LO BUENO, LO MALO Y LO FEO

“Alégrate en el día de la prosperidad, y en el día de la adversidad considera: Dios ha hecho tanto el uno como el otro para que el hombre no descubra nada que suceda después de él”. (Eclesiastés 7:14)

Los días buenos y prósperos están en el diseño de Dios tiempos especiales de comodidad y alegría: los días de aflicción y problema, están en el diseño de Dios las temporadas apropiadas de recuerdo y consideración seria. La Providencia de Dios lo ha concibió, que nuestros días de bien y el mal deberían ser entremezclados cada uno con el otro. Esta mezcla de días de bien y el mal es por la Providencia Divina tan proporcionada, que esto suficientemente justifica el trato de Dios hace al hombre y evita todo su descontento y quejas contra Él.

THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF THE WORD

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. ²Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. ³There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. ⁴Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, ⁵Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. ⁶Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. ⁷The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; ⁸The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; ⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ¹¹Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. ¹²Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.  ¹³Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. ¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19)  

Psalm 19 gives us an awesome look at the transforming power of God and His Word.  This transforming power is something we need to have if we hope to follow Jesus.   

Verses 1-6 prepare a worshipful introduction that declares the glory of God’s creation. All around us we see evidence of God’s magnificent power and creativity.    

Verses 7-11 are applicable to the healing process from sin. The Bible, as the collection of God’s laws and statutes, is perfect, sure, right, pure, true and righteous. When we read it and fill our mind with it, it releases God’s healing power in our body and soul. Specifically, it: converts the soul, gives us wisdom, rejoices our heart, enlightens our eyes, warns us about the paths of evil and gives great reward if we keep on the path of righteousness 

Notice how these aspects of God’s power work in the areas that are damaged by sin, the soul, the mind, the heart and the eyes. As we study and meditate on God’s Word, it will restore us, heal us and enlighten us with truth. It will help transform us into the person God created us to be. Additionally, when we apply God’s Word to our lives and obey His commands, God promises that we will have “great reward” (v-11). 

EL PODER TRANSFORMADOR DE LA PALABRA

“Los cielos cuentan la gloria de Dios y el firmamento anuncia la obra de sus manos.² Un día emite palabra a otro día y una noche a otra noche declara sabiduría.³ No hay lenguaje ni palabras ni es oída su voz.⁴ Por toda la tierra salió su voz y hasta el extremo del mundo sus palabras. En ellos puso tabernáculo para el sol; ⁵ y éste, como esposo que sale de su alcoba, se alegra cual gigante para correr el camino.⁶ De un extremo de los cielos es su salida y su curso hasta el término de ellos. Nada hay que se esconda de su calor.⁷ La ley de Jehová es perfecta: convierte el alma; el testimonio de Jehová es fiel: hace sabio al sencillo.⁸ Los mandamientos de Jehová son rectos: alegran el corazón; el precepto de Jehová es puro: alumbra los ojos. ⁹ El temor de Jehová es limpio: permanece para siempre; los juicios de Jehová son verdad: todos justos.¹⁰ Deseables son más que el oro, más que mucho oro refinado; y dulces más que la miel, la que destila del panal. ¹¹ Tu siervo es, además, amonestado con ellos; en guardarlos hay gran recompensa.¹² ¿Quién puede discernir sus propios errores? Líbrame de los que me son ocultos.¹³ Preserva también a tu siervo de las soberbias, que no se enseñoreen de mí. Entonces seré íntegro y estaré libre de gran rebelión.¹⁴ ¡Sean gratos los dichos de mi boca y la meditación de mi corazón delante de ti, Jehová, roca mía y redentor mío!” (Salmo 19 1-14)

El Salmo 19 nos da una mirada  increíble al poder transformador de Dios y Su Palabra. Este poder transformador es algo que tenemos que tener si esperamos seguir a Jesús.

Los versos 1- 6 preparan una introducción excelentísima que declara la gloria de la creación de Dios. Todos alrededor de nosotros vemos pruebas del poder magnífico de Dios y creatividad.

Los versos 7-11 son aplicables al proceso de sanidad del pecado. La Biblia, como la colección de las leyes de Dios y estatutos, es perfecta, fiel, recta, pura, verdadera y justa. Cuando la leemos y llenamos nuestra mente de ella, esto  libera el poder sanador de Dios en nuestro cuerpo y alma. Específicamente, ello: convierte el alma, nos da la sabiduría, alegra nuestro corazón, aclara nuestros ojos, nos advierte sobre los caminos de mal y da gran recompensa si seguimos el camino de justicia.

Note como estos aspectos del poder de Dios trabajan en las áreas que son dañadas por el pecado, el alma, la mente, el corazón y los ojos. Al estudiar y meditar en la Palabra de Dios, esto nos restaurará, nos sana y nos  ilumina con la verdad. Esto nos ayudará a transformarnos en la persona que Dios nos creó para ser. Además, cuando aplicamos la Palabra de Dios a nuestras vidas y obedecemos Sus mandamientos, Dios promete que tendremos “grandes recompensa” (v-11).

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1)

We are constantly challenged by atheists, skeptics and hecklers to prove that there is a God. It is difficult for natural man to believe in something that he cannot see, touch or feel. (I Corinthians 2:14).

The problem for the child of God is solved with the first verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1). The Bible is not a textbook that attempts to prove the existence of God, the Bible opens with a positive fact that God does exist.

It did not occur to any of the writers of the Bible to prove this fact. The Bible plainly states that it is the fool who denies the existence of God (Psalms 14:1). Anyone with any intelligence would acknowledge the evident fact of a living God. The greatest proof apart from Scripture of the existence of God is our daily fellowship with Him in prayer.

The Bible never tries to prove there is a God. It assumes that man knows that there is a God, and says, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God". There are many evidences of the existence of God.

THE ARGUMENT FROM THE CONSCIENCE

That which is in man, sometimes called the "first truths", that belief that knows that there is a God without anyone revealing that fact. A child knows there is a God. Who has told him? All races of the world know there is a God, though they are not worshiping the One and Only and True God (Romans 2:15). The existence of God is written in the human conscience (Acts 17:23). Conscience told them that there was a God though they did not know Him personally.

Some atheists may claim that their conscience does not tell them about God. It is doubtful if a genuine atheist can be found for at best they are men who have stilled their conscience by blatant unbelief. Some men are so blind that they may deny the existence of the sun in the sky but that does not alter the fact that the sun exists, rises and sets each day. None are as blind as those who refuse to see. The honest man will find that the inner still small voice says that God exists and is alive today.

Men deny the existence of God not because they cannot find Him but because they are afraid to face the responsibility of being accountable to Him after death. Atheism is one of the devils tools to put men to sleep without accepting salvation. If there is no God then I am not responsible to anyone and I can live and die as I please. But in the quieter moments of reflection the conscience of every man whispers, "There is a God" and only fools deny it. The evidence of the existence of God is in man, born in him.

To look up and see a plane and not see the pilot and say that the plane is pilotless is as ridiculous as looking into the heavens and saying that there is no God simply because we cannot see Him.

THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT (Romans 1:20)

This is the argument from cause and effect. Here is the world, how did it come to be? There is a Cause or Power behind everything. There must be a Maker or Creator someone must have caused it to come into being at one time or another. It is easy to think that back of the Creation is God, but it is impossible to think back of God.

If all the pieces of a watch were placed in a can and the can shaken gently for a million years the watch would not be "accidentally" put together and running. Someone operates the universe. The only sensible answer to the problem of the existence of the world is the existence of an intelligent Being whom we call God.

THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

A watch not only exists but it has a designer. It was planned for a specific purpose. It was designed by a keen mind for the purpose of accurately telling the time. An examination of the world and the things large and small shows that each is designed by an intelligent mind for a specific purpose in life. There is perfect design and order in the universe.

The snowflake is a beautiful pattern that man could never duplicate. Why does ice rise to the top of the water and not to the bottom when it freezes? Should this not be so, than all water would eventually freeze, and the fish would perish! How is it possible that spring, summer, fall and winter all come in order, and have been doing so for millenniums? Why is it that the sun comes no closer to the earth (melting it) nor goes further away from it (freezing it)? There must be a Designer behind all creation, and that Designer is God!

THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

Man has an intellectual and moral nature showing that the Creator must not be merely an inanimate force but a living, intelligent moral Being, (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalms 94:9). Conscience teaches man right and wrong, good and bad; for the creator is a moral being that is holy, and loves righteousness but abhors evil.

Man is a direct result of the creation of God, as other creatures are, yet these creatures do not possess the moral and intellectual qualities of man. Why? If man could create them, so could animals. But man has the capacity to know, to reason. If man did not get these qualities from some One, where did he get them? 

FROM HISTORY

Truly, history is His story! History verifies the fact that there is a God. History has proved the fact of God against those who have repudiated His law. Thus, Christians should never worry over world conditions. God is on His throne. Nothing can happen, but by His will. History only fulfills what God has said would happen. History proves there is a God!

FROM EXPERIENCE

This is one of the greatest proofs yet for the existence of God. Men have been transformed by the power of God. There is no explanation other than God! Prayers which have been answered attest to the existence of God.

THE LIFE ARGUMENT

Life comes from life and the original life must have come from a being possessing eternal life, that is, life that existed before physical life was created. Where can such life be found? It can only be found in God who possesses eternal life (Psalms 36:9). The apple tree gets its life from the parent tree, the lamb from the mother sheep. But where did they get life from? We have to go back to the original creation. All life proceeds from God (John 11:25; 14:6). The theory of spontaneous generation has been proved false and completely unacceptable to authoritative science.

THE BIBLICAL ASSUMPTION

The Bible is the only Book that is God inspired. The Bible is the standard for all right conduct in the world. If the Bible is not the Word of God, then we have no God; we can never know God. The person who accepts Scripture will readily acknowledge the existence of God.

CRISTOLOGICAL REVELATION

In Jesus, God came down to man to tell us what He is like. If Jesus in not God, then there is no God. God can never be know (John 1:18). But Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, and He and His life proves the existence of God!

PROFETICAL DECLARATION

God forecast the future. Anyone who can do this is more than man. Man cannot always tell the past, much less the future. When Christ was crucified there were twenty five distinct prophecies fulfilled, prophecies written centuries before.

THE ARGUMENT FROM CONGRUITY

The theory of atheism solves no problems but only multiplies unsolved mysteries. The acceptance of the existence of God as Creator of the world is like a magic key that fits all the facts of Scripture, revelation, knowledge and science. This irrefutable doctrine is held tenaciously by multitudes of souls who are willing both to live and die in the consolation of this assurance.

Atheism which is only doubt and unbelief can only lead to darkness and despair for the one accepting it. The acceptance of Genesis 1:1, leads a sincere seeker into the path of a fuller revelation of God Himself. Let us come as children in simple faith, based on the revelation of God in scripture and nature, believing and trusting Him completely (Hebrews 11:6).

LA EXISTENCIA DE DIOS

“Los cielos cuentan la gloria de Dios, y el firmamento anuncia la obra de sus manos” (Salmos 19:1)

Constantemente somos desafiados por los ateos, los escépticos y altercadores para demostrar que hay Dios. Es difícil para el hombre natural creer en algo que el no puede ver, tocar o sentir (I Corintios 2:14).

El problema para el hijo de Dios se resuelve con el primer versículo de la Biblia (Génesis 1:1). La Biblia no es un libro de texto que intenta probar la existencia de Dios, la Biblia se abre con un hecho positivo que Dios realmente existe.  

No se le ocurrió a ninguno de los escritores de la Biblia tratar de probar este hecho. La Biblia claramente declara que es el necio quien niega la existencia de Dios (Salmos 14:1). Alguien con cualquier inteligencia reconocería el hecho evidente de un Dios vivo. La prueba máxima aparte de las Sagradas Escrituras de la existencia de Dios es nuestra comunión diaria con Él en oración.

    

La Biblia nunca trata de probar que hay un Dios. Se supone que el hombre sabe que hay un Dios, y dice “El necio ha dicho en su corazón: No hay Dios”. Hay muchas evidencias de la existencia de Dios.

EL ARGUMENTO DESDE LA CONCIENCIA   

Lo que esta en el hombre, a veces llamado “las primeras verdades”, esa creencia que sabe que hay un Dios sin que alguien le de a conocer ese hecho. Un niño sabe que hay un Dios. ¿Quién se lo ha dicho? Todas las razas del mundo saben que hay un Dios, aunque ellos no adoran el Único y Verdadero Dios (Romanos2:15). La existencia de Dios esta escrita en la conciencia humana (Hechos 17:23). La Conciencia les dijo que había un Dios aunque ellos no lo conocieran personalmente.

Algunos ateos pueden afirmar que su conciencia no les dice acerca de Dios. Es dudoso que un ateo genuino pueda encontrarse porque a la verdad ellos son personas quien ha acallado su conciencia por su incredulidad descarada. Algunas personas son tan ciegas que ellos pueden negar la existencia del sol en el cielo pero eso no  cambia el hecho que el sol existe, sale y se pone cada día. Ninguno es tan ciego como esos quien rehúsa ver. La persona honesta encontrara que esa pequeña voz interior todavía dice Dios existe y esta vivo hoy.

Los hombres niegan la existencia de Dios no porque no puede encontrarlo, sino porque ellos tienen temor de enfrentar la responsabilidad de ser responsable a Él después de la muerte. El ateísmo es uno de los instrumentos del diablo para poner al hombre a dormir sin aceptar la salvación. Si no hay Dios entonces yo no soy responsable a nadie y yo puedo vivir y morir como yo quero. Pero en los momentos más tranquilos de la reflexión la conciencia de cada hombre susurra, “hay un Dios” y solo los necios lo niegan. Las pruebas de la existencia de Dios están en el hombre, nacido en él.

                 

Al ver un avión en el cielo y no ver el piloto y decir que el avión no tiene piloto es tan rediculoso como mirar al cielo y dicer que no hay Dios simplemente porque no lo podemos ver.

EL ARGUMENTO COSMOLOGICAL  (Romanos 1:20)

Este es el argumento de la causa y efecto. Aquí esta el mundo, ¿Cómo vino a existir? Detrás de todo hay una causa o potencia. Debe haber un fabricador o creador. Alguien o algo deben haber causado que viniera a la existencia en un momento u otro. Es fácil de pensar que detrás de la Creación esta Dios, pero es imposible para pensar detrás de Dios.

Si todas las piezas de un reloj se colocaron en una lata y los agitaran suavemente por millones de años el reloj no sería "accidentalmente"  reunido y funcionando. Alguien hace funcionar el universo. La única respuesta sensible al problema de la existencia del mundo es la existencia de un ser inteligente que llamamos Dios.

EL ARGUMENTO TELEOLOGICAL

Por esto decimos diseño. Un reloj no solamente existe pero tiene un diseñador. Se planificó con un propósito específico. Fue diseñado por una mente aguda con el propósito de contar con precisión el tiempo. Un examen del mundo y las cosas grandes y pequeñas muestra que cada uno está diseñado por una mente inteligente con un propósito específico en la vida. Hay diseño y orden perfecto en el universo.

El copo de nieve es un modelo hermoso que el hombre nunca podría duplicar. ¿Por qué se eleva el hielo a la cumbre del agua y no al fondo cuándo se congela? Si no fuera así, toda el agua eventualmente se congelaría, y los peces. ¿Cómo es posible que la primavera, el verano, el otoño y el invierno todos seguir un orden, y lo han hecho por milenios? ¿Por qué es que el sol no viene más cerca de la tierra (derretindola) ni más lejos de ella (congelándola)? Debe haber un Diseñador detrás de toda la creación, ¡y ese Diseñador es Dios!

EL ARGUMENTO ANTROPOLOGICO

El hombre tiene una naturaleza moral e intelectual mostrando que el Creador no es simplemente una fuerza inanimada pero un inteligente ser moral vivo (Génesis 1:26-27; Salmos 94:9). La conciencia le enseña al hombre el bien y el mal, porque el Creador es un Ser moral que es Santo y ama la justicia pero aborrece la maldad.

El hombre es un resultado directo de la creación de Dios, tal como otras criaturas, sin embargo, estas criaturas no poseen las cualidades morales e intelectuales del hombre. ¿Por qué? Si el hombre podría criar, los animales también pudieran. Pero el hombre tiene la capacidad de saber y razonar. ¿Si el hombre no consiguió estas calidades de alguien, de donde los consiguió?

DESDE LA HISTORIA

¡Verdaderamente, la historia es Su historia! La historia verifica el hecho que hay un Dios. La historia ha demostrado el hecho de que hay un Dios contra quienes han repudiado Su ley. Por lo tanto, los cristianos nunca deberían preocuparse por las condiciones mundiales. Dios está en Su trono. Nada puede suceder, sino por Su voluntad. La historia solo realiza lo que Dios ha dicho que sucedería. ¡La historia demuestra que hay un Dios!

DESDE LA EXPERIENCIA

Esta es una de las mayores pruebas aún de la existencia de Dios. Los hombres han sido transformados por el poder de Dios. ¡No hay ninguna explicación además de Dios! Las oraciones que han sido contestadas dan testimonio a la existencia de Dios.

EL ARGUMENTO DE LA VIDA

La vida proviene desde la vida y la vida original debe haber venido desde un ser que posee la vida eterna, es decir, la vida que existió antes de que la vida física fuera creada. ¿Dónde puede tal vida ser encontrada? Sólo puede encontrarse en Dios que posee la vida eterna (Salmos 36:9). El manzano consigue su vida desde el árbol paternal, el cordero desde la oveja madre. ¿Pero de donde consiguieron ellos la vida? Tenemos que volvernos a la creación original. Toda vida proviene de Dios (Juan 11:25; 14:6). La teoría de generación espontánea se ha probada falsa y completamente inaceptable a la ciencia autoritaria.

LA SUPOSICION BIBLICA

La Biblia es el único Libro que es inspirado de Dios. La Biblia es la norma para todo bien conducto en el mundo. Si la Biblia no es la Palabra de Dios, entonces no tenemos Dios, nunca podemos conocer a Dios. La persona que acepta las Escrituras reconocerá fácilmente la existencia de Dios (Salmos 19:1; Romanos 1:20).

REVELACION CRISTOLOGICAL

En Jesús, Dios descendió al hombre para revelarnos lo que Él es. Si Jesús no es Dios, entonces no hay Dios. Dios nunca puede ser conocido (Juan 1:18). Pero Jesús es Dios manifestado en la carne, ¡y Él y Su vida demuestra la existencia de Dios!

DECLARACION PROFETICAL

Dios pronostica el futuro. Cualquier persona quien pueda hacer esto es más que hombre. El hombre no siempre puede saber el pasado, mucho menos el futuro. En el día que Jesús fue crucificado se cumplieron veinte cinco profecías distintas, estas profecías fueron escritas muchos siglos antes.

EL ARGUMENTO DESDE LA CONGRUENCIA

La teoría del ateísmo no soluciona ningún problema, pero solo multiplica los misterios no resueltos. La aceptación de la existencia de Dios como el Creador del mundo es como una llave mágica que encaja todo los hechos de la Escritura, revelación, conocimiento y ciencia. Esta doctrina irrefutable es sostenida  tenazmente por multitudes de almas quienes están dispuestas ambos vivir y morir en el consuelo de esta promesa.

El ateismo que es solo duda e incredulidad puede únicamente conducir a oscuridad y la desesperación para el que lo acepta. La aceptación de Génesis 1:1, conduce a un buscador sincero en el camino de una plena revelación de Dios mismo. Déjenos venir como niños en fe sencilla, con base en la revelación de Dios en la Escritura y la naturaleza, creyendo y confiando completamente en El (Hebreos 11:6).

SYSTEMS OF THEOLOGY

DEISM

This system acknowledges that there is a God, but denies that God sustains the creation. "God is the Maker, but not the Keeper".

ATHEISM

Atheists are those who hold to this belief exclude God altogether.

SKEPTICISM AND INFIDELITY

Skeptics and infidels are full of doubt and disbelief with regards to God, especially the God of Revelation.

AGNOSTICISM

This school of thought does not deny God, but denies that God can be known.

PANTHEISM

Everything is God, and God is everything. Everything you see is God. God is in everything. God and creation are synonymous.

POLYTHEISM

This is belief in many gods. There are various gods over us; these in turn have gods over them; and these have gods over them, and so on.

TRITHEISM

This is the doctrine of three gods.

DUALISM

This is the belief in two gods: a god that is good, and a god that is bad. They are both equal in power and persuasion.

THEISM

The belief in the existence of a personal God is known as theism. Should one boast in this, his boasting is vain, for one must know who God is, what His name is, in order to trust Him.

MONOTHEISM

This is the doctrine of one God. The Jews, Mohammedans and some Evangelicals are monotheists.

LOS SISTEMAS DE LA TEOLOGIA

DEISMO

Este sistema reconoce que hay un Dios, pero niega que ese Dios mantiene la crearon. “Dios es el Hacedor supremo, pero no el Guardador”.

ATEISMO

Los que retienen esta creencia excluyen a Dios enteramente.

ESCEPTICISMO E INFIDELIDAD

Los escépticos e infieles están llenos de duda e incredulidad con respecto a Dios, especialmente al Dios de Revelación.

EL AGNOSTICISMO

Esta escuela de pensamiento no niega a Dios, pero niega que Dios pueda conocerse.

EL PANTEISMO

Todo es Dios, y Dios es todo. Todo lo que se ve es Dios. Dios está en todo. Dios y la creación son sinónimos.

EL POLITEISMO

Esto es creencia en muchos dioses. Hay diversos dioses sobre nosotros; estos a la vez tienen dioses sobre ellos; y estos tienen dioses sobre ellos, y etc.

TRITEISMO

Esto es la doctrina de tres dioses.

EL DUALISMO

Esto es la creencia en dos dioses: un dios que es bueno, y un dios que es malo. Ambos son iguales en poder y la persuasión.

EL TEISMO

La creencia de un Dios personal.

EL MONOTEISMO

Esta es la doctrina de un Dios. Los Judíos, los Mahometanos y algunos Evangélicos son monoteístas.

POSSESS THE LAND

“Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance. Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: "How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you? Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me.”
Joshua 18:1-4

God offers every person that calls on His name power to break free from the sins that hold them down. This account in Joshua reminds me of some Christians that struggle with sin. They have crossed the Jordan River so to speak, by inviting Jesus into their life, but have never taken possession of the land of freedom God promised them. Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Part of their problem is that they are not abiding in God’s word. They do not read their Bible or assimilate what it says to their life. They instead pursue success in their job and other interests. It takes a long time before they realize their need of Gods help.   

They do not realize the many times that God holds them back from going further into sin. In his mercy and love, he calls them back to himself even when they are in sin. When they finally surrendered to God and asked for help in breaking free from old habits, He will answer their plea and teach them how to keep their life pure. As they practice what He shows them they began to have victory over the tempting thoughts and memories of sin. They are then able to start living in the land of freedom that Jesus purchased for them with his blood.   

If you feel like the Israelites who had not moved into their promised land, you can start moving into your freedom right now. Begin by asking Jesus into your heart anew, and confess whatever has been keeping you from inhabiting the freedom he purchased for you. Then, meet with God each day in a quiet time to pray, worship God and study the Bible. The Bible and the Holy Spirit will teach you how to live in freedom. Through your time with Him, you’ll become sensitive to His guidance for how to move into the land. There are sinful strongholds that will have to be torn down. God will help you find them and destroy them. Soon you’ll be looking back, wondering why you did not move in sooner! 

POSEA LA TIERRA

“Toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel se reunió en Silo, y erigieron allí el tabernáculo de reunión, después que la tierra les fue sometida. Pero habían quedado de los hijos de Israel siete tribus a las cuales aún no habían repartido su posesión. Y Josué dijo a los hijos de Israel: ¿Hasta cuándo seréis negligentes para venir a poseer la tierra que os ha dado Jehová el Dios de vuestros padres? Señalad tres varones de cada tribu, para que yo los envíe, y que ellos se levanten y recorran la tierra, y la describan conforme a sus heredades, y vuelvan a mí.” (Josué 18; 1-4)

Dios ofrece a cada persona que clama a Su nombre poder para liberarse de los pecados que los dominan. Esta porción en Josué me recuerda de algunos cristianos que luchan con el pecado. Ellos han cruzado el Río Jordán por así decirlo, invitando a Jesús a su vida, pero nunca han tomado posesión de la tierra de libertad que Dios les prometió. Jesús dijo, “Si vosotros permaneciereis en mi palabra, seréis verdaderamente mis discípulos; y conoceréis la verdad, y la verdad os hará libres” (Juan 8:31-32). Parte de su problema es que ellos no permanecen en la palabra de Dios. Ellos no leen su Biblia, ni asimilan  lo que esto dice a su vida. Ellos en cambio persiguen el éxito en su trabajo y otros intereses. Se toma mucho tiempo antes de que se den cuenta de su necesidad de la ayuda de Dios.

No se dan cuenta de las muchas veces que Dios los detiene de seguir más profundo en el pecado. En su  misericordia  y amor, él los llama a Él aun cuando ellos están en el pecado. Cuando finalmente se rinden a Dios y piden la ayuda en liberarse de viejos hábitos, Él contestará su súplica y les enseñará cómo guardar su vida pura. Cuando ellos practican lo que él les muestra ellos empiezan a tener la victoria sobre los pensamientos de tentación y las memorias del pecado. Entonces son capaces de empezar a vivir en la tierra de la libertad que Jesús adquirió para ellos con su sangre.

Si usted se siente como los Israelitas que no habían entrado en su tierra prometida, usted puede empezar a moverse en su libertad ahora mismo. Empiece invitando a Jesús de nuevo a su corazón, y confiesa lo que ha estado impidiéndole habitar en la libertad que él compró para usted. Entonces, encuéntrese con Dios cada día en un tiempo de meditación para orar, adorar a Dios y estudiar la Biblia. La Biblia y el Espíritu Santo le enseñarán como vivir en la libertad. A través de su tiempo con Él, usted se hará sensible a Su dirección de cómo moverse  a la tierra. Hay fortalezas pecaminosas que tendrán que ser derribadas. Dios le ayudará a encontrarlos y destruirlos. ¡Después usted mirará hacia atrás, preguntándose por qué usted no se había acercado  cuanto antes!

  

DOES PRAYER CHANGE THINGS OR DOES THINGS CHANGE PRAYER?

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:22-24)

I am always astonished at the ways of women. They will go “window-shopping” all day long not really expecting to buy anything; they merely go to “shop”. This is the way it is with many people. They pray and pray, but do not get anything; because they do not expect to get anything. Prayer that does not have a definite petition is not real prayer.

When I go out to buy something like shoes or a suit, I just walk down the line and pick out what I want and pay for it and leave. The whole thing only takes a few minutes. I do not shop. I buy. And that is what prayer is. Prayer is asking something definitely from god: “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (Juan 14:14), “Ask, and it shall be given you… For every one that asketh receiveth” (Matthew 7:7-8).  

Modernists do not believe that prayer really changes things. They do not accept the plain Bible teaching that prayer is asking and the answer is receiving. They believe that prayer is merely spiritual fellowship. That we do not really get things from God but that after we pray we feel stronger to get them for ourselves, or are perhaps resigned to do without them! In Hebrews 11:6 we learn that there are two things we must believe before our prayer is heard: first we have to believe that there is a God and second we have to believe that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. That is, that God hears and answers prayer.

Do circumstances and things change our prayer? When you pray according to god’s will and with faith all things are possible. This is praying in the spirit, a prayer of faith.

When we pray in the flesh or our own understanding, the things around us began to change our prayer. Thing start to look impossible to us.

Removing mountains was a Jewish figure of speech for getting rid of a great difficulty. Not a real mountain. God does not busy himself doing silly, unnecessary things.

In verse twenty-four of Mark 11 the word “believe” literally means “keep on believing.” This is one of the main requirements for getting our prayers answered. Too often we get discouraged and quit believing before our prayer is answered.

¡CAMBIA LAS COSAS LA ORACION! O ¿LAS COSAS CAMBIAN LA ORACION?

“Respondiendo Jesús, les dijo: Tened fe en Dios. Porque de cierto os digo que cualquiera que dijere a este monte: Quítate y échate en el mar, y no dudare en su corazón, sino creyere que será hecho lo que dice, lo que diga le será hecho. Por tanto, os digo que todo lo que pidiereis orando, creed que lo recibiréis, y os vendrá.” (Marcos 11:22-24)

Yo siempre me asombro de las formas de la mujer. Ellas van "curioseando" todo el día no que realmente esperan comprar algo; ellas simplemente van para 'curiosear'. Esto es la manera de muchas personas. Ellos oran y oran, pero no consiguen nada; porque ellos no esperan conseguir algo. La oración que no tiene una petición definida no es verdadera oración.

Cuando salgo a comprar algo como zapatos o un traje, sólo ando por el pasillo y escojo el que quiero y pago por él y me voy. Todo el asunto sólo toma unos minutos. No curiosillo. Yo compro. Y eso es lo que es la oración. La oración es pedir algo definitivamente de dios: “Si algo pidiereis en mi nombre, yo lo haré.” (Juan 14:14), “Pedid, y se os dará… Porque todo aquel que pide, recibe.” (Mateo 7:7-8)

Los modernistas no creen que la oración realmente cambie las cosas. Ellos no aceptan la sencilla enseñanza de la Biblia que enseña aquel la oración es pedir y la respuesta es recibir. Ellos creen que la oración es simplemente comunión espiritual. Que, en realidad, no obtenemos cosas de Dios, pero que después que oramos nos sentimos más fuertes para conseguirlos por nosotros mismos, o quizás nos resignamos a vivir sin ellos. En Hebreos 11:6 aprendemos que hay dos cosas que debemos creer antes de que nuestra oración sea oído: primero tenemos que creer que hay un Dios y segundo tenemos que creer que Dios es un galardonador de los que diligentemente le buscan. Es decir, que Dios oye y contesta la oración. 

¿Cambian las circunstancias y las cosas nuestra oración? Cuando usted ora según la voluntad de Dios y con la fe todas las cosas son posibles. Esto es orar en el espíritu, una oración de fe.

Cuando oramos en la carne o nuestro propio entendimiento, las cosas alrededor de nosotros comienzan a cambiar nuestra oración. Las cosas comienzan a mirarse imposible a nosotros.

Quitar montañas era una forma retórica judía para deshacerse de una gran dificultad. No una verdadera montaña. Dios no se ocupa haciendo cosas tontas, innecesarias.

En el verso veinticuatro de Marcos 11 la palabra 'creed' significa literalmente "seguir creyendo.” Esto es uno de los requisitos principales para conseguir la respuesta a nuestra oración. Muy a menudo nos desanimamos y dejamos de creer antes de que nuestra oración sea contestada.

  

WOULD YOU PRAY FOR ME

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?... Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 42:1-2, 11)

Late one night when I was struggling with depression and insomnia I open my bible and began to read this scripture. Many of you can probably relate to having one of those days when you feel down and out.  These verses expressed exactly what I was feeling. Spiritually, I felt dry and really longed for God’s living water. I tried to realign my soul to God. I prayed and read the Bible, yet the heaviness still remained with me. I asked my wife to pray for me and that helped greatly. Later that morning as I dressed, I spoke praises to the Lord, even though I still felt heavy. Gradually the heaviness lifted and I was able to go about my day’s work. 

Why the valleys come in our spiritual walk is sometimes a mystery. We do know that we have an enemy who is prowling around looking for who he may devour. Jesus plainly told his disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). When troubles come, we can use prayer and speaking the Word as our first line of defense. If this fails to stem the attack, we need to get help from other Christian brothers and sisters in the battle. Too often pride keeps us from confiding in another believer and/or asking for prayer. Sometimes we may not want to share because we doubt that the person really cares about us. We can’t afford to let such barriers isolate us from the rest of the body of Christ. Had I not humbled myself by asking my wife to pray for me in the above incident, the depression may have continued and affected my ministry.

   

The Christian walk is not meant to be walked alone. God gives us brothers and sisters in the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) to encourage us and be our armor bearers in spiritual warfare.  We also have the responsibility of helping them when they are under attack. When we’re connected in the body of Christ, we’ll be less likely to be wounded in battle or worse, taken out of action.   

PODRÍA ORAR POR MÍ

“Como el ciervo brama por las corrientes de las aguas, Así clama por ti, oh Dios, el alma mía. Mi alma tiene sed de Dios, del Dios vivo; ¿Cuándo vendré, y me presentaré delante de Dios?... ¿Por qué te abates, oh alma mía, Y por qué te turbas dentro de mí? Espera en Dios; porque aún he de alabarle, Salvación mía y Dios mío.” (Salmo 42:1-2, 11)  

Una noche a la madrugada cuando yo luchaba con la depresión y la insomnia abrir mi Biblia y comencé a leer esta escritura. Muchos de ustedes probablemente pueden relacionarse con tener uno de esos días cuando te sientes sin ánimo. Estos versos expresaban exactamente lo que yo sentía. Espiritualmente, me sentía seco y realmente anhelaba el agua viva de Dios. Traté de realinear mi alma a Dios. Ore y lee la Biblia, aún el peso todavía permanecía conmigo. Le pedí a mi esposa que orara por mí y esto me ayudo enormemente. Más tarde esa mañana cuando me vestía, le presente alabanzas al Señor, aunque yo todavía me sintiera pesado. Gradualmente la pesadez se levantó y yo pude continuar me día.

Por qué los valles vienen en nuestro caminar espiritual a veces es un misterio. Sabemos que tenemos un enemigo que está rondando en busca de quien él puede devorar. Jesús les dijo claramente a sus discípulos, “Estas cosas os he hablado para que en mí tengáis paz. En el mundo tendréis aflicción; pero confiad, yo he vencido al mundo” (Juan 16:33). Cuando los problemas vienen, podemos usar la oración y el hablar la Palabra como nuestra primera línea de la defensa. Si este deja de contener el ataque, tenemos que conseguir la ayuda de otros hermanos y hermanas cristianos que están en la batalla. A menudo el orgullo nos impide confiar en otro creyente y/o pedir la oración. A veces no queremos compartir porque dudamos que la persona realmente se preocupe por nosotros. No podemos permitirnos dejar que esas barreras nos aislaren del resto del cuerpo de Cristo.  Si yo no me hubiera humillado pidiendo a mi esposa que orare por mí en este caso, la depresión pudiera haber seguido y haber afectado mi ministerio.

La caminata cristiana no es para ser caminada solo. Dios nos da hermanos y hermanas en el cuerpo de Cristo (I Corintios 12) para animarnos y ser nuestros portadores de armadura en la guerra espiritual. También tenemos la responsabilidad de ayudarles cuando ellos están bajo el ataque. Cuando estamos conectados en el cuerpo de Cristo, seremos menos propensos a ser herido en la batalla o peor, puestos fuera de acción.

WHAT IS LENT?

According to history 4,000 years before the birth of Christ Lent was already being observed! It was still being observed during the time of Jesus and in the days of the Apostles. Yet, Christ did not institute it and He never observed it! The Apostles and the early apostolic church never observed it either. When, where and who started the practice of Lent?

The Lenten season is a period of abstinence of 40 days, beginning with Ash Wednesday. The word Lent comes from an old English word “Lenten” which means the spring time. The celebration of Lent originally was associated with the spring. But, nowadays it is celebrated in the winter! Why? Where did it originate and when was the celebration changed from spring to winter?

If we look back in history to the close of the second century, a hundred years after the death of the last Apostle, we find that in a letter written to the bishop of Rome about Lent the following; “For the controversy is not only concerning the day, (there was a controversy over the time to celebrate the day called Easter) but also concerning the very manner of the fast (the fast of the Lenten season.). For some think that they should fast one day, others two, yet others more and some forty days.” This letter was written by Ireneaus, a bishop form Lyon, France. “And this variety in its observance,” continued Irenaeus, “has not originated in our time, but long before in that of our ancestors. It is likely they did not hold to strict accuracy and thus formed a custom for their posterity according to private fancy,” not Apostolic authority or Christ’s command! [History of the Church by Eusebio, book 5, chapter 24]

Lent came into the church through custom, through private fancy. The church observed Lent, not because the Bible commanded it, but because professing Christians adopted the custom from their gentile neighbors. “As long as the perfection of the primitive church, the inspired Apostolic church, remained inviolable,” wrote Cassian, a Catholic historian of the 5^th century, “there was no observance of Lent, but when men began to decline from the Apostolic fervour of devotion, then the priests in general agreed to recall them from secular cares by a canonical induction of fasting…” [Antiquities of the Christian Church, book 21, chapter 1]. Fasting or abstinence from certain foods was imposed after the days of the Apostles by the authority of the priests! Lent is not of Apostolic origin. It did not originate with Christ or His Apostles. It entered at the same time that Easter did! It was introduced to the Christendom of the Roman world in the second century together with Easter Sunday. But, when did Easter Sunday originate?      

Here is what Socates Scholasticus wrote in the Ecclesiastical History, not long after Emperor Constantine came to power in the fourth century of the Christian era, “Neither the Apostles, therefore, nor the Gospels, have anywhere imposed Easter, where fore in as much as men love festivals, because they afford them cessation from labor: each individual in every place, according to his own pleasure, has by a prevalent custom celebrated (Easter). The Saviour and His Apostles have enjoined us by no law to keep this feast, just as many other customs have been established in individual localities according to usage, so also the feast of Easter came to be observed in each place, according to the individual peculiarities of the peoples inasmuch as none of the Apostles legislated on the matter. And that the observance originated not by legislation, but as a custom the facts themselves indicate” [chapter 22]. Easter originated as a custom of the people and so did Lent. Lent is merely the introduction to Easter. Easter is the climax of Lent.

From what city did the celebration of Lent begin to spread throughout the professing Christianity of the Roman world? The Catholic Encyclopedia records the following: “In any case it is certain from the festival letters of Saint Athanasius that in 331, he enjoined upon his flock a period of forty days of fasting preliminary to, Holy week and second that in 339, after having traveled to Rome and over the greater part of Europe, [he] wrote in the strongest terms to urge this observance [of Lent] upon the people under his jurisdiction.” Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt, was influenced by Roman customer. It was at Rome that not only Easter, but also Lent, entered the Christian world. Irenaeus confirmed this when he wrote in his famous letter that Lent and Easter were introduced during the time of Bishop Xystus of Rome. This Bishop did not permit those after him to observe the Apostolic practice of commemorating the death of Jesus. Instead he introduced the custom of Easter and Lent. But, from where did the Bishops of Rome obtain the custom of Lent?

In the early church, Lent was always called “Tessarakoste,” in Greek, or “Quadragesima” in Latin. These two words mean; “count forty”. Lent, though sometimes celebrated for only one or two days or for several weeks, was always called the celebration of forty days! Why? Why should a period of abstinence have gone by this name even though it was not until the beginning of the eighth century after Christ that the final number of forty days was fastened on the whole church? The answer is obvious, abstinence among the pagans was by the name “count forty” because that is the length of time they celebrated their spring festival! Remember, the word Lent means “spring”. The historian Wilkinson, in his book Egyptian Antiquities, chapter 3 page 181, wrote that the pagans kept fasts, many of which lasted from seven to forty two days and sometimes even a longer period.

The original length of the fast, traced back to ancient Babylon 4,000 years ago, was a forty day fast in the spring of the year [from the book Nineveh and Babylonia, by Layard, chapter 4, page 93]. That is why it bore its name of “forty days” or Lent! Each nation gradually changed the length of celebration, but they all retained the name. The professing Christians of the second century merely adopted the customs found in their respecdtive countries, which is why they were divided as to its length from the beginning. It took the churches of the western world nearly eight centuries to re-impose a total period of forty days abstinence as had been the original custom at Babylon. Christianity today has turned to pagan customs instead of the commands of God found in the Bible.

Lent is nowhere commanded or mentioned in the New Testament but, it is mentioned in the Old Testament! Lent was an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz, the pagan Babylonian counterfeit of the Messiah. The Babylonian lunar months of June and July were named in honor of this false Babylonian messiah. Forty days preceding the feast of Tammuz, usually celebrated in June, the pagans held their Lenten season.

Ezekiel describes it vividly in chapter eight of his book the thirteenth and fourteenth verses: “He said also unto me, turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater abominations.” You will notice that God calls what Ezekiel is about to see an abomination. What does the prophet see? “And, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.” They wept for Tammuz, the false messiah of the pagans. That weeping preceded the pagan festival in honor of a supposed resurrection of Tammuz. Fasting was joined with weeping for a period of forty days before the festival in honor of Tammuz. The period of fasting, weeping and semi fasting take place during the springtime. That is why the word Lent means “spring”. Lent is a continuation of the pagan springtime custom of abstaining from certain foods just prior to celebrating a supposed resurrection of a pagan Babylonian deity. God calls the celebration of Lent an abomination. That is why Christ and the Apostolic Church never observed it! The Apostle Paul forbade the believers to observe these pagan “times or seasons” (Galatians 4:10).

Surely the people nowadays are sincere, but so were the pagans. But, what if Easter and Lent are ancient pagan festivals? Isn’t it still all right, if we use them to honor Christ? That’s the way people reason. Let God answer that question. God spoke to Moses to warn the people that they should not follow these customs of the pagans. Here are the words of God: “Take heed…that thou enquire not after their gods, saying; how did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God! For every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods: (Deut. 12:30-31).

Here is what God says. It doesn’t matter what we think, but it does matter what He thinks. He calls these pagan Easter and Lenten customs abominations because they commemorate false ideas. The penitence of Lent is a form of worldly sorrow over the things that smite one’s conscience. But, conscience is not sufficient guide to right or wrong. The penitence of Lent is a counterfeit of genuine repentance of sin. Easter commemorates a supposed Sunday morning resurrection of Jesus, though in fact Jesus was resurrected, according to the Bible, on Saturday evening, after He had been in the tomb three days and three nights. It is therefore not surprising that the apostles could never have taught the Church the observance of these heathen customs. Is it any wonder that Jeremiah was inspired to write: “Learn not the way of the heathen…for the customs of the people are in vain” (Jeremiah 10:2-3).

Notice that Lent precedes immediately the celebration of Resurrection Sunday (Easter), supposedly that of Christ. But, Christ did not resurrect on a Sunday. The New Testament, in none of its passages, orders us to observe Christ's resurrection. What we are commanded to observe is the commemoration of his death. The Primitive Apostolic Church observed that one commemorative, but it never celebrated either Easter Sunday or Lent. God never ordered the celebration of this Sunday in honor of the resurrection. All this is in honor of the false messiah, Tammuz.

Easter Sunday and Lent celebrate the resurrection of the false Christ. Paul warned about the spread of this custom: "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached ...” (II Corinthians 11:4). And this is exactly what has happened. Lent celebrates another Jesus, the false Messiah of Babylonia. The celebration of a festival on Sunday, to honor the resurrection, comes directly from paganism. The pagans were celebrating the resurrection of Tammuz, immediately after Lent. This festival was propagated throughout the professing Christian world after the death of the apostles.

Notice that immediately after the observance of Lent, the prophet Ezekiel sees that the people celebrate a sun rise service of resurrection: “Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this…? [The fasting of Lent] Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these”. [What does the prophet see?] Men prostrating themselves to the East, and worshipping the Sun! Sun rise services on Easter Sunday, the culmination of the forty days of Lent (Ezekiel 8:15-16).