Jesus Lived

You Cannot Ignore the Fact that Jesus Lived

John chapter seven is remarkable in so many ways, but one truth stands out. Read the entire chapter, and it becomes immediately apparent that the people of the first century were struggling to decide who Jesus was and where He was to fit in their lives. There was no way they could deny that Jesus lived among them. The same is true in our day.

Jesus should change His ways. It is hard to imagine what it would have been like to be the younger brothers of Jesus. The opening verses of John seven reveal that they did not believe He was the Messiah, but they were unable to ignore the impact of His teachings and miracles. They came to Him and told Him what He should do and how He should change what He was doing. They were so wrong. He knew precisely what should be done. He did not change.

Jesus is good—Jesus is a deceiver. When the Lord arrived in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, His presence forced the people to make decisions about Him. Some said that He was a good man, while others said that He was a deceiver (John 7:12). Yet, those who thought that He was good remained silent and would not speak openly about Him, because they feared those around them. In the absence of truth being spoken, only evil will be heard and it will prevail.

Jesus should be ignored for He is not educated. When Jesus arrived in the holy city, He went into the temple and began teaching. At age 12, He had been in that same temple and His wisdom amazed those teachers who were there. In this chapter, He was again in the temple and all who heard Him were amazed. They evidently thought that only theologians could know truth for they asked, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”  They were so wrong.

Jesus has a demon. There were some who immediately dismissed Him because of His message. Their explanation was to ignore Him and openly say to others that He was demon possessed. Their hasty conclusion was the reason Jesus said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgments” (John 7:24). He commands men to judge.

Jesus is wrong because leaders do not believe in Him. Some refused to do their own thinking and relied on others to tell them what was right (7:26). They evidently were waiting to let their religious leaders tell them what to do. Every man is personally responsible for his own decisions.

The response to His presence was twofold. Some sought to kill Him while many believed on Him (7:30-31). There was no way to ignore Him. The important truth is that there is no way to ignore Him today. The most important decision you will ever make is whether you will ignore Him!

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Examining Hebrews 12:1-2

Examining Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Will you stand when suffering comes? Are you standing for Christ now?

Will you stand when suffering comes? Are you standing for Christ now?

Contextually, the writer of Hebrews had just finished talking about the giants of faith whose lives are recorded in the Old Testament (Heb. 11).  These men and women, while not perfect, nevertheless sacrificed much to obey God, some of them even sacrificing their lives, because they desired to live in that heavenly country.  He then mentioned Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith,” who made the decision to endure and “despise” (literally, “think little of”) the most painful, humiliating death of his day because he too was focused on “the joy set before him.”

If you are doing your best to put Jesus and his will first in your life, no matter what, you know that it’s not easy at times.  Persecutions happen (2 Tim. 3:12).  At times you suffer in various ways for doing what God wants you to do.  If you’re like me, you think about giving up during some of those hard times.

However, most of us can say what the Hebrew writer went on to point out to the Christians of his day:  “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb. 12:4).  He’s right.  Some of those Old Testament giants of faith “were tortured, refusing to accept release”; they “suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment”; they “were stoned…sawn in two…killed with the sword”; they “went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated…” (Heb. 11:35-38).  Jesus himself died in a horrible way to save us from our sins.  Compared to that, the burdens we face seem quite small.

That’s why we are told to “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Heb. 12:3).

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SEGUNDAS NUPCIAS

SEGUNDAS NUPCIAS 

Las segundas nupcias son definidas en su concepto; como segundos matrimonios. Al casi final de nuestra serie nuestro texto en cuestión sigue siendo el mismo y por tal motivo hay que regresar una y otra vez, al mismo. La Biblia de las Américas lo pone de la siguiente manera: “Y yo os digo que cualquiera que se divorcie de su mujer, salvo por infidelidad, y se case con otra, comete adulterio” (Mateo 19:9). Hay un par de cuestiones concerniente a las segundas nupcias que nos disponemos a abordar partiendo del pasaje.

¿QUIEN SE PUEDE VOLVER A CASAR?

La parte a la que se le cometió el agravio está libre para volverse a casar con otra persona que esté libre, no significa que por tener derecho de parte del Señor para un divorcio pueda volverse a casar con quien el o ella quiera, deberá elegir a otra persona que tenga derecho por parte de Dios también para volverse a casar. Me parece interesante cuando vemos a alguien que se ha casado por 3 y 4 veces porque le han sido infiel las 4 veces, realmente haya que ser muy prudentes y medir bien quién es ese candidato o candidata con el que voy a contraer segundas nupcias. Definitivamente si hay algo que se nos enseña bien en las escrituras en todo aspecto es de aprender bien del pasado y con el tema del matrimonio no es la excepción.

¿PUEDE LA PARTE CULPABLE VOLVERSE A CASAR?

La respuesta la tiene Cristo, note lo que él dice : “ …y el que se case con otra, comete adulterio…”  Hay que ser honestos siempre con la Biblia y con Dios y el pasaje dice que si se puede volver a casar cuando dice “y el que se case con otra” puede volver a hacerlo en sus propios deseos pero no esta bien ante Dios, El no aprueba esa unión, no es correcto, está mal, no puede hacerlo. Entonces explique bien hermano ¿puede o no puede? …No no puede pero siempre lo va a hacer y es lo que El maestro tenia en mente al expresar tal frase. La Biblia enseña que Dios es Justo (Salmo 7:11; 11:7; 50:6; 1Juan 3:7 etc) y, al ser el matrimonio una institución divina el castigo por transgredirlo también es divino es decir proviene de Dios. En esa su justicia Dios decidió que la parte inocente podía volver a contraer nupcias pero la culpable queda manchado de por vida, es decir nunca jamás podrá volver a casarse ni mucho menos regresar con la que fue su esposa porque para ese entonces ella tendrá otra unión en matrimonio , el culpable deberá estar solo completamente por el resto de sus días. Entendemos que este es el caso tal  como lo entendieron los discípulos note usted: “Si así es la relación del hombre con su mujer, no conviene casarse.” (Mateo 19:10). Dentro de su contexto Judío ellos podían divorciase y volverse por cualquier causa hasta si ella cocinaba mal y los culpables quedaban libres así que es un cambio grande, sin tomar en cuenta que el cambio lo habían hecho ellos mismos (Judíos) cuando el Señor regresa al principio. 

¿PUEDE LA MISMA PAREJA REGRESAR DESPUES DE HABERSE DIVORCIADO?

En 1Corintios 7:10-11, donde se ha querido sacar el supuesto “privilegio Paulino”, el hermano Paulo más bien está describiendo asuntos de una convertido viviendo con un no cristiano. Pero el asunto es que él menciona un “Separece” que no debe ser entendido como divorcio sino más bien un tiempo prudencial en separación el uno del otro sin deshacer la unión del matrimonio. Una vez firmado el divorcio, por causa de fornicación  NO el culpable no puede volver a casarse con nadie más porque adultera y el que se casa con esa parte repudiada también adultera. Bueno y ¿que tal si es la misma? Simple la Biblia no hace la diferencia si es o no lo es, por lo tanto eso no hace ninguna diferencia.

ANCIANOS QUE VUELVEN A CASARSE

Algunos han colocado una regla que no existe mal interpretando Tito 1:6 “…maridos de una sola mujer…” para vociferar que si un hermano ha sido casado y divorciado siendo él la parte inocente no puede ejercer el ancianato. La Biblia Jamás enseña esta doctrina, la frase del versículo 6 se encuentra en el tiempo presente voz activa  es decir; se refiere a que eje anciano debe estar casado con una sola persona al momento de estar ejerciendo el oficio de anciano. Ahora bien si muere su esposa debe de retirarse automáticamente de ese rol ya que unido a 1Timoteo 3:1-7 tiene que estar casado para ejercer el ancianato. Pero si vuelve a casarse, perfectamente está una vez más elegible para ser anciano, ya que no está unido en matrimonio con dos sino con una y solo una.

En todo siempre Dios nos ayude a regresar a la Biblia y ser lo suficientemente maduros para apartar aquellas doctrinas que hemos oído o que a travez de los años. Hay veces en las que cerramos las puertas donde Dios las abre y las abrimos donde Dios las cierra, ¡Cuidado con eso!. Concluimos con las palabras del autor del libro de Hebreos, el dice : “Honroso sea en todos el matrimonio y el lecho sin mancilla, pero a los fornicarios y adúlteros los juzgará Dios” (Hebr. 13:4)

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The Eyes of God

He Sees Everything

From false balances and just weights to pride and humility Proverbs 11–15 reminds us of the vast dichotomy between the righteous and the wicked. In a world that seems to ever blur the lines between good and evil, sees little difference between right and wrong, and often sees the right as wrong and the wrong as right, we need to be reminded that God doesn’t…and He sees everything!

God's Eyes see all things. The peaks and the valleys.

God’s Eyes see all things. The peaks and the valleys.

Far too often we fail to see clearly the steps we take, the path we walk, or the very nature of our own hearts. Certainly the “way of the fool is right in his own eyes” and he doesn’t see himself as a fool. But God sees the fool for what he truly is. The soul-winner is wise, but few pursue this way. The one guilty of contention is he who is arrogant and many have fallen victim to this great evil. The man who loves his child punishes the son’s misbehavior, but “love” has caused many parents to forsake discipline and society is plunged deeper into heartache because of it. A soft answer is better than an angry reply, but have you driven in traffic lately?

These general truths however are often scoffed at and unappreciated. “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.” The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, beholding the true righteousness and wickedness of man (Proverbs 15:3). It is therefore imperative that we see things through God’s eyes and not our own. Be faithful, for the Lord is “far from the wicked: but he hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).

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LGBT Studies for 2nd Graders

LGBT Studies for 2nd Graders

This fall California will become the first state to mandate a LGBT curriculum—all the way down to 2nd graders as a part of a new history and social science curriculum. Tom Torlakson, California Superintendent of Public Instruction remarked, “This is a big win for our students.” (see http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/19/lgbt-history-california-first-to-teach/) This new curriculum is in response to the new framework proposed by common core standards. Jane Robbins, attorney and senior fellow at American Principles Project observed, “California has decided to include people in the curriculum and celebrate them (no criticism allowed, apparently) based solely on their sexual behavior,” she asserts. She continued, “it’s only a matter of time until this propaganda spreads to the public schools of other states.”

Reading, writing, arithmetic? No social theory and LGBT indoctrination.

Reading, writing, arithmetic? No social theory and LGBT indoctrination.

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to share a lesson on same-sex marriage and debunked the false science that claims homosexuality is genetic. During the question and answer session that followed a young millennial—about 22 years old—complained that during my lesson I mentioned that the younger generation had been taught tolerance. He assured me this was not true. I asked this young man a series of questions in response:

  1. Do you currently watch television programs with homosexual characters? Are they glamorized in the T.V. show?
  2. Have you been assigned a book or reading assignment that glamorizes homosexual characters?
  3. Have you seen books/media that espouses having two moms or dads is normal?
  4. Have you ever been taught that homosexuality is just an alternative lifestyle?

This young man answered yes to every question. He had been indoctrinated with tolerance and didn’t even realize it.

Two things come to mind immediately upon reading the headline about 2nd graders having LGBT material in their curriculum. The first has to do with the direction of our nation. In 2 Chronicles 28:19 we read, “For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, FOR HE ENCOURAGED MORAL DECLINE in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord” (emp. added). One would be hard pressed to deny this new “curriculum” is not encouraging moral decline.

The second has to do with what is going into the minds of our children and grandchildren. This “curriculum” has nothing to do with history and social science education—but rather, is all about indoctrination of a specific ideology. Are we as parents really considering what we are allowing into the minds of our children? Paul declared, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). How does this passage stand up to the curriculum your children will return to this fall?

(If any of this surprises you, I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of Jack Wilkie’s book “Failure: What Christian Parents Need to Know About American Education.” )

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