You Choose, Make the Right Choice, Pro-Choice

Frank Gordoa • Dec 01, 2023

Jesus is our Life-Light!

No matter where you turn in God's Word, you’ll find that Christmas is about light, for Jesus is the Light of the world. We sing at Christmas because we have something to sing about. Light has come into this dark world, and we need never walk in darkness again. Many of the traditional Christmas carols capture this truth. Here are a few of my favorites lines from the classics:

(verse 3) Silent Night, Holy Night…Son of God, loves pure light. Radiant beams from thy Holy Face with the dawn of redeeming grace.

(verse 3) Hail! The heaven-born Prince of peace, hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and Life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die…Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the newborn King.

But Christmas carols aren’t the reason we link the word “light” with the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle John in his great gospel begins his account of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ with a declaration of who Jesus is—not just from the manger forward, but going back before the beginning of time.

John 1:1-5,9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him; and without Him, nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness did not comprehend it… That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Think about this: Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was not the beginning of His life. In eternity past, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always were. There was never a time when “God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity…” did not exist. He has no beginning and no end.

700 years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah looked forward to the time when the Savior would come: (Isaiah 9:2) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

That light is the child Isaiah tells us about in that same chapter: (Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Seven centuries later, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied that the coming Messiah would give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:79) Through Zacharias, the Holy Spirit was announcing that the Messiah was about to arrive, bringing light to those in darkness. Thank God, light came into the world in Bethlehem, because we are in desperate shape.

Light is a wonderful picture of Jesus. (Luke 2:25-32) tells of a devout elderly man named Simeon whom God had promised would not die before he had seen the Messiah. He was led to the temple by the Holy Spirit at the same time Joseph and Mary brought Jesus there as an infant. Simeon took the Lord Jesus in his arms saying, “…my eyes have seen Your salvation… light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).

Jesus is the pure light!

Bethlehem’s child was the "true Light" (John 1:9), the pure light of heaven. When the Bible calls Jesus "the light of the world," it's a statement of the sinless, stainless purity of the Son of God. Jesus exposed sin, but He was never contaminated by sin. He could touch sinners, but sin never touched Him. He was undefiled. He was "in the world" (John 1:10) but not of the world.

Jesus is the constant light!

In the natural world, the speed of light is constant. It doesn’t change. Jesus is our constant in the spiritual realm. Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He is absolutely unchangeable. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) The sun is not eternal; its energy is slowly being used up. One day even the sun will cease to shine, but the light of Jesus will illuminate Heaven throughout eternity.

Jesus is the source of light!

"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb [the Lord Jesus Christ] is the light" (Revelation 21:23, emphasis added). In the Holy City, Jesus will be our source of light. We will experience His glorious light forever.

Jesus is the vital light!

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). Light and life are inextricably interwoven. You cannot have life without light. Light—photosynthesis—causes plants to produce food. When God brought order out of chaos in Genesis 1:1-2, He said, “Let there be light.” Then He created seas which began to swarm with life. The seeds of Earth began to bud and blossom. Life itself is built on sunlight. Without it, our world would become dark and dead. "The entrance of Your words gives light" (Psalm 119:130). When Jesus came to Earth in Bethlehem, He came to give us life. Everywhere He went during His earthly ministry, He brought life. He said, "I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) When the Holy Spirit shined the light of the Gospel into our hearts, divine photosynthesis took place, producing life where before there was only death.

Jesus is the victorious light!

Light overcomes darkness, not the other way around. "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5). Some translations use the word “comprehend.” Others say the darkness could not overcome, suppress, overpower, extinguish, or put out the light. This is the victory of light over darkness. The history of mankind is the story of the battle between light and darkness. Satan’s name before he fell was Lucifer, which means light bearer. But Satan rebelled against God, sinned against the light, and is no longer the light bearer. Lucifer, son of the morning, is now Satan, father of darkness. But darkness has no power against the light. If you want darkness to leave, simply turn on the light. Darkness is powerless to extinguish it. Our Lord is “King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16).

Let Jesus bring His light and life into your Christmas.

Praise God for the changeless, constant light of Jesus Christ! No matter how cold and dark your world may seem, it can be brought back to life when the glorious light of the Son of God shines into your heart. Light and life went out of the human race when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus is the Light of the world. When we make Jesus both Lord and Savior, the One who entered time and space as a baby in Bethlehem comes in, turns the light on, and life begins for us.

Let's have an Abundant Life-Light Christmas!

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You Choose, Make the Right Choice, Pro-Choice

By Teresa Gordoa • 01 Feb, 2024

The devil cannot make you do anything! Neither can God. Jesus has already provided every need we have on the cross, now we must choose. FEELINGS FOLLOW ACTIONS. Your flesh and your spirit must follow. The battlefield is the mind. We must renew our minds to the Word of God. Our thinking must change! If we think anything contrary to the Word of God, our thinking must change, because the Word of God will NEVER change. Areas of choice: We choose to be teachable or closed (Read Matthew 13:18-23 AMP) 18 Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the Sower: 19 While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside. 20 As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; 21 Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty. We choose to walk in the Spirit or the flesh (Read Galatians 5:16-25 AMP) Joy Love Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-control 16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). 17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. 18 But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. 19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, 20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), 21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. 25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.] We choose to be healed or stay sick. Isaiah 53:5 AMP “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.” We choose to be free or stay bound. Psalm 107:20 NKJV “He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.” We choose to be prosperous or stay poor. 3 John 1:2 AMP “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well andprospers.” Philippians 4:19 AMP “And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” We choose to be forgiving or unforgiving. Colossians 3:13 AMP “Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].” We choose to live in victory or defeat. So often, we want to win without running the race. We want to be overcomers, but we don’t want to have to overcome anything. Romans 12:11 says, “We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. We cannot have a testimony without a test. Romans 8:37 talks about being more than conquerors. We want to be “more than conquerors”, but we don’t want to do what it takes to conquer anything. Ephesians 6:16 says that with the shield of faith, we can quench every fiery dart of the wicked one, but we don’t want any darts to be thrown at us! Hebrews 6:12 tells us that it is through faith and patience that we obtain the promises of God. But we think that all we must do is believe by faith and we forget the PATIENCE part of the promise! We choose to change or remain the same. 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” If we don’t apply the Word of God to our lives, we will stay the same and we will be deceived. We choose to persevere or give up. Philippians 4:13 AMP “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” Tell story of home schooling. We choose to be submissive or rebellious. (Read 1 Peter 3:1-6 AMP) In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives, 2 When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him—to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband]. 3 Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; 4 But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For it was thus that the pious women of old who hoped in God were [accustomed] to beautify themselves and were submissive to their husbands [adapting themselves to them as themselves secondary and dependent upon them]. 6 It was thus that Sarah obeyed Abraham [following his guidance and acknowledging his headship over her by] calling him lord (master, leader, authority). And you are now her true daughters if you do right and let nothing terrify you [not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you]. We choose to understand wives or refuse. (Read 1 Peter 3:7 AMP) 7 In the same way you married men should live considerately with [your wives], with an intelligent recognition [of the marriage relation], honoring the woman as [physically] the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot pray effectively.] We choose to be positive or negative (better or bitter) to live or die. Read article about Michael.

Afterlife

By Frank Gordoa • 07 Dec, 2023

Jesus Christ is the one person who can speak with real authority (and experience) concerning the afterlife. What gives Him sole authority to speak of heaven is that He came from there: “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” ( John 3:13 ). The Lord Jesus, with His firsthand experience in heaven, presents us with three basic truths about the subject of life after death: 1. There is an afterlife. 2. When a person dies, there are two possible destinations. 3. There is only one way to ensure our future after death. First, Christ affirms there is an afterlife a number of times. For example, in an encounter with the Sadducees, who denied the doctrine of the resurrection, Jesus said, “About the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush , how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” ( Mark 12:26–27 ). According to Jesus, those who had died centuries before were very much alive with God at that moment. In another passage, Jesus comforts His disciples (and us) by telling them of the afterlife. They can look forward to being with Him in heaven: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” ( John 14:1–3 ). Jesus also speaks authoritatively about the two different destinies that await in the afterlife. In the account of the rich man and Lazarus , Jesus says, “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side” ( Luke 16:22–23 ). Jesus also emphasized that what determines a person’s eternal destination is whether or not he has faith in God’s only begotten Son . The need for faith is clear: “Everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” ( John 3:15–18 ). For those who repent of their sin and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, the afterlife will consist of an eternity spent enjoying God. For those who reject Christ, however, the afterlife will be quite different. Jesus describes their destiny as “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” ( Matthew 8:12 ). As the heaven-sent authority on the afterlife, Jesus warns us to choose wisely: “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” ( Matthew 7:13–14 ).