 (New King James Version)

“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: ‘Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.’ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.’ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.”

What should a person really do to fulfill God’s will so they can be able to obtain eternal life? To be able to answer that, we must first define a problem, and the problem is: that the answer is so easy that ironically many do not find, especially those that do not have the faith that God requires. We see in this passage that two basic things are explained to us, the topic of the old covenant that can be seen throughout the majority of the Old Testament, and the new covenant that is told to us starting with the life of the Messiah, with Jesus. The errors that occur are simply related to the problem: the evil desires that still dwell within every human being. Some may ask, “Where is the devil in all of this?” And the answer to that is that the devil can only tempt, but he can’t force anyone. And the only reason for why a person gives in to temptation is because they would much rather obey the sin that dwells within their members than the soul that longs to live. As it is written: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:13-15. This is the problem. This was the problem before with man. It is the problem now. And it will be the problem until man ceases to exist as he exists today. And the greatest problem that man has is submitting to God, finally: pride. We must start to understand this to get to the answer.

This pride problem is the problem that came about with the devil himself, where sin originated from, from wanting to be like God. We can see this in the following passage: “How you are fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” Isaiah 14:12-14. Now, a person may say, “I don’t have a problem with pride!” And well, maybe a person is not literally desiring to be like God (at least so directly), but each one of us does have this problem in one way or another. That is the purpose of the law, to demonstrate that no human being can fulfill on their own everything they are commanded, and it is not because they cannot do it, but rather within themselves, they don’t want to fulfill it, in one way or another. We have the example through the Pharisees. They fulfilled the lower requirements of the law, but failed on the most important, because they were not able to love God above all things. This can be said because when God Himself showed up in front of them, they neither received Him nor respected Him, but rather, they hated Him. As it is written: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10-11. Why didn’t they receive Him? Because they just didn’t want to. There is no other reason. That’s why the Lord spoke to them in parables, not to confuse them, but because He already saw the disposition within their hearts, that they were predisposed not to listen under their own free will. No matter what the Lord would say or do, they had already decided out of their own free will that they were not going to believe, and like that, not obey. And in one way or another, we all have a problem with obeying God, whether it involves big things or small things (per se). There are things that we do want to do, but there are others that we don’t. That is pride, nothing more, nothing less. God commands us to do certain things, and we either say it’s not like that, or supposedly we cannot understand, or quite simply, we say “no” through our actions. And there is where all of this supposed confusion or mixture of things comes from, even this turning back to the law to supposedly get something from God.

The person that attempts to go back to the law for salvation after being exposed to the Gospel neither understands reality, and least of all, listens to God. Why? Because in the law, God gave as a commandment the sacrifices for the atonement of sins (not to erase them, a very big detail). And well, if a person desires to go back to the law, then, how will they atone for their sins? Since 70AD, when Rome destroyed the temple of God and all the sacrifices stopped, how can any atonement for sins be made? It’s not possible. And the sacrifices must be made just as God commanded, and in the temple of Jerusalem. So then, if sins cannot be atoned for through the law, then how can something so insignificant like circumcision fulfill everything the law commanded?

So, the only recourse that is left is the new covenant, the one that is through Christ. There is no other way, but we must do as He commands, and everything starts with being born again, through complete repentance and conversion from all sins, and by literally accepting Jesus as Lord. And this introduces the problem that has been around since the beginning and that a great majority of people have today, the problem of submitting to the Lord as such. Many like the idea of salvation (eternal life), but they don’t want to submit to His Lordship. This is what God commands based on the greatest commandment: “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’” Mark 8:34-35. Many want to be saved, but no one wants to pay the price. And this is the foundation for God’s grace, the new covenant through Jesus Christ. And many elude this, that it is necessary to obey God, and to do just as He commands. This is the great mystery (per se) that causes so much confusion, and differences, and problems. But to be able to fulfill God’s true will, we do need to deny ourselves, leave aside every kind of pride, so we can effectively obey as the Holy Spirit guides through the Word of God, the Holy Bible. If this is done, then you will be able to be sensitive to God’s truth, and there won’t be so much confusion. So then, have you been able to overcome your pride so that you are able to find the true path to God through the Lordship of Jesus? Lord bless! John

Flee From Materialism - 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Based on 1 Timothy 6:6-19 (New King James Version)

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

One of the greatest problems we have today, and especially within the church of Christ, is a problem with materialism. This is something universal, and it is shown in different ways. We live in a world that is grossly materialistic, and this is not just a problem with the elite of the world as many assume, thinking that the ones that are sinking in materialism are the millionaires and billionaires of the world. So then, let us leave aside those people and think more on ourselves, because everyone else’s problems are not our problem, but rather, we need to look at our own issues. One day not too far away, God will ask you what you did, and nothing more.

Materialism within the church is revealed in different manners, and it is one of the reasons for why many people do not come to a church, because they are afraid of being eaten by the wolves (per se), such people within the leadership that use godliness for gain. Unfortunately, there are many ministers and preachers and teachers that do use the things of God for their own benefit. And why should we speak of this? Because you have to be careful with who you listen to, and who you feel attracted to, so that you do not fall in the same issue, and that you wind up as lost as they are, because when you get so close or listen to evil, that you will also become the same evil. That is the problem. Those that use the things of God for their own convenience will always say nice things to you. They will tell you pleasant things, things that will make you feel good in the flesh. They will appeal to your weaknesses and desires. One obvious way to be able to detect a wolf is to see what they have, and compare that to our Model, to Jesus Christ. As it is written: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.” Matthew 10:24-25a. While the Lord was on the earth, did He have a mansion, or property, or expensive clothing, or any kind of ostentation? No, as it was left written: “Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’” Matthew 8:19-20. So then, whether they speak nicely or harshly to you, just look at how they live, and you will know who their true god is. By their fruits you shall know them.

This is something that must also be left clear. Money within itself is not evil. Money or wealth by themselves have no power to influence, nor can they have any kind of control over a person. They are ultimately inanimate objects that know nothing, nor can they do anything on their own, and are completely consumable. The problem is love for money, or also, the attraction for the material, because it is not only about money, but also about material goods. The problem is when a person focuses on material things, and they put their faith and prime efforts into them. There are people that will say: “I don’t love money”, and like that they justify themselves. But, they want things that only money can buy, like a house, or being able to travel and know the world, or wanting to retire ahead of time, and so on, all things that only money can buy.

And here comes the great question: “How much is necessary?” That is a question that each person that claims to be belong to Christ should ask the Lord Himself, and let the Lord respond to them. But we can see in this passage that there is a very clear and simple answer, as it says: And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. Food and clothing are very basic things, and they are related to what you need daily: a place to live, clothes, and food. Do you need a big house? I don’t think so. Do you need expensive clothing with various options? I don’t believe so. Do you need great feasts with all kinds of goodies? I doubt it. If you sit and think about how much is truly necessary, you will realize how much is really enough also. You can also think about it this way. How did you come into the world, and how are you going to leave it?

And we must leave yet another thing very clear. We must help our neighbor, but the neighbor that has real needs. Because there is something that everyone must have perfectly clear. The gospel and loving our neighbor do not consist of feeding irresponsible or envious people. We should not feed irresponsibility nor give in to people that just envy others. In summary, we are not called to support sin in any kind of way. This is what the Word says: “But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12. By God’s grace, I am not supported by any group of people nor by the government. I work very hard at a secular job to be able to pay my bills with the sweat of my brow. May God be praised!

Every person that can work should work to fulfill their responsibilities, but only to obtain what is necessary and indispensable, and also, to be able to help those in true need. But, if you are only thinking on material things, one day, you will become its slave, and you will not be able to serve the God you do owe everything to. So then, what is reigning in your life, materialism, or the Lord? Lord bless! John

Our Freedom in Christ - Galatians 5:1-18

Based on Galatians 5:1-18 (New King James Version)

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

What was the problem that happened in Galatia, this issue of going back to the law? The problem surged when religious Jews that did not convert turned back to the law, leaving behind God’s grace, instead of following God’s grace through Jesus Christ. In other words, they put as conditions certain things of the law (like circumcision) as part of the way to becoming saved, and that is not what the Lord taught, and quite frankly, it wasn’t right with the law either. The truth is that circumcision was never the basis for faith, but rather, it was a sign that the Lord left established before the fulfillment of grace (because faith and grace was always the basis for everything in the Lord). Abraham received circumcision as a sign precisely after he found grace before God because of his faith. So then, what should happen so that there could be true freedom in Christ?

For starters, it is important to understand also the other error that has entered into the church, the other side of the spectrum, per se, so that we can clarify to those that have used God’s grace as a license to sin and that use liberty in Christ for the things of the flesh, by finally glorifying corruption (which produces death) instead of glorifying Christ. This is what the Word teaches: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:15-23. The Lord did not make us free to fall back into slavery with sin, but rather, so that we could do those things that produce life, to do the will of God.

So then, how do we then get to have eternal life? To start, the Lord Himself taught that it is necessary to be born again, as it is written: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:3-6. How does a person become born again? Being born of water and the Spirit consists of John’s baptism (of water) which consists of complete repentance and conversion from all sins. There must be 100% repentance, just as baptism illustrates it, where a person is completely submerged in water. Being born of the Spirit not only consists of just believing in Jesus as Lord, but also making Him the effective Lord of a person’s life. That is how our spirit is brought back to life, when the Holy Spirit enters our life through faith and submission to Christ. And after that event in our lives, then we should start doing those things that fulfill God’s will. Because yes, we are saved only by grace through faith in Christ, but our lives through the Lord should start to take their course towards what they were made for, as it is written: “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. This is the true way to eternal life.

So, what is it that we should be doing? For what should we be using our freedom in Christ? The Lord reestablished the following, which was also the basis for all of the law: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31. We should dedicate our lives to love God with everything we are, and like that, give Him first place; and to love our neighbor. According to God Himself, all of His will is fulfilled through this. And finally, love consists of actions, of good works that glorify God, just as the He did. The Father not only said that He loved us, but He also demonstrated it with the most sublime action, by giving His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that we could have eternal life, a completely unmerited gift, without any kind of obligation, the work of the manifestation of His grace. And remember this, that eternal life is not received until a person finishes the race. Therefore, we cannot just stay with the knowledge of salvation, but we should also run the race that God wants us to run. So then, what are you using your freedom in Christ for, to be able to live eternally, or for corruption? Lord bless! John

Living Towards the Future - Matthew 5:1-12

Based on Matthew 5:1-12 (New King James Version)

“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”

In what we read today, we could spend our entire lives trying to understand it, and that is part of the purpose, because they are things that should not only be understood, but also, they should be daily practiced in all kinds of different ways. Everything in the Word is completely applicable to our lives, in one way or another. If the Bible is just taken as a book of knowledge and it is not practiced in the manner that the Holy Spirit guides, it would be preferable for a person to have never had access to it, because all they are bringing upon themselves is more judgment. In summary, the Word of God must be lived so that the eternal can be reaped, and like that, fulfill God’s plans in our lives.

We could look at this passage line by line, which should be done when studying the Word, but we will see the principal point in its fulness, and that is: The Lord was teaching things that should be practiced in life to be able to attain the different rewards in the eternal future. It’s true that we are not born with these attributes or manner of being naturally, and that’s why it is necessary to be born again in Christ, repenting and converting from all of our sins, leaving behind our aimless conduct, and submitting to the lordship of Jesus, and like that, begin to cultivate Christ’s characteristics. We must also consider by what we know through the Bible that God is a conditional God, and that to be able to receive the things of God, we must do as He commands. Quite simply, it is impossible that the Christian life consist of supposedly receiving Christ and crossing your arms (per se) or remaining focused on the temporary. Everything of which the Lord spoke of here, as an example, not one thing will be received unless a person becomes what He said they should become. In other words, if a person is not poor in spirit, or does not weep, or is not meek, or does not hunger and thirst for righteousness, etc., they will not receive none of the blessings or the rewards mentioned. Everything He mentioned is manifested through works. That’s why we understand that everything in Christ is fulfilled when they are done, when there are actions that demonstrate our faith, because by our fruits will both God and men know us.

Therefore, and if we understand the tense in which the Lord was speaking of, we would see that the blessings and the rewards come in eternity principally, and not before. Everything mentioned is referenced as future, and the only future we know in Christ is eternal life. So then, everything that we must live and be should not be focused on the present, but rather, on the future, and that is possible only through faith, because faith is based on believing things that are not visible, but yet believing that they do exist. This is what the Lord taught: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21. Everything we must live in the Word of God should be with our sight looking forward, looking towards eternity. The Christian should live with their focus always towards God, with the hope of encountering God in not such a distant future. That’s why the Word of God also exhorts us with the following: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 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 5:1-10. So then, everyone that calls themselves a follower of Christ should always have very present that this body is coming undone day by day, and those of us that are older know that this is happening because we can feel it. And also, they should live with the desire to be clothed and for this mortality to be swallowed up by life, and that God made us for this. The Lord did not make us with the goal that our human body should never perish, but rather, He made it as a temporary vehicle for our soul, so that each soul could have the option of either deciding or not to follow Him out of their own free will, and not only to just follow Him, but also, so that every soul could be transformed and prepared for even greater things. Preparation can only occur through exercising and pressuring the spirit. If we cannot be faithful over little, it is impossible for us to be faithful over much.

So then, how should we live? We should do the same the Lord did through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is overcome temptation. We read this: “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’’” Matthew 4:8-10. The devil will always try to make the Christian give up on their faith, and in different ways, just as he tried with the Lord. The devil will always try for you to grow weary and stop being, for example, poor in spirit, meek, and so on. Deviations begin to occur when a person leaves aside God’s purposes. That’s why the Word also teaches this: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” James 1:12-14. We must overcome the evil within us though Christ, and we should live doing as He commands, until the end, to be able to receive what we are hoping for; not the temporary, but the perfection that God has prepared for those that love Him. So then, are you living for the present, or for an eternal future where God is the One that rewards you? Lord bless! John

What Should be Our Reason - 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.”

For what things do most people fight for? Many strive to obtain material possessions, and they sacrifice everything necessary to be able to obtain what they desire. Others strive for a career or a job, and they also sacrifice time and even their relationships to be able to reach goals and successes, and quite possibly even for noble causes. Many also spend their time trying to find a mate, looking to either have a relationship or a marriage. In a similar manner, there are people that strive to have and raise children, and they sacrifice themselves to be able to build homes. There are people that place much effort in trying to have different experiences in life, trying to live life to the fullest each moment. And also, there are people that work hard to be healthy and strong, attempting to maintain peak physical fitness. And well, there are so many other things that people strive for with the goal to attain what they long for. But are all of these things bad? Within themselves, none of these things are necessarily bad. Quite possibly, they can even be blessings, but we need to go deeper to get to the point. God can bless us in different ways and with different things, and especially if they are achieved in a good way, not through evil. Nothing of what has been mentioned is evil within itself. But the question should be, how much should we strive for these things? And what priority should they have?

This is what should be considered. All the things mentioned above, and even similar things, are not evil, but by virtue that each of them are subject to this world, they are not perfect, and so, they are not eternal. All of this is vanity, as the Bible defines it. In other words, vanity consists or is defined by its existence, and that all these things although they are not evil, they are temporary. So then, it can be concluded that vanity is the same as temporary. And this is how the Word of God warns us: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’: While the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are not darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain; in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow down; when the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows grow dim; when the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; when one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low. Also they are afraid of height, and of terrors in the way; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is a burden, and desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘All is vanity.’” Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. Everything that we see today will fail, end, run out, etc., and there is nothing that can be done about it. It is what it is. Money and wealth are uncertain. A career or a job sooner or later will end, and our abilities will remain with us only up to a certain point. We as humans fail whether we want to or not because we are fallible beings, even when there are good intentions. Many people use others, or we are considered as something good until something goes wrong. Just as the saying goes: “You are only good as your last mistake.” Marriages and families can break apart for endless reasons. Health can change in an instant. And well, with regards to experiences, everything is really nice at first. We all like novelties and sensations, but all of that is temporary also. Everything in this world starts and ends. And please, don’t take this as venting from a bitter person, but rather, as a call to reality. This is reality, that absolutely everything in this world ends either in a good or bad way, and this is what the Bible always exhorts us to keep in mind as we transit through this mirage or illusion we call life.

The Word of God counsels us in that we should not focus so much on this world, nor on the things in it, because it is very easy to lose sight of what really matters. As it is written: “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.’” Matthew 16:24-27. It is not wise to put as goals or as a reason to exist things that are vanity or temporary. Therefore, be responsible with your possessions, but don’t let them be the all of your life. Fulfill your duties with your career or job, but don’t let them consume your soul. If we want to have a marriage and/or children, take care of them and do what you must, but they should not be the goal or the definition of your life because you just experience either much disappointment or trust that something will last and that is simply not the case, and so on. You may gain the world, but if you are too focused on the world, you may lose your soul in the process because all of your priorities are wrong, even though they may involve things that are not necessarily bad. This is also what the Scriptures say: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.

We must always keep this in mind: There is a resurrection for those that love Christ, we should not put our hope on vanity or temporary things, and far less, we should not use the things of God to justify temporary desires because the Father will pay each of us according to our works. And even though there is a great cloud of witnesses, there is only one Witness that should matter, and that is God. We must resist until bloodshed striving against sin, because everything that takes God’s rightful first place turns into sin, and even the blessings of God can become sin if you let them. So then, what is the reason for your existence? Lord bless! John

The Hope of Everlasting Triumph - Isaiah 25

Based on Isaiah 25 (New King James Version)

“O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For You have made a city a ruin, a fortified city a ruin, a palace of foreigners to be a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. Therefore the strong people will glorify You; the city of the terrible nations will fear You. For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. You will reduce the noise of aliens as heat in a dry place; as heat in the shadow of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones will be diminished. And in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’ For on this mountain the hand of the Lord will rest, and Moab shall be trampled down under Him, as straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. And He will spread out His hands in their midst as a swimmer reaches out to swim, and He will bring down their pride together with the trickery of their hands. The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, down to the dust.”

Those of us that understand the Scriptures as a whole, and also use some sort of common sense, know that this world as it is today is not perfect, nor will it be either. The Bible teaches us that this world is full of problems and challenges, and that those of us that truly follow the Lord will have affliction on this earth. This place will never be perfect, nor will it be free from problems because of sin. This is not heaven, nor paradise, nor anything that resembles those things. Therefore, we should not put our hope in this place.

To be able to understand the subject a bit more, and to see the Bible’s perspective, the Lord Himself taught us the following: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21. Why did He say that? Because this place, this earth, is a temporary place. As it is also written: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 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.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.

So, the following question may come up, and especially if a person has clung on to the things written in the Bible to justify believing a doctrine of prosperity and perfect health, that if God did great things before for those that followed Him faithfully, why would He not do the same now? And the answer and first clarification is that something happened between the time the law was in effect and grace was manifested. Christ changed everything, and for an eternal glory, opening like that the door directly towards eternity, the dispensation of God’s grace. Before Christ died and was resurrected from among the dead, the law was still in effect, and under the law, no one could be justified, as it is written: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19-20. Before Christ, there was no salvation because there was no justification. So then, if there was no justification, there was no access to heaven. Therefore, no one before Christ was able to enter heaven. That is why Abraham’s bosom existed, which the Lord Himself revealed, where all of those that were faithful to the Lord and kept God’s law went. Abraham’s bosom was a paradise that existed adjacent to hell or Sheol. David wrote many times about this Sheol. So then, everyone prior to Christ went to hell, but the difference was between this paradise for the faithful and the place of torment for those that were not found faithful to God.

The second clarification is that everything in the Old Testament were previews of the eternal. God revealed in some way things before as signs of what was going to occur eternally, when the fulfillment of all things would occur. In other words, all of the earthly victories and prosperities that were made possible before were signs of the eternal that is to come, that would be experienced by those that are faithful to the Lord. What we saw both in the tabernacle and the temple were foretellings of what would be fulfilled in the Messiah, in Jesus. What we read today may have occurred in a limited way to God’s people on earth, but they are just previews of eternal coming events. So then, we need to be careful on how things that were written before are applied with the idea that they become real on earth now.

Now, another question may arise, “Will God not do anything in our favor while here on earth?” And the answer is yes and no, but everything is subject to His will and purpose, and this is difficult to accept if you use your human knowledge and your carnal senses to see things. First of all, within this point, we cannot overlook the great and eternal triumph we have through Christ, which consists of the eternal salvation of our souls. There is no more Abraham’s bosom. When Christ was resurrected, God’s purpose was fulfilled and the greatest miracle occurred, that all of those that were waiting for the coming of the Messiah in Sheol or in Abraham’s bosom were taken to heaven, to the eternal reward. When we think carnally, we underestimate God’s great miracle, salvation. Secondly, God can do whatever He wants. But, He does everything always being subject to a purpose, to a why, and that purpose and why is to reveal that He is God, and that there is salvation only in Him, that He is the only hope. Christ did the miracles He did to precisely demonstrate that He is God. The apostles and disciples through the Holy Spirit also received these gifts as a sign to demonstrate the same, and God can reveal His power on this temporary world today (like He did with me when I converted to Him) through us His servants to give an opportunity for someone or a group of people to see that He is God, and that there is only hope in Him. Everything has as an end to demonstrate God, to give hope for salvation, and for the edification of the church of Christ.

In summary, incredible things will be fulfilled in those of us that have remained faithful until the last moment of our lives, those of us that truly love Him. “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. Have you placed your hope on the temporary or on the eternal triumph? Lord bless! John

Relationships and Sexual Abuse - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Based on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (New King James Version)

“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”

One of the greatest problems we see today is the sexualization of everything in the world. We can surely say that we live in an era where society is consumed by sex. The media is saturated with sexuality, from commercials, television programs, movies, fashion, music, to sports. You can say that almost everything invites or incites to sexuality. And how about the internet? Such a tool has made pornography more accessible than ever before. If a person wants to see something sexual on the internet, they just need to type a little bit on their computer or smart phone and they have access to anything they can imagine and even to things they couldn’t imagine. It is estimated that the porn industry generates billions of dollars a year worldwide. One of the pornography giants on the internet declared on Yahoo Finance that in 2018 there were more than 28 billion visits to their website. To put it in perspective, there are over 7 billion people in the world today, so then, statistically speaking, it’s literally like if every person (man, woman, and child) in the world saw porn four times on this website alone in that year. So then, am I exaggerating that our society is more than obsessed with sex? And the problem with that mentality is that it does affect relationships.

The Thessalonians lived in a society very similar to ours, so then, this issue that the Apostle Paul is dealing with in the church is very relevant to the problem we have today in our own Christian society. The people of God are just as sexualized as the world because many in the church live like the world, and therefore, have the mentality of the world. The Apostle Paul is dealing with two things specifically here, so that we can understand the topic: fornication (or the sex act) between two people that are not married and married couples. Marriage is not the only thing being addressed here, and we need to understand the perspective that involves the stage before marriage because that is what will generate problems in the marriage after.

The first aspect, in other words, sex before marriage is sin, and the Bible also uses the same term as fornication or sexual immorality to refer to this. The issue is simply that there should not be sexual relations between two people before marriage. God created sex for marriage, so that it can be practiced within marriage, but as it should be done (as we will see later). The problem is that many commit this error, and the grave problem is that they see this sin as an expression of love or as something natural, and it’s not so. The truth according to God’s Word is that having sexual relations with a person outside of marriage is sin. Nonetheless, many people within our churches practice sex freely between couples or even without being in a relationship. And many couples not only practice fornication within their relationship, but they live together before marriage. And this is a big problem because God’s Word is very clear on the issue of the practice of sin, as it is written: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21. The Word is quite clear in that God simply does not tolerate the practice of sin, or a lifestyle of sin, when a person commits sin deliberately and without control. You don’t need a high level of education to understand this.

What is the problem with fornication in a relationship prior to marriage? Outside of the serious spiritual problem it causes, there is a practical problem also. The problem is that to be able to form a stable and healthy relationship, to be able to see the other person as clearly as possible, people need to get to know each other without intermixing sex, because if sex is introduced, they are not thinking clearly anymore. Sex is taking the preeminence in the relationship, whether they admit it or not, because whether it be because of pride or because their mind is darkened, they don’t want to admit that they are not thinking clearly. And the solution is not to get married so that the evil stops per se. That is what turns one big problem into another more problematic one. A marriage should not be built without love, and when sex has been put into the equation, it is not founded on something healthy, and that is one of the greatest reasons for why many marriages don’t work or they don’t function as they should today, because something corrupt has been used as the foundation. Many couples get married for all the wrong reasons, and there simply is no love. This must be understood that sex does not equal love. And, if a couple have children, the wrong is made even greater because third (innocent) parties are introduced to experience a dysfunctional and corrupt relationship.

And this brings us to our next point, the problem with sexual abuse in marriage. The abuse that is spoken of here is not related to how the world explains it. God created sex as something precious and blessed that should only be shared between a husband and wife. And sex was not created just for having children, but also, as an expression of love and care between a marriage. If sex is practiced without that end, that it be an expression of that love, then it is also something that is abused, and that is what the Apostle Paul is dealing with here. Sex within marriage should never be treated as an outlet, or to let loose evil fantasies, or as a process, or as a duty, or far less, as a tool for control. All of that destroys a marriage. And that’s why what happens before is so important, because that will dictate how a person enters into the relationship, with a completely wrong frame of mind. We need to be careful on how things are done, on the reasons for why things are done, because we very clearly read the warning, as it is written: “…no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such.” And sometimes we wonder why things go wrong.

In the end, there is a good way on how to proceed for both single people as well as married people, and God’s desire for our own good is that everything be done according to what He teaches us. And if things have been done wrong, it’s never too late to repent and turn to what God commands. So then, are you living your life according to the Lord or according to the world and its evil influence? Lord bless! John

Sanctification and Testimony - Acts 22:1-24

Based on Acts 22:1-24 (New King James Version)

“‘Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.’ And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: ‘I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’’ And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!’ Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.”

Why do difficult things sometimes happen? If we look at things through the Word of God, difficult things occur most times because we have not done things well, because a person has committed sin or sins and they are experiencing in some way the consequences of those actions. And quite frankly, absolutely all of us have experienced this in one way or another, and we continue experiencing these consequences because they may have lasting effects. This is what we should realize, and that’s why the Word of God and the Holy Spirit guide us to stop doing those things that are wrong, those that do not bring about any good, but actually quite the contrary, that they only bring about painful consequences. But there are certain instances that certain things may be suffered not because there has been deliberate sin, but rather, because there is another end that God is looking for, because God allows for all things to happen, both the good as well as what can be seen as difficult, but everything has a purpose. Nothing is just because, especially in the life of a disciple of the Lord.

There is something that I am going to say that will not please many, and it is the reason for why many only look for the benefit of salvation, and not to serve God. They want a Savior, but not a Lord. They want to go to heaven and be able to attain all the promises and blessings from God, but without any kind of commitment, and least of all, without any kind of desire to serve the Lord. That is why these so-called popular gospels that have come out in these end times (signs of the end) are precisely so popular, because many people like the idea of receiving God’s salvation, and for God to fix their problems here, and the idea that they can obtain heaven and all kinds of crowns and heavenly rewards without doing anything for them. It is taught many times that there is nothing else to be done, and in addition, if a person is told to do something, that whoever is saying it is turning back to the law and to works. In summary, an easy, irresponsible, and as a result, antibiblical gospel is being taught, and that is why we have what we have today, a universal church full of sin, disorder, bad testimony, and darkness, such that the world cannot distinguish between themselves and so-called believers. Frankly, the world that needs to see the light of Christ cannot see it because of so much sin.

The issue is that there will be moments where we will suffer not because we did something wrong, but quite the contrary, for trying to do those things that God commands, for things that go against the flesh. Tough times will occur that God Himself will allow to happen to take us beyond, to see if we truly love Him, if we are willing to pay the price for following Him, like we saw here in the Apostle Paul. Following Christ bears a price, in one way or another, whether it be persecution, difficult circumstances, and so on; tough times will come and the question that God makes throughout all of that is: Do you love me? We read of the same here: “Now great multitudes went with Him [just like now]. And He turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:25-33.

The Lord will allow things to happen that will finally take us to the path of sanctification, to continue helping us let go of the sin that can still ensnare us, the sin that can interfere with our walk towards eternity. And those moments will also be for giving testimony to that cloud of witnesses, to show that different circumstances can be endured for love for the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do things alone, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit. But that dedication, that determination that can be seen in us (like Paul’s faith that we just read about) can also help strengthen the faith of others. So then, are you willing to go through anything, even injustices, for love for God, so you can get to the true goal that His Word promises? Lord bless! John

God’s Miracles - Acts 5:17-32

Based on Acts 5:17-32 (New King James Version)

“Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.’ And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, ‘Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!’ Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came and told them, saying, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!’ But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.’”

Can God do miracles today? And the answer is, “yes”, because the Word offers this simple explanation: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. God does not change. His power does not depend on the times, nor on circumstances, nor on political parties, nor on economic stabilities, nor on science and/or medicine. In summary, God can do whatever He wants, wherever He wants, however He wants, and whenever He wants to. And blessed be the Most High for that, because if we did not have such a Rock as a foundation for our faith, our hope would be in vain, and all of us that have entrusted our lives to Him would not get anything in eternity, where things are much more unpredictable and uncontrollable for us as humans (because there is no one that can do anything for themselves in what comes after). If the Lord would change, He would be like everything else (be careful, because there are principalities and powers that can affect the present, the temporary world). But, one question would be, "What are the conditions so that a miracle from God could happen?”

To start, we must see and understand very clearly the way they were done before, just as the Word shows us (because everything God does is subject to His Word). What we read in today’s passage demonstrates to us what should be present for God to want to intervene. What we can see is that the disciples that were miraculously freed by the Lord were serving the Lord. They were not jailed because they were doing something illegal, and far less, because they were doing something that went against God’s commands. Actually, quite contrary. They were unjustly imprisoned precisely because they chose to serve the Lord, and through that, they were being obedient more to God than to man.

Together with this, these disciples were not perfect, but their lives were in order and subject to the Lord’s obedience, because we can see this in their own lifestyle and determination. We are saved by grace, but after receiving such grace from God, the power of God manifests itself differently when a person is subjected to the things of God, and obeys the Word of God, both in their daily living and service. And this “helps” to determine if God will intervene miraculously somehow or not (because this alone does not determine things).

The other factor that should be present for God to intervene is purpose. God will not intervene directly if there is no purpose, if there is not a reason that makes sense to Him (not according to our thoughts). This is something that is very difficult to understand for many people, to be able to see things from God’s point of view. And the reason for why this is difficult for most, even for God’s so-called people, is because they are only focused on themselves, on their own desires and vanities, just as the Lord Himself said it: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9. Many are far away from God’s thoughts, so far away that they are subjected to Satan’s ways, and they do things without even noticing, just like we see it in the next passage: “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. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Matthew 16:21-24. This is what happens when a person puts their focus on man’s things (they obey Satan). The purpose that was present when the disciples were freed was as a testimony that God is God and that He was with them, so that they could continue with the work, and to demonstrate to the religious that they were fighting with God Himself. And there were many other purposes, not just these. When God intervenes, it is because there is a masterpiece where many things are involved, and in a such way that even transcend time.

Now, there is another thing to clarify, because there are many occurrences that could be seen as miracles, but that God may not necessarily be involved for good (and we need to be very careful here). It was mentioned before that there are principalities and powers that can affect the present world. Not all so-called miracles proceed directly from God, that could be for good. It is necessary to be able to understand clearly what comes from God and what comes from some other source. And the way to be able to distinguish things is through what we explained. If other things happen outside of God, or rather, outside of the parameters of obeying God, they are happening for perdition, because everything that makes man deviate away from God is for perdition, and the enemy and his forces can influence things to cause man to deviate. So then, if you wish to see God’s hand in your life, make sure your life is in order with God, with what God commands. Because also, if you are just looking for a miracle, be careful. You may get just what you want, and the Lord will not be involved. So then, are you living your life for the Lord or for something else? Lord bless! John

God’s Purpose for Our Lives - 2 Corinthians 5:1-11

Based on 2 Corinthians 5:1-11 (New King James Version)

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 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. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.”

There are many that have asked throughout the ages, “What is the purpose of this life?” And of course, since it is easier to perceive what is visible, the here and now, then the focus of many people’s lives become earthly, towards the temporary world. That’s why in general, the majority, even many believers, are only focused on the present world, and to such an extent that they have invented many doctrines and teachings that only apply to the present. And it is understandable because we are practically prisoners of our own senses and of the sin that dwells within us. But, if we truly understand our creation, the way God made us, we should be able to understand that we were created for things that are of much greater significance and infinite. God did not create us just to live in this temporary world (blessed be God that there is something more).

This is something that must be understood, especially if we desire to live the total purpose of our existence. This world is only a prelude, a place for decision, and also a place where we can prepare for what is coming, for things that are more important and eternal. The Bible refers to this place as the valley of decision, which is what can be read in the book of the prophet Joel, where it says: “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:14. And we can see this matter of decision from the beginning when God Himself spoke to His people, as it is also written: “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. ‘See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.’” Deuteronomy 30:11-20. Everything here implies a decision, a choice. And we need to remember that God is not necessarily talking here about an earthly promised land, but rather, of something that goes beyond, the one that Abraham truly pursued, the father of faith, the one who is also father of those that have decided to have his same faith.

So then, what is our real purpose? God made us so that we could first choose for Him, being convinced by our faculty to reason that He Himself has given us. Reason is the only thing we have, together with our soul (because the two are a part of each other), which should be able to take us further than the sin that dwells within us. And our senses should be subject to our reasoning so that they can focus on God and on His works, and not on the evil and temporary desires of the flesh. This is the main purpose. But also, just like all things, there is a practical part, per se, for why we need to choose for the Lord. Everything that exists points to God being our only salvation. There is nothing more. Everything else is temporary, superficial, or has a poor foundation. All the answers are in God and the reason for our existence (because He created us for Himself). And we are called as His creation to fulfill our function, our eternal purpose.

In the end, the purpose of our existence is to come to the Lord and to understand that He is everything, and that we need to fulfill our eternal purpose, and part of that eternal purpose is to help others come to the same salvation. And that is why we can neither let ourselves be guided, and least of all, cling on to the hear and now, to the visible, to earthly things. If we cling on to and focus only on those things, we will lose sight of the purpose, the why, the reason for our existence. There is something much greater and eternal beyond this. The reason for this place is to understand that greater and better thing exists and to search for it, like those great men and women that preceded us. This is what the Word says regarding this: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” 1 Corinthians 2:9. Everything in the present exists and happens to be able to take us to a point of decision and to be prepared for what is coming. But, there is no way of attaining this if this feeling is not in us: “But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.’” Mark 8:33-35. If you put your eyes on earthly things, in the things of men, you will irredeemably be lost. But, if you put your focus on Christ, and you deny yourself, and you follow Him faithfully, despite the circumstances, then not only will you come to have eternal life, but also, you will attain those things that only God knows that exists and that He has reserved for those that truly love Him.

So then, are you fulfilling God’s true purpose for your life, the reason for why He made you? Lord bless! John