MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Dear Blogger friends,

It is our prayer and ardent desire that you will rejoice always in the Lord, and that you will

not worry about anything. But that you will bring to the Lord all

of your circumstances, no

matter what they may be! He has promised to meet your every need! It also our wish that the peace of God which passes all understanding will be yours in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

WE WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. from Bicento and Betty Henriquez

My three sisters-in-law

These three amazing ladies are three of my seven sisters-in-law still living today. The are all between 90 and 93! We had a wonderful visit this week. A lot of remeniscing. This is in our small apartment here in Canada.

Continued from this morning's: How Near?

Before you read this, make sure you read the beginning of this Post earlier this morning.

We know that the Jews did not obey God’s call here through His servant Moses, with the exception of only a few. Dear friends in Aruba, the Antilles, and throughout the world; no matter your age, sometimes when we read a portion like this one in Deuteronomy we will say, "If I had been living at that time I would have obeyed God’s word!" Today we have One greater (Jesus) than Moses who tells us very clearly in the New Testament that "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6). In another Scripture He says, "I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." (John 11:25,26 and John 14:6) Do you believe this?
It is quite possible that you have already heard and are aware of these Scripture verses, but have you obeyed them? Are you living by faith in the Son of God, Who is our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins that He might bring us to God? After all themost important thing for us in this world is in Christ. It is Christ that divides humanity in two. There are those in Christ and those not in Christ.

The most important question then is how can I be in Christ? The answer to this is in the Sacred Scriptures. Only God Himself can do something like this. And that is why He sent His only begotten Son to this earth. That is why the Lord suffered and died on the cross. He died for sins, not for His sins, but for the sins of all mankind including all of us that are living today and for all such who will yet be born. The only way for you and I to be IN CHRIST is to repent of our sins, confess and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

Without repentance there is no forgiveness. How NEAR are we? How NEAR are you? The answer is in the Scriptures. If a person is not IN CHRIST he is OUTSIDE. No one can be both. It is one or the other: We are either in Christ or not in Him.

HOW NEAR?

The Scriptures say "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old has gone, the new has come."! It makes no difference who we are - if we are in Christ we are new creatures. What does that mean?

It is very important that we pay attention to what this Scripture is saying. To begin with it does not say that if we are for example if a Jew is in Christm nor does it say if a Gentile is in Christ, or if a man or a woman, etc,. It simply says "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature."

Actually the word "anyone" means any person that is in Christ. That simply means the truth revealed here is that there is no exception with God, because all have sinned. Another truth revealed in this portion us that there are those in Christ and then there are such who are not. Note carefully that it does not say here that if a person is in this or that religion, he is a new creation. There are many people in the world today, including all who live in Aruba or the Antilles, that are trusting in their religion for their eternal destination.
The time has come and is now for us to repent of our sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our only and sufficient Savior. In the Book of Deuteronomy, the 4th book in the Old Testament, we can read what Moses declared to the Israelites a little while before he died, saying: "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that Ihave set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, etc." Take time to read both these chapters.

I need to sign off for a bit, but will come back later on to continue on this subject!

Without Exception!

The Bible contains many amazing declarations, as much in favor as well as contrary to what people think. The title of today’s message is about one of them.

In accordance with the Scriptures, amongst the billions of people living in our world today, there is not one just person before God, not even one! Scripture emphasizes that declaration by saying, "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory." Since this is so, and the Scriptures are inspired by God Himself, Who cannot be wrong, it simply means that NO ONE can escape that accusation. There is no excuse for no one. Read Romans 1:20 and Rom. 3:4

Dear friends of all ages, what can we say about these declarations in the Scriptures, which were written by men, inspired by God Himself, and preserved for us, making it possible for us to have them today in our very own languages? What can we say in view of the fact that there are umpteen religions and religious groups existing in our world today? Is there any religion today that is able to justify man before a Holy God, Who lives in inaccessible light, Whom no one has ever seen nor can see? (Take a moment to read 1 Timothy 6:13-16)
The answer to the above questions based on the authority of the written Word of God is NO. There has never existed a religion or religious group that is able to make a human being worthy to appear before an all-powerful God, Who exists from eternity. However, thanks be unto this same Holy and All-Mighty God, who made it possible for us, through the various means of communication today, to proclaim loud and clear, that

YES, there is a PERSON, and not a religion, Who is able to present us without spot or wrinkle before this Powerful God revealed in the Scriptures, and Who can be visualized through the works of His Hand in Creation. (Read Romans 1:18-20)

This Person, Who presents each one of us clean and without stain before the Father is: "Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God." We are able to declare to you today, with all authority and assurance, that "salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:11,12)

Dear friend, fully understand this: Today, salvation is offered to you through the Lord Jesus Christ, and not through any religion. This is a personal invitation, because even if your father and your mother are true believers in Jesus Christ, they cannot make you a child of God. Each one of us individually must admit before a Holy God that we are sinners and that we must repent from a sincere heart, and personally accept Jesus Christ, Who died for our sins on the cross, as our Lord and Savior.

The Bible clearly says that without repentance there is no forgiveness. That is why we must take heed that this is not some religious game. This matter of sin is serious and profoundly offensive against the holiness of God. And since He loved humanity so much that He did not spare His only begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, that He might bring us to Him. (Make sure to read Romans 8:28-39).

If anyone reads this short message and is convinced of the truth, and are in accord with what the word of God says, then obey right now, and do not look at any obstacles that might be lurking around. The One who has called you is faithful, and will help you on this day of salvation. (Read 2 Cor. 6:1,2)
Be sure no matter what age you be, that the Lord, our God fulfills His Word.

Take a moment to write us a note, if you read this message at bbhenriquez@shaw.ca

WITHOUT EXCEPTION

Here are a few pictures of our new living quarters. Furthest to the right is the Assisted living building in which we are renting a small apartment shown in the middle. The Gazebo is a place to sit and enjoy the premises. The first is a portion of the complex of buildings for seniors housing near to 500 people. In our next blog we'll share some pictures inside. AND NOW: a word from God's Word: Without Exception

In God’s sight, according to the Scriptures, there is not one single righteous person on this earth. What’s more, the Scriptures say that there is no one that understands, or seeks God, and that everyone has gone astray and become unprofitable. There is not even one single person that does good, no, not even one! It continues to say that man’s throat is like an open grave, whose tongue has been used for deceit. It continues ta tell us that poisen, compared to that of a viper is under their lips, and whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are quick to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways, and no one seeks after God, and they have no fear before Him.
Dearly beloved friends, loved by God Himself, the above declarations may be read in the Bible in the book of Romans, chapter 3, and verses 10-18. These words were written for the Jews, as well as all the rest of mankind. I would like to encourage you to read them slowly with all due reverence to the Lord, our God. The truths mentioned were not written to condemn only, but written to lead us to the only way of salvation that God, our Father Himself has provided for us. This includes the Jews who had the law, and the rest of mankind, including all, who are living in Aruba, Bonaire or Curaçao.
The answer is so clear in the Bible, that is for sure. However, without the help of God, none of us will understand. And the reason for that is clear in the Scriptures. The Bible declares that in our human nature we are dead in our sins; that is, we are dead spiritually speaking.
On one occasion during our Lord’s ministry while on earth He said the following words: " Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (Read John 5:16-30)
Friends and brothers & sisters in the Lord, these words were spoken by our Lord, when He was in a body just like ours, but without the sinful nature that every single person in the human race has been born with. That is why our Lord was called "The last Adam". (Read 1 Cor. 15:20-22 and 1 Cor. 14:45-49). In a sense we can say that we did not choose to be born with the sinful nature, but we can now choose eternal life or eternal perdition. We can choose salvation or condemnation. This is a choice we must make.
That is why we are writing this short message on our blog today. Choose life! We trust that the Holy Spirit of God will do the work of convincing many precious souls of sin, righteousness and judgment. (Read John 16: 5-16). That is why dear friend, no matter what age you be, Christ died and rose again for us.
If you hear His voice as you read this message, do not let your heart become hardened by neglecting or postponing your decision. We do not know what tomorrow may bring. According to the Scriptures we were bought with a price. The Lord Jesus Christ carried our sins in His own body on the cross, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by Whose stripes we were healed. (Read 1 Peter 2:20-25; 1 Corinthians 7:23 and Ephesians 1:3-14.)

IS MY FATHER AT THE HELM?

We have said Goodbye to our beautiful Aruban sunsets, but now we are enjoying the incredible sunsets of the Saskatchewan prairies!

Good morning on this June sunshiny morning! Here we are back in a smaller suite at Bethany Manor, but in the new section called Bethany Place, a four story building designated for assisted living. It is incredible what a smooth journey we had home, which to us was rather intrepidating. Through our niece Verna Ratzlaff careful planning ahead, we sense our Heavenly Father at the Helm all the way. It reminded us of this tract Bicento wrote many years ago in the Papiamento language. I translated it into English, so here it is. Read it and be encouraged in your day today knowing that Your Heavenly Father is at the Helm of your life - if not, then heed His beckoning to Come Unto Him - read Matthew 11: 28-30

Considering the international unrest that exists today with all its injustice and violence that is taking place in different parts of the world, we may ask:
"Why is God quiet?"
"Why does He permit so much injustice to triumph?"
"Why does He not punish the rebellious that are disquieting the world?"

The Psalmist Asaf must have passed through similar experiences when he wrote the following words in Psalms 74: 10,11: "How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do You hold back your hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them." Why? Why? For what reason?
We ask today: Why does God not reveal the insaneness of communism?" "Why does he permit for them to blaspheme His name?" Listen to what God says in Psalms 110:5,6: "The Lord is at your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth." It is important for us to consider and understand that TODAY God is slow to punish, but quick and eager to forgive. However, if the Lord would punish sin today without showing mercy, who would be able to withstand? It is as the prophet Jeremiah entreated in Lamentations 3:21-23. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

We are warned again and again to not become impatient, but to trust the Lord. He cannot err. He cannot fail. He cannot contradict Himself. No matter how tempestuous the storm, or how much the nations rant and rave, our Heavenly Father is the great captain of the universe! He formed the heart of man, and of a certainty the wrath of man will yet praise Him.

There was this time when a large ocean liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean from England to the United States found themselves confronting a formidable storm. Soon it was tossed from side to side by enormous waves. All the people on board were in panic and hysteria with the exception of one little eight-year old girl, the daughter of the captain. "What is happening?"she asked abruptly awakened from her sleep. Her mother explained to her the danger they were in. "Is my father at the helm?" she asked. Assured that she was, she said: "Then I am going right back to sleep." She crawled under the covers and in no time was fast asleep.
What a lesson this should be for us today as we see and watch the uproar of the nations! We need to ask ourselves the same question the little girl asked: "Is my Father at the helm? If my Father is at the helm, there is then no need for me to be afraid." Listen to what Psalms 4:8 says: " I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety."

Any king can err, and any great and powerful ruler or leader can blunder, but our Heavenly Father can never fail. All His blessings are within our reach today through His Son Jesus Christ. Through His death on the cross, and by His resurrection, the sinner can be forgiven of all sin and have peace with God and the peace of God. Our world is full of pain, and the worse is yet to come; but we who are in Christ have joy and peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Though the angry surges roll
On my tempest driven soul,
I am peaceful and I know,
Wildly though the winds may blow,
I love an anchor safe and sure
That can forevermore endure.

And it holds my anchor holds,
Blow your wildest then, O gale,
On my bark so small and frail
By His grace I shall not fail,
For my anchor holds, My anchor holds. Song by W.C.Martin

IS MY FATHER AT THE HELM?

Good morning from Canada on this beautiful sunshiny June day! This is our first opportunity to post a blog as it took a little time to get reconnected in our new suite. Our address is: Bicento & Betty Henriquez, #158, 211 Pinehouse Drive, Saskatoon, SK., S0K 5G0, Canada. And our phone Number is (306)978-5882.

We surely experienced the heading of our POST today in our travels from Aruba to Saskatoon "IS MY FATHER AT THE HELM? He was surely at the Helm all the way! We sensed His help, through others, all along the way! We felt we could not have made it in our own strength and endeavour. We are greatful especially to our niece Verna Ratzlaff, my nephew Bruce's wife, for all the unseen preparation she did to make our trip so smooth. The Airline special service to us, Verna and her daughter Wendy meeting us in Newark and flying back to us to Calgary, and then the prayers of many Aruba and Canadian believers. We are thankful to our Heavenly Father Who was at the helm all the way. Now sit back and enjoy the message Bicento wrote in Papiamento many years ago in his early Christian experience, and I translated it into English, and we will also post it on the Papiamento blog. The picture is Bicento and I posing with Lucy Semeleer Blanca with her sencond son named Samuel. It was the first time and the last time we say him - a day or so before we left. And in an email this morning she said, "I left my heart in Canada!" She said our letter to her mom and dad had made her homesick.

IS MY FATHER AT THE HELM?
Considering the international unrest that exists today with all its injustice and violence that is taking place in different parts of the world, we may ask:
"Why is God quiet?"
"Why does He permit so much injustice to triumph?"
"Why does He not punish the rebellious that are disquieting the world?"
The Psalmist Asaf must have passed through similar experiences when he wrote the following words in Psalms 74: 10,11: "How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do You hold back your hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them." Why? Why? For what reason?
We ask today: Why does God not reveal the insaneness of communism?" "Why does he permit for them to blaspheme His name?" Listen to what God says in Psalms 110:5,6: "The Lord is at your right hand; He will crush kings on the day of His wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth." It is important for us to consider and understand that TODAY God is slow to punish, but quick and eager to forgive. However, if the Lord would punish sin today without showing mercy, who would be able to withstand? It is as the prophet Jeremiah entreated in Lamentations 3:21-23. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
We are warned again and again to not become impatient, but to trust the Lord. He cannot err. He cannot fail. He cannot contradict Himself. No matter how tempestuous the storm, or how much the nations rant and rave, our Heavenly Father is the great captain of the universe! He formed the heart of man, and of a certainty the wrath of man will yet praise Him.
There was this time when a large ocean liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean from England to the United States found themselves confronting a formidable storm. Soon it was tossed from side to side by enormous waves. All the people on board were in panic and hysteria with the exception of one little eight-year old boy, the son of the captain. "What is happening?" he asked abruptly awakened from his sleep. His mother explained to him the danger they were in. "Is my father at the helm?" he asked. Assured that he was, he said: "Then I am going right back to sleep." He crawled under the covers and in no time was fast asleep.
What a lesson this should be for us today as we see and watch the uproar of the nations! We need to ask ourselves the same question the little boy asked: "Is my Father at the helm? If my Father is at the helm, there is then no need for me to be afraid." Listen to what Psalms 4:8 says: " I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety."
Any king can err, and any great and powerful ruler or leader can blunder, but our Heavenly Father can never fail. All His blessings are within our reach today through His Son Jesus Christ. Through His death on the cross, and by His resurrection, the sinner can be forgiven of all sin and have peace with God and the peace of God. Our world is full of pain, and the worse is yet to come; but we who are in Christ have joy and peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Though the angry surges roll
On my tempest driven soul,
I am peaceful and I know,
Wildly though the winds may blow,
I love an anchor safe and sure
That can forevermore endure.
And it holds my anchor holds,
Blow your wildest then, O gale,
On my bark so small and frail
By His grace I shall not fail,
For my anchor holds, My anchor holds. Song by W.C.Martin

PENTECOST

PENTECOST
Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles celebrate Pentecost as a special day. Since childhood we can recall this word or expression mentioned. But we never paid much attention as to its meaning of its importance.
But dear friends and bloggers, the truth is that Pentecost embodies all the fundamental doctrines of the Scriptures. E word Pentecost in itself means "the fiftieth day", and it was a Jewish celebration to commemorate the Jewish Passover, which took place e night when the Lord passed over Egypt, and killed all the first-born males, as well as animals (take time to read Exodus chapters 11 & 12). Year after year, the Jews would come from far and near to celebrate that day in Jerusalem.
For us today, Pentecost has a complete different meaning than what it was for the Jewish nation at that time. For us it means that on the Jewish day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the believers, in agreement with what the Lord Jesus Christ promised to give to the Apostles. Please take time to read John chapters 14,15 and 16, and also chapter 1 & 2 of Acts. You will notice the importance the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is to every person in the world today. That includes every Aruban and every Antillean as well – without exception! To begin with the Holy Spirit was very important in the life of Jesus Christ Himself, and an absolute importance in the proclamation of the Gospel, salvation and forgiveness of sin for every person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches clearly and emphatically, that if a person does not have this Holy Spirit, he/she does not belong to Christ. (Read the complete chapter of Romans 8.)
What’s more, the Scriptures embody the words of our Lord Jesus where He Himself tells us very clearly that if He did not return to the Father, the Holy Spirit could not come, but when He would return He would send the Holy Spirit as we already alluded to. In the book of John chapter seven, verses 37-39, Jesus said in a loud voice: "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." But He said this of the Spirit Who His believers would receive. Up to this time the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
Dear friends beloved by our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave His live voluntarily to every human being that ever lived or will yet live. Today we cannot say that Jesus has not yet been glorified. Because that took place after His death and resurrection, and His disciples saw Him, how He was taken up into heaven and disappeared before their very eyes! (Read this entire happening in Acts chapter two. The time has come that each and every one of us examine him or her self and see if we are in the faith – either we are or we are not. (Read 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 1:13, 14 and also 4:30.) If one does not have this Holy Spirit in his or her life, that person is living under continuous condemnation. Therefore, repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Savior, and you will receive this Holy Spirit. There is no other way.

THE SAINTS

The Antilles and Aruba are very familiar with the title "Saints". In days gone many babies were named after the Saint who was born on that particular day. And that means that particular saint becomes the patron of that innocent little creature for the rest of his or her life.
However today, that religious custom is no longer practiced here in Aruba and the Antilles. That in itself is a testimony of how false such a practice is. But speaking of Saints – how is it possible for a human being to become a saint? What do the Scriptures have to say about that?
Dear friends of all ages, by the grace and mercy of Almighty God, we have the answer very clearly given to us in the Word of God, the Bible. That word, that title "Saint" or "Saints" is mentioned many times. And by the authority of the Word of God in the Scriptures we can declare the following, that there has never existed a human being who lived such a good and pure life to the point where he merits the title SAINT, as many believe today. There is not a single person living today who can consider him or herself a saint based on a clean and pure life in the sight of God. No not one! As already mentioned, that word occurs many times in the Scriptures. It is not only applicable to human beings, but also for material things used in the temple. Things like clothes, temple, pots and pans, cutlery, etc., which were used in the service of the temple. One of the meanings for that word is "separation". An example is things like pots and pans, cutlery, etc., all used for service in the temple – these were used for nothing else but temple use. It was the same with the Jewish temple. The temple was dedicated, consecrated and dedicated for the service of God at that time, and particularly for a place of prayer. Another meaning of the word is purity. But in this instance it has to do with perfect purity, which belongs only to God. In the book of Revelation 15:3,4 we read the following: "They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb. Great and marvelous are your deeds Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the Ages, Who will not fear you, O Lord and bring honor to your name. For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you for your righteous acts have been revealed." (Rev. 15:3,4)
We may ask, about what kind of saints do we read about in the Scriptures? The answer is the saints in Christ. Or we could say it means all the true believers, men and women, who have heard the Gospel of the grace of our God in Christ, and then repented, believed and accepted Jesus Christ as their only personal Savior. Writing to the brethren in Corinth, Paul says the following, "To the church of God in Corinth to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – their Lord and ours: grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:1-3.)
Dear Blog reader, you will find this throughout the New Testament. Sinners who have repented and believed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ are called SAINTS – so do not forget – we are Saints IN CHRIST. What's more in every case it is those in life who are struggling against sin who are called saints and not those in heaven.
It is understandable that in this short word the subject of Saints cannot be treated adequately, but if you are interested what the Scriptures have to say about this, take your Bible and read the following passages. (Psalms 34:9, Daniel 7:18,21,22, 25 and 27. Acts 9:13,32, 26:10. Romans 8:27, 15:25,26 and 31. 1 Cor. 14:33, 2 Cor. 1:1, 2 also 8:4, 9:1,2, and 13:13.)

ATHEISM

An atheist is a person who denies the existence of God. Actually this matter has existed since the beginning of civilization. From the very beginning there was the belief in one kind of a god or another with different names. And a person that did not believe in the god that was serving the nation to which he or she pertained to; he or she was called and atheist. The word simply means "no god".
In this short message we are not proposing to explain the details about false gods or the true God. But our intent is to warn against the danger of modern atheism that is prevalent and accepted even here in Aruba and the Antilles.
To begin, all of the Antilles and Aruba are considered as believers in God. So, in fact, no one can call us "Atheists". And should one of us be called an atheist, we could consider that as both base and offensive. Nevertheless, according to the Scriptures, the world is full of atheists. There are religious atheists and anti-religion atheists. On television and in books we can hear and read how belief in God as the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe is being rejected daily.
But now, in what sense are there many religious atheists here in Aruba and the Antilles, Holland, or anywhere else in the world? As we already said the word means "no god". If a person says, "I am an atheist, it simply means that he or she says they do not believe in the existence of God. But what does Scripture say about that? In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote these words to Titus: " To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for anything good." (Take a moment and read Titus 1:10-16.)
The Bible is very clear about the doctrine of God being the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. And that this God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him has eternal life. And the Scriptures also tell us that "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will no see life, for God’s wrath remains on him." John 3:36-37
As we already mentioned, here in Aruba and in the Antilles we consider ourselves to be believers in the existence of God. Nevertheless, that belief cannot pass the test revealed in the Scriptures. According to the Scriptures if a person does no repent and believe the Gospel, he does not have God. Examples in the Bible are plentiful. In the letter of 1 John 2:23 we read the following: "No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1 John 2:23 NIV)
Friends, to acknowledge the Son indicates that you believe and accept the Son of God as your personal and only Savior. This is a decision between life and death. He weo has the Son has the life, whoever does not have the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him or her. Take your Bible, read it again and again, and believe and obey.

The DECEITFULNESS OF SIN

Hi everyone, we trust that this morning, afternoon, or evening, whatever the time may be when you log on to this website to read our Meditations and see and hear about our activities! We are both quite well considering our age! We always have this and that, but we can still see, think, read, smell, enjoy food!! We praise God for His mercy to us each day anew. We have been doing quite a bit of sighseeing in these last days. We still find nooks and corner on our island that we have not see before, or for many years. This morning I want to post two pictures we took this past week as we explored our North shores. There are other pictures on our Papiamento site you might want to log on. www:bbhenriquez.blogspot.com

This week we have been reading about the deceitfulness of sin, so here is Bicento sharing a few truths from the Scripture about this topic: THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN

CIRCUMSTANCES in our world today are becoming so bad, that people today are not interested anymore to hear and read anything about SIN. Nevertheless according to the source of all wisdom, which is the Word of God, declares: SIN is the cause of all evil, which has taken place since the beginning of human history, and continues until this very day.
This TRUTH we can read very explicitly in the Scriptures. For example: Romans 5:12-21, declares very clearly that sin entered the word by one person, and death accompanied sin. That is how sin was passed onto all people, because all have sinned.
Dear friends, with all due respect to all people, since we were created in the image of God, but lost that glory because of sin, we will try to show how sin entered the world. To be precise and sincere, SIN entered the world through DECEITFULNESS.
The deceiver is the Devil or Satan, and the first victim was Adam. For that reason, ever creature, lovely and innocent that are born today, no matter what nationality or race they may be, are born with a sinful nature.

That friend, is an irrevocable truth against which we could do absolutely nothing. But thanks be unto God and Father, Who could do something and did that which was/is impossible for us, but POSSIBLE for Him. HE did this through His Beloved and Only Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Antilles and Aruba have heard again and again, and yet again that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who ever would believe in Him, would not perish but have Everlasting life. (John 3:16). That being the case, why then are there only some who believe in the grace of God in these three islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, for that matter in any part of the world. The answer to that question is found in the Scriptures themselves. The same deceiver that deceived that first human being in the Garden of Eden continues to deceive the entire world, including the Antilles and Aruba.

In the book of 1 John 5:19 the Apostle declares the following: "We know that we are the children of God, and that the whole world is under control of the evil one." This simply means that we, Antillians, Arubans and yes, the entire world; if any one of us has not become a son of God through personal faith in the Son of God, he/she is NOT a child of God and is under the control and dominion of the evil one, who is Satan.

"How, or in what way could something like this have happened?" you may ask, even though you call and consider yourself a Christian. The answer, too, is very clear in the Scriptures. Satan is busy deceiving people in every manner he can, and one of them is this: to make every person believe that he is a Christian because his or her parents were called Christian, and who had baptized them when they were babies. That act made them a Christian. Parents of true believing Christians on these three islands were all deceived in the same manner. That is before they repented and believed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, believing from the heart that Jesus carried his/sin in His body on the cross, and died for our sins and was raised from the dead for our justification! We will continue this message in our next Blog. Make sure and read these verses: 1 Peter 1:1-12 and 1 John 2:15-27.

The Patience of God

Hello! It has been quite some time since we added to our English blog. Maybe you have given up! Please don't. If you read this blog, drop us a note at: bbhenriquez@setarnet.aw We would be encouraged if you did. This picture was taken December 16th, our 10th wedding anniversary date! If you want to see a few more log on to our Papiamento blog and you can see a few more pictures of that special event. How we praise God for these wonderful ten years of life together. Whoever would have thought a single missionary at 72 years of age would have such a privilige to spend ten years with the first Antillean national pastor in Aruba? And what could he not write of ten years with a single Canadian strong-willed missionary who had lived alone all her years!! What a book we could write of only ten years!! They have been good.

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Nos for our message today: In the first letter of 1st Peter in the New Testament, we can read in the third chapter and in verses 18-22, how God patiently waited in the days of Noah as he built the ark before the flood. And by His grace only a few people were saved from the flood, only eight persons in all. The rest perished together with all their possessions and also all the animals.

I have to admit and confess that this is a portion of Scripture written by the Apostle Peter that is not easy to understand, much less to explain. But there is this one truth so precious that we human beings have, and that is, SALVATION is offered today to all people everywhere, so that we do not need to fear eternal perdition. We may not have a Noah’s Ark today to rescue us from the punishment and judgment of God. But, we have the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for our sins, and Whom, God the Father raised from the dead, Who can and patiently waits to rescue us from the evil era in which we are actually living in. (Read Galatians 1:1-5).

We read that in the time when Noah was building the ark, God was patiently waiting for people of that time to repent and return to God, their Maker. That is true, for Noah is called a preacher of righteousness in the Scriptures. (Read 2 Peter 2:1-5 or read the entire chapter). Today many of us think we are better than the people that perished in the day of the great deluge, or we think we are better than those that died when God punished the people of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire, burning them and all their possessions, which is a lesson, an example, for each one of us who are living today, and for those who will yet live. And that message is for us, yes, for each one of us who reads this message. We are living today on this planet called EARTH are living in the last days and they are difficult times. Two thousand years have gone by during which time the Gospel, which the Scripture calls: the Gospel of God and of Christ. It is also called the Gospel of the grace of God that is being proclaimed.

Dear friends loved by God, today while writing this short message I want to remind you, me that we are not better than the people in the times of Noah, nor better than those who crucified our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone, who neglects the Gospel today, is in effect, in accord with such that rejected Christ in the time when He was on earth in human form. The true message of God for us today, which includes all people whose language is Papiamento as well, is: Repent and believe the Gospel. Repentance includes that each one of us, personally, admit our culpability of sin and receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. May I repeat? Every one of us! This includes every man, every woman, adult or youth, whether rich or poor, educated or not, civil servants of all degrees.

The Scriptures are very clear that He is patiently waiting today for us to repent, because He is not willing that any should perish. But the day will come when judgment will fall. Will you be ready? Will I be ready?