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God bless you all and may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Not everyone is called to preach, but all are called to witness. What is a witness? A witness is someone who sees, hears, or knows something by being present, who then testifies the truth of those events.

Last night I had an interesting dream. I didn’t play a part in it but rather was a spectator. In the scene, I saw a group of Christians that all appeared to be working in the same place. Then there came a man (we will name him John) whom they began to include in their group. He quickly became their friend and you could tell that they wanted him to become a Christian.

The scene then changed and I saw John taking a stroll down the sidewalk. As he walked he came upon a man sitting in front of his house and they began to talk. This man began to tell John about his religion, how great it was, and all its positive aspects. You could see that those words really got a hold on him. John continued walking and came upon his friends, so his best friend in the group came and greeted him. As they spoke, John excitedly proclaimed “I converted to Islam”, and his friend's face showed instant devastation. He asked how; John told him. He said, “not the man in front of the house, he got to you too!” All he could think was that John had been fooled.

I remember in the dream looking at them and thinking to myself “you’re upset but you never actually witnessed to John like the other man did; he took the time to speak to John, while you just assumed that him being in your presence was going to bring him to Christ”. People these days call it the “silent witness”. The belief that our different character and the light of Christ are going to shine in a way that people are going to wonder, “what's different about them” and think “I want that too”. To me, silent witness sounds like an oxymoron.

In the book of Romans, Chapter 10 verses 13,14, and 17, the Apostle Paul said “for ‘whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” then he said, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Now I say to you, what good is it having a witness that will not testify? What good is it having a righteous testimony before men if they do not know that it was Jesus who made you what you are? What's to stop them from thinking that the righteousness is yours when really it's Christ's righteousness that has been imputed to you by His sacrifice of the cross. How will they know if you have not told them? People have to be told about Jesus so that they can come to Him, just looking at you isn’t going to do anything! If they don't know why you are different it doesn't matter that you are different.

Conversion doesn’t happen in a bubble. Christians are blessed in that God has chosen to use our witness and our preaching as the way that He brings saving faith to the world. He has the power to put the knowledge of Christ into people but instead uses Christians to do that for Him. Then, He takes out that heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. Then, He gives them the faith to believe. Then, they call upon Jesus. Then, they are saved.

Jesus gave us the Great Commission; in it, He said to make disciples and teach them. We have to show the world more than the wrapping paper; they have to know what's inside. If, like in my dream, you have already formed a relationship with a person or people, and they consider you a friend or good colleague, then don't be afraid to share the most important, most intimate, detail of your life. Share with them how you were once dead, and how Jesus died so that you may live. Tell them how He lives, and how you now have eternal life. Tell them that this can be theirs too, before the man down the street shows them a different path.

Blessings and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Author: Nathan Young-Pineiro

2-15-22

Blessings to all the Saints and may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be will you.

Recently I saw online that scientists created a “biohybrid fish”. This was a tiny machine made in the image of a fish. It just so happens that the mechanism that makes it move are beating human heart cells, hence its name. You can google "biohybrid fish" to find it.

This creation is an utter abomination.

Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, that's what makes us image-bearers of the Most High. Being image-bearers is what makes human life so precious. It is where we get our true self worth. It is what gives us a unique identity within God's creation. It makes us higher than animals. It is why humans have an eternal existence once we are created.

Thus we know what we are, but now let's look at the how. We were created and brought to life in a unique way. When God created animals He spoke them into existence, alive. (Gen 1:20-25) Some of the key words spoken here are “living creatures. When God created us though, it was the diamond on the ring of creation. He didn’t speak us; He formed us. He molded us from the earth, but the wonder doesn’t cease there. He didn't speak life into our form, but because He saw it good and pleasing to do so, He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being”.(Gen 2:7) Then He gave man dominion over creation, showing our place in the hierarchy. Likewise our companion and helper the woman was formed out of man, not spoken. (Gen 2:21,22)

See, everything that we are shines glory upon God, and although all of creation does the same, it cannot be said to do it to the same degree. Let alone “creations” of the created. I put creations in parentheses because man cannot truly create anything. We repurpose what God has already created into a new form, but we created nothing.

Now, I love science, it is amazing and we discover many wonders of God and gain greater understanding of His universe through it. Yes, some of these “innovations” save lives, but when is something too much? There are people alive today because they have pig and cow tissue in their hearts, but does that make it right? Is it right in the eyes of God? The Bible doesn't answer that specifically but we can gain insights into it if we just read. When is enough enough though? Yes, there are people that can move because they have metal rods in their bones. Yes, some can hear because they have a cochlear implant. Yes, some have pacemakers, but when is enough enough. What happened to fearing the God that made the blind, deaf, and dumb? (Ex 4:11) When will we stop taking things into our own hands, and how far are we going to go? All this to defy nature, to defy God, to be God. What is there to stop man from modifying himself with technology just because; not because he has an ailment but just because he wants something more or different. Just because he wants to do or be more. Sounds like what will lead to a nasty fall doesn’t it?

Back to the original topic though. A fish shaped object with human heart muscles to move it. First, it's repugnant to think that we are putting anything human in the form of an animal. A living piece of an image-bearer of God on an image of a created being. The first thing that comes to mind is someone putting flesh on an idol. Second,these experiments are being done in the hopes of one day creating whole human hearts. Taking the cells from one person, possible even aborted babies, in order to create something that God created. If that isn't an abomination I don’t know what it. We are not God to be attempting to “create” such things. That is for God to do not us. The same with cloning. God is the creator of life. But trying to go Dr. Frankenstein or Star Trek in hopes of creating these things is wrong and will bring a greater judgment down on humanity. Trying to play God is what brought sin into being. Disobedience and wanting to be like God is what brought it into this world and cursed all of mankind. The more man turns away from God, the deeper he goes down the rabbit hole. I just thank God that He made a way for our redemption out of what is happening to mankind. That Jesus came, died, and rose from the dead so that our sins and our sinful nature wouldn't be held against us in the day of Judgment. Praise to the Most High.

If you do not know our Lord Jesus Christ, we invite you to reach out to us and also to take advantage of the resources that will be on this website.

God bless you all and may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Author, Nathan Young-Piñeiro

Written 2-12-22