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The Lord Must Be Our Focus - 1 Corinthians 1:10-13

Based on 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 (New King James Version)

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

What was the real problem that was happening with these Corinthians? The most serious matter was that many had already stopped putting their eyes on the Lord. This is what causes division not only in a church, but everywhere, the issue that there are not many with their eyes fixed on the Lord. This is a serious problem that must be corrected in a person if they really want to attain all that God gives. Otherwise, if a person does not have their eyes fixed on the Lord, if He is not the focus of everything in their life, not only will divisions simply continue to occur, but even worse, there will be no salvation. This problem of having the focus on other things or other people is critical and, unfortunately, very common.

The Word of God is very clear on this matter. And this is precisely what makes getting to God very difficult for many, the issue of not staying focused on the Lord. Many say they believe in God, but either they have set their sights on another person, or on other things, or they even set their sights on a generic God, so to speak. The point is that a person must have defined God’s identity for themselves, especially for salvation and eternal life. This is the first thing. Believing in a generic God does not save a person. And it should be very clear that looking to other human beings like us, no matter how special they are or have been, cannot save a person either. According to the Word, there is an exact point, or an exact Person where you should set your eyes, on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the Word says: “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12. The Word of God also says this: “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.” Hebrews 12:1-2.

To clear up the issue, we could start with the apostle Paul himself on this matter of following or having our eyes focused only on the Lord, where he said: “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1. And this is why Paul admonishes the church, because he himself clarifies that he was neither crucified for them, nor were they baptized in his name. Although the Corinthians owed Paul respect, who was the one who brought them the gospel, in the end they could not set their eyes on him (although ironically and sadly, we read that this church did stray from the Lord and was very ungrateful to Paul, and they even judged him). The other person who said very clearly to do as the Lord commanded was Mary. Although she was chosen by God to be part of the miracle of conceiving the Lord Jesus Christ, she also made it clear that our attention should be on the Lord and not on her, as it is written: “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’” Juan 2:1-5. And finally, and the most culminating of all is God the Father's own testimony. This is what the Scriptures attest: “Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’ When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.” Luke 9:28-36. Although Moses and Elijah were present, and are quite special, God the Father said from heaven that His Son, Jesus Christ, is the one we should listen to. And Moses and Elijah were taken away at that moment, and the Lord was found alone, so that there would be absolutely no confusion or doubt. The Lord Jesus Christ should be the One we follow. We should put our focus on Him.

And finally, this is the heavenly focus in the kingdom of God, as it is written: “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’ And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.” Revelation 5:8-14. That is why the Lord Himself said this: “…‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6. There is no other way. There is no other place or person where we should have set our eyes on, where we should place all the attention of our being. The Lord Jesus Christ should be the focus of our existence. So, where is your focus? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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Loyalty to the Lord - 2 Timothy 1

Based on 2 Timothy 1 (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—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

We see through this passage one very crucial thing: loyalty. And even more exactly, loyalty to the Lord. Here we see people who were loyal to the Lord and others who were not. Some who were so loyal that they even worried about the faith being passed from generation to generation, and others who abandoned the Lord to follow the world. Loyalty is something crucial in the Lord and for two reasons, which we will see later.

But in order to understand this issue of loyalty, it is necessary to understand why there is such a thing as loyalty. Free will is what needs to exist for loyalty to mean anything. Without free will, loyalty would have no point. God made man with free will. He did not make us robots, nor did He set its path beforehand. In general, we are all free to choose our path, whether to follow the Lord or not, whether to be faithful to Him or not. As Joshua said in ancient times: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15. And the Word also says: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” Deuteronomy 30:15. So, we are free to choose, to decide our path, whether we want life or death. Even being in the Lord, each person can decide to remain in the Lord or leave the path as those from Asia did, such as Phygellus and Hermogenes. Even Judas Iscariot himself could have decided otherwise with the Lord. Everything had to be fulfilled, but it is up to each person how the Word of God is fulfilled in them. As it is written: “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:7. So, each person has the power to choose whether they want to be loyal to the Lord or not, whether they want to obtain life or follow death.

And why then does this free will exist? Because God subjected everything to love. And in love, there is no obligation. Everything in love consists of choice, of decision, of choosing. So, this matter that one has no power over oneself when involved in love is not true. A person finally chooses what to love, even people. We are beings made with reason, because God created us that way (we are not the product of a cosmic accident). We are not animals, nor irrational beings, although many today heading that way due to their sin (but that is a message for another day). This is what the Word says: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:19-20. So, each person chooses either to love God or to love sin. Loyalty goes hand in hand with love. A person is loyal to the one they love, in the general course of things.

Having said this, what are the two reasons why we should be loyal to the Lord? The first is considering everything we owe him. God chose to love us, as it is written: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God did everything without any obligation. God does not owe anyone anything. We owe everything to Him, even the air we breathe today. And the second reason is, because if we are not loyal to Him, if we do not abide in Him, we will not have salvation. As the Word also says: “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 15:4-6. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8. And that is why God urges us in this manner: “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.” Hebrews 12:1-3.

So then, do you understand that you should be loyal to the Lord because He deserves it, and because it is the only way to legitimately attain salvation? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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Being Persecuted for the Right Reasons - Acts 25:1-12

Based on Acts 25:1-12 (New King James Version)

“Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. ‘Therefore,’ he said, ‘let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.’ And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, while he answered for himself, ‘Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.’ But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, ‘Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?’ So Paul said, ‘I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.’ Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, ‘You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!’

In this life, people live and die for many reasons. There are people who live to enjoy the things of this world, for pleasures, to have goods, to achieve fame and fortune. Others live for nobler things, like for a family and loved ones. And there are people who not only live, but have died for certain things. There are people who have given their lives for things that are not noble or considered not good, and also, others have given their lives for noble things, for loved ones, for a duty, for the love of a country (as we celebrate in the United States this month. May God bless our veterans!) Finally, it is inevitable, as the beings we are, whatever we do, we live and die, and there are always reasons for both. We are created beings, and as such, everything created has a purpose, a reason, it has a function, but everything depends on what we choose to follow.

As we know from the Scriptures, the apostle Paul was persecuted, tried, imprisoned, and ultimately even killed. In today's passage we see part of his experience. And we would have to ask: “Was Paul wrong, and that is why he suffered? Did he lack faith? Was it a mistake to appeal to Cesar? Much of what is taught today in many places would lead one to think that Paul did not do things well, and that is why he went through hardship. For example, it is still as strong as ever, but it has taken different forms, this prosperity gospel where it is taught that, if you have enough faith, or if you supposedly do things well, everything will turn out well for you. Such teachings would show in Paul that he did not have enough faith, because if he had faith, he could have moved these mountains of affliction. There are others who would argue that he was not wise enough, and that he was simply wrong. In short, there are many erroneous teachings circulating today that would misjudge Paul. Paul was not perfect, because simply, no human being is perfect. The only one who was perfect in all His ways in the flesh was the Lord Jesus Christ. But I would venture to say that Paul was the one who most resembled the Lord in his walk. What happened to Paul was foreseen by the Lord Himself, when He said: “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” Luke 21:12-13. So, very clearly, Paul did not make a mistake, but did do what was necessary. Therefore, what happened to him had nothing to do with a lack of faith, or a lack of wisdom, or anything like that. That is why we must be very careful with what is taken as truth, because the devil distorts and changes the Holiness of God to make the lie look like the truth. He doesn't change his tactics.

So, what should we understand through all of this? If we live and suffer persecution, or even if we have to give our lives, let it be for what leads to eternal life. We should not suffer, first of all, because we sin. This is what the Word says: “For ‘He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:10-17. So, if we are faced with difficult situations, let it not be because we did wrong, or because we were religious, or because of arrogance and haughtiness (because there is a lot of arrogance in the so-called people of God today, many who believe themselves superior to others).

Why was Paul finally persecuted? “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. ‘Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult. They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me. Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.’ ” Acts 24:14-21. Paul was persecuted for this: “…‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…” John 11:25b-26a. The only reason why he lived and died was for Christ, because he wanted to please and follow Him who is worthy forever and ever, the only One who can give an incomparable reward, for whom one must live and even die, if necessary. It is difficult to follow Him here and now because everything has a price, but there is no greater reward. So, who do you live for? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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Obeying the Lord - 1 Kings 13:11-34

Based on 1 Kings 13:11-34 (New King James Version)

“Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. And their father said to them, ‘Which way did he go?’ For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. Then he said to his sons, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, ‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’ And he said, ‘I am.’ Then he said to him, ‘Come home with me and eat bread.’ And he said, ‘I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ’ He said to him, ‘I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ’ (He was lying to him.) So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water,’ your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ’ So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, ‘It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.’ And he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled it. Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass.’ After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.”

The only thing that produces life in man, especially eternal life, is the Word of God. There is no life in anything else. As it is written: “…‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4b. If we are even breathing at this very moment, it is because the Word of God is making it possible. We saw in today's passage that, because a prophet was not zealous for what God had commanded him, he died for his disobedience. Disobedience always has consequences, especially when we are judged.

Some may think, “Why did God judge him if the other prophet had lied to him?” Because we are not supposed to get carried away by what others say, no matter who they are. Finally, each person has to learn to hear the Word of God for themselves. And at this time, even more so, because there is very little truth everywhere. We have more apostasy today than ever because of the sin that abounds in the people of God. So, today more than ever we must cling to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. And today people have less than ever the excuse that they do not know the will of God. There are Bibles everywhere. Today there are even free applications for smartphones. The Word of God has been spread throughout the planet, and for many years now. We must search for His Word, because it is written: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6. If you do not seek the knowledge of God today, it is because you are simply discarding it, and not because of lack of access. And everything that is preached must be verified. You can't take everything as truth, especially if it sounds attractive. We see this same example in the Word: “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:10-11. You need to verify what is being said.

Today more than ever we must be careful with false gospels and doctrines of demons because they are very subtle and attractive. What is the biggest lie that exists today in most of our churches? That we will not be judged by our actions. Yes, we will ALL give an account before God for all our actions. Do not be fooled. This is what the Word says: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26-31. And the Word says this also: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So, for your own good, learn to listen to God for yourself, through the Holy Spirit and by studying His Word. And of course, obey Him. You don't want to find out in the final judgment that you lived wrongly. And don't make the mistake of believing that life here is some kind of indicator of how you stand before God. He who does the will of God may encounter great challenges today. And also, if a person is prosperous here, it does not mean that they are well before God. So, are you obeying the Lord for eternal life? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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The Sacrifice that Does Please God - Leviticus 9:1-7, 22-24

Based on Leviticus 9:1-7, 22-24 (New King James Version)

“It came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. And he said to Aaron, ‘Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering, also a bull and a ram as peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the Lord will appear to you.’ ’ So they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, ‘This is the thing which the Lord commanded you to do, and the glory of the Lord will appear to you.’ And Moses said to Aaron, ‘Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.’ Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”

Why did God establish sacrifices, to begin with, as sin offerings, for peace between Him and His people, so that His presence would be revealed? It was established so man would understand the price of sin. When man fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, something big changed, there was something that happened that would change all things for the worse, both the planet, nature, and of course, even the carnal state of man, and their eternity. When man sinned, he brought curse on all the good that God had created. And every time we continue to sin, especially voluntarily (because we sin even without realizing it), we perpetuate that curse more and more on the earth, whether we want to recognize it and accept responsibility for it, or not. Just because you don't want to accept something doesn't invalidate its effect. That is why we cannot put all the blame on Adam and Eve, if we also continue to do as much or worse than them, because we inherit the nature of sin in our members. Then, God established sacrifices, as a beginning, so that man would learn that their sin itself has a very great price, so that they would see the suffering of innocent animals die for their evils, see the innocent die for the guilty. These sacrifices were not moments of rejoicing, but rather solemn and sad moments, where the priest would feel for a few moments the pain of the animals when they were killed.

Now, blessed be the God of all mercy, that these sacrifices are no longer necessary, and in reality, it was never the plan for them to be permanent. This was always His will, and now more than ever as a result of the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’” Isaiah 1:16-18. The way God's grace is manifested is through repentance and conversion, by doing things that are worthy of Him. Now, some will say: “But aren't we saved by grace alone, because of what Christ did on the cross?” And I would say that, yes, that is the foundation of our salvation, but there must be a product of that faith, something as a result, if there is in fact such a faith. Because the Lord's sacrifice alone cannot do anything in our lives if we do not make it our own and produce something as a result. This is the will of God, and the sacrifice that God continues to seek from each of us, as it is written: “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ ’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ But after that no one dared question Him.” Mark 12:28-34. Notice that the Lord confirmed what the scribe answered, that loving God and our neighbor were always of more value than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. And love is shown in action, not with words. That is why faith without works is dead. A person can say all they want about their faith, but if there are no works that fulfill the true will of God in their life, then such faith is useless.

So then, there is something we need to offer to God. What does the Word say regarding this? “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. So, what is the offering that God seeks? The sacrifice of our free will, to stop subjecting our only belonging (free will, our will) to sin and subjecting it to Him, giving Him our free will to love Him and serve Him, to do His will on earth. That is the sacrifice that God has sought from the beginning, since He created man, because we were made for Him, for His glory, for His purpose, as it is written: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. So then, do you continue sacrificing your only belonging to sin and death, or to God that has given you everything, and without any kind of obligation? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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The Need for a Spiritual Leader - Exodus 14

Based on Exodus 14 (New King James Version)

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.’ And they did so. Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, ‘Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’ So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.’ And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.’ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.’ And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.”

In this passage we see something very clear, that there must be a spiritual leader for God to manifest Himself in power and glory here on earth. God obviously does all things, but with the complement of a person who decides to truly believe God, seek after God, and urge others to do the same. That is the type of person that is necessary to find that complement to see God work. God will not work otherwise if there is not such faith, such desire to follow and urge others to follow.

I was once asked, “Why don't we see the miracles that there were before?” And the answer was: “Because of the abundance of sin.” It is a sin not only to do the immoral things that the Bible talks about, but also to lack faith, to lack obedience to the Word of God, and of course, for following things and beliefs that are not in line with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. All of this is a sin too, and many times, even more serious than those that others consider bad or ugly, because although all sin is injustice, before the eyes of God there are differences in consequences and offense. We all continue to sin, even when we are in Christ, because we are imperfect beings, but there are differences between one sin and the other. But the greatest sins before God are lack of faith and cowardice; two things that were totally absent in the life of Moses when God was visibly working.

When Moses had his encounter with God, there was something that happened within him, something that transformed him, a faith that was born that was unshakable. From then on, through his faith, God did great things through Moses. And Moses, by his faith, confronted entire nations, from Pharaoh and the Egyptians to the rebels within the people of Israel. Moses was not a coward. And his faith was not based on his desires, as many false prophets and teachers teach today. Moses' faith was rooted in the will of God, in God design. Moses never tried to make God his servant as is very commonly done today. But on the contrary, he sought to fulfill God's will and obey it. That is true faith, believing God and obeying Him, and urging others to do so. Moses never bowed to Pharaoh, not because he was a rebel, but because his trust and obedience were totally subject to God. But Moses submitted to God under his own will, he decided through his free will to follow the Lord God as his God, and to follow Him and do as he was commanded, no matter what it cost him. That's what being a spiritual leader is all about. It is not men who choose these leaders. These leaders mainly emerge on their own when they decide for the Lord. Those are the ones we need today more than ever. Another leader also said this: “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15. So then, have you decided to be a leader where you are so the glory of God can be manifested? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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Being Led by the Spirit - Romans 12:9-21

Based on Romans 12:9-21 (New King James Version)

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Fulfilling the Word of God will not only produce eternal life, but it will also produce a different life while in this world for us individually. Just as the Lord said it: “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4b. Absolutely everything, even our daily existence, depends on the Word of God. There is no life in anything else. Everything else is just an illusion. But, along with the Word of God, there must be the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the life of the believer, of a person who truly wants their eternal life to begin here and continue, there must be both the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And both are interdependent. The Word of God is the knowledge of the truth, but the Holy Spirit is the one who must guide the application of such truth.

The Word of God, which gives us the knowledge we need, speaks of this Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, as it is also written: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7. So then, we should get our guidance from Him, just as the Lord’s faithful example demonstrates for us: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit…” Matthew 4:1a. That’s why the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit taught this: “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.” Galatians 5:16-17.

So, what we read at the beginning is obviously the Word of God, and we must apply it to our lives, but subject to what the Holy Spirit guides. The Holy Spirit is the one who has to tell us how and when, and what applies in each situation, and not our flesh. Why? Because although a person has given their life to the Lord, sin still dwells in their flesh, and is subject to the senses. That connection of the visible world to our flesh through the senses is what still hinders us and does not help us see things clearly. That is the practical side of the matter, and that is why the Apostle Paul advised us not to be led by the flesh. It is part of our nature to look for what is pleasant and attractive at the moment, to let ourselves be carried away by pleasures and bad desires. The senses and the flesh do not know what is spiritual, that which remains forever, but only that which is earthly, temporal, and finally, carnal. If we desire the eternal, the immovable, then we must moreover let ourselves be guided by that. There is only one thing, or rather, one Person who is immovable and eternal, and that is God, and even more exactly, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three persons, but one God, as we read before.

So, having said this, what should guide us to begin to have this Holy Spirit, and so He can guide us effectively? This is what the Word says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7. We must take God into account in everything, and with all reverence (which means: fear), starting even with the most basic things. What does God think of me? How can I find grace before this God who is immovable? If we want to belong to God, we must ask Him to be our Lord. This is what the Word says: “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10. So, if you accept Jesus as Lord, treat him as such. If He is the Lord, then only His will must be done. After all, if we neither know nor understand the eternal things of God, how do we think we can arrive at it by ourselves, and by our own opinion? Therefore, we must ask the Lord to show us His way. And of course, that will many times go totally against what we think and feel, because of the sin that we still have. So, we must let ourselves be led by Him, and let His will be done. Because it is written: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.

What example can we see of this? The Apostle Paul. This is his testimony: “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 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 9:1-6. Paul did the wisest thing in his life. He changed course, and humbled himself before God and he treated Him as the Lord He is. That’s why he also wrote this: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12. And, why with fear and trembling? “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. Therefore, if you desire good for yourself, cling on to God’s Word and look for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. So then, what is guiding you? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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The Coming Judgment - Psalm 58

Based on Psalm 58 (New King James Version)

“Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? No, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully. Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them flow away as waters which run continually; when he bends his bow, let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath. The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, so that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

We see that God judges on earth, that is, that there is a judgment of God. And if we search the entire Word of God, we would see that this judgment of God is mentioned in many places. Therefore, we would have to say that, yes, it is true that there is such a judgment, and it is when every person will give an account. It is possible that we will also see minor judgments that the Lord executes here on earth in the meantime, but those do not always happen, whether out of mercy, to give opportunity to the wicked to convert and return from their evil ways until the last moment, or because he has that eternal punishment reserved for them after the final judgment. But, whenever it is, there is a final judgment. Because this is what the Word says: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15. And the Scriptures also say: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27.

Now, many Christians think that this great judgment of God is only reserved for those who refused to believe in the Lord. But it is not like that. As much as before, and now even more, we know from the Scriptures that we will all give an account for all our deeds before God in that great final judgment. We see even more clearly that in today's passage, the writer is referring neither to the pagans nor to the unbelievers, but rather, to the congregation. He challenges them and cries out for God's judgment, for those within the congregation who do evil. So, these are people who are not ignorant of God's Truth and Biblical principles.

I know that many will say: That's in the Old Testament, and it no longer applies. And others will also say: “But if God has forgiven everything through the sacrifice of Christ, how will we be judged then?” And, “Isn't God's salvation by grace, and works no longer matter, whether good or bad?” And so, there will be many other wrong ideas, all based on bad doctrines and false teachings, which have been very popular for a long time. And of course, why shouldn't they be popular if they take away any responsibility from the believer, and give them the freedom (or rather, licentiousness) to do as they want, with the expectation that, in any case, whatever we do that everything will be fine? These teachings are what feed both the coldness and lukewarmness that exists in God's people today. And the Bible says very clearly that God will vomit out of His mouth those who are lukewarm, that is, those who want to be right with Him and with the devil, with God and with the world, for just being religious.

When the Apostle Paul shared the Gospel with unbelievers, he also spoke of righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, as it is written: “And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’” Acts 24:24-25. And as expected, just as many won't like to hear today, Felix didn't want to accept it. And if Paul shared with an unbelieving Gentile about faith and those other things, even without converting yet, how much more would it apply to us who claim to be God's people, to those who claim to know the truth? This is what the Word says in the New Testament (to avoid any doubt and make it clear that it is more than valid in grace): “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26-31. And: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10.

So, for what evil does David ask for justice and cry out to God? The one who hurts his brother. In indifference there is also evil, like the one who uses lies and deception to take from his brother. Every evil against a brother is highly punishable before God, as it is written: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:14-15. And the Lord said directly also: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Matthew 7:21-23. If God will not allow those who do good things with bad intentions to enter His kingdom, how much more will He not allow a person who in one way or another only harms their brother? God will judge everyone. He will judge our actions, religiosity, lack of love, ultimately, for not seeking to do His will on earth. So, what will happen with you at God’s final judgment? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.

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Bad Things can Give Way to Good Things - Esther 2:1-18

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

“After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. Then the king’s servants who attended him said: ‘Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king; and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ This thing pleased the king, and he did so. In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her. Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s palace. In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name. Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.”

The book of Esther tells us very interesting historical facts, real events that happened in the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians, the most powerful kingdom in the world at its time. And in the book of Esther, we see that something that uneducated people would probably see as simple and unimportant, especially considering today’s mentality. What had occurred is that Queen Vashti challenged King Ahasuerus, without any reason, but only out of haughtiness and pride, because apparently, she took advantage of the king's good will towards her and treated him as a weakling for the kindness he had towards her. This issue was not a simple matter because any sign of weakness at that time in such authority would not only interfere with the kingdom internally, but also with its established power. At that time, any sign of weakness from the king could even encourage enemies to attack. So, this supposed couples’ problem (as it would be seen today) could have been a disaster where thousands upon thousands would have died, if the king had not reacted wisely to the inexcusable arrogance of a woman. Injustice and foolishness have consequences.

However, there are many times that things that we see as bad can lead to good things to happen, but it all depends on how we react to those circumstances. A bad can give way to a good. And this is not a matter of positive thinking, or psychology, because our thoughts or dispositions do not determine reality. In other words, our opinion does not control reality as many think. The universe does not obey our opinion, but rather, it is governed by Someone much greater than us, by God. I know there is a lot of talk about the fact that our opinions do not control reality, but it is a very common evil, especially today. As an example, Queen Vashti thought that her arrogance and haughtiness would have no consequences, but they did. She was replaced, because the wise king was not going to allow himself to be dominated by his queen and risk possible internal problems, much less risk the well-being of his kingdom. So, evil gave way to something good, it led to Vashti being replaced by a superior woman and the king managed to gain a worthy and excellent queen, a woman who would not weaken his kingdom, but would rather help it prosper even more, and make it an even more just kingdom. And so, God used this event to bring good not only to a woman who was an orphan (Esther also suffered great losses as a child), but He used it to do good to Mordecai, to all the people of Israel within the kingdom, and also to the kingdom of King Ahasuerus. So, this evil gave way to much good.

What do we learn from this? That when bad things happen, they can lead to better things, to things we wouldn't even imagine. But, it all depends not necessarily on what we think, but rather, on who we trust. If we trust God, and follow Him, God can turn even the most painful things into great and even eternal things. For example, the disciples did not understand before the Lord died that such a sacrifice had to happen, for the good of them and of all humanity. God took eternal advantage out of the horror of the cross, because through His death He gives us the opportunity to have eternal life. From the most horrendous sacrifice in all of history, that God Himself died for man, came life, healing, and eternal glory. In my own life, many evils happened at a very young age. Everything I knew and was precious to me was being destroyed, and there was nothing I could do about it. But God in His great mercy appeared in my life and gave me the opportunity to know Him through His gospel, and I was able to make that decision to cling to Him and make Him the Lord of my life. And from those evils came my greatest blessing: eternal life with an eternal purpose, because that is what the Lord does when we take Him as such. The cross of Christ also produced life in me. If you have difficulty, pain, and despair due to bad things that have happened to you, take that opportunity that is being given to you to seek God, and make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life so that you too can turn your evils into introductions to the good that only Almighty God can give through the Lord Jesus Christ. So, are you seeking the Lord to turn your evils into good, or do you seek to solve them in your own way so that you continue from bad to worse, hating your own soul? Lord bless! John    

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Do Not Set Your Eyes on the Corruptible - 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Based on 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (New King James Version)

“But someone will say, ‘How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?’ Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Probably the biggest challenge facing those of us who have chosen to follow the Lord is the issue of shifting our focus from the earthly to the spiritual. And this matter is very logical because we were all born and live only knowing this world, and nothing else. It's the only thing that our senses have been showing us, so to speak. This world is the only thing we know. But blessed be God who created us and also made us with other things that give us the ability to go beyond the earthly. And that's what we should focus on.

I imagine that many will ask, “What is the problem in focusing on the here and now if you yourself say that this is the only thing we know?” The problem, as we read today, is that what is earthly is corruption, and corruption does not last forever, but rather, it will one day end. We should rather focus on the incorruptible, the eternal, even if it is not something we are familiar with. The problem with focusing only on the earthly, on the corruptible, is that ultimately all of this will lead only to death, eternal death. This is what the Word says: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:7-9. Concerning ourselves only with the flesh will only produce corruption and ultimately death. But he who sows for the Spirit will reap eternal life, if he does not faint, because we must continue to the end.

This is probably the main problem that many so-called believers have, in that even though they profess to believe in the Lord, their focus, their attention, their effort is only on the earthly, on the corruptible. They continue to live for what only ends in death despite saying that they believe in the One who gives life. What's more, the vast majority seek God only to solve their daily problems and for Him to serve them in the present. And they think that because they involve God in their lives in some way, that they will also have eternal life, even though that is not their focus. And this is a serious mistake. If a person focuses primarily on the earthly, on the corruptible, that is what they will reap, no matter what faith they profess to have. Their supposed faith will be in vain, because as we just read, God cannot be mocked. No one can use God, even if it seems at the moment that they are getting what they want. Many judge that they are right with God when they think that things go their way, but what happens here and now has nothing to do with what will happen in God's great judgment. And that is why it is so urgent to change your thinking and to put aside the present and look toward the eternal future, because it is the only way you will obtain eternal life. Otherwise, you will only continue on your course towards hell. We must always remember that reality is not controlled by our opinion. And no human being is God, nor can they make God do whatever he or she wants to.

What should happen then in our lives? There must be a drastic change, from focusing on the worldly to the heavenly, from the earthly to the spiritual, and the corruptible to the incorruptible. This is what the Word says: “I beseechyou therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2. There must be a renewal of our understanding, and this only happens with a complete repentance and conversion from all sin, and a complete turning or changing from everything that opposes God. This is the main thing, that without repentance, without a total and genuine conversion, you will never be able to be born again in Christ and have the Holy Spirit enter your life. And we need Him because we cannot do this transformation or renewal of understanding alone. We need the Eternal God and Father to work in our lives through His Holy Spirit. And the end must be very obvious, that we should take our sight away from the corruptible and setting it on the Incorruptible, on Christ, as it is written: “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. Hebrews 12:1-2. Christ must become our primary focus, our goal, the reason for our existence. It doesn't mean that the rest doesn't matter, but it does mean that God has the priority, and that we should seek to have His will done primarily. If you can achieve that in your life, if you can be firm and constant, growing in the work of the Lord, doing that which is necessary, you will effectively obtain eternal life. So, where do you have your eyes set? Lord bless! John

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Spiritual Progress - 1 Corinthians 15:1-22

Based on 1 Corinthians 15:1-22 (New King James Version)

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 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. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

In this church of the Corinthians there were serious problems, problems with very basic things in the faith. And many of them, although they confessed to believing in the Lord, were not remaining in the faith that leads to eternal life, but were focused on other, much lesser things. They were questioning one of the most precise things about faith in Christ, the resurrection. And as a result of that doubt, they only focused on everyday life. They lived for the here and now, nothing more, and they sought God only to resolve the things of the present. There was neither a true faith, nor even a spiritual progress, but quite the opposite, a stagnation that does not lead to anything good.

Unfortunately, things repeat themselves, and today this problem exists more than ever within the universal church of God. Nowadays more than ever, the vast majority of supposed believers suffer from these same problems, questioning the resurrection, and totally focused only on God solving their present problems or needs, or even looking for Him to fulfill their superficial desires, and nothing else. There are serious problems of faith. How can I say this? Because it's just a matter of observing the things that God's supposed people do. If you want to know the faith a person has, just observe their actions. Today, the vast majority of God's so-called servants are more concerned with speaking and teaching of things that please the masses than what the Word actually teaches. And for what? Because they want to live well, they want to build temples made by the hands of men, they want the admiration of the people, and they want to exercise control over the simple and unlearned. And also, the vast majority of supposed believers look to God to only solve their problems, to solve the here and now, and nothing more, and of course, that God also serve them to achieve their goals and fulfill their desires. In short, there is no such view on the resurrection, in the coming judgment where we will all give account. There is no true faith, and even less so, spiritual progress. So therefore, there is no life, but only a focus on the earthly and temporal world. And as the Apostle Paul said: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” Why? Because everything in this world will disappear, it will be consumed, nothing will be left, and that is what will also happen with every person who does not think about the kingdom of God and is only focused on this world. Every person will be judged according to the faith they have.

What does God call us to? For our own good, to believe that there is such a resurrection of the dead, and that there is an eternal life for which we must fight for, because if we do not fight for it, if we do not retain and live such faith in Christ, then eternal life will not be obtained. Ladies and gentlemen, one must fight to retain a living and true faith, and if necessary, even die for that faith, just as those great men of faith did who saw the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. This is what the Word says: “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-11. But, if there is no faith because one does not really believe in the resurrection, and one does not live for that eternal life, but only for the things of the world, can one add the rest that is necessary so that they can have ample and generous entry into God's kingdom? It is not impossible. Nothing can be built that will resist trial, temptation, and tribulation if the good foundation of faith in Christ is not there. Therefore, the same thing that he said to these Corinthians applies for today: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2 Corinthians 13:5.

Why is it so important to live a real faith in Christ? Because it is the only thing that will drive us to do the will of the Father in our lives. Because if you don't genuinely believe something, then how will you fight for it? The only ones who will be able to enter the kingdom of heaven are those who dedicate themselves to doing the will of the Father, as it is written: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So then, where is your faith? And, if it is on Christ, are you progressing in Him so you can do what is necessary to enter the kingdom of God? Lord bless! John

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Leaving Behind a Solid Spiritual Legacy - 2 Timothy 1:1 – 2:10

Based on 2 Timothy 1:1 – 2:10 (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—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

There are people who care and strive to leave a legacy behind them. There are people who wish to leave a legacy for the human race, be it a great scientific, or mathematical, or medical achievement, or even in the form of art such as music, or painting. There are people who want to leave an impact on others, be it their children or families, or loved ones. There are people who strive to leave a company or business behind them so that others can survive after they are gone. A being that sees beyond their person is concerned about leaving something behind them, for those who remain after they have left, and are not necessarily spiritual people or have divine knowledge.

Now, is it wrong to worry about leaving something behind oneself for the good of those left behind them? Of course not. It is good that a human being cares about leaving something good behind them, be it a father or a mother who worries about the well-being of their family after they leave, or people dedicated to noble things who help their fellow man in some way. Either way, leaving some kind of good for someone else after your departure is admirable. And it would be of great value to humanity if there were more people who thought about the well-being of their neighbors instead of just thinking about themselves. We live in a very selfish world today. And even worse, there is too much selfishness within the church of God. So, it is good to worry about leaving a good legacy behind, but we have to think about the duration and impact of what is left behind, that is, what is the greater good. We know that everything in this world is temporary. Everything that we can detect with our senses will cease to be one day. Although we go to other planets, as some think, for the good of humanity, there is something that never changes, and that is that every human being will die at some point. So, no matter how hard we try, if we leave things behind that only impact the temporal world, so will the contribution be—temporary, limited, finite.

So, thinking this way, what is the best legacy that any person can leave behind? The eternal, the divine, that which can last forever. The Apostle Paul thought and dedicated himself to this, as we could read. And in order to do the same, we must look to God, because God is the only eternal Being that exists, just as it is written: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself focused on this very thing for the good of all of us. The Lord did heal the sick, feed the multitudes, free the demon possessed, and even raise the dead, but His main focus was sharing the Word of God and fulfilling the sacrifice that would give us all eternal life. He gave us eternal life and the purpose that comes with that (because the purpose for eternal life is to do the will of God). The Lord did not have physical children, but He did leave an eternal legacy behind Him, as it is written: “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:10-12.

There was another who also left a legacy, although he lived but a short time after his conversion, and that was the thief on the right. This is what the Word says: “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:39-43. This man did not have years to do things for the Lord like Paul did, but with his few moments, He exercised an incredible faith, and he even justified and defended God Himself publicly, while the Holy One was in His worst physical moment. There is none other that has left such a legacy of faith like this man. He was able to see God fully even in His most difficult moment. So then, what kind of legacy are you leaving? Lord bless! John

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The Lord is a God of Order - 1 Corinthians 14:26-40

Based on 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 (New King James Version)

“How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.”

There are many things that can be seen in this passage, things that are very controversial within our churches, and even in the society we live in today. But we will stick to the main theme, and especially the one that concerns every believer in Christ, the matter of order. Today, and more than ever, there is much disorder in the universal church of God, both at the congregational level and at the family and personal level. And of course, what produces such disorder is sin. Too many so-called believers in Christ have their lives in such disarray that they have become totally useless to the Lord, and that is a serious problem. And unfortunately, many of those who believe they are serving Christ are the ones who are in the worst of disorder problems, and in such a way that they believe they are exercising a ministry for the Lord, but in reality, the Lord is displeased with what they are doing because they are simply wrong.

The first problem that we can see is the issue of disorder within the things of the ministry. There are many people who are involved in so-called service for the Lord, but not for the right reasons. Many want to stand out humanly, to attract attention. Others do things with alternative reasons such as to profit from the things of God, for their own gain in one way or another. There are people who also get involved in the things of God to feel that they can exercise dominance over others, due to some leadership complex or hunger for power that they have. Others start doing things that seem spiritual even for entertainment, to have something to do, and nothing more. The vast majority of people do eventually enter and participate in the things of the Lord, but for reasons completely outside God's will. And that simply is useless, quite the contrary, it is a stumbling block for the ministry, for others, and of course, since God knows all things, also for their own harm, because they will be judged. This says the Word: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. The all for God does not consist of what we do alone, but rather, why we do things. That is the most important thing to God. What is our motivation or our intention? If it is not done for the right reasons, then there is already disorder that will not lead to anything good.

The other problem of disorder that exists is within many of the Christian homes, that things are not subject to God, but rather, the majority of Christian homes are subject to the things of the world, to the satanic influences than to what God says. Many of the fathers are not being spiritual heads in their homes. Many of the women live in debauchery and moral disorder as well. Children are being raised the way of the world, either because the parents themselves are raising them that way, or because they let the world's system raise their children in school, through the media, and other things and people in the world’s environment. But unfortunately, there are very few families who observe God's principles to lead their homes as God commands. So, is it a mystery why there are so many divorces, so many broken homes, children of believers who even commit suicide, or children in so much disorder? Many homes claim to be Christians, but carry their things as if God did not exist, and as if such a judgment does not come before Almighty God where we will all give an account for our actions. In the end, all disorder is the product of satanic influence followed by feeding the desires of the flesh, sin.

Now, why is it finally important to do things in order? Because God is a God of order, and if we want to please God, we must live a life of order before God, for His glory, and to be able to genuinely serve Him, because that is the all of man, to love and serve God. above all things, and loving our neighbor as yourself. This is what the Lord Himself said: “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. This should be the purpose of our existence, and the reason for why we do everything in life—spiritually, secularly, and personally. And if this is not the reason or motive for which all things are done, then there is disorder, and God will judge all disorder because it is sin.

Some may say: How can I put my life in order? Very easy. Treat the Lord Jesus Christ as who He is, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and seek His wisdom. He must be Lord, which means that things are done as He says, and not as we think. The Word itself tells us this: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8. Do not doubt that there is a God, because there is an Almighty God who will judge all things according to His truth, and not according to our opinions, and even less, according to the thoughts of the world and the enemy. Therefore, my advice is for you not to let yourself get carried away by the world’s disorder and the devil because we will all give an account before God, and the only thing that will matter at that time is if God approves of what we did. The Lord is God, and He will always be. So, do you have your life in order before God? Lord bless! John             

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Salvation is a Race Run Until the End - 1 Corinthians 9:24 - 10:12

Based on 1 Corinthians 9:24 - 10:12 (New King James Version)

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 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.”

The interesting thing about the matter is that the Apostle Paul compares salvation or obtaining an incorruptible crown to a race in a stadium. Why would he make that comparison? Because he, inspired by the Holy Spirit, makes it known that obtaining salvation is something that takes a lot of dedication, sacrifice, and determination, and of course, that it has to do with something that must be adopted as a lifestyle. In order to understand the matter well, you have to understand what exactly this physical running is about.

To begin, we must see that we are talking about a competition. And when there is competition, there must be training, preparation, many different things so that a person can stand out from the rest. In a running competition, it's not about bringing together a bunch of unconditioned people or even novices, but professional athletes, so that there can be some genuine competition. Think about this. Can a person who neither trains, nor eats well, nor conditions their body, who is overweight, compete against another person who lives a methodical life, who is robust, strong, training every day, in their best physical shape? Of course not. It's not even a competition. And for this reason, in legitimate competitions, there are basic things that an athlete must have, rudimentary requirements that must be met to be admitted into a race. The Lord looks at the matter in the same way, and for this reason, he reiterates this same concept in another passage, as it is written: “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.” Hebrew 12:1-2.

So, what's this all about? That simply, a person cannot attain salvation, eternal life, or the crown of life just because they prayed some kind of prayer at a given moment, or because they do certain things and not others, or because they believe they are something without being it genuinely. A person does not reach the immortality that only God can give for being religious, or a good person, or for saying they believe in Christ. Salvation is only obtained if a person actually begins a real and genuine relationship with the Almighty through the Lord Jesus Christ and retains and lives that faith until they draw their last breath, a person who is faithful to the end. In the passage that we read today, the Apostle Paul speaks of his own surrender and fight for his faith in Christ, and that even he could have been eliminated if he did not take legitimate care. If Paul showed that this could happen in his own life, a person who did dedicate his whole life to the Gospel, who suffered persecution, was imprisoned, was flogged, and even died for a few moments after being stoned, what would that mean to us? Can we take salvation so lightly? Is the matter of reaching eternal life really that easy? It is impossible. If Paul feared, cared for, and even fought for his faith in Christ, we too must do the same. This same advice was given by the apostle: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12.

That is why he also wrote about those who did not care to be faithful to God, those who fell in the desert. He himself puts them as an example of failure. Even though they were part of God's people, they did not reach the promised land. And let this be very clear, if God did away with them in the desert, it was not to reward them with eternal life later. Their days in this world were shortened and they arrived more quickly to their eternal punishment. If they, who were God's chosen people, were not forgiven, what would be left for the vast majority of us who by nature are completely foreign to heavenly promises? We Gentiles have nothing to do with what is still God's holy people. We have only been added, grafted onto the royal olive tree, only through the mercy, goodness, and grace of God. This is what the Word says, a very clear warning to those who think they can abuse the grace of God: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26-31.

Salvation is not something to be taken lightly. And of course, it should be clear that you cannot play with God. The reward of eternal life will be only for those who not only believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but who seek to do God's will in every aspect of their lives. If a person does not seek to fulfill the will of the Father in their life, in response to the grace that has been granted, they will not see eternal life, but the closest they will get to see God is His throne in the judgement, and then to an eternal hell. Today more than ever God should be taken seriously, because the end will not be good, not even in this temporary world, and even worse, in the eternal punishment. Be wise and run the race you must run so you can attain eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ. So, are you running towards God today? Lord bless! John      

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Liability for Knowing the Truth - 2 Kings 1:1-17a

Based on 2 Kings 1:1-17a (New King James Version)

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

According to the Pew Research Center in 2010, they found that there were more than 2.2 billion Christians in the world, people who professed to have some kind of faith in Christ. At that time, they estimated that precisely in this year (2023), there would be a figure that would exceed 2.6 billion people. This is the number of people who were estimated to not only have knowledge of who Christ is, but even more, who would profess to have faith in Him. So then, how many could we say know about the Gospel of God, that maybe don’t profess to have faith in Christ, but do know what it's all about? And we would have to say that there must be many more people than the 2.6 billion estimated to have such faith in the world. I personally have talked with some people who do not profess to have faith in Christ, who are from other religions or even atheists, and they know what sin is and that the only begotten Son of God came into this world to pay for the sins of all mankind, which is the heart of the Gospel. So, a large number of people in the world not only know that there is a God, but also that His Christ came to die for the whole world so that they could obtain forgiveness for their sins and have eternal life.

But, what is done with this knowledge? I am afraid to say that both most people who profess to have faith in Christ, as well as those who only have knowledge of the Gospel, do not give any importance to the matter. It is only knowledge and nothing more. But the matter goes no further in their lives. And from there, many of those who say that they believe do believe, but only for convenience or in their own way. In the end, the large number of people who know the truth does not mean much, because there is no real faith. And what will God say about it? God has much to say, and great responsibility is before His eyes for the truth. For starters, and even for people who do not profess to have faith in Christ, but know His truth, the Word says this: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:20-21. So, there is already judgment on those who have such knowledge but reject it. The Word says this also: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36.

So then, we would have to see, what about those who say they believe, but live their lives in the world's way, and do not do God's will? There is a worse problem there, even more judgment from God. This says the Word: “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.” 2 Peter 2:20-22. And the Word says this also: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27. So, we see fully that knowing the Truth and not following it as such has great consequences, if genuine repentance is never reached. God's judgment has already begun, but it will be even worse in eternity where there is no more opportunity for salvation, if a person never turns to the Lord properly. We must bear this in mind: “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:16-17. King Ahaziah knew who God was, but he opted to look to the world for his answers. The majority today have their hearts set on the world, and their intentions are not good despite having the knowledge of the Gospel. And the Word says this: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. That is why the divine counsel is this: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. So then, what will you do with the knowledge of the Gospel? Lord bless! John

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We are Defined by our Relationships - Philemon 1:17-25

Based on Philemon 1:17-25 (New King James Version)

“If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

The saying: “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are,” is an old saying with much wisdom, but the one who clarified this obvious concept was God Himself long before. In the Word, it says this: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” Amos 3:3. Finally, both the saying and what God says come to the same point: If some people maintain an intimate relationship, it is because they are in agreement, and there is an affinity between them. And depending on the matter, this can be a good thing, but also, it can be something very bad. The people with whom we relate define who we are, and free will is what allows us to understand this.

To begin, we are all free to choose both what we want to believe in and who we want to have a relationship with. Nobody does anything by force, per say. Some may claim something extreme: “But if a person has to be with another because it is necessary, such as a life-or-death situation, what should they do?” And I can answer like this: When Caesar told the Christians that they had to acknowledge him as lord, should they have acknowledged him as such to save their own lives? And the answer is: No. If they had recognized Caesar as Lord, then they would have blasphemed and renounced their faith in Christ. There is always a choice, even if we don't like the options we have. Confessing and retaining our faith in Christ is equal to the relationships we choose to maintain. We are free to choose, and although death is part of the choice, if that is the price to be paid, so be it. We are all free to choose and there are always options to do the right thing, even if the price seems very high. Finally, we must ask ourselves this when it comes to the matter of choosing things that interfere with our eternity: What price does my soul have? And this can refer both to the decisions we make confessing our faith, as well as to the relationships we decide to keep.

Now, there will be people who will say: “Does the relationship I decide to have matter so much, that it even defines my own salvation?” And the answer is, yes. This is what the Lord Himself said: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:34-39. What does this mean? That finally Christ must be the One who takes first place in our lives. If we have to choose between a loved one who refuses to follow Christ and the Lord, the choice must always be for the Lord, whatever the relationship, whatever it costs us. Our first love, our priority, must always be the Lord, if we want to attain eternal life and have access to God’s eternal kingdom. We see the relationships that the Apostle Paul had and even defended, people who really converted to the Lord, who changed, and who were dedicating their lives for the service of the Lord. Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke were all completely dedicated to the Lord, and had even suffered imprisonment for their faith in Christ. These were the relationships that Paul had, even with this Philemon to whom he wrote, interceding for Onesimus who was once a thief and even stole from Philemon, but who had converted and left his evil ways behind to follow the Lord.

So, with whom should we be careful and distance ourselves? The Word says this: “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.’” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. Those of us who follow the Lord must do just as the Lord did. The Lord gave people the opportunity to know the Gospel, to know the way to salvation, to all sinners, and that is why He spoke to them, so that they could convert, but not to continue a relationship with people who did not want to believe. And this is the problem that exists today in the people of God, who continue to have relationships with people who do not want to convert, with people who know the truth, but prefer to remain mired in sin, and justify retaining those relationships because they are loved ones, be it family or friends. And that cannot be, whatever the relationship is. There is such a thing as the sin of association, and that is when a person supports another person's sin by virtue of staying loyal to them, no matter what they do wrong. This says the Word: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32. If you retain a relationship with a person that refuses to repent, and that knows God's judgment, you will also be held as guilty as they are, because by maintaining that relationship, you are approving of what they do. The Word says this: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4. So, if a so-called believer continues to have a relationship with a person who lives in the practice of sin, knowing the truth, they also constitute themselves an enemy of God, because that person wants to continue in the world and in the world’s ways knowingly. So, can an enemy of God inherit or enter the kingdom of God? No. It is not impossible. Your relationships ultimately determine who you are and what you truly believe. So, the question is simple, “who are you?” Lord bless! John           

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The Lord is Watching - Ephesians 5:15 – 6:9

Based on Ephesians 5:15 – 6:9 (New King James Version)

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”

In this life, we have all kinds of relationships, either personal relationships, or work relationships, or even temporary relationships, like when we go to a store to buy food, or when we go to work most days of the week, with those that drive around us, or walk alongside us. There are relationships that will last a lifetime, and there are relationships that will last minutes or even seconds, but we all have all kinds of relationships with different people. Even in this very cybernetic world that we live in today, relationships or links are made with known people, and with totally unknown people through social networks. Finally, human beings cannot avoid having relationships with others, whether with many or very few, there will always be some kind of relationship with someone.

In today's passage, we see certain examples that the Word gives us to know how to deal with some of these different types of relationships. We see that It speaks to us about how we should act with other believers, in marriage, between parents and children, and with our work relationships. We see that, depending on the relationship, there must be edification, love, subjection, honor, obedience, respect, and decent treatment. In every situation, there is something paramount that must happen. Among brethren or believers in Christ, there should be edification and submission. Between a marriage, the man is to love his wife, and the wife is to submit to her husband. I must clarify, does loving a wife consist of spoiling her? No. God loves us, and we must see what love consists of through what He does with us, and not through what we come up with. And also, does submitting to a husband mean that a person must do everything that is asked? No. In subjection, there is no implication for abuse, even less, following another person in things that do not please God. So, neither in the love of one for the other, nor in the subjection of one to the other, is there place for exploitation, or manipulation, or abuse, or anything that resembles that. It is very clear that the model for marriage is Christ and His church. Between father and children, children must honor their parents, which does not consist in doing things that go against the Lord, but in obedience and also in care. And just because you get married doesn't mean you have to abandon your parents, because honor is for life. Marriage should not interfere at all in honoring parents as is the custom of many today. And of course, parents must raise their children as God also does with us, especially in counsel, and God does not spoil or let a child do as they see fit. And what can we say between masters and servants, or bosses and supervisors and employees? And if a person owns a business, and manages it well, they are servant to many masters, because each client is his master.

And all this brings us to the most important thing, to the reason why we must have to do everything in this life, especially if we really want to attain eternal life and the rewards that only God can give. Above every relationship, whatever it is, we must always keep in mind that God is the one who is watching, and that He will judge us according to what we do. This is true faith: that God exists, and that He is Who He is, and that we must do as He says, whatever it costs us, because He will finally judge each one of us, especially those who say we believe in Him. True faith does not consist of anything else. The Word says this: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. There is something we must all have clear, and that is that God made us and saved us so that we could serve Him, to do His will. The Word says this: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. Some will think: “I am a child of God, and that makes me saved.” And yes, being a child of God gives us salvation, but a child who does not do the will of the Father will not inherit eternal life. If one considers themselves a child of God, then they must live to serve the Father just as Christ did. This says the Word: “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’ Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” Malachi 3:16-18. Our faith consists of serving God, of doing His will, of dedicating ourselves to His business and not our own affairs. God is watching everything, and He will judge us according to our works. So then, are you living mindfully that God is watching, and that He will judge you based on all of your intentions and works some day? Lord bless! John             

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Loving the Lord - Luke 18:18-30

Based on Luke 18:18-30 (New King James Version)

“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ’ And he said, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’ So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ And those who heard it said, ‘Who then can be saved?’  But He said, ‘The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’ Then Peter said, ‘See, we have left all and followed You.’ So He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.’”

Today's message is the simplest there can be, so simple that even a child can understand it, but at the same time, it is the most difficult to be able to live because it puts man at the crossroads, to choose between loving God more than everything else. The vast majority of people fail in their faith precisely because of this matter, and they will not enter the kingdom of God precisely because they cannot achieve what they have to achieve, what God demands from each person, because God does have a demand. The point is that despite the fact that salvation is completely free, because it cannot be bought or worked for, that it is only by grace, nevertheless, getting into the kingdom of God does have a price, and this is what the Lord is dealing with. There is a work (because it undoubtedly consists of action) that must be in our life above all work, above all that can exist, which is loving God above all things.

There are very deep things in this passage, in its details, which leads us to understand what must happen in each person, if they legitimately want to inherit or obtain eternal life. The matter begins with the question this ruler asks: “…what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The word he used has to do with an action, and the action is a deed. His question is very simple, but also incredibly profound. The most interesting thing about the matter is that the Lord corrects him for calling Him good, and that God is the only good One, but He does not say anything about correcting his concept of the work. The Lord does not say to him: “Man, eternal life does not consist of works.” And even more peculiarly, so to speak, the Lord leads him to remember the law, to the Ten Commandments. Anyone today who believes that salvation is only by faith and the grace of God would say that the Lord is wrong to point to the law, but we have to say that the Lord Jesus Christ is not wrong, but rather, those who have changed the true path to salvation, those who have turned following Christ into a hollow, fruitless, and worthless religion. They have turned the truth into something intangible, and that is why we have what we have today—a large group of people who believe that they will have eternal life just because they say a few words and profess to have some kind of belief, but without any kind of substance in their lives, ultimately, without the work that must be in each one who really wants to inherit or enter the kingdom of God. And the Lord, seeing that this man has complied with much of the law, leads him to the foundation of the law, to the reason why the law exists to begin with, to the first commandment. It is written: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 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. This is the all of the law because it is the foundation for all of the law. And the Lord Himself reiterated this point and reestablished this as the first commandment, as it is also written: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:29-30. Therefore, whoever says that the law no longer applies, and that there is nothing that needs to be done after a supposed decision, with all due respect, they are abysmally very mistaken. For the Lord also said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17-18.

And to reinforce more this topic, the Lord made these declarations and clarifications, so that this topic could be made very clear in that we must fulfill the law, the first commandment, to love (action, work) God above all things: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘seta man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:34-39. “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. That’s why, the only person that will inherit eternal life is the person that lives out this concept: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:8. Why does God demand this? Because it is fair. He created us, made us, gives us breath and life, and the beating of our hearts. And through Christ, He gives us eternal life without us deserving it, without any kind of obligation, freeing us from eternal hell. We owe everything to Him. So then, the matter is quite simple: “Do you love the Lord as He deserves to be loved so you can have the eternal life that only He can give?” Lord bless! John

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Injustice Against God - John 15:18-25

Based on John 15:18-25 (New King James Version)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”

Justice is something that in some way or another we all yearn for. Every human being wants you to be fair to them, without exception. Even the most despicable and unfair beings want others to be fair to them. How do I know this? Do you think the liar likes to be lied to? Do you think the thief likes to be robbed? Does the adulterer like to be cheated on? I think you understand that, in the end, no one, especially those who do harm to others, do not like any harm being done to them. And if that is the case, why then do people do things to others that they do not like to have done to them?

To be able to answer this question, one must understand that something exists, that there is such a thing as sin. There is no other cause for which a person harms another being. There is no other explanation. So where does sin come from? The Word of God explains it this way: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…” 2 Thessalonians 2:7a. Lawlessness is a mystery to us. A mystery is not something that has no explanation. There is an explanation, but we do not have the answer because it is beyond our capabilities at the moment. However, just because we don't know exactly where something came from doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are so many things that human beings do not understand, nor do they want to believe, but they exist, regardless of whether they want to believe or accept it. Reality is reality. God is God, it does not matter if a person wants to accept it or not. God created everything, whether they want to accept it or not. If you want to believe that all of this is a result of some cosmic accident, and that we all came from primates, that doesn't make it true. So, no matter what happens, whether a person wants to believe or not, whether the origin is known or not, sin does exist and its existence is very visible because its final effect is death, as it is written: “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. That is why each one of us will die someday, without exceptions.

This is something else that does reveal that we do know, without exception, that sin exists—every person has a conscience. Each human being is born with a conscience, with something inside that tells them when they are doing evil, or sin. We see this example in the Scriptures: “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ’Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” John 8:3-11. Every one of these people, the scribes and the Pharisees, including the adulteress, had a conscience, without exception. And they were all accused by their conscience, especially those who came to tempt the Lord. They knew that what they were doing was wrong, because to begin with, a character was missing from the scene, the other person with whom the woman was committing adultery. The law is very clear on this, as it is written: “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10. Where was the adulterer? And so, their consciences accused them of deceit, lies, the injustice of wanting to punish a single culprit, and of course, all with the aim of trying to tempt God Himself with sin upon sin. So, every person knows when they do evil. Perhaps many, and now more than ever, have tried to cauterize their conscience, because, although they know what is wrong, they prefer to love evil than to do good. And this brings us to the main point.

We already know that, for one reason or another, the vast majority choose to harm their neighbor, and many times, without reason. But who is it that is wronged the most, and especially without any reason? God. Man in general does the greatest injustice against the One who does not deserve any injustice. Many assign the blame for sin to God, and God is not responsible for all of us having chosen to sin. God allowed sin to exist so that the ability to choose exists, because He gave all beings, beginning with the angels, free will. This mystery of iniquity existed before the devil himself, but just because it existed, it did not mean that he had to choose for it. The devil or Satan, or Lucifer, as he was formerly known, did not have to rebel against God, but he chose to. The demons, or the fallen angels, one third of the heavenly host, did not have to choose to follow the devil in his wickedness, but they did. Adam and Eve did not have to eat the forbidden fruit, but they chose to disobey and sin against God and against themselves, and thanks to that, we have what we have today. And of course, we all have in some way or another the issues we have, either because of our sin, or because of the sin of those around us, or because of the sin of those who preceded us, but the issue is sin, because of the sin of creation, and not because of God. What wrong did God do? Create us? Give us free will? Give us the ability to live and exist? And now, give us the opportunity to have eternal life through the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son on the cross? Of what evil can we accuse God of? However, His goodness is rewarded with evil, with rebellion, and even with hatred against the Being that has only done good to us. The emptiness that the unbeliever feels in their heart is not only the lack of God, but their conscience accusing them that they are sinning against God, by not recognizing Him for who He is, and by not trying to reconcile with the One who has done to them all the good possible. That is why the Lord says: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. And so, I exhort you to practice this very simple concept, first with God and then with your neighbor: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31. Be fair with God and with your neighbor. So then, will you continue being unfair with God and with your neighbor, and like that, seeking your own eternal perdition, or will you look for the Lord and love Him as He deserves to attain eternal life? Lord bless! John

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The Gold Lampstand - Exodus 37:17-24

Based on Exodus 37:17-24 (New King James Version)

“He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.”

The lampstand of the tabernacle has a lot of meaning, things that are very deep, even in its details. But it would not be a very good idea to delve into the details because often we focus so much on the details that we lose sight of the main view, the essential, of what matters most to us and concerns us. There are many people who focus so much on irrelevant details that they lose sight of the truth and end up putting aside the obvious about God and what is necessary for their lives. In other words, it's like focusing on a person's finger pointing to the sky, that if you only set your sights on that, you lose sight of all the heavenly glory to which it is pointing to. That is why sometimes it is good to see details, but also, sometimes it is not worthwhile because there are things that are much more pressing to us individually.

In reference to the lampstand, we will see certain aspects, or even possibly obvious things that matter too much in the total scheme, and undoubtedly apply to our person. The first thing is that the purpose of the lampstand was to give light to those who entered the place where it was located, and those people were very limited and specific, because after it was made and put in its place, hardly anyone could see it because it was set in the holy place of the tabernacle, and only the priests saw it. The second thing that made it very unique was that it was made of pure gold. It was not made like many other things in the temple itself that were covered in gold. The lampstand was carved from a piece of pure gold, hammered into its shape. And the third thing was that the lampstand had 7 branches, that is, 3 branches on each side of the center arm, and with the center arm there were 7 in total, which symbolizes the number of divinity.

Now, what then symbolized this very special and unique lampstand, the menorah as it is called in Hebrew? It was simply a representation of God Himself, because it had the divine number in its arms, because it was made of pure gold (Holy), and because God is the eternal light. This is what the Lord Himself said: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” John 8:12. So then, what is the obvious purpose of the Lord for the world? He is the One that lights the entire world with His light, beyond the physical and temporary, which also depend on His Person, as it is written: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:15-17. He is the Light of life, of eternity, of reason and wisdom, of justice, and all things that can be considered divine light. His light is unique in the entire universe. Not even the biggest star can compare to God's light, especially what it means to us. If a person does not have the light of God in their life, even if they can see physically, by continuing in spiritual darkness apart from God, they will not see eternal life. If a person dies without God within themselves, they will be condemned to eternal darkness after the great judgment where not even the memory of their existence will remain. It will be as if it never existed.

What else can we see through this? That this lampstand or menorah also appears in the New Testament, in the book of Revelation. But in that occasion, it is the symbol for the 7 churches of the Revelation, as it is written: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’ Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” Revelation 1:11-13. And who are the ones that compose these churches? Us. The incredible thing about this is that symbolism of the lampstand begins with God, with Someone Supreme and Holy, and ends with imperfect and impure people like us. The Lord Himself said furthermore this with regards to the light: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16. So then, how can this be?

God's love, design, and intentions are truly a mystery. How could such a unique Being want to convert things or beings as imperfect, limited, and with as little value as us into something like Him? This is one of those things that we should simply appreciate, be thankful for, and seek to reciprocate such love and kindness. There is no logic that can help us understand such things, and that is why we have the blessing of faith. Faith helps us to accept and appreciate such things. And, through that same faith, we can become what He wants to make of our lives. He wants to make us as precious and unique as that lampstand, for us to show His light to the whole world, so that through us, the world can know Him, and thus continue to perpetuate His mercy from generation to generation until He decides that all this needs to end and let us continue to the eternal universe that He has prepared for those who love Him. So, what should this teach us? That we need Him to be able to convert to His likeness, considering that He is giving us the opportunity to something that before Christ was impossible. The cross of Christ broke the veil of the temple to make fully accessible what was previously so sacred and inaccessible, from a lampstand that only certain men could see, to make us part of that eternal lampstand that is designed to give the light of God to the whole world, to every creature, for all eternity, something that will never go out or cease to be, only by the power and mercy of God. So, are you still in eternal darkness, or will you be part of God's eternal light? Lord bless! John

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