Enthusiastic and charismatic are words often used to describe Roberto (Joey) Perez. When asked about his silly personality he said, "Being raised in Santa Cruz, California, you have to have a sense of humor...or at least your parents do!" Roberto has served at his church faithfully since he received Christ in 2002. In 2004 he joined a college internship called the Armor Bearers. He graduated from the program in 2006 and in 2007 received a Bachelor of Theology Degree.
Before receiving Christ, Roberto played in a Ska-Punk rock band. He attributes his rude boy years as a time of formation. "I just remember how badly we wanted to change the world. We were on a mission!" While Joey's life since Christ has changed dramatically, his motivations haven't. His mission remains the same -- to change the world. He uses wit, humor, knowledge and love for his fellow neighbor to present the Gospel of Christ and to help lead the lost to repentance.
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1 Timothy, Becoming Spiritual Sons and Fathers
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Becoming a father or mother in the Lord demands love and dedication to the success of others. The focus of Christians is not only about raising a Christian household but to equip and train disciples in Christ's household.
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1 Timothy, Bridging the Age Gap
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Regardless of personal preference in ways to worship God, all believers worship the same God. The church of God is to be a shining light, a city set upon a hill for all to see. We are called to be separate from the world and our attitudes must reflect that. Unity and love in Christ is what separates us from the rest of the world.
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1 Timothy, Chapter 1
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As God extends his mercy and grace toward those who get saved, each is given a new name and identity. That identity is that of Jesus Christ because they are adopted into His family.
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1 Timothy, Continuing to Fight the Spiritual Battle
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Christian living is referred to in the bible as warfare. There are two opposing armies; one good and one evil. What's hard to comprehend is that the spiritual warfare believers wage has already been done, and yet Christians must continue to fight the good fight.
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1 Timothy, False Teachers
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If the Bible says that truth exists then the interpretation of that truth is not relative. Perspectives on reality do not change the reality.
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1 Timothy, God is Worthy to be Praised
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Daily worship is just one key to success in the Christian life. How we worship is just another example of the uniqueness of the Christian faith.<
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1 Timothy, Jesus as the Mediator Between God and Man
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God is holy and righteous. He cannot contain sin within His nature. It is not a matter of whether God loves or not; it is a matter of what is required to be in unity with His divine nature.
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1 Timothy, Let No One Despise Your Youth
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For young people, taking on the task of discipling an older person can be intimidating. An older person has more life experience. Still, an older man with no character is still a characterless man. Therefore, young people let no one despise their youth by learning and applying wisdom early on.
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1 Timothy, Qualifications of Ministry Leaders
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Some say that a reputation takes a lifetime to build and only a moment to be destroyed. When it comes to the ministry, reputation, character and integrity are all crucial components in effective leadership.
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1 Timothy, the Faithfulness of God
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Humility is the recognition of the truth in God's words and promises. Every believer can possess both humility and self-confidence in who they are in Christ. Though depraved by nature, God gives those who call on Him a new name.
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1 Timothy, the Importance of Prayer and Love
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Living life in protest to issues of disagreement is often a waste of time. Prayer and intercession for all men is what changes the minds of people. Pure godly love makes friends but protest usually attracts enemies.
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1 Timothy, the Importance of Self-Denial
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What separates Christianity for all other forms of religion is its inherent message of self-denial. In Judaism and Islam, one gains salvation through good deeds. While doing things for God is a great thing, if one could save himself through works that places a reliance upon one's self for salvation.
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1 Timothy, the Purpose of Gods Law
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The good thing about laws in general is that they do not apply to those who do not break them. For example, drunk driving laws are scary to those who drive drunk but for the sober, there is no fear of the law. Paul describes the purpose of God's laws in his letter to his son in the Lord Timothy.
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1 Timothy, the Role of Ministry Leaders, Missionaries and Pastors
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Many people want to be in full-time ministry. Getting paid to share the love of God with others is like reading comic books for a living. However, ministry and pastoring are positions that require sacrifice and hard work.
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1 Timothy, The Role of Women in Church
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The secular community often views the Bible as a sexist document. This is a myth. The Bible gives honor to women but it also clearly defines the roles a man and a woman should have. There are also Christians who use Scripture out of context to justify sexist behavior. Sexism is not a Christian ideal and an understanding of real doctrine and theology is the key to proper interpretation of seemingly sexist portions of the Bible.
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A Brief History of Christian Apologetics
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The art of apologetics is necessary for all belief systems ever known and yet to be. It is simply the defense of one's beliefs. It acts as the central nervous system in which a world view can be tested and viewed as either a credible or a false claim. Christian apologetics is the art of conveying the truths about God in an intelligent and organized manner.
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An Introduction to the Daddy Law
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Those with a less-than-desirable relationship with their father never wish to be fatherless. Instead, they wish their father was more fatherly. Because this is generally a universal desire, it could be said that there is a "daddy" law at work in the universe.
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Apologetic Tools and Resources
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Having the right tools for the right job is a determining factor in success or failure during a spiritual battle. In the world of apologetics and evangelism, there is no tool more effective than having a clear understanding of Christian doctrine. This is achieved through daily bible reading and prayer. While Bible reading and prayer lay the foundations of your faith, there are many other resources available which can reinforce those foundations.
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Apologetics Tools and Resources Part 2
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Sources of knowledge are key to the effectiveness of an apologetic argument. The purpose of apologetics is to properly communicate the Gospel through the Bible and provide evidence for the reliability of its claims.
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Apologetics Tools and Resources Part 3
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Apologetics must always be evangelistic. Christian debate is never just for the sake of argument. Whether a member of a university debate team or meeting with others to simply discuss ideas over coffee, evangelism should be the motivation every time.
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Applying Textual Criticism to the Bible
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When critiquing works of antiquity (ancient documents), a science called Textual Criticism is applied.
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Biblical Prophecy Versus Astrology
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Astrology used as a medium to both determine one's personality traits and future events is based on the alignment of stars and planets. The most basic form of astrology uses the 12 signs of the Zodiac and the date of one's birth to make predictions.
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Cambrian Explosion
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The astonishing developments of the Cambrian Explosion suggest that life during this period must have been planned. With absolutely no evidence to support evolution, this is an event not easily explained away. As a result, Charles Darwin himself dedicated a whole chapter in The Origin of the Species to the Cambrian Explosion as the biggest objection to his theories.
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Christian Arguments Against Atheism
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atheism presupposes the non-existence of any gods. There are many different offshoots of an atheistic worldview. Currently, there are also two schools of thought regarding self proclaimed atheists, including strong atheism and weak atheism.
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Christian Prophecy Versus Secular Prophecy
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Jesus said that believers were not going to know the time of His return prior to it. The predictions prophesied in Revelations can generically fit into many current and past events.
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Communicating the Gospel -- Textual Criticism
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People have real questions about the Bible that require evidence before making such a critical decision for or against becoming a Christian. A basic knowledge of Textual Criticism will come in handy during these moments, and it is the responsibility of the evangelist to communicate the gospel in an intellectually satisfying manner.
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Defining Worldviews -- Atheistic Versis Theistic
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Everyone has a worldview. The ability to cut through arguments and present truth is a task commanded by Christ as we continue to make sons and daughters in the faith. The continuation of understanding wordviews will provide a means by which root error can be exposed without the use of arguing particulars.
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Finding a Father in God - Sons and Fathers
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Disappointment, betrayal and hurt by one's dad is painful to say the least. Many have fathers who don't care or keep promises, but that should never stop someone from looking to God as their Father.
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God Raised up Judges
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The events recorded in the book of Judges took place within a four hundred year gap in between the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the Hebrew monarchy. The tribes of Israel had taken their inheritance and were located in different regions of Canaan. Each tribe probably had a smaller system of community and government but Israel was governed by God as a whole. This form of government is known as a Theocracy. While this was the ideal form of government, the children of Israel were often led astray by disobedience. Thus begins what is known to us as the Judges Cycle.
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Identity in Christ
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The danger of politically correct Christianity is the ability to love God and neighbors gets diminished. If Christians preach anything other than what is written in the Bible they become false teachers. They lose their love for God's ways and lead others into the same error.
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Intelligent Design and its Religious Implications
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Today, the debate is the scientific merit of Intelligent Design. Splattered all over the news and even the Silver Screen, Intelligent Design theorists appear to be losing an uphill battle. But it is not as unfruitful as it may seems?
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Interdependence in the Kingdom of God
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Relationships in our lives are like an ecosystem and can only be sustained by the proper placement of the integral components. As you continue livin la vida loca, remember that we were created to have relationship with God and man. If we love God then we must also love His ways. He has placed order in the universe as well as in our relationship with others.
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Joshua and the Spiritual Battle
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Contained within the pages of the bible are accounts of great warriors and victories. But there also lies rebellion, tragedy and heartbreak. The triumphant wins and agonizing defeats should be viewed not only as stories but as instruction on how to avoid destruction and claim victory in our lives. Enter the book of Joshua.
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Joshua Remains Faithful and Enters the Promised Land
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Though they did not deny the existence of foes in the promised land, Caleb and Joshua chose to trust in God for their victory and inheritance. It is for this reason that God chose Joshua to become Moses successor and Caleb to be Joshua's general.
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Joshua Trusts God and Wins the Battle
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Joshua was a man of faith and decisive action. God had commissioned Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land, even though the inhabitants would not be taken without a fight. Joshua's character, his leadership abilities, his faith and readiness typify how Christians can live a victorious life in Christ through faith.
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Joshuah and the Sin of Achan
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As observed in Joshua's account of the sin of Achan and many other stories in the Bible, sin never just effects the offender. Families are torn apart and cursed. If sin is allowed to run amuck, an entire church can be corrupted. This is why deviation from the commandments and strategies that God has given to us is often devastating.
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Joshuah and Victory in Battle
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When fighting the Christian fight, God enables Christians to have victory through every battle. The book of Joshua can be viewed as how to live victorious lives through the strength of God.
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Messianic Prophecy Versus Claims of Islam
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As one of the major religions practiced on the earth today, Islam was founded on the claims of prophecy and revelation. Its founder and prophet, Mohamed, claimed to receive revelation from Gabriel. Many criticisms of Islam in western culture reflect the same criticism aimed at Christianity. These criticism include the behavior of its followers and assumptions of its founders motives. The test for truth must be placed elsewhere in order to give us a realistic depiction of a particular religions legitimacy.
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Morality and the Concept of Happiness
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What most people may not understand is that the very act of becoming holy involves some degree of unhappiness and being a Christian involves imposing on other peoples happiness.
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Myth Busters in Apologetics
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Internet surfers and common laymen will give an answer to the common urban myth: More people have been killed in the name of Christianity than any other cause of death.
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Origins of Consciousness
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The world of Christian apologetics continues to outperform Darwinian doppelganger doctrine. Humans are not robots but instead living, breathing sons and daughters of the Most High.
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Proof for the Existence of God
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An atheistic worldview describes life in the universe as undirected process. The things that resemble design are not designed, merely the appearance of such. Suffering has absolutely no meaning, mankind has no free will, and love is not love, simply the appearance of such.
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Prophetic Word, an Overview of Worldviews
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America is enamored with psychics solving murders, daily horoscopes and psychic friends hotlines. However, studies show that modern-day psychics and their prophecies seldom come to pass. Most predictions are vague and can only generically fit into any type of situation. Such are Nostradamus' predictions.
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Sons and Fathers and the Birthright
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In the natural world, sons carry on the name of the family as a birthright. All a son has to do to receive authority to use the name is to be born. In the kingdom of God, one isn't born a son, he is taught how to be a son.
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Sons and Fathers and the Bond of Safety
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God is the true father. He is willing and able to crush those who would dare to mess with His family. He brings comfort to the fatherless and caresses us with strong and calloused hands. Unlike some earthly fathers, God has never broken a promise and has vowed to lever leave us all alone.
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Sons and Fathers at Creation | Fathers and Sons in Genesis
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here are few things greater than the bond between father and son. The strength of this bond is a force in the universe appointed by God as an earthly image of His relationship to humankind.
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Sons and Fathers in Honor and Love
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We honor God's name by carrying it with us. We are called Christians. God requires that each of us conduct ourselves as such. When we decide to honor our parents, we also are healed from any hurt and disappointment that might have brought.
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Sons and Fathers in Humility
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The heartbeat of the Kingdom of God is submission and relationship. This is the fuel in which a new Christian can grow in maturity and where we learn to train others.
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Sons and Fathers through Generations
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Every father was once a son. The torch of wisdom is passed from one generation to the next and Christian maturity is gained by becoming a son.
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Submitting to Rules of the House
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A church is never legalistic if the leadership is following the Bible and asks the congregation to do the same. The Bible is the authority of God in written form to give instruction to His people.
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