Mega Complex: The Mega Mind Preacher and his Mega Church.

Once upon a time, in a not so far land, called MEGAlopolis, there was a little boy who dreamed MEGAdreams: "When i grow up i will be biggest, most powerful man on earth, the MEGAman". After many years, he started his own business: A construction business. One day he decided: "I will build the biggest hydro electric dam in the world, it will generate 20 billion MEGAwatts, i will call it the MEGAdam". He tried and tried and tried... but he wasn't an hydraulic engineer, so, he failed. Then he started another business: A warfare business. One day he decided: "I will build the biggest atomic bomb in the world, it will have 20 billion MEGAtons of power, i will call it the MEGAbomb". He tried and tried and tried... but he wasn't a nuclear engineer, so, he failed. Then he started another business: A computer business. One day he decided: "I will build the biggest computer in the world, it will have a 20 billion MEGAbytes hard drive, i will call it the MEGAcomputer". He tried and tried and tried... but he wasn't a computer engineer, so, he failed. Then he had a period of depression, suicide came to his mind, but, one day he decided to pay a visit to the neighboring church. The preacher was on fire, shouting: "You cannot outgive God. If you give $10 He will give you $100 back; if you give $100 He will give you $1,000 back...". Then he started another business: A church business. One day he decided: "I will build the biggest church in the world, it will make MEGAmillions of dollars, i will call it MEGAchurch". He started preaching the prosperity theory and the "broadway" gospel, selling t-shirts, holy water, handkerchiefs, coffee mugs, etc. One day he woke up and realized that his dream came true. He became The Mega Mind Preacher. My point is: Along the way, the church embraced the cultural "american dream", which means: Bigger, better, more, in a way that it is doing whatever it takes to have a bigger temple (building), a better environment (grace only gospel) and attract more people (size matters more than righteousness). In itself, the bigger, better, more, is not wrong, the problem is, in order to achieve that, preachers lowered Jesus' "standard" to a "human standard", as Jesus said, Matthew 15:7-9. From Jesus being "the narrow Way", preachers are "broadening" the way to allow more people to walk through it, just forgetting that Jesus said that the "broad way" leads to eternal condemnation. So, holiness, truthfulness, righteousness, faithfulness matter. Again, we must go back to the beginning (early church) and learn with the apostles of Jesus Christ, how to be faithful to Christ's Gospel. By the way, a time is coming, Jesus spoke about it in Matthew 15:13, that the "business oriented churches" will close their doors (file for bankruptcy), because Jesus Christ's church is a "body", not a "business", an "organism", not an "organization". Even if this sounds "crazy" right now, time will tell if i am lying or speaking the truth. Again, i'm not against Mega Churches, maybe there's one out there that is a "body", not a "business" oriented church, i just don't know anyone. Still, i prefer a "David" like church (full of the Holy Spirit) than a "goliath" one. For the ones who think that size matters, i wish you could ask goliath about it.

Was Jesus a law breaker?

Well, it all depends on what law we are talking about, God's law or Men's law. This is another of those highly controversial subjects, that everyone has his (her) own opinion, and very few are willing to subject (submit) their opinion to Jesus' opinion (will). Let's choose, probably the most controversial one: The Sabbath. There are few branches of the Christian Church that even named themselves accordingly, like: Seventh-Day Baptist Church, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, etc. Again, first we need the definition of Sabbath: Sabbath is the day of rest. The first time we see it in the Bible, is in Genesis 2:2-3. From that point on, the Bible talks a lot about the Sabbath. in Moses' law it was very strict, Exodus 20:8-11. In Jesus' time, it became so rigorous (of course because the religious people added so much to it), that they even persecuted Jesus because of it. Luke 6:1-11; Luke 13:14. So, by healing on the Sabbath day, was Jesus "breaking" the fourth commandment? Just because He was the "Lord of the Sabbath", was He guiltless? Why He broke His own law? The truth is: He never broke any of God's Laws! So, how to make sense of it all? First of all, we must define what rest means in the Biblical context. If you take the dictionary, there are tons of definitions for rest, from "a state of inaction" to "the repose of death" (RIP). If you consider the Biblical rest as the "absence of motion", than you will remember that, at least once in your lifetime, after sleeping 8 hours or more, you woke up very tired, like if you didn't sleep at all. So, just because your body came to a "motionless state", can you say that you rested? If not, why not? Ok, read this first: Jeremiah 6:16; Matthew 11:29. Jeremiah is talking about Jesus, the Good Way; John 14:6. So, answering the question, why didn't you rest? Because your soul couldn't rest and it affected you body, that’s why you woke up so tired. The problem with the “view” that “Sabbath rest” means physical rest only, is that your conclusion will be that Jesus Christ broke the fourth commandment when “working” (doing the will of His Father) during the Sabbath. Besides, Paul the Apostle writes this: Romans 14:5-6; Psalm 118:24. So, what’s the Lord’s Day (Sabbath) for you? Saturday? Sunday? Everyday? To me, everyday is the Lord’s Day (Sabbath), and I will choose to rest in Jesus Christ who is my Prince of Peace! Again, was Jesus who said: Luke 20:25. So, answering the question about Jesus being a law breaker, the conclusion is: If the law of men did not violate the law of God, He obeyed it. If it did, He didn't obey it. The same way it works for us. If the law of men doesn't violate the law (commandment) of God, we must obey it. If it does, than we must choose what law (commandment) we will obey: God's or men's. Acts 5:29.

Childlikeness: The Practicality of Jesus' Gospel.

Luke 18:16; Mark 10:15. Since Childlikeness means to exhibit childlike simplicity and credulity, we can see why Jesus said that we must receive the kingdom of God as a little child. Of course, in Jesus' time children were taught to obey their parents, unlike today. When i tell Camilla, my baby girl (she is 20 months old) to jump to my arms, she doesn't theorize, like: Maybe dad is not strong enough to catch me; i shouldn't jump because i'm 23lbs heavier than the air and the law of gravity states that i will fall; i don't feel confident enough to jump right now, etc. Unlike us, grown-ups, little children just do it without any reservation. In that sense Jesus told us to become like a little child, to obey without questioning, to follow without arguing, to believe without reservations. Since practicality means to be concerned with actual use rather than theoretical possibilities, our problem as grown-ups, is trying to understand Jesus commandments before obeying, we usually forget that He is not Savior of the one He is not lord, we cannot divide Jesus, therefore salvation and lordship are indivisible. Of course the actuality, obedience, is way harder than theorizing about the matter. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-30. Do the birds of the air or the lilies of the field worry about anything? Of course, if you think about the birds, they don't spend the whole day in their nests chirping or singing; they don't expect that the worm will crawl all the way to their nest, etc. They leave their nest seeking for food and come back to feed their chicks. So, having faith has nothing to do with laziness or idleness, absolutely, we must work but at the same time acknowledge that all comes from God, that God is our provider. See what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Working is not an option, neither faith is. Little children are not worried about clothing or food, they just live. We must become like a little child, knowing God as our giver and provider. James 1:17; Matthew 7:7-12.

Have you been with Jesus today?

Acts 4:13. There are many sayings that i believe, are partially correct, like: Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are; you are what you eat; i think, therefore i am, etc. When i say i believe they are partially correct, it's because you can be a godly person and have ungodly friends; eat bitter melon and never be a bitter person (bitter melon is known as the most bitter vegetable in the world) or even if you are not a thinker, you still are (exist). Examples: Matthew 11:19 Jesus was called "friend of sinners" because He loved the sinners and yet He never sinned; Mark 1:6 John the Baptist ate locust and was never able to fly; Acts 12:21-23 after the crowd called Herod "god", he died because he really thought he was a "god" (of course he wasn't). The point is: What you think, eat or who you associate with will only influence you to become what you will be, but you still have the freedom to decide what you will be. You can change your "environment", be changed by it or be in constant fight against it. I know it still sounds kinda confusing, so, let's use the disciples as an example: Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus as much as Peter did. Judas betrayed Jesus and Peter denied Him. Nevertheless, Peter repented and lived and Judas had remorse and killed himself. Peter became so much "like" Jesus (likeness is not equality) that the religious leaders realized that, as in Acts 4:13, Peter had been with Jesus. Many times we try to lead people to Jesus by "saying the correct words", "quoting the correct Bible verses", "showing ourselves to be morally correct", etc. In this case, Peter and John went to jail because they reflected the "Light" (Jesus Christ) so much that even the "blind people" (the religious leaders who Jesus called blind), could see the Light in them. Let's compare Jesus with the Sun and Peter with the Moon. We all know that the moon doesn't have light in itself, it only "reflects" the sun's light, so: We have "night" because "at night" the earth have rotated (the other side of the earth, let's say Japan, they have day), and we suppose to have the sun's light being reflected by the moon. Of course the moon has its phases: New, quarter, full. The moon is at its best when is full, it fully illuminates the night (darkness). The same way we suppose to live (operate): The more we align ourselves to reflect Jesus (the bigger Jesus is in us) the brighter the Light (Jesus) will be reflected through our lives. When we are born again we are like the "new moon" (partially reflecting the sun's light), then we should grow to "quarter moon" and then to "full moon". Of course, the more the "earth" gets between the sun and the moon, the less the moon will shine. The same way it works in the spiritual life: The more attached to the earthly (worldly) living we are, the less of Jesus we will have in our lives, therefore, the less Jesus Christ will shine in and through our lives. 1 John 2:15.
Conclusion: The more Jesus grows in us, the more His light will shine in us, the more His light shines in and through us, the more people will see His character in us (we'll be more like Him). Matthew 5:16.

What to do when doubt strikes.

I think satan's best weapon is doubt. From the beginning (literally), we see him using that weapon. His first "victim" was Eve: Genesis 3:1. Here is what God said to Adam: Genesis 2:16-17. See how cunning satan was, he changed just a little bit what God said (half-truth) and gave it a whole new meaning: God said that they should not eat only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they could eat from every other tree of the garden. Along the Bible we see satan using the same tactics over and over again, even when it's not explicit, like with John the Baptist, when asking if Jesus was the Messiah. First, John gives testimony about Jesus being the One: John 1:32-34. Then he doubts and sends his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the One: Matthew 11:2-5. What is beautiful is that Jesus didn't answer yes or no to John's question, He only quoted Isaiah 35. To me it means that Jesus was assuring John that He was the messiah but at the same time saying that John still had to believe what God told him. There are different ways that satan uses the weapon of doubt: Through people, circumstances, etc. How many times you and i were pretty sure about something and someone came and said something else and our faith (assurance) just melted down? I remember (i wrote about this) when waiting for our son (it took five years to see the promise fulfilled) that i was completely sure about the promise, and the promise was a Son (boy), when Fabiana got pregnant, people started saying that it was a girl, i kept saying: "No, it's a boy!". Until one day, when one's the most godly friends i have asked this question: "Are you sure God was specific or generic when He spoke about the child?" Like: Didn't God say it was a child instead of a Son? That question struck me so bad that my faith was shaken. Then i started praying like crazy, asking if what i had was faith or only a "deep desire" to have a Son. Couple days latter the Holy Spirit said: "What I said, I said". After that i was ok, but God taught me a great lesson: Make sure that you are hearing God's voice and whatever He says, that's what you have to believe. So, what to do when doubt strike? Keep believing! Just like Jesus Christ told Martha: John 11:40.

Complacency: A Disgraceful Grace.

As of today, the most common definition of grace I heard is: An unmerited (undeserved) pardon (forgiveness). Well, I always bought it, until today (silly right?). When writing this post, I came across with different definitions and distinctions of grace, making my already shortsighted view of grace even shorter (cuckoo). The problem with this limited view of grace is that it is a half-truth (since Jesus Christ is the Truth, there's no half-Jesus). I say that because this vision of grace has a limited application. We could apply it in the case of our salvation: Ephesians 2:8. But, if you consider grace as an unmerited pardon only, how do you reconcile what the Bible says in John 1:14; John 1:17. Can you say that Jesus was full of unmerited pardon? If so, what did Jesus had to be pardoned (forgiven) of? Was He guilty of something? Yep, I know it is a complex subject, right now my mind is twisting and turning trying to make sense of it (I’m praying right now to have a clear understanding about God’s grace). To make matters worse, read this passages: Psalm 45:2; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 22:11; Zechariah 12:10; Luke 2:40; Acts 4:33; Acts 13:43. Pay attention to what the Bible says in Luke 2:40; Luke 4:17-19. How about this: Acts 13:43; Galatians 3:3; Galatians 5:16. And this: Romans 8:26; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Acts 1:8. Well, then you ask: What all of this have to do with Complacency? I’m glad you asked! Here is what Complacency means: The feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself. Why is Complacency a Disgraceful Grace? Because it's not the grace of God! Matthew 16:24. Today, this is the church’s motto: I’m leaving my life by the grace of God! Yeah right. If Jesus Christ said that we must loose our lives: Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33; John 12:25. The question is: Are you satisfied with yourself?
Conclusion: What is now my understanding about grace? Grace is the Holy Spirit in me, helping me to lose my life, therefore, fulfilling God’s Will for Me. James 4:6. Don't be complacent, be filled with the Holy Spirit!

What's the state of the water you're walking on? If so...

Matthew 14:28-30. Of course you know the three states of water: Solid, liquid and gas. Figuratively speaking, walking on water means walking by faith. So when I'm asking what state of the water you're walking on (if you are), I mean, how deep is your faith, because even if you're walking on water (the vast majority of christians are not), you can still be walking on solid water (ice). I remember, about 9 years ago, me and my wife went to Michigan to our friends house and her boyfriend took us to a "ride on the lake" (his car was not amphibious), of course the lake was frozen. It was amazing to me that the ice was so thick that even a car could ride on it. He had some friends ice-fishing in the middle of the lake, really cool, it was an unforgettable experience. So, comparing our walking by faith to walking on water, I could say that when we're born again, we start walking on a very thick ice (it's already water), but as we progress in our journey, the ice starts to get thinner. So, the thinner the ice the bigger the faith. Of course, as it was for Peter it is for us, the purpose is not to keep walking on thick ice, but to progress to a point that we would be able to walk on liquid water, as Peter did in the beginning (also after the Pentecost). I'm sure that Jesus already knew what was going to happened: The storm, Peter walking on water, Peter sinking, etc., and the purpose was to teach His disciples how to walk by faith, that even when it goes against all odds, against the law of nature, laws of physics, etc., still the Word of God, which is Jesus Himself, (in our text: So He (Jesus) said, “Come”), is above any other law. So, when God tells us to walk on water, if we obey, He will give us enough faith to do it. In the beginning of our walk by faith, we don't have enough faith to walk, but, as we obey, we start seeing the results, then our faith will (should) grow to a point where our faith will lead us to obedience. God only asked Abraham do sacrifice Isaac when Abraham was able (had enough faith) to do it. We should stop giving Cain's excuse (when sacrificing): I'm not Abel (got it?). Of course, even when we are able to walk by faith, sometimes we are not willing to do it. So why did Peter began to sink? Because when he (Peter) saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid! So, fear is probably the biggest giant we have to defeat (it's our personal goliath). Just like Jesus' disciples, We are in the same boat, the difference among Jesus' disciples (ourselves) is the willingness and courage to step out of the boat. Remember what the Bible says in 1 John 4:18.

Unforgiveness: The Cause, The Symptom and The Cure.

Probably one of the hardest issues to talk about in the christian life is forgiveness. Unfortunately, it's not often preached or taught, and people like myself, live most their lives imprisoned or entangled by a deep feeling of resentment and even hatred, finding no way of escape. If you ever experienced that, you know that unforgiveness drained the life out of you. I remember that the worst thing about unforgiveness was seeing the person I was hating living a happy life, smiling and such, and I was just slowly and painfully dying. Why do we feel so guilty and ashamed when we don't forgive others? Jesus answered this question in extremely simple words: In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, and in verse 35 He says: "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses". It means that if, from the heart (words are cheap), we don't forgive, we are not been forgive by God. That's why I felt so guilty and ashamed, because God was not forgiving me, of course, because I refused to forgive others. So, for the Cause of Unforgiveness, the guilt feeling is one of the easiest symptoms to detect and of course the Cure is Forgiving. It may sound easy and cheap, but, since there is so much unforgiveness in our world, it is everything but easy and cheap. Of course if you are, like I used to be, in bondage and slave of yourself and the devil, you need deliverance and only Jesus Christ is able to do it, and since there's no magic pill, you have to fight for your freedom. The worst enemy that needs to be put to death is the giant called self, then you must submit yourself to God, then resist the devil, and the devil will flee from you. It's very interesting how satan operates: he cannot touch us, so he will find his way in us through our minds (thoughts), that's why Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5, once satan captures our thoughts, it touches our emotions (soul), then our emotions touch our spirit and our spirit touches our bodies, as it says in Proverbs 17:22. I'm not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, but as I used to have depression, I can see clearly the way it works. I was amazed when I started writing this post, because I was listening on the radio a song from Chris August called 7 x 70 (I never heard before), let me borrow some lines from his song: 7 times 70 times. If that’s the cost I’ll pay the price. 7 times 70 times. I’ll do what it takes to make it right. I thought the pain was here to stay, but forgiveness made a way. Forgiveness is not a feeling, is an attitude of the heart. Only after we decide (act) to forgive we will really forgive. As Paul talks in Philippians 2, we must to have the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus, it means that as much as Christ forgave we must forgive. For the children of God, forgiveness is not an option, is a commandment!