The Safest Place

By Ray Delgado

 

Equal to WWII

On January 22, 1973, with a 7-to-2 majority vote the law that is recognized today as Roe v. Wade was passed and gave the right to women to literally execute their unborn baby in the womb. Since then over 50 million babies lives have been snuffed out before they even got a chance at life.

 

By the time the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, 50 million people had already died in World War II. Another 10 million would succumb to the war before it ended. The bombing/murder of civilian populations had occurred so many times that it was no longer even regarded as unusual. I believe this is perhaps the greatest tragedy of the war, and it set the stage for the Cold War and the nuclear arms race that followed.

Over 60 million people were killed in WW2, which was over 2.5% of the world population.

America has done to unborn babies all by it’s self than what it took a whole world war to do! In our country killing your baby before it is born is now the norm. Makes me shiver!

This was just to give you an idea of the cold heartedness of mankind. To take what we should deem so precious and dispose of it as if it were yesterdays leftovers!

Ok. I’m officially done with my rant on abortion (more stats than a rant, but anyway) for the time being.

Inside and Out

Although I can’t seem to hide my distain for the ungodly act of abortion, my intention of this article was to honor and give credence to those of you mothers who have valued the sanctity of life and would indeed sacrifice your own lives for the sake of a child. Be forewarned though, I most likely will have a few more choice words a little later in the article about this sick and unfortunate act called abortion.

My wife and I just had our first boy and he is just over 3 months. As I was laying in bed watching him sleep my thoughts were on how comfortable he looked. And I couldn’t help but to wonder how safe he must feel laying in the bed between both of his parents and I thought he probably hasn’t felt that safe since he was in his mothers womb. That thought actually prompted me to get up and write this article.

The love and the warmth he must of felt in that safe haven in the midst of his mothers belly. I can’t think of a safer place there can be for a child.

I believe baby’s have natural basic instincts. I believe that they can sense stress in the room. I believe they can sense happiness. I most definitely believe they can sense anger. Therefore, I am going to say that they can sense love as well. I don’t know if studies have been done on this or not and I didn’t take the time to look it up, but I’m sure there have been. I think mothers also got a natural sense for these things, mothers know their baby’s.

A women with child is more valuable than the most precious gems and should be guarded as so. Yet, our law makers protect our nations gold and silver better than they do our women and their unborn.

The ultra-sound that is taken during the months the baby is in the womb is an exciting time for the parents. It shows the growth, the health and even the sex of the child for those that want to know. In some ultrasounds you can actually see the baby sucking his thumb.Some people still like the surprise. What ever that child is, a girl or a boy, it truly is a prize!

The mothers womb should be the safest place on earth for a child. It should be guarded and protected by law and put on the highest list of priorities one can imagine until it makes it to the next safest place on earth, it’s mothers arms.

The Real Blame

I know we have to sit back and tolerate the law of the land, because we have no choice, but that doesn’t mean we have to approve of or accept it.

We can’t blame this solely on our leaders either. For a law to be passed, there has to be a demand for it in a free democracy. It’s not our leaders that are having the abortions, it’s our mothers who just can’t tolerate another kid. It’s our daughters that are out their having unprotected sex. It’s our sisters who don’t want to jeopardize their college or business careers by having a baby. It’s our fathers that are getting multiple women pregnant. It’s our brothers who don’t want to cramp their style with a kid. It’s our son’s that are encouraging their girlfriends to go through with the termination of a pregnancy, instead of manning up and taking care of their responsibilities.

I admit I am guilty of placing the majority of the blame on our leaders, but our leaders are just giving the majority what they want!

Here’s the part that just makes this all so sad and I make no apologize, but we are to blame for this madness. We are the villains in this corrupt comic misadventure. We are the executioners that wield the knife in the clinics. We are the mad scientists that store the fetus’ in the labs.

We are the one’s to blame when the gavel comes smashing down to make the loud crack that gives the go ahead to kill our future sons and daughters.

I truly don’t want to end this on a bitter note and believe me it’s bitter.

Once again I want to pay homage to the women out their who have respect, values and wholesome morals, not only to your unborn children, but also for having respect for yourselves and your body’s and not using the all to famous copout statement.

The Great Justifier of Murder : “It’s my body!”

So much for ending on a sweet note, sorry. My anger becomes me every time this subject is the focus.

MATTHEW 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

MASTER or MISTRESS?

By Ray Delgado

O’ unbelieving and unfaithful soul that cares not for the things of Christ!

You are perverse in your thought and action, yet feel no shame or guilt.

Your conscience gasps for life as you drown it in a pool of sin.

As it dies you rejoice and proclaim yourself god.

Wrong becomes right, right becomes wrong.

Twisted theology.

How wonderful to you that evil no longer exist in your sight.

Liberty takes on new and wondrous meaning as you are free to indulge in iniquity.

Care free life, your will be done.

Disobedient to every law of God, yet self assured of your salvation.

Running at breakneck speed down the broad road convinced you will arrive at the narrow gate.

Hand in hand with the serpent of old.

Self deception is bliss.

Your eyes are worldly, your speech is wicked.

You proclaim the Masters name openly, but your actions prove your despise toward Him.

Totally resistant.

The christ you worship is a myth.

God hates sin and will not wink at it!

O’ you wicked ones who call yourselves followers of Christ, but do nothing He commands.

How awful the day of the Lord will be for you!

Repent!

Quit putting words in Gods mouth.

The Holy Scriptures speak for themselves.

Wake up Christians! So called!

Do you not know this world is not our home?

Do you not fear God?

You shall know them by their fruits.

If you look like the world, sound like the world, listen like the world, see like the world, live life like the rest of the world, my friend, you are of the world! 

JAMES 4:4

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

NOTE : James is talking to ” Christians ” in this verse. They are cheating on God, with the world! I ask you Christian, is the world your mistress?

The Cost

By Ray Delgado

 

The free one

 

We’ve all seen the ad’s : “Buy one get one free” or “Free with the purchase of something else”. So are these really free? I mean you are still having to give something up in order to get the “free one”, right?

I can get Colorado Rockies baseball tickets from my friend. To me they are free and I’m assuming he gets them for free, but somewhere down the line there is a price being paid for these tickets. I’m sure they don’t just appear out of thin air and there is absolutely no cost to anyone on any level for these tickets to come about. Somehow, somewhere these tickets were manufactured and a cost was associated with them. So then, the same question comes to mind when I think about the subject of grace and the salvation that was given to us by God through the sacrifice and death of Jesus. Was it free?

When I get them tickets in my hands and I go through the gates and sit down in my seat I get to enjoy a baseball game that I didn’t have to dish out any money for or do anything in order for me to go to that game, I just simply get to enjoy the free gift that was given to me when I chose to accept them tickets. Same thing happened when I gave my life to Christ. There was nothing I did to deserve this gift. It was simply given to me by God for accepting it from Him when He offered it to me.

But the question remains, is this totally free or do I have to give up something in order to get the free one?

 

Sorrow

 

Before Grace can be imparted to us there is something that must happen. This is what is described as “godly sorrow”. This is when one is truly sorry for sinning against a holy God. This is when remorse turns to actual repentance. We see this truth in 2 Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death”.

We see that this godly sorrow “leaves no regret”.

Before I truly surrendered my life to Jesus I went through a whole year of regretting the things that I knew I would have to give up if I was to fully surrender all, therefore I really never gave them up completely. I may have slowed down or stopped some things for a time, but never really quit them completely, because of regret. I wasn’t truly saved. My regret was having to leave my sins, but after my true conversion my regret was the sinful life I had lived all those years, but this didn’t happen until my worldly sorrow turned to godly sorrow.

We see a parallel of godly and worldly sorrow in the persons of Peter and Judas.

Peter had proclaimed he would be by Jesus’ side all the way to prison and even till death (Luke 22:33). He talked a big game in the confines and security of the inner circle, but when the day came that Jesus had repeatedly warned His disciples about, Peter was quick to abandon His Lord. Not only that, but he had openly denied Him three times, just as the Lord had told him he would. Peter was crushed, but remorseful and along with that remorse came repentance and restoration. He had a godly sorrow.

Judas on the other hand had knowingly betrayed Jesus for monetary gain and most likely other ulterior motives (Matthew 26:46-50). In any case, although his conscience got the best of him his remorse went no further than that. He ultimately committed suicide. He had a worldly sorrow that brought forth death.

This parallel is still evident in this day and age. We can actually apply “Godly sorrow” to true coverts and “Worldly sorrow” to false converts. Everybody who attempts to come to Christ is either one or the other.

I’ll be so bold as to say most false converts come to the foot of the cross with ulterior motives. The fact that they got caught in some form of sin and have been exposed by it brings this remorsefulness, which would have never come about if they had not gotten caught and exposed. Although this is not the only motive to “get involved” with Christianity, it surely is a common one. Most assuredly these “Christians” have no regret for their sinful behavior and go through their “Christian walk” in fact, living a lie.

A true convert on the other hand is one who has found his or her bottom, be it physical or spiritual, a combination of both or whatever it is that brings someone to the foot of the cross to bear all to the Savior and truly repent. This person could have actually been getting away with their sin and never been exposed, but in their hearts and in their conscience they know they are wrong and their actions are sinful and they know there is an ultimate price they will have to pay someday if they do not get straight with the Lord. Therefore their remorse turns to repentance which leads to the salvation of their eternal souls and puts them in a position of right standing in Gods eye’s (Justification).

The difference between the one who has godly sorrow and the one who has worldly sorrow is that the worldly sorrow shows no true repentance and is only willing to give up what is convenient for them. The godly sorrow truly repents and is willing to give up all to follow Jesus.

In Matthew 19:16-26 Jesus encounters a “Rich Young Ruler” who in the young man’s self evaluation has already reached perfection. His question for Jesus is how does he inherit eternal life? Jesus goes on to tell him, although in not so many words, that, since he has already reached perfection the only thing left to do is go home, sell all he has and then go and give all the proceeds of his sales to the poor. As we know from the story the young man leaves sad and unwilling to forsake all to follow the Lord.

Now had this young ruler been “willing” to leave all he had to follow Jesus would he have really had to go back and sell everything? This I do not know. What I do know is that in order to be a follower of Christ we have to be “willing” to forsake everything. I don’t know exactly what it is that every individual needs to give up, thats between them and the Lord. One thing is for sure though, the “willingness” to give up everything must be there. The Lord knows the heart and He knows who is willing and who is not.

Once we are willing to forsake our former lives, we are now eligible for the grace that God has promised to all those who repent and are ready to be born again. The Bible tells us to count the cost. To say it will cost you nothing to follow Christ is false, in fact in Luke 14:25-34 Jesus said it will cost us everything.

 

The Purchase

 

The Bible tells us Jesus is not a created being, but has always existed. Within this existence that stands outside of time as we know it are glories in Heaven and even before Heaven that Jesus had to leave. Glories that we have no idea about and wouldn’t even begin to fathom.

This is indeed what Jesus did. He left the glory He once knew in order to come to a fallen planet and rescue fallen mankind. Can we even grasp this concept? We get upset when we have to give up certain material things in order to help someone who has less than us. We act like we are giving great sacrifice when we have to spare some of our precious time to be there for someone in need. We are selfish beings by nature.

Not only did Jesus leave glory, He also endured things that most of us wouldn’t give a second thought to endure for a day. Jesus was a Man of sorrows and grief (Isaiah 53:3). This Man-God gave up glory for pain. This Jesus gave up riches beyond measure for poverty. This Jesus gave up the security of Heaven for brutality and suffering. This Jesus gave up His life for you!

We were bought with a price Christians.

(1 Peter 1:18-21 & 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To think grace is absolutely free holds a sense of  ignorance to what Jesus has truly done for us.

 

Lets say you were given a million dollar car, would you neglect and abuse that car just because you didn’t have to pay for it and it was just given to you? I’m sure some people would and do, but the question is would you? Just because grace is free in the sense that all the work has been done for you, doesn’t mean you have the right to abuse it and think it is a ticket to live with no boundaries. A person who claims to be a Christian and lives with no boundaries under the flag of “free or cheap grace” should examine and test themselves to see if they are really in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) Let us not forget, a great price was paid, so that we may be free!

A Christian Nation?

Written by Ray Delgado

Have you noticed an unsettling trend that seems to have crept into the Church? It seems to be very close to todays political correctness movement that is so prevalent in our country today. Christians are compromising biblical standards in favor of an unbelieving world view.

In todays postmodern world just about anything goes. Your truth is your truth and his truth is his truth and the Post-modernist are even so kind as to say that my truth is my truth.

Political correctness on the other hand is down right hostile to just about anything biblical, christian or anything that has to do with Jesus Christ. A country that is trying so hard to be tolerant to all religions is blatantly opposed to anything that represents Christ.

This is to be expected of an unbelieving world. The scary thing is that this kind of thinking has crept into the Christian Church!

facebook, a social network?

Facebook has become a very powerful and influential means of communication in todays culture, but have you noticed how unsociable we become on a social network when someone disagrees with our opinion or world view? I guess like anything else it all depends on how thick your skin is. People get “unfriended” because of unpopular views.

I have to admit, I am guilty of this myself.

People post all kinds of personal stuff for all to see and then get upset when somebody “comments” on their “post” and says something they don’t like and therefore get “deleted”.  No matter if your friend or family.

Like many others I have Christian friends and non-believing friends on facebook. And like most friends, we sometimes disagree on certain topics of discussion, but what I have personally noticed is that some of my Christian friends are abandoning their biblical understanding of what is true in favor of the popular “world view” of their unbelieving friends. This was rampant in this election year. Biblical truth was totally disregarded by professing Christians in this years election. And the feedback on facebook was undeniably transparent to which way one voted.

78-80% ( Not! )

The sanctity of marriage ( one man one women ).

The sanctity of life ( abortion )

The unwavering support of Israel ( supposedly )

Anti-Christian/Pro-Islam administration.

These issues were clearly evident in the characters of both candidates as to which way they each lend toward. I think we all know who supported what issues. Through facebook we can see how this country was and is truly divided by these issues. The puzzling thing is that these are all biblical issues and according to a recent pole 78-80% of Americans, when asked, claimed to be Christians. Now if this is true, then why do we still have a president in office that is hostile to just about everything the Holy Bible stands for? And even more so, why did a nation of Christians vote so adamantly against biblical principles and support a man that doesn’t even attempt to hide his opposition towards them?

I would have to say there are a lot of goats masquerading as sheep out there! (Matthew 25:32-33 )

Has biblical truth been compromised all in the name of tolerance? It sure seems like it. Can it be that we as Christians are afraid to “offend” somebody with biblical truth even if they are friends in Christ? Are we afraid that if we offend an unbelieving world that we will drive them away from Christ? Are we here to please the world or are we here to preach the Gospel no matter who gets offended by it, believer or non believer? Or can it be some of us who say we are Christians aren’t really Christians at all? I’m starting to believe that when the President said in one of his speeches and I quote ” America is not a Christian nation” he was on to something.

No longer

Although our nation was built on Christian principles it no longer retains or recognizes them. This was clearly evident through the vote of the American people!

The separation of church and state has become the separation of state from God. Our government believes it is no longer under the authority of an Almighty and Sovereign God. Apparently the Church has become blind to the fact that we are not to separate our Christianity from our politics. If this were not true Shepherds would have been leading their flock towards what the Bible tells us to stand for, without compromise. Instead, we got cop out messages like “no matter what happens God is still on his throne”. Although this is true, God has given us the responsibility to use our power and freedom to vote and to be stewards of Christ and to put someone in office, that at the least stands on moral values.

America will get what it deserves and what it voted for and only time will tell what that will be. Hopefully God will have mercy on us because of the few that voted their biblical standards and conscience and didn’t compromise for the sake of taxes or self interest. The 80% of so-called Christians had a chance to potentially over turn an ungodly law such as Roe vs. Wade and give precious little lives a chance in this world and we blew it! Instead, countless other children will be murdered in what is supposed to be the safest place there can be, the mothers womb and will be added to the already 50 million plus that have already been slaughtered.

As Americas downward spiral continues, these thoughts come to mind :

Then Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are…….

50?

45?

40?

30?

20?

10?

He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

( Genesis 18:23-31 )

For our sake I pray the few righteous will continue to be faithful and uncompromising. The city of Sodom and Gomorrah did not fend well in the end, let this not also be the fate of America!

Psalm 119:51-53

The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law. I remember your ancient laws, O Lord, and I find comfort in them. Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law.

Heaven would be Hell

By Ray Delgado

I once heard a pastor say that he hates doing funerals. Not because of the sorrow and sadness and everything that comes with the experience that death is sure to bring. Although I’m sure that has to have a great impact on the mind and spirit of any caring pastor that involves himself in this type of duty.

Along with weddings, funerals are part of a pastors duties along with hospital visits, mission trips etc. You name it, a pastor does it and still has to find time to study to bring the Word of God to his flock. So in-light of this please pray for your pastor.

No, the reason this pastor said this is because he knows the fallen state of man-kind better than anyone else. He knows the sinfulness of men and women and what death brings to the unregenerate soul of a person that dies in unrepentant sin. For this reason funerals become a heavy burden to bear.

No one can judge the heart of a person except for God. God seen the wickedness of mens hearts in Genesis 6:5 and judged accordingly to His will. The prophet Samuel was sure that Eliab was to be Gods anointed because of his stature and appearance in 1 Samuel 16:6-7, but God corrected him on that saying, ” for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart “. And thus David was anointed instead.

So far as that no one can judge the heart of a man, a man’s heart can be looked at. A man’s heart is a sign post to his direction in life. As so brilliantly stated in Proverbs 27:19 ” As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man “. What is stirring in a mans heart will be reveal in his actions and character.

If you have been to any amount, even just a hand full of funerals, you would be inclined to think that everyone that dies has gone to heaven no matter who or what that person was. I once upon a time was inclined to think that way too, I mean unless that person was like Hitler or someone of that nature, until my eye’s were born to the truth.

Quite Sobering

Matthew 7:13-14 have to be at the top of the list as two of the most sobering passages in the Bible.

Verse 13 almost gives an ominous sounding command because it is a precursor to a very dreadful warning and final result!

“Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it”.

Thought provoking, eye opening, sobering and down right earth shattering for some to say the least.

And verse 14 is just as heart breaking.

“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”.

Now if them two passages alone don’t kick you in the teeth then not much else will. In Luke 13:24 the Lord Jesus Christ says these haunting words, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to”.

Have you ever known someone who just can’t seem to get it right and is constantly telling you, “I’m trying” or “I know, I’m trying” and then just cave in to the slightest temptation that comes their way? I mean I know we all have our falls as Christians, but the one’s in this passage that “will try and not be able to” are not Christians (but think they are) for the obvious fact that they weren’t able to enter. So when Jesus is telling people to “make every effort” He is saying every thought, every inclination of the heart, every action, every word, every ounce of our fiber should be in making sure without a doubt that we have surrendered all to Him and that we know for certain that we will be part of the “few that find it”

Verse 14 of Matthew 7 tells us “difficult is the way” yet so many think that life can be lived out in thought and deed any old way that is pleasing to them with no regard and no reverence to the Lord and still be able to enter in through the narrow gate that leads to life. Although their mouths profess allegiance, their actions prove otherwise. What a dreadful day that will be to all those who’s mind is set on that way of thinking.

Many people think they are in good standing with the Lord, but in all reality they are not.

All you have to do is keep reading in Luke 13 verses 25,26, & 27 these are some very damning passages to the one’s thinking they are right in their standing with the Lord. I mean these people swore up and down that they were Christians (or I might even go so far as to say not Christians, but still think they are secure in their standing with the Lord) they “ate and drank in His presence” and “He taught in their streets” they believed they were close with Jesus, but yet, Jesus says something that nobody, I tell you, nobody, ever wants to hear come from the mouth of Jesus and it be directed at them, He says, “I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evil doers!”

Remember, these people thought they were “Christians”!

 

These are not the last words you want to hear from the Lord!

But so many who are passing on to the next life every day are hearing these words, this is truly sad and frightening!

These words won’t be a shock to those who openly denied Jesus as their Lord and Savior, like the Atheist, but to those who thought their ticket into Heaven was bought and paid for, for some reason or another because they went to church on Sundays or got baptized when they were a baby or because simply they were “good people” Oh my, what a painful and horrible revelation this will be for them!

To be accurate and there be no misunderstanding, when Jesus says, “Make every effort” He is not saying work for your salvation like so many religions take this to mean i.e.. Catholics, Jehovah Witness, Mormons etc (which are all false religions). No kind of works can ever get us in through the narrow gate Ephesians 2:8-10 is quite clear on this truth, He is saying He is the gate or the door and you must do the things it takes to find Him, which is repentance and forsaking the life you once knew and letting Him, Jesus make the changes in your life that bring you to this narrow gate.

The Bible, in fact, Jesus Himself calls it being born-again and without this there is no entrance into Heaven John 3:3 makes this very clear!

Let’s say you are not a believer, someone who has not been supernaturally changed by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (even though you profess to be) and you died and the Lord let you into Heaven.

To this person Heaven would be absolute Hell if allowed to enter in

The  unregenerate sinner has a spirit that is naturally inclined to the things of this world, therefore his or her mind is set on and can only think and act on the things of this world, although they might profess to be “right” or “not that bad” as we said before their actions prove where their hearts really are, thus they do not have their minds set on things above (Colossians 3:1-2)

1 Corinthians 2:14 “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

One who cannot stand to go to or be in a church here on earth will not enjoy Heaven because there will be aspects of what we do here on earth in the church that will also be done in Heaven, this is evidenced in Matthew 6:10

An unregenerate soul cannot worship God. One might go to church and sing the songs but inside their hearts, they would most assuredly want to be doing something else.

Mark 7:6-7 Jesus says, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

I use to take this passage and apply it to just the Catholic Church, but seeing the state of Christianity today it applies to any and all who are professing to follow the Lord, but are really make believers and not true believers of Christ.

Worship of God starts with the personal one on one (you and God) belief in the heart and mind knowing who Jesus claims to be and that all His promises and commands are true and to be believed, therefore lived out and followed in every facet of life. Only by becoming born-again and regenerated by the Holy Spirit can this happen. John 3:3

The worship and adoration towards God that is going to happen in Heaven is going to be remarkable and mind-blowing to put it mildly!

For this reason an unregenerate soul will absolutely despise this aspect of Heaven!

Many people say that the Bible doesn’t say “drinking is a sin”, and in fact it isn’t. There are many instances of wine being drunk in the Bible, in fact Jesus even turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana in John chapter 2.

My question is this though: Why do so many that do drink (excessively) and like to “have a good time” say that drinking is not a sin and like to point out these types of passages, but yet ignore all the passages that say “Drunkenness” is in fact a sin and will absolutely forbid the drunkard from entering into Heaven?

And this doesn’t mean just the drunkard that lives on the street reeling in the gutter homeless without a job. No, there are plenty of well paid drunkards. Drunkards with millions of dollars. Drunkards who have blue-collar jobs and show up to work everyday. Drunkards who just drink on the weekends, but chill-out during the week. Some drunkards rule nations!!!

If you are a Christian we are told in 1 Timothy chapter 3 about being “not given to drunkenness” in verse 3 and “not indulging in much wine” in verse 8. The heading in most Bibles say “Overseers and Deacons” before the chapter begins, but don’t get it twisted Christians, if you are a true follower of Christ you are in fact in some way an overseer or deacon to someone, therefore in no way should you be getting drunk! The Bible is riddled with passages that talk about drunkenness and being sober.

On the other hand, a person with an unregenerate mind, who loves to drink indulges greatly in this damnable sin of drunkenness. There minds are consumed by the next drinking party. The next reason to celebrate or simply the next drink that awaits them after work. I have heard some say, “I don’t go to church because all they want is your money!”  they won’t give their money to a pastor to do the work of God, but they will in fact give it to a bar owner or waitress all night long.

I have seen many lives in my own family utterly wasted away in the bar. Their judgement and understanding is clouded by their excessive drinking.

But, many will continue to get drunk, but yet insist that it is not sinful and suffer the unimaginable consequences that drunkenness will bring them in the end.

Drinking is in fact an idol, and many simply cannot or will not stop getting drunk. As with any sin, this resides in the heart. People love to get drunk and try to justify it by any means.

For some, drinking is the most important thing in their lives, they love the drink even more than they love their own children!

For this reason the person that loves to get drunk will simply hate Heaven because this sinful desire and practice will not be allowed.

A person who is not born-again of the Holy Spirit and regenerate in body, mind and soul, and has not become a “new creation” 2 Corinthians 5:17 or is not a “new man” Ephesians 4:17-24 will simply hate, despise, loath and reject Heaven as his or her dwelling place for eternity even if Jesus did allow them in because it is going to be a place filled with people that have the “mind of Christ” which believers have at the moment they are truly born-again 1Corinthians 2:16, in fact some unbelievers can’t and won’t be around Christians now because just by being around them their own sin and guilt is revealed through their conscience.

And it’s for these reasons and many more that a person who is not born-again and regenerated by the Holy Spirit and living his or her life for the absolute glory of God and has not surrendered their life completely to the will of God to be Holy and blameless in the eye’s of God through Jesus Christ and being lead by the Holy Spirit everyday ie. carrying your cross Luke 14:27, well for that person……….

HEAVEN WOULD BE HELL!!!!

Now I know why that pastor hates doing funerals. I’ve seen people I knew who were very close to me pass on to the other side into eternity and know that they had never given their life to the Lord.

How can a pastor reassure a person of something like the destination of an eternal soul that in most times he himself is unsure of? Oh what a burden that must be!

I say this with all my heart loved one’s!!!!

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door……..”

LUKE 13:24

Broken Hearts

By Ray Delgado

“O’ Lord when will this madness stop?!” Is what my heart screamed out when I first saw the tragic events that unfolded yesterday in the small town of Newtown Connecticut.

How can anyone do this to children? Murder in itself is horrible, but to do this to innocent and I mean INNOCENT little children is unfathomable! My prayers go out to all in that small community of Newtown.

In my forty years of life I have been to many funerals of friends and loved ones. From suicides, murders, car accidents, death due to alcohol and drugs and natural process of age. And to my shame I have some what become kind of numb in the last couple of years. I simply have a hard time crying lately, but this horrendous act of evil that happened in this town broke me down and stirred up all kinds of emotions from weeping to anger.

“What is it going to take before You put an end to all this Lord?” was the second thing that came to my heart. I couldn’t help but to cry.

As a believer in Jesus Christ I know that we live in a fallen and sinful world and things like this happen everyday around the world, but the intensity and magnitude that these sort of things are happening just boggles my mind. I grew up in the 70’s & 80’s and stuff like this was just unheard of.

I reiterate, stuff like this happens all over the world everyday, but now it is getting very close to home and reality is sinking in that this world is becoming increasingly wicked by the day and no one is immune to senseless tragedies like this.

Now more than ever do we need Jesus.

Are schools have become killing fields to maniacs with no conscience . Are shopping malls have become target ranges for ruthless criminals. And our movie theaters have become real life comic books for mentally unstable individuals living out a sick and twisted fantasy. Truly a world gone mad!

We cannot let our faith falter now even as these days are wicked. But we must earnestly pray not only for our nation, but the world. We know this wickedness will not end until our Lord comes back and puts an end to it, in fact, it most likely will escalate.

So this is our chance to be the light the Lord calls us to be. To comfort that neighbor. To lend an ear to that person. To show love in this unforgiving world that we all share. We need to get over the belief that kindness, compassion and giving should only happen in the months of November and December. Why can’t we display these godly attributes year round?

Nothing I say or anybody else says will bring comfort to the grieving families of Newtown Connecticut, so I won’t even attempt to try, so all I will say is my heart breaks for the people that have to endure this hardship that has befallen them. And I can honestly say with all my heart and know for a fact as my eyes well up with tears, that there are twenty precious little faces that are staring right into the face of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and are rejoicing at this very moment.

This ugly world is now a distant memory to these beautiful little ones. But the broken hearts on this earth remain.

I think I speak for everyone when I say our hearts go out to the hundreds and maybe even thousands of those directly affected by this and to all who were in some way emotionally broken over this, like myself. We pray Lord start the grieving and healing process and use this wicked act of brutality to glorify Your name and bring peace to the hearts of a broken and dying nation and world.

RAPTURE THEATER

By Ray Delgado

The Officer and The Citizen

Act one:

“I swear officer!” Shouted the man. “Why on God’s green earth would I make up a story like that?”

The irritation in the mans voice was evident.

After rolling his eye’s and giving a sarcastic sigh, the officer said, “Ok son, calm down and tell me again what happened.”

The young man took a deep breath, relaxed his shoulders and began to explain, “Like I told you the first time, I was sitting right here at this light waiting for it to turn green, I was looking at the car in front of me, right at the back of this guys head, and I swear he just disappeared and his car rolled back into mine, and that’s it, that’s what happened!”

The man stopped talking, looked to the ground, and stood there shaking his head.

The officer went over to the other car, looked in the window, saw a pile of clothes in the drivers seat and then looked quickly back at the man!

THE KIDS UPSTAIRS

ACT TWO:

The woman was obviously in a hurry running back and forth, scooping scrambled eggs on a plate, pouring milk into bowls that had cereal in them, grabbing a cup of coffee off the counter, all the while yelling, “ Hurry up kids!, breakfast is getting cold and soggy, and we’re all running late as it is!“

There was no response.

As the woman ran up the stairs to go see why none of the children were coming down, the newsman on the television was fumbling over his words as he described the reports that were coming in from all over the world about millions of people, that in his words, “just disappeared”, but the newsman’s voice was quickly drowned out by a blood curdling scream that came from upstairs!

BOB’S BOSS

ACT THREE:

“I told you before Bob, your going to have to make a choice, it’s either comply with the mandatory overtime on Sundays or participate in your church activities, what’s it going to be Bob?, you can’t have it both ways!”

As Bob stood there contemplating the ultimatum that was just presented to him, Bob realized he was not standing in his office anymore. Bob was also no longer standing in front of his boss. Bob was now standing in front of an indescribably beautiful throne that was to awesome and glorious for words!

He was not alone. He was with a vast number of others that were just like “Him”. Bob knew exactly what happened!, he was now standing in front of his real Boss!

Meanwhile, Bob’s boss was as pale as the paint on his office walls. As the paramedics escorted  Bob’s boss out of the building and into the ambulance, all Bob’s boss kept saying, with a blank look on his face was, “he just disappeared——he just———disappeared————he just disappeared————-he jus disa—–he just—–he……………….jus…………..?

ALL ALONE

ACT FOUR:

“I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT! Why didn’t I listen? My mom and dad used to talk about it all the time! I thought they were out of their minds! It just sounded to absurd and unbelievable to be true! Why did I listen to my friends and not my parents?! What was that word they used? They used to tell me about it! What was it?! The——the Rapture? Was that it? Yes, yes that was it!”

“My dad always used to say, “Be ready son, you never know when the Lord is coming back to take His people, the ones who believed in and trusted in “Him”, Be ready, don’t be left behind son.”

”I’m sorry mom! I’m sorry dad! I’m sorry Jesus!.” “Oh Lord, what have I done?!” —– “I believe now God, please take me!”

The teenage boy cried himself to sleep that night uncertain about the future that he would now face, alone!

TOO BUSY

ACT FIVE:

“I’m tellin you man, duh aliens took all doze kids n dem pepoe”

“Nah dude, it wuz the gubment, sum kinda radiation expereiment or sumtin.”

“Would you two potheads please shut the hell up!” the girl said explicitly.

“It wasn’t the aliens or the “gubment” you idiots! It was God!” the girl exclaimed.

“God?, one of the potheads said, with a reluctant laugh.

“Yes, God.” The girl began to explain, “The Bible says that in the last days all the people who believe and truly follow Jesus will be taken up into the clouds to meet “Him” in the sky. Since little kids aren’t old enough to truly understand what sin is and what it is not, they too were taken.”

“How do you know all dis?, replied one of the guys.

“My dad is—was a preacher.”, the girl said.

“Was?”, he asked sarcastically.

“Yes, was!” she said, obviously irritated.“He disappeared with all the kids.”

One of the guys said, “If you nue all dis, den why didn’t you get taken too?”

The girl replied, “I don’t know, I guess it’s because I was too busy getting high with the two of you”

CURTAIN CLOSES

THE END

1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18  

 

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first

Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord

Therefore encourage one another with these words

FINAL THOUGHTS: I personally was raised under the teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture. Others have been taught a mid-tribulation and still others a post-tribulation rapture. Some are dogmatic in their beliefs and some are not. Personally, I think this is one of them “gray” areas, but no matter what view you hold, one thing is for sure, the Lord is coming back one day and that I am totally dogmatic on! I found this to be a fun writing project for myself. Like I said, everybody has their own view on this subject and for this, I give you the comment box :

The Depths of Our God

By Ray Delgado

 

Our God is Big!

 

 

Just imagine a God that has made absolutely everything you can think of. Now, imagine that there are things that He has made you and I have never even thought of or ever will think of until they are revealed to us on the other side of glory.

This God is the One who has made stars so big that you can fill them with thousands and thousands of earths, not to mention micro organisms so small that they have their own world within a single drop of water.

Thoughts like this just absolutely blow my mind and I can’t seem to wrap my head around them. To think that this is the God that we serve is quite humbling.

We are but mere specks of dust that live on a speck of dust that revolves around a speck of dust that we call the sun that is in a solar system that is in a galaxy that is the size of a speck of dust compared to our God, I think you get the point! In other words, our God is BIG! What an understatement! ( Psalm 8:3-4 )

So why then do we make our God, the God of the Holy Bible ( just so there are no misunderstandings about which God it is we serve ). So why then do we make our God so small? And I am not just talking about unbelievers making our God out to be small. Even we as Christians down-size God to whatever size fits our way of life.

We often at times create a god that fits our needs, our feelings, our thoughts, and our understanding. We simply bring God down to our level of thinking.

As it is so beautifully said in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways

higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

My god?

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, my god would never do this or my god would never do that”?

I will have to give an example, because I can be very easily misinterpreted if I don’t. I will use a very common statement that is being widely used today and it goes something like this, “My god would never send anyone to hell”, and then it is followed up with, “My god is a god of love”.

In fact God is a God of love this much is true, but to say God would never send anyone to Hell is a gross and blatant misrepresentation, false teaching, and false belief of what scripture tells us.

This is where I have an issue with the whole “my god” phrase.

If the phrase “my god” is not used in accordance to true correct biblical context and understanding, then the phrase “my god’ in fact becomes just that, “your god” and not the God of the Bible.

If we say God is only a God of love and not a God of justice, wrath, judgement, anger, and jealousy which are just a handful of Gods characteristics, although unpopular and frightening to some, nonetheless, these are in fact some of Gods characteristics, if we think like this we have stripped God of who He is and in fact made a god of our own imagination. We have created a god in our image.

God is not a shallow God

If we focus in on one aspect or characteristic of God, no matter what that characteristic or aspect is, and that one thing is the whole of our theology and understanding of who we think God is, we are in fact forming a false idol that not only we worship, but all who conform to that way of thinking and believing also worship.

Our God is deep and complex (Psalm 147:3-5). Give Isaiah chapter 40 a read and Job chapters 38 thru 42 and see the complexity. There are some very unpopular and hard truths in the Bible, the Bible itself is deep and complex, but for whatever reason, we can’t just cut, chop, and slice the Bible up to our liking because we don’t like what God says in it. We can’t pick and choose what we like and then say, “my god”. When you create your own god you are in fact saying, “you are god” because it is you who are the creator of a god that serves your whims, purposes and will. Our God is to deep to just put Him in a box or category of our own understanding and choosing.

Let us diligently search and seek God in the scriptures and find out all of His characteristics and come to the understanding that God is enormous and huge, not only in His visible creation, but His unseen attributes that are clearly seen (Romans 1:18-20).

Complex, not complicated

Although the God that we worship, which is God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which we identify as the Trinity, which is deep and complex within it self, although He is a deep and complex God, it doesn’t mean He is a complicated God.

God our Father didn’t deem it as necessary to make a hundred ways or more to gain access to His Heavenly Kingdom, no, in fact, He has made one. A hundred ways or more would be confusing and simply unnecessary. Instead He has given us one way through the person of Jesus Christ.

It is us who make God confusing and complicated to understand, because of our rebellion and refusal to take God at His word. The Lord said, ” I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). Simple and straight forward. Jesus is the only way. This becomes difficult and confusing and complicated for this simple reason, we don’t want Jesus to be the only way.

We want to be the holders of our own destiny, yes, we believe in Heaven and want to get there, but we want to dictate the terms and conditions by which way we arrive. By denying the fact that Jesus is the only way we not only make it difficult, but we make it impossible to get to the Father. And believe me, there are some who profess to be Bible believing Christians who are telling others that there are many paths to Heaven!

Rebellion = Witchcraft

This aspect of rebellion toward God by confessing Christians comes in the disguise of, New-Age Christians, Christian Hindus, Christian Buddhists, and The New Spirituality all of which combine their religion with Christianity. Not to mention all the “old classics”, such as Catholicism, Mormonism, and the Jehovah Witness, which use tradition above scripture, modern day so-called prophets, new revelations and just some down right weird and outlandish fairy tale type theology. If anyone tells you you can mix Christianity with another religion and still be on good terms with God is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and should be rejected and exposed for what they are, heretics!

Many of these religions say you can pretty much do anything you want, live any way you please, and you will still be allowed access to Heaven. While others say, “You must do this and you can’t do that” and if these “such and such rules aren’t followed” then you will be denied access into Heaven.

Can you see how confusing this can all become to someone who is truly seeking God, the real God of the bible? These ungodly religions are rebellious which is paramount to witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23) and will surely lead a person to everlasting destruction if one chooses to take part in any one of these false religions.

I suggest reading Romans 10:8-13 this is an outline to salvation that is found in the Holy Bible and is not one bit confusing.

Christian___________?

Picture this: Satan and his top leaders are sitting around their strategy table. Satan opens up the meeting with this statement :

“Our time is short, we need some new and fresh ideas that will in fact claim and damn many a soul. All the “old classics” are still working just fine and are alive and well. But because our time is short we must find a way to increase the volume of souls that are to be lost to us forever!”

While all disgust how to improve on the other religions that were already in place as a way of deception and some bragged about how they are using technology in an even greater way than it is already being used to blind the masses, one stood up and said, “Christianity”!

While all became silent and stood dumbfounded he elaborated, “Everything we have in place now is working just fine and since we can’t create anything and all we can do is “twist” what has already been created by God or invented by man, I suggest we just “add Christianity” to whatever it is we already have in place. And since Christians no longer read their Bibles, they will be none the wiser as to what and who they are really worshiping!

So that our ungodly religions and their practices, such as Hinduism, become, “Christian Hinduism”, the New-age becomes, “New-age Christianity! If we do this all the practices that come along with these religions will also change. For example, Yoga, becomes “Christian Yoga”. And because people don’t want to fully surrender their lives to Christ, but want hold on to some of their pagan beliefs and rituals, this can be used in other aspects of a make-believers religious life. Heavy Metal becomes “Christian Metal” and so on. The possibilities are endless”!

It was all Satan needed to hear. Thus Satan has pulled off his greatest trick to date, even greater than when he convinced the world that he didn’t exist.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoid the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

There is so much depth that is associated with our God. The deepness of His love, the deepness of His mercy, the deepness of His forgiveness and the list goes on and on. The above mentioned are just some aspects that I chose to touch upon. The depths of God are wonderful and exciting and should be explored and some things are just simply hard for our finite minds to understand. But there is also a simple comfort that is given to us through scripture that says all we have to do is believe and confess that He is Lord and call on His name and we will be saved. (Romans 10:9,13). To be clear though, this is not just some magical prayer or a mere superficial profession with a simple raise of the hand a walk down the isle and a knell at the alter and we are magically transformed, no, this is someone with a true repentant heart that has recognized they are rebellious and unworthy in the sight of a holy, holy, holy God that hates sin and cannot be in the presence of it. Repentance comes before salvation. If we are unwilling to repent we will remain in our sins until we are willing to do so.

For the one who has not surrendered their life to Jesus Christ, in order to explore the depths of God you must first repent and be born-again (John 3:3). Jesus is the only one who can give you a new life……..seek Him diligently and you will find Him!

As for the truly surrendered, continue to seek and explore the deepness of our God, Lord and Savior, and His Holy Spirit through scripture, prayer and fellowship until we meet Him face to face and then…..we will truly know the depths of His Majesty!

“ARE YOU RADICAL FOR CHRIST?”

What Makes a Christian Radical?

By Ray Delgado

 

What does it mean to be ” radical for the Lord”? Could it be that you wear a T-shirt that says “Jesus is my homeboy”? or maybe it’s because you go to all the christian concerts that come to town. I know what it is! Along with all my “Jesus Rocks” T-shirts and my vast ticket stub collection that proves I was at all them concerts I also have a K-Love and Way-fm bumper sticker on my car right next to my Jesus fish!

Is this what it really means to be radical for the Lord? To have all the  memorabilia and outward appearances of being a Christian? But what if my actions don’t coincide with what I’m portraying through my wardrobe? I mean, what if I’m wearing my “Jesus Rocks” T-shirt, yet I’m going around talking and acting like the rest of the unbelieving world? What if one week I’m lifting up holy hands with all my church buddies at a Hill Song concert and then next week I’m with all my worldly friends banging my head at a Slayer concert? What if people can see your “Jesus Saves” bumper sticker on your car, but do they see the “Save two dollars on your first shot at Bob’s Tavern” coupon that is in your wallet? In other words we can all portray something were really not. I can wear a police costume, does that make me a cop? Of course not!

It’s not what we wear on our bodies or what we put on our cars or what we have in our homes that make us radical for Christ, it’s our obedience to Him and how we live our lives for Him that makes us radical for Christ.

Real Radicalism by Christ

The above statements are not exaggerations. I’m almost willing to bet that a lot of us know someone like this. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with wearing the T-shirts, going to the concerts ( I loves me a good Toby Mac concert every now and then ) or sporting the Jesus bumper stickers, no, in fact I encourage all Christians to represent our Lord openly. What I’m saying is that, “this does not make you a radical Christian”. So what then makes for a radical Christian?

I’ll assume we all know the basic definition for the word radical or at least the most popular definitions for it. These are actually the 2nd and 3rd as listed in the dictionary

They mean:

2). Carried to the utmost limit; extreme.

3). Favoring or effecting extreme or revolutionary changes, as in political organization.

This is exactly the extreme radicalism Jesus brought to the people of His time. His love was extreme, His healings were extreme, the message that He brought was extreme and I would have to say raising the dead was pretty extreme to say the least! He carried the message of the Father to the utmost limit! Not only that but He brought about change to the hearts and minds of those that believed by teaching things that were totally different from the things the religious leaders of that day were teaching. By example, Jesus is the epitome of “Radical”. Read Matthew chapters 5,6 and 7, talk about radical!

But there is another definition of radical and it is listed 1st in the dictionary and it says:

1). Arising from or going to a root or source; basic.

This definition is what I would actually define as “being radical” for Jesus today. In a “Christian culture” that really in truth resembles the culture of “the world” ( namely American culture ) with all the hype and hoopla in the church, we have forgotten the basics of our Christianity and we must get back to the root or source of what Christianity really is, and what that is, is the teachings of Jesus and all the rest of scripture that God has given us. We need to read, study and learn our Bibles again and not just depend on the “christian rock” bands or the “clever little sayings” we see on facebook or the “Top Ten Ways to Better Yourself” books by christian writers to get our theology.

Radical in Action

A real radical for Jesus is the kid who honors and obeys his or her parents and doesn’t drive them to an early grave with a life time of grief and disobedience.

A real radical for Jesus is the couple that abstains from sex until they are married.

A real radical for Jesus is the one who try’s to avoid even the smallest of lies.

A real radical for Jesus is the one who would rather go to a friday night Bible study rather than the latest friday night release at the movie theater.

A real radical for Jesus isn’t ashamed to say “no” to the ungodly things of this world when everybody else is saying yes.

A real radical for Jesus is the one who chooses to live in the reality of the Bible and not by what is seen on “reality t.v.”

This is radical!

Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”.

Believe me in this post-modern day and age keeping Jesus’ commandments and living a life sold out to Him is radical in and of it self.

But even more than that Jesus says in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me”.

The people of Jesus’ day would have know exactly what that meant. The only one’s who carried their own crosses were those who were on their way to die!

Jesus said, “let him deny himself”.

When I see a real attractive women on t.v. or walking down the street do I lust and start to fantasize, or do I “deny myself”?

When I find a wallet stuffed with money and has the I.D. in it, do I keep it or do I “deny myself”?

When I just don’t feel like going to work do I call in and say I’m sick or do I “deny myself”?

When I’m supposed to be at church at 11:00, but the football game is on at the same time, do I watch the game or do I “deny myself”?

When a car cuts me off, do I curse the driver to high heaven or do I “deny myself”?

If we didn’t have the “Jesus wear” the “bumper stickers” or the “concerts” to go to would the world still be able to recognize that we are radical followers of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior solely by the way that we live. Or are we content with just being walking billboards that promote Jesus as our “homie” who we can slap on the back and just expect Him to turn a blind eye to our sin, instead of respectfully acknowledging Him as our King and Master whom we should fall on our face to and repent?

If the only way I can say that I am radical for Jesus is by putting on a T-shirt that says “I am Radical for Jesus” than I have some very serious heart issues that I need to sort out.

I’m pretty sure the passage says, “By their fruit you will recognize them” ( Matthew 7:16 ) NIV

This can not be changed to “by their shirts you will recognize them”.

Lets wear our Jesus T-shirts with a reverent and humble pride that represents our Lord. If we are going to advertise, lets know exactly who it is we are advertising. Let us be ready in and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2)

When someone cuts you off in traffic, let the “I love Jesus” bumper sticker be the thing they see and remember and not your middle finger.

The next time you go to a concert and all the lights are shining and the band is playing remember who the true star of the show is and who your worship and admiration should be directed at.

The poor, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted, for these are the true radicals! (Matthew 5:3-11