Today, it is as important as ever to learn how to draw close to Christ, engage with him and learn from his teaching and example, amid new and complex challenges. Each generation of Christians must learn for themselves what discipleship means as they seek to resonate with their God. This investigation is of immediate personal interest to me and seeks to identify the spiritual principles that apply to operate a God-centered and Christ-focused discipleship in today's high temperature and complex society. The investigation is both challenging and important, one I trust will be rewarding to serious-minded believers in search of a deeper spiritual relationship with God.
June 26, 2024
Analyzing The Parables of Jesus Christ
Analyzing The Parables of Jesus Christ
Introduction to Parables in the Bible
Introduction to Parables in the Bible Many times we hear parables being told in churches and we wonder what a parable is. Parables are supposedly the message of Jesus Christ to his hearers. The parables are fundamental to Jesus's teaching. Hamilton identifies that in the synoptic gospels, parables make up about one-third of the recorded sayings of Jesus. Yet Juel's insightful study concerning parable scholarship reflects the general consensus that scholars have never reached a unified view concerning the essential nature and purpose of the parable. Some argue about their original form; others cannot agree on thematic arrangement. Estimates that there are at least thirty-one recognized parables listed in the Bible. But perhaps more can be found, if one assumes that the word parable is avoiding usage in one gospel. As part of the "criteria of authenticity," efforts have been made to discover which of the parables might actually be attributed to Jesus.
June 24, 2024
Rest and Renewal: Embracing the Sabbath in a Busy World
**Rest and Renewal: Embracing the Sabbath in a Busy World**
In the fast-paced, demanding world we live in today, finding time for rest and rejuvenation can often seem like a luxury we simply cannot afford. We are constantly bombarded with work responsibilities, social obligations, and various distractions that pull our attention in multiple directions. Yet, amidst the chaos and busyness of life, there is a timeless concept that offers us a profound invitation to pause, reflect, and recharge – the Sabbath.
**Understanding the Sabbath**
In the Christian tradition, the Sabbath is a sacred day dedicated to rest, worship, and reflection. It is a day set apart from the rest of the week, intended for spiritual rejuvenation and reconnecting with God. The concept of the Sabbath traces back to the creation story in the book of Genesis, where God rested on the seventh day after completing His work of creation. He then blessed and consecrated the seventh day, setting it apart as a day of rest (Genesis 2:2-3).
La Separación de las Ovejas y las Cabras en el Juicio Final
La parábola de la separación de las ovejas y las cabras, descrita en Mateo 25:31-46, es una de las enseñanzas más impactantes y cruciales de Jesucristo acerca del juicio final. En este relato, Jesús nos ofrece una visión clara y directa de cómo será el juicio de todas las naciones al final de los tiempos. La importancia de esta enseñanza radica no solo en su contenido, sino también en las profundas implicaciones que tiene para nuestra vida diaria y nuestra relación con Dios y con los demás.
En Mateo 25:31-46, Jesús dice:
"Cuando el Hijo del Hombre venga en su gloria, y todos los ángeles con él, entonces se sentará en su trono glorioso. Y serán reunidas delante de él todas las naciones; y apartará los unos de los otros, como aparta el pastor las ovejas de los cabritos. Y pondrá las ovejas a su derecha, y los cabritos a su izquierda."
Esta escena apocalíptica nos presenta a Cristo como el juez supremo que, en su gloria, separará a la humanidad en dos grupos distintos: las ovejas a su derecha y las cabras a su izquierda. Pero, ¿qué significa esta separación y cuáles son sus criterios?
June 22, 2024
Overcoming Christian Spiritual Battles and Finding Inner Peace
Overcoming Christian Spiritual Battles and Finding Inner Peace
We face spiritual battles on a personal level in the form of evil thoughts. We reject feelings of vengeance, arrogance, anger, and meaningless talking, yet they still come. The thoughts are not the sin; they are sin when they begin to take root. Spiritual battles come from the traditions of men, according to the Bible. To address these evil thoughts, we need to know that the Word of Jesus is the foundation of our spiritual life. It is not good enough to just read the Bible. We need to learn from what we read, live it, and keep Jesus and all that we do in our heart. We determine how "we walk in Christ." In the Law, people walked in the flesh with mandating the do's and don'ts. We no longer live under the Law as believers. This means we live in freedom from punishment, and we continue walking in Christ. In doing so, we no longer carelessly look toward the thoughts of the flesh. Our care is to unconditionally love all around us, leading people to Jesus, setting our sights on things that add to our ability to show the people of the earth the light.
La Gran Comisión
Bienvenidos a Voz en el Desierto, el podcast que te acompaña en tu caminar espiritual y te brinda palabras de aliento y reflexión en medio de la aridez de la vida! Hoy nos sumergimos en un tema fundamental para la fe cristiana: la Gran Comisión. Esta enseñanza, dada por Jesús a sus discípulos, nos invita a salir de nuestra zona de confort y llevar el mensaje del Evangelio a todas las naciones. Acompáñenme en este viaje de descubrimiento y reflexión sobre qué significa realmente la Gran Comisión y cómo podemos vivirla en nuestra vida diaria.
La Gran Comisión se encuentra en el Evangelio de Mateo, capítulo 28, versículos 18 al 20, donde Jesús dice a sus discípulos: "Toda autoridad me ha sido dada en el cielo y en la tierra. Por tanto, vayan y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a cumplir todo lo que les he mandado. Y les aseguro que estaré con ustedes siempre, hasta el fin del mundo".
En estas palabras, Jesús encomienda a sus seguidores la misión de difundir el mensaje del Evangelio a todos los rincones del mundo, haciendo discípulos y enseñando a obedecer sus mandamientos. La Gran Comisión es, por lo tanto, una invitación a ser testigos de Cristo en todas partes, a compartir el amor de Dios con aquellos que lo necesitan y a llevar la luz de la verdad a un mundo oscuro y necesitado de esperanza.
June 20, 2024
La reedificación del templo de Jerusalén y su significado cristiano profético
La reedificación del templo de Jerusalén y su significado profético.
June 19, 2024
The Concept of Armageddon: A Study of the Ultimate Victory of God's Righteousness
The concept of Armageddon is related to military struggles, to the place of the great battle and wickedness, and is mentioned in the book of Revelation. This passage has its final fulfillment not in physical terms, but in the spiritual era when the true believers stand in their positions. This publication deals with the concept of Armageddon and is summarized in three headings, which indicate where, how, and when Armageddon takes place and what its consequences will be. The three aspects are deeply intertwined with each other. It is the site, the manner, and the period in which this event takes place that the author intends to provide material for analysis.
The word "Armageddon" is derived from Hebrew, and the original Greek script has the term "Harmagedon." The word has given origin to the mystique with which countries of the world always use terms like the "Third World War" and portray their physical-political viewpoints about last world events. Palestine (Israel) is the place where the Valley of Armageddon is located. Brother Branham indicated that it is about a 14-hour walk and a day's journey from Jerusalem to this Valley. Its first mention is in the passage of Judges 5:19. This text is related to the victory of Barak and Deborah over King Jabin of Canaan and his general Sisera.
The Hebrew term, Har Megiddô, denotes the towering hill about fifty miles north of Jerusalem upon which the fortress of Megiddo was built. There, toward the end of the second millennium, Thutmoses III won a major victory which climaxed his campaign against Palestinian Amorites. Fifteen centuries later, in 609 B.C., Pharaoh Necho II, returning to Egypt after assisting Syria in repelling aggressive Babylon, pursued some remnant of Judah's force under King Josiah which sought refuge behind these walls. According to the account in Second Chronicles, the king was slain, and his body was transported back to Jerusalem for burial.
It is first of all important to understand just what Armageddon is. The term "Armageddon" comes to us from the Book of Revelation, itself at the end of the New Testament. It is presented in descriptive purport as a prelude to that supreme finale in which God's righteous rule is asserted upon the earth as it is in Heaven and an eternity is ushered in of happiness and peace for the remaining ones of mankind.
However, anybody who reflects on our world as an enduring totality of time and space is now increasingly faced with the thought that the destiny of that world is evil. More prosaically, we are all agreed, including the secular humanists, that we have to do something about it, but the fact that the problem is now perceived in a secularized manner does not make it any more tractable. The earlier belief that the notion of a beneficent God, who will ultimately bring about the final victory of His will, could give a total and an acceptable answer and provoke a total and unambiguous belief, has disappeared. It is a question of very fundamental importance to note that this traditional belief, in the clarification of which an understanding of the notion of Armageddon is crucial, will continue to lose ground.
In terms of cultural and historical significance, the notion of Armageddon is of a very different order from the more or less forgotten notions of devil and hell. Today we are seldom, if ever, agitated by the thought that at our death - and as far as life's duration goes, we are already amidst the children of eternity - one of us might go to hell. In fact, the concept of the omnipowerful, omniscient, all-knowing, and therefore necessarily benevolent God who might sentence some of his creatures to unremitting punishment for eternity seems now utterly alien to us.
The name "Armageddon" is not difficult to explain. The concluding verses of the 16th chapter give us a description of the Kingdom of the Beast and of the circumstances that lead it to provoke the intervention of Christ Jesus. Three unclean spirits, it would seem to be, two Beasts and a False Prophet, work miracles, induce the kings of the earth to assemble at a place with a Hebrew name, Har-Megiddon, after which they go forth to gather the kings of the whole world for the final battle. The name this refers to, as most Biblical commentators insist, is the plain of Esdraelon, which has formed throughout the course of the Iron Age the easiest communications route from north to south, and is thus of direct concern to the inheritors of the ancient Empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, of each of which Megiddo was at times the key fortress. It was a suitable location, in other words, for all the varied and Leviathanic opponents of the Israel of God, as it will be for all the varied and Leviathanic enemies of the Church. Other explanations are merely ingenious and unrelated to the events that serve as the background of the final apocalyptic catastrophe.
The first mention of Armageddon in the Bible is in the 16th chapter of the Apocalypse or Revelation. The last of the series of seven Vial-plagues that bring to an end the reign of the Antichrist, who has shown himself both as against and in place of Christ Jesus, is poured on the air by an Angel, and a Voice from the Temple in Heaven proclaims: "It is done." In Biblical language, there is no hint of resignation or despair in such a declaration, but rather of achievement, with possibly overtones of relief. The Vial-plagues have brought to an end the trials and persecutions of the Faithful. The reign of the counter-Christ has been terminated, and in the brief but horrifying description that follows, we learn how the final defeat of the powers of darkness is accomplished.
It may indeed be concluded that the notion of an 'end of the age' was central to the anonymity of the apostolic teaching preached during the A.D. in a church which seemed to be already convinced that it was living in 'the Last Time'. In 2 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul justified his own unwarranted zeal (genuine enthusiasm, as Blaise Pascal was to say) on the grounds that the end of time was a phenomenon yet to make its initial appearance.
What this means is that he alone perfectly embodies the complex notion and the rigorous accompanying demands of divine love, and thereby fulfills the pledge of everlasting divine rule (victory for God's righteousness) by the fostering of peace which he alone can establish between God and his creation. When it comes to the manner of this realization, not all of the New Testament books offer a perspective which is exactly at one. Harnack observed that the apostle Paul, in common with all of his listeners, expected the literal earlier end of the world.
Revelation is the twenty-seventh book in the New Testament, although not the final one in the sequence of its date of origin. (2 Peter officially occupies that position.) As far as 'authorship' is concerned, it is to be included among the books in the New Testament about which there may be a query, if only because on both the Hebrew and the Christian models of prophecy, nearly everything found in it is just not to be discovered elsewhere throughout the rest of the book. "To Christ Jesus alone belong all splendor and power. May it be to him for all time," we are told in the closing verses of the twenty-seventh chapter of Revelations, and this glorious refrain seems to me to summarize the matter to the satisfaction of all.
At times, the prophets are given personal experiences that illustrate this final victory of righteousness over evil. Other times, the prophets or the psalmists use a myriad of expressive and compelling literary forms to present this deep-felt belief in the ultimate triumph. These writers give various prophecies to portray this incredible victory. The writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Zechariah, Malachi, and the Psalms are spiritual dynamite. Their prophecies of things to come are profound. They minister to the deep, hidden psychic needs of men across the ages yet to come. Even Jesus was not exempt from quoting from many of these Old Testament prophecies. We are told He made reference not only to individuals but also to the great and dramatic events that were yet to come. With only a partial fulfillment, we would do well to carefully note these prophecies contained in both the Old and the New Testaments.
Beginning in the Old Testament, a rich vein of scripture exists that refers to the concept of Armageddon. This scripture portrays a time of final destruction of the forces of evil the world over - righteousness in the final battle between good and evil. The ultimate victory of God's righteousness seems to have always been an integral part of the Judaic teachings, just as it is part of the Christian faith today. From the earliest writings, this concept is put forward, passed on to sons and daughters across centuries, and thoughtfully expounded.
Turning to Islam, it is plain from the Qur'an that close affinities, and, to some extent, an overlapping of ideas exist with both Christianity and Judaism, but if one considers the concept of Armageddon specifically, it is observable that in the Muslim Rashidun and Umayyad rents eschatological speculation was unimportant due to conquests of territory, and that Muhammad's teachings, insofar as their details can still be ascertained, contained relatively little about a great end-time battle at all.
Although this book is concerned with the term "Armageddon" in the Christian tradition alone, it might be enriching to cast a brief eye across the beliefs of other religions and to determine if a process of heterogenization in the interpretation of that term was to be witnessed. Christianity, just one religion among numerous others capable of having differing eschatologies, roots itself first in Judaism whose eschatological literature covers virtually the whole period of its writing. Cognate concepts can be seen adumbrated in Isaiah and taken up into the Christian tradition: within the Jewish tradition we can note once again that, at the same time, differences thrived, for example between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
June 18, 2024
“God doesn’t love us all; He loves us each.”
There’s a doctrine around called the Universal Fatherhood of God and the Universal Brotherhood of Man: It says this—that God is the Father of all, and we’re all brothers. That sounds good, that sounds so sweet, but there’s one thing wrong with it. It’s not so. He is the Creator of all of us.
And in the broadest sense, with a stretch of the word, you could call Him the Father, but not in the spiritual sense. Not all people are children of God; only those who are born into His family. Jesus said in John 8:44 when He was speaking to the Pharisees, “You are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do . . .”
In this world, there are some who are children of God and there are some who are sons and daughters of the devil. We don’t become God’s child until we’re born into God’s family. In John 1:12 we read: “But as many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Here’s another verse: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). God becomes our Father by conception, therefore, and not by creation.
The Rise of a One-World Government and Its Consequences for the Christian Community
The Rise of a One-World Government and Its Consequences for the Christian Community
From a careful study of what the Bible says about the end times events, we have found six broad categories directly related to this topic. Each of these is significant in its own context, for the Christian community at least: (1) a one-world government is eventually to be established; (2) after a great war, there will be a need to heal and rebuild; (3) all the world's leaders will agree that the greater good will be served by all humanity becoming part of a one-world political system; (4) at first, the followers of Jesus, acknowledging the necessity of such a system, will support it; (5) once established, however, it will be co-opted by rulers intent upon gaining god-like power; (6) finally, the one-world government gives rise to Satan-inspired deceivers, leading unconverted people and many members within the Christian community. These servants of Satan, with the blasphemous name, are granted authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
The Hope and Assurance in Christ's Return
In our text, St. Peter refers to the return of Christ no fewer than five times (to say nothing of allusions or references to it elsewhere in those one and one-half chapters). This is the Apostle who is so strong on grace and life (a life which is a matter of relationship with God), that many have accused him of not caring about good works. Not at all. Peter knows that the behavior of Christians does not save them, but must be worked on, nurtured, strengthened, encouraged. The Christian life is to find the Him who is our way back to the Father, and to grow in appreciation of Him, in Christ.
In giving us a life to live, God knows we need the motivation to live this life well. He knows that we need the motivation to live by grace through faith. He knows that we need it because we are so prone to think that if we are going to get what we are promised, we need to earn it. In His Word, God graciously and helpfully sets before us many motives to live new lives in Christ. And among the most motivating of them is the return of Christ, the Return Motive.
June 17, 2024
First, the only true and living God is the God who speaks.
We know who God is not because any of us was smart enough to figure Him out, but because out of His own love, grace, and mercy He has spoken to us. Moses says this explicitly in Deuteronomy 4:32: “To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.” The Israelites would not have known God at all unless He had spoken to them. This is the miracle of revelation, and I fear that we give this doctrine inadequate attention in our churches through our teaching and preaching. Instead of recognizing God’s speaking to us in Scripture as a miracle of grace, we treat it as of little account. Instead of preaching the Word of God, we preach pop psychology and culture, or we tell compelling stories.
In Deuteronomy 4:10–19, Moses makes clear to the people of Israel that their very lives depended on hearing and obeying God’s Word:
On the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, “Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.” And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.
A Crisis of preaching In The Church
One of the hallmarks of our time is that we face a crisis of preaching. Indeed it would be an exercise in self-delusion if we tried to pretend that nothing is wrong with the preaching that happens in most evangelical churches. Let me ask some honest and difficult questions: If you picked an evangelical church at random and attended a Sunday morning service there, how likely is it that you would hear a faithful expository sermon, one that takes its message and its structure from the biblical text? If you answer that question honestly, you’ll admit that your expectation would not be very high. Further, do you believe that as time passes it is becoming more likely or less likely that you would hear an expository message in that random church?
I am convinced that we add to the confusion by discussing expository preaching as merely one kind of preaching—or even the best kind. When we fall into that pattern, we do serious injury to the scriptural vision of preaching. Let’s be clear. According to the Bible, exposition is preaching. And preaching is exposition.
June 16, 2024
Una crisis en la predicación
Nuestra era actual está marcada por una crisis en la predicación. Sería un error ignorar los problemas presentes en la predicación encontrada en la mayoría de las iglesias evangélicas. Considera esto: si eligieras al azar una iglesia evangélica y asistieras a un servicio de domingo por la mañana, ¿qué tan probable es que escucharas un sermón expositivo fiel derivado del texto bíblico? Es probable que tus expectativas no fueran muy altas. La realidad es que la predicación, según la Biblia, es sinónimo de exposición.
Desafortunadamente, muchos predicadores y congregaciones etiquetan erróneamente otras formas de predicación como expositivas, cuando en realidad pueden no estar alineadas con la visión escritural de la predicación. La narración de historias, las preocupaciones terapéuticas y la promoción de la autoimportancia se han infiltrado en muchos púlpitos, difuminando la fuerza declarativa de la Escritura y priorizando consideraciones temáticas sobre la forma textual de la Biblia.
June 06, 2024
Introduction to Armageddon Prophecies
The Significance of Armageddon in Christian Beliefs
In the realm of Christian beliefs, few topics garner as much attention and fascination as the concept of Armageddon. The mere mention of this apocalyptic event evokes a sense of awe and anticipation among believers. In this subchapter, we delve into the significance of Armageddon in Christian beliefs, exploring its prophetic origins, symbolism, and its impact on the faithful.
Armageddon, as described in the book of Revelation, is the final battle between the forces of good and evil. It is the ultimate showdown between the righteous and the wicked, culminating in the triumphant return of Jesus Christ. Christian believers hold this event to be of paramount importance, as it represents the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for humanity.
The significance of Armageddon lies not only in its prophetic nature but also in its symbolic representation. It serves as a reminder of the eternal struggle between righteousness and sin, light and darkness. Armageddon embodies the ultimate victory of God's righteousness over the forces of evil, bringing about the restoration of a perfect and just world.
June 04, 2024
The Guiding Light in the Desert: Understanding the Role of the Holy Spirit in the End Times
Title: The Guiding Light in the Desert: Understanding the Role of the Holy Spirit in the End Times
In the vast expanse of the desert, where solitude stretches infinitely and silence reigns supreme, there echoes a voice that transcends time and space. It speaks of a divine presence that dwells within, guiding and illuminating the way through the trials and tribulations of the end times. This voice is none other than the whisper of the Holy Spirit, a beacon of hope and salvation amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the world.
As we navigate the complexities of the end times, it becomes imperative to understand the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in guiding and empowering believers to walk in the path of righteousness. The Holy Spirit, often referred to as the Comforter or Advocate, is the divine presence of God that dwells within each believer, offering guidance, wisdom, and strength in times of need.
Revelando el Papel de los Ángeles en los Últimos Tiempos
Título: Revelando el Papel de los Ángeles en los Últimos Tiempos
Introducción
En el ámbito de las creencias espirituales y las interpretaciones proféticas, el papel de los ángeles en los últimos tiempos ocupa un lugar significativo. Se cree que los ángeles son seres sobrenaturales que sirven como mensajeros de Dios, protectores de los fieles y ejecutores de la justicia divina. A lo largo de textos religiosos y tradiciones, la presencia y acciones de los ángeles desempeñan un papel crucial en la configuración de la batalla cósmica entre el bien y el mal, especialmente durante el período apocalíptico conocido como los últimos tiempos. En este episodio de podcast, exploraremos el papel multifacético de los ángeles en las narrativas escatológicas y discutiremos su importancia en el contexto más amplio del cumplimiento último de los propósitos divinos.
June 03, 2024
Unveiling the Role of Angels in the End Times
Title: Unveiling the Role of Angels in the End Times
Introduction
In the realm of spiritual beliefs and prophetic interpretations, the role of angels in the end times holds a significant place. Angels are supernatural beings believed to serve as messengers of God, protectors of the faithful, and enforcers of divine justice. Throughout religious texts and traditions, the presence and actions of angels play a crucial role in shaping the cosmic battle between good and evil, particularly during the apocalyptic period known as the end times. In this podcast episode, we will explore the multifaceted role of angels in the eschatological narratives and discuss their significance in the broader context of the ultimate fulfillment of divine purposes.
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