My Working Relationship With Selena Quintanilla

I used to work at Telemundo and had the privilege of videotaping Selena and her band about 5 or 6 times in the 90’s. Her brother AB, her sister Suzette, and her group, Los Dinos, were a pleasure to work with.  They were very fun, easy going, and humble people.

Selena and her family, the Quintanillas, were Jehovah Witnesses. Selena was a “pizzaholic”. After videotaping we would buy lots of pizza for the band.  At her last occasion in Telemundo, she sprinted up to the control room after the recording, where I was, to pig out on pizza.  I was the only one there with her. God told me to approach and talk to her. The fear of man gripped me; or better to say, it was the fear of talking to an international star. I disobeyed God, and chose not to. 

One month later, Yolanda Saldivar murdered Selena at a Holiday Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. That tragic lesson helped to free me from the fear or man and realized that when God tells you to do something, you MUST do it.

As for Selena, in the midst of international stardom, she was tragically taken away from us. Our producer, who was a personal friend of hers, was devastated by the incident.  We spent the following week working overtime to produce shows of the authentic eerie police audio tapes from the red truck where Yolanda Saldivar barricaded herself. A police mediator by the name of Larry coaxed her to turn herself in. Yolanda blamed a lot of her actions on those tapes to Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla.  Human nature is sadly so funny.

We don’t know the day or the hour of our departure from this earth.

Jesus says, today is the day of salvation. Don’t mess around with your eternity.  He is the only way to eternal life.

 Remember, Selena Quintanilla Perez.

2 Corinthians 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Sound Words

First Timothy (Chapter One)

Paul and the Word of God

I Tim 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

• Doctrine that deviates from the truth because its essence, quality, and quantity comes from another source, which is not founded on the words that make up the gospel.

2 Timothy 1:13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

(Greek: Hold fast to the model of healthy or wholesome words, which thou hast heard from me.  

·        Many of us can remember building a model car or airplane. Once we had the model built we mounted it up high on a shelf for all to see.  We must likewise have the Word of God as one of the primary models in our lives mounted high before our eyes. This model of the gospel must be built out of something that is called sound words.

·        “Sound words” is a medical term that means healthy or wholesome. Sound words are healthy because they are true or are in accordance with what is factual concerning the Word of God.  In our “health craze” society we must never forget the health that comes to us from knowing and living in accordance to sound doctrine.

·        It is impossible for us to build a model of healthy words that we can frame before our eyes to unless we know the Word of God in truth or in accordance to fact. To know the Word of God in fact implies that we must do some serious study of the Word before we can truly know it in truth.

Titus 2:7  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

·        Incorruptness: Our knowledge of the Word of God must be so thorough that our teaching cannot be subject to the decay of time, error, or the opposition that comes from those that challenge our teaching.  When we live in accordance to a model of God’s incorrupt doctrine, our doctrine will finally vindicate us even if the whole wide world says that we are wrong. The Lord will lift us up and put those that oppose us to shame. 

·        Incorruptness must stand the test of eternity in that an incorrupt nature cannot be subject to decay. Our knowledge and obedience to the Word of God will have an everlasting impact on our lives.  Let us look at the following scripture;

1 Peter 1:25  But the rhema word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the rhema word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Greek: The rhema word of God remains into the ages of the ages.

Matthew 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Titus 2:7  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

·        Gravity:  This has to do with the godly character built in us through the knowledge of the Word of God, which incites reverence and respect from others. Our life and our preaching must be so grounded on the sound words of the gospel that others will reverence the Christ being displayed through us and deeply respect and listen to what we have to say as true men and women of God. “When E.F. Hutton speaks everybody listens.” We must be people that have a burning message from God at all times.

2Tim 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

·         Paul tells us in 2 Tim 2:15 that we must all stand as workmen before God that have been approved by Him.  The kind of approval that the Lord demands from us is the same as that of a fine metal that has been purified by the fire taking out all of its impurities. The result is that is has now become approved and stamped as a fine metal and worthy to be used for the highest of purposes. The way that we become approved as people of God fit for His highest purposes (in this particular scripture) is our ability to rightly divide the Word of God.

·         Most of us have been to an orthodontist who we know as the guy that straightens out our teeth.  Ortho is defined as straight.  Dontist means teeth; hence this doctor is the “tooth straightner.”

·         To rightly divide is the word orthotomeo.  Tomeo is to make a cut. To rightly divide the Word of God is to make a straight cut into the Word of God. The man or woman of God must know and live the Word of God so thoroughly that he or she can make a straight cut into the Word, knowing, living and presenting it to others in a straight, truthful and accurate way.  One expositor said that our ability to present the word in such a straightforward way will in fact lay a path before us that is as straight as our knowledge of the Word.  This path before us becomes the road in which others and we travel upon.

·         If we do not know the Word of God in this way can we ever become workmen that have past the test and stand approved before God?

2       Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

·          Please observe with me the progressive order of benefits found through our intimate knowledge of scriptures.

·         Inspiration: All scripture is God breathed and is therefore profitable for teaching

·          Reproof:  Intimate knowledge of the scriptures brings correction to us by exposing sin and blind spots in our life. If we heed to the exposure brought to us through the Word it will brings us freedom in Christ.

·         Correction : Correction here means to be restored to an upright state resulting in salvation.  Do you notice the order?  Reproof brings exposure of sin.  If we heed we start to become free. As we become free the Word of God then starts to restore us to an upright state.

·         Instruction:  This talks about mentoring and discipling and the final release into our ministry. Exposure, restoration, mentoring, and call to ministry. 

17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Greek: The man or woman of God becomes thoroughly equipped and furnished by the Word of God for every Spirit led work; The man or woman of God is equipped and fitted with every necessary piece of equipment by the Word of God for anything that the Lord might have for him or her require to do.

·         When we went to battle Sadam Hussein in the Persian Gulf in great part we won because we were thoroughly equipped with the best of arms, technique, and personnel.  It is our deep knowledge of God’s Word that furnishes us with the spiritual equipment necessary to successfully carry out God’s holy missions.

We Are The Manager’s of God’s Affairs.

1Tim 1:4  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

The King James does a poor job of translating of the Greek. Where the KJV has “godly edifying,” the Greek says” administration or management” of God’s affairs.

Ephesians 3:2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

·         We find this same word in Ephesians three and two though here it is written in the English as “dispensation.”

·         We are entrusted with the management, oversight, and the administration of all that pertains to the affairs of God or to all that involves the economies of the kingdom of our God. A pretty serious responsibility! When Paul talks bout the dispensation of the grace of God he refers to his management and administration of the giftings and callings of God giving to him by the Lord for the benefit of others.

·        Our management and administration of God affairs can and must only happen in the realm of faith. As we studied before, God’s faith always originates with the voice of the Lord because His Word always carries within it the measure of faith needed to make the Word come to pass.  Therefore if we are to correctly manage the affairs that pertain to God it can only be done through a strict reliance to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and our stepping out in faith and walking on water to fulfill the Word. When we operate like this we activate the affairs of God upon the earth, bringing them to order and causing them to come to pass. Unbelief, which is resistance to the voice of the Holy Spirit, is the worst of the manager’s of God goods.

Charity

5 ¶ Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

·        The end of the commandment: The end product of our setting forth a model of the healthy doctrine of God before our eyes, and our management of the affairs of the Kingdom of God in faith is charity or the love of God.  This is because God is love.

·        Charity is God’s divinely birthed love within us. It is sacrificial in nature and puts the concern of others always before our eyes. The kingdom of God is a “people oriented business.” 

·        The greatest anointing and power of God will always flow out of us when we are concerned about others rather than ourselves.

2 Corinthians 13:4  For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.(We shall live with Him by the power of God into you. )(Or as we minister into your need; then we truly live out of the power of God)

Galatians 2:8  (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)(The same (God) was mighty in meinto the Gentiles) (or as we minister into the needs of the Gentiles; the Lord was mighty in me)

  I Tim 1:5 ¶ Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

·        There are three roots, which cause the growth of this divine tree named charity.

·        A pure heart:  A heart, which is free from the corruption and the spotting of sin.

1 Timothy 6:14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

·        Only the Holy Spirit can do this.  It takes a life of uncompromising obedience to the Lord and tremendous intimacy with Him for the continual presence of the Lord upon our lives to cleanse us without ceasing.

·        Philippians 1:9 ¶ And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge(thorough knowledge) and in all judgment;(discernment)

Greek:  ( my paraphrase included in italics) That your love may abound yet more (but always held bounded within the river banks of a) a full precise and accurate knowledge of the things of God and in all discernment(   Judgment is defined as discernment. Likewise charity must be always held in check within the river banks of our discernment of God’s voice and our discernment of what is of God, and what does not come from Him.)

·         We cannot love the world for Christ through our impulses and emotions, or by becoming its savior, our out of a fear and guilt that the world is going to hell in a hand basket.  Such love will never become charity and will eventually burn us out.

·         We must be led by the Spirit at all times to have the development of God’s character and His love matured in our lives.

10    that ye may approve things that are excellent;( what differs or excels) that ye may be sincere (judged by the sun) and without offence till the day of Christ;

·        Greek: That you may recognize as genuine upon examination the things that are differing. Your recognition of what differs will allow you to choose only what is excelling or best towards your fulfillment of the things that pertain to Christ.  This will cause you to become so pure that it will allow for the beams of sunlight to shine through you unhindered.  Likewise you will become as one that has nothing that will make others stumble when they observe your life before the Lord.

·          Charity is the product of an accurate knowledge of the Lord, His will, and His Word.  It is likewise the product of being led by the Holy Spirit. Thorough knowledge of the things of God and restricting our lives to His voice will allow for the distinguishing between the good and the excellent. If we choose the excellent God, will purify us so much that we shall be as a clear windowpane that reflects the glory of God to the world.  This develops charity in our lives because God is love.

God Bless You,

Jose