The Church

The Church

The church is the blood bought institution for which Christ died (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25). Its coming was promised by Christ (Matthew 16:18), it is part of the eternal plan which God has for the salvation of man (Ephesians 3:10-11), and it is depicted as the body of Christ with Christ himself being its head (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). Membership in the church is not determined by man, but by God (Acts 2:47).

The church is the blood bought institution for which Christ died

The church is the blood bought institution for which Christ died

  • Acts 20:28: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
  • Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”
  • Matthew 16:18: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
  • Ephesians 3:10-11: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
  • Ephesians 5:23: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”
  • Colossians 1:18: “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
  • Acts 2:47: “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
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Soul Food

Soul Food

God provides a source of materials to nourish the body which keeps us going and growing.  He has provided unlimited amounts of burgers and bananas, but it is up to us to balance our diets.  In like manner, our spirits need food.  But, what does it mean to, “taste and see that the LORD is good . . .” (Psa. 34:8)?  How can we taste the Lord?

“taste and see that the LORD is good . . .” (Psa. 34:8)?

“taste and see that the LORD is good . . .” (Psa. 34:8)?

Think about this: without regular “soul food,” our faith, hope and love do not have the nourishment needed to grow and soon, we find our relationship with God suffering, then we become weak and ineffective and before you know it, we’re on our way to spiritual anorexia.  Thus, regular feasting on the spiritual provisions God supplies will prevent this from happening.  Our basic food groups for the soul are: the Bible, prayer, worship and spending time with others who want to grow closer to God.  So, make sure read the Bible, that you talk to God in prayer, that you worship God sincerely and that you get involved in the work of the church.  And, once you acquire taste for real soul food, you will never want to go hungry again.

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¿EXISTE VIDA EN OTRO PLANETA?

¿EXISTE VIDA EN OTRO PLANETA?
Por Heiner L. Montealto
Recientemente esta pregunta salió a relucir en una conversación, muchos hermanos a los que se les ha hecho esta misma pregunta incluso se han enojado porque; es “irrelevante” piensan ellos. Sin embargo en la mente y corazón de los que hacen tal pregunta, la duda es genuina y la curiosidad se asoma por todo el ruido que se escucha afuera en el mundo; noticieros, radio, comentarios, videos y hasta artículos que tratan sobre la vida en otro planeta. El mundo religioso no escapa de la confusión. Elena G. White, importante precursora de los adventistas del Séptimo día escribe: 
“El gobierno de Dios no incluía sólo a los habitantes del cielo sino también a los de todos los mundos que él había creado; y Satanás pensó que si podía arrastrar a los ángeles del cielo en su rebeldía, podría también arrastrar a los habitantes de los demás mundos” (Elena G. White, Conflicto de los Siglos, pág. 552).
En este mismo libro esta señora afirmó que Elias el profeta y Enoc, que caminó con Dios habitaban en Saturno y Jupiter respectivamente. Créalo o no, un gran sin numero de personas religiosas que usan la misma Biblia que usted y yo usamos están creyendo en este tipo de ideas… un tanto enredadas para decirlo de una manera elegante.

Dios no originó vida en otros mundos.

Dios no originó vida en otros mundos.

Es fácil concluir con el tema citando Dt 29:29 “Las cosas secretas pertenecen a nuestro Dios”. Sin embargo procuramos expandir más la respuesta partiendo pasajes Bíblicos utilizados y que además las dudas de muchos sean claramente despejadas. Pablo de una manera muy humilde pero inspirado por el E.S escribe en 2 Co. 12 que había ido hasta el tercer cielo donde vio cosas inefables que no le es dado al hombre conocer. Por lo tanto concluimos que el tercer cielo es la morada misma de Dios y de que sí está habitada por “seres”. Ahí está Dios mismo, ahí habitan los ángeles, arcángeles, serafines y querubines. El primer cielo es el espacio exterior donde por supuesto habitamos nosotros pero el segundo cielo es el espacio sideral que es la base de la pregunta inicial. Permita notar también que Dios es el ser supremo de todo el universo y que de acuerdo a Genesis 1:26, somos creados a su imagen y de acuerdo a su semejanza. El hombre y solo el hombre es creado a su imagen y semejanza, es decir; solamente el “antropos” en griego el ser humano tiene 1) capacidad de razonar correctamente, 2) posee libre albedrío, y posee un 3)Espíritu que continua viviendo después de la muerte física (Ecl. 12:7). Tres características  de las cuales Dios nos dio o nos hizo en parecido a su naturaleza. Los animales no tienen la capacidad de razonar correctamente, pueden razonar cuando usted les da una orden al menos algunos (el burro cuesta) pero no tienen ese sentido de análisis del porque de sus acciones. Poseen sentimientos como usted y como yo, y el depósito de los sentimientos es el alma misma, donde también residen las emociones pero no poseen un Espíritu que trasciende. Es por esta razón que no existe algo como la evangelización de animales ni nada por el estilo, cuando un animal muere ahí acabo su vida y su existencia para siempre. Pensar de que no haya en todo el universo algún otro ser vivo en el contexto de los animales, que no haya vida silvestre en otro planeta “puede ser necio de nuestra parte” dicen algunos científicos. Y bueno Dios creó los cielos y la tierra (Gn.1:1) es ahí donde Dios creó la vida silvestre, Dios no originó vida en otros mundos de acuerdo a Genesis por lo tanto no hay razón para creer que exista vida silvestre estos mundos. Ahora si la hubiera es totalmente indiferente ya que los animales no trascienden a un plano superior o a otra vida. ¿Pero que de los extraterrestres? Creo que este terminó perfectamente puede ser bien empleado para  referirse a cada cristiano y cristiana ya que nosotros estamos en este mundo pero no pertenecemos a él (1Pd 2:11).  Sin embargo entendemos  que este término es utilizado para referirse a aquellos seres de enormes cabezas y enormes ojos, con cuerpos blancos sin una forma humana definida,  que vuelan en maquinitas espaciales super avanzadas, que están intentando hacer contacto con nosotros. La Biblia registra que cuando Dios crea el mundo y crea al hombre lo ubica sobre el Edén o paraíso Dios: “Puso ahí al hombre” (Gn.2:8), la palabra Hebrea “Sum Shàm” para “puso ahí” Significa literalmente; colocar, poner, acomodar o plantar. Es ahí donde Dios planta al hombre no en ningún otro lugar. Por inferencia entendemos que no existe ninguna otra criatura como el hombre viviendo (que tenga intelecto, libre albedrío, y que su Espíritu siga viviendo después de la muerte) en otros planeta por el simple hecho de que Dios nos reveló como fue el proceso, y este proceso fue único. Para quienes defienden de que sí hay vida en otros planetas, ¿Porque entonces Jesús nos daría un mandamiento que no podemos cumplir en Marcos 16:15, de predicar el evangelio a toda criatura?, ¿A caso el Señor estaba pensando que debíamos ir planeta por planeta buscando a estas almas, aunque no tengamos como hacerlo?. Me parece que por implicación del Señor la existencia del ser humano como tal está limitada a este planeta cuando el señor dice “Id por todo el mundo”, hubiera dicho el Señor: “Id por todos los mundos” pero no fue el caso.  En Hechos 17:26 Pablo asegura de una manera muy concreta lo que anteriormente hemos visto por implicación él dice: “Y de una sangre ha hecho todo el linaje de los hombres, para que habiten sobre toda la faz de la tierra; y les ha prefijado el orden de los tiempos, y los límites de su habitación;”(Enfasis nuestro añadido). Esto es el final del camino, no existe ninguna otra explicación al asunto, Dios ha  querido que habitemos sobre la faz de la tierra y ha prefijado los limites de nuestra habitación y claro está esto es en referencia al plante tierra, es imposible argumentar más en contra de este pasaje al mismo tiempo a manera de certeza para nosotros comprender que aunque los científicos intenten ir a otros planetas e intenten en el futuro habitarlos la revelación escrita enseña que Dios no lo permite. El ya fijó los limites, por esa razón la tierra es el único planeta el 3r desde el sol donde se pude dar el milagro de la vida, donde la distancia del Sol es la perfecta para producir vida, donde el oxigeno es el indicado, donde las plantas crecen y producen alientos porque hay una perfección en el ambiente. Pedro en su segunda pistola dice:  “Como todas las cosas que pertenecen a la vida y a la piedad nos han sido dadas por su divino poder, mediante el conocimiento de aquel que nos llamó por su gloria y excelencia, por medio de las cuales nos ha dado preciosas y grandísimas promesas, para que por ellas llegaseis a ser participantes de la naturaleza divina, habiendo huido de la corrupción que hay en el mundo a causa de la concupiscencia;”(2Pd.1:3-4). En otras palabras todo lo que necesitamos saber y hacer  para habitar en el tercer cielo el día que partamos de acá están contenidas en el sagrado libro la Biblia, lo demás es irrelevante.
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Prove the Existence of God

Prove the Existence of God

My oldest son was only four years old when he made an observation that has stuck with me for several years. We were visiting a church for evening worship on our way home from a weekend vacation. We quickly noticed that on Sunday nights the members would sit on one side of the auditorium in the last 6-7 pews. When a gentleman stood up to begin the service with a song, our wide-eyed son looked up and anxiously said, “He can’t start yet. Everybody is not here.” Melinda and I smiled and quietly reassured him that it was O.K. (because he was truly worried). But as I looked around that empty auditorium and glanced at the attendance figures displayed up front, I could not help but notice that less than half the congregation had returned for evening worship. I then “did the math” and realized that even with a “Sunday morning crowd,” more than ½ of the auditorium stood empty every Sunday morning. It was obvious that the church had, at one time, been a thriving beacon of light in the community. But now it was just a glowing ember—about to fade away without any fanfare. My son was right. “Everybody was not there.”

Must everything be proved using the scientific method.

Must everything be proved using the scientific method.

I doubt that there is any way to accurately gauge the number of pews that remain empty today because of worldly influences. The forces of atheism, humanism, and evolution have been extremely successful in convincing thousands of people that God is either dead, or He never existed in the first place. Web sites boldly declare that God does not exist, and encourage young people to “live free and responsible—debaptize yourself!” (I’ve often wondered, would this require a hair-dryer?) But seriously, our children are taught (sometimes not so subtly), to eat, drink, and be merry—and only be concerned with “self.”

One of the reasons atheists have been so successful in emptying out church pews is because they have convinced at least two generations that everything must be proved using the scientific method. From an early age, students are taught that if you cannot see, touch, taste, smell, or hear it, then “it” does not exist. Those who have stiffened their necks against God recognize that He exists beyond scientific measure—and thus, our young people feel that it is impossible to prove His existence. Many Christian parents find themselves dismayed when their child returns home from school, only to pronounce they no longer believe in a God. They become another statistic and another empty pew. However, the story does not have to end this way.

While it is true that God is a spirit (John 4:24), and we cannot prove His existence using the five senses, we can use other means to prove His existence. Consider how many church pews would be empty if every single child reared in a Christian home was diligently taught the following three proofs for God’s existence.

Three ways to prove the existence of God

1. The existence of the Universe (cosmological argument): It doesn’t take a special telescope to prove that the Universe exists. An upward glance on a clear night is a concrete reminder of this fact. The reasonable question remains: “From whence did the Universe originate?” In reality there are only three options: (1) it is eternal; (2) it created itself from nothing; (3) it was created.

Honest scientists today will admit that the Universe is not eternal. We know from the way that it is expanding that the Universe once had a beginning. Evolutionist Robert Jastrow once admitted: “The lingering decline predicted by astronomers for the end of the world differs from the explosive conditions they have calculated for its birth, but the impact is the same: modern science denies an eternal existence to the Universe, either in the past or the future” (1977, p. 30). Additionally, any sane, unbiased scientist will further admit the ludicrous notion that all of the matter in the Universe created itself from nothing. It is a well known reality that nothing produces nothing. These truths leave only one possibility—the Universe was created. An eight year old child can recognize that something now exists. As such, it must follow that something has existed forever. That “something” must therefore be responsible for creating the Universe. That something was God. (See Jon Gary Williams’ article in this issue regarding the eternality of the mind of God.)

In 1995, NASA astronomer John O’Keefe declared, “We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cos-seted, cherished group of creatures…. If the Universe had not been made with the most exacting precision we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in.”

2. The existence of morals (anthropological argument): It is impossible for matter—by itself—to evolve a system of moral “right” and “wrong.” Yet, man recognizes right and wrong. The question then arises, from whence did morals originate?

One of the very first questions I routinely ask atheists whom I correspond is: “Would you have a problem is I came to your house, murdered your family, and robbed you blind?” Without fail, every single one has answered in the affirmative—that this behavior would be wrong. In 1967, George Gaylord Simpson admitted that “morals arise only in man.” However, in order for something to be “right” or “wrong” demands that there is an absolute standard for morality. What is that standard? There are really only two options that could adequately explain the existence of morals: (1) either they were conjured up and created by man; or (2) they originated from God.

Consider the plight of an atheist. They admit morals exist—otherwise they wouldn’t have a problem with you murdering their family members. However, they refuse to acknowledge a belief in God. As such, they must contend that morals arose from man. The question then becomes who gets to decide what behaviors are right and which are wrong? Isn’t evolution all about the “survival of the fittest?” So if I decide a certain behavior will allow me to survive better shouldn’t I participate in it—even if it hurts you? For instance, what would be the problem with slicing a coworker’s tires before an interview if both individuals were applying for the same job?

The only option that makes logical sense is that humans have adopted God’s standard for right and wrong. God’s unchanging nature allows our morals to be recognized as absolute standards for all situations. Only God is eternal (Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). Only God isHoly (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). Only God is just and righteous ((Psalm 89:14). And only God isforever consistent (Malachi 3:6). The existence of a world-wide system of morals is excellent proof that God exists.

3. The existence of design in nature (teleological argument): If design is found in nature, then by definition there must have been a designer. The design we observe today is one more proof that God exists.

Staunch atheist Richard Dawkins observed: “Thanks to Darwin, it is no longer true to say that nothing that we know looks designed unless it is designed. Evolution by natural selection produces an excellent simulacrum of design, mounting prodigious heights of complexity and elegance.” He goes on to refer to the “pseudo-design” of the nervous system. Then he painstakingly (with utter failure), tries to discount the design observed in unique structures like the wing and eye. While Richard Dawkins claims that small incremental steps—what he deems as climbing “Mount Improbable”—through natural selection, explains the design in the Universe, the truth is natural selection is not a “designer.”

Consider the design of the Earth. How can chance (or Dawkins “incremental steps”) explain the Earth’s position in the following: (1) the right type of galaxy; (2) the right location within that galaxy; (3) the odds of being near the right Sun; (4) being the right distance from the Sun; (5) having the right rotation rate and proper tilt; (6) possessing enough water; (7) having the right atmospheric conditions to sustain life? (And this is just the beginning!) For instance, in 1981 Science Digest reported that the Earth moves in its orbit around the Sun, departing from a straight line by only one-ninth of an inch every eighteen miles. If it departed by one-eighth of an inch, we would come so close to the Sun that we would be incinerated; if it departed by one-tenth of an inch, we would find ourselves so far from the Sun that we would all freeze to death. An honest evaluation of the Universe or the human body quickly reveals design. Design demands a designer.

For too many years Christians have been painted with a broad brush as ignorant or irrational for their belief in a God that is unseen. The time has come to refill the pews with your neighbors, coworkers, and family, by first teaching them that God does exist. A fact that we can prove!

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Sing in Your Worship to God

Make Melody Where?

Some have asked that if we are to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs then why would it not be right to sing with instruments of music since the Jews used them in their worship to God. It is obvious that the psalms (particularly Psalm 150) commanded the use of eight instruments—trumpet, lute, harp, timbrel, stringed instruments, flute, loud cymbals and clanging cymbals—so why would the way they worshiped be wrong for us to worship?

Why not instruments when we are asked to sing to God?

Why not instruments when we are asked to sing to God?

This question seems so valid but, while it might at first seem right, a closer examination shows that it is flawed reasoning. If it is true that because the psalms validate instrumental music, look at what else they validate. The psalms also speak of incense (Psa. 66:65; 141:2), but would this make them proper for worship in the Christian age? The psalms sanction burnt offerings (50:8; 51:19; 66:13) and the offering rams, bulls and goats (Psa. 66:15), but who would reason that because they are approved in the psalms they can be part of Christian worship? The psalms also talk about the Sabbath (heading of Psa. 92) and the rest God provides, but who would say that simply because they are mentioned in psalms they can become part of our worship. Yet, all of these stand or fall together. If the mention of instruments authorizes them, then it would also authorize the other aspects of Judaism.

A study of the music mentioned in the psalms and the music mentioned in the New Testament shows a remarkable contrast. The Jews were told to sing and to make music using instruments and also which instruments they were to use. Look at these words from the psalmist. “Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings” (Psalm 33:2). “Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm” (Psa. 98:5). The singing and melody of the Old Testament came from the harp.

Now look at the instructions about singing and the instruments involved in Christian worship. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19). The Old Testament instruction was to “make melody with an instrument of ten strings” but the New Testament instruction is to “make melody in your heart.”

Judaism often focused on the external aspects of worship and service. Christianity has its focus on the internal aspect of our worship. Let us worship Him in spirit and truth in the way He has given for all men in the New Testament, not in the way given to the Jews in an Old Covenant. Think about it.

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