Tag Archives: Heart
Wars, a Matter of the Heart…
“The nature of the human being is not inherently good, their heart is plagued by sin, and until we come to genuine repentance before our Creator, our heart will experience serious conflicts, a lack of genuine peace…”
As of the publication date of this article, the media bombards us with news about the prolonged war between Ukraine and Russia; violent protests in France that degenerated into, among other things, looting and street fires are still making headlines; and deaths from violent crimes in Ecuador are counted in the dozens, while the country is plagued by a territorial war between rival criminal organizations, as reported by media.
If we analyze throughout history, wars have occurred due to a series of factors mostly related to disputes between nations, territories, ethnic groups, followers of religions, beliefs, or ideologies, due to socio-economic inequalities, human rights violations, and in general, responses to aggression, among other factors.
Unfortunately, the attacks or hostile acts of one nation or group towards another can even provoke military responses and, ultimately, lead to what we all know as war.
But why do these disputes, attacks, or hostile acts occur? Yes, beyond the visible root: religious beliefs, geopolitical ambitions, inequalities. Have you ever thought that there’s more beyond the visible?
Well, beyond what’s presented, expressed, and visible, there’s something not necessarily considered; and that’s the heart of the human being.
The deepest feelings nest in the human heart, not always directly exposed outward, especially when these feelings are not good, honest, or proven. Yes, we can show a smiling, friendly, embracing face, but if we delve into that heart’s depths, we often find hypocrisy, lies, envy, hatred, not necessarily displayed, at least not initially and depending on the individual’s interests.
Because it’s like that, in the heart of man, immeasurable feelings can nest, unfathomable interests, and potentially deep desires for revenge and destruction towards those who oppose his/her path.
Let’s do an exercise, this exercise is personal and only you and your Creator will know the answers. Here we go:
- Have you ever felt envy because your family member, colleague, or friend has better possessions than yours? A better car, a better house, a better job, a better salary.
- If you’ve ever been harmed, insulted, or lied about, how did you react? Maybe, did frustration, sadness, hatred, and even revenge arise in your heart?
- If someone has ever tried to take what’s yours, any possession no matter how small it may be, have you at least had the intentions to go all out and take it back, claiming it’s yours? Come on, this might have happened to you as a child or even as an adult. How did you react?
A very small exercise that, if done, will clearly reveal the intentions of our heart and, if these intentions aren’t properly dealt with, sooner or later, they can degenerate into violent acts, conflicts, ultimately into wars.
Well, the Word of God warns us and says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10).
The nature of the human being is not inherently good, their heart is plagued by sin, and until we come to genuine repentance before our Creator, our heart will experience serious conflicts, a lack of genuine peace, and potentially provoke conflicts around us on a smaller or larger scale.
The renowned Augustine of Hippo stated: “The purpose of all wars is peace.” However, this thought doesn’t always reflect reality. We don’t doubt that in the intentions of many who embark on a war, there’s the genuine and deep desire to achieve peace for their team, for their nation, but also, if we’re realistic, many embark on a war to achieve their own interests, whether valid or not.
The first war every human being must conquer is the struggle against personal sin – we’re all sinners, there’s none righteous, no, not one –; and the only way to do it and to overcome is through surrender. Yes, just as you read it, through surrender. If we recognize deep in our heart that we’re sinners, that we can’t do anything to cleanse ourselves from our sin, and we genuinely and completely surrender to our Creator, to Christ Jesus, we will certainly overcome the worst war we face in our entire life.
So, honesty is necessary to recognize the true condition of our heart; humility to bow in repentance before the only wise God, who can forgive and free us; and courage to decide for Christ Jesus and proclaim that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life that lead us to our Creator and Father, to receive salvation and transformation.
Wars are definitely a matter of the heart. In fact, Jesus expressed it very well: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matthew 15:19). And so, the most intense war that every human being must vigorously fight is the one against sin and eternal damnation.
If you want to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and eternal life, don’t hesitate to contact us.
The World Upside Down!
Woe! Woe! Woe! We live in an increasingly turbulent world, a world upside down; and if you and I don’t change our way of living, we will witness its ruin, our ruin.
It seems that we currently live “in chaos,” some people say. And it’s because today’s society has “taken a different path,” others point out. Their stance is somewhat like being “upside down,” some would say.
The truth is, if we compare our world to decades and centuries ago, we would notice a huge, huge difference. Just to give an example, a positive example of course, perhaps the most evident one is technology. Who would have thought that we would go from the tremendous computers of yesteryears that occupied large physical spaces to tablets or even pocket-sized smartphones? Or who would have imagined crossing skies and seas at astonishing speeds… going from nightfall in America to dawn in Europe?
It’s incredible how the world has changed, evolved. There would be almost no contradiction in saying that the world has changed for the better, if we look at it from the perspective of growth and development, like the example mentioned above.
But has the world really evolved? And here is where the human being plays a very important role. Undoubtedly, the world has required great human minds to bring about this growth and development in many areas such as education, technology, medicine, and industry in general.
However, even though human beings have worked hard to promote development and progress in various areas like the ones mentioned above, unfortunately, they have neglected matters of the heart and consequently the values that govern human life.
All it takes is turning on the news to realize that the world is upside down. The menu is extensive: murders, kidnappings, armed robberies, drug trafficking. And of course, in a neighborhood conversation or a gathering of friends, there are also “news” like: “Did you know that so-and-so got divorced?” Or “Have you heard that so-and-so left home to live with their boyfriend?” Or maybe, “Did you hear how many people attended the ‘Gay Pride’ parade?”
The list is truly endless! But not only endless, it has also become “normal” to some extent, and many of these actions would even be considered “good.” And people would clearly affirm, “If a marriage isn’t working, it’s better to end it.” In fact, “it’s better to live together to see if the couple is compatible or not.” And of course, “if a man feels trapped in a woman’s body,” it’s time to “come out of the closet.” Ah! “If you can take advantage from this business, you shouldn’t be foolish.” Therefore, everything mentioned and more is seen as “good” in today’s world.
It is normal for couples to live together without getting married; it is frowned upon to express opinions against gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals, to name a few; it is well regarded and accepted to act “diplomatically,” meaning “smiling in front, stabbing in the back.” And it is an everyday occurrence to witness “corruption” at various levels of society, without anyone getting upset or embarrassed, because it is “better to keep quiet than to report it.”
What do you think about it? Do you think “our world is upside down”? Or perhaps, have we exaggerated a bit in this article?
Meanwhile, allow me to leave you with a word of wisdom taken from the Bible, the Word of God, our Creator:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah
5:20)
Woe! Woe! Woe! We live in an increasingly turbulent world, a world upside down; and if you and I don’t change our way of living, we will witness its ruin, our ruin. If you and I don’t turn to our life manual that the Creator left us – His Word – the Bible, this world will continue upside down, and every day we will witness its gradual destruction. In other words, we will gradually witness our own ruin.
Guard your heart!
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart…” (Luke 6:45)
A Heart Marked by the Excellence of God
“Man is said to be after the image of God, not as regards his body, but as regards that whereby he excels other animals…by his reason and intelligence.”
St. Thomas
Very happy to share with you a new article in the series on the “Excellence of God.” Enjoy it!
Having understood that the mark of God’s excellence is the image of Him impregnated within the soul of the human being; and even more so, having understood that Jesus is the living image, the exact reproduction of God the Creator Father; the precise path has been traced to elucidate how the heart of God is reflected in the heart of the human being.
Let us consider here the reasoning of St. Thomas, which reads as follows:
“Man is said to be after the image of God, not as regards his body, but as regards that whereby he excels other animals. Hence, when it is said, Let us make man in our image and likeness, it is added, And let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea (Genesis 1.26). Now man excels all animals by his reason and intelligence; hence it is according to his intelligence and reason, which are incorporeal, that man is said to be according to the image of God.” (Piper, Desiring God 1971)
John Piper, in his study “The Image of God”, shares the following support in this line:
“The early church fathers were quite agreed that the image of God in man consisted primarily in man’s rational and moral characteristics, and in his capacity for holiness.” (Piper, Desiring God 1971)
Thus, God has deposited in the heart of the human being a part of His being, establishing a great difference between the creation of man and woman; and the other created beings, such is the case of the animals, who do not carry within themselves the image of the Triune Creator God.
According to the analysis of David Casas and Russell Fuller, in their article “God’s Image – The Difference Maker,” when examining how man is similar to God, it is excludeH of course the physical body since God is Spirit (John 4:24). And, on the other hand, creature limitations are excluded since God is infinite, eternal, and immutable in all His attributes (Psalm 90:2; Malachi 3:6; Jeremiah 23:24). On the other hand, man resembles God by having a free, rational, and personal spirit, which includes, say the authors, a conscience with the law of God written in his heart; therefore, man can rule over nature in a similar way as God reigns.[1] Let us quote Romans 2 here to support this truth:
“For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:14-16)
Therefore, the heart of the human being is not only marked by the image of God, but the very law of God has been written in it. And this, without exception, all human beings, men and women; boys, and girls; healthy and sick; without socioeconomic distinction. Absolutely all of us are bearers of the image of God; and we all carry the law of God written in our hearts. In the same way for both believers and unbelievers. All human creation, without exception!
The fact that man resembles God, that his heart bears God’s mark of excellence, has at least three profound implications.
According to the study by Casas and Fuller, the following are said implications,[2] which we will detail one by one.
1. The Image of God Establishes Human Dignity
Here it is possible to expose the atheistic and the pantheistic thought. According to the cited authors, by denying the image of God, atheism diminishes human dignity and reduces man to a fortuitous or casual event, as if he were an evolutionary product of matter, or a simple animal. Pantheism, on the other hand, denies the image of God and instead diminishes human dignity by exalting all of nature as a manifestation of God.
The Scriptures, however, testify to the dignity of man. Being created in the image and likeness of God, he is positioned above all nature. For this purpose, let us quote two very appropriate passages:
“Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beingsand crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:5-6)
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
2. The Image of God Establishes the Sacredness of Life
The authors point out that atheist cultures reject the sacredness of life while devaluing the lives of the born and unborn as state policy. However, the Word of God protects the sacredness of life in its laws. And with respect to this subject, what is stated in Genesis 9:6 has been sufficiently discussed before (in previous articles). God decrees that if someone commits murder, the murderer must still lose his life, because man is made in the image of God. The authors here emphasize that the crime is really a direct assault against God. In fact, in a situation, such as the one exposed in Genesis 9:6, God will personally search for the murderer and will hold him responsible.
Along these lines, it is interesting how John Calvin observed that because man is the bearer of the image of God, God considers Himself “violated in his person”, in other words, “the victim”. Therefore, he says, you cannot harm another human being without harming God Himself.
The authors conclude that God created the sacred life of man. If this life is destroyed, there is no other way than divine judgment.
3. The Image of God Establishes the Necessity for God’s Redemption
If man would not have the image of God in his being, in his heart, the plan of redemption simply would not exist. It should be clarified that the above does not imply that possessing the image of God entitles sinners to redemption, but redemption requires that sinners have been created in His image.
It is tremendously interesting how Casas and Fuller explore this topic. And they say that God’s purpose for sending His Son in the likeness of man was to renew the image of God in humanity through the Gospel. Let’s examine Ephesians 4:
“and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24)
In fact, Christians have been known and predestined to conform to the image of His Son, according to Romans 8:
“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29)
Thus, the gospel, once received, renews the image that was marred both by Adam’s sin and by our own sin so that the believer can “bear the image of the heavenly”:
“Thus, it is written, ´The first man Adam became a living being´; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit… Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:45,49)
Because God created us in His image, thus being crowned with glory and honor, and because of His infinite grace toward us undeserving sinners, God sent His Son to redeem us.
As human beings, we are tremendously privileged because our hearts have been marked with the very image of the invisible God. He has bestowed upon us dignity and holiness. He has instilled courage in us, regardless of our condition.
And not only that, but in the midst of our sinful condition, a condition that separates us and breaks communion with our Creator; and because of this, we are judged, singled out or discarded by our environment; it is amazing to know that He Himself has prepared the way for our redemption and restoration. Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, is such a way. And here it is worth quoting 2 Corinthians:
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
Thus, for all the above, it is clear that Jesus is the image and fullness of God; therefore, human beings reestablish the image of God in their hearts, in His being, while Christ becomes the very center of their lives.
The excellence of the heart of God was definitely impregnated in our heart, now it is we who must expand the heart of God wherever we go.[3]
[1] David Casas and Russell Fuller, “God´s Image – The Difference Maker,” Answers in Genesis, https://answersingenesis.org/are-humans-animals/gods-image-difference-maker/
[2] David Casas and Russell Fuller, “God´s Image – The Difference Maker,” Answers in Genesis, https://answersingenesis.org/are-humans-animals/gods-image-difference-maker/
[3] Cecilia Yépez, “Excellence Stems from the Heart – Part 2”, Blog “Towards Excellence”, https://towardsexcellence.org/2017/04/10/excellence-stems-from-the-heart-part-2/
An Extraordinary Intelligence!
A heart full of God will bring about the development of a healthy mind, an extraordinary intelligence, originally created to do good and not evil; to build up and not to destroy!
The future of medicine – Epcot Center
In the past century, mankind has experienced the widest deployment of development. A development in technology, in medicine, in industry in general; a development in the conquest of space. But unfortunately, also a “development” in the different spheres of evil.
I recently saw a video, showing that with a small device that was placed slightly near a lady’s purse, it was possible to steal all her credit card information. Consequently, shortly after that, the thief could make any purchases he wanted, and charge the respective cost to the victim’s credit card.
Certainly, technology has moved forward by leaps and bounds; we can hardly keep up with it. We are saturated with networks and messaging systems: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger, just to name the best known in the market. Indeed, all these great and ingenious tools have made communication easier and have magically shortened geographic distances. They have dramatically reduced the costs of communication between loved ones, separated by diverse circumstances; and of course, have also reduced costs in business communications.
Amazing! Yes, indeed, astounding! But perhaps for our teenagers and for the generation of young 
people on the planet, this happens almost unnoticed. For them, it is normal to count on the service of internet and access to the world through networks. They have not stopped to think about the great advantages they have today; and let alone, the great drawbacks that come with it.
So it is, “advantages” and way too many. With just a click I have the information of the world in my hands. With just one click I can make a free call to a friend who is on the other side of the planet. With just a click I can search for the school assignment for the next day. With just one click I can hear good music that cheers my soul. Yes, “advantages” that simply demonstrate the extraordinary insights of the human brain, the extraordinary intelligence of the human being embodied in these great inventions for the benefit of society in general.
But unfortunately, this extraordinary intelligence has also been used for evil purposes. Just by taking the example of technology, we know it is true. Just as the internet could have been created to benefit in a thousand and one ways to society; this great invention today, is also a double-edged sword, with which many are seriously injured and they hardly recover from it.
A large part of the internet has become the dump and the rot of cyber space. Let me quote just a couple of examples that truly produce disgust, repugnance and even terror:
“In 2006, 89 percent of the estimated 270 million pornographic Web pages existing worldwide were produced in the United States.” [The Judges´Journal, 2013]
“Three men have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of raping a woman in an assault that was broadcast live on Facebook, police have said.” [The Guardian, January 2017]
And I could mention not only thousands, but millions of examples that, in addition to producing disgust, it also produces a deep pain in the heart. How many children are abused? How many teenagers in the prime of life are victims of human trafficking? How many young people have lost their lives in the hands of psychopaths? How many people have been scammed out of their bank accounts or credit cards? How many boys have fallen into the “business” of the hit man? How many have been attacked in these and some other horrific ways through social networks?
So, let me ask you. How are you using your extraordinary intelligence? How are you developing the wonderful brain that God has given you as a human being? And, how is your heart?
The Word of God says in Jeremiah 17: 9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure: Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Let me invite you to open your heart to the Lord of lords, to Jesus Christ Himself and let Him test your heart. Sincerely confess your sin before the Lord Jesus Christ and be assured that the Lord will forgive you and you will certainly, experience peace like never before in your life.
A heart full of God will bring about the development of a healthy mind, an extraordinary intelligence, originally created to do good and not evil; to build up and not to destroy!
Cecilia (Cecy) Yépez was born in Ecuador, South America.
Towards Excellence 
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