El ministerio ALPHA & OMEGA de la Iglesia Universal de la Vida esta desarrollando congregaciones ofreciendo clases de la Biblia en español y cadenas de oración para los necesitados. Necesitamos sitios para enseñar la Palabra de Dios. Póngase en contacto con el Reverendo Armando García ULCM enviando un correo electrónico a: alphayomega.wwjd@gmail.com
DIRECTORIO DEL MINISTERIO ALPHA & OMEGA
EE.UU.
Reverendo Armando Garcia ULCM
2602 MacArthur Avenue
South Bend, Indiana 46615
574-344-1854
alphayomega.wwjd@gmail.com
IGLESIA CENTRAL
Universal Life Church, Headquarters
601 Third St. Modesto, CA 95351 Office Ph: 209-527-8111 Fax: 209-527-8116
"Tu palabra es una lámpara que guía mis pies y una luz para mi camino" Salmos 119:105 (NTV)
Valiosas palabras de un comentarista con respecto a la Biblia.
La Biblia contiene la mente de Dios, el estado del hombre, el camino de la salvacion, la condenacion de los pecadores, y la felicidad de los creyentes. Sus doctrinas son santas, sus preceptos son determinantes, sus historias son verdaderas, y sus decisiones son inmutables.
Leala para ser sabio, creala para estar protegido, y practiquela para ser santo. Contiene la luz para guiarlo, alimento para sustentarlo, y consuelo para alegrarlo. Es el mapa del viajero, el baston del peregrino, la brujula del piloto, la espada del guerrero, y la carta magna del cristiano.
Ahi el paraiso es restaurado, los cielos son abiertos, y las puertas del infierno reveladas. Cristo es su gran tema, su diseño nuestro bien, y la gloria de Dios su fin.. Debe llenar la memoria, controlar la mente y el corazon, y guiar los pies..
Leela atentamente, frecuentemente, y en oracion. Es una mina de riqueza, un paraiso de gloria, y un rio de placer. Te es dada en la vida, te sera abierta en el juicio, y sera recordada por siempre. Involucra la mayor responsabilidad, recompensa el mayor trabajo, y condena a aquellos que menosprecian su contenido santo.
Estudia constantemente este libro de instruccion. Medita en el de dia y de noche para asegurarte de obedecer todo lo que alli esta escrito. Solamente entonces prosperaras y te ira bien en todo lo que hagas. Mi mandato es: “Se fuerte y valiente! No tengas miedo ni te desanimes, porque el Señor tu Dios esta contigo dondequiera que vayas”. Josue 1:8-9 (NTV)
Juan 10:9 "Yo soy la puerta; el que por mí entrare, será salvo; y entrará, y saldrá, y hallará pastos." Jesús, el gran YO SOY, es la entrada a la verdadera iglesia, y el camino de acceso a Dios mismo. Le da al hombre que viene a Dios por él cuatro privilegios de elección. 1. Él será salvo. El homicida prófugo pasaba por la puerta de la ciudad de refugio, y estaba a salvo. Noé entró por la puerta del arca, y estaba seguro. Nadie puede perderse si toma a Jesús como la puerta de la fe a su alma. La entrada por medio de Jesús a la paz es la garantía de entrada por la misma puerta al cielo. Jesús es la única puerta, una puerta abierta, una puerta ancha, una puerta segura; y bendito es aquel que descansa toda su esperanza de admisión a la gloria sobre el Redentor crucificado. 2. Él entrará. Él tendrá el privilegio de entrar en la familia divina, compartir el pan de los niños y participar en todos sus honores y goces. Él irá a las cámaras de la comunión, a los banquetes de amor, a los tesoros del pacto, a los depósitos de las promesas. Él irá al Rey de reyes en el poder del Espíritu Santo, y el secreto del Señor estará con él. 3. Él saldrá. Esta bendición es muy olvidada. Salimos al mundo a trabajar y sufrir, ¡pero qué misericordia para ir en el nombre y el poder de Jesús! Estamos llamados a dar testimonio de la verdad, animar al desconsolado, advertir a los descuidados, ganar almas y glorificar a Dios; y como el ángel le dijo a Gedeón: "Ve en este tu poder", aun así el Señor nos haría proceder como sus mensajeros en su nombre y fortaleza. 4. Él encontrará pastos. El que conoce a Jesús nunca deseará otra cosa. Entrar y salir le será igualmente útil: en comunión con Dios crecerá, y al regar a otros será regado. Habiendo hecho de Jesús su todo, él encontrará todo en Jesús. Su alma será como un jardín regado, y como un pozo de agua cuyas aguas no fallan.
The mayor of Wilmington eventually apologized, admitting that city officials “used poor judgment” when pressuring the Muslim group to leave.
A bright summer day at a Delaware public pool took a dark turn after staffers began harassing Muslim children over their choice of conservative swimming attire.
Female students from a local Islamic summer camp had been visiting the Wilmington pool for the past four summers. In following with their families’ strict interpretation of Islamic rules, many of the students chose to sport modest t-shirts, leggings and even headscarves. It was apparently never an issue.
But last month, during a regularly scheduled visit to the pool, a manager confronted the group and informed them that cotton clothing was forbidden in the water. Feeling pressured to leave, they packed up their things and went home disappointed.
Targeted for Harassment
Camp director Tahsiyn Ismaa’eel took particular issue with the way the situation was handled. “If you are making us so uncomfortable that we aren’t enjoying a public facility, if you’re pressuring us by asking what time we’re going to leave ... I got the message,” she explained.
She followed up with Wilmington’s parks and recreation department and was assured the incident had nothing to do with religious attire. But when they tried to return, the same thing occurred. In fact, it happened on three more separate occasions – despite no visible postings of the pool's rules about cotton fabric. This led Ismaa’eel to believe her kids were being unfairly discriminated against due to their Islamic beliefs.
“The bottom line is, if you have a policy, it has to be written, posted and applied across the board ― not arbitrarily. What happened at Brown pool, from my estimation, is that [the pool manager] weaponized an unwritten policy to target us and to try to keep us out of the pool, to antagonize us and get us banned from the pool.”
City Apologizes
City officials initially toldThe Delaware News Journalthe cotton ban was a matter of public safety, given that such a heavy wet fabric could strain the pool’s filtration system.
But in the end, the mayor of Wilmington was forced to apologize and admit that city officials “used poor judgment” when balancing the students’ religious clothing requirements against the rather obscure pool rules. The city is now planning to post signs clearly communicating that all swimmers must wear nylon, spandex or polyester swimwear.
The incident, however, will surely leave a bad taste for anyone left wondering if Orthodox Jewish and Christian children - who are also encouraged to dress modestly while swimming - would have received similar treatment.
Are Muslims Being Singled Out?
Legislation targeting Muslim swimwear has swept across Europe in recent years, sparking intense debate in places like France, Switzerland and Austria. Numerous cities have banned the burkini (a swimsuit designed specifically for Muslim women) from swimming pools and beaches, citing reasons ranging from hygiene to safety concerns.
The Delaware incident, however, shows that prejudice may be a greater factor behind such rules than we’d like to think. Are these restrictions really in place to protect public safety, or because we’re uncomfortable with another way of dress?
Y aunque la biblia se encuentra llena de promesas, cabe resaltar que no todas las promesas son para un tipo o grupo de personas.
Hay promesas especificas para el pueblo de Israel los judios, y hay otras promesas para los hijos de Dios a traves del sacrificio de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
Dios ha dado salvacion a todos aquellos que han creido en Jesus haciendole su Señor y Salvador.
Veamos cuantas promesas puedes encontrar en esta porcion biblica?
Salmos 111:1-8 "1 Alabare a Jehova con todo el corazon En la compañia y congregacion de los rectos. 2 Grandes son las obras de Jehova, Buscadas de todos los que las quieren. 3 Gloria y hermosura es su obra, Y su justicia permanece para siempre. 4 Ha hecho memorables sus maravillas; Clemente y misericordioso es Jehová. 5 Ha dado alimento a los que le temen; Para siempre se acordara de su pacto. 6 El poder de sus obras manifesto a su pueblo, Dandole la heredad de las naciones. 7 Las obras de sus manos son verdad y juicio; Fieles son todos sus mandamientos, 8 Afirmados eternamente y para siempre, Hechos en verdad y en rectitud."
Jeremías 31:3 "Jehová se manifestó a mí hace ya mucho tiempo, diciendo: Con amor eterno te he amado; por tanto, te prolongué mi misericordia"
Algunas veces el Señor Jesús le cuenta a su Iglesia sus pensamientos de amor. "No le parece suficiente contarlo a sus espaldas, sino que en su propia presencia dice que nos ama. Es verdad, este no es su método ordinario: es un amante sabio, y sabe cuándo reprimir la insinuación del amor y cuándo dejarlo salir, pero hay momentos en que no lo ocultará.
El Espíritu Santo a menudo se complace, de la manera más misericordiosa, en dar testimonio ennuestros espíritus del amor de Jesús. Él toma de las cosas de Cristo y nos las revela. No se oye ninguna voz desde las nubes, y no se ve ninguna visión en la noche, pero tenemos un testimonio más seguro que cualquiera de estos. Si un ángel vueve desde el cielo e informa personalmente al santo del amor del Salvador hacia él, la evidencia no sería en absoluto más satisfactoria que la que el Espíritu Santo lleva en el corazón. Pregunta a los del pueblo del Señor que han vivido más cerca de las puertas del cielo, y ellos te dirán que han tenido temporadas cuando el amor de Cristo hacia ellos ha sido un hecho tan claro y seguro, que no podían dudarlo más de lo que podrían cuestionar su propia existencia.
Sí, amado creyente, tú y yo hemos tenido momentos de refrigerio de la presencia del Señor, y entonces nuestra fe ha subido a las alturas más altas de seguridad. Hemos tenido la confianza de apoyar nuestras cabezas en el seno de nuestro Señor, y no hemos cuestionado más el afecto de nuestro Maestro que lo que hizo Juan cuando estaba en esa bendita postura y le hizo la oscura pregunta: "Señor, ¿soy yo quien te traicionará?".
Nos besó y mató nuestras dudas por la cercanía de su abrazo. Su amor ha sido más dulce que el vino para nuestras almas.
Ezequiel 16:10 "Y te vestí de bordado, te calcé de tejón, te ceñí de lino y te cubrí de seda".
Mira con qué generosidad sin igual el Señor provee para la vestimenta de su gente. Ningún arte como el arte exhibido en nuestra salvación, ninguna astucia como la contemplada en la justicia de los santos. La justificación ha absorbido las plumas aprendidas en todas las edades de la iglesia, y será el tema de la admiración en la eternidad. Dios lo ha "forjado curiosamente". Con toda esta elaboración, la utilidad y la durabilidad se mezclan, comparable a nuestro calzado con pieles de tejón. El animal que aquí se representa es desconocido, pero su piel cubría el tabernáculo y formaba uno de los cueros más finos y fuertes que se conocen. La justicia que es de Dios por la fe dura para siempre, y el que está calzado con esta preparación divina hollará el desierto de manera segura, e incluso podrá poner su pie sobre el león y el víbora.
La pureza y la dignidad de nuestra vestimenta sagrada se traen en el lino fino. Cuando el Señor santifica a su pueblo, se los viste de sacerdotes en blanco puro; ni la nieve misma los supera; están en los ojos de hombres y ángeles dignos de admiración, e incluso a los ojos del Señor están sin mancha. Mientras tanto, la vestimenta real es delicada y rica como la seda. No se ahorran gastos, no se retiene belleza, no se niega ninguna delicadeza. Seguramente hay gratitud para sentir y alegría para ser expresada. Ven, mi corazón, no rechaces tu noche ¡Aleluya! En la más dulce armonía de alabanza, deja que todas tus fuerzas lo alaben, porque ha hecho grandes cosas en tu vida.
Trump’s criticism of Islam has struck a chord with many Americans who believe that Islam poses a grave threat to the Western world.
Is President Trump partly responsible for recent spikes in anti-Muslim hate crimes?
In their paper Making America Hate Again? Twitter and Hate Crime Under Trump, a team of researchers from the University of Warwick discovered a link between President Trump's tweets on Islam and a corresponding rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes.
The researchers came to this alarming conclusion after studying FBI hate crime statistics and comparing them to Trump’s Twitter history. Their findings revealed a stark rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes that began during Trump’s presidential campaign. These hate crimes were also concentrated in counties with high Twitter usage - boosting the chances that attackers had been inspired by Twitter messages. Then there’s this: researchers found a direct correlation between the number of Trump tweets criticizing Muslims in a given week and the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes reported in that time span.
"I think it all comes together to create this kind of environment where targeting Muslims is acceptable or has become acceptable,” said Madihha Ahussain, of the Muslim-rights group Muslim Advocates.
What Researchers Looked At
Researchers studied the 26 year period for which the FBI has published data surrounding hate crimes against Muslim-Americans. What became immediately clear is that Trump’s time in office is a historical outlier in terms of the average number of reported hate crimes - eclipsing even the spike in anti-Muslim attacks prevalent in the post-9/11 era.
While the researchers were careful to elaborate that they don’t believe Trump directly encourages supporters to carry out violence against Muslim citizens, they also don’t rule out the possibility that Trump’s eagerness to criticize Muslims has led to a rise in Islamophobia and hate crimes. Nor has this trend been limited to U.S. soil, as the recent “Punish a Muslim Day” incident in the U.K. goes to show.
Tweets on the Record
Perhaps the most striking Twitter example cited by critics were a series of fake videos retweeted by Trump that claimed to show violent acts being carried out by Muslims in Europe. After a strong backlash, Trump later apologized for retweeting the videos.
In another tweet, sent last summer, Trump seemingly endorsed the tactics many attribute to a U.S. general who served in the Philippines. He reportedly used pig's blood as a way to threaten Muslim prisoners into submission - pigs are considered unholy in Islam and coming into contact with their blood amounts to a holy desecration of the body.
Study what General Pershing of the United States did to terrorists when caught. There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!
Then there were the numerous tweets Trump sent regarding his travel ban (criticized by some as a de facto Muslim ban) which elicited strong reactions from both sides.
Researchers examined the impact of these tweets - along with many others - and came to the conclusion that Trump’s messages could be having a notable effect on hate crime rates.
Security Concerns: Real or Fake?
Although this evidence is largely circumstantial, on the whole it paints a disturbing picture. Like it or not, Trump’s criticism of Islam has struck a chord with many Americans who believe that Islam poses a grave threat to the Western world. With Islamic terror attacks continuing to occur, many are convinced that ensuring national security will require taking a hard line on issues like immigration. But others argue these fears are largely fabricated, and point out that fearmongering will only make the situation worse.
What do you think? Is President Trump to blame for the rise in anti-Muslim sentiments, or are there other forces at play?
Mary Walsh and Bev Nance have been together for 40 years.
Is it constitutional to deny someone housing because they’re gay?
A lesbian couple from Missouri has filed a lawsuit against a senior living center after their housing application was denied when the owners discovered they were gay.
Mary Walsh and Bev Nance have been together for 40 years and have been married since 2009. After touring the facilities at Friendship Village senior living community, filling out an application, and even putting down a deposit, their new apartment seemed like a done-deal.
But before the agreement could be finalized, the residence director called to question Walsh and Nance on the nature of their relationship. Soon after, they were informed their application had been rejected.
Although representatives from Friendship Village have thus far declined to comment, it seems that religious belief was responsible for the rejection. The organization’s website explains that it is “guided by Biblical values” and its cohabitation policy defines marriage as “the union of one man and one woman, as marriage is understood in the Bible.”
Apparently, Mary Walsh had specifically asked during their initial tour if the community would have a problem with two married women moving in together. “The guy looked at me like I had three heads and said, ‘No, we don’t have any problem at all.’ He looked at me so strangely I never asked the question again,” Walsh explained.
Do They Have a Shot to Win?
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court this week claims the senior living center denied the couple’s application based solely on their sexual orientation. “Mary and Bev were denied housing for one reason and one reason only—because they were married to each other rather than to men. This is exactly the type of sex discrimination the Fair Housing Act prohibits,” said the couple’s attorney. “Their story demonstrates the kind of exclusion and discrimination still facing same-sex couples of all ages.”
However, legal experts think Marsh and Nance will be fighting an uphill battle. Although housing discrimination based on things like race and sex is definitively illegal under federal law, there’s no law preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Fight for Equal Treatment Continues
Walsh and Nance have seen the gay rights movement evolve from its infancy. they were alive during the Stonewall riots, when being openly gay was basically unheard of. And decades later, they witnessed a long-sought victory: the legalization of same-sex marriage. And yet, even after all these years, they’re still facing obstacles.
“All this stuff just keeps coming at you, and then you’re in your 70s, and you think it’s going to be easy from now on and then you face this kind of prejudice. In my mind, the time has come for this to be corrected,” Walsh said.
Even if Walsh and Nance end up losing their case, Friendship Village might want to consider a name change, for this type of treatment doesn’t come off as particularly friendly. At the very least, they should put an asterisk next to their name explaining that “gays need not apply.”
What do you think? Should housing companies have the right to turn away gay applicants?
The case in question involves a football coach who was turned down for a job at Louisiana College because of his “Jewish blood.”
Are Jews members of a racial group, a religious group, or both? It’s a popular debate among experts in academic fields such as sociology and anthropology. On the one hand, Jews share a common ancestry and often have distinct characteristics. But Judaism is also a widely practiced religion, and one doesn’t have to claim Jewish ancestry in order to join the faith.
You might ask: why does this matter? Can't we just treat each other equally?
Well, until now the courts had never offered a definitive legal answer as to whether Jews are a race or a religious group. That changed last Friday, when a federal judge in Louisiana ruled that Jewish citizens should be classified as a racial or ethnic group and are thus protected from employment discrimination under the Civil Rights Act.
Josh Bonadona
Turned Away for Being Jewish
The case in question involved Joshua Bonadona, a football coach who applied for a job at Louisiana College. Bonadona sued the school, claiming the college’s president refused to hire him because of his “Jewish blood.”
The college fought the lawsuit, arguing that being Jewish doesn’t qualify as a “race,” and therefore isn’t subject to federal anti-discriminations laws. The judge disagreed, writing:
“America is no stranger to anti-Semitism, which is often rooted in prejudice against a person based on his heritage/ethnicity without regard to the person’s particular religious beliefs. Jewish citizens have been excluded from certain clubs or neighborhoods, and they have been denied jobs and other opportunities based on the fact that they were Jewish, with no particular concern as to a given individual’s religious leanings.”
By all accounts, it was the first time a court has ruled that Jews are a racially protected group. “This is precedent-setting,” said Bonadona’s attorney.
A Sensitive Issue
This would seemingly be a victory for Jewish rights, but some advocates are not so sure. David Barkey, who represents the Anti-Defamation League, points out that the lawsuit touches on a sensitive aspect of Jewish history and identity. Persecuted by the Nazis for being an “inferior race,” Jews have spent decades trying to overcome that dark period of their history.
Amid the current political environment – and given that just last summer white nationalists marched in Charlottesville chanting “Jews will not replace us” – this recent ruling brings with it renewed fears of Jewish persecution.
“I think we have to remember this is a legal decision, not a scientific or sociological decision,” Barkey explains. “The only concern that I would have is if it was being taken out of context to legitimize extremist views.”
Hate Continues
The sinister history of Jewish persecution is obviously well documented, but many people are unaware that Jews continue to be victims of discrimination and violence, even in 2018. In fact, FBI hate crime statistics show that anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise, and Jews are the victims of the majority of religious hate crimes (though maybe we should now say racial?).
In any event, the battle to root out hate is far from over. Perhaps protecting Jews as a racial group will prove wholly beneficial, but as experts like David Barkey point out, dividing up society along racial and ethnic lines can bring with it unintended – and dark – consequences.
Critics have vigorously opposed President Trump's travel restriction policy, characterizing it as a de facto "Muslim ban."
In a 5-4 decision on Tuesday, the Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s controversial travel ban which prohibits travel to America from seven countries: Iran, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea.
After being announced back in January 2017, the travel ban sparked immediate national outrage and led to raucous protests at airports across the country. Opponents of the policy denounced it as a de facto “Muslim ban” and accused the president of intentionally discriminating against Islamic peoples. Although there were several non-Muslim countries on Trump’s list, critics insisted the policy was motivated by a clear hostility toward Muslims. As evidence, they pointed to his harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric during the presidential campaign.
After numerous states mounted legal challenges, a lower court eventually ruled the travel ban was unconstitutional. However, this latest Supreme Court ruling overturns that decision, and the White House is now free to prevent people traveling to the U.S. from the countries in question.
When the travel ban was first announced, thousands of protesters gathered at airports to voice their opposition.
Religious Leaders Ask: “Is This Justice?”
Reactions to the Supreme Court decision were predictably split along partisan lines. But one contingent was especially vocal in the wake of the ruling: evangelical leaders. The president of World Relief, an evangelical-run refugee organization, issued a strong statement following the news:
"While we respect the authority of the Supreme Court on these matters, we also believe it is vital that we, as a nation, affirm our core commitment to religious liberty for all people. Though the court may have found these restrictions to be lawful, that does not necessarily mean they are right or just… A person's religious tradition should not disqualify them, explicitly or implicitly, from being considered for a visa to enter the United States."
Evangelical activist Lisa Sharon Harper also weighed in against the policy, saying:
"Law and policy serve as sacred documents for the secular world; reflecting back to society what it believes are good and just ways to live together in the world. What message does it send to our Muslim neighbors, many of whom are fleeing persecution, when U.S. law declares that it is fine to break families and purge people groups and let them die based on fear of the other?"
“Matter of National Security”
However, some evangelical leaders backed the decision, arguing that the Bible’s message of “love thy neighbor” is not a mandate to let whoever wants to enter America do so. Barring people from coming to the U.S – especially potential Islamic extremists – is simply a matter of public safety, they point out.
Among the groups that voiced support for President Trump was the Faith & Freedom Coalition, which released a public statement on the matter:
"The over 1.8 million members and supporters of the Faith & Freedom Coalition support the Trump administration's policy of strictly vetting foreign nationals from countries plagued by civil war, terrorism and radical Islamic extremism that pose a danger to our national security."
Evangelicals Unfriendly Toward Immigration
Amid the heated immigration debate of recent years, an interesting phenomenon has been observed: despite espousing common Christian values such as compassion for others and helping the less fortunate, studies show that evangelicals are among the groups most opposed to immigration.
A recent poll from Pew Research Center found that over 2/3 of white evangelicals believe the U.S. has no responsibility to accept refugees. A similar poll conducted in February 2017 showed that 76% of white evangelicals approved of Trump’s travel ban.
These results beg the question: what’s driving the hostility toward immigrants? Is it simply a matter of economic and job issues? Safety concerns? Or perhaps there’s something deeper at play: an underlying fear of “the other” – whether that be people of a different religion, a different language, or a different nationality.
Are religious groups right to oppose immigration, or does this stance conflict with the moral foundations on which their faith is built ?
Pastor Yang Hua returned to his home in Guizhou province on Jun 19, 2018 after completing a two-and-a-half year jail term.
He was first imprisoned on Dec. 9, 2015 and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Jan. 5, 2017. Leading up to his trial, prosecutors tortured him multiple times in an effort to extract a confession. While in prison, Yang contracted vasculitis and had to be hospitalized, as he was unable to walk. He also contracted diabetes.
In spite of what he went through, his wife said Yang broke out into loud worship songs after his release. "...His belief remains resolute," she said.
1 Tesalonicenses 5:24 "Fiel es el que os llama, el cual también lo hará."
El cielo es un lugar donde nunca pecaremos; donde cesaremos nuestra vigilancia constante contra un enemigo infatigable, porque no habrá tentación que quiera derribarnos. Allí los redimidos dejan de preocuparse, y los cansados descansan. El cielo es la "herencia no contaminada"; es la tierra de perfecta santidad, y por lo tanto de completa seguridad. Pero, ¿acaso los santos, incluso en la tierra, a veces no saborean las alegrías de una seguridad dichosa? La doctrina de la palabra de Dios es que todos los que están en unión con el Cordero están a salvo; que todos los justos se mantendrán en su camino; que aquellos que han comprometido sus almas para guardar a Cristo lo encontrarán un conservador fiel e inmutable.
Sostenido por tal doctrina, podemos disfrutar de seguridad incluso en la tierra; no esa alta y gloriosa seguridad que nos libera de cada resbalón, sino esa santa seguridad que surge de la segura promesa de Jesús de que ninguno que crea en Él perecerá jamás, sino que estará con Él donde está. Creyente, reflexionemos con alegría sobre la doctrina de la perseverancia de los santos, y honremos la fidelidad de nuestro Dios con una santa confianza en Él. ¡Que nuestro Dios te traiga a casa un sentido de tu seguridad en Cristo Jesús! Que Él mismo te asegure que tu nombre está grabado en su mano; y susurre a tu oído la promesa: "No temas, yo estoy contigo". Míralo, el gran Fiador del pacto, como fiel y verdadero, y, por lo tanto, atado y comprometido para presentarte, al más débil de la familia, con toda la raza elegida, delante del trono de Dios; y en tan dulce contemplación beberás el jugo del vino especiado de la granada del Señor y probarás los delicados frutos del Paraíso.
Todo esto pasará si puedes creer con fe indescriptible que "fiel es el que te llama, el cual también lo hará".
Travis and Sarah Mitchell are facing years in prison after refusing to seek medical care for their newborn child.
When their child was born prematurely, a devoutly religious Oregon couple decided to rely on faith healing instead of seeking medical care. Within hours, the child died. Now they’re in handcuffs.
Parents Sarah and Travis Mitchell pled guilty this week to criminal charges relating to the death of their newborn. Authorities were first called to the Mitchell residence in March of last year after receiving reports of a dead newborn. A medical examiner arrived on the scene and discovered Sarah Mitchell lying in bed holding a deceased newborn in her arms.
What he didn’t expect to find was a second newborn – Mitchell had given birth to twins. The other child was alive, but in serious condition. The medical examiner pleaded with the parents to take their baby to the hospital. “Thank you for your input,” was the only response he got.
Despite it being in desperate need of medical attention, the Mitchells refused to take their baby to get proper care. The child died hours later.
Putting Faith in God – Consequences Be Damned
The Mitchells are members of Followers of Christ Church, a fundamentalist Christian sect with a supremely dark history. For decades, the Oregon chapter has rejected traditional medicine outright and put their faith in God to heal all of their ills – an extreme version of a practice known as faith healing.
“They believe that God heals, which all Christians believe, but they take it a step further, thinking that God always heals,” explains religion columnist Jonathan Merritt.
However, based on their morbid track record, God’s light has not shone particularly brightly on the Followers of Christ Church. In fact, local authorities have documented a long history of children living in the sect receiving insufficient care for serious medical issues – and frequently paying the ultimate price for their parents’ beliefs.
Back in the late ‘90s, local newspaper The Oregonian conducted an extensive review of church records and found that 78 children had been buried in the Followers of Christ Church cemetery between the years 1955 and 1998. Of those 78 children, medical experts concluded that at least 21 of the children could have been saved with proper medical care.
The Church of Child Killing
The Mitchells are far from the only parents in the sect to face consequences for rejecting modern medicine. In fact, they are now the fifth couple involved with Followers of Christ Church to be hit with criminal charges relating to death of a child.
“For far too long, children in this church have been needlessly suffering and dying because their parents, as a condition of their religious beliefs, have refused to seek medical care for their children,” said the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office.
Listening to former members of the sect – which some describe as more akin to a cult – an alarming picture emerges. “They have their own graveyard, and it’s just full of children,” reveals Myrna Cunningham, who used to belong to Followers of Christ Church. “There shouldn’t have been that many children who died. It’s terrible.”
Why is Faith Healing Still a Thing?
There's nothing wrong with putting faith in a higher power to help solve a problem, and prayer certainly has a place in our society. But when a life is in danger and there are clear alternatives proven to work, it's time to put the scripture aside and let the professionals step in. Especially if that life belongs to an innocent child.
Yet time and time again, religious parents have proven senselessly stubborn on the matter of medical care, believing that God will save their child - right up until He doesn't.
How many more children must be sacrificed on the altar of faith healing ?
Jorge Ramirez (center, right) was a strong supporter of President Trump's immigration policies. He is now facing deportation.
In the lead-up to the 2016 election, an Oceanside, CA minister named Jorge Ramirez encouraged his daughter to vote for then-candidate Donald Trump. Ramirez saw Trump as the best representative for conservative religious values and most likely to defend principles of religious freedom. He also backed Trump’s stance on immigration, believing it was tough but fair.
The only problem? Ramirez was living in the country illegally – a fact which came back to bite him when immigration agents caught on to his trail. Authorities waited outside the Ramirez residence one morning and took him into custody when he stepped out the door. Just like that, he was separated from his family and is now facing deportation.
Betrayed by False Promises
When Jorge Ramirez pushed his daughter to vote for Trump, he never envisioned a scenario in which he would get deported. After all, Trump did promise to only go after violent offenders and people with criminal histories – neither of which are categories that Ramirez falls under.
“Everything that he’s said against immigrants — it’s not that I’m in favor, but bad people don’t belong here,” Ramirez said. “In order to make America great, you have to have people contributing to this country.”
So how does he feel now? Speaking from the detention center, Ramirez told reporters: “Trump said, ‘Let’s keep all the good people here and all the bad people out.’" That’s great, but I’m here. If I’m here, anybody can be here. I’m not saying I’m the best person in the world, but I’ve tried to live a good life.”
Saying Goodbye to Home
Jorge Ramirez had lived in the U.S. since he was 11 years old – brought over the border by his parents without paperwork. He grew up in California, got married there, and started a family there. By every possible measure, the United States is his home. Now, all of a sudden, he’s on the verge of being kicked out of the very country he’s come to love. “I’m USA all the way,” Ramirez explains. “It’s that American spirit. It just gets into you.”
Unfortunately for Ramirez, he may soon be keeping the American spirit alive on the other side of the border.
Immigration Crisis Reaches Boiling Point
No doubt there are more stories similar to that of Jorge Ramirez that have gone untold. As federal authorities ramp up their crackdowns on illegal immigration, an intense moral debate rages on. Do law-abiding people who’ve lived their entire lives in the United States deserve to be kicked out? It’s one thing to knowingly cross the border as an adult – but another entirely to be brought here as a child. Is there any leniency in the law, or does deterring future illegal immigrants require taking a hardline approach?
As a country, we must seek answers to these difficult questions .
Queridos hermanos y hermanas en Jesucristo: este sitio es un verdadero paso de fe.
Estamos buscando colaboraciones gratuitas de periodistas que escriben sobre temas cristianos.
También nos gustaría que los eruditos de la Biblia compartan sus estudios de la Palabra y Dios. Queremos historias, testimonios y entrevistas con pastores sobre sus cruzadas cristianas; etc.
A medida que Dios proporciona más recursos, esta página crecerá. Se aceptan ofrendas de acuerdo a:
2 Corintios 9: 7 (NVI)
"Cada uno de ustedes debe dar lo que han decidido en su corazón dar, no a regañadientes o por compulsión, porque Dios ama a un dador alegre".
Gracias y que Dios lo Bendiga
Iglesia Universal de la Vida
Reverendo Armando García,
Ministerio Alpha & Omega
EE. UU.- Email alphayomega.wwjd@gmail.com
Evangelicals Unfriendly Toward Immigration
