En estos últimos días del 2023, noticieros de televisión, periódicos y revistas de este país realizaron programas o publicaron ediciones especiales de todos los hechos importantes ocurridos durante este año. A pocas horas de la llegada de 2024, la pregunta que nos puede rondar por la cabeza es ¿cómo será este nuevo año? Durante mi tiempo devocional de esta semana, encontré la siguiente cita acreditada al músico John Lennon y quiero compartirla con todos ustedes. Dice así: “La vida es lo que te sucede mientras planeas hacer otra cosa”. ¡Qué afirmación tan veraz! Mientras haces un “repaso anual” de tu vida, recuerda todas las cosas que te sucedieron mientras planeabas hacer otra cosa.
Sin embargo, recuerde que el tiempo de Dios en nuestra vida es perfecto. Incluso cuando damos la bienvenida al final de un año particularmente difícil, la Biblia enseña que las misericordias de Dios son nuevas cada mañana (Lamentaciones 3:23-24).

     Al terminar este año y comenzar otro, que el Señor te dé suficiente felicidad para mantenerte amable, suficientes pruebas para mantenerte fuerte, suficientes tristezas para mantenerte humano, suficiente esperanza para mantenerte feliz, suficientes fracasos para mantenerte humilde, suficientes éxitos. para mantenerte ansioso por hacer más, suficientes amistades para darte consuelo, suficientes riquezas para cubrir tus necesidades, suficiente entusiasmo para mirar el mañana de manera diferente y suficiente determinación para hacer cada día mejor que el anterior. Pídele a Dios que te ayude a usar las 8,760 horas de este año de la manera más sabia posible para Su Gloria. Romanos 13:11-12 (NVI) nos dice: Además de esto ya sabéis la hora, que ha llegado la hora de despertar del sueño. Porque la salvación está más cerca de nosotros ahora que cuando creímos por primera vez. 12 La noche ya se ha ido; el día está cerca. Desechemos, pues, las obras de las tinieblas y vistámonos las armas de la luz”.

     A todos mis amigos y familiares les deseo un feliz 2024. Que el Señor los colme de ricas y abundantes bendiciones a cada uno de ustedes.

Pastor Dimas

A New Year

    

    In these last days of 2023, television news programs, newspapers, and magazines in this country made programs or published special editions of all the important events that occurred during this year. A few hours before the arrival of 2024, the question that may be on our minds is, what will this new year be like? During my quiet time this week, I found the following quote credited to musician John Lennon and I want to share it with all of you. It goes like this: “Life is what happens to you while you plan to do something else". What a truthful statement! As you do a “year in review” of your life, remember all the things that happened to you while planning to do something else. However, remember that God’s timing in our life is perfect. Even when we welcome the end of a particularly trying year, the Bible teaches that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23-24).

    As this year ends and another begins, may the Lord give you enough happiness to keep you lovable, enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrows to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy, enough failures to keep you humble, enough successes to keep you eager to do more, enough friendships to give you comfort, enough riches to cover your needs, enough enthusiasm for you to look at tomorrow differently, and enough determination for you to do each day better than the day before. Ask God to help you use the 8,760 hours of this year in the wisest way we can for His Glory. Romans 13:11-12 (ESV) tells us: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  

    To all my friends and family, I wish you all a happy 2024. May the Lord fill each of you with rich and abundant blessings.

Pastor Dimas

God is our Refuge

 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will dwell under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to Jehovah; My hope and my fortress (Psalm 91:1-2). During my teenage years in Puerto Rico, I sang a beautiful hymn based on this Psalm. The first verse and the chorus say, "He who lives in the shelter of God. He will dwell under shadows of love. No harm will come upon him. And on the wings of him happy he will live”. The chorus says, “Oh, I want to live in the shelter of God. Only there will I find peace and deep love. My delight is with Him, fellowship enjoys. And forever the name of him praises”. What a beautiful promise we have from our God! Many of us live in challenging times. Sometimes the trials and difficulties in our lives make us feel that there is no hope. Many people seek refuge in drugs, alcohol, and other destructive behaviors. However, God offers a better choice, live under the shadow of the Almighty. God is our refuge during the storms that hit our lives daily. God is that strong fortress that resists the attacks of the enemy. Therefore, when problems and difficulties enter our lives, place them in the hands of the Most High God and rest in the shelter of God because only there "will you find peace and deep love". May the Lord bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas

Dios es Nuestro Refugio

 “El que habita al abrigo del Altísimo, morara bajo la sombra del Omnipotente. Diré yo a Jehová; Esperanza mía y castillo mío” (Salmo 91:1-2). Durante mi tiempo de adolescencia en Puerto Rico, cantaba un hermoso himno basado en este Salmo. La primera estrofa y el coro dicen; “El que habita al abrigo de Dios. Morará bajo sombras de amor. Sobre él no vendrá ningún mal. Y en sus alas feliz vivirá”. El coro dice; “Oh, yo quiero habitar al abrigo de Dios. Solo allí encontraré paz y profundo amor. Mi delicia es con Él, comunión disfrutar. Y por siempre su nombre alabar”. ¡Que hermosa promesa tenemos de parte de nuestro Dios! Muchos de nosotros vivimos en tiempos difíciles. En ocasiones, los problemas y dificultades de nuestras vidas no hacen sentir que no hay esperanza. Muchas personas buscan refugio en las drogas, alcohol, y otros vicios destructivos. Sin embargo, Dios ofrece una mejor alternativa; vivir bajo la sombra del Omnipotente. Dios es nuestro refugio en medio de las tormentas que azotan nuestras vidas diariamente. Dios es ese castillo fuerte que resiste los ataques del enemigo. Por tanto, cuando los problemas y dificultades entran en nuestras vidas, deposítalos en las manos del Dios Altísimo y descansa en el abrigo de Dios porque solo allí “encontraras paz y profundo amor”. Que el Señor te bendiga y te guarde siempre.

Pastor Dimas

Hare Tu Voluntad?

 A menudo, lo último que le damos al Señor es nuestra voluntad. Es posible “cumplir con todos los requisitos del cristianismo” sin entregar completamente nuestra vida a Dios. A menudo nuestra actitud es "Señor, seré miembro de la Iglesia, daré buenas ofrendas, tal vez ayude en la escuela dominical, etc., pero quiero mantener el control de mi vida".

Jesús nos enseñó a entregarle todo a Él. Él nos dio el ejemplo perfecto de esta actitud. Oró en el Huerto de Getsemaní: “Padre, no es mi voluntad, sino la tuya”. Esa debe ser también la meta de todo cristiano. Hasta que no entreguemos todo a Dios, no le hemos dado lo que más desea.

Quiero preguntarte hoy: ¿Quién controla tu vida? ¿Tú o Dios? No puede haber mucha discusión sobre quién debería estar a cargo. Nuestra voluntad egocéntrica puede ponernos en dificultades. El rey Salomón escribió: “Los que confían en sí mismos son necios, pero los que andan en sabiduría están a salvo” (Proverbios 28:26).

No hay razón para temer. Dios no nos engañará ni nos hará daño. Ha hecho tanto para demostrarnos su amor y sus buenas intenciones para con nosotros que no debe haber lugar a dudas. Hay una razón por la que estamos preparados para afrontar las experiencias de la vida, Jesucristo. Nuestra oración hoy y todos los días debe ser “Hágase tu voluntad aquí en la tierra como en el Cielo” (Mateo 6:10).

Que el Senor te bendiga y te guarde siempre.

Your Will be Done

Often the last thing we give to the Lord is our will. It is possible to "fulfill all the requirements of Christianity" without fully surrendering our lives to God. Often our attitude is, "Lord, I'll be a member of the Church, I'll give good offerings, maybe I'll help out in Sunday school, etc., but I want to remain in control of my life."

Jesus taught us to surrender everything to Him. He gave us the perfect example of this attitude. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Father, it is not my will, but yours." That should also be the goal of every Christian. Until we give everything to God, we have not given him what he most desires.

I want to ask you today: Who controls your life? You or God? There can't be much discussion about who should be in charge. Our self-centered inclination can get us into trouble. King Solomon wrote: “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are safe” (Proverbs 28:26).

There is no reason to fear. God will not deceive us or harm us. He has done so much to show us his love and his good intentions for us that there can be no question. There is a reason we are prepared to face life's experiences, Jesus Christ. Our prayer today and every day should be "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

May the Lord bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas

Why are we in this mess?

 If you have kept up with the latest news, we live in a messy and upside-down world. What was good is now evil, and what was evil, is now good.  Additionally, you may have noticed the world we live in could be a lot better place. Our world is a mess because we sinned against God. However, in the beginning, God created a sinless, spectacular world for us to enjoy. God was specific in his instructions to Adam and Eve. He told Adam; You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, from when you hear from it, you will certainly die (Genesis 2:16-17). Nevertheless, Adam and Eve ignored God's instructions for living, and sin entered the world.  Satan and Eve strike up a conversation. The Bible said that Satan appears as a serpent. What was this serpent-like? I don’t know. We also don’t know if this is the entire conversation or if there was some small talk that existed before this encounter. 

Nonetheless, we can discover and see the two-fold nature of Satan’s attack. First, cast doubt on God’s Word.  Satan begins, “Has God indeed said you shall eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). He takes God's positive instruction and seeks to paint it as something restrictive. Eve answers correctly. She said, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and YOU MUST NOT TOUCH IT, or you will die. This is the opening that Satan needed.

Second, Satan wants us to trust ourselves rather than God. Satan seeks to replace God as the authority with other things. When Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (v. 6) Do you see what happened? Eve trusted her eyes and desires more than God’s word. And then she trusted her reason “It was desirable for gaining wisdom”. We must not trust even our eyes, our mind, or our desires over the Word of God!

This was not a one-time affair. Satan is still using the same “bag of tricks”. He wants to get us to trust our systems, our traditions, our feelings, our “steps to powerful living”, and our programs. He’ll encourage us to place our trust in our goodness, our bank account, our friendships, our appearance, and our personality. He takes different approaches, but it is always the same goal: trust yourself rather than promise. He may try to keep us from reading and studying the Word or He may seek to distort the Word, but the goal is the same: trust ourselves or something other than God’s Word.

Adam blames Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam even tried to blame God. Adam and Eve played the blame game.  Sin always devastates. Our condition is nobody’s fault but our own. We should point our fingers at ourselves. As we look around our world today, we see an eroding moral standard, a cancerous disregard for human life, and a sad lack of virtue in the people who should be our role models. Things are still “a mess”. Genesis three tells us how we went from “It is good, very good” to “What a mess!” We ruined a perfect relationship with God through our sin. 

However, there is a PROMISE.  Even while the stench of that first sin is fresh, God is beginning the process of redemption. In Genesis 3:15 we read the first promise of the Messiah. God is speaking to Satan and says, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” There is coming a day when a descendant of Eve’s will be attacked by Satan in a powerful way. Satan will succeed in “striking his heel”. However, this descendant will “crush” Satan’s head. This descendant is Jesus. So, even during this initial rebellion, God points to a Redeemer. Even in the Garden, God is pointing to a coming Savior. They were spiritually dead but there was no one who would come who would give them their spiritual life back. Even when man is engaging in rebellion God is planning redemption.

So, how do you start? It takes an act of faith. God must awaken you and you must respond. That response would come in the form of an honest prayer like this: Father, I don’t come with any excuses. I acknowledge that like Adam, and Eve I have often turned from You. I am a sinner and I have made a mess of my life. Today I received the offer of salvation you extend. Today I declare my faith and confidence that Jesus died in my place, for my sin, and that His resurrection opened the door for anyone who would believe, including me. Today I place my trust and confidence in Christ. I want Him to lead and direct my life. Thank you, Father, for your grace. Amen.

Things are a mess, but they don’t have to stay that way. May the Lord bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas.

Gratitude

 Have you ever asked; How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? It is an interesting question. Songwriter Andrae Crouch in his song "My Tribute" wrote: “How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me, things so undeserved yet You gave to prove your love for me.”

Do you ever stop and think about how blessed you are as a child of God? Think of some of the blessings you have received from God. Let me mention a few. Forgiveness, peace, purpose, direction, God’s Spirit, life beyond the grave, a constant companion and friend, a healing of the body and soul, the power of His Word, the fellowship of other believers, and thousands of little things, EVERY day.

Psalm 116: 12-14 said, “What can I offer the LORD for all he has done for me? I will lift the cup of salvation and praise the LORD’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the LORD in the presence of all his people.” The Psalmist is thankful for God’s blessings, blessings that he knows he doesn’t deserve. Moreover, he wants to express his gratitude. So, he asks this question in vs. 12, “How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?” How do we respond to such kindness and love? The Psalmist gives us two responses: First, we worship. We give God the praise and honor that is due Him. Worship is not a chore that we do every week, it is an attitude of the heart every day! Corporate worship is the gathering of worshipers for a grand celebration. I hope you will be part of that celebration today. Second, we keep our promises to Him. We show gratitude when we do EVERYTHING. He commands rather than merely the things with which we agree. Every time we come to worship; it is a time of thanksgiving. It is a time for all of us to express to God how grateful we are to Him for all that He has done for us.

The question we must face today is how we can truly express our thankfulness to God.  As Christians, we’re well aware of how important the attitude of thanksgiving should be in our lives. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Take a moment today to count your blessings. Don’t hurry. Savor. Give thanks. Then express your gratitude to the Lord in ways that will please Him. May God bless you, keep you, and allow these words to help you renew your spirit.

Pastor Dimas

Gratitud

 Buenos días familia ¿Alguna vez te has preguntado cómo puedo pagarle al Señor por toda Su bondad para conmigo? Es una pregunta interesante. El compositor americano Andrae Crouch en la canción “Mi Tributo” escribie: "¿Cómo puedo decir gracias por las cosas que has hecho por mí, cosas tan inmerecidas que diste para demostrar tu amor por mí?".

¿Alguna vez te detienes a pensar en lo bendecido que eres como hijo de Dios? Piensa en algunas de las bendiciones que has recibido de Dios. Permítanme mencionar algunos. El perdón, la paz, el propósito, la dirección, el Espíritu de Dios, la vida más allá de la tumba, un Compañero y Amigo constante, una sanidad del cuerpo y del alma, el poder de Su Palabra, el compañerismo de otros creyentes y miles de pequeñas cosas, TODOS los días. .

El Salmo 116:12-14 dice: “¿Qué puedo ofrecer a Jehová por todo lo que ha hecho por mí? Levantaré la copa de la salvación y alabaré el nombre del Señor por salvarme. Cumpliré mis promesas al Señor en presencia de todo su pueblo”. El salmista agradece las bendiciones de Dios, bendiciones que sabe que no merece. Además, quiere expresar su gratitud. Entonces, él hace esta pregunta en el v. 12, “¿Cómo le pagaré al Señor toda Su bondad para conmigo?” ¿Cómo respondemos a tal bondad y amor? El salmista nos da dos respuestas: Primero, adoramos. Damos a Dios la alabanza y el honor que le corresponde. ¡La adoración no es una tarea que hacemos todas las semanas, es una actitud del corazón todos los días! La adoración corporativa es la reunión de adoradores para una gran celebración. Espero que seas parte de esa celebración cada semana. Segundo, cumplimos nuestras promesas a Él. Mostramos gratitud cuando hacemos TODO. Cada vez que venimos a adorar, es un momento de acción de gracias. Es un momento para que todos le expresemos a Dios cuán agradecidos estamos con Él por todo lo que ha hecho por nosotros.

La pregunta que debemos enfrentar hoy es cómo podemos expresar verdaderamente nuestro agradecimiento a Dios. Como cristianos, somos muy conscientes de cuán importante debe ser la actitud de acción de gracias en nuestras vidas. En 1 Tesalonicenses 5:18, Pablo dice: “Dad gracias en todo; porque esta es la voluntad de Dios en Cristo Jesús para vosotros.” Tómese un momento hoy para contar sus bendiciones. No te apresures. Saborear. Dar gracias. Luego exprese su gratitud al Señor de maneras que le agraden. Que Dios te bendiga y te guarde y permita que estas palabras te ayuden a renovar tu espíritu.

Que es amor?

 

¿ Hoy es el día de San Valentín. Es un día que celebramos el amor y la amistad. Si te preguntara; ¿Que es el amor? ¿cómo responderías? Todos nosotros podemos definir “amor” de diferentes maneras. Si escribieres la palabra "amor" en Google, muestra más de 18 mil millones de lugares donde puedes encontrar esa palabra. La Biblia enseña que Dios es Amor. El apóstol Juan escribe: “Amados, amémonos unos a otros, porque el amor es de Dios, y el que ama es nacido de Dios y conoce a Dios” (1 Juan 4:7). Dios te ama tal como eres. Nada de lo que tú y yo hagamos podrá cambiar el corazón de Dios hacia nosotros. Independientemente de quién seas, de dónde vengas, lo que tengas o no tengas, o lo que hayas hecho o dejado de hacer con tu vida, Dios te ama. El amor encuentra su origen en la persona de Dios.

El amor humano es muy incierto. Te aseguro que conoces a alguien que ha vivido el rechazo en algún momento de su vida. El amor no es una llave mágica que el cristiano usa para abrir todas las oportunidades y garantizar que cada esfuerzo sea un éxito. El amor a menudo no gana, no en el sentido humano. No es una fórmula espiritual que, si se aplica correctamente, llenará automáticamente todos sus deseos y producirá un gran éxito en su vida. Jesús es el máximo ejemplo de amor. Jesús amó perfectamente, pero su crucifixión hace parecer que su amor fracasó. Debes conocer que es el amor de Jesús el que todavía transforma vidas y corazones. Es por ese amor de Jesús que tú y yo estamos vivos hoy. Sin embargo, todos necesitamos apoyarnos y confiar en el amor perfecto de Dios. Su amor es vuestra esperanza y vuestra meta. Ser cristiano significa que debes amar como Jesús te ama. El apóstol Juan añade: “El que no ama, no ha conocido a Dios, porque Dios es amor.  En esto se manifestó el amor de Dios entre nosotros, en que Dios envió a su Hijo unigénito al mundo, para que vivamos por él” (1 Juan 4:8-9). Si el amor es algo que hay que imitar, entonces ¿cómo se puede aprender a amar como Jesús? Eso es lo que el apóstol Juan quiere enseñarte hoy. Que Dios te bendiga y te guarde siempre.

Pastor Dimas

What is Love?

Today is Valentine’s Day. It is a day that we celebrate love and friendship. If I would ask you; What is love? How would you respond? All of us can define “love” in diverse ways. I you typed the word “love” into Google search, it shows more than 18 billion places where you can find that word. At the core of the Christian faith, the Bible teaches that God is Love. The apostle John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). God loves you just the way you are. Nothing you and I do can ever change God's heart towards us. Regardless of who you are, where you come from, what you have, or don't have, or what you have done or not done with your life, God loves you. Love finds its origin in the person of God. Human love is very uncertain and I'm sure you know someone who has experienced rejection at some point in their lives. Love is not a magic key that the Christian uses to unlock every opportunity and guarantee that every endeavor will be a success. Love often doesn't win, not in the human sense. It is not a spiritual formula that, if applied correctly, will automatically fill all your desires, and produce remarkable success in your life. Jesus is the ultimate example of love. Jesus loved perfectly yet his crucifixion makes it appear that His love failed. But you know that it is the love of Jesus that still transforms lives and hearts. It is for that love of Jesus that you and I are alive today. However, we all need to lean on and trust in God's perfect love. His love is your hope and your goal. Being a Christian means that you must love as Jesus loves you. The apostle John adds, “anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:8-9). If love is something you must imitate, then how can one learn to love like Jesus? That is what the apostle John wants to teach you today. May God bless you and keep you always. 

Pastor Dimas

Help my Unbelief

 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:23-24).



As humans, one of the key issues we deal with in our daily life is unbelief. Because of past experiences, usually, you find it difficult to believe in a person or some entity. Other times, your disbelief comes from the lack of knowledge of a particular situation. In general, you believe in something when it is tangible. That is, something you can touch, feel, smell, eat, etc. The Christian life is not based on emotions or feelings, it is based on faith. The author of the book of Hebrews says that without faith “it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). The Bible defines faith as “the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1).

This encounter between Jesus, His disciples, and this father is interesting. Here is a man, who was desperately hoping that Jesus’ disciples could help, who was heartbroken over the state of his son. This encounter has some similarities with your life. Like this father, how many times have you gone to the Heavenly Father in prayer desperate to find an answer to a problem you are facing? You prayed and prayed, and no response. You asked the church to pray for your needs and no answer. You wait and wait, and no response. And, it is during these moments of desperation, you begin to feel doubt. You start to lose heart because you perceive that the Lord is not listening. It is in these moments of anguish that like this father, you need to cry out to God and said, I believe, help me in my unbelief. Jesus’ words were both a gentle reprimand and the reminder that man needed at that moment.

Occasionally, you need the same reminder. When unbelief comes into your life, you must cry out; "Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief." The power of faith is the consequence of the power of God. All things are possible to Him; therefore, all things are possible to me, believing in Him. If we translate that into more abstract words, it just comes to the principle that the power of faith consists of it taking hold of the power of God. It is omnipotent because it knits us to Omnipotence. Faith is nothing in itself, but it is that which attaches us to God, and then His power flows into us. God hears our pleas. Jesus isn't saying that we can accomplish anything we want if we have enough faith; this isn't an endorsement of the Word of Faith teachings. True faith doesn't presume that God will do what we want but that God can do what He wants. We must believe and have faith that God will fulfill his purpose in our lives. May the Lord bless you and keep you always.

Pastor Dimas