God’s People

Posted on February 1, 2024 by eig

“while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” – Exodus 19:3-6

This is very instructive to us today as it was for Israel when they were rescued by God from Egypt. God didn’t deliver Israel from bondage in Egypt so that they would live their own lives. He rescued them for himself (“brought you to myself”, He said). He delivered them so that they would be his people and as such should be obedient to his voice (his commands) and his covenant (v. 5). He promised them to be his most precious possession (imagine that!) among all peoples. They were all a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (v. 6). This meant that they would be his representatives among the nations. They would show others with their way of living that God was holy. Through this they would act as priests, people who were the middle person to show others the character and nature of God.

In 1 Peter 2:5, 9 the apostle Peters applies this passage to all followers of Jesus. He says,

“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

As followers of Jesus our calling is the same as it was then for the people of Israel. When the Lord rescued us through his blood from sin and eternal death, he made us all priests with direct access to God. We are priests of a chosen race, not because of any human or ethnic background but because we are his children. We are a royal or kingly priesthood people who can come directly through prayer to the throne of God our king. We are a holy nation that lives as we are told by our Holy God and as such, we are distinct from how this world lives. We belong to Him. The purpose of our calling is to tell others both by the way we live and by our words how great God is and that only he deserves to be famous.

 

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Bread from Heaven

Posted on January 29, 2024 by eig

Here is a short reflection on Exodus 16.

This chapter could easily, be titled “Bread from Heaven”.  God provided daily mana which we don’t know exactly what it was (literally the word “mana” means “What?”). In a way we could say that God provided daily bread for the people of Israel for 40 yrs. That’s a long time to prove how faithful and true He is. Mana came directly from heaven, from God, himself. It was specially made for them (God provided specifically for the need of sustenance). It only lasted a day, but He made it last a day longer on the Sabbath. At the beginning people were greedy and wanted more so they came out on the Sabbath. A person could eat as much as they could eat on a given day. There are many lessons for us.

  • Trust God for needed provisions.
  • Don’t be or stop being greedy.
  • Be grateful every day for God’s faithfulness.
  • Don’t overeat! (This is so easy for us)
  • Jesus is the real Bread from Heaven that came down (see John 6:30-59). He said to eat his body to live. Without Jesus nothing satisfies. He gave his body as a Sacrifice for our sins, our most needed need. Only through faith in Hin we can find spiritual (complete) satisfaction.

 

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Spiritual Aims – Philippians 3

Posted on January 18, 2024 by eig

We set resolutions for a new year. As Christians we should aim at spiritual goals. This message was shared at Edgewood Baptist church.

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Cómo Educar a Nuestros Hijos

Posted on December 20, 2023 by eig

Esta lista breve fue desarrollada antes de casarnos. Todos estos principios han sido usados con nuestros hijos.

Cómo Educar a Nuestros Hijos

  1. Enseñarles el temor a Dios instruyéndolos por medio de la Biblia.
  2. Ensenarles el respeto a otros que son hechas a la imagen de Dios, mostrándonos como ejemplo nosotros.  Responder mal a otros será considerado como falta de respeto.
  1. Enseñarles que la libertad viene juntamente con la responsabilidad: responsabilidad en la casa, iglesia, escuela, y sociedad.
  2. Enseñarles a obedecer a la primera vez que se les ordena hacer algo. Asegurarnos que entienden la orden y no es falta de responsabilidad.
  1. Ejercer disciplina corporal cuando sea necesario (debe ser la responsabilidad primordial del padre pero no excluye a la madre cuando el padre no está disponible.

a) Nunca contradecir enfrente de nuestros hijos las razones o motivos de la disciplina, solo se debe hablarse cuando los dos estemos solos, (siempre apoyar.)

b) Nunca corregir con “ira”.

c) Nunca corregir sin antes “instruir” a nuestros hijos, explicándoles el porqué de la disciplina.

d) Siempre mostrar afecto a nuestros hijos después de corregirles.

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Stories of Faith from our Hispanic Community

Posted on November 27, 2023 by eig

Much of Jesus’s ministry was bringing healing to those that needed it, feeding the hungry, setting those captives to Satan free and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God to everyone. He often was moved with compassion when he looked at their condition, desperate and in need of a shepherd to care and guide them. He gave his life to save his sheep and when he ascended gave his church the task of finishing his mission. His mission continues today through those whom He has redeemed, his Body of which He is the Head, his church, the instrument for the proclamation of the Good news of the Gospel.

It is encouraging to see how God is using us as His church not only meet the needs in tangible ways but with the hope of the Gospel.

Here are two examples of people that have come to the church where I serve as a pastor to Hispanics. I understand much of what they are going through since I came to the United States as an immigrant as a ten-year-old. God put me in a church where I was able to have a community that supported me and by His grace not only did, I come to know Him but was able to eventually be in ministry serving our people.

About two months ago Sandra who was born in Ecuador came to our Food Bank asking for help. She had heard about us and being a need she came to our Food Bank. She recently gave birth to a child out of wedlock, the father left her and was left alone. She had to stop working due to her pregnancy and used her savings to pay part of the rent she shares with a woman. We encouraged her to connect with our women in our ministry. On Tuesday she came to the women’s Bible study. She walked while pushing the stroller with her baby. We are not sure whether she knows Jesus but she has indicated a desire to learn more.

Twenty-two-year-old Jesús (yes, that his name) came from Colombia through the US through the California border just a few months ago. At the border, he was unjustly beaten by a border patrol officer. It was heart breaking to hear this. He was processed and let go. His cousins in Washington had promised to help him but this turned out for the worse for him. He was left living in a place where he rented part of the living room.

He came to our church about a month ago through an invitation of one of our Life Groups leaders. The group leader could not speak to him in Spanish but was able to tell him about our church. The Sunday he came, he told me that God had prompted him to go to church. He looked for his neighbor who spoke English and asked him if the invitation was still open. He said yes. This leader connected him with a Hispanic young lady, and he came. He attended our Spanish Bible class that Sunday. Jesús seems to be a believer and expressed his interest and commitment to grow in the Lord. A week after he was kicked out of the place he lived. This forced him to live in his car while working delivering packages. But he couldn’t drive his car because he didn’t have license plates but couldn’t get them because he owed his final down payment. Last Sunday, one of our couples from our church, after praying and meeting him took him in their home. One of their conditions was that he become part of the family. The next day, the husband and I went to the dealer to get his license plates. He paid them. That night I asked Jesús who his first night went. He texted and said,

“The best day pastor. Wonderful. I love my home. They are truly the family that I needed. Truly they are wonderful people, they make me feel am in my family, my home.”

Right now, his phone is under their plan, they go workout together, they eat together, he cooked for them last night. They have contacted attorneys to help him with his legal status. Today we met they were all at church. She “made” him stay in the English service using a translation app and he “made” his new mom attend our Spanish bible class using the same translation app.

Seeing this brought much joy in my heart. This exactly what Christ’s church ought to be doing until his kingdom comes.

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Pleasing Him While Here – 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10

Posted on November 14, 2023 by eig

A message given to our Seniors at our church.

—

We are all aging, some better than others but we are all in this process. Our country is getting older. Statistics say that in the next decades, those who are 65 years or older will increase from 15% to 24% of the total population. This can be encouraging or discouraging depending on how you see it.

Personally, I know that I have reached my 53rd birthday and I can see some of the effects of aging. We all expect it but we don’t really get it until we are there.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this dilemma of the outer wear, our aging bodies and what this all means for us as Christians. We don’t have to dismiss this process and just “normal” and live the best we can until we die. St. Paul was an example of how to live life for Christ. He lived over 60 years before suffering martyrdom.

When he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians, he defended his apostleship by reminding them all the physical suffering he went through to share the Gospel with them. He went through a lot of hard persecution. He said that his body carried the “stigmata”, the marks of Christ. These marks showed the life of Christ to others. In other words, the marks were a testimony of who Christ was for him when he shared the Gospel. He offered them as proof. Even though he was in a sense “dying” in his physical body, this was life for those who heard the Gospel. But he knew his time for death could be approaching. Yet he confidently stated his body would someday be resurrected and we would all enjoy the presence of Jesus.

 

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El Matrimonio bíblico

Posted on November 4, 2023 by eig

El matrimonio es diseño de Dios. Dios lo instituyó en el jardín del Edén. Después de haber hecho al hombre y a la mujer, Dios declaró:

“Por tanto, dejará el hombre a su padre y a su madre, y se unirá a su mujer, y serán una sola carne.” (Génesis 2:24)

El matrimonio es fundamental para la sociedad. Es la unidad más básica, que edifica o destruye a la sociedad. Sabemos que la sociedad no sigue los patrones de Dios y es de esperarse. Pero el creyente tiene la instrucción del Señor para cómo vivir dentro del matrimonio. Los cristianos hoy día no carecemos de nada para ayudarnos a vivir en el hogar, especialmente en el matrimonio y sin embargo, a menudo nuestra manera de vivir dentro del matrimonio no es diferente que el resto.  ¿Porqué? No es por falta de información, no es por falta de recursos, sino porque no aplicamos las verdades bíblicas.  Podemos añadir también nuestro trasfondo e inclinaciones pecaminosas como factores que lo hacen difícil. Estos resisten la verdad de Dios. Y por supuesto que tenemos la cultura que lo ha hecho fácil para “escaparse” del matrimonio cuando las personas ya no “se aman” o cuando “son incompatibles”.

 

 

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Reaching the Nations here in America

Posted on October 30, 2023 by eig

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Our great mandate from Jesus to his church is to go and share the Gospel with all “ethnos”, all ethnicities regardless of our where they are.

There are about 3.6 billion who are unreached and 88% are in the area that we call the 10/40 Window.  But many are here in America. There are approximately 97 unreached people groups living in the United States.

It is estimated that by 2044, half of the population in America will be a minority.   The largest and fastest groups are minorities now, Hispanics are first and then comes the Asian population. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.pdf

All these groups (and subgroups) by enlarge do not know Jesus.

The question that we as Christians need to consider is why is this happening? Is there something that God is telling us to do? I believe so.

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Sexualidad Bíblica

Posted on October 26, 2023 by eig

Sexualidad Bíblica

Cuando creemos en Jesucristo como nuestro Señor y Salvador nuestra vida es rescatada de la manera vana de vivir (1 Pedro 1:18). La manera vana de vivir era según nuestros deseos engañosos (Efesios 4:22). Una vez comenzamos a seguir a Cristo nuestra manera de vivir está enfocada en agradar a Dios en todo, en todas las áreas de nuestras vidas. Una de las áreas es la sexualidad. La sexualidad corrupta y desviada que vemos hoy en nuestro mundo no es nueva. Esta forma de vivir según los deseos engañosos ha estado vigente desde mucho antes en el pasado. Es el resultado del pecado que ha contaminado la naturaleza humana.  El seguidor de Jesús que posee el Espíritu Santo posee el poder para vivir una vida que agrada a Dios. Esto quiere decir que ya no está atado a sus propios deseos ni a la cultura pecaminosa. El llamado del cristiano es a la santificación, es decir una manera pura y limpia que agrada a Dios.

En 1 Tesalonicenses 4:2-3 encontramos lo siguiente:

“Porque ya sabéis qué instrucciones os dimos por el Señor Jesús; pues la voluntad de Dios es vuestra santificación; que os apartéis de fornicación”

Las instrucciones que Pablo dio a la iglesia en Tesalónica vino del Señor Jesús es que la voluntad de Dios es el que cada creyente sea santo, viva de manera entregada completamente al Señor. Esto incluye que ellos se abstuvieran de inmoralidad sexual. La palabra “fornicación” es muy amplia e incluye cualquier acto inmoral sexual que no es de acuerdo con la voluntad de Dios. Esto incluye actos sexuales entre un hombre y una mujer que no están casados, entre dos hombres y mujeres, la pornografía y otros que la Biblia menciona como pecados (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Tristemente hoy día muchos creyentes han caído en la mentira de que pueden vivir según sus deseos engañosos tal como la cultura lo promueve. La cultura promueve esto a través de todos los medios de comunicación y es fácil ser presa a menos que nos aferremos a la verdad bíblica. La vida de santidad requiere que no le demos lugar, que nos apartemos, nos abstengamos de la inmoralidad sexual. Pablo advierte a los cristianos en Tesalónica que Dios no nos ha llamado a esta suciedad inmoral sino a la santidad (1 Tes. 4:7).  El que rechaza esto dice Pablo, “no desecha a hombre, sino a Dios, que también nos dio su Espíritu Santo.” (1 Tes. 4:8). Rechazar la pureza bíblica y seguir la inmoralidad sexual es rechazar a Dios y a su Espíritu Santo que vive en nosotros.

El llamado de Dios es que los solteros mantengan puros sus cuerpos hasta el matrimonio, los casados (hombre y mujer) sean fieles sexualmente unos a otros, y que todos evitemos el adulterio del corazón (Mateo 5:27-28). Debemos tener un corazón puro dijo el Señor porque son ellos los que miraran a Dios (Mateo 5:8). Este es el llamado a la santidad. Es para todos los que seguimos al Señor, sin excepciones ni excusas.

 

 

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Creación: La Primera Causa de todo lo Creado

Posted on October 13, 2023 by eig

Cuando hablamos de lo creado, sabemos que todo tiene un origen o una causa. Todo, incluyendo a las personas excepto Dios. Dios es la primera causa de todo según la Biblia.

“En el principio creó Dios los cielos y la tierra.” (Gén. 1:1) La palabra “crear” en este caso es crear algo “exnihilo” o de la nada. Esto es una imposibilidad humana. Nada de lo que nosotros “creamos” es creado de esta manera. Usamos los elementos que Dios ha creado para hacer algo. Así que solo Dios es la primera causa de todo. Además de esto, no solo es la causa de todo, sino que es la única causa sin causa. Esto es confuso porque nuestras mentes no captan esta posibilidad. En otras palabras, Dios no tiene origen. Dios es eterno. Dios es todopoderoso. Como tal es el único que puede crear de la nada. Él es el dueño de todo, tiene toda la autoridad y control sobre toda su creación. ¿Por qué creó Dios?

“Ningún mundo en particular es necesario para Dios. La creación es el acto libre de Dios. No hay ninguna compulsión o necesidad externa sobre Dios; nada fuera de Dios antes del comienzo que diga: “Dios, por alguna razón aparte de ti, debes crear un mundo”. “No es, pues, necesario que Dios quiera que el mundo exista siempre” (Tho. Aq., ST1 Q48). Dios podría haberse abstenido por completo de crear, si no hubiera sido porque su bondad se alegra irrefrenablemente de ser compartida.”[1]

Además de esto, encontramos que Dios es el creador de todo ser humano. La creación de Adán la encontramos también en el libro de Génesis. La biblia nos dice cómo sucedió esto,

“Entonces Jehová Dios formó al hombre del polvo de la tierra, y sopló en su nariz aliento de vida, y fue el hombre un ser viviente.” (Gén. 2:7). Dios hizo al hombre del polvo o de la tierra y le dio su aliento de vida. Esto le hizo “un ser viviente”, un ser no solo que está vivo físicamente, sino que tiene el “espíritu” de Dios en él. El hombre no es solo materia sino alma y espíritu. Esto lo distingue de todas las criaturas creadas. El hombre y la mujer fueron creados para tener comunión con Dios. Pero como ya sabemos el resto de lo que pasó, está relación espiritual se rompió cuando ambos pecaron (Génesis 3).

Esto no quiere decir que el hombre dejó de reflejar la imagen de Dios. Aun en su separación espiritual de Dios, el hombre y la mujer reflejan la imagen de Dios. Reflejan cualidades que Dios les impartió (atributos comunicables) como la habilidad de relacionarse con otros, de entender lo que es malo y bueno (moralidad), de entender, razonar y sentir (intelecto y emoción), de participar de lo espiritual, y aun de gobernar sobre la creación. Cada persona lleva la marca de la imagen de Dios y es por esto que toda vida es sagrada. La imagen de Dios puede ser restaurada a través de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, el perfecto humano que vino, murió y resucitó por nuestros pecados. Al creer en Él nuestra relación espiritual con Dios es reestablecida y aunque no hay perfección completa, tenemos el poder de Dios en nuestras vidas para vivir para Él. Podemos disfrutar de nuestra relación con nuestro Dios y con nuestro Salvador Jesucristo a través de su Espíritu Santo. Disfrutar a Dios y ser feliz fue parte del porqué nos creó Dios. Tomás de Aquino escribió: “El Único que es feliz en el sentido completo de la palabra es el que es eternamente feliz: Dios. Todas las criaturas son en alguna manera son capaces de compartir en esa felicidad eterna. (Tho. Aq., ST 1 Q26)”.[2]

Entender estas verdades deben llevarnos no solo reconocerle a Él como el único Dios verdadero a quien le pertenecemos sino a adorarle con nuestra vida diaria. Esto quiere decir que todo lo que hago, lo hago para agradarle a Él. Toda mi vida debe ser vivida en total dependencia en Él siendo guiado por su Verdad, la Palabra de Dios.

Como “portadores” de la imagen de Dios restaurada, nuestro deber es también compartir con otros las buenas noticias de nuestra restauración con Dios por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Queremos que muchas más personas puedan tener la relación que se perdió en la caída original del hombre y de la mujer. Llegará el día cuando nuestro Señor Jesucristo vendrá y restaurará todo completamente incluyendo la transformación de nuestros cuerpos para poder vivir con Él en su reino por toda la eternidad. Estas son muy buenas noticias, las mejores noticias para nuestro mundo.

[1] Citado en Classic Christianity, A Systematic Theology por Thomas C. Oden.)

[2] Ibid.

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