Month: April 2014
Siguiendo a Dios a Nuestra Manera
Muchos creen que pueden seguir a Dios a su manera. Que pueden continuar con sus malas palabras, fornicaciones, borracheras, vulgaridades y violencias y seguir a Dios conjuntamente con sus estilos de vida vergonzosos.
Se han creído un Evangelio sin responsabilidades propias, sin necesidad de arrepentimiento, un Evangelio que no demanda cambios y que no pide perdón. Para ellos será un rudo y grotesco despertar cuando se den cuenta de su error.
No es que seamos perfectos, pero vamos tras la perfección. No es que seamos santos, pero vamos tras la santidad. No es que sepamos todos los misterios de la palabra de Dios, pero la estudiamos como si fuera oxígeno para nuestros espíritu.
La Biblia nos dice en Mateo 7:21,
No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos. (Reina Valera 1960)
En este mundo lo que verdaderamente es importante es la voluntad de Dios; no tus opiniones ni las mías. ¡Ayúdanos Señor!
Short Word For Good Friday
Whether Jesus died on a day like today or not is not really the point; what we know is that he did indeed died. Today as I mediated on this event I felt that the Holy Spirit took me to the four things that happened immediately after Christ’s death. Matthew 27:50-52 tells us,
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; (NKJV)
We see four things happening here,
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The Veil was torn in two from top to bottom.
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An earthquake took place.
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The rocks split
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Many bodies were raised from the death.
I believe that these four things are very significant.
The broken veil is the announcement of a new way of doing business with God. No longer do we communicate to God through a man, but we now have the freedom to go to God on our own.
The earthquake is symbolic of Jesus shaking the secular world.
The rock splitting is symbolic of Jesus destroying every false religion in the world. Only Jesus is the rock.
Lastly, the many bodies that came back to life are symbolic of our Lord who came to give abundance life. Only Christ can give life.
Happy Good Friday!
The Most Important After God
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Genesis 18:17-19 (NKJV)
With a single man God created a nation; the only recorder nation directly created and established by God in the world, Israel.
Abraham is recognized as the father of our faith. The Muslim religion also recognized Abraham as the father of their faith.
This article is not about Abraham’s amazing call, but about why he was chosen. The key is found on Genesis 18:19, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”
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God knew Abraham: That means they had a relationship. This establishes that our number one love, our number one relationship and our number one commitment is the Lord. However, this is not necessarily the reason why God called Abraham,
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The reason God chose Abraham was because God knew that Abraham was not going to neglect his family. He knew that Abraham was going to minister to his children and his household in general.
Beloved, after God is family. How many times have you heard this? But now you see it directly in the Word. Abraham was bless by God, but he was call to be a blessing. In Genesis 12:2-3 you see that dramatic call,
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (NKJV)
We see that God’s people are called for greatness. We see that we are a blessed people. But we can’t miss that God is calling us to be so bless that we are able to be a blessing to others. The first people that we need to bless are our own families. Galatians 6:9 tells us,
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (NKJV)
We are called to be a blessing to everyone, but especially to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. If the people we live with, our spouses and children are Christians, they become number one after God. If they are not believers we must understand that the family of believers comes first. Jesus gave us an example in Matthew 12:46-50,
46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”
48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (NKJV)
In this life, when everything is set and done, only two things will prove to be important, #1. What did you do with Jesus? And, #2. What did you do with your family? Beloved, surrender your life to God, place Him first and, after God, give priority to your family.
Many are placing their education, career, friends, time searching the net, Facebook, Twitter, etc. above their own families. It is time to stop! Close that laptop! Put that phone away and have a good quality time with your love ones. Don’t wait until they are gone to realize how much you love them…Do it now!
What else can I say? I hope you, at least, thing about these things. God bless you!
La Más Importante Relación: No la Descuides
Imagínate tener una esposa con la cual nunca hablas. Imagínate tener hijos e hijas los cuales nunca ves. ¿Podrías desarrollar una amistad profunda con alguna persona sin ningún tipo de comunicación ni contacto? Lamentablemente, esto describe la relación que muchos tienen con Dios.
¿Te podrías imaginar como padre o como madre que siempre que tus hijos te hablaran te hablaran solo para pedirte algo? Lamentablemente, esta es la relación de muchos con Dios.
Hay otros que tratan de tener una relación con Dios solo a través de libros escritos por otros. Entiende que yo recomiendo que el Cristiano lea lo que otros Cristianos, de buena reputación, escriben sobre diferentes temas.
A mi mismo me agrada leer y escribir para conocimiento propio y para bendecir a mis hermanos. Mas libros y artículos son solo herramientas que no deben tomar el lugar de tu relación directa e individual con Dios. Nuestra relación con Dios no puede ser delegada.
Estos son tiempos muy difíciles y de gran confusión. La Palabra de Dios debe ser la que confirma o no cualquier argumento o cualquier situación que estemos confrontando, no lo que diga este o lo que diga este otro.
La palabra de Dios no necesita ningún otro libro ni la opinión de ningún hombre. Jesús es la Palabra y nadie se podrá nunca comparar a la excelencia de dicha palabra.
Los Mormones han establecido que El Libro de los Mormones tiene tanta autoridad como la Biblia, los Musulmanes también establecen lo mismo con su libro, el Corán. Estos son mentiras del diablo.
Desarrolla tu relación con Dios, conoce la verdad por ti mismo. Escucha de Dios y confirma que lo que oyes es de Dios. No todo lo que escuchamos es de Dios. Toda palabra que escuchamos debe ser confirmada a boca dos o tres testigos maduros en el Señor y también se debe confirmar a través de la Biblia. Si lo que escuchaste contradice la Biblia, eso no es de Dios.
No hay otra relación en el mundo más importante. No hay otra relación en el mundo que pueda satisfacer tu alma.
¡Dios te ama¡ ¿Tienes una relación con Él? El espera por ti; Él es el único Dios que quiere hablar directamente contigo; Él es el único que se humilló y dio su vida por ti. Ahora mismo, ahí en donde estás, si no le conoces personalmente, repite estás palabras,
“Oh Señor Jesús, perdóname por mis pecados. Me arrepiento ahora mismo. Ven a mi corazón, habita en mi, dame tu precioso Espíritu Santo y recíbeme en la familia de Cristo. Ven y toma control de mi vida y enséñame tus caminos.”
Para ti que ya eres Cristiano, comienza a darle las gracias a Dios y alábale.
Para preguntas escríbeme a angelcasiano@aol.com
Dios los bendiga,
Angel Casiano
From Democrat to Republican to Independent Conservative to Fed-up II
“My Political Journey”
I will always agree with low taxes, a friendly environment for job creation, strong military, less government intervention in our lives and freedom in general. I will always prefer a job rather than a government program, unless a government program is absolutely necessary; if it is necessary, it should be temporary.
I will always see God as my provider and my hope will never be the government. The government is limited; God is not. Government, by nature is something that is not approved by God according to First Samuel 8. The reason I make this emphasis on jobs over government programs is because the Bible tells us in Second Thessalonians 3:10,
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (NKJV)
I happen to work as an Employment Specialist with disabled men and women. Many fought very hard to give the disable a chance in the work force. Many are a great inspiration for us. That leaves very little excuse for the rest of us. The principle of working is not conservative; it is a Biblical.
Now lets get into why I am fed up with Conservatism also. Something about the reaction of the conservatives on the invasion of Russia over Ukraine and Rush Limbaugh and his constant promotion of his two best sellers books, Rush Revere and the First Patriots and Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, did not sit well with my spirit.
How can the United States criticize Russia in any way? Have the conservatives taken a closer look at their own history? Do the conservatives remember that the US took over half of Mexico in the Mexican – American war? A study of this war will infuriate and shame you as an American. Can you imagine if Mexico decides to take the portion of this nation that was theirs back by force? Can you imagine if Mexico was a stronger nation? Would we defend our land?
Well, that’s what the United States did to Mexico; the United States, a stronger nation, decided that the land they had was too small, that they needed to expand to the west all the way to the Pacific Ocean. So on the spring of 1846, under the leadership of President James K. Polk, they provoked a war against Mexico. We crossed their border and the Mexican killed a few American soldiers as they were defending their country. After this event the United States declared war against Mexico. Abraham Lincoln said about this war,
“unnecessarily and unconstitutionally commenced.”
A year later the United States took half of the Mexican nation. Have you ever wondered why this war, that gave the US more in return than any other war, is practically ignored? That is because it was shameful, it is shameful and it will be forever shameful. You will never hear a conservative speak about this war.
America’s dealing with slavery was awful, we all know that, but it does not stop there. Do you know of the US’s treatment of the Natives in Alaska? Do you know how the United States took over Hawaii? Do you know about how the United States took over Puerto Rico? If you don’t know these stories and just listen to Rush Limbaugh, you would think that the United States has never done anything wrong. But that is not the truth.
Rush explained in his program that he is on a mission to tell our young people the truth of our history. The patriotism of this man is a key characteristic of conservatism. They are proud to be Americans and that is good, but I have a problem with ignorance and arrogance.
All of us, me included, have an ugly side. It is important to acknowledge that. When President Obama went on his famous “Apology Tour” I noticed that the conservatives were deeply offended.
In the eyes of the conservatives, this nation has done nothing wrong, we are perfect. Actually, they like to use a term that deeply disturbed me, they refer to the United States as being exceptional, and they call it “American Exceptionalism”. Perhaps this is what disturbs me the most about Conservatism.
The problem that I have with this term is that it is clearly implying that Americans are better than everyone else. That does not sit well with me because it is not Biblical. The Bible tells us in Romans 2:11
“For there is no respect of persons with God.” (KJV)
Perhaps that is the reason why the Republicans, whom, for the most part identify themselves with the conservative ideology, have and will always have a hard time winning minority votes. Think about the T-Party, how many minorities do you see there? How can I, as a minority, march with the T-Party knowing that at the heart of their ideology they think they are better than me?
My deepest concern with America looking at herself that way is that it leaves no room for repentance before God. Without repentance we can’t be saved. We must repent as a nation for our sins and the injustices we have committed.
Beloved, this nation has two faces, one is the church and the other is the political America. No doubts that God gave America a special call on this earth. God poured out His Spirit in this nation in a way that, outside of Israel, no other nation could even come close. However, we as nation have moved away from God. Politically speaking, this nation stands as one of the biggest hypocrites in the history of the world.
The United States actually saw herself as the new Israel in the world. They justified taking the land from other nations because God was telling them to do so. The problem is that God can’t lie. The battle against Spain to take Puerto Rico was a lie fabricated by Americans just like the Mexican – American war.
I am very concerned about these things that I am discovering about conservatism because there is a tendency to believe that Conservatism is Christian; some are proud to call themselves Christian Conservative; but in their ignorance they are allying themselves with a mere imperfect man-made ideology.
So what do I do now? Do I stop voting? Do I stop getting involved in the political process? Perhaps, but I must keep my eyes open. The Lord may give us another Josiah. In the process, I never stop praying and I must always keep the prospective that I do not belong to this kingdom, but that I belong to the Kingdom of God. I am a part of the great church; a church that will be glorious, spotless, pure and ready for the coming of our Lord. My hope is in that promise, not on our next President.
From Democrat to Republican to Independent Conservative to Fed-up
I was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1968. My parents were born and raised in Puerto Rico, specifically in a small town call Guánica. Guánica happens to be the town where the Americans came in, in 1898.
Like many Puertorrican, my parents moved to Brooklyn, New York in search of the American Dream. I completed kinder garden and First Grade in Brooklyn before my parents moved permanently to Puerto Rico in the summer of 1975.
My grandfather, Angel Casiano, did not have much education, but he loved to read the Newspaper and loved to talk politics. My dad, Luis A. Casiano, also loved to talk about politics. Since I could remember I was always around political conversations. Boy, the passion, the arguments and, at times, the fights were interesting and hilarious.
From left to right Ruben Berrios (1), Rafael H. Colón (3) and Carlos R. Barceló (4)
I remember walking into public places and seen signs that prohibited people to talk about Politics and Religion. However, people talk about these topics anyway.
Politics in Puerto Rico is different from politics in the United States. Puerto Rican politics focus on our relationship with the United States. Some want to become the 51th state, some want to be completely independent from the United States and some want to keep things as they are.
When I was in college I took a political class that gave me some foundation in the main political ideologies and US Government. I loved that class!
In college my political hero was Ruben Berrios, from the party that wanted Puerto Rico to be independent from the United States. During my time in college I was also influence by a powerful and passionate professor who was also an “Independentista”.
I graduated from college in June of 1991; by July of the same year I made Jacksonville, Florida my home. I was 23 years old.
Even as we take English in Puerto Rico from elementary school to high school and even as I took two more years of English in college, I came to the US not knowing how to communicate. Also, even as I took that political class in college, I felt that I was not prepared to vote in the November 1992 Presidential Election. I listened to some debates, I followed the news the best I could, but I felt lost. In 1992 Bill Clinton became our President.
Bill Clinton
By the 1996 elections I was more familiar with politics in the US and I voted for Bill Clinton. I considered myself a Democrat. After all, I still had the image of Jimmy Carter in my mind as he went to Puerto Rico to campaign for President. I saw a photo of Jimmy Carter on the newspaper where he was eating our traditional barbecue pig. The photo was so powerful for me as a kid; it made me feel like he really identified himself with our people.
Jimmy Casrter
That is how shallow my view of politics was; a photo was all that was needed for me to embrace a political party.
Some people vote one way or the other because that is the way their family voted or because of the race they belong to, etc. For example, Latinos in general, with the exception of Cubans, identify themselves with the Democratic Party. I guess Cubans have seen what is on the far left of liberalism. Communism is total dependency on the Government and an open rejection to any kind of religion.
Historically, Afro-Americans vote Democrat also. For me, it is a tragedy when we vote not having some basic knowledge of who or what we are voting for.
Fidel Castro
In my case, staying Democrat did not last long. On April 26, 1997 I became a Born Again Christian. I started reading the Bible and growing in my knowledge of the righteousness of God. It is very difficult to be a Born Again Christian and follow today’s Liberal Democratic Party. The Democratic Party open rejection of God, their strong stands in favor of abortion and same sex marriage are very hard for a Christian to identify with. I must add that I don’t think we have ever witness liberalism to this level in America.
There are exceptions to what I am about to say, but the Democratic Party is to Born Again Believers just as the Republicans are to minorities. They just don’t mix well!
During the time I became a Christian I started listening to the biggest radio personality of all times, Mr. Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh explained what being a conservative really is; he is being doing that for over 20 years.
Rush Limbaugh
I voted for George W. Bush in 2000. On September 11, 2001 we suffered the greatest terrorist attack in American History; terrorism changed this nation forever.
George W. Bush
In 2004 I voted again for George W. Bush. Not that I was extremely please with George W. Bush, but I felt that we needed to support a President who was in the middle of two wars. Also I did not considered John Kerry presidential material.
John Kerry
It was during this time that I began to see a Republican Party that was moving away from the conservative values that I treasured. See, people should pay attention, not to the party, but to what the party is standing for. The democrats of the times John F. Kennedy are very different from the democrats today.
John F. Kennedy
I should also add that the republicans of the times of Abraham Lincoln are also different from republicans today.
In 2008 the financial condition of the US was critical, the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan, among other factors, brought our economy to historical low levels.
In 2008 John McCain became the Republican candidate to run for president. I will forever respect his service for our country. He is admirable as a soldier, but as a politician I find him to be very weak.
John McCain
By 2008 I was already an Independent Conservative and as an Independent I gave my vote to President Obama. That was more a vote against McCain than in favor of Obama. The reality is that we did not know too much about Obama and the press literally worshiped him. Nevertheless, it was excited to see our first black president.
President Barrack H. Obama
After just four years of his presidency, I concluded that this President, in my opinion, would be known as one of the worst Presidents in the history of this nation. History will prove me either way.
In 2012 I really struggle to even vote. No way I could give my vote to Obama again, he is beyond liberal, this man is radical and dangerous. However, the Republican Party chose Mitt Romney as their candidate for President. I saw, very clearly, that the Republican establishment was no longer conservative; that they position themselves somewhere in the middle and that they no longer had a message or a vision for America.
My vote for Romney was the first time I voted for a President and lost, but it also represented something deeper, the Republican Party lost me.
I started really identifying myself with the conservative movement; low taxes, low government intervention, strong military, business friendly, all God and country right? You would think that politically speaking I have found my place, but the reality is that now I am taken a deeper look at this conservative American ideology and what I am finding is very disturbing. I am first a Christian and will not change that over any political ideology.
Get ready as I speak about Conservatism and the disturbing things I am finding.
