Posts by Carlos Valenzuela (Page 3)
SOUND WORDS, MARCH 10, 2024
TO KILL A WOLF Wolf hunting/ trapping is known as a tremendously difficult activity due to the creature’s elusiveness, intelligence, cunning, sharp senses, and adaptability. In order to wolf hunt, you must have an intimate knowledge of the canine’s behavior and habitat, along with your state’s wolf hunting regulations. However, according to the oral traditions of the Inuit, wolf hunting is a surprisingly simple endeavor. The steps are as follows… When the hungry wolves smell the fresh blood they beeline…
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 25, 2024
THINGS INVOLVED IN SERVICE Service is serving — sometimes voluntarily, sometime involuntarily. In service one is enslaved to someone or something — sometimes voluntarily, sometimes involuntarily. Slavery is not all bad. For instance, Paul, inspired by the Spirit, said, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). One may be freed from one kind of slavery, but he will inevitably be brought under the control of another kind of slavery. Those who were made…
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 18, 2024
LIVING AS A LEADER A true leader of God’s people doesn’t wait for a formal appointment to begin serving. Rather, we come to recognize leaders among us as those who in the regular course of life have already been serving the congregation “without the credentials,” so to speak. We’re not talking about an autocrat, one who arrogates unto himself a position, title or authority that doesn’t belong to him — a usurper, if you please. Remember, the primary function of…
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 11, 2024
HE WAS IN THE WORLD “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not” (Jn. 1:10-11). Surely the truth of these two statements was a searing, tearing grief to Him who is the Word of God and who was in the world to give it life. John earlier said, “All things were made by him and without…
SOUND WORDS, FEB. 4, 2024
WHAT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS AND OTHER LOVED ONES? Do you hesitate to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) or even to admit that the scriptures teach that you should be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16) because your parents or some other loved ones have failed to do so and because you are concerned about their spiritual welfare? If so, you may be risking your eternal salvation while doing nothing to enhance their eternal destiny. It is…
SOUND WORDS, JAN. 28, 2024
BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT One of the most important attitudes one can have in striving to go to heaven is that of intense zeal for the truth of God. Too often, people settle on something far less than the truth. Remember, a counterfeit, though it may look relatively genuine, is nevertheless worthless. Likewise, we cannot enjoy the benefits of truth just by getting pretty close. We must take our position firmly and foursquare on the truth. “Ye…
SOUND WORDS, JAN. 21, 2024
GLORY AND HONOR As I have been reading the Psalms following the daily reading schedule this year, one thing in particular has stood out to me: the reverence the authors show toward God. When we read the Psalms, we should get a good idea of how we should relate to God. There seems to be, in today’s society, an attempt to bring God down to man’s level. That is, there are many who want to address God and have the…
SOUND WORDS, JAN. 14, 2024
CHRISTIANS WITH NO DENOMINATIONAL TIES God places great emphasis on names. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham (Gen. 17:5), Sarai’s name to Sarah (Gen. 17:15), and Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen. 32:38). He gave to John and Jesus their names before they were born (Luke 1:13,31). He has given to His people of this age the name “Christian” (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16). He has given no sectarian or denominational names, but rather condemns them (1 Cor. 1:10-13). The great need…