How Are We Born Again? - Acts 19:1-7

Based on Acts 19:1-7 (New King James Version)

“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.”

We see in this passage that there were certain people that seemed incomplete in their faith, even though they were baptized with the baptism of John the Baptist, with the baptism of repentance. What was it that they were missing? True conversion not only consists of repentance, but also of a precise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but very exact things must be done to attain a true change of life, or as the Lord said, so that a person had to be born again to enter the kingdom of God.

To begin, we need to look at what the Lord explained about being born again or coming to a genuine conversion. This is what the Scriptures tell us: “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:1-7. So, the Lord spoke about being born of water and the Spirit. What do both things mean? Being born of water consists of repentance from sins, which is what John the Baptist preached. This is foundational, essential, and a complete requirement as the first step to be able to be born again or come to a real conversion. It does not necessarily mean that a person must be immersed in water physically for it to happen, because the baptism of repentance was a symbolism of what must happen in a person, that they must repent and convert not only from some sins, but from all their sins completely, without reservations, which is the implication of baptism by emersion. It means dying to ourselves and to our sins, to be washed and raised as totally new people. The baptism of repentance is what prepares a person for the second part, what was missing from these disciples who had not even heard of the Holy Spirit.

What is the second thing that is essential for being born again, for there to be a true conversion, which the disciples Paul found lacked? Being born of the Spirit. How does this happen? When a person not only comes to believe in Christ, but, by faith, surrenders their life to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ, believing with all their heart in Him as Lord and God of their life, and believing in His death and resurrection. 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, a person must go beyond accepting the Lord as Savior. He is our Savior, but He must become the Lord of our lives. We must make Him the absolute owner of our lives. Why? As He Himself explained: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6. So simply, if we do not ask to belong to Him, we will never belong to Him. No one is born automatically a child of God. The only way a person can become a child of God is by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ within them, as it is written: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12. This is what must happen for a person to be legitimately born again or to have a real conversion, to become a new creature, as it is also written: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is the complete Gospel from God, the basis for sound doctrine. This is what the Lord Himself preached, as it is written: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15.

Now, is there anything else missing after being born again in Christ? And the answer according to Scripture is, yes. Being born again implies precisely that, a new beginning, but it is only a beginning. One must live to do the will of God. After coming to Christ, a person should not continue living life as they want to or seek to fulfill their desires only. If a person does not seek to do the will of God, no matter how much they repent, no matter how much they confess to having accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord, if they do not do the will of God during the time that God Himself gives them to live after their conversion, they will not enter the kingdom of God. The Lord Himself made this very clear: “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. This is what is lost in the teachings today, because many believe and teach that God is there to fulfill our dreams, to do what we want, as if He were a divine genie. But this goes totally against what the Word teaches. This is what the Apostle Paul said: “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 14:7-9. And how do we know that we must live for the Lord, and that we cannot stay with just a decision and nothing more? The apostle also gave this as an example and left as a teaching: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14. So, if Paul could not say that he had yet attained it, what is left for us? So, it doesn't matter if a person believes that salvation can be lost, or that a person who lives for themselves were never saved, if a person does not live to do the will of God, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. God says this.

So, are you living to do God's will, or to do your own will? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Is Our Heart Right with God? - Psalm 53:1-3

Based on Psalm 53:1-3 (New King James Version)

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.”

Are things really as bad as the Word says, that there is no one who does good? There are many who may disagree with this, and would think it is an exaggeration. There are people who have the opinion that there are good people, and that not all of them are criminals, per say. And there are also people who would say: “No one is perfect, but if a person is bad, that is another thing.” Anyway, many may differ in opinion (because at the moment they have that right), but it all depends on the standard that is used to measure (so to speak).

And here is revealed one of the main problems that exist today, that we live in a society that has collectively determined to establish its own standards for right and wrong. Not too long ago; either by virtue in that the majority of people believed in God in some way, or by the teachings of certain Christian religions (all of us who believe in Christ), there was a fear in crossing certain boundaries, and there was such a thing as shame when something bad was done (Do you remember that there was such a thing as shame?). Whether due to social stigmas or religious teachings, there were limits. And the most notable thing about that issue was that there were people who did not have good lifestyles, who did not want the same for their children, because again, there was at least some recognition of what sin was, even though they were not religious. The prostitute did not want her daughter to be a prostitute. The thief did not want his children to be thieves. Parents once wanted better lives for their children. I still remember those days. Now, the vast majority of society has tried to abolish all feelings of guilt and has tried to make the concept of sin disappear. And in many of our churches they no longer preach about sin, nor repentance, and that there must be a change of life as proof of conversion. Many of our churches have chosen to preach that God accepts you just as you are, and they use God's love as a pretext. And of course, there is no reprimand or discipline within the church for the simple fear that those who go to church will stop going, and that tithes and offerings will decrease. And no one who makes a living from the ministry wants that. Many may say: “Society was more hypocritical back then.” And well, maybe yes, although not in all cases, but the difference was that there was no glorification, nor was there pride in sin. Today sin is glorified and even pride in living a sinful lifestyle is taught. And God warns about precisely these problems, as it is written: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:20-21. And this takes us to our next point.

Who is it that has the right to say what is right and what is wrong? God, the One who created everything. God is the only One who has the power to set the standard for good and evil. Furthermore, man was not the one who created morality or justice. That comes from God. And many of our laws still take root from what God established such as: You shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, and so on. So, morality does not belong to man, under any circumstances.

Now, many would say today: “Why should we take God into account? What does it matter what God thinks, if He even exists!” And the bottom line is that our opinions or desires are not what determine reality. Nothing we feel, or think, or do will affect the reality that God is God, and that He will judge every human being, despite what they want to think. Many apparently believe that there is such a thing as democracy in heaven and that our favor affects the Almighty, but that is not the case. God is God, and all judgment belongs to Him, and this same thing will be fulfilled, no matter what people choose to believe: And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27. And the Scriptures also say 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. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11a. This isn't heard very much in church, now is it? Nevertheless, each one of us, without exception, is walking towards a judgment where God will judge every human being, and there is nothing anyone can do to avoid it. Regardless of your beliefs, your economic or social status, whether you are a member of a church, or even within a ministry, we will all give an account before the Judge of the universe. This is what the Lord Himself taught: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ‘So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ ‘Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ ‘But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30. So, if God will judge His servants according to what they have done with their talent, and they will be cast into eternal darkness if they are found lacking, what will happen with the rest? This finally is what God says: “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. So, is your heart right before the Lord? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

The Reason Why We Preach About the Lord Jesus Christ - Acts 4:1-20

Based on Acts 4:1-20 (New King James Version)

“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, ‘By what power or by what name have you done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, ‘What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.’ So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’”

Why was Christ preached so much? Because there has never been another being like Him in all the earth, not from creation until now. No one has done what He did, neither another so-called god, nor any prophet, there has been absolutely no one who is equal to Him. This is what He replied back to John the Baptist when John sent to ask about Him: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.’” Matthew 11:4-5. And the Apostle John declared that only enough was written for there to be strong evidence that Jesus was (and is) God, the Messiah, as it was left written: “This is the disciple [John] who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” John 21:24-25. So, simply His works are unique, and of such power that He defeated demons, and He resurrected many dead apart from Lazarus, whom He resurrected after four days of having died, when it was already thought that his body was decomposing. His works are miraculous and many. 

The other thing that makes Him so different and unique is that He defeated death. Although He was crucified and died in the cruelest way that a being can die, without any doubt remaining about His death, on the third day, the Father raised Him from the dead. All the other world leaders, or emperors, or kings, or religious leaders, like Buddha or Muhammad, are all in their respective tombs. But the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected on the third day from the dead and ascended into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father. This is what the Biblical account says: “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:9-11. And Stephen declared this moments before dying: “But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” Acts 7:55-56.

And, what else has made us preach so much about this Jesus Christ, whom practically the entire world knows thanks to that preaching? The way our hearts have been touched, and we have been transformed by the power of God through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see, for example, the different stories of all those who preceded us who not only lived for Him, but who counted it as a privilege to have even suffered for Him, and went so far as to give their lives for their faith in Him. We know about these same people like Peter and John who lived for the Lord, and despite prisons and persecutions, could never stop talking about the Lord, for that same Lord who transformed their lives forever. They saw and experienced the glory of the Only Begotten Son of God, of the Messiah. We also see Paul's story of being a persecutor of the Church and coming to have an encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, where his entire life changed. The Lord transformed him forever, from persecuting the Church of Christ, to dying for that same Christ who captivated him with His love. He himself preached this: “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.

And finally, what can I say? Blessed be the Lord forever who had mercy on me, and saved me from my sins, and has made me a new creature in Him, giving me the hope of eternal salvation by His grace when I deserved to die for my sins. And not only did He give me eternal life, but also like this man who was healed, He miraculously healed me also, when science had reached its limits. And I have lived all these years by the power of His Holy Spirit. Like those before me, I owe everything to Him and He has changed my life forever. And my hope is to be faithful to Him until I die or until He comes for those of us that truly love Him (because His coming is near).

Now, can God also touch your heart and change your life forever as it has happened to so many of us? Of course! You just have to repent and convert from all your sins and accept by faith the Lord Jesus as the Lord and God of your life, and follow Him faithfully, doing the will of the Father from now on. This is the Gospel that we strive to preach throughout the world, because He is our only hope. So, have you had a real encounter with God through the Lord Jesus Christ who can transform your entire life forever? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Marriage God’s Way - 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, 10-11

Based on 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, 10-11 (New King James Version)

“Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control… …Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

Who invented or established marriage, God or man? For those of us who believe in the Almighty and what His Word reveals, we faithfully believe that it was God who created not only man, or the human race, but also the institution of marriage. And since the matter is like that, then who should we look for to know what marriage should be like? If we are believers in God, should we let ourselves be carried away by what society says, or by our own opinions, or as it should be, seek God to know how the same thing that He created should work? If there is any logic, we would understand that no one knows more about how something should work than its creator. So, if a person really wants to know how a marriage should work, they should seek the Lord, the Creator.

To begin, in the book of Genesis we see how God created marriage. This we read: “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:18-24. What can we see with this? How many people must there be for a marriage to work? There must be three: God who created and formed it, and a man and a woman. And this is the first problem why many marriages do not work today, because God is simply not there. God is the one who is missing in one way or another. If a marriage is made only between a man and a woman, it will not work properly, no matter how much they try to make it work, and even if they look happy, it is not being formed properly. God made marriage for the same purpose as everything else. He created everything, and He made everything for Himself, so that it would serve Him, so that it would fulfill His purpose. So, a couple can be together, united and seem happy, looking full, but if God is not there, it is a total failure. Why can I say this? If two people do not belong to the Lord, much less, they are not both doing the will of God, where do they end up, in glory or in hell? So, if two people end up condemned in hell for all eternity, can that marriage be said to have been a success? No. And if one of them is saved and the other is lost, can we say that the marriage was a success? No. Because precisely, marriage is defined as such by the union of two people, and God as the center. A marriage that functions as God commands will consist of two people united in Christ so that both together can achieve eternal life, through their dedication to help each other follow the Lord together.

Now, if we go back to when sin entered the world, precisely with Adam and Eve, we will understand that if God is not within marriage, everything becomes a complete failure. This we read: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” Genesis 3:1-9. This was the worst moment of this marriage, and not only of them, but of the entire human race, when sin entered the good world that God created. What happened? First, where was God? Did God depart from man? Impossible. The man and the woman turned away from God, for some reason. What was the other thing that happened? The serpent found the woman alone. For some reason, either the woman started venturing out alone, or the man left her alone, but either way, they were separated. And in that separation, vulnerability entered. And in that vulnerability, the serpent took advantage of the moment, and convinced the woman with things that unfortunately were very attractive to her, so much so that she disobeyed God, and later, caused her husband, Adam, to fall. They both fell. If both together would have returned to God in time, the story of their marriage and this world would be something totally different.   

And finally, this is what the Lord taught: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. ‘Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.” Matthew 5:27-32. The only reason there can be divorce is because of the act (not the thought) of adultery. But also, if there is genuine repentance in the adulterer, and genuine forgiveness (because for marriage to work, there must be an agreement), God can also restore and remake what sin destroys, if both together put God in His proper place, at the center of their marriage. So, are you carrying out God's will in your marriage? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Belief is Not Enough - John 8:31-59

Based on John 8:31-59 (New King James Version)

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. ‘I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.’ They answered and said to Him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.’ Then they said to Him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.’ Then the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

We read in this passage that it begins to talk about some Jews (that is, the religious people who were Hebrews) who believed in the Lord, and that after the Lord and they spoke, they ended up trying to stone the Lord. And if the Lord had not hidden Himself and left the temple, they would have killed Him. How do you explain this extreme change in a group of people, from believing to wanting to kill the Lord? When we seek the explanation through the Word, we can come to understand that it is not so difficult for there to be such a sudden transition, so to speak.

One of the passages that help clarify this issue is found in the book of James, where it says this: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:19-20. What can we see here? The demons also believe, and even tremble, and that it is a sign of fear. Now, does that mean that because the demons believe and even tremble that they can be saved? Of course not. James clarifies that faith must go far beyond mere belief, but that for a faith to be valid for salvation, there must be a product, there must be works or actions that demonstrate such faith that is acceptable before God for salvation. This is also what the Lord said: “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, this passage defines what works one must accomplish to attain salvation: doing the will of the Father. That is the product that faith must have: obeying God. And this is obviously not what demons do, nor what these Jews who believed in the Lord do either. Because of course it should be clear, and just as the Lord said: ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?’ Obeying God consists of abiding in His Word. That is why the Word of God should not become something intellectual or for knowledge only. If we do not live out the Word of God, doing as God's counsel guides us, then we will never do the Father's will, and there is no salvation for those who do not choose to do the Father's will, because again: “…faith without works is dead.”

So, what must happen in a person's life for their faith to be genuine? This is what the Word says precisely what happened to the vast majority of people during His coming to this world: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:10-12. The world did not know Him, nor did the religious people receive Him. These Jews we read about believed in Him, but they simply did not receive Him, they never accepted Him as the Messiah, as the Only Begotten Son of God. Receiving the Lord consists of complete repentance and conversion from all sins (the great purpose of John the Baptist's ministry was the baptism of repentance), and of course, not only just believing, but receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord in our heart, surrendering the deepest part of our being. True faith begins with this and continues through obedience and doing His will. Those who receive Christ are those that are given the right to become children of God. These Jews who believed, but never received Him, never abandoned their true position, being slaves and children of the devil. That's the truth. And if a person does not receive the Lord as Lord, they are not leaving the darkness behind. And by persisting in that feeling and state, they will even come to hate God at a given moment, because of the dominance that sin continues to have over them. They will never come to the Lord.

What is ultimately the proof of true faith? This is what the Word says: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 8:8-9. If you do not live and even die for the Lord, if necessary, you are not doing the will of the Father. And as such, you will not gain entry into His kingdom no matter how much you say: “Lord, Lord.” So, do you believe only in Christ, or have you received Him as the Lord of your life to live and even die for Him? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Religion is Not the Answer - John 18:28-40

Based on John 18:28-40 (New King James Version)

“Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’ They answered and said to him, ‘If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.’ Then Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and judge Him according to your law.’ Therefore the Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,’ that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ‘I find no fault in Him at all. ‘But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ Then they all cried again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a robber.”

How is it that the Pharisees, being so religious, not only had enmity with the Lord, but they even had Him killed? Some will think that the death of the Lord simply had to happen, so the Scriptures could be fulfilled, and that everything that happened was the will of God. And yes, it is true, that everything had to be fulfilled, because everything that is written is fulfilled, in one way or another. But the Word itself also says: “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:7. That is, Christ had to die, but each person chose to do what they did out of their own free will, and not because God forced them, because it is also written: “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.” Matthew 18:8. So, everyone, and especially the religious, could have chosen to do things in a very different way. So, what was the problem?

The point is that religion or religious practices do not lead to God. What is religion? By definition, it is: A set of beliefs or dogmas about divinity, feelings of veneration and fear towards it, moral norms for individual and social behavior and ritual practices, mainly prayer and sacrifice to worship it. And this was what the Pharisees observed. They did not follow God, but based their lives on beliefs, rules and commands. Therefore, and although they thought they pleased God, they were very far from God, because following God does not consist of doing religious things, no matter how good they look. Works are vital to faith in God, but God desires something that goes far beyond simple works alone. The point is that God looks at and searches the most intimate part of man, the intentions of the heart. This is what the Word says: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:10. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. The Lord Himself spoke about this, clarifying that doing things that appear spiritual and even supernatural are not a sign of true faith, nor that these things ensure entry to heaven, when He said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. And the Word says this also: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. What love is Paul talking about here? Of feelings, of fleeting and emotional things? Of carnal passions and desires? Absolutely not. The love that makes everything have value before God is the genuine and pure love towards the Lord, as it is written: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31. This love for God must be the reason for why we do all things. This love must be the root of everything in our life, the reason why we love our loved ones, as we must also love our enemies, because our neighbor is everyone around us. Paul also said this: “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 14:8-9. If love for God is not what governs us for everything in our lives, and the reason for why we do all things, then we will be against God, as the Pharisees were, who despite their strict religious practices, they had the Only Begotten Son of God killed on the cross. Now, of course each of us was responsible for the Lord's death, because He died for all of our sins, but they were the instigators. Therefore, nothing is gained from being religious. The basis of everything must be love.

Now, how will we see more clearly this issue that what God seeks most is to be loved? Our best example is David. This is what God Himself said: “And when He had removed him [speaking of Saul], He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus— Acts 13:22-23. David was not perfect, but one thing is very certain, and that is that David loved the Lord, and he loved Him in such a way that God Himself established that the Messiah had to be the Son of David. So, is loving the Lord your motivation for everything in life, rather than simple religion? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

We Need to Learn to be Fair with God - John 1:1-12

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

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

When we talk about God, referring to the true God, do we really understand Who He is? Do we understand, for example, the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? I know that it can be a little confusing to understand this matter, that we speak of a triune God, that the Three are One. But, nevertheless, they are three Beings totally God and unlimited in every possible. This is what the Word teaches us: “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, we must ask ourselves if we can at least accept this fact, even if we do not understand exactly how this works. But if we do not believe in this properly, we will always have a very limited and ill-founded faith, and that will never lead to anything good.

However, God is Who He is, the omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God of the universe, whether people want to believe it or not (because this fact does not depend on people since it is a reality). And everything that exists was created and made by this Being. And not only that, but everything continues to exist and consist and subsist through this God of the universe, just as the Apostle Paul said: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. And of course, as such, when God decides, everything that must end will also end, and there is nothing we can do about it, because again, we are talking about God. 

The other thing we must understand, in conjunction with the above, is what God did for us. God loved us undeservedly, and in such a way that He sent His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (God) to be born, live, die, and even resurrect on the third day, all for love for us, so that we could have the opportunity to obtain forgiveness of our sins and eternal life, just as the Word says: “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17. This is also a fact, and an irrefutable one, that must be accepted for a person to have the right faith.

Now where are we going with all this? The point is that we must learn to be fair with God, but in order to be fair with God, there must be a correct faith, because if a person does not have the correct faith, then they will never obtain forgiveness of sins, let alone salvation or eternal life. Simply put, the whole point of faith in God is precisely learning to practice justice towards God. For example, it is unfair not to recognize God's position as such, because for our own good, He (as the Holy Trinity, and not as a generic God) must be recognized as such, as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. If it is not believed as such, then there will never be true respect, fear, honor, etc., etc. that there must be for Him. We owe everything to Him, even our breathing, the beating of our hearts, all the so-called involuntary functions of the body (as science calls it) and even our soul. If we do not believe in Him as the authority that He is, we will never pay Him the deserved attention, nor will we obey Him, let alone give Him the first place of which He is worthy of. If He is not our literal and effective Lord, then we do not belong to Him. And if we do not belong to him, what then will save us from the wrath to come? This is what God says: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ ‘You offer defiled food on My altar, but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?’ says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 1:6-8.

And also, if we don’t acknowledge His love, the incredible grace that was shown voluntarily through the Lord Jesus Christ, we will never love the Lord as it is commanded in the law and the prophets, the same that the Lord Himself came to reestablish, as it is written: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:29-30. If we do not learn to love the Lord, there will be no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, no eternal life. Because everything God wants from us goes beyond simple belief and acceptance. Love is necessary, it is a requirement.

So, to be just with God, we must do and treat Him like the Lord and God that He is, and we must love Him with everything we are, and above all things. The beginning is the grace of God, and then faith. But that faith must culminate in complete submission to the authority of God (the Holy Trinity) and in perfect love for God (the Holy Trinity). This is what the Word says: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36. “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.” Romans 10:9. “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!” 1 Corinthians 16:22. Therefore, we must believe in the Son, confess him as Lord, and love Him as He deserves, in order to avoid the wrath of God, to be saved, and to stop being accursed. So, are you learning to submit and love God accordingly, seeking to do justice to Him, for your own good? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

The Blindness that Comes Because of Lack of Faith - Luke 24:13-35

Based on Luke 24:13-35 (New King James Version)

“Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?’ Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?’ And He said to them, ‘What things?’ So they said to Him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.’ Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, ‘The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!’ And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.”

What is the real problem that man has in not being able to have the faith they need? Is God guilty of not opening their eyes or their understanding yet, and that is why they cannot find a way to believe properly? Many think that, that man does not have the capacity to believe because for some reason, God is guilty of not having opened their understanding yet, that all this matter of believing, and faith, comes from God. But by seeing this passage, we can understand that the problem of faith is not God's but rather, man's problem.

The vast majority of people have a serious problem with faith in Christ, and that they simply do not come to complete conviction for one reason or another. Even many so-called believers, who call them Christians, incredibly enough have this faith problem. And why can I say this with so much confidence? Very simply. Observe the way they live their lives. The vast majority, and even those who profess to believe, live in a manner as if God does not exist, and that this world is all there is, and that there is nothing else. That's how they live. And this is of course the unbeliever, and also the vast majority of so-called believers.

What do we see in this passage? The Lord Himself reprimanding these disciples that were on the way to Emaus. He tells them this: “…‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!...” So, this doesn't sound like God's problem, that God didn't open their understanding, or that He didn't give them the faith they needed, but rather, that their blindness came from their own unbelief, despite being disciples. And yet, even when the Lord rebuked them, they still could not find a way to believe. The only thing that broke their disbelief or made them realize that it was the Lord Himself standing before them, was when He broke the bread. A material act awakened them, so to speak. It is possible that the Lord had some unique way of breaking bread. We don't know, but their understandings did not open until that moment. And they themselves meditated after this: “‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?...” What does this mean? That quite simply their hearts did not burn, nor did they feel His presence, nor His revelation while He was with them. Why? Was it God’s fault? No. It was their own unbelief. How do we know? Because of what they declared: “‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people…” The Lord was not a prophet. The Lord Jesus Christ is Lord and God, and if a person does not come to that complete realization, not only by word or intellectually, but with their whole heart, and literally treating the Lord as the Lord of their lives, they are still blind. And again, is that God's fault, because God has not enlightened them? No. They chose not to have reached that point yet. And that is the serious and universal problem that exists. Because if a person believes and has the Lord as Lord in their lives, are they seeking to do their own will or the will of God? If one has Him as Lord, then one should live alone to seek to do His will. But the serious problem is that almost everyone lives to do their own will.

Someone might say: “Why do you say that the evidence of truly believing in Christ should consist of only doing His will?” And the answer is because when you reach that conviction and acceptance, you have seen Him for who He really is, and there is no purpose greater or more worthy to follow than to do what that immense and infinite Being tells you. We are talking about the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the One who was, and is, and is to come, the One who will judge all humanity by their deeds. There is no one greater, there is no one more important, there is no one to whom we owe more. Our entire existence and our future depend on Him. So, it is only logical that if you come to believe in Him as such, that a great change of direction will happen. But if you do not decide and accept Him as such, you will never see the glory of God, and you will never have the salvation or eternal life that only the true God can give through precisely the Lord Jesus Christ (God). You will never please God because you chose not to have that faith, as it is written: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 12:6.

In summary, there is nothing left for the Lord to prove to us that He is Who He says He is. Everything created speaks of Him. And the cross demonstrates His love for us. And even the beating of our hearts, and the air we breathe, depend only on Him. It is simply your decision to either ignore the irrefutable evidence of the Lord and die forever or accept His Truth and live as such in order to attain eternal life. So, do you choose to believe and follow the Lord, or do you choose to continue in your blindness and die that way? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

The Consequences for Disobeying the Lord - 2 Samuel 1

Based on 2 Samuel 1 (New King James Version)

“Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. And David said to him, ‘Where have you come from?’ So he said to him, ‘I have escaped from the camp of Israel.’ Then David said to him, ‘How did the matter go? Please tell me.’ And he answered, ‘The people have fled from the battle, many of the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also.’ So David said to the young man who told him, ‘How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?’ Then the young man who told him said, ‘As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.’ Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. Then David said to the young man who told him, ‘Where are you from?’ And he answered, ‘I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.’ So David said to him, ‘How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?’ Then David called one of the young men and said, ‘Go near, and execute him!’ And he struck him so that he died. So David said to him, ‘Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’ ’ Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher: ‘The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon—lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. ‘O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings. For the shield of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty. ‘Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. ‘O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury; who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. ‘How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. ‘How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!’ ’

One of the biggest problems that man can have with God is the sin of disobedience. It is possible that God can have mercy on the evils that people do when they do not know God’s will (which is almost impossible not to know today). But when God's will is known, when God has given the necessary instruction (that is what the Bible is for), and it is disobeyed, then serious problems arise. God simply does not have much tolerance for disobedience. He is loving and very merciful, but ultimately, He is also God and the supreme King of the entire universe. And as King, He is the highest authority, something that is not governed by democracy, nor by votes, nor even less by human opinion, because we are nothing before Him, nor can we do anything to affect His authority and position in any way. And this is something that human beings must accept and guide themselves accordingly if they wish to see good, especially in eternity.

Saul brought his own destruction to himself and to those around him precisely because of his disobedience. Saul knew what God's will was, but he chose not to obey, but rather, let himself be carried away by his own opinion, or even worse, by public opinion. And although God gave him the undeserved opportunity to be king over Israel, the Lord regretted having done such a thing, not because God made a mistake (because God does not make mistakes), but because He gave the opportunity. But, anyway, and here we see free will in full action, God lets us make our decisions, and that is what dictates our path on this earth and what happens to us in eternity. This is what the Word says about what God felt about Saul, after his disobedience (because it was not just an incident): “Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.’” 1 Samuel 15:10-11a. And in the following passage, we will see what exhausted God’s patience, and where we can see that our obedience is of supreme importance to God: “Then Samuel said to Saul, ‘Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.’ And he said to him, ‘Speak on.’ So Samuel said, ‘When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?’ And Saul said to Samuel, ‘But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.’ So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:16-23.

The matter is very simple. We were created and made by God for one purpose only, to do His will. And even though we sinned, God gave us another chance (a final one) by His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ to return to that original purpose. But, if we discard this gift from God to be useful to Him again, there is nothing more to do. And every human being, without exception, will give an account before Almighty God, who they are, because there is no power that can oppose God’s judgment. Saul was powerful, but his power came to an end. Everything has its consequences here, but even more so, in eternity. That is why the Word says: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27. So then, are you looking to obey the Lord, or are you still looking to cause your own destruction? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

A True Repentance and Conversion - Acts 9:20-31

Based on Acts 9:20-31 (New King James Version)

“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?’ But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”

When a decision is made to follow Christ, it is not about following a religion, or assuming certain practices, or obeying certain rules. But it is about something deeper, decisive, and above all, a change of life, making our life take another course totally different from the one we were on before submitting ourselves to the Lord. And when something like that happens, there must be something very visible, and even tangible, happening in our lives. In summary, when that moment genuinely happens, it is an encounter with Almighty God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply put, something totally climactic must happen, a transformation that shakes the very foundations of our lives.

Why should there be something so noticeable in us with that encounter with God? Because that is precisely what the issue is about. It may not be something as physically tangible or noticeable as what happened to Paul, but also, not so far away, and something that has nothing to do with feelings or emotions, but with deeper and more meaningful things. In order to explain this type of reaction that must exist in us, we must first answer a question: Who is this remarkable encounter about? It’s about God. God is not a human being. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, although He took on our human likeness in order to fulfill the sacrifice of the cross, was (and is) more than a man. He is God, the God through whom God the Father created all things. He is the Word which God used so that things would be created. This is what the Word says: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. When we meet certain special people in our lives, people like you and me, it leaves a very deep impression sometimes. For example, people who get married remember very well the first moment they saw that special person. There are others who are impressed by meeting an artist, or an athlete, or a rich person, or a highly intellectual person, and so on. But if we are impressed with human beings who are ultimately made of flesh and blood just like us, who exist one day and perish the next, what then should the encounter with the Almighty God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, be like? Are you beginning to understand the matter?

Now, what is it that produces a real encounter with God, what can really transform a human being? True and genuine repentance and conversion, and that belongs entirely to us. The Lord is always trying to have encounters with us and calls us to salvation at every moment. The problem is that we are so focused on our own sin and will that we overlook this incredible Being, despite all the times and different ways He tries to call us. Sin is what blinds us, despite how good and right we believe ourselves to be. Such is our hardness of heart that we even ignore things like the brightness of the sun every morning, the incredible dance of the planets that follow their course precisely, and something as supposedly simple as the breathing of our lungs and the beating of our hearts, all of them made possible because God simply spoke them into existence through His Word. This is what the Scriptures say regarding repentance: “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’” Matthew 3:4-10. God calls. God brings conviction of sin through His Holy Spirit. God provides us with His Word so that we can understand. God is the One who allows circumstances to help us realize that we need Him, but responding to God “appropriately” belongs entirely to us. And if we do not come to God with the “correct” disposition and recognition, there is simply no change, there is no born again experience as Christ explained. This is what the Word says: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’’” John 3:1-7.

In Paul, there was this very notable repentance and conversion, and he was able to be born again, and in such a way that the churches were even able to have a short time of peace, because it was Paul who was persecuting the church. His conversion not only stopped persecution momentarily, but he even became what God would use to bring the Gospel to us today. That is what produces a true conversion, what can really transform man and make known the presence of the Almighty Lord on earth. So, how have you chosen to respond to God? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

What Happens when People Reject the Lord - Matthew 23:34–24:2

Based on Matthew 23:34 – 24:2 (New King James Version)

“Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ’ Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’”

There are many who think that because God is loving and very merciful that they will never have to answer for their sins. There are others who think that because they choose not to want to believe in God, that this means that God does not exist, and that is why they will not have to be held accountable. And there is another group of people who think that everything is already predetermined in each person and that everything will happen as it is set, no matter what they do, so they also think that they will not be judged because, “How will God judge if He was the one who predestined everything?” And also, there is a group of people who think that, if you present the Word of God to a person, even if that person is rebellious, they will eventually convert because the Word will somehow change their mind, sooner or later, and support this thought on the following passage: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10. But, the issue is that nothing of what has been mentioned is true, as we can see in His Word.

First of all, God is loving and very merciful, but, however, that does not mean that He will never do justice. We cannot err. God is loving, gracious, and merciful, but He is also just and even a consuming fire. Written this: “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. God is good and loving, but He will also punish mockery and rejection, undoubtedly. So, there is a moment where we will all give an account.

Now, with reference to those who “choose” not to want to believe in God, it is totally illogical to think that the will of man makes it possible to change certain unchangeable realities in the universe. To begin with, we are totally weak, limited, and finite beings. We are like nothing before nature, and if that is so (because it is), what are we before the eternal and almighty God who simply spoke things into existence? So, can our humble and insignificant opinion affect Someone like the God of the universe? Impossible. Everything created proclaims the existence of God because He was the One who made them. His creation speaks of His greatness and His infinity. And His 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.” Romans 1:20. So, it is impossible not to be able to believe in God, that He is who He is. But if a person “chooses” not to want to believe, then that is another story, and it will not have a happy ending. They will be judged for your unbelief.

Now, with the matter of predestination being a reality, I must say that there is such a thing, but with very specific beings in history. But the vast majority of us have free will, and that is undeniable if we look at the Word. If there were such a thing as universal predestination, the main ones who would be predestined would be the people of Israel and not us Gentiles, who are all strangers to the promises given to Israel. And especially if there were such a predestination, God would have done it for the salvation of all of Israel. But we see in the Word that not all of Israel came to see good. In fact, on the contrary, few were saved. This is what the Word says: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19. So, if God tells Israel to “choose life,” how can we think that we are all predestined, and that there is no free will? Impossible. We all have free will, so if we do what we do with our lives, it is only by our choice and not because God predisposed it that way. Therefore, we will give an account before God for what we did in this life.

The point is that the Word of God is fulfilled in our lives according to how we respond to the Lord. God calls and speaks to every person from birth, and every day, until we stop breathing our last breath. There are countless times and ways that God calls each human being. But this is what the Word says: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:1-14. This is not about God choosing who will be saved, but rather, it is about those who choose to respond to His call. Therefore, this is what the Word says: “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.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. And, what happened with what we saw at the beginning? History teaches us that what the Lord prophesied about the destruction of the temple occurred exactly in the year 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed Israel. And why did it happen? Because the people of Israel did not value the Lord as such, but only a few. The Word was fulfilled for judgment and not for blessing. So, will you choose to reject the Lord or will you treat the Lord right? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

A Life of War - 1 Samuel 14:47 – 15:7

Based on 1 Samuel 14:47 – 15:7 (New King James Version)

“So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them. And he gathered an army and attacked the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them. The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him for himself. Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’’ So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to the Kenites, ‘Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.’ So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.”

Whether we like it or not, everything in this life is about a war, and each of us has our own war. Since we are begotten and conceived, before leaving our mothers' wombs, we are already involved in war. Many today do not even survive that battle because their own mothers become their worst enemies, killing them before they see the light of day. And so, even when we begin to exist, we become part of a great conflict, and there is nothing we can do to avoid it.

Now, is this God's will? We can say yes and no. No, because God does not wish evil, in any way. God is life. But also, since sin has entered the universe through a being who instead of worshiping God decided to worship himself, and envied God, wanting to be like Him, then the devil’s will brought about war. This being that rebelled against God is the devil. Many prefer to think that the enemy does not exist, but unfortunately, he does exist, and he is our worst enemy, and of course, he is God's main enemy because he is His opposite. But well, since sin exists, which has given rise to choice, God allows there to be war, because His desire is to test mankind, individually, and see with His eyes what each of us decides to do. As a result, there is such a conflict in this universe that there is a war that affects all existence, and also each of us have our own war with endless battles.

Now, returning to today's passage, we can see what happened with Israel and what continues happening with them today, and what is happening with each of us. In order to understand Israel's present, we have to see the past. The problem that exists today is the same reason that existed a long time ago. Israel arrived at the promised land by the hand of God, and God gave that land to Israel, and yes, they defeated many kingdoms to take possession of the land. The problem that arose, and why Israel was (and is today) surrounded by enemies, is because they left undone what God commanded them to do. One can say: “Did God order to get rid of entire groups of peoples to give the land to Israel as a possession? And the answer is, yes. And why did God do it? Because God wanted to remove people who only did evil, totally dominated by the devil. God never does anything just because. Everything has a purpose. And some may say, “Why does he allow destruction if he is supposedly good and full of love?” Because along with being loving and good, He is also just, and He cannot set aside His justice for His love and goodness. And the Word also tells us that He is consuming fire. Then, God gave opportunities to those kingdoms and peoples that previously existed in those places to repent, but they decided to serve the devil rather than God. But, as Israel disobeyed God and left many things unfinished, they always lived surrounded by enemies, the ancestors of the same enemies they have today. And just as before, these enemies only want one thing, to make Israel disappear completely. That is why it is impossible to find peace in the Middle East, because no matter what Israel does, no matter what they give up (as it has done for years), the desire of its neighbors is to see them disappear. When Israel was destroyed by the Roman Empire and the survivors were dispersed, those around Israel took advantage of the opportunity and began to occupy the land, and thus this people of Palestine was formed, groups of people who simply took land that did not belong to them. And at the end of the Second World War, the prophecy was fulfilled, that God would bring His people Israel back to the land that He had promised them. In 1948, Israel was established once again, and the occupation of those who took its land were removed. And this brings us to the conflict that exists today. Whether you agree or not, the land belongs to Israel, and the promise of the Sovereign God to His friend Abraham remains valid to this day: “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3.

So, let's see how all this applies to us. In reference to Israel, our task as followers of Jesus Christ is very clear and simple: we must support and bless Israel. But also, and just like Israel, we are at war (and we cannot leave things unfinished), therefore, we will have affliction, we will have many battles, some momentary and others that last for years. And all those who are like-minded in our faith in Christ will help us and receive mercy (as God did with the Kenites, those that did show mercy to Israel). But, those who oppose, seeking to obey sin, ultimately the devil, sooner or later, will receive their eternal punishment. Meanwhile, God tells us: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. But, the Word also says: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10. We will have many battles here, but if we win our war with Christ, remaining faithful to Him until the end, we will have the eternal life that only the Eternal God can give. And best of all, we are not alone. God is with us, if we honor him, as the Word says: “…for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” 1 Samuel 2:30b. So then, how is your war going? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Loyalty to the Lord and to Our Neighbor - 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.

One of the main things seen in this passage is loyalty, and unfortunately, the lack of loyalty of some people also. Without loyalty, nothing good can be achieved, and even less, God’s salvation. There are many who believe that because they say they believe in God or because they do certain religious things, or even because they said a prayer one day, they think that is enough to go to heaven. Many hide behind the idea that since we are saved graciously, they conclude that works are of no use after coming to Christ either. But according to the Word, that is not true, and it is far from the will of God. True faith in Christ leads you to do good works which are things that please the Father. We must always remember that whoever does the will of the Father will be granted entry into the kingdom of God. And loyalty is one of the main works that are part of God's will.

What makes loyalty so important? Because it is part of the most precious thing for God, love. Loyalty is the main component of love, because without loyalty, it is impossible for there to be love. Loyalty or faithfulness is what makes love possible and visible. One of the serious problems today is that the meaning of love has been lost, and that is why there is also very little loyalty. It is believed that love is a feeling and nothing more. But love is not only that, but something much deeper and more significant, on which the most essential thing about man is based, free will, the power to choose based on some type of reasoning, which should be what separates us from the rest of creation. But, today, man is guided more by his instincts, and unfortunately, not even by his natural instincts, but rather, against nature. The female does not kill her cubs, nor do the animals seek to change how they were born, and if an animal kills, it does not kill for sport or to be able to have better things, but rather it kills to survive, to eat, or to defend itself. These are a few examples in which human beings differ from others in nature. So, love and loyalty are interdependent, and are part of what is essential for man, and mainly, for God his Creator.

True love and loyalty are not things that are just said, but for them to really mean what they should mean, they must be seen through our actions. There is no point in telling a person that we love them or that our intention is to be faithful to them without showing it. These two things can only be verified visibly and tangibly, and also, through the passing of time (because what is true should not be momentary or temporary). And to whom do we owe loyalty? If we want to obtain eternal life, the Word of God teaches us that we must love the Lord (and because it speaks of love, loyalty or faithfulness is implied) and our neighbor. This is what the Word tells us: “But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40. And as we said before, love, loyalty, and of course, faith is only seen through works, as it is also written: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:14-20. True loyalty is seen only through deeds and time, and this glorifies God.  

So, to whom do we owe loyalty to? To the Lord mainly, because He must be the foundation of everything in our life, but also, and as a result, we owe loyalty to our neighbors. And who is our neighbor? Is it our family, our loved ones and no one else? No. This is what the Word says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48. Through this, God puts our enemies in the same place as our neighbor. And how do we show loyalty even to our enemies? Giving them the opportunity to also know the Gospel of God through our actions, if we have a true faith (because the dead cannot guide the dead to life). So, are you showing loyalty to God and your neighbor? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Man’s Injustice - John 19:1-16

Based on John 19:1-16 (New King James Version)

“So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, ‘Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.’ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the Man!’ Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.’ The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.’ Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, ‘Where are You from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.’ From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, ‘If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.’ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ But they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar!’ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.’

After reading this passage, we should ask ourselves: “Was the Lord crucified because God wanted it that way, or because of man's injustice?” And if we see it through the fullness of the Word, we should understand that it happened for both reasons. The Lord's sacrifice was prepared and designed by God long before it happened. That is why He sent through His messengers to write such prophecies, which were fulfilled in the life of the Lord with great accuracy. Since man fell into sin, we see the announcement of a sacrifice that involved an innocent being dying for the evil of man. This is what the Word says: “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21. For God to make skin tunics for man, God Himself had to kill an innocent being (because animals did not sin) in order to make them. So, from the beginning, we see the announcement of what was going to be fulfilled in the life of the Lord.

Now, it would be very easy for all of us to say and accept that it was something that had to happen, no matter what, so that we would all be blameless, right? But, that's not the case. You have to see the whole equation, so to speak, to be able to understand everything that happened, and especially if we want to learn what is necessary so that we can benefit from this. Yes, it is true that it was God's design, but the death and crucifixion of the Lord was also entirely man's fault. The matter was fulfilled both because God wanted it that way, but also because the evil of man made it possible that way as well. This is what the Word says: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have consumed us because of our iniquities.” Isaiah 64:6-7. And it also says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. There was evil, in some way or another, in absolutely every human being who surrounded the Lord at that moment. Between Pilate who cared more about his relationship with Caesar than about doing justice, between the soldiers doing evil because they could, between the people who cried out for the Lord be crucified for simply allowing themselves to be carried away by the evil of others, and even the religious themselves who said they were trying to comply with the law, they all sinned. The last thing the religious had in mind was fulfilling God's law, because even Pilate knew their real intentions, as it was left written: “Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.” Matthew 27:17-18. And what could we even say about his disciples, who cared more about their own well-being before suffering together with the Lord? Peter had declared to the Lord that he would even die for Him if necessary. And what did he do? He denied him, but why, because the Lord prophesied that he would deny Him, or because the Lord knew he was going to deny him? This itself should make us think: “Do things happen because God wanted them that way, or because they fall due to their own evil and God simply knows what is going to happen?” And let’s not judge harshly those from before, because we are the same.

Nothing has changed in mankind since then. So, what should we do? And here comes the practicality of the gospel. The first thing that God teaches us is, that for man to be saved, they must repent and convert from all sins before God. We must start completely, 100% anew. Why? Because we are all sinners and totally corrupt before God, and if we do not change that condition, we will continue to practice injustice despite our best intentions. I myself converted to the Lord at age 7, and I was already corrupted, and had to start over. Second, and as necessary as the first, we must make the Lord Jesus Christ our literal and effective Lord by faith so that the Holy Spirit can enter our lives. And third, we must allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, seeking to do His will. Why? Because we are still subject to the free will with which God Himself made us. That was the great change that happened in the apostles after the Lord died and was resurrected, which made them capable of even giving their lives for the Lord. Peter was finally able to fulfill his promise to give his life for God. But this doesn't happen by itself. This only happens between the complement of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and us submitting our will to Him. This is what the Word says: “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 12:2. “Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’” Luke 13:23-25. This helps us understand that we must overcome our sin, step by step, with God's help (of course), because the work is necessary so that we can obtain eternal life through Christ. This must be fulfilled in us: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:29-30. So, are you looking to do God’s justice heartfully? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

God’s Compassion - Mark 8:1-8

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

“In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, ‘I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.’ Then His disciples answered Him, ‘How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.”

There are many who question the love and compassion of the Lord. Many ask or meditate within themselves, if God is good or merciful, why does He allow so many bad things to happen in the world? Why does He let evil reign in the world? Why doesn't He answer my prayers? And it is because of questions like these that many justify their disbelief. God is judged at every moment, and for different reasons. But, in order to understand these things, it is necessary to come to understand certain realities, and I am afraid to say, that reality or truth is not always something pleasant for us, but the truth is the most important thing because His truth is what will make us free.

The point is that we must understand positions, both God's position and our position. To begin, God is God, and in order to focus things even more, we are talking about the true and only God (because there are many false gods and idols). Why make this clarification? Because there are many people who believe that all religions lead to the same God, which is impossible, because there are several religions that believe that there are many gods and deities. And of course, if it is the same god, how would he say one thing to one group of people, and another thing to another group of people? In short, we are talking about the true God, the triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the God of the Holy Bible. Now, God is God, and as God, there is nothing or no one higher in the entire universe. Nobody commands God. No one can impose anything on God, much less subject Him to something. As God, He is Sovereign and He can do as He pleases, especially with all of His creation. And in conjunction with that, we must understand that, as God, He does not owe anything to anyone, much less to humanity. He has no obligation to anyone. So, God can do whatever He wants. That is reality.

So, what is our position? A very bad one. Why? Because God created and made man to serve Him, to fulfill His purposes. And what did man do? He rebelled against His Creator. Within the free will that God gave him, instead of following the reason for his existence, man wanted to be like God, he wanted to put himself in competition with God. That was what the devil used to tempt man. As it is written: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:1-6. And some might say: “That was Adam and Eve's fault, and it wasn't my fault.” And possibly, it was not your fault how this whole problem started, but yes, each of us have voluntarily sinned against God. And with every sin that is committed, God is offended, without exception. This is what the Word says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romanos 3:23. So, there is no one here who has not offended God, by using their free will to sin against the Almighty. And the wages of sin is death, even more accurately, eternal damnation, eternal death, because this is also written: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Ezekiel 18:20. This is our reality. All of us have practically killed our souls with our actions, and willingly. The devil can only tempt, but no one has the power to make man sin, not even the devil, because God gave us free will.

What then is our duty, despite our fallen and sin-contaminated nature? Even though we have sinned, that does not free us from the reason for our existence. Sin takes away the reward that comes with serving God, but not our obligation. The duty of every human being is to come to recognize God, and to serve Him regardless of whether they are saved or not, because even the devil will one day have to acknowledge the Most High, and humble himself before Him, but not for salvation or forgiveness, but to honor God. “For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Romans 14:11. You may ask, “How can a person know of God if they ignore so much?”  And this is what the Word answers: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20. So, if God says that there is no excuse, it is because there is no excuse and no exceptions. Every human being has the capacity and the means to know that God exists and what He is capable of, and therefore, they know that He must be sought after.

So how can we see God's compassion? In everything. If we have already established that God is Sovereign, and that He owes nothing to no one, and we have exposed our bad position before God, we should be able to see very clearly His compassion, His mercy, His grace, and most importantly, His love, because God chose to love us despite who we are and what we have done against Him. God sends rain on the just and on the unjust. God gives life to every human being. But the greatest compassion is what He did through His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Word says: “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. This is what makes God so good and so great, that even though we have only done things worthy of death, He chose to love us and give us the opportunity to obtain eternal life through the Lord. So, His compassion goes beyond the loaves and fishes. There is something infinitely greater that He has given us that surpasses everything superficial and temporary that we think should demonstrate His compassion. So, do you repay God with your life for the great and undeserved compassion that He has shown you, and continues to show you daily? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

The Lord Will Weigh Our Hearts - Proverbs 21:2-8

Based on Proverbs 21:2-8 (New King James Version)

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin. The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. The violence of the wicked will destroy them, because they refuse to do justice. The way of a guilty man is perverse; but as for the pure, his work is right.”

We see in this passage that God not only sees and judges our actions, but also discerns our thoughts and weighs our hearts. If we have any kind of reasoning and belief in the Almighty, these things should produce deep fear in us. But, unfortunately, and today more than ever, man chooses to be guided by his own opinion and thinking, and unfortunately, his heart is very far from God, and even the hearts of those who say they believe in Him. How can I say this so confidently? Just by observing what most people are doing. The vast majority of people, and even believers, live today as they lived in Israel long ago, as the Scriptures say: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25. But, we should ask ourselves this question: “Will this tendency of man remain unpunished before our Creator who made man to serve him?”

The Word of God teaches us that God knows all things, and that He will judge all things, and that He will bring all just consequences upon man if they do not turn from their evil ways. For it is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. It must be clear that everything is laid bare before God, and that He will deal with all things fairly, especially with the heart of man. There are many who try to show a religious life, or good conduct according to the opinion of society, but this does not align with the thoughts of God, nor with the reason why God created and made man, and far less, with the purpose and reason why He has given the opportunity for salvation through Christ. Many think that God made us to live our lives, so to speak. And with this, they justify all kinds of erroneous doctrine. God did not make us to do whatever we want. God did not create man to do his own will. Even less, God the Father did not send His Only Begotten Son to die on a cross so that man could continue doing as they please. Many confuse faith with a simple belief in God alone, and that this is enough. But it's not like that. This is not what the Word of God teaches. And it is necessary to be able to explain this over and over again because if the lie, or an apparent truth, is followed, the vast majority will have a very bitter moment in God's judgment, whose punishment will last for all eternity. And the word “bitter” does not even begin to describe what eternal punishment means. There will be many surprises in God's great judgment, and to the detriment of many people.

Many believers think that they will no longer experience God's judgment, and that everything will be justified through faith in Christ. And yes, it is true that grace and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will justify us in the great judgment, but only if we did the will of the Father. Otherwise, if there are no works and a right heart before God, then a supposed faith in Christ will not save man. And this is where you must be very careful, because quite simply, no one can deceive God. This is what the Word says: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27. “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11a. So, there is no way to be confused with these passages, that absolutely everyone, both unbelievers and believers, will give an account for their actions before the Most High. God will judge our actions, our thoughts, and even the intention of our heart. Everything will be exposed before His throne and every being that surrounds His presence. And if this is not reason enough to begin to have some kind of fear and reverence before God, I don't know what else can be said. To think anything else is foolishness, and foolishness is not excusable before God.

So, how can we come to have a heart worthy before God? Through genuine and complete repentance and conversion from all sin, not just some sins. And we must accept the Lord Jesus Christ by faith as the literal and effective Lord of our lives. And this leads to the third and fundamental thing of faith in Christ: seeking to do the will of the Father. And the third thing is as important as repentance and conversion, and faith in the Lord Jesus, because without this, there can be no salvation. The heart cannot become what it needs to be transformed to if it does not live through the process of regeneration that consists of much more than just a single moment of confession of faith. He is called the Way for a reason, because the true Christian life consists of a lifestyle, and not of words, much less of trying to use God to get what a person wants as is very common today. This is what makes the hearts of many so deceitful, because on the one hand they profess to follow Christ, but on the other hand, they look only to God to fulfill their desires and not God's desire, as they hide behind a supposed faith. This is what the Word says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. What does it explain here? That, even if a person does things that appear spiritual, it does not mean that their heart is with God, but rather, that they can be very far from God despite their religious actions. That is why they are incapable of doing the true will of God, because the true will of the Father is: to do good works directed by Him, with a heart that is according to that of God’s heart. Father above all other things. The Lord reiterated this which should be the all of man through the Lord Jesus Christ, especially after coming to Christ: “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. This is what must happen in the life of every believer, and all of this is possible over time with the help of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, if you let yourself be led by the Lord, if you genuinely seek to do His will daily. This should be the feeling that our hearts should have, just as the Apostle Paul had when he converted to the Lord: “So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’…” Acts 9:6a. So, when God weighs your heart in the great judgment, what will God see? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

Eternal Life is Only for Those Who Live According to the Spirit - Romans 8:1-18

Based on Romans 8:1-18 (New King James Version)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

One of the great apostasies within the church today is the concept that salvation or eternal life is attained by just believing in Christ only. And this teaching is very attractive and convenient (and that is what makes it so dangerous) because it gives room for a person to do whatever they want with the idea that they will be saved with the sole fact that they believe in God. And thus, many other evils are justified, such as disorder, sin, in short, doing as one pleases because they subject everything to a simple belief, and nothing more. With such a false gospel, one can do whatever they want, even please the desires of the flesh, as long as they believe in Christ. But salvation is not attained that way.

The point is that believing in Christ generically is not enough. Some will ask, “Do you mean that you have to do other things to be saved, and that salvation is not by grace alone?” This is what we have to understand. One does not get to heaven with partial truths. That is what Satan himself uses to tempt man, as he did with Eve. Eve was not going to die carnally the moment she ate the forbidden fruit, but the consequences of the death that God spoke of were going to come spiritually immediately, and also carnally, but over time. So, from a certain momentary point of view (so to speak), it was true that Eve was not going to die, and that is the thing about how deception and lies work, because they are based on things that seem like the truth, on partial truths. So, yes, one becomes saved through faith in Christ, and yes, it is by grace, but there are other things that must take place so that a person can legitimately attain God's salvation. That is why we cannot base faith on one verse here and another verse there, but rather on the complement of the Word in Its fullness. For example, this is what the Word says about a simple belief in God: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19. So, do demons receive forgiveness for their sin (if it were possible) because they just believe in God? And take notice, they believe and tremble, which means that they fear God, therefore, they do much more than many people today, more than the same ones who say they believe in God. The answer is a resounding no! Therefore, mere belief is not enough for man either. So how does one become saved and obtain eternal life? According to the Word of God, salvation or eternal life is obtained through three fundamental things: there must be complete repentance and conversion of sins, without partiality, the Lord Jesus must be received as Lord by faith, not only as Savior, and this leads to the third thing, and what Paul is precisely dealing with in the passage we read, that a person must live according to the Spirit, that is, to do God's will and not their own will. And this is where the problems that many have are revealed, even so-called believers, those who do not wish to leave sin, nor stop doing their own will.

The fullness of the Gospel, and also the reason for our existence, is that we were created by God (we are not the product of a cosmic accident), and God created us to serve Him, and not to serve ourselves. The Lord came to restore that same purpose through the cross, to once again give us the opportunity to fulfill the purpose of our existence. This is what the Word says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. What many confuse as predestination is the simple fact that God made us for His service, and not that there is a set of predetermined actions in our lives. But, if we do not fulfill the purpose of our existence, no matter how much we confess to having faith in Christ, we will not obtain either salvation or eternal life. This is what the Word says: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16-25. If we don’t live in the Spirit, there is no salvation. This is what the Lord Himself said: “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. Therefore, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again…” Romans 14:8-9a. So, are you living according to the flesh, carrying out your own will, or living for Christ, doing the will of the Father for eternal life? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!

We Are at the End - Matthew 24:1-14

Based on Matthew 24:1-14 (New King James Version)

“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. ‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

One of the sure things we have to hold on to are biblical prophecies, because they are fulfilled exactly when their time has come. The Word of God is as sure as God Himself because the Word is God Himself. The words that we read in the most sacred text are more than words, more than thoughts, which were written by men, but inspired by God. Therefore, if you want to hold on to something sure and immovable, take the Word of God as the foundation for your lives.

For example, we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of God because of precisely this, because of the fulfillment of the prophecies in His life. Some time ago, Peter Stoner and Robert Newman wrote a book called Science Speaks. And they explained that the odds of just eight of the 60 messianic prophecies being fulfilled in one man would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (100 quadrillion). And we know that more than eight prophecies were fulfilled in the life of the Lord. Winning the lottery in any country in the world would be many times more possible in comparison. So, we can very easily determine two very fundamental things, that the Word of God is fulfilled in due time, and of course, that the Lord is undoubtedly God.

Returning to the passage we read at the beginning, the Lord revealed many of the things that would happen that would lead to the end. And I can say very confidently that the vast majority of what He said has already been fulfilled. Therefore, we can conclude that we are already at the end. For example, the destruction of the temple occurred in 70 AD, when the Roman Empire completely destroyed Jerusalem. And literally not one stone was left upon another because the soldiers took apart and burned the walls of the temple to be able to extract the gold and precious stones. And what can we say about false christs since there have already been many over time? In reference to wars, unlike the ancient wars that occurred with such kingdoms as the Roman Empire, there have not been wars of greater magnitude than those that have occurred in the last two centuries in the world. We have already had not only one world war, but two world wars where groups of nations rose up to confront each other in different parts of the world, where “nation against nation” took place. And the last world war showed such magnitude that thousands of people died in moments when only two bombs were dropped on Japan, on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where more than 355,000 people died.

Regarding plagues (which includes diseases), we can say that the world has already seen great horrors such as the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague where more than 50 million people died between 1346 and 1353. More than 60% of the European population died during those few years. And what can we say about today? The world has never been so plagued by different health problems as we see today between cardiovascular problems, strokes, respiratory and lung problems, cancer, etc. The World Health Organization says that more than 41 million people die each year due to non-communicable diseases alone (like those mentioned). More than 15 million of these deaths occur between the ages of 30 and 69.  

In reference to global hunger, in February 2024, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) estimated that 309 million people in 72 countries where the WFP operates would face acute problems with food insecurity. This includes an estimated 42.3 million who would be at risk of starvation. More than 9 million people die annually from hunger (25,000 people daily).

Regarding earthquakes, we can relate the following. In the year 1556 in Shaanxi, China, an estimated 830,000 people died. In 1976 in Tangshen, China, as many as 655,000 people are believed to have died. More recently, in 2004, near the Indonesian coast, a submarine earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 occurred, producing a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India. In 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the Haitian government estimates that up to 316,000 people died. The issue of earthquakes has become a common occurrence in our times, that in different parts of the world, sooner or later, some type of significant earthquake occurs.

And in relation to the preaching of the Gospel worldwide and the persecution of the Church, it has also already happened. Virtually everyone in the world knows about Christ, and that the symbol of the cross is the demonstration of God’s love, that He gave to His Only Begotten Son so that we could have eternal life in Him. In 1995, during the Global Mission event, Dr. Billy Graham preached a sermon at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico that was broadcast by satellite to 185 countries and translated into 116 languages. And in many parts of the world, the Universal Church of God is already being persecuted. When the Antichrist comes to power, global persecution will come to pass.

So, we can conclude that we are already at the end, and a wise person would realize this reality, and would make decisions that ensure they are ready for what is coming and eternal life, such as repent and convert from all sins, believe and accept the Lord Jesus as the Lord of their lives, and live to fulfill the will of the Lord. These three things make up the Gospel of God so that a person can obtain salvation. So, are you ready, or are you still avoiding the only path to salvation and eternal life? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel.

We Need to Learn How to Discern - Matthew 7:1-6

Based on Matthew 7:1-6 (New King James Version)

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ‘Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.’”

In this passage, the Lord talks about not judging people, but He also gives us a very peculiar warning involving two animals. However, in other places in Scripture, we are told that it is necessary to judge, and that we must make certain decisions based on that judgment. So, some may wonder, “Are there contradictions in the Bible?” One thing must be very clear, to begin with, and that is, that in the Bible there are no contradictions. Everything works very harmoniously as a whole, from Genesis to Apocalypse. If something seems like a contradiction, then you simply have to delve a little deeper and search within the Word itself, and of course, always with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God cannot be understood humanly, but only through the Holy Spirit.

Now then, let's first look at a passage that calls us to judge. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-16. Here we understand that there is a type of person, so to speak, who must judge and who has the capacity to judge, and that is the spiritual one. Who is this person? In this passage, Paul speaks of two people, the natural man and the spiritual man. We understand that the natural man is the person who does not have the Spirit of God, who simply has not come to be born again in Christ, nor have they totally surrendered to the Lord. That is the natural man. And the spiritual is the opposite, it’s the person who has surrendered to the Lordship of the Lord, and therefore, has the Spirit of God. But we see a detail here, like the use of the word “discern.” What does this mean? In its simplest definition, it means being able to understand, comprehend, and to be able to see beyond. And it is conjugated with the word “spiritually.” So, we understand that judgment does not consist of condemnation, but rather, of being able to understand and comprehend things through the Spirit of God, and thus be able to act appropriately, practicing the justice of God. The same applies to the passage we saw at the beginning. The Lord used the word “judge” in the sense of seeing what a person is and condemning them. And that is what He said not to do, that we should not condemn people. But we must understand what we ourselves are doing to begin with, so that we can come to understand through the Spirit where others are.

So, this matter of understanding is clear throughout the Word, which is of utmost importance. We must understand what happens within ourselves, why we do things, and also, we must understand what others do, because it is necessary to make wise decisions, if we want to please God. Because this is what the whole thing is about—doing the will of the Father. That's why things don't just happen on their own as many believe, that the only thing you decide is to believe in Christ, and He takes care of everything else. Nor is it the point that everything depends on us, and that, if I don't do something, nothing will happen. There is a balance, so to speak. But one thing is very certain, and that is that there is such a thing as responsibility, a concept that eludes many of God's people. For example, we read 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. What do we see here? That people who still do not know the Truth of God, nor have made any decision for the Lord, are still on that side where we must give them the opportunity, and we must not judge them, in the sense of condemnation as we saw before. But, for the person who does know the truth, and knowing that truth, wishes to continue in the things of the world, there is a severe problem. From the moment a person has been exposed to the gospel and has supposedly agreed to follow some type of faith, but wishes to follow the flesh and its desires, the excuses end, and they will be held responsible for their actions, and we as believers must make decisions accordingly. This is what the Word says: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.

To further explain the matter. We are all sinners, even those of us who follow the Lord, but the big difference is that there must be a before and after in the life of a person who has decided to follow Christ, and there must be a continuation in being transformed, and not in maintaining a lifestyle of disorder and sin. And if a person persists in maintaining a lifestyle of sin, knowing the gospel, they is already amassing judgment on themselves, not our judgment and condemnation, but God's, because God is going to hold them responsible for their knowledge. And we are called to know how to discern all this. Why? Because a person that supports sin will also not be held innocent; and because we should fear God, where all divine wisdom begins: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7. The Lord was referring to this when He said: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine…” The dog returns to his vomit and the swine, after being washed, returns to wallowing in filth. This is to what the Lord is referring to when people continue to practice sin, living a lifestyle of sin after having been exposed to the gospel, and we must be very careful with this. You have to know how to discern. We cannot walk through this world ignorantly, because God's will is for us to obey Him, using our free will for good. That's why he says: “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.” James 1:5. We must know how to discern our own actions and the actions of others in order to do God's will according to the circumstances. So, have you learned to discern, or do you continue to willfully ignore evil? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel.

The Resurrection of the Dead - Acts 24:10-21

Based on Acts 24:10-21 (New King James Version)

“Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: ‘Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. 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.’”

What is the resurrection of the dead? The resurrection of the dead is when God will raise up every human being to appear before His great judgment. We will all die at some point. This is the law of this world. No one lives forever, carnally speaking. Then, God is going to raise everyone from the dead so we can give an account of our deeds. This is what the Scripture says: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27. There are no exceptions, both the unbeliever and the faithful to God will be resurrected, as well as the unbelieving and the faithful to God will be judged.

So, when Paul spoke of being judged for the resurrection of the dead, he was saying that he suffered persecution because he made it known to people that we would all be resurrected to give an account in that great judgment, and that those who believed and sought to do the will of the Lord would attain eternal life, but those who do not follow Christ and refuse to do the will of the Father will be punished eternally. All of this would be determined in that great judgment of God. This should finally be the all of man, thinking about what will happen to them in eternity. It should be compelling for each person to think about what will happen to them in the great judgment of God. Because what does it matter if a person lives in this world for 70 years, or 80 years, or even 100 years, as they wish if they are going to be condemned to eternal punishment? This is what the Word says about judgment: “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 this should lead us to meditate about our future. How is it that one can pass this great judgment and be found by God (not by man, nor by his opinions) worthy to enter His kingdom? And here we will have to denounce one of the greatest apostasies that is preached in many places today, and that a large multitude of believers adhere to it as truth and sound doctrine, and that is: we have already reached the goal when we decide to believe in Christ, and that there is nothing more to do. This is one of the biggest traps that the devil has introduced into the church, not understanding the entire gospel of God. What is the whole Gospel? The Gospel consists of three fundamental things: complete repentance and conversion from all sins (not just some sins), accepting and submitting to Jesus as Lord, and seeking to do His will (and not our will). And what is the problem that exists, where the deviation has occurred? Many may come to ask the Lord for forgiveness for their sins, and they may come to believe in Christ, but where the deviation happens is when the matter of living for the Lord comes in, to do His will. What error has arisen today? That it is taught that when you have already adopted faith in Christ, that there is nothing more to do. Since works were of no use before we converted, they are of no value afterward either. And this goes totally against the Gospel and the purpose for which we were created, made, and through Christ, redeemed. What we do with our lives after believing in Christ will be taken into account in the judgment, to see if we have lived to do the Father's will, or to do our own will. God does care about what we do with our lives. That is the all of man. Because this is what the Word says: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: ‘Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.’” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

When we come to Christ, if we legitimately come to Christ (because many come close, but not completely to Him), it is only the beginning of a long and eternal path. This is why it was called “the Way” as we saw today. Even the concept of being born again in Christ explains it, which is a beginning. And like every beginning, if it is not continued, if there is no development, there is nothing. A baby has to become an adult someday for their full potential to be realized. A race must be run and finished so that the prize can be attained. Every beginning must come to an end. If you don't walk the whole way, you will never reach the destination you need to reach. The Apostle Paul himself explained this: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” Philippians 3:12-15. So, if we do not use our free will to submit to the Lordship of Christ to effectively fight and continue towards the goal, ultimately living to fulfill the will of God in our lives, we will not be saved. If Paul did not think he had reached it yet with all the faith in Christ he had, how much more should we feel that we still have a long way to go? Finally, if we live our lives to do our will, then we will be judged by God in the judgment for our deeds and will not see the kingdom of God. This is what the Lord said, and we must take this very seriously: “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, we should always ask ourselves: “Do we live in such a way that there is a resurrection of the dead, and that we will give an account for all of our deeds before God someday? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel.