A matter of Life and Death!

Is it important to believe in Jesus as your personal Savior? What does God say about it? Please read these verses and decide for yourself:

1st John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Now, after reading these verses, you might think that God is narrowed minded. Well, He is, but as narrow minded as He is, He is also giving us a great opportunity to be forgiven and to have eternal life by believing ONLY in Him. Many don’t choose His way, and create their own path to reach heaven, but according to God, which is what matters, they won’t get there. We need to get there on His terms, and that is “receiving the forgiveness of all of our sins through the blood that was shed on the cross when He died for you and me.

Jesus said: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Mat 7:13-14. Are you one of those few?

The Bible - The Words of God!

If you want to know about God, where do you find information about Him? If you want to know what is God's will for your life, where do you look for it?

The Bible is God's Word. In it, there is all God wants to reveal about Himself to us. By reading it, you will find who God is and what He is like. You will find salvation, transformation for your life and guidance. Yes, we can know about God through looking at the splendor of His creation, but He revealed Himself in detail through the Bible. II Timothy 3:16 says: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Reading it has many benefits, the most important being "salvation." The lost paradise and eternal life of Genesis are gained back by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and given to us as a free gift, when we confess our sins and receive Him by faith, trusting that His blood washes away our sins, by believing that He died and rose from the dead. Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." and 1st John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The Bible is Truth. Jesus Christ said in John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." So, if you are looking for the Truth, there is nowhere else to look, read it in the pages of God's Book. Many try to get satisfaction in life without it, or apart from it, but I've found that the only way to contentment is found in reading, believing and following what God says through His Words. Jesus Christ also said in Matthew 4:4 "It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Feeding our stomachs only satisfies our bodies, but our spirits and souls stay empty. The Bible (every word that proceeds from the mouth of God) is the only food that satisfies the inner person, our spirits and souls.

Read it, believe it, follow Him; you will never be disappointed.

PRAYER AND FAITH

The Lord puts us through different circumstances in life so that we grow closer to Him. And, what is better than being close to Him? Have you experience being in God's presence? Prayer does just that. It transports us from the natural, the physical to the invisible, the spiritual.Faith is seeing and touching the spiritual realm.

Prayer takes you there. Faith and prayer go together. When faith stops to pray, it stop to exist. Faith does what is impossible, because it brings God into the picture, and for God "...nothing is impossible." E.M. Bounds, who wrote great books on prayer, wrote once: "Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God."

In the latter days, the faith of many will diminish. This is affirmed by our Lord Jesus when He said: "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8. We know by reading passages such as 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 that a time is coming and it is now where people will abandon and even deny their faith. So, we need to pay attention to our walk in Christ and make sure that our faith is growing by exercising it through prayer.

2nd Peter 1:5 says "... giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge" Peter knew that the ground on which christian character was to grow was faith. The words "giving all diligence" makes it an urgent matter. He had experienced a moment in his life where he needed faith to continue. When Jesus was looking forward into Peter's future denial, He told Peter: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desire to have you, to sift you as wheat; BUT I HAVE PRAYED FOR THEE, THAT THY FAITH FAIL NOT." Jesus was interested in Peter's faith.

When our faith is gone, our spiritual life fails. Inject faith into your spiritual life by starting and maintaining a life of prayer.

UNTAPPED POWER!

My wife sent me this article about prayer this morning, and really encouraged me to persevere in prayer, no matter how the circumstances may be.

When We Pray – God Works!
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

(1) God listens when we pray. "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Mark 11:24). You may not have much clout anywhere else, but when you pray God listens.

(2) We seldom pray. We've the greatest privilege imaginable - access to the control center of the Universe - yet we rarely use it. And our lack of prayer surprises God. Through the prophet Ezekiel He lamented: "I sought for a man among them who would . . . stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV). Upon learning that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed, Abraham didn't rush to warn the cities. No, he chose to "[remain] standing before the Lord" (Genesis 18:22 NIV).

When God said the golden calf warranted a nationwide death penalty for Israel , Moses interceded and saved them. One translation of Exodus 32:11 says, "Moses soothed the face of his God." An obscure priest by the name of Phinehas begged God not to send the plague, and it was checked. (Psalm 106:30 NIV).

You say "Why place such a premium on prayer?" Simple. Because when we work, we work. But when we pray, God works! Scripture attaches breathtaking power to prayer. "When two of you get together on anything . . . and make a prayer of it, My Father in Heaven goes into action" (Matthew 18:19 TM). Does any other activity promise such results? Did God call us to preach without ceasing? Or have committee meetings without ceasing? No, but He did call us to "pray without ceasing."

HE DOESN'T LIE

The Bible is full of God’s promises. They are waiting for us Christians to tap into them by praying and believing. 2nd Peter 1:3-4 says “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.” These are incredible words when you stop and read them and meditate on them. Read them slowly…. He has given us all that we need in the life to experience God and His character in our lives (godliness). We can experience Him by praying and believing God’s “precious and great promises.”

This is an amazing way of life, when we truly dip into God’s Word and through prayer, ask God to fulfill these promises in our lives according to His will. That’s what this passage means: “Ask anything in my name, and I will do it.” No just anything that we want, but anything that pertains to life and godliness, any of His promises; anything related to His Word, His will, everything that He wants. In His perfect time, He will answer.

Regarding God’s promises, the apostle Paul says: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2nd Corinthians 1:20. Let’s take a minute to practice this now: God promises “peace” to His followers. Now, how do we experience that peace? Take one of His promises; for example, Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” The promise is: perfect peace. Our action is: trust in God, fix our thoughts continually in Him. When we do our part, His perfect peace will fill our lives. It is His promise, and He doesn’t lie.

Now, go and do it!

TROUBLE: A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

The psalmist wrote: “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statues. I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:71,75. I don’t know about you, but troubles always draw me closer to God. They make my prayer life come alive. They are the conduit for experiencing strength that comes from God through prayer.

Life in itself is full of problems. Everyone knows of the Bible’s greatest example of trouble: Job. “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Job 14:1. No one is exempt from it. The Lord Jesus said: “In this world, you will have trouble.” John 16:33. Notice that He said “you will,” not “you may.” Granted, some have more than others, but the issue is: what do we do when trouble comes our way? Do we curse God, get far away from Him and try to fix life our own way? Or do we bless God, get closer to Him and let Him fix our lives His own way? The choice is ours to make. Chose right.

Jesus’ complete statement in John 16:33 goes like this: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." His Word is given so that we may have peace, consolation, tranquility. Trust Him, He defeated the world.

THANK YOU FOR.....!

“The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” Psalms 126:3 Thanksgiving is born from a clear understanding of God’s goodness to us. What great things has the Lord done for you? Well, let’s think about salvation for starters. Because of our sins, we deserve hell, being eternally separated from God in hell, but God in His goodness, provided a way for us to be eternally together with Him by forgiving our sins through His sacrificial death, the shedding of His precious blood on the cross, and His resurrection. Isn’t that big enough cause to be thankful?

Prayer and thanksgiving go hand in hand. Where there is true prayer, there is true thanksgiving. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; ” Colossians 4:2 And then in the letter to the Thessalonians, it is written: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. .” 1st Thessalonians 5:16-19. Wow! Here is the solution to the problem of anxiety: “Prayer with thanksgiving.”

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. .” Philippians 4:6-7

Now, don’t just read this; to make it work you need to try it; just pray to God and tell Him: “Lord, thank you for…..”

DEVOTION vs. RELIGION

Religiosity makes a person go to church every Sunday, dress a certain way, talk different, filter what he or she listens and reads, and even moves the person to give money for certain causes. But religiosity doesn’t touch the intimate being, our affections, our zeal, and our desires. We may sing a song or say a prayer, but it lacks power, effectiveness; it’s dull and empty and it reaches the air.

Devotion, on the other hand, reaches God. It goes beyond the walls of a church building into the streets, into our cars, at our work place, at home. It touches the innermost fibers of your being; it stays with us at night when we go to sleep, and is with us when we wake up. “Whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do it all for God’s glory.” A lifestyle of passion for God is not restricted to one particular activity, during one particular day in a particular place; it’s a 24 hour way of life.

Devotion is fed by fervent prayer, by meditating in God’s Word, by responding to the Spirit in humility and obedience. It bursts into praises and singing to God. It makes its beholder to laugh and cry with deep emotion for the things of God. Religiosity is a response of duty and becomes mechanical; devotion is a response of earnest love and is spontaneous. Which do you posses?

Devotion to God makes life to be packed with excitement, and free from religion. Experience it for yourself!

HUMILITY - A Rare Commodity

Do you pursue high places? Are you looking for prominence? Do you like to be recognized in front of others? Do you like it when your name is mentioned in public? Do you have dreams of grandeur? Pride has seen the fall of many. Proverbs 16:18 says: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

On the other hand, modesty, lowliness, humility (rare commodities for us human beings) are pleasing to God. In Luke 18:10-14 Jesus tells the following story: "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank You, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give You a tenth of my income.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." Which of these two individuals characterizes you? Which one do you rather be?

Stay away from pride, self promotion, from being self conceited, and looking for the praises of others. Stay low; seek God’s favor; lift HIS Name on high and not yours; praise HIM and not yourself, for “God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble.” James 4:6

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 7

We Christians have an untapped source of power called prayer. When we pray, things change that otherwise would not change if we didn’t pray. Throughout the Bible and the history of Christianity, we encounter great and fascinating stories of unusual achievements that would not have been realized except through prayer. Do you want to see God at work in your life? Pray. James 5:16 says that “the effective prayer of the righteous avails much.” And James 4:2 says: “You do not have, because you do not ask.”

So to resume our thoughts about prayer:

1. Why pray?
We humans are very independent; we rely on our abilities and pride to accomplish things. But the truth of the matter is that we are imperfect, we don’t know much about what’s going on and we can do very little to change things around us. We are not in control. We pray because we trust God; He is in control; He created the heavens and the earth; He knows everything that goes on and what we really need. He loves us with a love that we cannot comprehend. He is our loving Father. Besides that, we pray for many reasons: “God commands it” 1st Thessalonians 5:17; “Jesus set the example” Mark 1:35; “for strength” Ephesians 6:18-19; “to serve God and others” Luke 2:36-38, and many other reasons.

2. Who do we pray to?
We are to pray to the Triune God of the Bible: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are not to pray to anyone other than our God. That includes dead relatives, “saints,” idols, etc. Jesus said in Matthew 4:10 “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

3. What should we pray for?
It would take a long time to list the many examples of prayer listed in the Bible. A good exercise for you and me would be to search the Scriptures for these prayers examples and incorporate them in our prayer life. Anyhow, the Bible should be our guideline so that we pray His will, but this does not mean that we are limited to what is in the Bible.

4. When should we pray?
We should have a constant attitude of prayer. 1st Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray without ceasing.” Of course, you cannot pray when you are talking to someone else at the same time, but everything that we do or say should be seasoned or bathed in prayer.

5. How should we pray?
There are certain ingredients for effective prayer. We need a clean heart when we approach God (Psalms 66:18; James 5:16; Matthew 5:23-24.) Have a humble attitude (Luke 18:10-14.) Have a conversation with God, just as if you were having a conversation with your best friend. Do not use repetitive words. The Lord’s Prayer (which should be called the disciple’s prayer) is more like a model on what we should pray for and not to be used as a repetitive prayer (Matthew 6:7.)

There is much more that can be said about prayer, and you can search the Scriptures and learn. However, the most important thing is that you experience it by yourself. Start today; set some alone time with God; pray for yourself, for your family, for your friends, for relationships, for your church, for government, etc.

“The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 6

Prayer benefits us all in every way. In communicating the importance of prayer, the Apostle Paul, writes to his disciple Timothy the following words: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."1st Timothy 2:1-4

Who are the leaders in your life? Think about government, places of employment, church, family, etc. Today, take some time to specifically pray for our leaders. God will intervene on our behalf to do according to His will when we pray in Jesus’ Name. “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1st John 5:14-15

Many blessings!

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 5

Our God does provide for our needs. A year or so after I became a Christian, I took off camping with 2 other brothers to the Isle of Margarita in the Caribbean. We overspent our money and didn’t have any food left. Walking along the shore of a nice beach during a beautiful sunset, we had a casual conversation with God and told Him: “Lord, we don’t have any money and we are hungry.” As we continue walking, all of a sudden, we see a live fish right in front of us. We thanked God, cooked it and had leftovers (this is a true story.)

The Bible says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:7-11

Many Blessings!

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 4

Lord, how do I pray for this situation? Many times we encounter circumstances where we don’t know what or how to pray; a loved one might be going through hard times (an illness, a loss, etc.) As humans, we see circumstances with a different perspective. We may be in an uncomfortable situation, and we may ask God to take us out of it, but God may want to keep us there to perfect our character.

The Bible says that in those moments, when we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit mediates on our behalf. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

When you are praying with the help or assistance of the Holy Spirit, your prayer may say something like “Lord, I don’t know how to pray for this matter. Please intercede for me as I pray. Your Spirit is in me, and you know my heart.”

Many blessings!

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 3

Where is the source of power of the believer? It’s in the closet, when we spend time with the Lord in prayer. Man’s natural ability is limited; our strength is easily exhausted, our patience is short. We need God to succeed, to act brotherly, to be wise, to do justly and walk humbly. Prayer is like a crystal clear water spring that rejuvenates life. But you need to drink from it; it’s not enough to look at it from afar. There are many blessings available from God to those who ask; the power to do mighty exploits that will bring glory to His Name. Would you ask Him just as Paul did to fill your life with God’s fullness?

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21

Romans 12:12 reads “continuing steadfastly in prayer.” Read the verses that surround this passage and you will find that the source of all Christian graces and good deeds is prayer.

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 2

Because of God’s amazing sacrifice on the cross, because of Jesus’ blood having been poured for our sins, the Bible says that we have free access to God through prayer. Hebrews 4:16 says “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Let us consider the following as we come before the throne of grace.

Praying with faith has all the potential to radically change our lives, the lives of those around us, and even our circumstances. The Bible says “Call on me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jer. 33:3.

As we continue to pray the Word and following the model of the disciple’s prayer (Mat. 6:9-13,) pray for the following:
- For God’s will to be done. (James 4:15)
- For the coming of God’s Kingdom. (Mat. 3:2)
- For our daily necessities. (Psalm 37:25)
- For the practice of forgiveness. (Eph. 4:32)
- For God’s deliverance from evil and temptation. (Mat. 26:31)

Many blessings!

THOUGHTS ON PRAYER - Part 1

Prayer is simply communicating or having a conversation with God. Prayer is not limited by time, for in 1st Thessalonians 5:17 it says to “pray continually.” Prayer is not limited by space, for in Psalms 139:9-10 it says that even “If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” God is Omnipresent (He is everywhere at all times.) Neither is prayer limited by specific words. Even if you don’t know how to pray, the Lord will understand, for He is also Omniscient (He knows it all.)

Prayer changes things. James 5:16 says that “the effective prayer of the righteous avails much.” James 4:2 says: “You do not have, because you do not ask.” Sometimes when we spend time in prayer, we find ourselves short of words. May I suggest praying the Word? Use the Word of God as a guideline. Make them your own; pray for yourself, for those around you, family and friends, for your church and your leaders, for your country.

May I recommend that today you pray this verse in James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Salomon, the wisest man that has ever lived, was given by God the opportunity to ask for anything that he wished; he could had asked for riches, or fame, or power, but he asked for wisdom.

Many blessings!

THE BIBLE - INDESTRUCTIBLE AND TRANSFORMING

Well renowned French atheist Voltaire, who lived between 1694 and 1778, boasted that “100 years after his death, the Bible would just be looked at as an antiquity.” In the irony of life though, only 20 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society purchased his house to print Bibles. His former house eventually became a headquarters to print and distribute Bibles throughout all Europe.

Here are some facts: The bible has been translated in whole or in part in more than 2,300 languages and thus is available to more than 90% of the earth's population. On the average more than 1 million are distributed on a weekly basis. The Words of God has transformed uncountable numbers of lives throughout history. They have the power to change pride into humility, fear into courage, hatred into love, distress into peace, discouragement into encouragement, foolishness into wisdom, the uncaring into the caring, the drifter into a person with purpose, the eternally lost into the eternally saved, sinners into saints, the rejected into sons and daughters of God.

Many have tried to destroy it without success, for the Word of God is eternal and indestructible:
"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." 1st Peter 1:24-25

Today, make a commitment to let it be a daily part of your life.

The Bible - How to interpret it Part 4

It would be impossible to properly understand the Bible without the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” This promise was specifically directed to Jesus’ apostles. They received help to record the events and words of Jesus. But the application of this verse extends to all Christians.

The Holy Spirit illuminates the believer’s understanding of the Scriptures. The following verses explain how this is done: “But as it is written: "EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1st Corinthians 2:9-14.

Some people believe that verse 9 is referring to heaven, but if you study the verse in the light of the context, it is talking about the Scriptures being revealed by the Holy Spirit. It is an amazing fact that we humans can fathom the wonders of God through His Book. In 1st Peter 1:12, when talking about the revelation of God through Scriptures, it says that this is so incredible that angels desire to look into it. “To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”

Let’s pray as the psalmist prayed: “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.” Psalm 119:18

The Bible - How to interpret it Part 3

The Bible is a complicated book. Where should I start? I always recommend people to start with the simple stuff. I usually refer them to read the Gospel of John first; then the other Gospels, and so on. As you build a foundation, then you can move on to deeper stuff. The principle is that as you learn the basic teachings and doctrines, everything will start to make more and more sense. To drive a car, you need basic knowledge of the parts of the car: the steering wheel, the breaks, the accelerator, etc.

There is difficult stuff in the Bible; there is no doubt about it; to deny so would be foolish, but there are methods that will help you understand it. I remember years ago about the principle of discovering mysteries, and it goes something like this: when something is difficult, it doesn’t mean that it can never be known; it just means that at that time, it is hidden from you. If you are given a sealed letter, when you receive it, the content is a mystery to you, but if you break the seal and open it, then the content is no longer hidden. But if the letter is written in another language, then it is still a mystery. But if you learn the language, then it’s no longer a mystery. But what if the letter contains some technical terms that are foreign to your understanding; it will still remain a mystery. But if you learn the technical terms, then the mystery ceases. The Scriptures are like that; at first they may appear to be difficult, but as you start to read and learn the simple stuff, then the difficulties will become less and less. When talking about the mysteries of parables, Jesus said: “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance.” Matthew 13:12

In our next article we will expand on the ministry of the Holy Spirit as it relates to helping us understand God’s Word. Meanwhile, enjoy your time in His presence.

The Bible - How to interpret it Part 2

I heard someone said once : “A Bible that is falling apart, usually belong to someone that isn’t.” the more you get into the Word to obey it, the more your life will shine, even in the middle of trouble, you will experience God’s presence in your life.

Continuing with our current theme, “How to Interpret the Bible,” let’s look at a couple of guidelines that will help us to properly understand and interpret what the Scripture says:

1. Understand who it was written for: Of course, the entire Bible profits everyone, as we read in 2nd Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” But the Bible deals with 3 specific groups of people: “The Jews, The Gentiles, and Christ’s Church.” Most of the Old Testament deals with the history of Israel as a nation, and to apply to us Scripture that was specific for them, would be to misinterpret the Bible. We can use what happened to them as example and admonition, as we read in 1st Corinthians 10:11 “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” but we must not apply commandments and promises directed to them as if they were for the Church too.


2. Watch for the language style: In the Bible we find 3 types of styles: “Symbolic, figurative and literal.” The way to interpret the symbolic text is to look at the context. Sometimes is also explained in another passage. For example, in Revelations 1:16, when the apostle John was in Patmos, he was given a vision where he saw the Lord and it says that “In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword…” The interpretation of the seven stars is given a couple of verses ahead: Revelations 1:20 says "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, … the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” Regarding the “sharp two-edged sword” coming out of His mouth, in Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” So, we see that the right interpretation is given somewhere else. The figurative language is interpreted also by reading the context. For example: expressions such as “let the dead, bury the dead…” or “do not harden your heart” are explained somewhere else in the Bible by the context. The literal kind, we need to let the text say what it says without spiritualizing it.

These are just a couple of rules of interpretation that will help us get the most out of what we read. Many false religions, cults and “movements” have their origin traced to misinterpreting, misapplying or dislocating Scripture. We read in Titus 1:9 that Paul instructed Titus to “Exhort in sound doctrine.” If a surgeon doctor studies many hours with the purpose of saving a life and not making a mistake in the operation room, how much more those of us Christians should study the Scriptures in a correct manner for the spiritual benefit of many.

More to come…