One of the joys of Christmas is to see our children enjoy the gifts received. But the joy seems to vanish when we find gifts that require assembly. Being the final objective to assemble the gift as soon as possible, who has time to read the instruction manual? Assembling a toy should be easy, so why should we read the manual?
You might get lucky and might assembly the gift right way, but also might end up assembling the parts in the wrong order and have missing or leftover parts. As a result your children will not be able to enjoy the gift received. Even if you assembled the gift the right way, you should read the manual for operating and maintenance instructions in addition to precautions and warranty.
About 2000 years ago mankind received a gift from God: His Son Jesus through whom we obtain salvation and eternal life. As with our children’s gifts, we are trying to enjoy the gift that God gave us without reading the instructions manual: The Bible. As a result many people can’t find meaning for their lives (provided in the operating instructions) or live empty lives (missing parts as a result of not reading the assembly instructions). The Bible offers assembly instructions (how to relate to our God), operating instructions (how to relate to others and live our daily lives). It also offers precautions (how to deal with every situation in our lives) and it contains the warranty details (promises that we will receive as a result of enjoying our gift according to the instructions manual).
Jesus is the gift for us all. If we want to enjoy its blessings we should read the His instruction manual.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will [follow the instructions] of my Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 7:21
Tags: Assembly, Bible, Gift, Instructions, Jesus
We can see how behaviors that were once considered sinful and/or embarrassing are becoming common and are practiced without any decorum. Even worse, many of those who practice such things consider themselves religious and understand that they have the support of their god in their behavior. They think that a god who does not accept their behavior cannot be a real god because a loving god would not tell them that what they do is wrong. So they define for themselves a permissible god. In other words, they create a custom-made god.
Something similar happens in the relationship between parents and children. There are times when children perceive that everything their parents do or say is wrong (the advice, limits, rules, etc.). If the children could they would change their parents to make them according to their wishes, for they think “how is it possible that our parents say they love us and do not allow us to do everything we want?” Imagine parents who do not have any rules for their children: they can eat whatever they want, return home at any hour they want, talk without respect to others, treat others as they wish, no school responsibilities, no chores, etc. If this were possible it would be total chaos and the result would probably be children that become irresponsible adults. What children perceive as excessive control is absolutely necessary for the formation of their personality. The people that these children would like to change now are the same people that in the future they will be giving thanks for raising them the right way. Fortunately, during this process of confusion parents do not relinquish their responsibility because they know that their children do not yet understand the importance of this process.
The same way children eventually realize the wisdom of the advice of their parents and the importance of limits, there will come a time in your life when you will look back and see the results of following your god. If it was a custom-made god you might find out when it’s too late.
God cares for us the same way that parents care about the future of their children. He knows that we are as young children that do not understand that He cares for us. So as a responsible father He does not give up on us and remains firm in his advice, rules and limitations, because He knows that even if we do not like or do not understand them, they are necessary for our spiritual formation. Failure to do so would jeopardize our destination for eternal life.
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. – Hebrews 12:6
How do we know that the God who gives us his advice and enforces its decrees is the true God? There is no way of knowing except through experience. And no, you don’t have to die to be able to experience God. Yes, the process begins by faith (in Jesus – John 3:16), but you will experience him as you get closer to Him (through prayer and reading his word). No, it is not easy to read in the Bible that something you like to do appear on a list of things that are displeasing to God. But I tell you that once you have the first experience of His power working in your life in difficult times, or its clear and unequivocal guidance in times of decision, or His healing power in times of illness, that will be the time when you will understand His love for you, that He is the true God, and all that He asks of you is for your own good.
God does not always give me the answer I hoped for in my prayers. Even at times he allows me to go through difficult times. Sometimes I do not get the miracle I expected. But I know that my God is real and I can feel His unmistakable presence in my life. That is my experience and nobody can take it away from me. This can also be your experience.
Put aside the deception of a custom-made god. No matter how hard you try you will never be able to make that god a reality in your life. Give yourself a chance and let the true God become a reality in your life.
Tags: God
Thanksgiving Day is a good day to be thankful to God for all His blessings. However, our act of thankfulness should not be a one day event but a continuous one.
…therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. – Hebrews 13:15
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus – 1 Thessalonians 5:18
However, while it is good practice to be thankful to God every day, it would be much better to express our gratitude through actions rather than through words.
In a way, showing gratitude is like showing love; one thing is to say it and another thing to prove it. Our daily act of gratitude should be accompanied by a life lived in such a way that it pleases God.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. – Colossians 3:23-24
In the Old Testament animals were sacrificed for the forgiveness of sins, but also as a thank-offering. It is no longer necessary to make that kind of sacrifice, but we should live our lives devoted (our living sacrifice) to God as a response of gratitude to him.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. – Romans 12:1
There is no better answer to God’s mercies that a life lived in constant worship to God.
So this and every day…
Therefore… let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe – Hebrews 12:28
Tags: mercy, Sacrifice, Thanksgiving
Right after his baptism Jesus went through a series of temptations. He overcame each temptation by using the word of God. His victory in these temptations was not only a demonstration of his power to defeat the enemy, but an example set for us to follow when we are tempted.
The temptations that Jesus went through fall into three categories under which we are commonly tempted.
THE FIRST TEMPTATION: Basic Needs
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:1-4
What are we capable of doing when our basic needs are not satisfied? The first reaction is probably to follow the easiest path (in other words, fall into temptation). But those following the easiest path will eventually hurt themselves or others. It is not easy to have a basic need unsatisfied, but the right thing to do when our basic needs are not satisfied is to come before God.
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:31-34
When in need, the solution is in the word of God. As Jesus clearly said it “We shall live on every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
THE SECOND TEMPTATION: Irresponsibility
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” – Matthew 4:5-7
In this temptation the devil was inviting Jesus to “play with fire” and not to worry because the bible says that God would help him. He wanted Jesus to be irresponsible. We also like to play with fire. We do so in regards to our health (by not taking care of us), our family (by not being the parent or spouse that we are supposed to be), our finances (by not spending our money wisely), and even our salvation (by not being responsible Christians or through sinful behavior).
We like to push the limits a little farther and fool ourselves thinking that “God will bail me out if something happens”. We will even quote the bible as an excuse to take risks we are not supposed to.
God can certainly save us from the fire as he did with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3:16-30), but if we get into the fire on purpose we will get burned.
THE THIRD TEMPTATION: Power
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” – Matthew 4:8-11
Fame! Authority! Power! Superiority! Prominence! Somehow power seems to be like a magnet to humans. People want power. It is incredible what people do to obtain power. Why this thirst for power? Do we want others look up to us and marvel at us, or in other words, “worship” us?
Any power given to us is limited and temporary. It does not matter how much power we are given we will never be satisfied. We will never be satisfied until we realize that the best for us is to submit ourselves to God and recognize his authority over our lives. Only then “we will also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). In fact, until we do so we will be under the power of another ruler.
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. – Ephesians 2:2
Temptations will never stop. We are at war with the same enemy that tried to temp Jesus (Ephesians 6:12-13). Our enemy does not want us to obtain the power that he will never get: Salvation and Eternal Life.
Jesus overcame temptation not through miracles or through demonstration of his power, but by using the word of God. The key to victory is to follow his example. We just need to know his word so we can use it in the time of need.
If we want victory let’s use the word of God.
Tags: Temptation, victory
Statistics is the science of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing numerical data. Statistics makes it possible to predict the likelihood of events. A very useful topic in statistics is correlation. Correlation is a measure of the relation between two or more variables. Basically, once the correlation between two variables have been defined, the outcome of one variable can be defined based on the value of the correlated variable.
Decisions such as the prohibition of prayer in public schools and the legalization of abortion can be correlated to the moral downward spiral we have been experiencing as a nation. You don’t need to be a statistician to understand that there has been a direct relationship between our rejection of God as a nation and the moral decay that our nation is living.
Sadly this trend is not changing. Everything is acceptable in the name of “liberty”. In addition, whoever teaches God’s commands (our creator’s guidelines for a better living) is regarded as intolerant. If the correlation is right, statistics tell us that there is no hope. But we can reverse the trend if we decide to turn our hearts God.
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach … No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. – Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Though these words were for the people of Israel, they are as applicable to us as they were to them. The people of Israel knew that these words were truth. Bible history shows that whenever Israel turned away from God they suffered the consequences, but whenever they turned their hearts to God they were blessed. There is a clear correlation between loving God and being blessed. This is bible statistics for hope, and we can certainly apply this recipe to our lives.
Hope will not come from the government or politicians. It can only come from those who fear the Lord.
As individuals, we might think that there is not much that we can do to reverse the moral trend, but living our lives walking in the love of God will have an impact in our family, our neighbors, and our friends. Let’s do what we can in our sphere of influence. Doing nothing to stop the trend is allowing others to continue it.
We know what needs to be done: love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws. We also know the consequences of not doing what we need to do. The decision is before you and me. Let’s choose wisely.
Tags: consequences, Disobedience, Obedience
Sometimes it feels like our lives are always part of the losing team. In baseball when a team is continuously losing the first option is to change the manager. The same thing happens in our lives: we should stop trying to manage our team and allow Jesus to take that responsibility.
When Jesus was on the cross it seemed like there was no hope, but He was following his game plan. The rest of the team was committing error after error (our sins), but instead of blaming his players he decided to take full responsibility (his sacrifice). In the bottom of the ninth inning everyone thought that his chances of winning the game were death. However, all of a sudden Jesus executed a surprise play (his resurrection) that resulted in a come from behind win.
- The other team was defeated (the death).
- All the errors were forgotten (forgiveness).
- Jesus gave us our biggest victory (eternal life).
In baseball it is said “it’s not over till it’s over.” In fact, I have seen baseball teams overcoming a nine run deficit in the ninth inning to win the game. A come from behind victory in the last at bat is the most exciting way to win a baseball game. Just when you thought that your team was about to lose, the players found the way to win the game.
You might be going through a very difficult time and feel like you are in your last at bat. But let me tell you that nothing is over if you allow Jesus into your life. He has a game plan for your life that will turn your defeat into victory.
It is time for your come from behind victory.
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:37
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
God’s love is multidirectional.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17-19
God’s love is like a grenade; when it explodes its power spreads in every direction. A grenade spreads death, but God’ love spreads life and hope.
Those who have experienced God’s love know about its life-changing effects. But just as a grenade has no effect unless its trigger is released, the love of God has no effect unless it is released. If we want other people to be “affected” by the power of God’s love someone needs to release it.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? – Romans 10:14
Unfortunately, some that affirm that have received God’s love are spreading a confusing message that results in many people rejecting the message of love. This makes it an urgent matter for the rest of us to make sure that the right message is preached. Everyday it becomes more important to preach through a love-filled life with which we will be able to support our words. After all, love means nothing without action.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to release the power of a grenade, it is just a matter of pulling the trigger and throwing it to the target – for sure someone will be affected by its power. In the same way, if we release the trigger and throw the love grenade someone will be affected by the power of God’s love. Do not worry about the target; everyone is in need for His love. So let us take advantage of every opportunity to release the trigger to unleash the power available in the love grenade.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word “power”?
If you like sports maybe you would think of
- A home run
- A dunk
- A knock out
If you like science maybe you would think of
- A volcano
- A twister
- The sun
Or maybe you would think of other things as
- An explosion
- Wealth
- Political power
If we look in a dictionary we can find multiple definitions for the word power:
- ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something
- political or national strength
- great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force
- the possession of control or command over others
- legal ability, capacity, or authority
or in physics
- work done or energy transferred per unit of time
- a particular form of mechanical or physical energy
- energy, force, or momentum
or in mathematics
- the product obtained by multiplying a quantity by itself one or more times
The words ability, strength, force, control, authority, energy and multiply give us a pretty good idea of the definition of power. It sounds like it is something good to have, but probable difficult to achieve, and even more difficult to keep. That is, unless we look at a much better definition:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21
This power is not difficult to achieve, nor difficult to keep. Why? Because we don’t have to do anything to receive it: it was gained by Jesus for us and we receive it by faith. We neither have to do anything to keep it: It is kept in Jesus.
What does that power means to us? Through that power:
- the debt for our sins was paid in the cross
- we received hope for eternal life when Jesus raised from the dead
There is definitely no greater power than that.
The apostle Paul prayed that we may be able to know the great power that is available to us. Why is it so important? Because if we know what we have, there will be nothing in this life that can take it away from us: not a life full of problems or even danger of death (things which Paul continuously experimented while serving God).
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:35-39
That power makes us more than conquerors. Through that power we are reminded that even our biggest problems can’t separate us from the love of God. That power reminds us that our victory has already been obtained.
It is up to us to decide to live each day recognizing the power available to us. Lets allow that power to be a life changing experience in our lives and the lives of those around us.
The word “fashion” sounded to me like a concept totally unrelated to Christianity. In fact, I thought there were no references to fashion in the Bible. That is, until I read Romans 13:14.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. – Romans 13:14
The Bible might not be very specific about what to wear or what not to wear, but it is really emphatic about what our spiritual clothes (our behavior) should be. Christians are expected to be clearly identified by their spiritual clothes. When other people look at us they shall have no doubt of who we are, based on what they see in us. If we are clothed with Jesus, we are expected to display His attributes in our daily lives.
We can find additional references to “Christian Fashion” in Colossians and 1st Peter:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience – Colossians 3:12
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. – 1 Peter 5:5
Let’s make sure that our spiritual wardrobe contains a good mix of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, but above all, love. That way, no matter what we choose to wear we will always found ourselves clothed with Jesus.
Companies are trying to make their employees feel like they are part of a family and not just any employee. However, no matter how hard you work and how good you do your work, if your try to go to the house of the president of the company he won’t let you in because he doesn’t know you. He would probably ask “who are you?”. You can answer “I have been working for his company for long years, I have worked overtime when needed, I have provided valuable improvement ideas, and I have even missed important family events in order to meet company due dates”, but I am pretty sure that he will tell you “I am sorry, but I don’t know you. You can’t come in.”
That would not be a big deal since, who works with the expectation to visit his/her boss’s house? Unfortunately, some Christians do.
All believers receive spiritual gifts “to prepare God’s people for works of service,so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Every believer has a work to do in the kingdom of God, but our work is not what will grant us entrance to the kingdom of God.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23
It would be really sad to be denied access to the kingdom of God after living a life “devoted” to serve God. Doing your work is not what will allow you entrance to your boss’s house (the kingdom of God), but rather a personal relationship with him. In fact, the kingdom of God is the only organization where its “employees” are intended to become part of the family: children of God (John 1:12). As children we are expected to have a relationship with our father, so when Jesus says “I never knew you“ (or in other words, “who are you?“) he is really implying “you might have been doing all the good things that believers are expected to do, but failed to be a child to your Father”.
Salvation was made available to us because of God’s love, so why do we insist in making this a religious experience instead of enjoying the benefits that are only bestowed to God’s children? We should not forget that salvation is by faith, so we are granted entrance into “God’s house” because of what Jesus did for us and not because of what we do for him.
There is no place for unknown employees at God’s house, but there is plenty of place for His Children, so let’s keep working for the kingdom of God and make sure that you are well-known in heaven as His child.
Tags: children of God, Good Works, heaven, personal relationship, Salvation
