Posts by Carlos Valenzuela
SOUND WORDS, JUNE 1, 2025
HAT CAN WE KNOW ABOUT HEAVEN? “Now my idea about heaven is …” and then the writer or speaker reveals himself far more than he tells us about heaven. The materialist, sensual, mystical, aesthetic, and surrealist all have a field day with heaven. It is “pie in the sky” to those who ridicule its reality; and an extremely plush “paid vacation” for those who equate “real” with earthly literalism. “Heaven” is a divinely revealed place, state, or condition; and we…
SOUND WORDS, MAY 25, 2025
THE SINFUL MIND (As we are in the U.K. I hope you enjoy these perspectives from The True Light, a bi-monthly paper published during our work with the Old St. congregation in London from 1990-1994). Slow roasting on a spit. Cutting out the tongue. Ripping out the fingernails. Flaying and disemboweling while alive. These were some of the macabre scenes of torture depicted in the London Dungeon, a museum which illustrates man’s inhumanity to man. As I accompanied a friend…
SOUND WORDS, MAY 11, 2025
BEARING HIS CROSS Jesus Christ could not carry his cross in this world His body so weakened by beating that he fell beneath the load So they compelled another to take up the burden It was heavy and rough and I imagine he groaned under the weight Thinking, it is not fair why should I have to bear this cross It was not meant for me But in the end he laid the cross down and rested his weary body…
SOUND WORDS, MAY 4, 2025
FIRST THINGS FIRST: SELF EXAMINATION “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5). It is always easier to judge others than to examine oneself. It is easy to see the faults and sins of our neighbor, and we are too ready to point them out. We are not nearly as ready to look ourselves and our own flaws. It is like seeing…
SOUND WORDS, APRIL 27, 2025
AT THE CROSSROADS Scripture warns against those who “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Paul writes, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Phil 3:18-19). Elsewhere Paul writes that those who cause divisions “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive” (Rom 16:18). There can be specific applications of…
SOUND WORDS, APRIL 20, 2025
A FEW THOUGHTS ON EASTER There are some things I like about the modern Easter celebrations. Ham, boiled eggs, and the chocolate peanut butter eggs you can get for half-price the next day certainly make the list. And seeing the young ones dressed up in their spring finery is always a delight. I could add a few more things to the list, but, while I don’t want to seem like a curmudgeon, there are…
SOUND WORDS, APRIL 13, 2025
HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT! Life is full of trials, and suffering is an unavoidable part of the human experience. Whether physical afflictions, emotional burdens, or spiritual struggles, everyone faces hardships that test our faith and endurance. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV), the Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” This powerful truth reassures us that no matter the nature of our suffering, God’s grace is always enough to sustain us. Suffering manifests in…
SOUND WORDS, APRIL 6, 2025
SHOULD GOD EXPECT LESS? We as a nation have certain expectations of our government. We pay taxes with the expectation that the government will use those funds honestly. We expect our leaders to protect the civilian population from military oppressors and to render assistance to our friends. We respect and comply with civil law, and expect our government to punish those who do not. We require fairness in government, and we want our judges to render consistent verdicts. We…