Running The Race To Finish Well (part 1)

by Jose Barajas

Being raised in a Catholic home meant that I was baptized as a child, and would take classes that prepared me for my first communion. Two things that have always struck me as being odd about the ceremonies I went through are A, baptizing a child goes against what scripture teaches us and B, my first communion was performed by a Spanish speaking priest. As a Hispanic family you would think nothing about it, except that I was raised to speak English not Spanish. So as you can guess I was clueless of what the Spanish priest was saying.  For all I know, I confessed to committing adultery and murder. 

All this to say, I don’t believe my sins were ever absolved or forgiven, because my heart was not really into it. Truth is, I know for a fact I was not changed. It never ceases to amaze me how many have, and still do, fall into the same trap of man’s traditions when it comes to confessing their sins. Yet they are never truly believed nor repented of their sins. I, of course, speak from experience and not just from the time I was a Catholic.

Born Faith

 

by Jose Barajas

I have seven brothers and two sisters, as I have stated in the past. My parents are Mexican who were both born in Mexico. All of us, with the exception of my little brother, were born in Mexico. The fact that my little brother was born in America, makes him an American citizen, but he is still Mexican. After years of us living in the United States, some of my brothers, a sister, and both my parents received their citizenship and became American citizens, but they are still and will always be Mexican. Regardless of what our citizenship may be, we are what race, or nationality we were born into, and nothing we do can change that.

The book of Romans, written by the apostle Paul, is one of the great books in the Bible, and one of my favorites. There is what is called the Roman road of salvation when one is sharing the gospel of Jesus, and I want to focus on what Romans is truly teaching here. Let’s look at what Paul writes in Romans three twenty three, 

Infomercial Theology

by Jose Barajas

“When we go to sleep, the TV is left on as my wife likes to have the sound on as it soothes her. On my side of family, we have this sleep power; (I’m joking as there is no such thing) in that we can sleep anywhere and instantly and that drives my wife mad, but that’s why I don’t mind the TV being on. I do wake up a few times during the night and I hear the informercials that I’m sure we all have seen or heard. They’re all the same, regardless of the product being sold, as they have an energetic host who is an expert in using what they’re selling. They make the items they’re selling seem so easy to use and that we can do all things. You can cook full course meals, clean your house, or repair everything in your house, all so easily and instantly. People buy them and get them and then they sit in their cupboards or closets as they don’t work, or never take the time to use them correctly, or they were just bought at a whim. 

Linus' Blanket

by Jose Barajas

My grandson from birth, loves to hold on to "tags" on a blanket, or his shirts, that we even bought him a blanket of tags. It is his security to know that when he is holding that, he is comfortable and also his security. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is filled with so many messages of humility and basic messages of what the true meaning of Christmas is and should be. One of the most unnoticed things is that of Linus dropping his blanket after he goes to the center of the stage to recite Luke Two, Eight thru Fourteen. Right at the point of verse Ten where it says, "FEAR NOT," he drops the blanket. Now if you know anything about Charlie Brown and have watched any of his specials or cartoons, you know that Linus is known for carrying that blanket around everywhere he goes and in everything he does. Regardless that everyone else makes fun of him, or tries to take it away from him, or convince him, he doesn't need it, he never let's it go. Because it is his security, his comfort, his way of being able to do anything, because his blanket is protection. In the same way my grandson holds his "taggies", so does Linus hold that blanket.

Jesus when He calls His first disciples, ,Peter, Andrew, John and James, who would become His inner circle, and most referenced disciples of all others, says in Mark One,

Tamales

by Jose Barajas

"Growing up in a Mexican home, Christmas time was always a happy memory for me. My dad liked to have people over but especially during Christmas time, as it was more of a reason to celebrate his birthday which fell on December Twenty Fourth (Although sometimes he'd say it was the Twenty Fifth.) (Now on another note, Jesus was not born on December Twenty Fifth and if you didn't know that, sorry for the spoiler alert) The thing that most non "Latino" families, (Hispanic, is deemed a derogatory term to many of whom that term was created for by the Census bureau) associate with this time of the year is TAMALES! Now if you know my family, its truly the most wonderful time of the year because of this rite of passage. My mom has a restaurant size mixer, as tamales are rolled out by the dozens when my sisters and brothers come to the house to make the often made, but never replicated, or better than those that come from my family's house. 

This Psalm I Sing

by Chuck Ness

I got angry, and I stepped out in the flesh in my response to something that I perceived as a wrong. However, it is not my place to correct the World, for the World is lost, and so who am I to fix that which I cannot. All I can do is share the truth, while remembering to do so in love, or else I will be a poor ambassador for Christ Jesus.

I understand it's OK to get angry at those who act as the Pharisees did, because Jesus got angry with them. For they walked around in a way to be seen for their good deeds, while in truth their hearts were only Word for their own worldly profit. Those men who claim to teach the Word of GOD, but are just wolves who deceive with their words of silk and songs of love, deserve our wrath but those in the World do not.

Wake Up World Leaders

by Chima Anaele Sylvanus

Radical Islamimic agenda has always been an issue since the 20th century, mind you, all this was started by the war lord himself whom the Holy Roman Catholic Church feared during his bloodsheding days, historically the lack of unity amongst European leaders and the church made it easy for Saladine The Great to conquer more lands in The Eastern Continent, it is sad to see how this men are trying so hard to revive a weak and barbaric 7th century mindset and the Ottoman empire kind of rule which is only a backwardness..

Establishing a Caliphates would always be a great treat to western civilization and religious freedom.

But i fear this could also be Nigeria and Africa in few years if we continue to sleep at the strategy of Boko-Haram, Al-Nusrah Front, Afgan Taliban, Al-Shabaab,Al-Qa'ida, true Islamic radicalism will never give up until it establish a caliphate and its sharia principle all over the world which was the false prophet desire in his imaginary book...