Posts by Justo Dorantes (Page 6)

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS Jesus was an expert in taking the initiative in talking with people. He knew how to talk to people and from there he taught people about their need for salvation. Jesus met people in their own turf and establish a common ground with others. In the book of John chapter 4:7 Jesus asked a woman from Samaria for a drink “will you give me a drink?” In the following verses and till verse 42 we see…

Throughout the Bible, we see thanksgiving for blessings as a theme. The Old Testament resounds with the people praising God; Israel had a history of giving thanks to God for the mercy and deliverance he showed them. In the New Testament we read, Jesus “Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke them” (Luke 9:16). At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and gave thanks, and offered it…

OUR GOAL AT BELTLINE One of our main goals in our Hispanic ministry at Beltline is to baptize people and to establish other congregations wherever there is an opportunity. Twenty-four years ago, we started from zero members at Beltline and as of today we have baptized more than five hundred people. God has blessed us with a strong congregation here at Beltline. The Englishspeaking congregation has given us the means and the tools to develop a strong congregation here in…

The whole world is aware of the accumulating mountains of waste and garbage threatening our planet. Air pollution, water pollution, land pollution are all becoming familiar terms. Every major city seems to be having problems with garbage disposal. We must find some way to handle the garbage, or it will finally overwhelm us. The human body, like any well-ordered house, also has its garbage disposal equipment. Every time you expel a lung full of air you are throwing off poisonous…

It was during my last semester, in 1996 that I was called to the president’s office at Heritage Christian University where I was attending. I knew that my scholarship did not cover the whole amount in tuition at HCU. I had a balance and it needed to be paid. I knew I owed about five thousand dollars to the University in tuition, but there was nothing I could do. I was a student I did not have a job and…

What kind of telephone would you expect to get if you paid $2400.00 for it? You would anticipate getting the latest in technology, possibly a video phone. The last thing you would expect would be just a plain old rotary phone that was not cordless; had no call-waiting, caller-ID or speed dialing; and would not even accept touch-tone service. But that is exactly what my parents got. As a matter of fact they had two of them for the same…

I would never make it as a pilot. What if I had to fly at night in fog or a strong wind? Pilots must trust their instruments in such conditions – easier said than done! Pilots are not immune from vertigo, the loss of their sense of direction, balance, and equilibrium. That’s when trusting instruments is especially important! Fifteen percent of airplane accidents are due to vertigo; most of them are fatal. It’s far worse for pilots who are not…

There is a monastery in Greece perched high on a cliff several hundred feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery is to be suspended in a basket that is pulled to the top by several monks who tug with all their strength. Obviously, the ride up the steep cliff in that basket is terrifying. One tourist got exceptionally nervous about halfway up as he noticed that the rope by which he was suspended was old and…

In a world that is so wicked today, how can we remain faithful to God? How can we tune out the sins of the world? Is there any hope for us in our struggles? The answers to these questions reside in the Bible. The question is, of course, will we read it and obey? Josiah, the king of Judah (641 to 609 B.C), was righteous in a time of wickedness. He was faithful in an evil environment. His righteousness was…

The new rage in cosmology is the search for a convincing argument to “prove” that design does not demand a designer! Why has it become such an issue? Because the effectiveness of the argument is making some longtime atheistic evolutionists look a bit silly. An illustration: You find a Rolex watch in the woods. It keeps perfect time. Your friend is convinced that its existence is an accident of nature… lightening striking millions of times per year over a billion…

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’ But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.’ Then He said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times…

Each Sunday morning my family prepares for worship. Over the years, we have developed a routine to help prepare our bodies and minds to approach the glory of God. If an organized and deliberate plan is not put into place, these mornings can be chaotic and tend to detour proper preparation for praise. Worship is not something we can turn on and off like an alarm clock. The following are some suggestions to help us all do a better job.…