Nothing Else that I can Say, Except that I am Sorry.

Yesterday, I spent some time with a good friend of mine, a business man in Coral Gables, Florida. My friend is not an avid church goer, probably attending church services a few times a year. 

Last week, someone invited him to go to one of the biggest churches in Dade County to hear a well-known preacher. He obliged his colleague and attended this packed meeting. Sadly, enough, the preacher was one of these guys who asks for money and promises all sorts of heavenly blessings in proportion to how much folk give him.

This guy reminded me of a TV preacher in New Mexico, who promised that God would send a “financial angel” to those who gave $1,000.00. I muttered to myself, “Will God send me a financial angel if I only have $999.00?”


 I was in TV broadcasting for twenty one years before being released into ministry. I was doing master control when this guy articulated these lofty words. Moments later, the phone lines were crammed with people rushing to give their $1,000.00. We could not keep up with the pledges.

In Kenya, where the demon of poverty has a strangle hold on society, the same phenomena occurs. A preacher takes a one dollar American bill and sells it for $70.00, promising the Kenyan, the same prosperity as the American.  The masses rush to the altar, trading a month’s worth of wages, phones, eyeglasses, and even their homes and lands.


Some leave these meetings not able to see and others can’t afford purchasing another phone for a year.

Another Kenyan preacher sells anointed oil from America for $50.00 a bottle, promising the same results and the same phenomena befalls.

People all over the world are desperate for a miracle. Some are dying from cancer. Others have a shattered family, and yet others are traversing through real financial duress. The promise of an instantaneous answer is enough for these naïve and gullible folk to fall into the hands of these “wolves in sheep clothing.”

God is not like that. It is men and women like these who give God, Christians and the church a bad name.

I was deeply disappointed that the single time that my friend ventured to attend church; he was encountered by one of these shysters. I wonder when he will go again.

I am a Christian, a pastor, a Bible teacher and a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had to apologize to him in the name of us preachers who have been given the sacred calling of dispatching the gospel of Jesus Christ, in the highest standards of integrity and purity.

I am not like these swindlers, and neither are many of us preachers, and less so Jesus Christ, Himself.

Today, to all my Blog land friends, I ask you on behalf of these corrupt teachers to forgive us this great sin, if you have indeed been affected by it, and it has caused you to be repelled from going to church. It is truly a tragedy, which God will judge and deal with.

God has called us preachers to be the most honest, transparent, and accessible people on the whole planet.

There is nothing else that I can say, except that I am sorry.

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

Romans Six; What Kind of Engine Do you Have?

     Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old humanity (decrepit, cane walking, toothless, nursing home humanity) was crucified together with Him, that the body of Sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for Sin,

This decaying, ancient, cane walking, toothless, nursing home, humanity in Romans is also called the sinful nature.

 Every person alive today has this crumbling and dilapidated humanity intact within them. When the sperm and the egg unite, they automatically form this 120 year old man deep inside the embryo.

 Life then becomes no more than the continual effort by people to try to perfume, beautify, and exalt this centenarian guy in them.

This brand of humanity can also be called “the engine which creates and produces nonstop sin.” This is why the world is so messed up. It’s full of billions of people who can do nothing else but sin, because of the engine which they possess, and which drives and pushes them.

Our born again experience in Christ puts the person into the reality of becoming co crucified or co impaled with Christ.

The cross which the person becomes co crucified on, is the monkey wrench thrown into this engine which breaks it down, and causes it to immediately stop working. 

At the moment that a person becomes born again, therefore, this decrepit sin producing motor suddenly suspends its operations, and the individual immediately become free from being coerced by it.

At the instant that this engine stops, a new one automatically becomes molded in him or her. This one is just the opposite of the one owned by decrepit old man. It is a brand spanking new motor outfitted to produce a type of life which is eternal in nature.

No other so called religion can do this for people.

This is truly what the forgiveness of sin means.

To have your sins forgiven, simply means that this once active sin producing device has been summarily destroyed and that a new one which can generate eternal life has been positioned in you. Now you are ready to live forever because of your eternal life generating appliance.

This apparatus can also be called Christ Jesus.

Has your old engine been destroyed?  Or is it busily humming along?

You see, it’s not that God wants to throw anyone into hell; it’s simply that He doesn’t want anyone to mess up His perfect and sinless heaven with sin running motors in it. He wants sinless engines which are at work creating an eternal brand of life.

Have you purchased your monkey wrench today? You can find it in a store called “The Cross of Christ.” Don’t go home without it.

If you die today, unexpectedly, will you find yourself with a sin producing or an eternal life producing engine?  

The Wickedness of Fear ( The Root of Political Correctedness)

For the believer, living in fear rather than walking by faith is sin and wickedness. It is not an option for Jesus Christ.

    Jesus came to save the world. Much of the sin of the world is "fear driven." Having fear is not condemned by God, for He sent His Son to remove fear from us. However, staying in that fear when you accept the Holy Spirit instead of learning to walk by faith, eventually becomes wickedness and sin. We cannot stay in our fears and not learn to actively walk on the waters of faith by Jesus Christ.

Luke 19: 20  And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21  For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

A High Found Outside the Church

When I went to Publix today I had a very short but powerful evangelistic encounter. At the checkout counter I asked the cashier for a book of stamps. 

The bagboy, as we used to call them before things got politically correct, asked the cashier if I was trying to buy cigarettes. I felt a flash of unashamed boldness rise up in me, and I said “Jesus took away my desire to smoke thirty years ago.” I briefly recounted how by simple prayer God had changed the desire of my heart and in one day freed me from fifteen years of smoking. The cashier was sincerely amazed. I had a chance to share a bit more with them before I had to go.

Evangelism in Africa is a lot easier than in the USA. I must say however that there is a high and an excitement that evangelism brings that will never be found in church.

I don’t have an answer or formula for successful evangelism. I do not like evangelizing in the states. On Sunday I gave a card of our church services to the guy making me the sandwich at Subways. He glanced at it and summarily and seemingly disinterested put it down. Yet, I do not know if he picked it up later.

I don’t have an easy solution for evangelism in America.  All I know is that a fire and a high will come into you when you do it. You will never find it inside the walls of the church.

When you feel that tinge of unashamed boldness hit you, go for it. I will be trying it more, though my mind wished that I was back in Africa.

Some Random Thoughts of My Great God, This Morning

Church is not a service, it is people. If it’s too long, or boring, or if a spiritual gift offends you, your focus is not correct. When you come to have an encounter with God, meet, and give out to people, it’s a dynamic living place. If you are coming to a service with a time limit in mind, and scrutinize the preacher’s sermon you might end up very bored. You need a change of mind!

For many years church has not bored me. When I began to go not looking for what I could get, but what I could give, everything changed. When I go to church, I go to give away God’s love, and display His power and His kingdom to others. Before, during, and after yesterday’s service I spent 6 hours dynamically interacting with many wonderful, beautiful and fantastic people. I came back home energized and grateful at the opportunity that God gives me to invest in people’s lives. Some were believers, and some were not believers. For me, people are people. I do not differentiate if they are Christians or not. I feel comfortable with everybody and I am convinced that everybody in this world hungers for the power and glory of God. I am what God made me to be. This is the identity of Christ is me. This is why I know that He is the real deal and whoever rejects Him is seriously missing out on life.

There is one universal language amongst all nations that needs no translation. It is the language of the power and glory of God. I have preached in many Maasai villages of Kenya. I have gone to the Luo towns of Western Kenya where Mr. Obama is from. I have taught in the remote parts of Tanzania and in the churches of Uganda. I have ministered in the Navajo Nation of Arizona and in the unsaved Pueblo Indian Nations of New Mexico. Many times when praying I have not had the luxury of a translator. I have had no communication except to talk the language of the power and glory of God. Kids, teens, young adults, and the elderly have thronged to have an encounter with His glory.  Maasai youth have waited until 1:00 AM just to get a word from God. Luos, who speak no English line up in a row of four or five at 11:00 PM to hear a prophecy.

I have seen plenty of people manifesting under God’s power and it’s all been beautiful.  Whether Kenyan, Navajo, American, Tanzanian, Ugandan or Apache, I have seen them all weep, shout, scream, shake or bake and get slained by the Spirit. I have seen the demon of AIDS manifest numerously, and baby bound in witchcraft released. I have seen demons talk to me in the Luo language from a woman that was in an unconscious demonic trance. She later awoke. I have felt evil come out of witchcraft powder made out of goat’s feet and later see the whole family who dabbled in it come to God.  It’s all been beautiful, majestic and real. As Pastor Ralph so eloquently says, it’s the holy power of the God of the whole universe coming into contact with sinful human flesh. This why I will not apologize for the power of God and any Spirit birthed manifestation upon anyone at any time.

I amazed that people in the USA ever complain about the length of a church service. In Africa, the elderly and pastors ride bicycles for 6 hours, in shirts and ties to come and hear us teach. The Masaais walk for countless hours, sleep on floors, or come with tents, eating corn flour and spinach for five days at a time. There are no Burger Kings or hotels in Maasai land. Whoever comes to a conference stays there.

Tanzanians praise the Lord at night with magical voices in a pitch black church that does not have a gas lamp or candles.

A lady pastor rode 14 hours on a bus without a/c to hear us preach.  

Teens in remote Luo land praise the Lord until 4:00 AM by a generator powered keyboard, having no electricity in their village, and rejoiced in song when we rented a generator for them.

 I find it a privilege to serve the Lord in all of these places. I find it a privilege to spend five days in the bush, without toilets, electricity or internet or phones, truly relating, laughing and joking with others, undistracted, under the power of a kerosene lamp.  Many do not speak English and we do not speak Luo, but both of us speak the language of God’s love.

I find it a privilege to be invited to the Pueblo Indian festivals amongst people who do not know Jesus Christ and whom I hardly understand.

I find it a privilege to preach in a Navajo church and asking the congregation to forgive me and the white man for the atrocities that we enacted, to have the service totally stop, and all of us weep and embrace each other.

I find it a privilege to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night in the bush, flashlight in hand, just to look up in awe at a sky whitened with stars, a perfectly delineated Milky Way , peppered with comets and moving satellites.

I find it a privilege to take a bath in the trees, a bright sun and chirping birds in a leave woven cubicle or with muddy water. I have felt like a real tourist doing that.

I find it a privilege to eat fresh tilapia from Lake Victoria, ostrich and buffalo  burgers, chai with raw warm milk from a “just milked cow” , barbequed goat, vegetables “just picked” from a garden, or eggs “just taken” from the hen’s stall,  fried meat from a “just slained” bull or warm yogurt, “just made.” I find it a privilege to eat delicious fried bread or taco burgers with beautiful Navajo people or green and red chile with the unsaved Pueblo Indian Nations or amazing elk meat with friends in Santa Fe and drink great Dutch coffee at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

I have found it a privilege to sleep with my wife on a tiny bed in a dung hut in Maasai land with flashlight, toilet paper and bottled water next to us. Also to sleep on hard tough cow hide in a windowless and hot Maasai manata, fire burning inside the house, is a luxury that very few white people will ever have. I have found it a privilege to rub 100 percent deet on my body and bald head against malaria carrying mosquitos knowing that God protects us.

I have felt sorry for my American friends that have missed out on such incredible and amazing adventures.

I thank my God that I have stepped into Ernest Hemingway’s home in Kenya overlooking majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro. No doubt that he wrote “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” from here. I thank my God that I have been to the Indian Ocean, crossed the mighty Nile River, and the Rio Grande, gasped in wonderment at the 19,000 feet Kilimanjaro, been to the painted desert, the Four Corners, seen Old Faithful gush, preached in the middle of Lake Victoria, seen the Carlsbad Caverns, gasp in wonderment at the Grand Canyons under a full moon, ate burgers under the shadow of the Rockies, and slid down the powdery slopes of the White Sands.

I am grateful that I got to talk to Todd Bentley at London Heathrow Airport.

I am privileged that I was the personal secretary to one of the great Navajo men of God globally used in the 1990’s.

I thank my God that I have been on safari with my family, stopped for crossing giraffes, or grazing zebras, or standing ostriches, or closed the windows of my car from roaming baboons. I have seen the running fox in a forest, a giant elk in front of my car, a huge tarantula crawling on my roof, the black widow in my room, rattle snakes on stones, road runners going as fast as my car, beautiful coyotes shyly fleeing, bison herding,  or a bear in the distance.

 I am grateful that I have been just miles from where Mr. Obama and his family came from and have had a chance to pray for him from there.

These are some of my random Christian thoughts this morning of where the great God has taken me so far!