Madly in Love

Madly in Love

Having looked in the tearful eyes of parents whose children have abandoned the Faith, I have learned there are a million miles between our children “going through the motions” in reference to their spiritual lives versus our children possessing hearts that dictate their actions. In this column, I plan to share with you what I hope to instill in the hearts of my children and those whom I love.

Do you know someone madly in love?

Do you know someone madly in love?

The vast majority of people in the United States say they believe in God-but their actions say otherwise. Likewise, those who profess to be Christians recognize that the greatest command is to love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds (Matthew 22:37), and yet, very few demonstrate that kind of love for God. Rarely does our “love” for God translate into action. Most Christians are comfortable, and will continue to worship and sing praises to God, as long as they don’t have to make large sacrifices. We will meet for an hour or two a week, but we are not going to actually give up many of the worldly activities or niceties of life we enjoy. Consider just how much would actually change in many people’s lives if they no longer “loved” God. Would anything really change? They would still watch the same television shows, participate in the same activities, and wear the same clothes. This is not the love Jesus commanded.

This lukewarm love (Acts 3:16) has poisoned the church. In America we have created an environment where God is worshipped in luxurious buildings and we “hire out” our benevolence and evangelism. We have Americanized and sanitized the Gospel so that no one has to get his hands dirty or give up anything. As a result, many hearts have forgotten their first love. The words Jesus quoted from Isaiah should ring in our ears, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). We say we love God but we refuse to turn our lives over to Him as we continue to be a slave to the god of “control.” We love God primarily because we feel we should and not because of genuine love that pours deeply out of our hearts. And our children can see it-or rather a lack of it. I think in many Bible classes we learn His precepts and we learn doctrine, but we never teach our children how to establish a relationship with Him.

Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about loving God.

I’ve been purposefully waiting to write this article, as it hits close to home, and it is extremely important. There is a massive difference between saying you believe in God versus actually forming a relationship with Him. I am earnestly praying that you will develop that relationship with God-a love that supersedes everything else in this life. Look at Psalm 63:1-5 and meditate on the picture David paints. This sincere love was something that I sadly did not learn until fairly recently. Allow me to try to describe just what I’m talking about.

When your mom and I were dating and engaged, my world revolved around the next time I would get to see her. I worked evenings and nights at the hospital, so oftentimes we had to be creative about when we could get together. For instance, we might have a picnic at midnight instead of during the day. Or we might see one another very early in the morning if I worked the night shift. I would go to great lengths to tell her of my love for her (get her to tell you about the signs along the road). I knew she liked chocolate, so I would surprise her weekly with chocolates, flowers, and gifts. We would talk on the phone until the wee hours of the morning. Hours spent apart were often spent thinking about when we would be together again. I would literally do anything (within the sphere of Christianity) for her. I was (and still am!) madly in love with your mom. My sincere love caused (and causes) me to act on my feelings.

That is what I pray you will have for God-a love that causes you to want to be with Him more than anything else. Focus your attention on the greatest command: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). I pray your world revolves around Him and your time with Him. Don’t allow individuals to Americanize this verse to say, “Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind if it is convenient and does not require too many sacrifices.” Seek a love that will actually change the way you live and cause you to “go upstream” against the apathy we find in many churches today. Some individuals will think that this is radical and may feel uncomfortable with the thought of it-as it may expose an absence of love for God in their own lives. But I pray that your love for God causes you to turn this world upside down (Acts 17:6)!

Let me freely admit I don’t have all of the answers on how to build this love, as it is an ongoing part of my life. I think in order to establish this type of relationship you need to start concentrating more on eternity and less on life on earth. Not a day should pass by without you considering Heaven and the fact that this could be the day you meet Jesus! Our love for God should start when we honestly comprehend the magnitude of who God really is (Isaiah 42:5). If you spend time each day really considering the creative power of God (Psalm 19) and what the Lord has done, your love for Him will grow. How could it not grow when you really consider His creation! I suspect you will find yourself praising God more readily. Too often individuals look around, and, instead of seeing the majesty and awesomeness of God, they see what they don’t have.

Set aside some time to meditate on the holiness of God (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). By focusing on who God is, it will become apparent that He cannot have anything to do with sin and still be God. It is virtually impossible to be running the race and pursue God and sin at the same time. Normally you have to stop one to do the other. Focusing on God will help you run toward Him and leave you less time for sin and trouble. Finally, take time each day to focus on God’s love toward man (John 3:16), and the fact that Jesus conquered death. No matter what comes at you in this life. it pales in comparison to the fact that we can have eternal life with Him. If you do this daily, I believe it will prevent what one author deemed “spiritual amnesia.”

Notice that these focal points have absolutely nothing to do with you, and everything to do with God. Most people are living their lives as though “it’s all about me,” when the harsh reality is they are just a speck of sand among many in a galaxy too big to fully comprehend. When you begin to focus on God rather than self, your life will soon reflect it. With these eternal thoughts come the realization that many are spiritually dead, and the urgency to teach them about God. That’s where our love for God can call us to action.

Some individuals would encourage you to blindly follow the pathway society has set before you and “wait” for God to reveal His plan for you. They find comfort in “waiting” for God. One wonders if these same individuals “wait” to go sporting events, to go on vacation, or to play golf. I suspect their love of these secular things cause them to act! True love will freely bring about sacrifice and action (1 John 3:16-20). Many of these same individuals are living under the false impression that if they live a good life and are kind, then lost souls will come up and want to know about Jesus. Wrong! Consider for a moment the fact that there are “good” and “kind” lost souls who don’t know Jesus. Are people coming up to them as well? Your love for God should cause you to get outside of your comfort zone and tell others about Him.

Real relationships take work and effort. Cultivate the relationship. Spend time with Him. And above all else, love Him with all of your heart!

Love,

Dad

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How Do You Live All Your Life?

How Do You Live All Your Life?

During World War I, a small boy wrote to his father who had gone away to war: “Dear Daddy, I love you. I hope you live all your life.”

Are you an example of living a life in Christ?

Are you an example of living a life in Christ?

What does this mean? How do you live all your life?

Well first, you must know God. As H.G. Wells says, “until a man has found God, he begins at no beginning and works to no end.”

Second, you must take Christ as your Savior. In fact, that is the way to know God. As Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). And Paul said, “For me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). You begin to live when you decide to give all your life to God.

Third, to live all your life, you must live at your best. That means understanding and brotherhood. As Abe Lincoln put it: “With malice toward non; with charity for all.” This means putting first things first-God, the church, then others. That means regular and reverent worship in the house of God. That means placing all your life, every phase of it-your career, your home, your play, everything–under God’s direction.

This is what creates the shape of your beliefs in your personality. Dr. Harold Urey said about some American exchange students on their way to Russia, “The best way to export an idea is to wrap it up in a person.” How true! Wherever you go, wrap up in yourself Christian love, unselfishness, sacrifice, the cross-and you will go far toward living all your life.

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Are We Saved by Works?

Are We Saved by Works?

“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” (Eph. 2:8-9).  From this passage we see that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith, and that we did not save ourselves, but rather our salvation is a gift from God (Rom. 6:23).

However, the Bible also has more to say about this question, and we must not ignore what its entirety says (Ps. 119:160).  Notice that Paul said that we are saved not only “by grace,” but also “through faith.”  What is faith?

The Bible has a lot to say about faith.  It is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16), it is necessary to please God (Heb. 11:6), and it is defined both as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence for things not seen” (Heb. 11:1) and believing that “(God) is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

Faith without works is deadDoes faith have anything to do with works?  The Bible asks, “What does it profit…if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him?…Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14, 17).  So we see that in order to have a living faith, a faith that pleases God, we must have works.  Otherwise, our faith is dead.

So what does the Ephesians passage mean when it says that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works?  If you go back to that passage and skip down to verse 10, you’ll see that we were created for good works, works of obedience (cf. Eccl. 12:13).  When we do “works,” i.e., obey God, we are only doing what we were supposed to be doing in the first place (Luke 17:5-10).

However, we all sin (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10).  When we sin, our just God requires a penalty for that sin (Rom. 2:8-9).  It is through his love and grace that Christ paid that debt on the cross (John 3:16).  We could not pay it because of our sin that requires the debt to be paid in the first place (Rom. 3:23).  Therefore, no works that we do could save us because our sin cancels out those works.  That’s where God’s grace comes in.

Jesus saves those who obey himNevertheless, God still requires us to obey him if we want salvation (Heb. 5:9), even though he has offered us his grace (Rom. 6:1).  If we truly believe that he “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6), then our faith will prompt us to obey him (James 2:14-26).  Thus, we are saved through faith (Eph. 2:8).

Think about it.  The last time you gave into a temptation to do something that you know the Bible says is a sin, did you truly believe God’s Word at that moment in time when you gave in and committed the sin anyway?  If you had, then you would not have committed the sin.  Your faith was weak.

Grace does not give us license to sinGod’s grace saves us, but that grace teaches us to live righteously (Tit. 2:11-12).  We will do so if we have faith.  If we don’t have faith, we will live unrighteously and thus will not be saved by His grace in the end (Rev. 21:8).  Will grace save us if we don’t follow grace’s teachings?  God very explicitly says, “No.”  (Rom. 6:1-2)

We must not continue unrepentantly in sinAre you allowing the grace of God to bring salvation to your soul?  Obey God’s Word and become a Christian through penitent, confessed faith in the Son of God and his kingdom (Matt. 10:32-33; Acts 8:12; Rom. 10:9-10; 2 Cor. 7:9-11; 1 Cor. 6:9-11) and baptism into his body for salvation and the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 3:21).  Remain faithfully obedient by walking in the light of fellowship with God by continually confessing and repenting of your sins (Matt. 7:21-27; Rev. 2:10; 1 John 1:7-9; Heb. 10:26-31; Luke 13:3, 5).Baptize

Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.

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Rejoice in the Lord Always

Rejoice in the Lord Always

Christianity was never designed to be a religion of sadness. The words joy and rejoice are found more than 400 times in the Bible. How could any relationship with God be anything other than the most marvelous experience one could have on this earth? When Paul described the fruit of the Spirit working in our lives, the second word he used was joy. Life with Him can never be a life of despair and gloom.

Rejoice in the Lord! The joy that comes from His Authority!

Rejoice in the Lord! The joy that comes from His Authority!

There is joy associated for those who teach others. There is great joy for those who teach. When Jesus told His disciples that the fields were ready to be reaped, He said that both those who sow and those who reap shall rejoice together (John 4:36). The psalmist said that those who sow shall without doubt come rejoicing (Psa. 126:5-6).

There is joy for those who are taught about Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, there were 3,000 who received the word with joy (Acts 2:41). When Philip preached in Samaria, “There was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:8). The Ethiopian “…went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). The man who found the treasure of the kingdom “…for joy over it goes and sells all he had and buys the field” (Matt. 13:44). Think about your own experience. Has there ever been any day surpassing the day your sins were forgiven?

There is joy in the midst of trials as a Christian. When adversity comes into our lives God tell us to “….count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (Jas. 1:3). How can this be? God gives the answer in the verses that follow. It is the trials in our lives which make us “…perfect and complete lacking in nothing.” Notice also that God said count it all joy! We must not focus on the trials of adversity but on the results of them.

Jesus used some amazing words to describe our response when we are hated by others for His sake. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy” (Luke 6:23). He does not see such times of adversity as a time to weep but as a time to rejoice. But, even more than  just a time for joy—a time to leap for joy!

There is immeasurable joy awaiting us at the end of our lives. As Paul journeyed to Jerusalem for the final time he passed through many cities. In every one of them there were prophets who foretold the chains and tribulations which he would face when he arrived. Such did not deter his resolve for he longed to “…finish my race with joy” (Acts 20:24). It was this same joy which Jesus spoke of when His disciples were rejoicing that they had the power to cast out demons. He said, “Do not rejoice in this … but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”

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preguntas para un testigo de Jehova

algunas preguntas para un testigo de Jehova

PARA INICIAR….

testigos de Jehová

testigos de Jehová

algunas preguntas para un testigo de Jehova

Primero que todo, su inicio no fue como testigos de Jehová, sino como “estudiantes de la Biblia”, luego pasaron a ser los de la Biblia verde y por último Testigos de Jehová. El fundador, el señor Carlos T. Russell, inició fundando la torre del vigía para 1880 y así es como surge este movimiento. ¿Se ha detenido usted en algún momento en Mateo 16:18 cuando Cristo mismo promete establecer su Iglesia? ¿ Ha leído usted con detenimiento lo que dice Marcos 9:1, donde habían algunos ahí presentes que no gustarían la muerte hasta que vieran el reino establecerse con Poder?, lamento mucho informarle pero con estos dos versículos, categóricamente, Cristo sí edificó su Iglesia, y es de la que leemos a lo largo del nuevo testamento. Amigo testigo, si usted está en desacuerdo y planea dejar de leer este tratado, ¡no lo haga! si así lo decide, entonces no es un verdadero testigo de Jehová. Jehová mismo estará muy decepcionado que sus testigos NO pudieron responder a un par de preguntas, ni explicar algunos versículos Bíblicos. Si Pablo, Pedro, y todos los demás Cristianos eran miembros de la Iglesia que Cristo compró con su sangre (Hech.20:28), la pregunta es ¿de cual Iglesia eran miembros? Los testigos de Jehová iniciaron en el 1880, no pudo haber sido esa iglesia porque ni siquiera son Iglesia sino “la organización de los testigos de Jehová”. El vocablo griego es εκκλησιαν (Ekklesia) Que debe ser traducido correctamente Iglesia en pasajes como: Hech. 2:47, 1Tim. 3:15, Hech. 11:22, Efe. 5:23 etc… Los apóstoles y los primeros cristianos eran parte de la Iglesia de Cristo (Rom. 16:16) La que Cristo había prometido edificar y que de hecho lo hizo (Hech. 2:47)

¡LA ORGANIZACION MIENTE!

El Nombre de Dios. Exodo 3:14 dice: “Yo soy el que soy, este es mi nombre para siempre”. Note lo que afirman los pasados testigos: “Ningún humano hoy puede estar seguro de cómo se pronunciaba originalmente en hebreo” ( Razonamiento a partir de las escrituras de los testigos de Jehová, Pg 202, 1985.) ¿Porqué entonces hoy se empeñan en el nombre Jehová? Hechos 4:12 dice: “no hay otro nombre debajo del cielo en el cual podamos ser salvos”. Ese nombre sin duda alguna es el nombre de Jesús(v10 y V.18) por eso dice que NO HAY OTRO NOMBRE. La organización miente porque hasta 1925 comienzan a Utilizar el nombre de Jehová, después de una convención en Columbus Ohio. Entonces esto implica que Russell y todos los demás miembros de esta organización no se salvaron, porque no usaban este nombre ni pensaban que era importante. Exodo 6:3 Abraham no conoció el nombre de Jehová, ¿entonces él no se salvo? Sin embargo la Biblia enseña que Abraham Si estaba salvo (Lucas 16:19-30). 

Mateo 25:31 enseña con Claridad que el hijo del hombre vendrá en las nubes del cielo con todos los ángeles. Amigo testigo, la sociedad torre del vigía se empeña en decir que Cristo era un ángel en el cielo entonces ¿como va a regresar con todos los ángeles? ¿ Va regresar con el mismo? Juan 1:1 enseña con Claridad en texto griego que Cristo era Dios (kai Teos en jo logos) traducción literal del griego es “y Dios era el verbo” y no “un dios” como lo coloca erradamente la Traducción del Nuevo mundo. Los testigos se empeñan a enseñar también que Cristo murió en un poste transversal. Juan 20:25 dice “Si no veo en sus manos la señal de los clavos” indicando que había más de un clavo para las manos, y dejando en evidencia que esta organización miente. ¿Si solamente 144000 van a ir al cielo, entonces como pueden tener un registro de todos los cristianos del primer siglo si Hechos 5:28 enseña que toda Jerusalem estaba llena de esta doctrina y que había iglesias por todo el mundo conocido (Col.1:23)? Le animamos a presentarnos respuestas concretas y Bíblicas para cada uno de estos cuestionamientos.

 La organización a mentido desde siempre. El sucesor de Russell, J.F. Rutherford en su libro “Millones que ahora viven Jamás morirán” alienta a sus lectores con una serie de profecías incluyendo el regreso de Cristo para 1914 (Pag. 17), lo cual por supuesto jamás ocurrió. En 1930 se edifica una casa “La casa de los príncipes”. Para 1953 se forma un alboroto porque esperaban en regresara en persona, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob y los demás como esto no ocurrió el señor Rutherford se va a vivir ahí como un millonario más.¿De verdad cree usted amigo lector, que esta organización es la iglesia verdadera de la Biblia con tantas mentiras, engaños, fraudes?… yo lo dudo.

La Biblia enseña que debemos probar los espíritus si son de Dios (1Juan 4:1) únicamente la verdad es la que pude liberta al ser humano (Juan 8:32). Le rogamos considere y analice cada uno los aspectos antes mencionados y analizados. Realmente necesitamos con toda honestidad aceptar los cambios en nuestra vida que haya que hacer para poder agradar a Dios (Heb. 11:6). La desonestidad y la mentira son condenadas en la Biblia (1Cor. 6:9-11) Nuestras almas están muy por encima de cualquier organización ¿No le gustaría a usted encontrar una Iglesia donde lo que les interese no sea su dinero sino su salvación solamente?, donde se predique de la Biblia nada más y el predicador no sustentará un titulo de “pastor” sino predicador únicamente y que él sea visto como un hermano en Cristo, igual que el resto. Una Iglesia donde no haya ese desorden, ni engaños, ni donde hayan cambiado la Biblia para su propio interés, sino donde se respete la Biblia y en donde todo lo que se hace hay libro, capitulo y versículo para ello, ¿No le gustaría a usted ser llamado CRISTIANO nada más sin nombre ni apellidos añadidos, como cristiano católico, o cristiano evangélico y demás?. Bien, usted puede hoy ser libre todo esto y comprar su ficha para la salvación y pertenecer a esa iglesia de Cristo. Para comprarla debe de hacer 5 Cosas que Dios establecido

  1. Oír. Romanos 10:17, La fe viene por el oír pero el oír de la palabra de Dios. Ese es el primer paso, Oír.
  2. Creer. Marcos 16:16, El que creyere y fuere bautizado será salvo. Creer en que Cristo es el hijo del Dios vivo y que solamente El puede salvarle (Hechos 4:12).
  3. Arrepentirse. Hechs 3:19, Arrepentíos y convertíos , para que vengan de la presencia del Señor tiempos, de refrigerio. Debe de efectuarse un cambio en  la persona debe estar decidida a hacer un cambio rotundo en su vida, morir a sí mismo y comenzar a vivir para Dios, (Ga l.2:20)
  4.  Confesar. Romanos 10:9, Si confesares con tu boca que Jesús es el Señor, serás salvo. Esta confección NO es decirle los pecados a alguien más , sino más bien una confección o una declaración de valentía al decir como Pedro “Creo que tú eres el hijo del  Dios vivo”(Mateo 16:16).

  5. Bautismo. 1 Pedro 3:18-21. El bautismo que corresponde a esto ahora NOS salva…Marcos 16:16 , el que creyere y fuere bautizado será salvo. Amigo la salvación es imposible si no hay bautismo de por medio. Extrañamente hay miles que pasan a ser hijos de Dios, con tan solo hacer una “Oración del pecador”, eso es una ficha barata.

    Oro a Dios para que usted mi amigo NO  quede avergonzado frente a Cristo en aquel día. Le animo fervientemente a obtener su ficha al cielo hoy de la manera que Cristo la especifico. 

    “No todo el que me diga Señor, Señor entrará en reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la  Voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos” Mateo 7:21

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