Healing is your birthright and it is yours

  BY Argie Simonis  

"by whose stripes you were healed." 1Peter 2:24

How many times have you wondered: Is God healing today, and if so, where is it? How can I experience it?

You think healing works, but you do not know how.

You may know someone who hopes and waits for healing, but it does not happen. Maybe this someone is you. This is definitely something that can shake your faith, but there is something very important for you to know:

Healing is part of the salvation "package" of our Christ's redemptive work on the cross. See what the apostle Peter says here:

"Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." 1Peter 2:24

Jesus was wounded to provide healing for you! It is one of the things the Lord has redeemed for us through His sacrifice. The problem is that many do not allow the Bible to correct their wrong theology, such as:

"God heals but not all the time. Sometimes it is not His will "

But how can you disagree with the above statement of Peter, who actually speaks in the past tense? Healing has already been provided.

Many people believe that God wants them to be healthy, but they do not understand how it works. I do not understand everything either. I have not reached my final destination yet, but I have started my journey and I have seen awesome miracles with my own eyes! My wife Peggy and I have been members of a large church prayer group and have been praying regularly for the sick for the past 10 years.

We have seen patients tearing up the formal cancer diagnoses papers because they have been healed, people with Parkinson's with severe mobility problems getting up from the wheelchair and worshiping the Lord, dangerous food intolerances and allergies leaving (for example celiac disease), unequal legs lengthening and coming to their normal length and so much more.

What I do know for sure is that the Lord is healing today. Healing is in His will and He has already redeemed it on the cross. As a child of His, healing is your family right and the more you understand His Word and His promises, the more you will experience it in your own life!

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" Prov. 23:7

This is how I fight my battles

  BY Argie Simonis  

In the 2nd Chronicles in chapter 20 we read an awesome story. See how this story unfolds:

You have given many battles in your life and you will be called to give many more. Learn to fight the right way!

Enemies surround the city and King Jehoshaphat is warned:

"There comes a great multitude against you" (verse 2)

Jehoshaphat fears and declares a fast to all the people. (verse 3)

The people gather and in verse 6 the king proclaims:

" O LORD God of our fathers, are not you God in heaven? and rule not you over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in your hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand you?" 2Chron. 20:6

Jehoshaphat continues to exalt the name of the Lord and to remind Him (and to himself) how much the Lord stood by them in the past and all of His promises to them.

In verse 12 the king makes a statement:

"for we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are on you." 2Chr. 20:12

As soon as he finishes his sentence, the Spirit of the Lord comes and speaks through the prophet Jeiel, encourages the people and declares:

"You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you." 2Chron. 20:17

The most beautiful part of this story is here:

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endures for ever." 2Chron. 20:21

And the story ends like this:

"And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets to the house of the LORD. And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel." 2Chron. 20:28-29

Praise God! Blessed be His name for ever and ever!

What is Heresy? Red flags we need to be aware of.

 BY Argie Simonis  

I have a burdance from the Lord for a long time to  write this and I will try to be very careful with this matter, because it is easy to create misunderstandings. Let me also emphasize that I will not talk about specific denominations or churches, but about teachings. This is very important, and everyone can draw their own conclusions.

Let's start with the definition of heresy, as I found in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary:

Heresy is "the observance of a religious opinion contrary to the doctrine of the Church" and

"disagreement or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion or practice". ~

I think this is a good starting point because we have two key elements. A dominant position and an opposite position. As far as religion is concerned, any belief or practice that is contrary to the official position of the Church is considered heretical.

So we must be very careful before rushing to characterize someone as a heretic, but at the same time we must always be vigilant so as not to be carried away by any kind of wind of heretical teaching.

I will list red flags that we must watch out for so that we can distinguish right from wrong, right teaching from heresy.

First of all, I want to emphasize that a heretic is not necessarily someone who does not follow specific ceremonies or decrees of the Law, because the Law prophesied the end of himself and the conclusion of a better will:

"Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;" Rom. 3:19-21

The apostle Paul believed everything that was written in the Law and in the prophets, but he went beyond them to something better, in the New Testament that Jesus put into effect. He was even accused of being a heretic:

"But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:" Acts 24:14

The Pharisees did the same to Jesus himself, when they accused him of not keeping the Sabbath, which was one of the 10 commandments:

"Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." John 5:18

The same thing happens when they accuse the Lord's disciples of eating ears of corn because they were hungry:

"But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Behold, your disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath day." Mat. 12:2

Paul also explains this shadow of the things to come here:

"​Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ​Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Col. 2:17

After reading these, one will surely ask: What is heresy after all?

I will list some very important points which are red flags and we should be able to recognize them in order to protect ourselves and others from this danger.

- 1. I have mentioned it in some of my older posts, and I consider it the number one red flag:

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:Of sin, because they believe not on me;" John 16:9

The only sin that will send someone to hell is not believing in Jesus. All other sins can be forgiven because they have been paid on the cross.

So any teaching that promises salvation through other means, such as through works, rituals, or a person who is "the messenger of God" on earth is considered heretical.

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

-2. The denial of God directly or indirectly, as well as the denial that Christ came in the flesh, or also the teaching that Christ came only as a Spirit:

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction." 2Peter 2:1

"Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also." 1John 2:22-23

"Hereby know you the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:" 1Ιωάν. 4:2"And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." 1John 4:2-3

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Jude 1:4

- 3. The denial of Jesus or the Holy Spirit as an equal member of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

---- I will start first with the Deity of Jesus: ----

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

"But to the Son he said, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom." Hebrews 1:8

"And Thomas answered and said to him, My LORD and my God." John 20:28

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." 1Ιωάν. 5:20

---- And for the Deity of the Holy Spirit: -----

Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit, the Helper, was different from Himself. The Father would send the Helper (Paraklitos), the Spirit of truth, after the departure of Christ. The Spirit would speak through them about Jesus (John 14: 25–26, 15: 26–27, 16: 7–15).

The Holy Spirit is a person, he was present in Creation, as is the Son (the Word) (Gen. 4: 2-3), He has emotions and we must honor Him as the Father and the Son:

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30

"But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?" Acts 5:3

"Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot." Acts 8:29

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Rom. 8:2

"But all these works that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1Cor. 12:11

"But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God." 1Cor. 2:10-11

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:14

The Holy Spirit has life (Romans 8: 2), He has emotions (Ephesians 4:30), He has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11), He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2: 10-11), He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14)  and is omnipresent (Psalm 139: 7). A simple power could not possess all these characteristics, but the Holy Spirit possesses them.

And the personality of the Holy Spirit is confirmed by His role as the third person of the Godhead. Only a person who is equal to God (Matthew 28:19) and has the characteristics of omniscience, omnipresence and eternity could be defined as God.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that what the devil always wants but will never obtain, is the worship and adoration that belong exclusively to the One and only God. Anything else that occupies this position is considered idolatry and is condemned by His Word.

These 3 general categories or "red flags" are the basic criteria for recognizing heretical teachings. Once we find them we do not need to enter into further discussions or disputes over minor issues.

"As I sought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that you might charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." 1Tim. 1:4

"But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself rather to godliness." 1Tim. 4:7

I hope this study will help identify and remove them from the body of Christ and from your heart.

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 2Cor. 10:5

What is Truth?

 BY Argie Simonis  

What is  truth after all? Is there only one truth or is the truth different for everyone, depending on how someone perceives it?

You know, truth is not an abstract concept. Truth is a person and has a name:

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Jesus did not say, "I am a way, a truth, and a life." He stated that He was the only way, Truth and Life. This means that there are not many paths to God. Some people play with words and claim that Jesus is the only way to the Father, but there are many "ways" you can come to Jesus. Philip, who had the question of meeting the Father, received his answer:

"Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffises us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how say you then, Show us the Father?" John 14:8-9

Christianity is not just another religion. It is our relationship with the living God and the only method of salvation God has offered us:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12

Jesus' claims about Himself left no room for other means of salvation. Either he was the One who said he was or He was the greatest fraud of all time.

We are living in the last days. Philosophies and worldviews through the media are spreading at record speeds! But the Lord warns us:

"​Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. 2:8

And something else very important. As we walk towards the end, the gray scale will disappear. There will be only white and black. Hot or cold. This is what the Spirit says in the Church of Laodicea:

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." Rev. 3:15-16

You are called to make the most important decision of your life. Your days on earth are numbered. At some point your physical body will end up in the grave and become dust. But your soul and your spirit are eternal. It's up to you where you will spend this eternity:

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live:" Deut. 30:19

"For whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13

Let no man judge you

 BY Argie Simonis

"​Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" Col. 2:16 

The Pharisees constantly criticized  people for all the above issues. The Bible stated that a person who disobeyed these laws was to be put to death. But Christ took all these laws and nailed them to His cross (Colossians 2:14), thus freeing us from keeping them.

Obeying all the laws of the Old Testament is an unbearable burden for many Christians today, for those who are unaware that they are living in the New Testament era, a New Covenant the Lord made with us, no longer based on our own performance, but on His grace. 

Look at what Paul says to Timothy:

"Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

1Τιμ. 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." 1Τιm. 4:1-5 

As Paul writes in Col. 2:16, we are also redeemed from keeping the Sabbath, because according to our New Testament with God, we now live in a continual Sabbath (Heb. 4: 3-9 and Col. 2:17). If this passage did not exist in Colossians 2: 14-16, then we would all have to be Seventh-day Adventists. Thank God this is not the case.

Only God can take away what is written in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. God told Israel to distinguish between clean and unclean food in order to distinguish between Jews and Gentiles (Deuteronomy 14: 2 and 21)

According to the New Testament, the wall separating the Jews from the Gentiles has been broken so that everyone has equal access to God:

"For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; 

For through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Eph. 2:14-15,18 

God hears and answers prayers whether we have eaten pork or not, whether we have worshiped Him on a particular day or not.

Paul made it clear that the observance of the holy days was an individual decision that can neither be imposed nor forbidden to others:

"One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

He that regards the day, regards it to the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks." Rom. 14:5-6 

The dietary laws, the feasts, the offerings of the new moon and the Sabbath, all represented Christ and what He would do (Hebrews 4). Now that we have Christ in us, all these things have served their purpose and are no longer need to be kept.

"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteems any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

But if your brother be grieved with your meat, now walk you not charitably. Destroy not him with your meat, for whom Christ died." Rom. 14:13-15

Let not your heart be troubled

  BY Argie Simonis

"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1

 

The Lord said not to be troubled by rumors of wars.

"And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Matt. 24:6

By our logic this seems completely absurd. How could we not worry about all the wars that are happening around us? The answer lies in the fact that God has complete control and the last word in human affairs, and has assured us of His complete, final victory and the way in which it will happen. The earth is not going to be destroyed by a mad man that will press a button, or by the greenhouse effect, or by the so-called global warming.

The Lord Himself will destroy this earth:

"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved to fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:7 

and will create a new Ηeaven and a New Earth (Revelation 21:1) and correct all unrighteousness as He judges the world (Revelation 20:11-15). Those of us who believe in these promises of God have no reason to worry or fear. 

We live our lives like a movie that we know it's end!

And something else very important:

It is up to us to control our heart. Not by our own power, but by the power of God. How do we do that?

"you believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1

Remember that Jesus said these words to His disciples the night before His crucifixion. In other words, even in the difficulties they were going to experience, he told them not to let their hearts be troubled. This reveals the power we have over our emotions. It would be unfair on the part of the Lord to ask His disciples for something they could not do.

When we let our emotions uncontrolled, only problems will arise. Most battles in our lives are won or lost from the first moment, depending on how we allow our emotions to work. God is the One who created us with emotions. We are humans and not machines. But we must harness them with the help of God so that they act for us and not against us.

The Word became flesh

  BY Argie Simonis

Philip had a question:

"Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffises us.

Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how say you then, Show us the Father?" John 14:8-9

Look what's happening here! Philip was looking at God in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16) and was not satisfied. If Jesus does not please you, then what or who will? Philip believed that seeing the heavens open and being able to look at God sitting on the throne would be enough, but Jesus answers that seeing Him is as good as seeing the Father. Awesome!

We cannot know God only in the physical realm. We must also know Him through the Spirit.

"God is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). 

If they knew Jesus in the spirit, they would need nothing more. They had him in front of them and they just did not understand what they had.

Philip asked basically the same thing that Moses asked at Exodus 33:18 to 34:8. The difference was that Moses did not have Jesus standing before him like Philip. Jesus is the perfect image of the Father in the flesh (Hebrews 1: 3). There is no better manifestation of God than what Jesus Himself gave us. Having open skies and seeing Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father is exactly the same as looking at God through Jesus.

And it is not the physical flesh of Jesus that revealed the image of God. Jesus was simply the body in which God dwelt. What trully revealed  God the Father was the actions and words of Jesus.

We get the same revelation by knowing Jesus through His Word, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

"And Thomas answered and said to him, My LORD and my God. 

Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:28-29 

Our Lord and God are one. If the Father and the Son are not the same, then we would not worship one God.

The prophet Isaiah says:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 

All these names used by Isaiah belong to the one and only true God. What is clearer than this to understand that the Son and the Father are one and the same? There are many references in the Bible that support this. I just quoted some of them.

We are created in the image and likeness of God. We have a spirit, a body and a soul but we are one entity. So is God.

God is one. He is a Spirit and he was clothed with a human body, he became flesh to reveal Himself to us. We must not see the tree and miss the forest.

I wish the mystery of deity as Paul writes in 1 Tim. 3:16 to be revealed to all, because this topic has caused great confusion and division in the body of Christ, and does not give glory to the Lord.

We need to be very careful with this, because " all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.  He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which has sent him." John 5:23 

Which sin sends someone to hell?

  BY Argie Simonis

This is a question that concerns a lot of people. The answer can be found here:

"And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Of sin, because they believe not on me". John 16:8-9

The Holy Spirit does not bring conviction to man's conscience for "anything he does wrong", but for something very specific: That he has not believed in Jesus.

For example, if you do not tithe to the church or give to others, the Spirit of God will not convict you for stinginess, but for your lack of trust in God for your finances. Every sin we commit has its root in not believing on Jesus and resting in relationship with Him.

The sin of Adam and Eve was not that they ate the forbidden fruit, but that they did not trust in the goodness of God. They believed in the devil's lie that God was keeping something from them:

"For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Gen 3:5

David said:

"Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight" Psalm 51:4

The Lord also told David when he became an adulterer and murderer that he despised Him (2 Samuel 12:10). The real root of David's sin was against God and not against Uriah and Bathsheba.

Joseph kept his virginity when he said to Potiphar's wife:

"how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Gen. 39.9

The reason we should not steal is because this action reveals a lack of trust in God as our source.

The real reason we do not commit adultery is because this act reveals that we do not believe in the Lord when He said that from the beginning God made them male and female and that they would both become one flesh (Mark 10: 6-8). We are not satisfied with what the Lord has given us and we are not full of God's love. If we were, we would not look to find someone else to fill this gap.

The real temptation for Jesus was not to turn the stone into bread, but to disbelieve  God. His Father had just told him in an audible voice from heaven that Jesus was His Son and that He was pleased with Him (Matthew 3:17 and Luke 3:22).

Satan began his temptation by saying: "If you are the Son of God ..."

The devil was trying to get Jesus to prove His identity in a completely different way from what God had said about Him. The devil uses exactly the same tactics today when he tries to tempt us.

In Hebrews 4:15 he says that "He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Here one may wonder how this is possible? Jesus was not tempted by drugs, for example. But he was tempted by unbelief. Unbelief to Jesus is the root of all sin, and Jesus endured it in all its expressions.

There are only three main areas where Satan can entice us with unbelief:

"the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life". 1 John 2:16 

Jesus endured all three of these temptations. Therefore, we conclude that according to John. 16:8, the mission of the Holy Spirit is to convict us for the only sin that can send someone to hell:

"because they do not believe in Me".

Do not postpone for tomorrow the most important decision of your life that you can make today for your salvation!

"I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2Cor. 6:2 

Amen 🙏

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Why do we sin?

 BY Argie Simonis

Before I get into the explanation of why someone sins, I will make an introduction that I believe will help. Let us see what the apostle Paul tells us:

"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." Rom. 7:15 

These words of Paul have created many controversies. Does he describe himself before his conversion or perhaps the carnality that still existed within him after all these years of walking with the Lord? Does it describe a situation that has already been dealt with through the new birth, or did he say that even mature Christians are doomed to a life of schizophrenia, (that is, a split mind) where part of us wants to serve God and part of us wants to serve the devil?

Basically, it is none of the above. What Paul is explaining here is the inability to serve God with our own strength, either lost or saved. Paul describes the vanity of trying to gain God's favor through our own ability, whether we are Christians or not. This is the main theme of the letter to the Romans.

Paul did not live a life of constant failure where he could not achieve the good he wanted to do, but he did the evil he did not want to do. He did not live such a life because he no longer lived, but the Christ who lived in him and the fruit of that was the holiness in his life:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20

From the moment you give up your dependence on Christ and try to live a christian life with your own strength, then you experience the situation that Paul describes in Romans 7:15-24

Therefore, to answer the question I asked at the beginning of the message, "Why does someone sin?" I will say this:

We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.

The sinful nature of man inherited from Adam is what makes one sin, but from the moment someone is born again he becomes a new creature:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor. 5:17

His nature changes because he receives the Spirit of God, and the reason he continues to sin is the unrenewed mind, because although the sinful nature left, it left behind a "carcass" of bad habits and distorted mentality, which only with meditation and submission to the Word of God can go away, through the renewal of the mind:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2 

Unfortunately there is ignorance in the matter of sin conscience as described in Heb. 10:2 and eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12). Sin can now enter body and soul, but not the born-again spirit which sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise:

"In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" Eph. 1:13 

Here comes the good news of the Gospel. Because of the weakness of our flesh, we cannot satisfy God on our own, which is why He did it for us through our Christ:

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" Rom. 8:3 

All we have to do is accept this redemptive work of our Lord and receive it in faith. Blessed be His name!

Amen.

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The power of Hope

 BY Argie Simonis

Love and faith are usually more important than hope. I would say that the concept of hope has been misunderstood. Hope is more important than faith, because faith without hope can not exist:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for..." Hebrews 11:1

"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." Romans 8:24-25 

In other words, hope means that you are looking at something that you cannot see. How can you do this? God has given us the ability of imagination, the ability to see with our heart things that our eyes can not see.

Have you ever thought that without this ability to imagine you could not even go home? This is because before you start, you "see" in your mind the way in the form of pictures.

Basically, we think with pictures. If I tell you the word "apple" you will not see the letters a-p-p-l-e, but you will literally "see" an apple. The better description I give you for this apple (red, big, glossy, etc.) the better this picture will be shaped inside you. You can not think of anything without first imagining it.

The formal definition of imagination is defined as the ability of iconography. I want to emphasize here that hope is very different from daydreaming or optimism or fantasy. Hope is not just a positive thought. Whenever the Bible speaks of imagination, or meditation of the heart in a positive way, it uses the word "hope". 

When Paul spoke of hope, he saw things with his heart. He took the promises of God, and through those promises, he saw himself succeeding in what he did.

Unfortunately, many people do not realize how important this is and they allow their imagination to be controlled by other things and see themselves failing. They see themselves as poor or sick.

But when you "see" and visualise within yourself God's promises for you, you will wait patiently (Rom. 8:25).

Those who have a negative imagination are the ones who quit and give in to their problems. They always see the negative side because they have no hope. Your life is determined by the way you think:

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" Prov. 23:7

Our imagination works like the soil. Whatever seed you sow, it will sprout. In the same way, the imagination captures something and makes it happen, whether it is positive or negative. It is something like a spiritual womb.

If we do not allow the Word of God to shape our imagination, the unbelief of the world will destroy it.

There is great power in hope. In fact, it is more important than faith and follows right after love:

"And now stays faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Cor. 13:13 

If at this moment you are in hoplesness and despair, if you only see problems that come and choke you every day, I pray the Lord to help you focus on all the good that He has for you. I pray the hope will start burning inside of you. Hope in Him "who is the Christ in you, the hope of glory"! Col. 1:27

The LORD gives and takes away

BY Argie Simonis

I would like to comment on the words of Job, which have become a "cliché" in the christian world: 

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away" Job 1:21

This provides an easy "escape" to justify a tragedy that we can neither explain nor understand why it happened. The cost is unfortunately high, because God is ultimately blamed for something he has not done.

It is true that the Lord really gives and takes away:

"to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no ficklenss, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

"​Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" Col. 2:14

"Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5 

All these passages from the Bible (and many more that exist) are proof that our Lord is good and has only good doses for us.

Let us not forget that Job was under a different covenant than we are today:

"But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Heb.8:6

Job also admits his mistake:

"Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not." Job 42:3 

"Why I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:6 

We have wrongly attributed all the responsibility for the evil that is happening today to the source of Good. Job repents of this distorted image he had of God, and many of us must follow his example. We have wrongly attributed all the responsibility for the evil that is happening today to the source of Good because we forget that there is a devil out there:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour" 1 Peter 5:8 

Our God is good. We see the fullness of His character in the love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and not in the tragedy of grief and loss. So the next time you experience a deep loss, see that God is by your side and can bring light even in the darkest days. We may not know why something is being taken away from our lives, but we can be sure that God is not the source of our tragedy.

Amen!

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The goodness of God leads to repentance

 BY Argie Simonis

"Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" Romans 2:4 

This statement of Paul brought a great reaction to the Pharisees and the religious leaders of that time and it continues to have the same effect on today's "Pharisees", all these religious people who continue to live under the letter of the Law. They believe that God's goodness and love are not enough to lead one to repentance and that the fear of punishment is superior as a motive.

It is true that we all respond to fear. This is true even for someone who is not a Christian, but John writes in his letter that "fear has torment":

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." 1John 4:18 

When you respond to God out of fear, you are yielding yourself to a daily torment of thoughts of doubt, condamnation, and guilt about whether or not you have done enough to please Him. Fear may push you closer to God, but His love always excels and brings much better results, without the side effects of torment that comes with fear.

Do you know what happens When you seek God out of fear? You will only pray in difficult times and as soon as the storm passes God suddenly goes from top to bottom on your list of priorities. But when you approach God because of His goodness, you will recognize that He is the source of your success and you will continue to seek Him and serve Him in both good and bad days.

That is why Paul emphasizes the importance of renewing our mind and aligning it with the Word of God:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2