(espanol abajo)
UPDATE ON PUREHEARTCHILDRENS FUND BELOW
Exodus 20:17 Thou SHALT NOT covet.
A good question to ask yourself if you concerned about coveting something is, “AM I CONTENT WITHOUT IT?” If the answer is no, you are coveting something and coveting is 99% of the time a sin. If someone says they don’t sin, they are lying, because, other than Jesus, NO ONE EXISTS, EVER, THAT HASN’T COVETED. Lying (bearing a false witness) is another one of the Ten Commandments, right before Thou Shalt not covet, hmmmm!
Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Coveting is actually covered by 3 other commandments of the Ten Commandments. 4 in all! 40% of all the 10 commandments are about coveting. Like I said, no human being ever except for Jesus Christ is free from this sin, including myself.
(1.) Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Coveting is creating another god. Idolatry is sin. It’s ok to like stuff. It’s ok to want stuff. But if you want it too much, you are willing to do anything to get it, including to sin. If you want anything too much you are coveting it. If you are coveting it, it becomes your god. Many times people have walked away from their relationship with the Lord because they wanted something (coveting) it too much. Even good things, like job, kids, spouse, can become a god if you let them. Not good. Coveting in any form is idolatry.
(2.) Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Here’s funny ‘Gringo speaking bad spanish story’. A gringo speaker in a hispanic church ‘by passed’ his translator (they have them there for a reason) and he said in the microphone ‘todos los adúlteros pasen adelante!’ He wanted to invite all the adults to come forward, but he said ‘all adulterers come forward’. The correct word for adults is adultos, NOT adulteros, but he didn’t say that. HAHA, guess you had to be there.
The fact is, to commit adultery, you have to covet. People don’t just ‘fall into sin’. It’s planned, calculated and a long time in the making. It starts in the mind. Coveting is purely fantasy to begin with. Soon it consumes you and you will fail God and your loved ones. Even if the object of your covetousness doesn’t respond likewise, or if you have iron-clad will power, you already have ‘committed adultery’ the moment you coveted that person.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Covetousness is lust. Like I said, Jesus was the only one who never sinned. He NEVER even coveted, not once, and He grew up poor! Jesus went through puberty in the ‘hood’ without ever lusting. He was Holy (without sin), is Holy and forever Holy. While living with us, Jesus (Immanuel, ‘God with us’) shed His divinity to overcome temptation and death as any normal man. Covetousness, or any other sin, can be so strong it destroys people’s relationship with God and even their own families. But NOT the Son of God. Satan used covetuousness in trying to stumble Him, but Jesus never fell. Satan lost,,,, YET AGAIN!
(3.). Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Again, you steal what you covet. You break your communion with God because something is more important to you than having a good relationship with Him. If you love something enough, you are going to do some pretty stupid and risky things, and alienate yourself in the process.
Here’s an example. I like money. It’s ok. It’s NOT ok to love (covet) money. Money is a tool. Because I don’t love it, I will never cheat nor steal for it. But I do want it! Can you imagine what Winnie and I could do with 100k? We’d do exactly with it what we do with 1k, only 100 times more. We’d kick off the orphanage once and for all. What about 1MM? Exactly what we’d do with 100k only on a much larger scale. It’s just extra zeros. What’s a zero? Nothing in God’s economy.
There is so much need and desperation here in Nicaragua. Those people in need are wide open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although there are two churches on every corner here, very little is done to help the needy. Not a lot of love, nor Jesus, is shown to those who can’t ‘chip in’. That’s the only reason why we are here. To reach these needy people with the Gospel so they will go to heaven. Jesus never asked for a penny. Most of the time we minister Jesus Christ without even opening our mouths (unless people thank us, then we give God the glory). EVERY ONE IN MANAGUA KNOWS WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE REPRESENT. MOST HAVE EVEN HEARD ME PREACH OR TESTIFY. that definitely keeps ME in line! Most of the ways that we minister involves money in one way or another…. food, time *it costs money to pay people to run the place when we’re out and about), teachers, staff, gas to get to a home, medicine, Bibles, school supplies, constructions matierals for others, our home, orphanage (?), scholarships etc. So sorry for being ‘unspiritual’ but it’s the reality.
IN SHORT; Wanting money is not bad. Loving money (coveting it) is! It’s ok to want a lot of money if you are going to spend it all on the kingdom of God, to get people saved. You can do that when you don’t love money, when you don’t covet it. We love God, and will use all and any money to better serve Him.
Do you think any of the early members of the church, or anyone else, who gave to the Lord free and clear houses, land or riches regret doing so now that they are in heaven? I don’t think so!! They liked their stuff, but they didn’t love it. They gave something that they really LIKED to the One whom they really LOVED.
God wants to bless you with salvation. He also wants to bless you with money. You have to let Him. He won’t prosper you if you covet money. He won’t give you something that will hurt your walk with Him.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love (coveting) of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Why then does God say not to covet? Like any other of the 10 commandments, it is to show us our need for a Savior. No one is without sin. Without Him we are all lost. With Him in our life, our sin is washed away, and God remembers our sin no more. Not even a stain, nor a remembrance.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Coveting isn’t always bad. What you covet makes it a sin. There are some Christian men and women in my life whose relationships with God I really covet, in a healthy, wholesome way. It’s funny because when I was a pastor for a large denomination I was sure that some of them were dead wrong. My then fellow pastors and I labeled those guys as bad news. I have since repented as I have gotten to know them and seen their lives, integrity and testimonies. Again, a way to know you are coveting something is to ask yourself if you can be content without it? I will NOT Be content until I have a better relationship with Him, and someday hear the words, ‘well done! good and faithful servant’!
1 Corinthians 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
*update on PureHeart…
Good news! God is always faithful. Naturally because of all this political stuff, deceit and bio-terrorism going on, donations are way down. BUT I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT I HAVE BEEN AWARDED A SMALL VA DISABILITY FROM MY TIME IN THE ARMY! 🙂 God always helps me in the ways I least expected it.
Our paperwork is in to bring in children. We need a lot more in donations to pull this off. But God is a waymaker. Home is ready for another prequalifying inspection, but Winnie and I will have to live off site as it is. yet another expense 🙁
We are blessed, as a family and a ministry. Opportunities to serve are through the ceiling, and although I limit ‘purely social visits’ because of time, we try not to turn away any one in need. We take uncooked food to the families and see to their medical needs one on one.
WE WILL RESTART THE FEEDING CENTER IN THE DUMP ON TUESDAY. WINNIE HAS HAD A COLD BUT IS BETTER NOW.
We CONTINUE to visit the poorest homes in the boonies and slums. It is a lot more expensive,and time consuming, but we continue to be obedient to God’s calling. Pray for resources, wisdom and safety. Besides Winnie and my daily devotions, we have two other Bible studies in the Winnerhome. 1 daily, and 1 once a week. We also have an English class and PureHeartPre-k is still going on as scheduled. Most of the patents however just come to get the homework and take it back, to protect the children.
God bless you, wash your hands, read the Bible, pray and turn off the TV. Go outside and take a walk.
We love you, thank you, and praying for you and our great country, the USA!
Dean and Winnie Peters*
[email protected]
Joyfully serving the ‘least of these’ in Nicaragua for the glory of God
www.whatistheloveofGod.com
www.pureheartchildren.org
Facebook = Dean andWinnie Peters
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—-español——
Codiciar
noticias de PureHeart abajo
Éxodo 20:17 No codiciarás.
Si alguien dice que no pecan, está mintiendo. No Mentir es otro de los Diez Mandamientos, justo antes de que no codicies.
Éxodo 20:16 No darás falso testimonio.
La codicia está realmente cubierta por 3 otros mandamientos de los Diez Mandamientos. 4 en total. 40% de los 10 mandamientos habla de codicia.
(1.) Éxodo 20: 3 No tendrás dioses ajenos delante de mí.
La codicia es crear otro dios. Está bien que me gusten las cosas. Está bien querer cosas. Pero si lo quieres demasiado, estás dispuesto a hacer cualquier cosa para conseguirlo. Si lo quieres demasiado lo estás codiciando. Si lo estás codiciando, se convierte en tu dios. Muchas veces las personas se han alejado de su relación con el Señor porque querían algo, lo codiciaban demasiado. Incluso las cosas buenas, como el trabajo, los hijos, el cónyuge, etc. pueden convertirse en un dios si se lo permites. No está bien. La codicia es idolatría.
(2.) Éxodo 20:14 Cometerás adulterio.
Aquí es una historia graciosa de un ‘Gringo hablando mal el español”. Un orador gringo en una iglesia hispana ‘pasó’ a su traductor (los tienen allí por una razón) y dijo en el micrófono ‘todos los adúlteros pasen adelante’. Quería invitar a todos los adultos a presentarse, pero se equivoco. El hecho es que, para cometer adulterio, primeramente, tienes que codiciar. Las personas no solo “caen en pecado”. Está planeado, calculado y lleva mucho tiempo en desarrollo, es algo sórdido. Comienza en la mente. Codiciar es pura fantasía para empezar. Pronto te consume y lo explotas. Incluso si eres muy feo, o el objeto de tu codicia no responde de la misma manera, o si tienes fuerza de voluntad revestida de hierro, ya has “cometido adulterio” en el momento en que lo codiciaste.
Jesús dijo en Mateo 5:28 Pero yo os digo que cualquiera que mira a una mujer para codiciarla, ya adulteró con ella en su corazón.
La codicia es lujuria. Jesús pasó por la pubertad en el “barrio” sin desear nunca una mujer en una manera pecamenosa. Ni siquiera estaba lleno del Espíritu Santo todavía (eso vino cuando fue bautizado). Mientras crecía, Él también era Dios con nosotros, pero despojó Su divinidad para vivir entre nosotros.
La codicia (lujuria) nos ata de tal manera que destruye la relación de las personas con Dios e incluso con sus propias familias.
(3.) Éxodo 20:15 No robarás.
Nuevamente, solo robas algo que codicias. Rompes tu comunión con Dios porque quieres algo más que tener una buena relación con Él. Si amas algo lo suficiente, harás cosas estúpidas y arriesgadas.
Intento no decir “Amo las cosas”. Solo trato de usar la palabra amor cuando hablo de personas o de Dios, y tal vez mi loro y mi perro en un momento de debilidad. No amo a las pizzas, los deportes profesionales, la política, los autos (en realidad odio los deportes profesionales, los autos y la política), la música, la televisión, las películas, las computadoras, etc. Amor es una palabra demasiado fuerte. Me los gustan. Los disfruto. También a mi Me gusta el dinero.
Está bien que te guste el dinero. NO está bien codiciar dinero. El dinero es una herramienta. ¿Te imaginas lo que Winnie y yo podríamos hacer con 100k? Haríamos exactamente con eso lo que hacemos con 1000 dólares, solo 100 veces más. Comenzaríamos el orfanato de una vez por todas. ¿Qué tal un millón de dólares? Exactamente lo que haríamos con 100k solo en una escala mucho mayor.
Hay tanta necesidad y desesperación. Las personas necesitadas están abiertas al Evangelio de Jesucristo. Es una herramienta alcanzarlos. Querer dinero no es malo. Amar dinero (codiciarlo es)! Está bien querer mucho dinero si lo va a gastar en el reino de Dios. Puedes hacerlo cuando no amas el dinero, cuando no lo codicias. ¿Crees que alguno de los primeros miembros de la iglesia, o cualquier otra persona, que regaló casas, tierras o riquezas se arrepiente de haberlo hecho ahora que están en el cielo? ¡¡No lo creo!!
1 Timoteo 6:10 Porque el amor al dinero es la raíz de todo mal: que, si bien algunos codiciaron después, se han equivocado de la fe y se han atravesado con muchas penas.
** Noticias de PureHeart **
Seguimos más ocupados que nunca. Dios quiere que seamos precavidos, pero no hay cuarentenas ni nada de eso aquí en Nicaragua. Winnie todavía tiene síntomas de resfriado, por lo que no estamos trabajando con los multitudes. Solo ayudamos a las familias mas pobres individualmente con alimentos y medicinas. Siempre por el honor y la gloria si Dios. Los padres no envían a los niños a la escuela en grupo, por lo que nuevamente mantenemos a los niños al día con sus tareas uno a uno.
En cuanto a la casa, estamos listos para traer a los niños, pero naturalmente las donaciones han caído drásticamente, por lo que cuando lleguen a donde estábamos Y otros mil por mes para los gastos adicionales, esperamos obtener el permiso del gobierno. Se trata de dinero, tiempo y ayuda de Dios.
PD. ¡Hoy recibí un pequeño estipendio mensual porque ahora soy reconocido como un veterano estadounidense discapacitado!