From the Mountain to the Valley: Recharging the Spiritual Battery.

Did you ever experienced the glory of God in a way that you didn't want to leave that place, that you hoped it would last forever? I did and i can tell you that i felt like that! That's what i call, "the mountain top experience". Jesus revealed His glory to three of His disciples and they were overwhelmed by it and wanted to stay there forever. Matthew 17:1-4. As you can see, Peter told Jesus that it was good for them to be there and he had the idea of building "tabernacles". That's what usually happens when people have "the mountain top experience", it's not enough for them to have Jesus Christ, they have to build something to prove that Jesus is (was) there, thinking they can "confine" Him in their "tabernacles" or "shrines". That's one of the reasons why we see so many "tabernacles" (church buildings) nowadays, of course other reasons are "money", "control", "entertainment", etc. Of course, as Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God cannot be confined, right after they came down to the "valley" and already faced some challenges. Some people are against "mountain top experiences", they say that it is just "emotionalism", that it doesn't do any good for the believer. I completely disagree with that, i think the "mountain top experience" is not just necessary, it is vital for every christian to have that experience once in a while. Why? Because you will realize how sinful you are, how awesome God is and how much you need Him. The mountain is as real as the valley! Unfortunately, most believers think that the "mountain top experience" is just for Moses, Elijah and Jesus' disciples, that it does not apply for them. That's why most believers are unhappy,  ungrateful, spiritually empty or lukewarm. Why am i saying that? Because i used to be like that! But when Jesus Christ revealed His glory to me, i realized that He is the most Loving, Beautiful and Peaceful person i ever met. I think without the "mountain top experience" we will never experience the JOY OF A TRIAL: James 1:2. Is it possible to be joyful in trials? If we believe in the Bible it sure is: Acts 5:41. One of our problems here in America, is that Christians think that persecution and trials are just for believers that live in communist or islamic countries (among others). That's why even if the Bible is not clear about the subject, the vast majority of christians here believe in the "pre-trib" concept, because in the bottom of their hearts they don't think that we will ever have persecution here in America, if we will, it will be after the "rapture"! Am I suggesting that you have to pray to be persecuted or reviled? Of course not! What I am saying is that once you "enlisted" in God's army, you must go through an intensive training in order to become a soldier, well prepared for the battle. See what Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:4. If you are wondering why you don't grow spiritually, here is the reason: Luke 8:14. There's a parallel between what Paul teaches about the soldier and what Jesus teaches about the Parable of the Sower. If the soldier does not forsake everything to be prepared for the battle, he will never be. The same way, if the seed grows among thorns, they (thorns) will choke it, there will never be a mature fruit. If our hearts are divided between our lives here on this earth and the Kingdom of God, THERE WILL NEVER BE A MATURE FRUIT (fruit of the Spirit). That's the reason Jesus said this: Luke 14:33. It is time to bear fruit, otherwise we will be cut of from the tree (Jesus Christ). We must be willing to pray Habakkuk's prayer: Habakkuk 3:17-19. If Job (Job 1:21), Paul (Philippians 4:11-13) and many others were able to pray like that, so are we, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Righteousness: The Proper Garment for the Wedding.

Matthew 22:1-14 In this parable, Jesus is saying that we can have the INVITATION (calling) for the wedding and yet, not be PREPARED (garment) for it. We can even be the bride, as the five foolish virgins (read the post: "Wisdom vs. Foolishness: What kind of Believer are You?"), and yet not be ready for the marriage. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Christians believe that once you receive the calling (ministry) and gifts (healing, prophecy, etc.), you are already saved (married), but this is far from the truth! Calling and Gifts are only the evidence of God's character. Because God loves us He speaks to us (prophecy), because He loves us he heals us, because He loves us and we don't know how to pray (talk to Him), He gives us the gift of tongues, etc. Our calling and gifts are not evidence that we are saved, our CHARACTER is! Matthew 7:22-23. I can give you a personal example: I grew up in the church. When I was about 19 years old, I went to my friend's house and there I saw a lady from the Presbyterian church I used to go. When she saw me, she hugged me and said: "Julio, I am praying for you my son". I thought that was very nice of her and even if I felt loved by her, I wasn't impressed because I knew there were other people praying for me at that time. Many years latter, after God's work in my life (deliverance, salvation, anointing, etc.), I was praying one morning and asking God why He didn't allow the devil to kill me (a demon told me he was going to kill me), and God showed me that scene, the old lady (her name was Canuta) hugging me, and then He said to me: "You didn't die because there were many righteous people praying for you!" For me it came true the verse that says: James 5:16. What am I trying to say with this example is that our faith has to be followed by our works. Because people believed that God could save me (even if many times I didn't), they prayed for me, and because they were righteous, God answered their prayer. I love king David's story, because I can relate to it in many ways. There's a proverb that David quoted that is very interesting, is found in 1 Samuel 24:13. When David said this proverb, he was saying that Saul's works were showing who he (Saul) was, because Saul was wicked he practiced wickedness. That's a principle, it works for everything else. If we are lovely, we will show love, if we are peaceful we will show peace, if we are evil, we will show evil deeds. OUR WORKS WILL EXPRESS OUR CHARACTER. We can fake for a while, but sooner or latter we will show our character. James also says that faith has to be followed by works: James 2:20. So, why am I saying that "righteousness is the proper garment for the wedding"? Because we can only practice RIGHTEOUSNESS (works) if we are RIGHTEOUS (faith). Do you remember what is said about Abraham? Genesis 15:6 (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). If you remember Abraham's story you know that his works (deeds) were the result of his faith. If you got an invitation to Jesus Christ's wedding, check you works (acts), if they are righteous then you will be the bride: Revelation 19:6-8. God is calling us (His people) to a life of holiness, Jesus is coming for a "spotless bride" (church), if we are not wearing the "proper garment" (righteousness), we will be "cast into outer darkness". Holiness is not an option for the believer, is a commandment: I Peter 1:15.

Love Isn't Love 'til You Give It Away.

If you are a fan of Reba McEntire you probably know that song. It carries a profound truth, that we can say we love but if we don't show it (give it away), it doesn't exist. Jesus Christ used another words to describe this truth, when He dealt with a lawyer who came to test Him in Luke 10:25-37. The lawyer asks: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replies with another question: “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” The lawyer got it right but like every lawyer (well, maybe there's an exception out there), he was evasive and tried to justify himself. As Jesus knew his heart, He went straight to the matter. Most people, when Jesus Christ told a parable didn't understand, but this lawyer did, when Jesus asks him who was the neighbor of the man who was wounded, the lawyer said: “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” In other words, Jesus showed him that OUR neighbor can be the one we don't associate with, maybe we even consider our enemy, as Jesus commands us in Matthew 5:44. He (Jesus) also made it clear that our involvement with the "church" does not justify ourselves, when He spoke about the Priest and the Levite who didn't care for the wounded man. Why did Jesus used the Samaritan as the "good man" in the Parable? Maybe to fulfill a prophecy that came from Moses: Romans 10:19. The Jews considered the Samaritans to be their enemies because Samaritans were half-Jews. The race (Samaritan) came about after the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel (its Capital was Samaria) in 721 B.C. Certain people from the nation of Israel stayed behind. These people intermarried with the Assyrians producing the Samaritans. They "worshiped" YAHWEH but not in Jerusalem (Mount Zion), instead they had their temple on Mount Gerazim: John 4:20. Maybe Jesus was trying to tell the lawyer that knowledge (faith) without works is dead. Maybe Jesus was showing the lawyer's hypocritical way of living. Whatever the case might be, one thing is for sure: It doesn't matter how big our knowledge about the kingdom of God is, if we don't practice what we know, it will only count for our condemnation. God's love is practical not theoretical! As faith without works is dead, so is love without works! 
James 2:15-16. There's a beautiful song by Steve Camp that I love, that talks about the love of Christ, a compassionate love. The song is called "Don't Tell Jesus Loves Them" and this is the chorus:
Don't tell them Jesus loves them till you're ready to love them too;
Till your heart breaks from the sorrow and the pain they're going through;
With a life full of compassion may we do what we must do;
Don't tell them Jesus loves them till you're ready to love them too.
That's Jesus' feeling or attitude for the people, just like it says in Matthew 9:36. What kind of Christianity are we living: A theoretical one? A hypocritical one? A denominational one? Or a Christ-like One? Let's put Christ back in our Christianity! Revelation 3:20.

Signs, Wisdom and Christ Crucified.

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 I'd like to start this post by asking you a few questions: Are you following Jesus? If you are, what Jesus are you following (read the post: Which Jesus: The Narrow Way or the Broadway?)? Who do you love the most? Is your faith growing or stagnated? If Jesus told you to forsake everything to follow Him, would you do that? Do you believe in the signs that Jesus spoke about it? We're living in a very strange time, more and more we're been "induced" to "seek after signs and wonders", to "live in the supernatural", to "experience the power of God". To be honest with you, before writing this post i was asking these questions: Is it wrong to seek after signs and wonders? What did Jesus teach about it? Let's see: Mark 16:14-18. The question is: To believe in Jesus or to believe in the signs? My take on this is: BOTH! If you believe in Jesus but don't believe in the signs, how do you expect that those signs will follow you? On the other hand, you may believe in the signs and yet you may not believe in Jesus. How come? 2 Thessalonians 2:9. Paul is saying here that people will believe in the anti-Christ because his power, signs and wonders, the problem is that they are all lying! Another problem is that he (anti-Christ) and the false christs will be very convincing when doing it, because what Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:24. Do you thing that the signs Jesus Christ and Paul spoke were not real? Of course they were (are) real, but the source (power) is the devil, which means that they are lying (deceiving) in essence since the devil is the a liar and deceiver. According to Jesus Christ himself, if we are not careful, even we the elect, will be deceived. I believe this is the right way: We believe and follow Jesus Christ and the signs will follow us. If we don't believe in the signs He spoke about it, we don't believe in Him. But if we believe and follow the signs, Jesus Christ will never follow us, in fact, we will be following the devil and as a result, one day we will hear these words from Jesus Christ: Matthew 7:21-23. Miracles, signs and wonders have been done since the early age. Even among God's people there were false prophets performing false signs: Deuteronomy 13:1-3. So, if you see a miracle, sign or wonder and the miracle maker does not preach Jesus Christ crucified (unconditional obedience to the LORD), don't follow this person, he (she) is a deceiver, a false one, an anti-Christ, it doesn't matter how "holy" this person might look. My advice to you is: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and mind, take your cross and follow Jesus Christ wherever He sends you and allow the Holly Spirit to transform your heart and mind that you will prove the good, perfect and pleasing will of God and if anybody tries to teach out of the way (Jesus Crist crucified), reject such person. What are you seeking? Signs and wonders? Wisdom? Power? Supernatural experiences or Jesus Christ crucified?

The Perilous Times and the Loveless Generation.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 Two thousand years ago, both Jesus Christ and Paul painted the portrait of this current generation: A Lawless and Loveless Generation. The question is: How can this be a lawless generation if we never had so many laws and regulations as we have today? The answer is very simple: This generation is despising God's Law. Of course if we read the Gospels we'll find out that Jesus' generation was already crooked, even the religious Pharisees were adulterating God's Law because a thing that we are always creating, called tradition: Matthew 15:3-9. What makes it different today is that the whole world, at once, is rejecting and becoming hostile to God's Law, and as a result, we are heading to a perilous time as Paul described. Jesus Christ also said that this last generation will become as sinful and corrupted as Noah's generation (read post as it was in the days of Noah). Unfortunately, today even the religious system called "Christianity" (fortunately Christ came to give us life, not tradition), just as the Pharisees did in Jesus' time, is adulterating God's Law to take advantage and rule over its followers. Jesus "hit the nail on the head" when He said that they transgressed the commandment (law) of God because of their tradition. We see the same pattern today: "Christianity" is filled with traditions, rules and commandments of men and that is leading God's people AWAY from Him. Again, Jesus already spoke about this "system" and its rulers: Matthew 23:13-15. Every religious "system" that entangles with a yoke of bondage is NOT from God and its ruler is NOT Jesus Christ: John 8:36; Galatians 5:1. We are on the verge of "collapse", the "system" (both world and religious) is corrupted to the core and it's about to break and as a result we'll face dangers and disasters as never seen in human history, the world will be chaotic and then the last tyrant, the man of sin, the anti-Christ will be revealed. You may love watching "Left Behind", but if think just for a second (it's not a sin) you'll reach the conclusion that "you don't need a savior if there's no need for salvation", "you don't need a doctor if you are healthy", "you don't need food if you are not hungry", etc. The same way, "there's no need for the anti-Christ if the world is as ok as it is right now". CAOS IS COMING TO THE WHOLE WORLD! Just pay attention to what is going on around the world (it's not sin to watch the news), countries that were ok few years ago are now in turmoil. If you really think that this "false peace" that we have right now is going to last, you are deadly wrong. So, cheer up my friend, if the church is going to be under the worst persecution in human history and you are a true Christian, you won't be "left behind", you will be under the same persecution. If the church won't be under the worst persecution in human history and you are a true Christian, you won't be "left behind" either, you won't be affected. In either case, you will know if you are a child of God or not. 1 Peter 4:12-14. 

Hipster Christianity: Is There a True Religion?

It's amazing how we talk and act according to our perception, even if we are not aware of it. I'm saying that because there's a video on YouTube called "why i hate religion, but love Jesus" with over 24 million views (cool like Rob Bell). On this video, the guy (a poet) makes his case on why he hates religion and loves Jesus by talking about sin, the poor, single moms and the people who killed Jesus, but because he mixes the good with the bad just to prove his point, he failed to recognize that there is a difference between TRUE and FALSE RELIGION and by doing so, he proves that he can write nice poems but ignores the FACT that Jesus Christ practiced TRUE RELIGION, what Jesus despised was the HYPOCRISY of the religious people, so much so that He told His disciples to do what the religious taught them but NOT to do what the religious did, because they did not do what they taught: Matthew 23:3. The Bible is clear about TRUE RELIGION: James 1:27. Malachi 3:5. If your perception of religion is the same as the world's, then you're already being corrupted by the world (same perception), you're not being transformed by Jesus Christ but conformed to the world: Romans 12:2. Why most people here in America (christians included) care more for their pets than they care for orphans? PERCEPTION! Most people here don't think that orphans are more valuable than pets and most christians care more for their pets than orphans, widows and poor because their pets have something to OFFER them, e.g.: Loyalty, companionship, etc. Casting Crowns has a song called "While You Were Sleeping" that says: "United States of America, looks like another silent night, as we're sung to sleep by philosophies that save the trees and kill the children... America, will we go down in history as a nation with no room for its King, will we be sleeping?". Unfortunately, that's the reality not just in America but across the globe, pets and trees are more valuable than children and the church is SLEEPING! Soon, God will  "shake" the earth and the REAL church will WAKE UP! Haggai 2:6. I have the privilege to be part (sponsor) of an amazing ministry called "Oasis For Orphans", a TRUE RELIGIOUS institution that is changing the lives of abandoned and needy children in Africa, giving them a future, treating them with love and respect. I love TRUE RELIGION and i think we as christians, should the be ones who care for the "least of these" (orphans, widows and poor). I'm not against having and caring for pets, i just think that human beings are more valuable than pets and if you call yourself a christian and care for pets but forsake the "least of these", what's the difference between you and the hypocrites (they loved themselves) who killed Jesus Christ? Don't you say you love God and your neighbor? I think is cool and right to save pets and trees but i think RIGHTEOUSNESS is saving and caring for PEOPLE! If you think I'm been harsh, wait until you meet JESUS CHRIST! I hope, instead of thinking that you are right by caring for everything else but the "least of these", that you become a RIGHTEOUS person and make a difference in the lives of the orphans, widows and poor, because if you do that, one day you will receive your reward: Matthew 25:31-40. Are you a Hipster Christian or a Righteous Christian?

No Strings Attached: Unshackled From Generational Curses.

I'd like to start this post with a few questions: Are you a free person? Are you a sinless person? Are you a holy person? Do you believe that is possible to be holy? What does the word indeed mean? Before answering or trying to answer any of these questions, you have to know (if you claim to be a christian) what the Word of God (Bible) says. Let's start from the sinless question: If you claim to be a sinless person, according to the Bible you are a liar: 1 John 1:10. It reminds me about a false teaching i heard in a youth retreat: We were there, three different churches, and one of the pastors started teaching that, since we are born again we do not sin, if we sin we are not born again. He was emphatic and misused the Bible to prove his point. i was so chocked because nobody stood up to confront him that even if shyness was my "trademark", i stood up and asked him about King David after his adultery and murder and the pastor was dead quiet for a little while but just ignored my question and kept going. Then my sister (another sinner like me) stood up and confronted him also. Not a single pastor or leader said anything! I was so disappointed that i felt that i and my sister were the only sinners there. Nowadays they gave up on that teaching because they realized how "sinful" it was. I wish i knew this passage in John 1:10 because i would call him a liar (his first sin?). You have to understand what John the Apostle is talking about (context), otherwise you will be the second, Jesus Christ was the first (only) sinless human being ever. They probably got this false teaching from this passage: 1 John 3:6. If you think John is talking about sinlessness you are dead wrong! He is talking about the practice of sin (also called iniquity): 1 John 3:7-8. John is saying that the one who practices righteousness is righteous (child of God) and the one who practices sin is sinful (child of the devil). I hope you understood and you don't think you are a sinless person. There are many passages in the Bible talking about holiness, do some research and you will find out. But i want to tell you that if you think that it is impossible to be holy, you are dead wrong! I'll show you some passages just in case: Exodus 19:6. Leviticus 11:44. 1 Peter 1:15-16. If those verses are not enough to prove to you that we (christians) are called to be holy, then read this passage, change your mind or else: Hebrews 12:14. If you keep asking God why you are not "seeing" (experiencing, hearing from) Him, you just heard His answer: You lack holiness! Today i can talk a lot about freedom and i can be a witness before God that Jesus Christ was right when He spoke about making people free indeed: One of my "addictions" was pornography, it started very early, then when i was about 15 years old i used to go to the movies to see porn movies (the worst you can imagine). Don't ask me how i got into the theater, i just did. When Jesus Christ (i truly love Him) gave me a vision that He was going to set me free, He did it! After that i was free indeed! I never struggled with pornography (among other sins) anymore, it was amazing! When God told me that He was going to set me free, He kept His Word! I wrote about my deliverance on the post "http://faithorelse.blogspot.com/2009/12/personal-testimony-new-life.html". So, if you think that there's no way to be set free from the devil and curses that are upon your life, i got excellent news: It's not just possible, that's the will of God for you my friend! This is what Jesus Christ is speaking to you right now: Luke 4:18-19. Are you poor (financially or spiritually)? Are you brokenhearted (emotionally)? Are you captive (physically, emotionally or spiritually)? Are you blind (physically or spiritually)? Are you oppressed (physically, emotionally or spiritually)? Jesus Christ is the answer! If you are willing to die to yourself He will set you free (indeed). If you don't believe, you will never see the glory of God in your life! Unfortunately, most people are not aware or they don't believe that they are under a curse. Worse, they don't believe that they are slaves of sin! John 8:34. Are you practicing any sin right now? It does not matter if you claim to be a christian or not, was born and will die in the "church", if you are not in Christ (disciple) and producing fruit (Galatians 5) and die like that, you will be cast into the fire (hell), because Jesus Christ either spoke the truth (He is the truth) or He was a liar (the devil is the liar one), because He said: John 15:1-8. Please, read the post The Tree, the Branch and the Fruit: "http://faithorelse.blogspot.com/2010/03/tree-branch-and-fruit.html".

Did Lazarus become a Zombie? The Sadducees and the Resurrection.

The title may sound a little (lot) confuse to you, but if you are familiar with the sect of the Sadducees you understood my question. If not, let me show you some of their beliefs (or disbeliefs): They didn't believe in Angels; they didn't believe in the afterlife or resurrection; they believed in free will; they interpreted the Torah literally. Jesus dealt with the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23-33. So, what does Lazarus have to do with the zombies? Nothing whatsoever! I asked that question in light of the teaching of the Sadducees, because if there is no resurrection of the dead as they taught, then Lazarus didn't raised from the dead, he became a zombie. If you are not familiar with the story of Lazarus (Jesus' friend), you can read it in John 11. Jesus made it clear that they (Sadducees) were mistaken because they didn't know the Scriptures nor the power of God, they misinterpreted the Scriptures and created a doctrine to validate their disbelief. When God created man, He put eternity in man's heart, therefore there's only two choices: Eternal life and eternal death. The "natural" death will only confirm his choice: Hebrews 9:27. Romans 8:11. Today, there are a lot of people explaining what's gonna happen in heaven, like the Sadducees, they are creating doctrines to validate their "dreams" and "desires", because most of the time there's a book or something they are trying to sell. Please, be faithful to the Scriptures, don't try to make it more "attractive" or "exciting" by adding your own version to what is written. Be like Jesus, when quoting or teaching the Bible just say: "It is written". By the way, the Sadducees disappeared around 70 A.D., after the destruction of the Second Temple. Read this passage and answer this question to yourself: Am I a righteous person? Matthew 25:31-46.

God's Gifts: From Blessing to Idolatry.

Numbers 21:4-9. Blaise Pascal once said: "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus". He got it right because God created us to worship Him in order to fill that "vacuum", this is our calling, and because of that we will either worship the Lord God, our creator, or someone or something else. There is no human being alive right now that is not fulfilling his (her) calling, that is worshiping. Conscious or unconsciously we are all worshiping, even the angels and demons are worshiping. Lucifer was created to worship God, but he wanted to be worshiped instead and deceived one third of the angels to worship him instead of God and they fell. God created mankind to worship Him, but satan (ex-lucifer) deceived humanity and told Eve who told Adam that they could be "like" (divinity instead of character) God (when the Bible says that God created man in His likeness it doesn't mean that He created other gods), knowing good and evil, and they fell. Satan even tried to deceive Jesus Christ into worshiping him: Matthew 4:8-10. Idolatry is worshiping the wrong person! When someone worships an image (idol), he (she) is worshiping a demon: 1 Corinthians 10:20. Sacrifice was part of the worship. Idolatry is as old as humanity, from the beginning man is trying to find something other then his Creator to worship: Romans 1:22-25. When God told Moses to make a fiery serpent, it was a foreshadow of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. If anyone looked at Moses' bronze serpent would be physically healed, if anyone believes and confess Jesus Christ as his (her) Lord and Savior is spiritually healed (have eternal life): Romans 10:9. Jesus Himself spoke about it: John 3:14-15. The church today is contaminated by idolatry, there are many "visible and invisible" idols being worshiped in our churches today: Leaders, traditions, denominations, spiritual gifts, buildings, ministries, to name a few. The reason we are not seeing the Glory of God in our churches as they saw in the Early Church is because the Glory that is due to Him is being diverted to someone or something else. This is very serious but we don't pay much attention, because we are satisfied with what we have (whatever it is). The reason that the "prosperity theology" is so popular here in America is because its followers are worshiping the "blessing" instead of the "Blesser", as Jesus said: Matthew 6:21. Their treasure is "money" (mammon in Matthew 6:24) so their hearts are devoted to mammon (false god). Paul makes it clear that we can become idolaters: 1 Corinthians 10:14. The only way that we would keep ourselves from idolatry is by doing what Jesus told us to do: Matthew 22:37-40. Who or what do you love the most? Who or what are you worshiping right now? Where is your treasure?

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Genesis 4:9. You are probably familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, that Cain murdered his brother and was cursed because he did it. What is interesting in that story is that everything was fine until the Lord rejected Cain's offering. Until his offering was rejected, there is no indication that Cain was an evil person, on the contrary, the very reason Cain was bringing his offering was a good indication that he was trying to please God. See what the Lord tells Him: Genesis 4:7. What does to do well mean? The answer is found in Hebrews 11:4. Abel did his offering by faith, that's why the Lord accepted it: Hebrews 11:6. I've been talking a lot about faith in this blog and this story (Cain and Abel) shows that God required faith since the beginning, actually, the very reason Adam sinned was because he didn't believe in God's words: Genesis 2:16-17. Why am i saying that Adam didn't believe? Because of what James wrote: James 2:20. John the Apostle answered the question "am I my brother's keeper?": 1 John 3:10-12. If we are children of God then we will be our brother's keepers, if we are not our brother's keepers, we are children of the devil! Is John saying that i must love christians (brothers in Christ) only? Of course not! See what Jesus Christ taught: Luke 10:25-37. So, according to the Bible we must be "our brother's keepers".

As It Was In The Days of Lot...

Luke 17:28-30. Much has been said and preached about Lot, as they say: "I heard a lot about Lot (funny or not)"! Most preachers condemn him for his mistakes and say that if he had allowed his uncle (Abraham) to choose first, things wouldn't go that bad for him. Along the years I learned with God that I have no right to condemn anyone, much less the ones who cannot defend themselves (dead people). It's easy for us to read Lot's story and condemn him for his mistakes, but in reality we all made bad choices and very few of us God considers to be righteous persons, as He considered Lot: Genesis 18:22-23. 2 Peter 2:7. I don't want to justify Lot's sins and mistakes, but as Peter writes, Lot lived a righteous life among the most wicked people of his time and a person like that deserves to be honored, so i'll try to show the "other side of the coin". We, who grew up in the church (organization) or are there for a long time, tend to become critics and judges, like the older son in the parable of the prodigal son, letting our light shine inside the church but forgetting to be a light in the darkness (world). In that regard, Lot did what Paul the Apostle told us to do: Philippians 2:15. If we think for a second, we will realize that the darker (crooked and perverse) the generation, the brighter our light will shine. Have you ever seen a firefly glowing in a shiny day? Of course not! Why can't we learn from nature? Remember how many times Jesus Christ used nature to teach us His amazing lessons? "Birds of the air", "lilies of the field", "sheep", "wolf", etc. Don't get me wrong, the church (gathering) is a good and necessary thing, Hebrews 10:25, but it is like a "gas station" (spiritually speaking), where we go to refill and then go out again. Unfortunately many people "run out of gas" because they forsake the assembling, thinking that they are some kinda "spiritual lone rangers" (there is no such thing). Lot was a witness of righteousness to the unrighteous, his light shone in a very dark environment. So, why God couldn't find ten righteous people in Sodom? Genesis 18:32. Well, the Apostle John gave us the answer: John 3:19. As it was with Jesus Christ so it was with Lot, people loved darkness rather than light, wickedness rather than righteousness, sin rather than holiness. So, if you really believe that Jesus Christ spoke the truth, better, that He is the Truth, than you have to consider His words about the time we're living (last days), this generation is becoming more and more like Sodom. Of course, if you are a pre-trib person, fear not, but if you can read (you are right now), than you should check this site: http://www.persecution.com/. It's VOM's (Voice of the Martyrs) web site, there you will see what's going on around the world, how many people are being killed, imprisoned and beaten just because they confess the Name of Jesus Christ. Of course, if you consider yourself better than anyone of those brothers and sisters, you should be fine, if not, pray because things will get really bad, besides, Lot was taken just before the destruction of Sodom (read the post From the Hamptons to the Heavens: Bewitched by Left Behind). Are you prepared to die for Jesus? Better, are you living for Him? Are you willing to abandon everything to follow Him? Can you say that you are a righteous person (like Lot)? Is your Light shinning in the darkness? Do your words match your behavior and your behavior your words? If this was your last day alive, what would be your legacy? If your're thinking that i am exaggerating because your neighborhood preacher said that according to his interpretation Jesus is pre-trib, read this: 2 Peter 1:20-21. Will the "rapture" occur before, during or after the great tribulation? That's the million dollars question. Fortunately God has the answer and one day (before, during or after) the great tribulation we will know the answer. Revelation 2:10.

Life Is A Breath! Job 7:7

James 4:13-16. Two weeks ago, my cousin's 16 years old daughter died after having more than 70% of her body and internal organs burned. For the family, it was a tragedy that will take a long time to recover from (if ever). She was a beautiful girl, loved by everyone who knew her and will be remembered forever. Until the accident, nobody would ever suspect that her life would be as short and it would end like that. I confess that I was shocked when I received the horrible news (I’m still perplex). I read this text in James many times, but it never had a profound impact in my life until this tragedy. James is completely right, life is a vapor, one day we’re here, the next we’re gone! Why do we make so many plans (most of them futile) and never even bother asking God if our plans are pleasing to Him? Proverbs 16:1. Worse than make futile plans is to think that we have the power to accomplish them, according to James is an evil arrogance. Jesus Christ made it clear that such thought is “foolishness”: Luke 12:13-20. It is sad to see how many wealthy people are “laying up for themselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19) and are closing their hearts and eyes to see how many people, especially children, are starving to death. I’m not advocating the end of poverty, equality for all human beings (financially speaking), etc, Jesus Himself said that we would always have the poor among us, Mark 14:7, but I’m advocating compassion, mercy and love for the least among us, the ones who God told that we should care for: Deuteronomy 24:17. Jeremiah 22:3. Zechariah 7:10. Think about this: How good is to have plenty here on earth and nothing in heaven (if we make it)? How many times have you given up on something to help someone else? Where is your treasure, on earth or heaven? Would you be willing to forsake everything to do what Jesus Christ tells you to do? Are you showing compassion for the “least of these”? Matthew 25:34-40. If you die today, what would be your legacy?

You Are The Man!

You probably heard the phrase "you are the man" many times before (this is a common saying among guys here in America), it means that your male friend or colleague pulls through with some unexpected success or surprises you (in a good way), but you probably never heard it like this: 2 Samuel 12:1-12. The question that comes to my mind when reading this passage is: How could a "man after God's own heart", after accomplishing so many great things (defeating Goliath for example) and having so much intimacy with God, allow his flesh to control his life? I think the best answer is found in the context: 2 Samuel 11:1-3. David's first mistake was staying home when he should be in the battlefield; the second was not fleeing from the sin called "lust of the eyes"; the third was breaking God's commandments: You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, you shall not commit adultery and you shall not steal. The saying "idle hands are the devil's tools" became true to David. Because he chose idleness, he ended up stealing another man's wife and later killing the man. If we could be honest for a second, we would realize that at least once we did the same: How many times have we coveted? How many times have we committed adultery? How many times have we stole (from God or other people)? I won't even mention the other commandments! Are we better than David? Are we people after God's own heart? I can only speak for myself and i tell you that i am not worthy to be compared to David. Unfortunately, even after being born again, we still have the sinful nature living in us, the more we feed the flesh, the more our sinful nature will control us, the more we submit ourselves to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, the more we will abstain from sin. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:6. This verse became true for David. When he (David) became carnally minded, the result was death! Uriah's and his son with Bathsheba. Besides, if you read the Psalms that David wrote when this was going on, you will see that he also lost his peace, he was tormented by his own sins. Fortunately for us, sinners, there is hope: Romans 12:2. We must follow Paul's advice and have our minds renewed by the Holy Spirit until we have Christ's mind: 1 Corinthians 2:16.

As It Was In The Days Of Noah...

Luke 17:26-27. If you read carefully Noah's story, you will see that the world was destroyed because it became extremely corrupt and lawless, the only righteous man alive was Noah and he became the preacher of righteousness: 2 Peter 2:5. What was he preaching anyways? The Bible does not tells us everything he preached, but this was the central point of his preaching: Repent, flooding is coming and the world will be destroyed! What is very interesting is that Jesus is comparing Noah's time with our time (last days). It's very easy to say that this world is extremely corrupt, but it's not so easy to say that we are becoming a lawless world, because at least here in America, we never had so many laws as we have right now, but if we pay attention, God's moral law (righteousness) is being taken away from our set of laws and before God's eyes we are, slowly but surely, becoming a lawless country. Jesus' message is more current and relevant than never, His predictions about the latter day world are unfolding before our eyes. My point is: We can only preach righteousness if we are a righteous person! Morality without the righteousness of God is a well behaved lawlessness. Isaiah 64:6. Many lukewarm believers are anxiously waiting for the rapture but are not building their ark (holiness), it means that there will be a rupture in their rapture plan and that will lead to the great apostasy. This week i heard one of those "spotless" preachers, those who appear impeccable on tv, saying "but WE who are poor..." (he meant financially poor), i confess that i felt so disgusted with that preaching (even if there was a lot of truth on it), that i can see why people are not losing their lives to follow Jesus Christ, why they are not building their arks (holiness), the best most christians are doing is trying to adapt God's life to their own, doing what Jesus spoke in Matthew 13:7,22. Mark 10:29-31. Have you ever wonder why Jesus' disciples left everything to follow Him? Because when they looked at Jesus, they saw an example, someone who left everything to follow His Father' plan: Philippians 2:5-8. As God called Noah to build an ark to save him and his family, so God is calling us to build His temple (our lives) to save us and our families, we are God's fellow workers: 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:9; Acts 16:31. Preaching righteousness is only the consequence of a life of righteousness, words are cheap but if we live what we believe, our testimony will be powerful: Revelation 12:11. Are you building your ark? Are seeking holiness? Are you forsaking everything to follow Jesus Christ? Leviticus 11:45.

Gideon: The Mighty Antihero.

Judges 6:12-16. It is impressive how bad things are in our "christianity" today, every day there's a new "hero", a new "star", a new "idol". From Abel to John, every "hero" in the Bible was the antithesis of today's "heroes". They were the meekest and weakest people of their time, the ones who were on top, God brought them down in order to display His glory in their lives, e.g.: Moses, Peter, Paul, etc. Jesus Christ is the biggest antihero (from glorious God to a Servant Man) in human history. This is His description: Isaiah 53:2-3. If you pay attention to the latter days "heroes" of faith, they are the opposite of Jesus Christ: They got the "look"; they are accepted everywhere; they are smiley people; they are praised and idolized, they are the best sellers, etc. If we consider the life of Gideon, he says that he was the least of all and yet God calls him to be a hero in order to be glorified (God) in and through him (Gideon). Why? Paul gives us the answer: 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. The very reason we (church) don't see the Glory of God in our midst is because we (church) are retaining the glory that supposed to be God's, therefore God himself allows us to keep "walking around in the desert" and never enter the "promise land". This is so true that God Himself said to Gideon: Judges 7:2. The fact that we keep shouting "glory to God" doesn't mean that the glory is going to God, otherwise we would be seeing His glory in our midst. My take on that is that we are lacking God's righteousness: Isaiah 58:8. Philippians 1:11. John the Baptist got it right: John 3:30. Because we are full of ourselves we are lacking Jesus Christ in us, if we (church) don't decrease, Jesus Christ will never increase in us, therefore the glory will never be fully God's. God is calling us to be "antiheroes" and never accept the glory that is His in order to display His glory in our lives. God's glory in us is directly proportional to Jesus Christ's increase in us. The bigger we are, the smaller Jesus Christ will be in us and lesser His light will shine on us. 1 Peter 5:6; Matthew 5:16; John 8:12.

Addicted Generation: What's the "Next Fix"?

If you are not familiar with the term "next fix", in the "addicted world" it means: The next drug, the next bottle, the next pill, etc. Using this term in our context (christianity), the "next fix" would be: New teaching, new book, new concert, new diet (believe you or not), etc. Unfortunately, more and more we can see people desperate to find a "quick fix" to their lifetime problems, thinking that if they just apply this revolutionary teaching they read in this best selling book, their lives will turn around and they will be a problem free people. Unfortunately, it's just the opposite, after realizing that the "quick fix" wasn't the solution they were looking for, they give up trying and succumb to their temptation or addiction. I believe the first thing we must do as christians when we have a problem or temptation, is to go before God in prayer with an open heart, open our Bible and allow God to speak to us and do whatever He says (obedience rather than sacrifice). Another "myth" we have in christianity is that once delivered from addiction or sin, we won't struggle anymore with that same "problem", that the battle is over, we are winners and nothing can defeat us. Well, this is what Paul wrote: 1 Corinthians 10:12. Unfortunately, when most people struggle again with the same issue, they fall for lack of endurance: James 1:12. After being set free we receive the power to resist temptations, the power resist temptation, the power to say NO to the addiction or sin that once enslaved us, but we must fight against it: Hebrews 12:4. If you are looking for a "quick fix" to help you fight against sin or addiction, i have bad news for you: YOU WON'T FIND IT! On the other hand, there is FREEDOM in Jesus Christ, not a partial freedom, total freedom: John 8:36. Pay attention to what Jesus said: IF the Son makes you free. Why did He make that statement conditional (if)? Because ONLY GOD can deal with the ROOT of the problem or addiction which is SIN! Let's use drug addiction as an example: I have friends who quit using drugs, they fought against it and won the battle, but, are they free indeed? NO! They are still slaves of themselves or another addictions like, pornography for example, because they are rejecting Jesus Christ's freedom. But i also have friends who Jesus Christ made them free indeed. Am i saying they don't sin? Of course not! 1 John 1:10. There's a difference between "sinning" and being "slave of sin": When you are a slave, you don't have any other option but obeying your "master" which is sin. Paul and the other apostles, when writing they call themselves bond-servants (slaves) of Jesus Christ, because they found "true" freedom by submitting themselves to Jesus Christ's authority. James 4:7. If you submit yourself to God you will receive the power to resist the devil and his temptations and you will experience a life of true freedom. My advice to you, if you are struggling with addiction and sin is that you stop running after "quick fixes" (empty promises) and start running after Jesus Christ, He will set you free indeed!

Empty Mind: The Path to Wonderland.

Many times we forget that this world is not our final destination, the final destination will be either heaven or hell, this is just our temporary residency or the "desert" we must cross to reach the "promise land" (new earth). Of course, if you don't believe in the "promise land" than you'll never live there. At one point in our lives, we will struggle either spiritually, physically or emotionally, and if we are not "grounded" in the word of God we will suffer harm. The question is: How can we be "grounded" in the Word of God? There are few steps to achieve that and they are everything but easy, they involve COMMITMENT and DISCIPLINE: 1) We must BELIEVE in God and DILIGENTLY seek Him: Hebrews 11:6; 2) we must HEAR the Word of God: Romans 10:17; 3) we must MEDITATE in His word: Psalm 1:1-2; Psalm 119:148; 4) we must have His word in our minds and hearts: Psalm 119:11; Hebrews 10:16. Our problem as believers, is that we are always running after things that don't really matter, things that will soon disappear, we are SEEKING FIRST OTHER THINGS hoping that god's KINGDOM WILL BE ADDED TO US: Matthew 6:33. If we don't fill our minds and hearts with the word of God, we will be always WONDERING why we don't hear from God, why it is so hard to live holy lives, why we don't experience the fullness of His love. It doesn't matter how full your mind is, if it's not filled with the word of God, instead of living in the Kingdom of God you will be living in the wonderland, fantasizing that you're going to heaven when you're actually already living a hellish (self-indulgent) life. Romans 12:2; Matthew 7:21.

The Sheepish Wolf: The Art of Pretending.

In this cartoon called The Sheepish Wolf 1942, in his first scene, the hungry and "Shakespearean" wolf, watching a flock of sheep, imagines them as lamb chops, steaks and other delicacies and his first words are: "To eat or not to eat? Baa, what a question"! Then he has a brilliant idea: "I shall disguise myself as a sheep and mingle with the flock". Even if this cartoon is funny, it carries a sad reality, an old trick that many false believers (pastors, prophets, teachers, etc.) have been using for centuries in christian churches: Deceitfulness. Jesus Christ warned us to beware of them: Matthew 7:15. Just like in this cartoon, the false believers (wolves) disguise themselves as sheep, they appear to be very humble and godly, but after a while they start revealing themselves (character), they start saying things people want to hear and unfortunately, most the times the leader of the church is just like the sheepdog in this cartoon, he cannot see the wolf because his eyes are "covered" (lack of discernment). The history of Israel is filled with prophets and pastors who abused the flock (God's people), who fed themselves and let the flock perish. God rebuked them through His Prophets, like in this passage: Ezekiel 34:2-3. If we bring to our context, today in most churches the believers are just "numbers" (numerically and financially speaking), they are just the means that the "owner" of the church or ministry uses to reach his (her) goal. Today, most leaders PRETEND to be SHEPHERDS (pastors), most people PRETEND to be SHEEP (christians) and the organization PRETENDS to be a SHEEPFOLD (church). Jesus Christ was a real Pastor, His disciples were real christians (Judas Iscariot was a wolf in sheep's clothing) and the early church was a real church. We believers (pastors and flock), need the Gift of the Holy Spirit called Discerning of spirits to be able to detect the wolves when they enter the sheepfold (church), 1 John 4:1, and be wise when we are among wolves, Matthew 10:16. At the end of this cartoon, all the sheep were wolves in sheep's clothing (subtle?). The probable reason the writer revealed the flock to be wolves, is because the world thinks that we are a bunch of hypocrites, we are all wolves in sheep's clothing, because we talk a lot about love and we  don't love our neighbors as ourselves; we talk a lot about godliness and our actions show how sinful we are; we talk a lot about mercy and we refuse to help the needy because we think they are lazy, etc. It's time to LIVE what we PREACH and show the world that we are Jesus Christ's disciples: John 13:35.

Whatever God Says To You, Do It!

The phrase "whatever He says to you, do it", is part of Jesus' ministry, even if it is not explicit in the text, it is always implicit. In His first miracle, turning water into wine, we see His mother literally telling that to the servants: John 2:5. When He rebuked the winds and the sea, they "obeyed" Him (did whatever He said): Matthew 8:26-27. When He commanded the fig tree to wither, it obeyed Him: Matthew 21:18-19. Everyone who was healed by Jesus, was healed because he, she or someone else did whatever was necessary for the person to receive the healing: The cleansing of a leper in Mathew 8:1-4; the Centurion's servant in Matthew 8:5-13; the woman with a flow of blood in Luke 8:43-48; the man born blind in John 9; the Gentile Woman's Daughter in Matthew 15:21-28; the paralytic who was let down through the roof to be healed by Jesus in Mark 2:1-12, etc. The demons and the nature had no other option but obeying Jesus, but for the healings (physical, spiritual and emotional) to occur, someone had to exercise faith and obedience (works). Have you ever wondered why we don't see miracles, signs and wonders as they saw in the early church? Isn't it because we don't have faith as they did? If that is the reason, why we don't have that kind of faith? Isn't it because our "faith" is a "hypothetical" assurance filled with religious concepts? If our faith is genuine, why we don't see the results (healings for example)? Is Jesus still the same? Hebrews 13:8. If Jesus didn't change and we are the body of Christ, as the Casting Crowns use to sing, if we are the body why aren't His (Jesus) hands healing? What's wrong with "the body" (church)? The first thing we can see is that the church is not functioning as a body (organism) but as an organization (business); the second is that when the church is trying to be a body, it's a "dysfunctional" body, meaning, there are HANDS talking, EYES walking, EARS seeing, etc. This is what i mean by that: 1 Corinthians 12:27-31. Be honest with yourself, where did you see a church functioning like that? I never saw any like that! Why? Because in our churches, if we believe in the calling and gifts of the Holy Spirit we don't have them working properly (dysfunctional body) or we don't even believe that they are essential. In either case, we read the Bible and choose what we think is more "appropriate" for our church, if we are pentecostal we choose prophets, miracles, gifts of healings, varieties of tongues, if we are traditional we choose apostles, teachers, administrations and if we are liberal we choose administrations and helps. The reason we don't see Glory of God IN and AMONG us today is: WE DON'T DO WHATEVER GOD SAYS TO US!

The Demanding Faith and the Will of God.

Luke 22:41-42. How many times have we prayed or heard someone else praying this type of prayer: God, You said in Your word... and You are not a man that you can lie... so, do it? I confess that i did it before and i am ashamed of doing that. How could i be so ARROGANT? How could i be so PROUD? Today i know the reason: I was extremely influenced by the "christian culture" i was living in. Because i was hearing that type a prayer constantly, i became influenced by it to the point that it became natural to me, i didn't know the difference between BOLDNESS and ARROGANCE. BOLDNESS is praying ACCORDING to the will of God; ARROGANCE is telling God to do something NOT KNOWING His will, taking bible verses out of context and "commanding" God to be faithful to His Words. In human history, there wasn't and there won't be any person BOLDER than Jesus Christ, yet every time He prayed, He displayed His HUMBLENESS. He NEVER demanded the Father to do anything, He always ASKED the Father what was His will and submitted Himself to the Father's will. How HORRIBLE is this thing that we have in our "christianity" today, that we are following satan's footsteps, being PRIDEFUL, ARROGANT and DEMANDING God to do what we want? There are many teachings out there, like "the prayer of Jabez" for example, that lead us to DEMAND God to EXPAND OUR TERRITORY and we forget that Jesus Christ taught us to ask the Father to EXPAND HIS KINGDOM. Galatians 3:1. Doesn't it sound familiar? FOOLISH CHRISTIANS! WHO BEWITCHED YOU THAT YOU SHOULD DEMAND GOD TO... We are lacking many things in this post-modern christianism, but i believe the biggest one is Jesus Christ being clearly portrayed among us as crucified! Answer this question: Didn't Jesus Christ know that He was going to die on the cross? Revelation 13:8. Of course He did, He agreed with the Father to become a Man and die on the cross before the foundation of the earth. So why Jesus didn't DEMAND the Father to take the cup (cross) away from Him? John 6:38. It is horrible to see how far we are walking from the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, JESUS CHRIST. We mistake FAITH with SELFISH DESIRE. The context of Jesus life and ministry, including teachings like FAITH AND THE MUSTARD SEED, revolved around the Will of the Father. When Jesus COMMANDED the fig tree to wither, the will of the Father was to teach Jesus' disciples about faith and authority. When Jesus healed a man born blind, the objective was to show the Father's glory and compassion. When He talks with the adulterous woman He was showing the Father's forgiveness, etc. The church today adapted Nike's motto: Just do it! It doesn't matter if it is God's will to do it, if it is God's time to do it, if it is God's way to do it, just do it! Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? No? It doesn't matter, just go and make disciples, after all that's the greatest commandment, the great commission. Matthew 22:37-40. Do you love the Lord and your neighbor like that? No? Don't worry about it, just go and make disciples, fulfill the great commission and you go to heaven (what heaven?). Pay attention to what Jesus said: John 13:35. What GOOD NEWS are we spreading if we don't love like Jesus commanded us? 1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 Corinthians 13:1-2. Do you exercise a demanding faith? Is your faith based on the will of God? Paul just confirmed what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40, if we don't love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind and our neighbor as ourselves, WE ARE NOTHING!