Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
INTRODUCTION STEPS TO BE PART OF GOD´S FAMILY
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
I hope that all of you have had the opportunity to look at the first teaching in this blog called “God´s Dream and the History of Man”. In case you haven´t seen it yet, here´s the link for you to check it out (click here). That class is necessary to understand better what we´re going to talk about today.
There is nothing more important in this universe than God´s dream being fulfilled. Our dreams stay here in the earth (family, money, house, job, schooling, etc.) Everything is going to end someday.
Many people believe that the world and the life were made just for enjoyment, and everything has to do with the happiness of them. But it´s not like that.
Many people believe that the world and the life were made just for enjoyment, and everything has to do with the happiness of them. But it´s not like that.
I know that it is really difficult to believe everything a person achieves is achieved in vane and that everything is vanity (like the preacher said in Ecclesiastes), but imagine for a minute … who was first? God or you? Who is the owner of everything, God or you? Do we have some right to claim everything as our own and decide what to do with our lives without even acknowledging that God exists? Was all creation created for our happiness and not his? Who are we to say to God that he has to make us happy or even ask him for things that we want. Isn´t is God who is ALL POWERFUL and can do whatever he wants and simply eliminate us if he wanted to?
All these questions are really big and difficult to imagine. Hundreds of scientists think that God is just a joke, or a man-made creation. But where did those scientists come from? Do they even understand their own minds? Do they think they designed themselves so they can understand things that will never be revealed to them? Who gave them such intelligent brains?
Who can understand God´s mind?
Do you understand God´s mind?
Who are we to decide what we want?
THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT IN ALL EXISTENCE THAN THE HAPPINESS OF GOD, JEHOVA, HE WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE, HE WHO KNOWS ALL.
There is nothing more important than his happiness, HE WANTS TO HAVE A FAMILY. THAT IS ALL. A FAMILY.
For a long while now I have been asking myself what is it that truly makes a family. And God himself, the Creator of the term “family” told me: “LOVE”, “BUT NOBODY LOVES ME”
Do you think you love God? I thought so, but he told me “YOU NEED ME, THAT DOESN´T MEAN THAT YOU LOVE ME”
Wow. I just discovered that I didn´t love God, simply He was my everything because I needed him. I wasn´t anything without him, but it was for need, not for love.
“It is not bad to need God, because he is God and He is needed by many. But that doesn´t make us family.”
I began to pray and investigate what one should do to be part of God´s family. And with this new knowledge that God gave me during this time, plus the perfect order he gives to everything, he showed me what the path was.
And that path, that basic and huge order that God created so that the insignificant humans can become children of Him and have eternal life, I want to share with you.
This is the introduction to a series of teachings where I will be showing what God gave me. I know you probably already know this or you know some of the steps at least, but the base of everything is the order. Because God is a God of ORDER and without order, knowledge doesn´t matter. Simply everything is dead without order.
I typically represent it with a staircase, and I want to share it with you, and I ask you to please download this page below and check it out. It represents the steps to be able to arrive as a member of God´s family. With God´s help from this next Friday we will start with this excellent study and experience to that we can become part of God family without any errors.
Maybe you know the Gospel and one time or another you have asked yourself things like: But if I have supposedly already been born again, why do I keep doing things like this? Or, Have I already been born again? Or Have I lost my salvation? I invite you to keep checking out these teachings and sharing your thoughts with me. I am not perfect yet and I have had problems, and believe me that situations you find rough now will not compare at all with the things to come if nothing changes.
It is just an invitation, an invitation so that you FULFILL GOD´S DREAM, and you can arrive to be his true child, and that you do it because of love.
Please review the other teachings and I will wait until the next Friday to continue with this series. Subscribe and invite more people to come to know the truth. No religion; just the only truth that God provides from his very own mind.
God bless you
By Andrés Vargas
Translated by Jessica Foucher Monday, November 30, 2009
DO YOU LOVE JESUS?
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL
A little while ago I asked myself if I truly love Jesus, and I thought about many different ways I could answer this question (teaching the gospel, preaching, etc.). But I decided to pray and ask God to show me exactly what it was to love Jesus. AND HE SHOWED ME! I want to share this with you. I hope that it can be as great a blessing for you as it has been for me.
To begin, let's read John 14 (King James Version)
In verse 15 we find that Jesus says: "If ye love me, keep my commandments". And so I ask myself: ok, what are Jesus' commandments? Are they not the same as the 10 in the Old Testament?
And I discovered that they're not the same ... let's look:
Parenthesis:
Before looking at what Jesus' commandments are, let's analyze and see what it means to "keep". In the dictionary I found these definitions:
1. to guard; protect
2. to conform to; follow; fulfill
3. to observe; pay obedient regard to (a law, rule, promise, etc.)
4. to maintain (some action), esp. in accordance with specific requirements, a promise, etc.
5. to retain in one's possession; hold as one's own
In our case the definitions that work for us are 1, 3 and 5.
And now ... What should we keep?
In Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV), we find the two biggest commandments which were given by Jesus, and they are:
1. Love God with EVERYTHING
This means that God should be our first place in absolutely EVERYTHING and that should make us please him in absolutely everything. So, with our words, actions, thoughts, etc. And everything that doesn't please God is sin.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
WOW! Don't forget that your neighbors aren't the members of your church or your immediate family, but everybody that is near you. You might ask, In other words, the homeless man that begs at the street corner, and that unfriendly coworker are my neighbors? And the answer is YES! And we must love them like we love ourselves.
What does this mean?
This means that we must also fill their needs like we fill our own. In other words: food, clothing, attention, care, health, etc.
THIS IS PRETTY BIG, EH?
But it doesn't all end there. If we take a look at verse 12 of chapter 15 of John, we find that Jesus says that the new commandment is LOVE EACH OTHER AS HE LOVED US.
WOW!! THAT IS REALLY BIG!
So do we have to die for them? I believe that verse is clear enough, and it would be too much to begin talking about what Jesus did for us. so I am simply going to leave you with this question: How did Jesus love you?
Jesus didn't say these things so you could admire them, or even so you could twist them and give them your own soft meaning, but rather so that you would fulfill them.
Now I ask you DO YOU THINK YOU LOVE JESUS?
So that you don't get discouraged, I will give you some EXTRA benefits that I found that we can automatically acquire when we keep Jesus' commandments (when we love him).
1. In John 14:21 we find that the first benefit is that we will also be loved by the FATHER, and furthermore JESUS will manifest himself in us. How? With what I am sure you have all been waiting to see since you met God: miracles, prodigies, signs, real experiences, etc. If you want all of that, now you know what you need to do.
2. In John 14:23 we find that Jesus and the Father will dwell in us. Does it grab your attention when you hear someone say you can live in the same condition as God, and have those privileges?! Now you know what to do!!
I know that this is not very deep, but I also know that it is very clear and you cannot add anything to this. When God revealed all of this to me it was very hard and big to see myself in this reality. But I know that everything God shows me is to become better and enjoy those things that he has for me. I hope that you are also able to not only try to love Jesus, but that you can love him truly.
God bless you.
If you have any questions at all, or any enquiries ... leave a comment or write me at vargasfoucher@gmail.com
Check out my other teachings as well and share them!
By Andrés Vargas Translated by Jessica Foucher | |
Monday, November 23, 2009
LEARNING TO PLAN: A QUICK REFLEXION
Every day brings worries, each day brings problems, and sadly the majority of them are very difficult to solve on our own.
And so sometimes we go to bed worried, thinking about what we have to pay or something we have to do the next day, or trying to remember things that we forgot to do and that were important.And so normally almost all of us have to plan things and work for money to cover and prevent problems. But what does God want?
God is not against us planning, but what he wants is not for us to rush around and worry about things left right and centre. The most important is TO PLAN CONFORMING TO WHAT GOD WANTS.
Why?
Because God is all-knowing, God doesn't improvise, God already knows what will happen if we keep doing what we're doing; and one of the best things is that if we are in trouble he already knows the solution. And moreover, FOR GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. You might ask, so why doesn't he do something and help us?, well, remember that that is personal and he doesn't involve himself if you don't call him.
Now, how can we plan in God's way? It's simple. By praying. How much time should we plan in God's way? ... How ever much you feel is necessary and conforms to your needs. I would consider always.
God wants you to have full confidence in him. Remember that God's answers NEVER arrive late. Maybe you think you need answers right now, but God knows how and when you need them. Also, do not forget that God always fulfills what he promises and he knows which moments are the right ones.
Don't stress out. If you are going to plan it his way, YOU HAVE TO TRUST IN HIM.
You can be big and do great things, and if you are with God you can acheive everything easily, but remember that you will never be more than what you don't want or don't let God do with you.
Trust in God and you will see that he will surprise you and at times whether you understand the situations or not, you'll see that he has everything calculated meticulously.
If you have any questions, please write me (vargasfoucher@gmail.com).
Also check out the other teachings in the archive.
God bless you!
By Andrés Vargas
Translated by Jessica Foucher
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE MUST HEAR
We know that the most important thing is to re-establish the communion with God that Adam lost and we cannot be born again while we are sinners. That process of re-establishing cannot happen without before having a previous knowledge of some very important things.
Last week we were saying that one of the most important things we need to know to be able to re-establish the communion with God or to have eternal life is named JESUS. We were talking a little bit about some of the most important event in his life.
This week we will base ourselves in a story of a man that was very good and was a great example and today he could be compared to any great pastor or man that helps people and is extremely generous. But in this story we find that in spite of how good this man was or how good of a Christian he was, he still needed to be saved from the condemnation of hell because he was not a son of God. So God sent one of Jesus' disciples, Peter, to tell this man a series of things that are necessary for anyone to be born again or saved.
We have to understand that the Bible shows this as a general summary of what Peter said to this man, but looking down deeper and having in mind that Peter had to explain each one of these things, we find the teaching could have actually taken several hours. I will share with you each one of these themes that I found and a short explanation of each one of the themes in this teaching. But still, don't forget that if I explain each of these themes how they should be explained and beyond (like Peter did) each one would be a sermon of about 30 minutes!
So I hope that it is clear and I recommend that you have your Bibles in hand so that you can see where the verse is found and that you can go further and investigate more about each step.
Again, this is something basic ... it is simply more organized, but it is necessary to go further, which you can do on your own, or I can help you just let me know vargasfoucher@gmail.com
Okay, this story is found in Acts 10:34-46. And here are the main points:
1. Verse 34: God doesn't pick favorites
2. Verse 35: God accepts (is pleased with) all who fear him and do what is right
3. Verse 36: God sent Jesus Christ to announce the Gospel of peace and now he is Lord over all
4. Verse 37-38
a) God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit to do miracles
b) Jesus was doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil
c) God was with Jesus
5. Verse 39: The Jews killed Jesus by hanging him on a cross
6. Verse 40-41: God raised Jesus from the dead and cause him to be seen
7. Verse 42: He (Jesus) is who God has places as Judge of the living and dead
8. Verse 43:
a) All the prophets testify about him
b) All who believe in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name
Explication
1. When Peter says that God doesn't show favoritism, it is necessary that he explains that God loves Jews and Gentiles in the same way and that he wants all to be saved (all races, ages, cultures).
2. Saying that God accepts those who fear him and do what is right means that Peter was explaining that God is a Holy God that accepts all people who do good and "seek" him. He also means that God is a good God and merciful and he accepts those people that do what is right and help others (even though that does not make someone a child of God). Furthermore, he helps us to understand that it is necessary for people to leave sin in order to please God and do what is right.
3. Naming Jesus Christ meant also naming the Word, and Jesus as man, which means that it had to speak of Christ and Jesus as man. Furthermore, he spoke of his ministry and what the Gospel of peace was all about. Naming the Gospel of peace helps us understand that between man and God there was a separation and division because of sin and that it was necessary to be reconciled with him. The Gospel of good news that talk about there being a saviour that one can reach NOW (being saved), and that God wants peace and was looking for peace and reconciliation and for that reason he sent Jesus. It also speaks of Jesus. Peter was talking about how Jesus died and God raised him from the dead and because of that he is now Lord and God
4. Saying that Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit means that Jesus didn't have any supernatural powers and everything that he did was because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was a man and could sin, but he decided not to and he lived in holiness for the whole 33 years of his life and was always doing his Father's will and pleasing him. When Peter talks about Jesus being holy and how he always did good and that people and God were with him, he is referring to Jesus being a son of God like Adam. And actually he was conceive by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary without the intervention of any man. When it says that he came to heal those under the power of the devil, it's referring to how Jesus was the Saviour, and he came to bring freedom. Because of this Peter also had to talk about the redemption and Jesus as the Redeemer. By mentioning John and saying that Jesus announced the Gospel of peace, it became necessary to talk about a true repentance and a true conversion.
5. When it says that the Jews hung him on a cross, it means that he was innocent and the prophesy was completed that the Saviour would be hung on a cross and it also refers to the analogy of the serpent in the desert. When he talks about Jesus' death, he's referring that is was to pay for our sins, and logically for a better comprehension he also had to talk about the three deaths and that someone innocent (Jesus) paid for the guilty ones (us).
6. When it says that God raised Jesus from the dead, it is referring to how Jesus went to Hades and because he was a man he could not leave, but God (because he is just) took him out of hades and let him be shown to the disciples for the fulfillment of what he said just before he died.
7. Now Jesus is God and Judge, because it was him who paid and carried the sin, and it is he who can judge. When it talks about judgement it's talking about hell and that the wages of sin are death (it was necessary that he spoke about the book of works to the men) because God is a just God and he gives to each one what they deserve.
8. It talks about the prophesies from the old testament and how all were fulfilled through Jesus, and by talking about the prophecies he had to mention Isaiah and Psalms where it shows how Jesus paid in the flesh for our sins and what he gained with that. Furthermore, it was also professing that there would be death and he would be thrown into Hades.
Finally it says that is necessary that we believe in Jesus as man and that he saved us from the deaths (spiritual, physical and eternal), and that he lived in holiness and was condemned without being guilty and paid everything and now he is Lord and Christ. Speaking of forgiveness of sin, he had to also talk about being born of the water.
Okay, I hope that we have been able to get something out of this story and that we have learnt something. Remember that it is necessary to go further than these things and always search for truth. If you have any questions or doubts or comments, please let me know.
God bless you
By Andrés Vargas
Translation by Jessica Foucher
Visit the other teachings if you haven't already:
God's Dream and the History of Man
Sight
Free of Charge
What's Hell Like?
Do You Want To Live Forever?
The Most Important Thing That We Must Hear
By Andrés Vargas
Translation by Jessica Foucher
Visit the other teachings if you haven't already:
God's Dream and the History of Man
Sight
Free of Charge
What's Hell Like?
Do You Want To Live Forever?
The Most Important Thing That We Must Hear
Monday, November 9, 2009
DO YOU WANT TO LIVE FOR EVER?
We know that Adam (The first man created) was a child of God and had many privileges until he sinned and lost the relationship that he had with God along with all the privileges he had. One of those privileges was "eternal life", which means that he never got sick, never got old, and he didn't even have to die.
Today many people with different beliefs call "salvation" (or this point of freedom everyone wants) ETERNAL LIFE. And rightfully so, eternal life seems like it is one of the desires and privileges that all humans desire the most. In some way, we see that in our everyday life. For example, in the movies we see superheroes, beauty products, medicine, cloning, etc.
The Bible also gives eternal life a big and important meaning but even better, it explains clearly what eternal life is and how we can get it. And without a doubt, it is the original "receipt" to achieve eternal life.
There is only one way to do it or to get it, and we see that in the book of John 17:3
IT'S SIMPLE, RIGHT?
GET TO KNOW THE ONLY TRUE GOD, and JESUS CHRIST
Now comes my question. Do you know them? Many people believe they know God and Jesus because they simply say: "I believe that God exists and he created everything, and Jesus was his son and he died for me on a cross and he went to hell and then was resurrected." But I would ask myself is that what it will mean to know God and Jesus? And let me say this to you ... it has nothing to do with knowing things about Jesus or God. It has to do with knowing perfectly like you know your husband or wife (if you're married) or your mom.
And maybe you will ask yourself: Ok, so how do I get to know them?
So here I will leave you with a path so you can know Jesus. Read JOHN 5:39. In this verse the same Jesus says that the best place to find who he is, who he was, what he did and why he did it is in the Bible. But just like I said before, it has nothing to do with knowing the basics that the whole world already knows. If you read that verse again you will find the words "study diligently", which means to look as far into something as you can, and then go even farther. It's much more than what you see at a first glance.
For example, Do you know why Jesus died at night? Do you know why he was born in a manger (and it wasn't just because there was no other place or because they didn't have any money)? do you know why Jesus died Easter Day? You can find each of these answers explained clearly in the Bible, but you cannot see it at a first glance because it needs to be studied diligently.
Studying the Bible diligently to get to know God and Jesus better takes time and dedication, and it is not going to work unless you truly want to know them. Unfortunately, I cannot write everything about God or Jesus but for sure (if you are interested) I know that if you ask God for the time and the motivation, he will help you. Now I am going to tell you a small shocker! Something very strange happened with Jesus and quite possibly you have never seen anything like this before, but to understand it you have to do as I tell you. Just as an exercise. I know this will help you to understand and learn what I am going to tell you.
I want you to think and start to imagine the following. Try to create a movie or images in your head about the this:
Jesus is with some of the disciples walking at dawn, when one of his own comes up to him with many soldiers and armed men and he says hi to Jesus with a kiss on the cheek.
Now imagine each one of these following 16 events and create the scenes yourself that connect one with another:
1. He is arrested violently and is brought to the judge (Isaiah 53:8, Matthew 26:50)
2. He is accused with lies of things that he didn't say or do (Matthew 26:59-60)
3. In spite of the accusations he always stayed silent (Isaiah 53:7, Matthew 27:13-14)
4. He is despised and rejected by the people (including those he healed and fed). Isaiah 53:3, Luke 23:18, Luke 23:11
-- Despise: To underestimate, to belittle
-- To reject: Exclude, under-appreciated, underestimate, make of little importance or appreciation.
-- Undervalue: Treat someone as something less than what they deserve.
5. He is condemned to death (the worst death that existed in this time = crucifixion) (Mark 14:64)
6. He is abandoned by God and his friends (Matthew 26:56, Matthew 27:46)
7. He is hurt and assaulted (Isaiah 53:5, Mark 15:15)
8. He is slapped, punched, and spit on (Isaiah 50:6, Mark 15:19, Matthew 26:67)
9. He is hated without reason (Psalms 35:19, Matthew 27:18)
10. He is crowned with a crown of thorns (Mark 15:1-18)
11. He is disfigured and left without looking human (Isaiah 52:14, Mark 15:19-20)
12. His hands, feet and side were pierced (Zechariah 12:10, John 20:25)
13. He is crucified with criminals (Isaiah 53:12, Mark 15:27, Galatians 3:13)
14. his body is buried (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 12:40)
15. His soul was sad until death (Isaiah 53:7, Mark 14:33-34, Luke 22:44)
16. His soul went to Hades (Isaiah 53:11, Acts 2:31-32)
Okay, this is something basic. Simply some things that happened to Jesus, maybe you already knew all of it ... now we enter into the application.
Did he deserve it? Why did he do it?
The answer to these questions:
YES, EXACTLY!!
God SENT him!!! And Yes! He went to pay something that YOU owed. What did you owe? Click here ... Here everything makes more sense, right??
Well, this is a short example, and I am sure that in one way or another you already know a little bit more about Jesus. I know that you may have questions, or maybe you want to know more and what happened after (because it doesn't end here!). But we don't want this to run on forever, so I will leave my email so that you can write me and I will gladly share the rest. vargasfoucher@gmail.com
If this is the first time that you have visited this blog, I invite you to subscribe to receive notifications of the weekly posted teachings, and if you are already subscribed, you may comment on any of the teaching. If you have any notice or notification or recommendation or question ... write me!
Thankyou for reading and blessings!
By Andrés Vargas
Translation by Jessica Foucher
By Andrés Vargas
Translation by Jessica Foucher
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