A few years ago, my brother-in-law Kepa and I rented some horses and went riding in the mountains between Madrid and Segovia, Spain. This is one of my favorite areas. We rode into the forest and all of a sudden we ran into some bulls; fighting bulls that are used in the bull ring! Alarmed, […]

The Pharisees received a strong rebuke because they loved the praise that comes from men more than the praise that comes from God.1One Pharisee prayed, thanking God that he wasn’t like other men, especially like the sinner standing next to him who was praying a prayer of repentance.2 I can be even worse than that. […]

In Acts 15, the Apostle Paul is found in a moment of decision. Where should he go next to preach the Gospel? Paul had to deal with two powerful influences in making this decision: 1) What will people say? and 2) What about biblical principles? These are two influences we usually consider when we have […]

Ever since the beginning, God had a close friendship with Adam. The Lord really enjoyed this communion with him during the daily walks they enjoyed in the garden. This friendship with man is something that God likes a lot. But… the saddest day in history arrived and God lost His intimacy with His friend — […]

Two friends of mine who have earned their degrees in Hebrew, tell me that the words we choose when we speak affect our thought process. I am afraid they are right. A good example of this is when we call the building we congregate in “the church”. This affects the way we see that place. […]

I have dedicated myself to being sensitive and obedient to the Spirit for years now. I want to be led by the Spirit in the sermons I preach, in what I say to people when I am witnessing and generally, in everything I do. One of the foundational scriptures for my life and ministry says […]

Of course, the central point of Christianity is Jesus and not me. I am saying that “of course” to myself here. My heart is deceitful above all things and to top it off, desperately wicked.1 That verse in Jeremiah continues with the question, “Who can know it?”1 My heart deceives not only others, but even […]

For me, the scariest sin is pride. It scares me because it is so deceitful. When I sin in other ways — for example when I am unfair to Marisa — I feel bad. But when I fall into pride, I feel great! Someone once said that pride is the only disease that makes everyone […]

All of us believe that God loves us unconditionally. However, when we speak words like “Nothing you could do would make God love you less.” it suddenly is not just an abstract idea, it becomes a risky truth. License is a dangerous possibility under grace. The Epistles are just as hard on people who abuse […]

C. S. Lewis said in his book, Mere Christianity, “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. You find out the strength of a wind by walking against it, not by lying down.” Often Christians who sincerely want to please God make the big mistake of believing […]