All Things Work Together for Good

All Things Work Together for Good

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

I’d like to send a shout-out to my dad, Mike Mitchell.  I think of him whenever I read this verse.

My first work as a minister was very much a “baptism by fire.”  I was in my early 20’s, unmarried, untrained.  I had never received any formal education for being a minister.  I remember very naively thinking that there would be no problems and no worries that would come with the job of being a preacher, because I would be working with Christians, after all.  Well, I was very much mistaken.  Problems came…deep problems, the kind that bring ulcers and keep you up at night for weeks at a time.  I was not prepared for any of them, and was in deep despair and anguish many a day.

Yes... hardship will come... then what?

Yes… hardship will come… then what?

My dad was my mentor during those days.  Being a preacher himself for 40 years, he had more experience than me.  During the terrible days when I came to him repeatedly wondering what to do, he would bring up this passage to me, over and over again.  “Jon, remember that God causes all things to work together for good,” he’d say.  I’ll never forget him telling me that, because time has shown him to be correct.

This world is hard, unfair, unmerciful, unloving, and unforgiving at times.  Christians are not invulnerable to the wounds this life brings.  Yet, our God still takes care of us.  He uses the difficulties of life to make us stronger (Heb. 12:3-13).  As he did with Job, he brings better times back to us sooner or later.  Best of all, as the passage brings out, he called us by his gospel (2 Thess. 2:14) and we answered that call through our loving obedience of the gospel (John 14:15; Mark 16:15-16).  That means that in the end, we will be victorious eternally in heaven rather than suffering eternal defeat and torment in hell (Rev. 21:3-4; 2 Thess. 1:7-10).

Praise his Holy Name!

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“SU BIBLIA FUE ESCRITA POR HOMBRES”

“SU BIBLIA FUE ESCRITA POR HOMBRES”
 
¿Cómo respondería usted a tal aseveración?. Sabemos cuál es la verdadera intención de quienes hacen tal afirmación. Sin embargo la respuesta correcta es; ¡Correcto!, la Biblia fue escrita por hombres, pero hombres inspirados quienes recibieron revelación de Dios. Muchas veces se afirma esto para desligarse de alguna exhortación que la Biblia me está haciendo o alguna corrección directa a mi vida. Pero otras veces los escépticos proclaman con fuerza esto con el único objetivo de desacreditar las santas escrituras. Sin embargo ¿es la creencia de que la Biblia es el libro de Dios?¿ Y si lo es, cómo podemos comprobar esto?. Lo que nos lleva a otra pregunta. ¿Quién decidió que incluir en la Biblia?.

La Mente de Dios

La Mente de Dios

La pregunta acerca de cómo se decidió cuales libros llegarían a ser parte de la Biblia apunta a proceso de canonización. Como usted sabrá, canon no es la marca de una cámara digital sino que este contexto proviene del término griego “Kanon” que significa caña. La caña por muchos años fue el instrumento de medir y luego llegó a ser el patrón o la regla de medición en cuestiones como esta.  Es importante notar que la Iglesia católica NO, NOS DIO LA BIBLIA. La Iglesia católica posee uno de los manuscritos principales el códice “V” pero es solo uno de entre 5 y que dicho sea de paso, jamás lo pusieron a disposición del Público. Ni siquiera la Iglesia primitiva es la que ha dado el canon; tampoco decidió los libros que iban a ser parte de la inspiración divina de Dios al hombre, al contrario, la Iglesia reconoció o descubrió cuales libros habían sido inspirados desde el principio. Pablo escribe en Colosenses 4:16 “Cuando esta carta haya sido leída entre vosotros, haced que también se lea en la Iglesia de los Laodicenses y que la de la Laodicea la leías vosotros también.” Este versículo prueba que la Iglesia no determinó el canon, ya que muchísimo años antes del concilio de Nicea el canon estaba definido. Es Dios quien determina los libros, las palabras y que hombres habían de escribir.  
INCORRECTO
CORRECTO
La Iglesia determina el canon 
La Iglesia es quien descubre el canon 
La Iglesia es madre del canon 
La Iglesia es hija del canon
La iglesia es magistrada del canon
La Iglesia es el ministro del canon
La Iglesia es quien administra el canon
La iglesia es la que reconoce el canon
La Iglesia es Juez del canon
La Iglesia es testigo del canon
La Iglesia es maestra del canon 
La iglesia es sierva del canon 
La Iglesia nos dio el canon 
El canon nos dio la Iglesia
Brevemente hemos de observar algunas pautas de Como determinar la inclusión de aquellos escritos que son canon:
  1. ¿Fue escrito el libro por un profeta de Dios?, Si el autor del libro reclama ser un profeta de Dios, entonces matemáticamente  tal libro resulta ser palabra de Dios.
  2. ¿El autor fue confirmado por Dios por algún acto sobrenatural por parte de Dios? Con frecuencia tanto en el antiguo como en nuevo los milagros verdaderos eran una señal de que Dios estaba con esa persona y así es como se confirmaba la palabra de Dios (Hebreos 2:3-4).
  3. El mensaje ¿es verídico?  Dios no puede contradecirse (2Cor.1:17,18). Por ejemplo en cuanto a Antíoco se dice que ha muerto de 3 Maneras diferentes y en dos lugares geográficos completamente distinto en los dos libros de Macabeos ( 1 Maca.6:18 y 2 Maca.1:16). Hay muchas otras contracciones entre los relatos de estos libros ajenos al canon y también se encuentran contradicciones al resto de la Biblia que sí es canon.
  4. ¿Contiene un efecto de Poder?  La palabra de Dios ha sido la fuente de la transformación de cientos y miles de almas ya que su naturaleza es divina y realmente tiene poder (Hebreos 4:12). Pero si un escrito no es inspirado por Dios jamás va a tener el mismo efecto, serán buenos solamente para dormir.
  5. ¿El Pueblo de Dios lo aceptó? En 1Tes 2:13 Pablo explica que los hermanos recibieron sus palabras no como palabra de hombre sino con toda humildad y en verdad la palabra de Dios. 
Cuando el pueblo de Dios recibía, coleccionaba, leía y usaba una carta como la palabra de Dios esta llegaba a ser considerado como canónico. La Biblia fue escrita por hombres, pero por hombres inspirados quienes fueron especialmente escogidos por Dios para esta tarea en particular. Por lo tanto su Biblia fue escrita por hombres pero usted puede estar completamente seguro que Dios eligió cuidadosamente cada palabra que en ella fue escrita. 
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Adversity Makes you Bitter or Better

Adversity Makes you Bitter or Better

David makes some truly amazing statements in Psalms which allows us to look into his heart and learn why he was so special to God. How do we become what he was since God has such high regard for him even from his youth? His words express the kind of heart he had. If we spend time making his words our words we will be changed. Perhaps we, too, can be described as a “man after God’s own heart.”

Lemons to lemonade!

Lemons to lemonade!

Both first and second Samuel tell us about the life of David and all the trials he faced. They began shortly after he killed Goliath when jealous King Saul sought to take his life. He gained the favor of the people around him, and the evil king sent his army to kill David. He almost did not become king as that army was almost successful in taking the life of the young “giant killer.” His friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, often enabled him to escape. Years later, David again had immeasurable adversity when his own son led a rebellion against him.

So, how did he view such trials? Read his words, and they may change how you look at life. David said, “It is good that I was afflicted.” Our first reaction is that such could not be right! How on earth could any suffering be seen as good? Read the rest of the verse. David said, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes” (Psalm 119:71). David understood a lesson which each of us should learn early in our life. If our life has little misery and adversity, we tend to ignore God for we have little need of Him. On the other hand, adversity provides us the opportunity to come closer to God. How we respond to such trials shows the kind of heart we have. It is so important to learn that adversity makes us bitter or better.

The apostle Paul understood this same truth. In his second letter to Corinth, he gave a list of many of the trials he had endured, then he said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Read the verse again—infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses. Pleasure in all of this? How strange! But, what insight David and Paul had into how to deal with all that life brings.

How do you decide what things are good and what things are bad in your life? Here is a rule which might change your whole view of life. Anything which draws me closer to God is good, and anything which keeps me from God is evil.

So, let me ask you, any good thing happening in your life right now? Think about it.

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Revelation: Salvation is Come

Salvation is Come

Amid the high symbolism of the book of Revelation we have some “not so subtle” hints to basic divine truth. By the grace of God, we have been offered salvation, strength, a kingdom, and power to all who overcome “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word” (12:10–11).

Salvation through Christ.

Salvation through Christ.

While we are guaranteed to be persecuted, the everlasting Good News of God is intended to bring all men everywhere to salvation through the fear of God in light of judgment (14:6–7). Listen to some of the most beautiful words ever written about the patience of the saints who keep the commands of God and walk in the faith of Jesus Christ…

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

Salvation has come, and Judgment is coming…are you in Christ? Are you patiently and faithfully awaiting that day? Be ready, be faithful.

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The Light of Our Lampstand

Our Lampstand

In our study of Exodus, we noted how God commanded Moses to make a lampstand (Exodus 25:31-35).  This lampstand was to give light to the inside of the tabernacle.  Light symbolizes God’s truth being taught and obeyed as David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).  What then happens if our light goes out?

Is your life full of light?

Is your life full of light?

Jesus spoke to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 these words, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”  The removal of the lampstand implies that there is no more light coming from it.  What good is a lampstand if it doesn’t have light in it.  Jesus’ threat of removal was symbolic of the church at Ephesus no longer loving and obeying God’s truth.  To have the lampstand removed means that the church has died.

What is the condition of our lampstand?  Is it shining brightly in our community?  Are others learning about Jesus and coming to Him?  Are we taking the gospel about Christ to our neighbors?  It is imperative that we do as Jesus taught us to do: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  Otherwise, our church will die and Christ will take away our lampstand.  In this new year of 2017, let’s resolve to put Christ first in our life and actively tell others about Him.  Our friends and neighbors need to know what it means to be a real Christian.  Lead someone to Christ this year and keep the church alive!  God bless you, and I love you.

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