Learning to Speak in Tongues

Languages Update

2011-08-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

In the past year, I have successfully been able to communicate very well in Spanish. I still need to interact more in Spanish in order to improve my ability to speak the language. But I can at least now say that I'm bilingual. So... Yay! Praise God for answering my prayer and granting me this ability!

I have also taken up the study of New Testament Greek grammar. This has been a slow process, since Koine Greek is pretty complex. Yet it is exciting to learn and be able to read small parts of the New Testament in its original language.

I put Old Testament Hebrew on hold this year.

I also began learning Italian. I found LiveMocha.com to be a great resource for learning and practicing the Italian language. At Live Mocha, you can review people's English and receive reviews from native speakers in the language you are learning. It is great.

I also am learning German grammar with a little pocket guide for grasping Deutsch im schnellgang! (German in a hurry). I also found some good podcasts on Itunes for learning German as well.

All this language learning, you might think, would make one's head spin! But it's the opposite. I find it motivating and exciting to learn the languages of other people, especially in order to communicate the greatest news I've ever heard, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, my Lord. I hope and pray He will give me opportunities through this to bless others.

Practicando y Aprendiendo Mucho

2010-04-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

Para ayudarme a practicar, yo quisiera escribir más postes de blog en español. De hecho, estaba pensando en comenzar un nuevo blog para escribir sobre la gracia de Dios, como hago en mi blog All of Grace, pero en español esta vez. No sé ahora si lo haré, pero si Dios me permite, lo haré cuando tengo el tiempo.

Pero, en lo que concierne a las lenguas (los idiomas), estoy practicando el español todos los días y aprovechando mucho. Además, tengo un librito acerca del francés, y otro del italiano, pero sólo estoy leyendo el del francés en este tiempo. Estes libros he encontrado en Barnes & Noble, con otro libro sobre la gramática del español, el cual tiene muchas lecciones sensillas, con prácticas y tareas también. Es una ayuda excelente.

Aprender a hablar español ha sido alimento para mi para aprender más idiomas del mundo si yo pueda. Ahora mismo, quiero aprender español mucho mejor, y quisiera aprender un poco de francés, italiano y alemán también. Sobre todo, deseo mucho aprovechar una buena comprensión de los idiomas Bíblicas importantes, el griego y el hebreo, algún día.

Regresaré para compartir algunas cosas más acerca de aprender idiomas, si Dios lo permite.
¡Hasta luego!

EL INFIERNO Y LA GRACIA DE DIOS

2010-04-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Una de las verdades esenciales que debe ser entendido por todos los creyentes de la gracia es el infierno.

El infierno es el lugar del castigo para todos los que sufran el justo juicio de Dios sin perdón de sus pecados. La gracia de Dios es el favor inmerecido y gratis hacia algunos, librándolos de Su ira en el infierno por medio de Jesucristo, quien es una propiciación para ellos.

Sin el infierno, la gracia no sería asombrosa, ni siquiera sería necesaria. Pero la gracia es necesaria, porque el infierno es real.

Jesús dijo a sus discipulos:

"Y no temáis a los que matan el cuerpo, mas el alma no pueden matar; temed más bien a aquel que puede destruir el alma y el cuerpo en el infierno" (Mateo 10:28).

Y también san Pedro escribió esto sobre el juicio:

"Porque si Dios no perdonó a los ángeles que pecaron, sino que arrojándolos al infierno los entregó a prisiones de oscuridad, para ser reservados al juicio; y si no perdonó al mundo antiguo, sino que guardó a Noé, pregonero de justicia, con otras siete personas, trayendo el diluvio sobre el mundo de los impíos; y si condenó por destrucción a las ciudades de Sodoma y de Gomorra, reduciéndolas a ceniza y poniéndolas de ejemplo a los que habían de vivir impíamente, y libró al justo Lot, abrumado por la nefanda conducta de los malvados (porque este justo, que moraba entre ellos, afligía cada día su alma justa, viendo y oyendo los hechos inicuos de ellos), sabe el Señor librar de tentación a los piadosos, y reservar a los injustos para ser castigados en el día del juicio; y mayormente a aquellos que, siguiendo la carne, andan en concupiscencia e inmundicia, y desprecian el señorío..." (2 Pedro 2:4-10).

Pero con respecto a los que han arrepentido y han creído en Cristo, San Pablo dice:

"Entre los cuales también todos nosotros vivimos en otro tiempo en los deseos de nuestra carne, haciendo la voluntad de la carne y de los pensamientos, y éramos por naturaleza hijos de ira, lo mismo que los demás. Pero Dios, que es rico en misericordia, por su gran amor con que nos amó, aun estando nosotros muertos en pecados, nos dio vida juntamente con Cristo (por gracia sois salvos)..." (Efesios 2:3-5).

La gracia de Dios es asombrosa, porque la justicia de Dios es terrible. Para todos los que han arrepentido verdaderamente y han confiado completamente en el misericordia de Dios en Cristo Jesús, el juicio y la ira que ellos han merecido ya ha estado puesto en el Señor en la cruz.

Leemos en la carta a los hebreos como el juicio y la salvación mediante Cristo están vinculado:

"De otra manera le hubiera sido necesario padecer muchas veces desde el principio del mundo; pero ahora, en la consumación de los siglos, se presentó una vez para siempre por el sacrificio de sí mismo para quitar de en medio el pecado. Y de la manera que está establecido para los hombres que mueran una sola vez, y después de esto el juicio, así también Cristo fue ofrecido una sola vez para llevar los pecados de muchos; y aparecerá por segunda vez, sin relación con el pecado, para salvar a los que le esperan" (Hebreos 9:26-28).

Considerando estas cosas, que nuestra alabanza a Dios sea con un temor sano (con mucha reverencia), con alegría y agradecimiento también. ¡Y que todos los santos que Le temen, continuamente alaben al Señor por Su gran amor y por Su gracia en salvación eterna!
Amén.

¿Quisiera leer esto en inglés? Haga click aquí.

Cómo Decir No a La Tentación - Eduardo Saladín

2010-04-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Listen and learn from this excellent sermon called, How to say "No" to Temptation by Eduardo Saladín from La Iglesia Biblica del Señor Jesucristo (IBSJ) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

New Testament Greek

2010-03-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a little work on my spare time translating (in order to learn) passages of the New Testament from Koine Greek into English, then into Spanish.

Before I post some of my translations, I will list a few of the web resources I found that have helped me do this kind of learning.

(Note: translation always requires a good level of knowledge of the original language, as in verb tenses and moods, as well as other technical details. Since I am seeking to become familiar with these things, I rely on the technical data often provided in the captions where that information is given.)

New Testament Gateway has a list of excellent sites of good Greek New Testament resources.

Biblos.com has an interlinear Greek - English New Testament that displays word information when you rollover a word.

And my trusty E-Sword has been a huge help in all this as well, with all its free Bible versions and Dictionaries.

Here's an example of some of the work I've done so far in translating:

Revelation Chapter One (Green=Grk., Blue=Eng., Red=Spn.)

Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεός, δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει, καὶ ἐσήμανεν ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννῃ,

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show to his slaves the things which must soon take place. And he made it known, sending it through his angel to his slave John,

La revelación de Jesucristo, la cual Dios le dio, para mostrarlos a sus esclavos las cosas que deben suceder pronto. Y El se hizo subido, enviandose por medio de su angel a su esclavo Juan,

ὃς ἐμαρτύρησεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅσα εἶδεν.

who testified to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, as much as he saw.

quien testificó a la Palabra de Dios y a la testimonio de Jesucristo, en cuanto como vio.

μακάριος ὁ ἀναγινώσκων καὶ οἱ ἀκούοντες τοὺς λόγους τῆς προφητείας καὶ τηροῦντες τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα, ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς ἐγγύς.

Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and who keep that which is written in it, for the time is near.

Dichoso el que lea y los que oigan las palabras de esta profecía, y los que guardan lo que está escrito en ella, porque el tiempo está cerca.

Quick Spanish Review Lesson of the Present Tense

2010-02-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

Present Tense Verbs

In this lesson, you will get a general idea of how to use present tense verbs. You will learn how to conjugate some regular and some irregular verbs, and use them in example sentences. Look for how the endings of verbs change in correspondence to the subject pronouns they are used with. Look for patterns in how they change. Pay attention also to any tips or extra info provided in the lesson. There is a quiz at the end of each lesson to test what you learned. Don't worry if you are tempted to feel frustrated, language learning takes time and patience. ;-)

Hablar = to speak (pronounced ah-blar, where the "H" is always silent)
Yo hablo = I speak
Tú hablas = you speak (informal)
Usted habla = you speak (formal)
Él o Ella habla = he or she speaks
nosotros hablamos = we speak
vosotros habláis = you speak (informal, plural)
ustedes hablan = you speak (formal, plural)
ellos o ellas hablan = they speak (masculine or feminine)

Por ejemplo:
Ustedes hablan muy rápido. You speak very fast.
Mi amigo, José, habla español. My friend, José, speaks Spanish.
Mis padres sólo hablan inglés. My parents only speak English.
¿Usted habla inglés también? Do you speak English also?
Yo hablo un poco de español. I speak a little Spanish.
Hablamos mucho. We talk a lot.
¡Hablas inglés muy bien! You speak English very well!
Vosotros habláis con un acento muy diferente. You guys speak with a very different accent.

(Note: It is usually not necessary to use the subject pronouns (e.g., yo, tú, ustedes, ella, etc.) when speaking Spanish, because the conjugation of the verb (i.e., the way the verb changes form) usually tells us who the subject is when speaking or listening to Spanish.)

Tener = to have
yo tengo = I have
tú tienes = you have
usted tiene = you have (formal)
él o ella tiene = he or she has
nosotros tenemos = we have
vosotros tenéis = you have (informal, plural)
ustedes tienen = you have (formal, plural)
ellos o ellas tienen = they have (masculine or feminine)

Por ejemplo:
Tengo veinte dólares. I have twenty dollars.
¿Tienes frío o calor? Are you cold or hot?
Juan tiene hambre y sed. Juan is hungry and thirsty.
Tenemos nuestros pasajes de avion. We have our plane tickets.
Tenéis que visitarnos otra vez. You have to visit us again.
¿Tienen ustedes algo a comer o beber? Do you have something to eat or drink?
Ellos tienen que venir con nosotros. They have to come with us.

Querer é ir = to want and to go

yo quiero y voy = I want and I go
tú quieres y vas = you want and you go
usted quiere y va = you want and you go (formal)
él o ella quiere y va = he or she wants and goes
nosotros queremos y vamos = we want and we go
vosotros queréis y váis = you want and you go (informal, plural)
ustedes quieren y van = you want and you go (formal, plural)
ellos o ellas quieren y van = they want and they go (masculine or feminine)

Por ejemplo:
Nosotros queremos ir al restaurante. Vamos pronto. We want to go to the restaurant. We are going soon.
¿Quieren ustedes ir con nosotros? Do you want to go with us?
Mi novia va al salón cada fin de la semana, porque quiere parecer bonita. My girfriend goes to the Salon every weekend, because she wants to look pretty.
¿Vas al supermercado? ¿Qué quieres? Are you going to the supermarket? What do you want?
¿Quieres hacer la cena? Do you want to make supper?

Más ejemplos:
Quiero ir a la playa mañana. Voy a ir con mis amigos. Nos vamos muy temprano. Quieres venir con nosotros? I want to go to the beach tomorrow. I'm going to go with my friends. We are leaving very early. Do you want to come with us? (Note: Nos vamos does not mean "We are going", it literally means "We are leaving". To say, "I'm leaving soon", you say, Me voy pronto. For "you are leaving" it is te vas; for "he or she and usted are leaving", it is se va; for "you (informal, plural) are leaving", it is os váis; for "they are leaving" and "ustedes are leaving", it is se van.)

Vivir = to live
yo vivo = I live
tú vives = you live
él o ella vive = he or she lives
usted vive = you live (formal)
nosotros vivimos = we live
vosotros vivís = you live (informal, plural)
ustedes viven = you live (formal, plural)
ellos o ellas viven = they live (masculine or feminine)

Por ejemplo:
¿Vive usted lejos de aquí? Do you live far from here?
Vivo en la ciudad. I live in the city.
¿En cuál ciudad vives? In which city do you live? (informal)
Ella vive en Santo Domingo. She lives in Santo Domingo.
Él vive cerca de nosotros. He lives near us.
Juan y Alicia viven en el mismo barrio. Juan and Alicia live in the same neighborhood.
Vivimos en los estados unidos. We live in the United States.
¿Viven ustedes por aquí? Do you live around here?
¡Vosotros vivís en un país muy hermoso! You guys live in a very beautiful country!

Examen = quiz: Present Tense Verbs

1. It is not necessary to always use the subject pronoun with conjugated verbs. True or False?

2. How do you ask someone formally in Spanish, "Do you speak English?"

3. What is the conjugated verb form for "We speak"?

4. How do you say in Spanish, "I have twenty dollars"?

5. What are the conjugated verbs for "You (informal) want" and "They are going"?

6. Say in Spanish, "We want to go to the restaurant."

7. Conjugate the present tense of the verb hablar (to speak).

8. Conjugate the present tenses of the verb tener (to have, as in possession).

9. Conjugate the present tense of the verbs querer y ir (to want and to go).

10. Conjugate the present tense of the verb vivir (to live).

Resources For Learning Spanish > Recursos Para Aprender El Español

2010-02-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have been searching for more ways to listen to Spanish being spoken, specifically by Latin Americans. I have found a few good resources for learning from podcasts as well as one site that is like a free online textbook. Check them out on my sidebar under "Links that Help Me Learn".

I'm still eager to find more ways to be able to listen to spoken Spanish through audio or video. The Biblical sermons that IBSJ.org and LaIBI.org make available have been and still are one of the best listening tools I've found.

In the posts to come, I hope to publish more lessons that go over verb conjugations.

¡Hasta luego!

Future Tenses

2010-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

[This post has been updated: Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense. See below.]

Recognizing the future tense is easy. Why? Because the stress mark is always on the last syllable. I will simply list a few examples and you should be able to pick it up fairly easily.

Future Tense in Spanish:

The future tense in Spanish says in one word what English can take three words to say. When we say, "I will talk," we are speaking in a future tense. "I will talk with Rita" in Spanish is "Yo hablaré con Rita." The words "I will talk" are made up of one word in Spanish "Hablaré" (corresponding to the pronoun yo).

All verbs are conjugated the same by adding these endings at the end of the verb -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -án.

For example, conjugate the verbs: hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), Vivir (to live)

Future:

I will ___
yo hablaré
yo comeré
yo viviré

you will ___
tú hablarás
tú comerás
tú vivirás

he/she/you will ___
él/ella/usted hablará
él/ella/usted comerá
él/ella/usted vivirá

we will ___
nosotros hablaremos
nosotros comeremos
nosotros Viviremos

they/you all will ___
ellos/ellas/ustedes Hablarán
ellos/ellas/ustedes Comerán
ellos/ellas/ustedes Vivirán

A few examples:

Los taxistas sólo hablarán español, entonces tú debes practarlo.
The taxi drivers will only speak Spanish, so you should practice it.

Comeremos comida Dominicana en el restaurante Villar.
We will eat Dominican food at the restaurant Villar.

¿Dónde vivirás después de mudarte?
Where will you live after you move?

[Update] There are also irregular verb changes for the future tense that need to be known. These are:

Decir (to say, to tell) = (yo) diré, (tú) dirás, (él/usted) dirá, (nosotros) diremos, (ellos/ustedes) dirán.

Hacer (to do, to make) = (yo) haré, (tú) harás, (él/usted) hará, (nosotros) haremos, (ellos/ustedes) harán.

Poder (to be able) = (yo) podré, (tú) podrás, (él/usted) podrá, (nosotros) podremos, (ellos/ustedes) podrán.

Poner (to put, to place) = (yo) pondré, (tú) pondrás, (él/usted) pondrá, (nosotros) pondremos, (ellos/ustedes) pondrán.

Saber (to know) = (yo) sabré, (tú) sabrás, (él/usted) sabrá, (nosotros) sabremos, (ellos/ustedes) sabrán.

Salir (to go out, to leave) = (yo) saldré, (tú) saldrás, (él/usted) saldrá, (nosotros) saldremos, (ellos/ustedes) saldrán.

Tener (to have, as in possession) = (yo) tendré, (tú) tendrás, (él/usted) tendrá, (nosotros) tendremos, (ellos/ustedes) tendrán.

Venir (to come) = (yo) vendré, (tú) vendrás, (él/usted) vendrá, (nosotros) vendremos, (ellos/ustedes) vendrán.

Ejemplos:

¿Vendrás conmigo?

Will you come with me?

Ok. Yo lo haré.

Ok. I will make/do it.

¿A qué hora saldrá el tren?

What time will the train leave?

Porque nada hemos traído a este mundo, y sin duda nada podremos sacar.

(1 Timoteo 6:7 RVR60).

For we have brought nothing into this world, and doubtless we will not be able to take anything out.

(1 Timothy 6:7).

Sounds of the Spanish Alphabet

2010-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

Spanish Sounds

As I've studied the Spanish language, I've realized the importance of learning pronunciation, so I started trying to learn how words commonly sound when spoken by Latin Americans. I often write the word using English sounds to help myself with the pronunciation. Below is the Spanish alphabet with what I've learned to be the sounds commonly associated with them in Latin America.

Alphabet Pronunciation

Aa = ah as in father and as in Dad.

Bb = soft b, sometimes sounds like v as in given.

Cc = hard k, except after i, e, sounds like s, as in cent.

Dd = soft d, sometimes sounds like th.

Ee = ay as in May, eh as in Set.

Ff = same as English f.

Gg = hard g as in Go, h sound after i, e, as in hit.

Hh = always silent.

Ii = ee, as in free.

Jj = h sound, as in heart, hug, heat, hope.

Kk = same as English k.

Ll = L as in long.

LLll = y as in yet or j as in jet.

M = m as in man.

N = n as in now, ten.

Ññ = sounds like ny as in canyon, pinion, onion.

Oo = always a long o as in low, no.

Pp = same as English p except without blowing any air.

Qq = sounds like k.

Rr = rolling rr at the beginning of a word, within a word it is one flip of the tongue and sounds close to 'dd as in loaded, padded, coded, added.

RRrr = rolling tongue 'rrrrr, takes practice to learn.

Ss = s as in sofa, self, last, rest.

Tt = always sounds like the t in tilt, toy, tight.

Uu = oo as in boo.

Vv = sounds like b as in boy.

Ww = same as English w.

Zz = sounds like s in Latin America as in set, lasso, loose, or th in Spain as in think, teeth, thought, with.

Examples

The word ir (to go) sounds like ee'dh; ir = ee'dh.

The word voy (I go) sounds like boy; voy = boy.

The word yo (me, I) sounds like joe; yo = joe.

The word duro (hard) sounds almost like doo-doe, but with a soft 'dd sound for the r (as in pudding); duro = doo'ddoe.

The word diez (ten) sounds like dee-ess; diez = dee-ess.

The word comer (to eat) sounds like co-mair'd; comer = co-maird.

There are many more examples. I may include more at a later time.

Gospel Tract Translation (Complete, but not yet proofread)

2009-09-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

I finally accurately translated my own gospel tract into Spanish. However, it is in need of a native Spanish speaker who can proofread it. Below is the link.

La Biblia Contesta Nuestra Necesidad para Conocer a Dios

Here is my original English version of this gospel tract:
The Bible Answers Our Need to Know God.

Gracia a todos.

To See Your Glory - Para Ver Tu Gloria

2009-09-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Dios, Dios mío eres tú;

[God, you are my God;]

De madrugada te buscaré;

[In the morning I will seek you;]

Mi alma tiene sed de ti, mi carne te anhela,

[My soul has thirst for you, my flesh longs for you,]

En tierra seca y árida donde no hay aguas,

[In a dry and arid land where there are no waters,]

Para ver tu poder y tu gloria,

[To see your power and your glory]

Así como te he mirado en el santuario.

[So as I have looked to you in the sanctuary.]

Porque mejor es tu misericordia que la vida;

[For better is your mercy than life;]

Mis labios te alabarán.

[My lips will praise you.]

(Salmo 63:1-3)

[(Psalm 63:1-3)]

Amén y amén!

¿Cuán importante es alabar a Dios regularmente en tu vida?

2009-08-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

A fin de contestar la pregunta en el título, piensa en estas cosas:

En primer lugar yo nos pregunto ¿por qué es importante alabar a Dios?

La respuesta puede ser simplemente porque él es Dios y nosotros somos sus criaturas (Salmo 100:3). Pero también porque es bueno dar las alabanzas a nuestro Dios (Salmo 92:1), y porque él nos ordena en su Palabra. Solamente él es digno, como nuestro Creador y Señor, para recibir la gloria.

Entonces, ¿Cuán importante para ti es alabar a Dios en tu vida? ¿Das la gloria y las gracias a Dios por los beneficios y bienes de tu vida?

Pero cuando hablamos de alabanza Bíblicamente, debemos hablar de más que bienes y beneficios. La Biblia habla de alabanza a Dios por las características y los atributos de su naturaleza y persona, en cuanto así por sus obras, dones y juicios. Hay muchísimos ejemplos en los libros de la ley, las historias, los salmos, profecías, evangelios, cartas y en el apocalipsis (en toda la Biblia) de oraciones, cantares, doxologías y alabanzas dada a Dios Todopoderoso. Es muy claro que Dios recibe gloria y honra a sí mismo de sus criaturas para siempre.

Si tú crees que vas a vivir para siempre, ¿no piensas que debes dar la alabanza a Dios en el día de hoy mientras vives en este lugar, antes que te vas a aquel lugar?

En segundo lugar, para nosotros que cree en el SEÑOR, es bueno alabarlo siempre, porque él es digno y porque es alegría y salud para nosotros cuando lo adoramos en cada circunstancia de nuestra vida (Salmo 43:11 [la palabra "salvación" significa "salud" en hebreo]; Proverbios 16:24).

Necesitamos dar la alabanza a Dios siempre en Jesucristo por su salvación mediante la cruz y por su resurrección de entre los muertos, por el don del Espíritu Santo en nuestros corazones y por su gran amor, y también porque es salud a nuestras almas cuando le alabamos. Amén.

¿Cómo puedo entender a las mujeres según la Biblia?

2009-08-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

Entendiendo a las Mujeres en General

Existen algunas diferencias significativas entre los hombres y las mujeres.

“Estas diferencias fisiológicas inherentes entre los hombres y las mujeres demuestran cómo el Creador y Sustentador del universo diseñó a un hombre y a una mujer para que se complementen el uno al otro (no para competir el uno con el otro)” (p.30).
Otra área que debemos conocer es la concerniente a los roles y responsabilidades asignados por Dios a la mujer.

Dios la llamó a:
• Ser ayuda idónea (Gén.2:18)
• Someterse a su marido (Ef.5:22)
• Ser gloria de su esposo (1 Cor.11:7-9)
• Respetar a su marido (Ef.5:33)
• Adornarse a sí misma con un espíritu afable y apacible (1 Ped.3:3-4)
• Ser casta y respetuosa en su conducta (1 Ped.3:2)
• Ser sabia y clemente con sus palabras (y en su corazón) (Prov.31:26)

Además es importante saber que:
• La mujer fue creada del hombre (1 Cor.11:8)
• La mujer fue hecha para el hombre (1 Cor.11:9)
• La mujer fue hecha después que el hombre (1 Tim.2:13)
• La mujer tiene la inclinación a controlar a su marido (Gén.3:16)
• La mujer es engañada con mayor facilidad (1 Tim.2:14)
• La mujer debe verse a sí misma como un miembro del cuerpo y a su esposo como su cabeza (Ef.5:23)

* Este material ha sido tomado del libro "The Complete Husband" (de Lou Priolo) y es publicado aquí con el debido permiso de Calvary Press, la cual posee los derechos del libro.

[Esto he encontrado en el sitio de web www.ibsj.org de La Iglesia Bíblica del Señor Jesucristo]

Alabanza a Nuestro Dios en Salmo 40

2009-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Pacientemente esperé a Jehová, y se inclinó a mí y oyó mi clamor, y me hizo sacar del pozo de la desesperación del lodo cenagoso; puso mis pies sobre peña y enderezó mis pasos. Puso luego en mi boca cántico nuevo, alabanza a nuestro Dios. Verán esto muchos y temerán, y confiarán en Jehová.

Salmo 40:1-3 RV95.

Estas palabras son muy esperanzado y gozoso. Sana es para meditar y leerlas.

¿Por qué muchos se falta ánimo para Cristo?

2009-08-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

"Podemos estar seguros de que una razón principal por la falta de ánimo que prevalece tanto entre los cristianos hoy en día se debe al hecho de que se ha quitado la mirada de Cristo y que se ha fijado en otro objetivo más bajo. "Mas nuestra vivienda es en los cielos" (Filipenses 3:20), y nunca debemos de estar satisfechos con proponernos un objetivo menor que Cristo. Es el objetivo del hombre y no su posición, lo que le da su carácter."

- C. H. Mackintosh, What is Christianity?

Learning to Lament in Tongues

2009-07-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine gave me a passage of Scripture that he told me to meditate on. It is a passage I've read and meditated on often in the past, and so this time I decided to write it down in Spanish (since the Spanish Bible is the one I read out of the most).

Lamentaciones 3:19-33, 37-38, 40

Acuérdate de mi aflicción y de mi abatimiento, del ajenjo y de la hiel;

[Remember my affliction and my dejection, the wormwood and the gall;]

Lo tendré aún en memoria, porque mi alma está abatida dentro de mí;

[I will remember it still, because my soul is cast down within me;]

Esto recapacitaré en mi corazón, por lo tanto esperaré.

[This I will recall in my heart, therefore I will hope.]

Por la misericordia de Jehová no hemos sido consumidos, porque nunca decayeron sus misericordias.

[By the mercy of Jehovah we have not been consumed, for his mercies never diminish.]

Nuevas son cada mañana; grande es tu fidelidad.

[They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.]

Mi porción es Jehová, dijo mi alma; por tanto, en él esperaré.

[My portion is Jehovah, said my soul; therefore, in him will I hope.]

Bueno es Jehová a los que en él esperan, al alma que le busca.

[Jehovah is good to those that hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.]

Bueno es esperar en silencio la salvación de Jehová.

[It is good to wait in silence for the salvation of Jehovah.]

Bueno le es al hombre llevar el yugo desde su juventud.

[To him it is good for a man to carry the yoke from his youth.]

Que se siente solo y calle, porque es Dios quien se lo impuso;

[That he sits alone and quiet, for it is God who imposed it on him.]

Ponga su boca en el polvo, por si aún hay esperanza;
[Let him put his mouth in the dust, for if yet there is hope;]

Dé la mejilla al que le hiere, y sea colmado de afrentas.
[Let him give the cheek to him that wounds him, and let him be heaped with insults.]

Porque el Señor no desecha para siempre;
[Because the Lord does not cast off forever;]

Antes si aflige, también se compadece según la multitud de sus misericordias;
[For if he afflicts, he also sympathizes according to the multitude of his mercies;]

Porque no aflige ni entristece voluntariamente a los hijos de los hombres.
[For he does not afflict nor sadden voluntarily to the children of men.]

¿Quién será aquel que diga que sucedió algo que el Señor no mandó?
[Who will that be who says that something succeeded which the Lord did not command?]

¿De la boca del Altísimo no sale lo malo y lo bueno?
[From the mouth of the Most High goes not out the bad and the good?]

Escrudriñemos nuestros caminos, y busquemos, y volvámonos a Jehová;
[Let us examine our ways, and let us search, and let us return to Jehovah;]

Amen.

Learning Tongues: Spanish, German and Chinese

2009-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Spanish phrase: using the words me (may) = "me, myself" and gustar (goo-star) = "to like".

Me gusta aprender idiomas diferentes. "I like to learn different languages." This phrase can be used with food or a multitude of other preferences.

Since March of this year (2009), I have been studying Spanish vehemently, grappling it around the neck and trying to pin it to the ground in victory.

I thank God for this answer to my prayers, and I now speak it often on the streets when witnessing to Latin Americans. They are usually surprised and happy to talk.

The other languages I've begun looking into more are Mandarin Chinese and German. Both are difficult to begin, but now that I have gained a grip on Spanish, neither seem nearly as intimidating. In fact, I am already eager to step out on the mat and start struggling again.

This tuesday I offered a Chinese gospel tract to the manager at a Chinese restaurant, saying, "Nee-how-ma?" (How are you?). Then I told him the tract was "Howshee-owshee" (Good news). Seems it's time I learn more Chinese.

As for German, my grandmother speaks Pennsylvania German (popularly known as "Pennsylvania Dutch"), and I am learning the proper Germany German. It may be of help to me in order to communicate much better with the "Dutchy" (German speaking) people here in Lancaster. We shall see.

Auf wiedersehen (Owf-vee-da-zayn) = Good bye.

Listening Practice in Both Spanish and English

2009-05-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Listen to this sermon in both languages for an excellent resource to practice listening.

Spanish Podcasts, Hindi, Chinese and other tongues

2009-05-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

As my search for free language learning resources continues, I've found a number of helpful podcasts.

Here is a list of podcasts in Spanish that offer free listening on some of their programs, while the course materials are usually for sale. These are great for some quick help.

I also found an excellent podcast for learning Hindi here at ISpeakHindi.com.

I learned from there how to say Hello = Namaste, and how to say Nice to meet you = Ap se mil ke ach cha-laga.

I also found some chinese podcasts that I need to check into some more.

One thing I learned is that Chinese is a lot different from our language, because words and meanings depend heavily on the tone (like a musical note) of the word being pronounced.

Very interesting! :D

Course It's Free! Audio for Lesson 5

2009-05-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

This is lesson 5 in the beginning series of written and audio lessons that I developed for the purpose of learning and helping my friends learn.

Click on the lessons at the top of the sidebar menu to go to the beginning and start there if you missed any other lessons.

Now, here is the written part of Lesson 5: Poder y Estar

Right click here to download this audio.

Course It's Free! Audio for Lesson 4

2009-05-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Use the sidebar links to go directly to each lesson starting from the beginning.

Here is the transcript for Lesson 4: Ser y Saber

Right click to download the Audio for Lesson 4: Ser y Saber.

Course It's Free! Audio for Lesson 3

2009-05-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Scroll down to read and listen to the beginning lessons. These lessons are basic, totally FREE for all and easy to follow. Just read over the transcript, then listen to the audio and practice. Let me know if any of these have helped. Thanks!

Read the lesson here: Lesson 3: Hablar y Decir

Right click here to download this audio: Lesson 3 audio

Course It's Free! Audio for Lesson 2

2009-05-13T03:38:00.000-07:00

Listen along FREE and learn now to speak Spanish. I'm not a professional or a native Spanish speaker, but these lessons are helping me learn, so why not join me for free.

Read the Lesson here: Lesson 2: Vivir y Tener

Right click to download this audio FREE: Lesson 2 Audio

Powered by Podbean.com

Course It's Free! Audio for Lesson 1

2009-05-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Use these free audio lessons along with the corresponding written lessons, in order to practice speaking Spanish now!

Lesson 1: Pronouns and the verbs Querer y Ir

Introduction:

Right Click to download Audio Introduction

Lesson 1: Pronouns

Right click to download Lesson 1: Pronouns

Lesson 1: Querer y Ir

Right Click to download Lesson 1: Querer y Ir

Course It's Free! - Free Basic Spanish Lessons 3

2009-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Below is lesson 3: Hablar y Decir (you can print it by clicking the link at the bottom of this post).

As I continue to search for websites that offer real help in learning to speak the Spanish language for free, my satisfaction level decreases. I'm not saying there are no helpful resources on the internet for learning Spanish free of charge, I'm sure there are some great ones. However, I have not found many. I do know of one that comes from Spain by a young married couple at (Notes in Spanish), which offers a pretty good resource, although I have visited only occasionally. (I just redescovered another great site that I had forgotten about, even though a friend had shown it to me before: 123 Teach Me -Free Spanish Lessons!)

So, here I've been making my own lessons... and you know what I have discovered? I learn much faster when I make up my own course!! I didn't know how this would work out when I started it, but it has helped me a great deal in the last week and a half. So here is my third lesson. Free for all!

(And note: My lessons probably contain a lot of mistakes I don't know about. I would appreciate being informed if any are discovered. And all my blogs and writing always center around God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His Word the Bible, so my lessons contain this naturally as well). Enjoy!

Lección 3: hablar y decir

Lesson 3: to speak and to say

1. Conjugating hablar: to speak

(yo) hablo = I speak, (tú) hablas = you speak, (él/ella/usted) habla = (he/she/you formal) speaks, (nosotros/-as) hablamos = we speak, (ellos/ellas/ustedes) hablan = they speak and you all (ustedes) speak.

Por ejemplo: Hablo inglés. I speak English. Hablas muy bien. You speak very well. Hablan de muchas cosas allí. They speak of many things there. Hablamos español también. We speak Spanish too. Hablas demasiado rápido. You speak too fast. Hablo despacio. I speak slowly. Juan habla despacio, pero María habla muy rápido. John speaks slowly, but Maria speaks very fast. Hablan demasiado. They speak too much. ¿Ustedes hablan inglés? Do you (plural) speak English? Queremos hablar con ustedes. We want to speak with you (plural).

2. Conjugar decir: to say or to tell

(yo) digo = I say, (tú) dices = you say, (él/ella/usted) dice = (he/she/you formal) say, (nosotros/-as) decimos = we say, (ellos/ellas/ustedes) dicen = they say and you all (ustedes) say.

Por ejemplo: Digo que hay tiempo suficiente. I say there’s enough time. ¿Qué dicen? What do they say? Decimos la misma cosa. We say the same thing. Dice que podemos ir en una hora. He says that we can go in an hour. Julia dice que cree que no. Julia says that she doesn't think so. ¿Qué dices tú? What do you say? ¡No digo eso! I don't say that! "De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de nuevo, no puede ver el reino de Dios." (Juan 3:3). "Certainly, certainly I say to you, that he that is not born again cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3).

Frases importantes notar, important phrases to note:

¿Cómo se dice? = How do you say?

¿Qué quiere decir? = What does it mean?

Se dice así... You say it like this...

Por ejemplo: ¿Cómo se dice eso en inglés? How do you say that in English? ¿Qué quiere decir pollo en inglés? What does pollo mean in English? Se dice chicken en inglés. You say Chicken in English.

Pruebín: (Some questions may require the use of a Spanish-English dictionary or words contained on the flash cards)

1. What is the word for to speak?

2. What is the word for to say?

3. How would you ask, What does that mean?

4. Ask el señor (formal) to speak more slowly, please.

5. What is the word for we speak?

6. What is the word for we say?

7. Say to your friend, You speak English very well.

8. How do you say in Spanish, it says.?

9. What is the word for they speak?

10. What is the word for I say?

*Bonus: Using today's lesson and last weeks, make up 3 more sentences.

La tarea para lección 3:

1. Quote the Bible verse learned from last week.

2. Memorize another Bible verse and quote it smoothly without looking.

Click Here to Print these Lessons Free:

~ Lesson 1: Pronombres, Querer y Ir

~ Lesson 2: Vivir y Tener

~ Lesson 3: Hablar y Decir

Course It's Free! Free Basic Spanish Lessons 2

2009-05-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the FREE basic Spanish course, we are on lesson 2. (If you are following any of the lessons, then I want to remind you to practice often, go over the material often, and practice pronouncing lots of Spanish words).

Lección 2: vivir y tener

Lesson 2: to live and to have

1. Conjugating vivir: to live

(yo) vivo = I live, (tú) vives = you live, (él/ella/usted) vive = (he/she/you formal) live, (nosotros/-as) vivimos = we live, (ellos/ellas/ustedes) viven = they live (and you all live).

Por ejemplo: Yo vivo en Pennsylvania. I live in Pennsylvania. Tú vives en los estados unidos. You live in the United States. Juan y María viven en esa casa. John and Mary live in that house. Viven en esa casa. They live in that house. Vivimos lejos de aquí. We live far from here. ¿Donde vive usted? Where do you (formal) live? ¿Donde vive ella? Where does she live? ¿Donde vive Marcos? Where does Marcos live? Ustedes viven en una casa grande. You (plural) live in a big house.

2. Conjugating tener: to have

(yo) tengo = I have, (tú) tienes = you have, (él/ella/usted) tiene = (he/she/you formal) have, (nosotros/-as) tenemos = we have, (ellos/ellas/ustedes) tienen = they have (and you all have).

Por ejemplo: Tengo la llave. I have the key. ¿Tienes sed? Are you thirsty? (Lit. Do you have thirst?). Tienen mucho dinero. They have a lot of money. Tenemos suficiente. We have enough. Tengo que irme. I have to go. Elena tiene las cosas. Elena has the things. ¿Tienen hambre? Are you (plural) hungry? Tengo algo. I have something. ¿Tienes suficiente? Do you have enough? Tim tiene un carro. Tim has a car. Tienen cien pesos ahora. They have a hundred pesos now. Vamos a tener que ir (irnos). We are going to have to go (to leave).

Pruebín, Quiz: (Some questions may require the use of a Spanish-English dictionary or words contained on the flash cards)

1. What is the word for to live?

2. What is the word for to have?

3. How do you say, She has.?

4. Tell el señor where you live.

5. Ask la señorita (formal) where she lives.

6. Tell la señorita that We have enough, thank you.

7. Say to el señor that you have fifteen pesos.

8. Tell your friend that María is hungry.

9. How do you say, They live far from here.?

10. How would you say, We are going to have water.?

*Bonus: Using today's lesson and last weeks, make up 3 more sentences.

La tarea:
Homework:
1. Quote the Bible verse learned from last week.
2. Memorize another Bible verse and quote it smoothly in a natural voice.

You can print this lesson and Lesson 1 for free by clicking here:

~ Lesson 1: Pronombres, Querer y Ir

~ Lesson 2: Vivir y Tener

Course It's Free! - free basic lessons in Spanish 1

2009-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

[These lessons can be printed by clicking the links at the end of each]

If like me, you try to learn everything from the internet, and you have searched for easy-to-understand Spanish lessons, but have had trouble finding something good that doesn't try to get you to sign your checking account away, then maybe this post and some that follow can help you.

The following are lessons I wrote to help my brother and my pastor learn the basics of Spanish. I struggled for a long time with these basic concepts, until the past couple of months. In an effort to make things more understandable and to get them to stick, I have written these lessons.

They are FREE for the taking. Comment if you have any questions or corrections to my mistakes, and I may be able to help or point you to more resources. Thanks.

(These lessons assume that the reader knows how to pronounce basic Spanish, if not, I recommend clicking here, or searching for some audio that can help).

Lección 1: pronombres personales y conjugando verbos

Lesson 1: personal pronouns and conjugating verbs

1. Personal Pronouns in Spanish, Pronombres Personales en español:

Spanish verbs are conjugated, or formed, according to the corresponding personal pronoun used with that word. (personal pronouns are words like me, I, you, them, us, him, her etc.).

For example, the word querer means to want, but when it is used in the phrase I want, it becomes yo quiero. When it is used with the pronoun him, as in he wants, it becomes el quiere. This is called conjugating the verb, when it changes according to its subject.

Because Spanish verbs are conjugated this way, it is not always necessary to include the personal pronoun of the subject in sentences. It is already implied by the way the verb is conjugated.

For example: the phrase I want to go with you, in Spanish = Quiero ir contigo. The Spanish word for the first person pronown I = yo. Notice that the personal pronoun yo was left out of the sentence, since it was already implied in the verb form quiero (I want).

Another example is the question Are you ready?, which becomes ¿Estás listo? The pronoun Tú, which means you in a familiar sense, has been left out of this sentence. Instead, it has been implied with the verb form Estás (You are). If the pronoun were included to add emphasis, the sentence would then say, ¿Tú estás listo? (Are YOU ready?).

This concept will become clearer shortly, as we learn how to conjugate Spanish verbs according to their corresponding pronouns.

The personal pronouns in Spanish are:
yo = me or I; tú = you (informal with familiarity); él, ella, usted = he, her, you (formal); nosotros, nosotras = us or we (masculine & feminine); ellos, ellas, ustedes = them (masculine), them (feminine), you (plural & formal).

Nota, : (There is also the pronoun vosotros, which means you in a non-formal plural sense, but it is not commonly used in most of Latin America (except for Argentina). It is, however, still used in some parts of the world and in the Bible. We will concentrate in these lessons on learning the most common plural form of you, which is ustedes.)

2. Conjugating the verb querer: to want

(yo) quiero = I want; (tú) quieres = you want; (él/ella/usted) quiere = (he/she/you formal) want; (nosotros/-as) queremos = we want; (ellos/ellas/ustedes) quieren = they want (and you all want).

Por ejemplo: Quiero ir con ellos. I want to go with them. ¿Dónde quieres ir? Where do you want to go? Él quiere ir al parque. He wants to go to the park. Quieren ir. They want to go. Queremos comer. We want to eat. Quieren ir ahora. They want to go now. María quiere ir al supermercado. Maria wants to go to the supermarket. Quiero un café, por favor. I want a coffee, please.

3. Conjugating the verb ir: to go

(yo) voy = I go; (tú) vas = you go; (él/ella/usted) va = (he/she/you formal) go; (nosotros/-as) vamos = we go; (ellos/ellas/ustedes) van = they go (and you all go).

Por ejemplo: ¿Adónde van? Where are they going? Vamos a la casa de Juan. We are going to John's house. ¿Adónde va ella? Where is she going? Va con nosotros. She is going with us. Voy aquí, vas allí. I'm going here, you're going there. Voy al supermercado. I'm going to the supermarket. ¡Vamos! Let's go! Vamos a tener que irnos. We are going to have to leave. (In this sentence, the word ir combines with the pronoun to make irnos. For voy its irme, for vas its irte, for va its irse, for vamos its irnos and for van its irse.)

Quiz: (Note: Some questions may require the use of a Spanish-English dictionary or words contained on the flash cards)

1. What is the Spanish word for me or I?

2. What are the various words for other people, personal pronouns?

3. What is the verb form for I want?

4. What are the words for to want and to go?

5. Ask your friend if he wants a water (Hint: a single water is often used with the masculine form un. This is an exception to the rule of using the feminine form una with feminine words).

6. Say I want to go to the supermarket.

7. Say We are going to the supermarket.

8. Say They want to go there.

9. Ask your friend (singular, familiar pronoun) where she is going?

10. Conjugate both verbs for to want and to go?

*Bonus: Read a verse from the Spanish Bible and pronounce every word accurately (use a pronunciation guide if necessary).

Homework:
1. Memorize one verse from the Spanish Bible and quote it out loud in a natural voice.

[Check out these FREE basic lessons on how to pronounce Spanish available at StudySpanish.com. Use the left sidebar to find the sections on the site.]

PRINT HERE:

~ Lesson 1: Pronouns, Querer y Ir

Learning Spanish: Practice Phrases (Preguntas)

2009-04-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

So I made these small flash cards that have been helping me learn and helping my friends learn to speak Spanish. This one contains some various phrases in the form of questions (preguntas) for practicing Spanish. One side is all Spanish and the other is all English.

Varios preguntas para practicar español:
1.Hola! ¿en qué puedo ayudarte? 2.¿Qué quieres comer?(pl.=quieren) 3.¿Tienes sed? 4.¿Tienes hambre?(pl.=tienen) 5.¿Quieres algo más? 6.¿Dónde está el baño? 7.¿Dónde quieres ir? 8.¿Cómo se llama? 9.¿Puedo tener tu numero y dirección de email? 10.¿Puedes escribirlo, por favor? 11.¿Cuándo te vas?(pl.=se van) 12.¿Cuándo debemos reunirnos? 13.¿Donde estarás? 14.¿Cómo puedo llegar allí? 15.¿Quieres hablar ahora o más tarde? 16.¿Tienes tiempo? 17.¿Dónde quieres ir después de cenar? 18¿Estás lista ahora? 19.¿Por qué no? 20.¿Cuánto tiempo tenemos? 21.¿No sabes? 22.¿Quieres saber? 23.¿Por qué no vienes conmigo? 24.¿Puede usted ayudarme? 25.¿Y por qué miras la paja que está en el ojo de tu hermano, y no miras la viga que está en tu propio ojo?

Various questions for to practice Spanish:
1.Hi! How can I help you? 2.What would you like to eat? 3.Are you thirsty? 4.Are you hungry? 5.Do you want anything else? 6.Where is the bathroom? 7.Where do you want to go? 8.What’s your name? 9.Can I have your number and email address? 10.Could you write it please? 11.When are you leaving? 12.When should we meet? 13.Where will you be? 14.How can I get there? 15.Do you want to talk now or later? 16.Do you have time? 17.Where do you want to go after dinner? 18.Are you ready now? 19.Why not? 20.How much time do we have? 21.Don’t you know? 22.Do you want to know? 23.Why don’t you come with me? 24.Can you help me? 25.And why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, and you don’t see the log that is in your own eye?

Along with these questions I made another flash card which helps with pronunciations.

Pronunciación = Pro-noon-syah-see-OWN:
uno = OO-no. cinco = sinko. cuatro = KWAH-tro. que = kay. quiere = KYAY’dday. hombre = OM-bray. minutos = mee-NOO-tos. estará = ess-tah’dd’AH. está = ess-TAH. practicar = prahk-tee-CAR. a = ah. puedo = PWAY-do. panadería = pah-nah-day-REE-ah. vivir = vee-veer. baño = bahn-nyo. usted = oostED. ustedes = oos-TED-ess. número = NOO-may-ro. tienes = tyay-nays. escribir = escree-beer. cuándo = kWAHndo. yo = jyo. llegar = jyay-gar. llama = jYAH-mah. ojo = OH-ho. tenemos = tay-NAY-mos. ahora = ah-O-rah. hermana = air-MAH-nah. ayudarme = ah-jyoo-DAR-may. comer = co-MAYR. dirección = dee-rek-see-OWN. quiero = kYAY-ddo. quieren = kyay’dden. más = mAHs. mira = mEE-’ddah. contiene = kon-TYAY-nay. gente = hentay. debemos = day-BAY-mos. justo = HOO-sto. hacer = ah-SER. azucar = ah-soo-CAR. guerra = geh-’dddah. cena = SAY-nah. allí = ah-jYEE. hay = I. te = tay.

Learning Spanish: Pronouncing the Alphabet and Numbers

2009-04-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

In an effort to help my companions and myself learn the Spanish tongue, I have been working on putting together flash cards with a lot of information on a small piece of paper for learning basic Spanish. Despite any mistakes that may be present, they have thus far been a real help in practicing Spanish.

I am publishing some here for anyone who may find this information useful. We begin with learning to pronounce the alphabet:

A = ah; B = b; C = s (e,i) or k; D = d, E = ay or eh, F = f; G = g or h (e,i); H = (always silent); I = ee; J = H; K = k; L = L; Ll = y (as in yet, but with a j sound); M = m; N = n; Ñ = ny (as in canyon); O = O (as in so); P = p; Q = k; R = ‘dd (as in padded); Rr = (rolling trill sound with the tongue); S = s; T = t; U = oo; V = v or b; W = w; X = ks or h; Y = ee (by itself) or j; Z = s.

Números:
1 Uno, 2 Dos, 3 Tres, 4 Cuatro, 5 Cinco; 6 Seis, 7 Siete, 8 Ocho, 9 Nueve, 10 Diez, 11 Once, 12 Doce, 13 Trece, 14 Catorce, 15 Quince, 16 Dieciseis, 17 Diecisiete, 18 Dieciocho, 19 Diecinueve, 20 Veinte, 21 Veintiuno, 30 Treinta, 31 Treinta y uno, 40 Cuarenta, 50 Cincuenta, 60 Sesenta, 70 Setenta, 80 Ochenta, 90 Noventa, 100 Cien, 1001 Ciento uno, 200 Doscientos, 500 Quinientos, 700 Setecientos, 1000 Mil, etc. (Seis = sayss; Siete = syet-ay; Nueve = nway-vay; Veinte = vayn-tay; Treinta y uno = traynt-I-uno;

Twi: A New Tongue to Me

2009-04-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

Twi is the difficult-to-pronounce name of the language spoken in Ghana, West Africa. The English word for this language is Akan. I had my first lesson in Akan yesterday after church while talking to my friend Romeo.

I asked him how to say a greeting in his language, so he taught me to say "Atesei" (ah-tes-ay), which means "Hi, how are you all." The response is then "Eye" (ay-yay), which means "fine" or "we are doing good."

Twi is pronounced in a way I have never heard before. It sounds something like Tschee, although no American sound can parallel it, which is why English speakers are told to say "Akan" instead.

Rescatado de una Herencia Vano

2009-04-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

This post was originally written on my blog All of Grace. I decided to try to translate it into Spanish.

15/04/09
Rescatado de una Herencia Vano

"Y si invocáis por Padre a aquel que sin acepción de personas juzga según la obra de cada uno, conducíos en temor todo el tiempo de vuestra peregrinación; sabiendo que fuisteis rescatados de vuestra vana manera de vivir, la cual recibisteis de vuestros padres,..." (1 Pedro 1:17-18 RVR60).

En este pasaje apreciado, el Apóstol Pedro nos dice que si consideremos Dios ser nuestro Padre mediante Su Hijo Jesus y por Su Espíritu Santo, entonces estamos llamados a vivir una vida santo y conducirse nosotros mismos con mucho temor (en Griego la palabra es phobos). El uso de la palabra para temor, contiene en su contexto Biblico los sentidos de reverencia, honra y respeto también (1 Pedro 2:17; 3:2).

Estamos llamados a haber un profundo, reverencial y sano temor del Dios quien nos ha compró desde nuestros vana y vacío maneras, la cual heredamos naturalmente de nuestros antepasados. Las maneras de esclavitud de vidas vivida apartada de Dios.

"no con cosas corruptibles, como oro o plata, sino con la sangre preciosa de Cristo, como de un cordero sin mancha y sin contaminación," (1 Pedro 1:19).

El precio fue de valor. No sólo un precio alto (el altísimo), pero de más valor que cualquiera otra cosa. No porque somos digno en ningún manera, pero porque la santidad y justicia de Dios es digno y debe ser vindicativo (Romanos 3:25,26). ¡Nosotros fuimos comprado, redimido, rescatado del pecado, del muerte y del infierno con la preciosa sangre (la vida) de Cristo Jesús, el eterno Hijo de Dios!

Dios compró personas desde la vacuidad de una vida pecaminosa y vana, desde los tormentos eternos de un infierno merecido, y desde el juicio de Su propio justicia por la preciosa sangre de Jesucristo. Esta es una razon, una razon real, para vivir una vida apartada para Dios. No siendo conformados a este siglo o a este mundo, sino siendo transformados por medio de la renovación de nuestros entendimientos, para que comprobemos cuál sea la buena voluntad de Dios, agradable y perfecta. (Romanos 12:1,2).

"ya destinado desde antes de la fundación del mundo, pero manifestado en los postreros tiempos por amor de vosotros, y mediante el cual creéis en Dios, quien le resucitó de los muertos y le ha dado gloria, para que vuestra fe y esperanza sean en Dios." (1 Pedro 1:20-21).

La salvación, la redención está todo hallado en Cristo. Note que aun nuestro fe en Dios llega por medio de la resurreción y gloria de Su Hijo. Toda gloria, honra y gracias sea a nuestro Señor! Amen.

Estimado amigo, si no usted redimida verdaderamente desde una vacía vida de pecado, entonces su eternidad será pasado padeciendo el precio para aquello pecado. El infierno es real, y tan es el amor de Dios que entregaría Su Hijo para comprar pecadores desde tal terrible cosas. No espera otro día, pero vaya al Señor Jesús en oración inmediatamente y busque para ser hallado habiendo una fe y esperanza que es en Dios mediante Él, y también una vida santo para probarlo.

Ningún de sus pecados serían contado contra ti si Cristo pagarlos y usted confía en Él. Su vida sería una que es rescatado desde la vanidad para siempre para sirvir y honrar el Dios quien puede llamar "Padre." Sea seguro que esto es su caso y no el primero.

Gracia y paz sea con todos los que aman nuestro Señor con amor inalterable. (Efesios 6:24).

Spanish Learning Resources Online

2009-04-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

I found some new websites that are helpful for studying Spanish:

1. The Free Dictionary by Farlex has word definitions in many languages.

2. Study Spanish .Com has a lot of simple basic lessons for free. The site is very well organized and the audio and reading material is simple and easy to grasp.

3. Conjugation.com has become one of my best aids in learning Spanish verbs (this site is like water to a parched land when it comes to figuring out Spanish verb conjugations!).

One of the best experiences I have had so far in learning Spanish, has been visiting Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. There, it was so much more fun and easy to learn, because everybody spoke Español. I can't wait to go back.

Listening to Spanish sermons from the DR

2009-04-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

I enjoy learning Spanish more and more as I am able to use it. One way that learning Spanish has helped me personally is that I am able to listen to these amazing sermons preached in Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana. This message was exactly what I needed to hear today, and anyone who can must listen to it! Este mensaje era exactamente lo que necesité oír hoy, y cualesquiera que puede, debe escucharlo! (By the way, I was at this church a week ago and met many wonderful Christians there. I praise God for these people!)

La necesidad de someterse a Cristo sin reservas, por Alberich Pujols a la IBSJ.

Help Needed: Translating English to Spanish 4 (Last Post)

2009-03-16T17:48:00.001-07:00

Click here for the entire series of paragraphs, and here for details about helping out. Gracias!

La Biblia también advierte que mucha gente escucharán a esto mensaje, y aparecerán creerlo, pero ellos serán perdido por siempre en el infierno porque de sus desobediencia continuo y corazón sin cambio. No esté uno de aquellos, sino examínense para ver si están verdaderamente uno de Su ovejas. La carta de 1 Juan fue escrita a fin de ayudarnos prueba la autenticidad de nuestra fe, y para tuviéramos certidumbre de nuestro salvación. Debes leerlo para que saber.

Amigo mío, no otra mensaje de buenas noticias ha sido tan odiado alrededor el mundo, y aún, no otra mensaje hacía tan muchas caída a las rodillas llanto sobre de sus propio dureza de corazón en arrepentimiento. ¿Quieres vendrás a Jesús y buscarás a Él para vida eterna? No esperas ningún otra día sin sabiendo si estás perdonado, sino vas a Jesúcristo hoy en oración y busque para conocerlo por leyendo todo lo que dijo en su Palabra, la Biblia. Él es capable ambos para perdonar a ti tus pecados y dar usted Suyos Espíritu Santo para causar usted ser cambiado y vivir una vida nueva. Él vendrá de nuevo, y lo ha preguntado, "Pero cuando venga el Hijo del Hombre, ¿hallará fe en la tierra?" (Lucas 18:8). ¿Lo hallará en usted? - por Penn Tomassetti

Here is the original English:

The Bible also warns that many people will hear this message, and appear to believe, but will be lost forever in hell because of their continuing disobedience and unchanged heart. Don't be one of those, but examine yourself to see if you are truly one of His sheep. The letter of 1 John was written to help us test the genuineness of our own faith, and to have the assurance of salvation. You need to read it and know for yourself.

My friend, no other message of good news has been so hated all over the world, and yet, no other message has made so many fall on their knees crying over their own hardness of heart in repentance. Will you turn to Jesus and seek Him for eternal life? Don't wait another day not knowing if you are forgiven, but go to Jesus Christ today in prayer and seek to know Him by reading all that He has said in His Word, the Bible. He is able to both forgive your sins and give you His Holy Spirit to cause you to be changed and live a new life. He is coming again, and He has asked, “Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Will He find it in you? - by Penn Tomassetti

Help Needed: Translating English to Spanish 3

2009-03-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

I need the wise counsel and advice of anyone who speaks both Spanish and English. This is the third post with my translation of a gospel tract I wrote, which I want to make easily readable in Spanish also. Since I only know a little Spanish, my translation needs to be corrected, and so I'm looking for help with that. Please see here for details. Gracias (Thanks).

Por supuesto, a nadie le gusto oír tales malas noticias acerca de sí mismos, especialmente cuando tenemos habemos bastante de dificultades de vida sin conocer tales cosas. Sin embargo, si alguno se apreciará la gran y sincero amor de Dios, primero deben comprender la realidad del pecado y el juicio. Todos han pecado como resultado de la desobediencia del primero hombre (incluido usted que lea este), por tanto todos han caído bajo el justo condenación de un Dios Santo por dejándose la verdad de Él para falsedad. Por lo tanto, sabiendo esto malas noticias acerca nosotros mismos lleva a nosotros a la buenas noticias de la gracia de Dios en Cristo. Pero de conocer a Dios, debemos primero sabemos nuestro necesidad apremiante de Él. Sin la ayuda de Dios, somos desesperadamente dirigirse hacia nuestros propios camino a destrucción. Pero las buenas noticias es que Dios es mucho gusto a paso en Su propio creación en el más asombroso manera y revelar Sí mismo a ellos quien arrepenten con sinceridad (volver la cara del pecado y de sí mismo, y volver hacia Dios), y creen (confiar, depender de) Su Hijo Jesucristo.

Of course, nobody likes to hear such bad news about themselves, especially when we have had enough of life's troubles without knowing such things. However, if anyone is going to appreciate the grand and heart piercing love of God, they must first understand the reality of sin and judgment. Everyone has sinned as a result of the first man's disobedience (that includes you reading this), therefore all have fallen under the just condemnation of a Holy God for turning away from His truth to falsehood. Knowing this bad news about ourselves leads us to the good news of God's grace in Christ. But in order to know God, we must first know our desperate need of Him. Without God's help, we are hopelessly headed down our own path to destruction. But the good news is that God is pleased to step into His own creation in the most amazing way and reveal Himself to those who genuinely repent (turn away from sin and self toward God) and believe (trust, rely on) His Son Jesus Christ.

Esto es las buenas noticias del evangelio, que Dios se reveló Sí mismo en la tierra por medio de un hombre, en Su Hijo Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Con el fin de demostrar su amor para aquellos quien odiado a Él, Jesús fue despiadadamente traicionó, se acusada falsamente, y se mató en una cruz por la maldad de los hombres injustos. Jesús también testificado al que Él llegó a morir voluntariamente, en obediencia a su Padre. Esto fue al fin que tomar todos los pecados de Su gente sobre Sí mismo. La Escritura dice: "Al que no conoció pecado, por nosotros lo hizo pecado, para que nosotros fuésemos hechos justicia de Dios en él." (2 Corintios 5:21). Eso significa que Dios el Padre dio Su propio amado Hijo para ser matado en la cruz para una maldición para el pecado de Su gente. Él resucitó de los muertos después tres días exactamente como lo dijo haría, de esta manera lo confirmó que Él es fiel, como el Hijo de Dios, para salvar todos aquellos quien vienen a Él sólo por medio de la fe en su sangre. Esto fue así que aquellos quien sólo confian en Dios por medio de Jesucristo para obtener vida eterna no son declararán culpable, sino son dado gratuitamente un justicia perfecto y una posición derecha con Dios el Padre. Esto es por gracia por medio de la fe. ¡Cuán gran amor! ¡Que Jesucristo vino en al mundo a salvar a los pecadores (1 Timoteo 1:15)! Así bien, nosotros sólo conocer a Dios por medio de Jesucristo Su Hijo (2 Corintios 4:6; 1 Juan 5:11-12).

This is the good news of the gospel, that God revealed Himself on earth in a Man, in His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. To prove His love for those who hated Him, Jesus was ruthlessly betrayed, falsely accused and murdered on a cross because of the wickedness of self-righteous men. Jesus also testified that He came to die willingly, in obedience to His Father. This was in order to take the sins of all His people upon Himself. Scripture says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we would become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). That means that God the Father gave His own beloved Son to be killed on a cross as a curse for the sin of His own people. He rose from the dead after three days exactly as He said He would, confirming that He is faithful, as the Son of God, to save all who come to Him through faith alone in His blood. This was so that those who trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life would not be counted guilty, but would be freely granted a perfect righteousness and good standing before God the Father by grace through faith. What love! That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15)! So, we only know God through Jesus Christ His Son (2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 John 5:11-12).

Help Needed: My Translation from English to Spanish

2009-02-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Continuing my translation of the gospel tract: "The Bible Answers Our Need to Know God" into Spanish. Any help from native Latin American speakers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Here it is first in English, then in my rough Spanish draft [I have now added corrections in brackets as they are needed]:

How to know God?

The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This means that the perfect standard God has set for righteousness has been broken by every human being living on earth. It means that sin is evil and deserves punishment in such a degree as it relates to the character and nature of God Himself. Sin is not only the outward acts people perform, such as adultery, murder, theft, lying, abuse, greed, pride, gossip, sexual perversion, coveting and things like these. Those things are the outward manifestations of an inward rebellion against righteousness, even against God Himself. The Bible speaks of God as totally holy, righteous, good, merciful, gracious and pure. The reason many are so quick to assume that “no good God could allow so much evil in the world,” can only be because our standard of right and wrong does not match His. This is why so many falsely accuse God of wrong, because they do not believe He measures up to their own standard. The problem is not that God looks unjust to man, but that man is unjust before a perfectly just and holy God. Man is on trial, not God, and so we are accountable to God, not only for every deed, but for every word and thought as well. Therefore all mankind are said to be totally corrupt in their heart from birth (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-12). This is our sinful state apart from God.

We read in Romans chapter one: “For the wrath of God is uncovered from heaven against all the ungodliness and injustice of people who hold back the truth by their wrong doing. Because that which is well-known about God is clear to them, since God has shown it to them. For the invisible things of God and His eternal power and Godhood are already understood. They have been fully seen by the works done in the creation of the world, so that they have no excuse. For although they knew God, they did not think of His glory and praise or give Him thanks, but they became thoughtless and dark in their stupid heart. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:18-22). They exchanged God for a lie.

Cómo Conocer a Dios

La Biblia enseña a que toda gente han pecado y quedarse corto [está fuera destituida] de la gloria de Dios (Romanos 3:23). Esto significa que la estandar perfecto [de rectitude] que Dios ha puso para justicia [establecido,] ha sido quebrado por cada persona [quebrantado por cada ser humano] que vive en la tierra. Significa que el pecado es malo y es digno de castigo al grado de tal manera que afecta al carácter y a la naturaleza de Dios mismo. El pecado es no solamente hechos externos, de tal como adulterio, matar, robar, mentiroso, abuso, avaricia, orgullo, chismoso, perversión sexual, codicia y cosas como este. Estas cosas son el manifestación externo del rebelión interno contra justicia, aun contra Dios mismo. La Biblia habla de Dios como totalmente santo, justo, bueno, misericordioso, puro y llena de la gracia. El razón muchos son tan rapído asumir que "Ningún Dios bueno puede permite tan mucha maldad en la tierra," puede solamente estar porque nuestro estándar de derecho y mal no está de acuerdo con Suyo. Esto es por qué tan muchas acusan a Dios falsamente con maldad, porque ellos no creo que Él está de acuerdo con sus estándar. La problema no es que Dios parece injusto al hombres, sino que hombres son injusto delante de un Dios perfecto y justo. El hombre está ser sometido a juicio, no Dios, y así que somos responsables, no sólo para cada acto, sino para cada palabra y pensamos también. Por tanto toda de humanidad son dicho ser corrumpido totalmente en el corazón desde nacimiento (Génesis 6:5; Salmo 51:5; Romanos 3:10-12). Esto es nuestro estado pecaminoso aparte de Dios.

Leemos en Romanos capítulo uno: "Porque la ira de Dios se revela desde el cielo contra toda impiedad e injusticia de los hombres que detienen con injusticia la verdad; porque lo que de Dios se conoce les es manifiesto, pues Dios se lo manifestó. Porque las cosas invisibles de él, su eterno poder y deidad, se hacen claramente visibles desde la creación del mundo, siendo entendidas por medio de las cosas hechas, de modo que no tienen excusa. Pues habiendo conocido a Dios, no le glorificaron como a Dios, ni le dieron gracias, sino que se envanecieron en sus razonamientos, y su necio corazón fue entenebrecido. Profesando ser sabios, se hicieron necios" (Romanos 1:18-22). Ellos cambiaron a Dios para una mentira.

Still Learning to Speak in Tongues: And I Need Help!

2009-02-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

I stopped translating from the New Birth Evangelism Tract for a while, and started something a little more difficult. I have been learning the Spanish tongue in particular, and while I am still always interested in learning new words from any and every tongue I come into contact with, Spanish is my main focus. It has really been an extraordinary help to learn it by reading from the Spanish Bible everyday. However, it is a foreign language to me, and I am still very unfamiliar with all that is important.

My new endeavor has been to translate an evangelistic tract I wrote from English to Spanish. This is my more difficult project, and I am in much need of help from those who are native Spanish speakers. I will post my first paragraph here, and look for whatever help may be provided. Much of the work I have done so far has been by using a Spanish to Engligh dictionary, online free translation websites and whatever else I have learned from study and practice. I expect there to be errors in wording, sentences making sense, choice of words, etc. That is why help will be necessary if I am to complete this project before the end of March. Gracias.

Here it is first in English, then in my Spanish translation:

Bible Answers Our Need to Know God

First, we can consider that the Bible is like no other book in history. Consumed with putting God in the spotlight, filled with words directly given by Him to prophets, intricately woven literature written by over 40 men during a period of 1500 years and all containing one unified message and theme from the first book to the last, the Bible is unique without a doubt. No other book contains so much history of sin and evil, bloodshed and suffering, the good laws of God and mankind's rejection of Him, as well as the love of God shown in the most amazing way. Not only does it contain numerous details concerning the nation of Israel, but it also contains the promises and purposes of God for every nation and group of people on the earth. The Bible is a book about God. It shows His miraculous glory in creation, and also in redemption when He will create all things new. It shows His goodness and holiness contrasted with sin and evil. It shows His mercy and grace, as well as His righteousness in judgment. The Bible is not like any other religious book, and no other religious book has been so loved and hated, so well read and burned, so prized and ignored by so many people of all ages, languages, races and classes.

The Bible contains amazing detailed information about many aspects of our world and life, but they all point in one direction – the only God, as He is revealed in a tri-unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It testifies that God created everything for His own pleasure. He made man in His own image, to reflect His own character and nature. But the first man and woman turned away from God. There has since been a struggle to be brought back to knowing Him again. The Bible uses the word “reconciliation” to describe this. Just as marriage, children, friends and enemies are the greatest human relationships we know, even so, God's relationship to His own people is described in those terms. God is the Father, and His people, like a separated spouse or a lost child, need to be reconciled back to Him so that they will no longer be enemies, but friends and at peace with one another.

La Biblia Contesta Nuestra Necesidad de Conocer a Dios

Primero, consideramos que la Biblia es como ningún otro libro en historia. Consumida a puso Dios en el foco, llenó de palabras dadas directamente por Él a profetas, literatura tejida con complejidad por más de 40 hombres, durante un período de 1500 años, y todos conteniendo uno mensaje unificado y tema, del primero libro al último. La Biblia está unico sin duda. Ningún otro libro contiene tan mucho historia de pecado y maldad, de matanza y sufrimiento, las buenas leyes de Dios, y el rechazo de Él por humanidad, así como el amor de Dios mostrado en el más asombrosa manera. No sólo contiene numeroso detalles acerca del nación de Israel, pero también contiene las promesas y los propósitos de Dios para todos el naciónes y grupos de personas [gente, o pueblos? No sé cual palabra usar.] en la tierra. La Biblia es un libro acerca de Dios. Muestra Su gloria milagroso en creación, y también en redención cuando Él hará todas cosas nueva. Muestra Su bondad y santidad en contraste con pecado y maldad. Muestra Su misericordia y gracia, así como Su justicia en juzgar. La Biblia no es como ningún otro libro religioso, y no otro libro religioso ha sido tan amado y odiado, tan bien leído y quemado, tan tesorído y ignorado por tan mucha gente de todas edades, lenguas, razas y clases acerca del mundo.

La Biblia contiene muchas detalles asombrados de información acerca de muchos aspectos de nuestro mundo y vida, pero ellos todos punto en uno dirección - el único Dios, como está revelado en una Trinidad de Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo. Testifica que Dios creó todas cosas para Su propio gusto. Él hacía hombre en Su propio imagen, reflejar Su propio carácter y naturaleza. Pero el primer hombre y la mujer fueron separados de Dios. Desde entonces ha sido con dificultad estar volver de conocerlo de nuevo. La Biblia usa la palabra "reconciliación" describir esto. Tan como matrimonio, hijos, amistad y enemistad son las más grandes relaciónes humano, así también el relación de Dios a Su propio gente es descrito en estas palabras. Dios es el Padre, y Su gente, como un esposa apartada o un hijo perdido, necesitan estar reconciliado a Él, para que ellos ya no son enemigos, sino amigos y junto en paz.

The New Birth Spanish Tract, part 5

2008-12-19T09:26:00.000-08:00

Es en ésta manera que vemos a Dios en Su santidad y caemos ante Sus pies clamando, "Culpable, culpable, vil y lleno de pecado estoy." Por qué? Porque el entendimiento nos ha sido iluminado para ver a Dios en Su Santidad y verme a mí en toda mi impureza por causa del pecado. Según me presento ante Dios tres veces santo con la luz del trono brillando sobre Su santidad, ésa misma luz me demuestra mi pecaminosidad y lo distanciado que me encuentro de Dios. Recordemos que la facultad de nuestro entendiemiento no se nos quita en el nuevo nacimiento, pero es iluminada redirigiéndonos hacia Dios, su Cristo, santidad y cosas eternas. A la luz del trono, me he visto a mí mismo y a la santidad de Dios.

It is in this way that we see God in His holiness and we fall before His feet crying, "Guilty, guilty, vile and full of sin am I!" Why? Because our understanding has been illuminated to see God in His Holiness and I see myself in all my impurity because of sin. According to my light I demonstrate my sinnership and the distance that I am found from God. We remember that the faculty of our understanding is not taken from us in the new birth, but is enlightened turning us toward God, His Christ, holiness and eternal things. In the light of the throne, I have seen myself and the holiness of God.

De la misma manera, el Espíritu Santo le otorga poder a las afecciones. Las afecciones del hombre se prostituyeron en la caída (Isaías 53:2), de manera que ya no se veía belleza ó gloria en santidad ó en Dios Santo, pero tan sólo podía ver placer en el pecado y en todas sus formas. Pero según obra el Espíritu Santo en nuestro entendimiento, las afecciones del hombre pecador se ejercitan de manera diferente. En vez de tenerlas en cosas temporales y de los sentidos, ahora se proyectan en cosas espirituales y eternas según vemos la gloria y la belleza de Dios según en Él en Cristo Jesús. Las afecciones ahora van tras el bendito eterno Hijo de Dios. Se vé en Él, en Su muerte, resurrección y ascención una belleza, una gloria, y un sentido de apropiación que antes tan sólo se consideraba como locura ó tontería por estar sus ojos cegados y sus afecciones prostituídas por el dios de éste mundo, Satanás mismo (2 Corintios 4:4).

In the same way, the Holy Spirit grants power to the affections. The affections of man were prostituted in the fall (Isaiah 53:2), in this way he no longer saw beauty or glory in holiness or in a Holy God, but only could see pleasure in sin and in all its forms. But according to the work of the Holy Spirit in the understanding, the affections of the sinful man were exercised in a different way. Instead of having them in sensual and temporary things, now were they put into spiritual and eternal things according to the glory and beauty of God as we see Him in Christ Jesus. The affections now go after the blessed eternal Son of God. He saw in Him, in His death, resurrection and ascension a beauty, a glory, and a sense of approbation that before was only considered as craziness or foolishness for his eyes were blind and his affections prostituted by the god of this world, Satan himself (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Entonces con el entendimiento iluminado y las afecciones llendo tras Cristo, la voluntad, la cual se encontraba cautiva (Rom 7:14,15), es libertada (Rom 6:18). En vez de seguir tras el pecado y la injusticia, nos rendimos a Dios y a Su juicios, diciendo en nuestros corazones, "No se haga mi voluntad sino la tuya." Clamamos como Saulo de Tarso caído en tierra en el camino hacia Damasco, "Señor, que quieres que yo haga?" (Hechos 9:6). Sí, cuando el entendimiento es ilumindado por el Espíritu Santo en el nuevo nacimiento, y las afecciones ven belleza y una gloria en Cristo, entonces la voluntad dice "sí" a Jesucristo porque el pecador ha sido hecho voluntario en el día de Su poder (Salmo 110:3).

Then with the understanding enlightened and the affections going after Christ, the will, which was found captive (Rom 7:14,15), is freed (Rom 6:18). Instead of following after sin and unrighteousness, we surrender to God and to His judgments, saying in our hearts, "Not my will be done but yours." We cry as Saul of Tarsus fallen to the ground on the way to Damascus, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (Acts 9:6). Yes, when the understanding is enlightened by the Holy Spirit in the new birth, and the affections see beauty and a glory in Christ, then the will says "yes" to Jesus Christ because the sinner has been made willing in the day of His power (Psalm 110:3).

Para resumir todo lo concerniente al nuevo nacimiento, no es la remoción de nada del pecador, porque nuestro entendimiento, nuestras afecciones y nuestra voluntad aún se encuentran intactas. Pero sí es la comunicación de algo al pecador: EL NUEVO NACIMIENTO ES EL IMPARTIMIENTO DE LA NATURALEZA DIVINA DE DIOS (2 Pedro 1:4). ¡Alabado sea Dios por ésto! El nos dá VIDA en el Señor Jesús. Cuando yo nací por primera vez, yo recibí de mis padres su naturaleza, así que al nacer de nuevo, recibí de Dios, a través de Su Espíritu, Su naturaleza. Sí, el Espíritu de Dios engendra dentro de nosotros una naturaleza espiritual al salvarnos. Ya que ésta es la obra del Espíritu Santo, entonces ya no puede ser a través del bautismo, membresía en una iglesia, siendo religioso, haciendo lo mejor que podemos, ni haciendo una decisión una profesión. Es algo que Dios hace por Su gracia soberana y Su poder en los corazones de pobres pecadores. De hecho, ni tan siquiera nosotros lo pedimos; cierto es, Dios es quien lo hace. Entonces comenzamos a pedirle porque Él lo ha obrado en nuestros corazones.

To sum up everything concerning the new birth, it is not the removal of anything from the sinner, because our understanding, our affections and our will were found to be still intact. But it is the communication of something to the sinner: THE NEW BIRTH IS THE IMPARTING OF THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD (2 Peter 1:4). Praise be to God for this! He gave us LIFE in the Lord Jesus. When I was born the first time, I received from my father his nature, so then when born again, I received from God, through His Spirit, His nature. Yes, the Spirit of God begets inside of us a spiritual nature when we are saved. That also is the work of the Holy Spirit, then no longer can it be through baptism, membership in a church, being religious, doing the best that we can, nor making a decision a profession. It is something that God does by His sovereign grace and His power in the hearts of poor sinners. In fact, we did not even ask for it; the truth is, it is God who does it. Then we begin to ask because He has worked it in our hearts.

Latin and other Tongues

2008-12-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Today I was looking at E-Sword and tried to read a verse from the Latin Vulgate translation. I could make out a few words, but not very many, so I searched for a free online tutorial for learning Latin. I found one that teaches right out of the Bible! So I read the first lesson which taught on how to interpret John 1:1 in Latin:

in principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word."

This was easy, but the words and their forms, conjugations, tenses and persons all take some time to learn and understand. What is cool about Latin is that it is so closely related to Spanish. In is the same as en in Spanish and in in English, but it also can mean at or on as well. Principio means beginning in both Latin and Spanish. Erat means it was or he/she was, which is very similar to era in Spanish. Verbum is easy because it means Word in both Latin and Spanish, although in Spanish it is Verbo and I also noticed Palabra used more in contemporary Spanish. Deum and Deus are two forms of the same word for God. In Spanish it is simply Dios, but Portuguese I think uses Deus for God also. The lesson's author explained that Deum and Deus are different in the same way that we use Him and He differently: "and the Word was with Deum [Him] and Deus [He] was the Word", but only Deum and Deus both mean God.

Not only this, but I have also been doing some more translating from Greek today. Although I do not understand much Greek without the help of the website source I use for translating, it is another important Biblical language that I am very grateful to have access to. I posted my new translation of Romans 1:18-32 here in a blog post on Depravity. I also just found out I can read John 1:1-6 in Greek as well as Spanish, and now I'm learning it in Latin. :) Now that I think of it, it has been a long time since I studied a little bit of Hebrew. Not since over a year ago, but perhaps I will get fired up for that again as well? I don't know?

I must get back to my other work now. My Lord and Savior has been graciously teaching me more things than I deserve.

The New Birth Spanish Tract, part 4

2008-12-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the translation... I am only posting a few paragraphs at a time, so to read the whole thing, one has to start at part 1, and read on. The Spanish is in red while the English is in blue following:

También en Juan 1:13 nos dice que la regeneración ó el nuevo nacimiento es de acuerdo a la voluntad de Dios. ¡Escuchen! "Los cuales no son engendrados de sangre, ni de voluntad de carne, ni de voluntad de varón, sino de Dios." Nuevamente en Juan 3:5-8 leemos que la regeneración ó el nuevo nacimiento es llevado a cabo en nosotros por el Espíritu Santo, y 1 Pedro 1:23 nos dice que el instrumento que Él usa es la Palabra de Dios: "Siendo renacidos, no de simiente corruptible, sino de incorruptible, por la palabra de Dios que vive y permanece para siempre."

Also in John 1:13, it tells us that the regeneration or the new birth is according to the will of God. Listen! "Those which are not born of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Again in John 3:5-8 we read that the regeneration or the new birth is brought about in us by the Holy Spirit, and 1 Peter 1:23 tells us that the instrument that He uses is the Word of God: "Being reborn, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God that lives and endures for ever."

Según unimos éstos versos, vemos que a través de Su poder sobrenatural, el Espíritu Santo renueva al hombre interior, dándanos un nuevo corazón y haciéndonos partícipes de la naturaleza divina de Dios, preparándonos para Su reino, el cual es un reino espiritual.

As we join these verses, we see that through His supernatural power, the Holy Spirit renews the inner man, giving us a new heart and making us participants of the divine nature of God, preparing us for His kingdom, which is a spiritual kingdom.

Nos hacemos la pregunta, "¿cómo Él hace ésto?" A Dios le ha complacido hacernos en nuestro ser moral y carácter, un ser tri-partito: entendimiento, afección y voluntad. El hombre debe cambiar éstos tres aspectos si ha de buscar de la justicia y santidad de Dios. En la caída de Adán todos perdimos nuestra justicia y santidad y pasamos a estar muertos en pecados y transgresiones (Efesios 2:1-3). Así que en el nuevo nacimiento El nos ilumina el entendimiento que había sido obscuresido (Efesios 4:18). ¿Por qué? Porque "el hombre natural (el hombre carnal) no percibe las cosas que son del Espíritu de Dios, porque para el son locura, y no las puede entender, porque se han de discernir espiritualmente" (1 Corintios 2:14). Ese es nuestro corazón apartado de la gracia de Dios. Entonces teniendo nuestro entendimiento iluminado por el Espíritu Santo, vemos nosotros mismos, a Cristo y al mundo, y todo lo demás bajo una luz diferente a la anterior. De acuerdo a 2 Corintios 4:6, El causa que la luz brille en la obscuridad de nuestro entendimiento, "para iluminación del conocimiento de la glroria de Dios en la faz de Jesucristo." Entonces y tan sólo entonces el pecador clama como Isaías en Isaías 6:5 al ver la gloria de Dios en Su santidad, "¡Ay de mí! que soy muerto; porque siendo hombre inmundo de labios... han visto mis ojos al Rey, Jehová de los ejércitos."

We ask the question, "How does He do this?" It has pleased God to make us be in our morals and character, a three-part being: understanding, affection and will. Man must change these three aspects if he is to seek the righteousness and holiness of God. In the fall of Adam everyone lost our righteousness and holiness and we became dead in sins and transgressions (Ephesians 2:1-3). So that in the new birth He illuminates our understanding that had been darkened (Ephesians 4:18). Why? Because "the natural man (the carnal man) does not perceive the things that are from the Spirit of God, because they are folly, and they cannot understand, because it has to be spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). This is our heart apart from the grace of God. Then having our understanding illuminated by the Holy Spirit, we see ourselves, to Christ and to the world, and everyone else under a different light than before. According to 2 Corinthians 4:6, He causes the light to shine in the darkness of our understanding, "for illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." So then and only then the sinner cries as Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5 to see the glory of God in His holiness, "Woe is me! I am dead; because being a man of impure lips... my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts."

The New Birth Spanish Tract, part 3

2008-11-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

I have been learning the Spanish tongue for some time now, at least during most of this year. It hasn't been easy to learn how to pronounce the words, or what different forms they have depending on how they are conjugated. But with help from the Lord and a gracious person, I am much more familiar with the language, and am able to translate it when it is written without the need to look up every single word in a dictionary. I still cannot speak it very well. But as time goes on, I will learn to do that if the Lord wills. Here is my most recent translation of another paragraph from the New Birth tract by L. R. Shelton, Jr.:

Veamos como el resto de las escrituras presentan a la naturaleza del nuevo nacimiento: 2 Corintios 5:17 declara que la regeneración ó el nuevo nacimiento es una nueva creación en la que las cosas viejas han pasado y todo es hecho nuevo. El nuevo nacimiento entonces es una nueva creación. Ezequiel 36:26-29 declara que el nuevo nacimiento es el recibir un nuevo corazón. Escuche la Palabra de Dios: "Os daré corazón nuevo (ésto es obra de Dios) y pondré espíritu nuevo dentro de vosotros; (obra de Dios) y quitaré de vuestra carne el corazón de piedra, y os daré un corazón de carne. (Esto siendo obra de Dios.) "Y pondré dentro de vosotros mi Espíritu, (obra de Dios) y haré que andéis en mis statutos, (ésto es obra de Dios) y guardeis mis preceptos, (éste es mi trabajo.) ¿Por qué? Porque Dios hizo Su obra en mí como siempre lo hace. Aún la función que yo desempeño es el resultado de Su obra, como dice en Filipenses 2:12-13: "...ocupaos en vuestra salvación con temor y temblor, porque Dios es el que en vosotros produce así el querer como el hacer, por su buena voluntad." Vemos entonces que el nuevo nacimiento es la dádiva de un corazón nuevo. En 2 Pedro 1:4, la regeneración el nuevo nacimiento se dice que es el recibir una nueva naturaleza: Por lo cual "nos ha dado preciosas y grandísimas promesas, para que por ellas llegaseis a ser participantes de la naturaleza divina, habiendo huido de la corrupción que hay en el mundo a causa de la concupiscencia." Sí, el nuevo nacimiento es el recibimiento de la naturaleza divina de Dios.

We see how the rest of the scriptures present the nature of the new birth: 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares that regeneration or the new birth is a new creation in that old things have passed and all is made new. The new birth then is a new creation. Ezekiel 36:26-29 declares that the new birth is the receiving of a new heart. Listen to the Word of God: "I will give you a new heart (this is the work of God) and I will put a new spirit in you; (work of God) and I will take from your flesh the heart of stone, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (This being the work of God.) "And I will put my Spirit in you, (work of God) and I make that you walk in my statutes, (this is God's work) and you will keep my precepts, (this is my work.) Why? Because God did His work in me as He always does. Even the function that I perform is the result of His work, as it says in Philippians 2:12-13: "...occupy yourselves in your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that produces in you so to want as to do, for his good will." We see then that the new birth is the gift of a new heart. In 2 Peter 1:4, in regeneration it says the new birth is to receive a new nature: By which "he has given you precious and great promises, so that by them you have come to be participants of the divine nature, having fled from the corruption that there is in the world caused by lust." Yes, the new birth is the receiving of the divine nature of God.

The New Birth Spanish Tract, part 2

2008-10-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

I am here continuing my translation of LA ENSAÑANZA DE CRISTO ACERCA DEL NUEVO NACIMIENTO by L. R. Shelton, Jr.... again, my translation is in blue type following the spanish in red:

De la misma manera fué en mi nacimiento espiritual por el Espíritu Santo. Me encontraba pasivo en mi concepción mientras Él plantaba la Palabra de vida en mi corazón (1 Pedro 1:23), por lo tanto me dió una nueva naturaleza (2 Pedro 1:4). Nada tuve que ver en ésto. Pero, tan pronto había vuelto a nacer, comencé a clamar a Dios en Cristo; comencé a arrepentirme y acudir a Dios por mis pecados, a creer, confiar y buscar a Cristo y a Su preciosa salvación y a clamar por la justicia de Dios en Cristo. Estuve activo por lo que Dios había hecho en mi corazón a través del nuevo nacimiento. Un hombre no puede convertirse, ni puede ser salvo, ni arrepentirse, ni creer hasta que se le haya impartido vida antes por el Espíritu Santo, resucitado de la sepultura del pecado (Efesios 2:1) y habérsele dado un nuevo corazón (Ezequiel 36:26) y una nueva naturaleza en el nuevo nacimiento. Entonces y sólo entonces puede haber arrepentimiento con el corazón quebrantado por causa de sus pecados como estando en contra de Dios, viendo belleza y gloria en Cristo por lo cual está dispuesto a abandonar el pecado y acercarse a Cristo aceptándolo como Señor y Salvador, Rey y Libertador, en verdadera fé salvadora. Como verás, el nuevo nacimiento y la conversión no son lo mismo: en el nuevo nacimiento el pecador se encuentra en estado pasivo; en la conversión, por la gracia de Dios, el pecador se encuentra activo según clama a Dios arrepentido y con fé. Y ésto continúa en sus días.

It was the same way in my spiritual birth by the Holy Spirit. I was found passive in my conception while He planted the Word of life in my heart (1 Peter 1:23), therefore I was given a new nature (2 Peter 1:4). I had nothing to do with this. But, as soon as I had begun to be born, I began to cry to God in Chirst; I began to repent of and to go to God for my sins, to believe, to trust and to seek Christ and His precious salvation and to cry for the righteousness of God in Christ. I was active because of what God had done in my heart through the new birth. A man cannot be converted, nor be saved, nor repent, nor believe until life is first imparted to him by the Holy Spirit, raising him from the grave of sin (Ephesians 2:1) and he is given a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) and a new nature in the new birth. Then and only then can there be repentance with the heart broken because of his sins which stand against God, seeing beauty and glory in Christ he is thus ready to abandon sin and to draw near to Christ accepting Him as Lord and Savior, King and Liberator, in true saving faith. As you see, the new birth and conversion are not the same: in the new birth the sinner is found in a passive state; in conversion, by the grace of God, the sinner is found active as he cries to God in repentance and faith. And he continues in this all his days.

The New Birth Spanish Tract

2008-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

I have this tract that I like in Spanish, and I wanted to read it to learn to better understand Spanish. Here are a few of the beginning paragraphs that I translated with only some help with the words and phrases I didn't understand from a translation tool. My English translations appear in blue following the red Spanish paragraphs.

LA ENSEÑANZA DE CRISTO ACERCA DEL NUEVO NACIMIENTO

L. R. SHELTON JR.

1923-2003

Encontramos la enseñanza del Señor Jesucristo acerca del nuevo nacimiento en el capítulo 3 del Evangelio según San Juan, en las instrucciones dadas por El Señor a Nicodemo, uno de los jefes de los judíos quien vino a Él durante la noche. "Respondió Jesús y le dijo: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de nuevo, no puede ver el reino de Dios. Nicodemo le dijo: ¿Cómo puede un hombre nacer siendo viejo? ¿Puede acaso entrar por segunda vez en el vientre de su madre, y nacer? Respondió Jesús: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de agua y del Espíritu, no puede entrar en el reino de Dios. Lo que es nacido de la carne, carne es; y lo que es nacido del Espíritu, espiritu es. No te maravilles de que te dije: os es necesario nacer de nuevo. El viento sopla de donde quiere, y oyes su sonido; mas ni sabes de dónde viene, ni a dónde va; asi es todo aquel que es nacido del Espíritu" (Juan 3:3-8).

THE TEACHING OF CHRIST ABOUT THE NEW BIRTH

L. R. SHELTON, JR.

1923-2003

We find the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ about the new birth in chapter 3 of the Gospel according to Saint John, in the instructions given by the Lord to Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews who came to Him during the night. "Jesus responded and said: Certainly, certainly I say to you, that whoever is not born again, cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he perhaps enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus responded: Certainly, certainly I say to you, that whoever is not born of water and of the Spirit, cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Do not marvel that I said: it is necessary for you to be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound; but do not know where it comes from, nor where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:3-8).

En éstos versos encontramos tres cosas. Primero, EL NUEVO NACIMIENTO ES NECESARIO si es que el hombre ha de entrar, ver ó tomar parte en el reino de Dios. ¿Por qué? Porque "la carne y la sangre no pueden heredar el reino de Dios" (I Corintios 15:50). El reino de Dios es un reino espiritual, estando nosotros exluídos por nuestra naturaleza pecaminosa y carnal.

In these verses we find three things. First, THE NEW BIRTH IS NECESSARY if man is to enter, see or take part in the kingdom of God. Why? Because "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 15:50). The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, us being excluded for our carnal and sinful nature.

Segundo, encontramos que EL NUEVO NACIMIENTO ESLA OBRA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO, quien es soberano en todas Sus operaciones. Es Su trabajo el dar vida a todos aquéllos cuyos nombres aparecen escritos en el Libro de la Vida. Nuestro Señor dijo en Su oración sacerdotal en Juan 17 que el Padre le había dado poder sobre toda carne, para que diese vida eterna a cuantos el Padre le había dado. Es a través de Su Santo Espíritu que nuestro Señor Jesús vivifíca, ó dá vida eterna, en el nuevo nacimiento a aquéllos que el Padre le ha dado.

Second, we find that THE NEW BIRTH IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, who is sovereign in all His operations. It is His work to give life to all those whose names appear written in the Book of Life. Our Lord said in His priestly prayer in John 17 that the Father had given Him power over all flesh, in order to give eternal life to whoever the Father had given Him. It is through His Holy Spirit that our Lord Jesus gives life to, or gave eternal life, in the new birth to those who the Father has given Him.

Tercero, encontramos que EL NUEVO NACIMIENTO Y LA CONVERSIÓN NO SON LO MISMO. En el nuevo nacimiento el pecador se encuentra en un estado pasivo; en la conversión el pecador toma parte activa. En mi concepción natural y en mi nacimiento me encontraba pasivo porque la concepción no vino de mí. Tampoco añadí nada en mi crecimiento en los nueve meses que estuve en el vientre de mi madre, pues mi madre suplió todo. Tan pronto nací, comencé a llorar. Me encontraba muy activo porque estaba vivo fuera del vientre y aún necesitaba todas las atenciones de mi madre. Lloraba porque estaba vivo.

Third, we find that THE NEW BIRTH AND CONVERSION ARE NOT THE SAME. In the new birth the sinner finds himself in a passive state; in conversion the sinner takes part actively. In my natural conception and in my birth I found myself in a passive state because conception did not come from me. Neither did I add anything to my growth during the nine months that I was in my mother's womb, for my mother supplied everything. As soon as I was born, I began to cry. I was found to be very active because I was alive out of the womb and still was needing all the attention of my mother. I was crying because I was alive.

More to come...

Más a venir...

Available from:

Chapel Library • 2603 W. Wright St. • Pensacola, FL 32505 • www.mountzion.org

Vietnamese Words

2008-10-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Today, my brother Lee and I picked up our friend, Hung, for church. Hung is from Vietnam and comes to church as often as he can in Upper Darby Philadelphia. He has some knee problems and diabetes, so his health sometimes makes it hard for him. Today was the first time I escorted him there, and I was honored to do so for this man. I've known him for a long time now, but he speaks broken English, so we don't always talk much. However, he was extremely talkative today. So I started asking him to teach me words in Vietnamese.

"How do you say, 'Do you read the Bible?"

"DOC KINH TANH." (He also wrote it down for me, but I don't know how to get vietnamese characters to show up here. You pronounce it with sort of an up-down-up tune.)

Then he said, "And you can also say, 'DOC KINH TANH MON AY.' Read the Bible everyday."

We laughed, and he continued to tell us other things. We don't remember them all. He also told us how to say "Good morning," but I don't remember that either. Next time I'll have to ask him to write that down as well.

I said, "How do you say, 'Jesus is God.'?" I wrote it down for him.

Hung wrote, "Giesu la dic chua tai." (Of course the characters all look very different on the paper I have.)

I still enjoy learning to speak in new kinds of tongues! :)

Something I discovered in Psalm 23 (Spanish NVI version)

2008-10-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

I took a break to pop open my small NVI Nuevo Testamento con Salmos y Proverbios, and it flipped to Salmo 23. I was reading and trying to imagine in my mind how it would translate from Spanish to English, when my eyes landed on this verse:

Me guía por sendas de justicia

por amor a su nombre.

(Salmo 23:3b).

The thing that struck me was that while I was translating in my mind the words, "Me [He] guides by ways of justice for love to His name." I thought, that was amazing, because in English it says, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His own name's sake." Apparently, in Spanish, the way to say that is to say that God leads us in right paths out of love of His own name... not because He is somehow overwhelmed with our worth and can't help but loving us for who we are... no, no, no... but it says for love of His own name. Which is the same as saying He does it because He loves Himself and wants to display His glory by leading us. God leads believers in paths of righteousness out of love for Himself. So God loves us because He loves Himself, which is just another one of those things that makes me think, people will read this and think John Piper made that up, but John Piper didn't, God said it 3,000 years ago with the pen of a Shepherd named David.

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name..." (Ezekiel 36:22-23).

"Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power." (Psalm 106:8).

Practice: Efesios 2:8-9

2008-09-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

In Spanish, Ephesians 2:8-9 is "Efesios dos, del ocho al nueve." This is what is looks like in the NVI (and I also recorded my best attempt to say it in Spanish):

"Porque por gracia ustedes han sido salvados mediante la fe; esto no procede de ustedes, sino que es el regalo de Dios, no por obras, para que nadie se jacte."

I added at the end an alternate phrase, "[o] para que nadie se gloríe," which means, "[or] so that nobody can glory." Thanks to Rita from New Human Life, I am able to say it much better than I used to.

Here's the NIV in English: Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

Evangelism in Spanish

2008-09-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

I was just beginning to learn Spanish when this was recorded on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008.

The first conversation was about trying to be good to get to heaven. In between I was talking with brother Herman Lee.

After that, I met a man in his sixties who spoke Spanish. I was just beginning to learn then and struggled with some things as it will be plain to see in the recording. :) There was a woman with him who helped me out. She was a blessed surprise.

Efesios Uno en Español

2008-09-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today, I read Ephesians 1:1-11 in Spanish (Efesios capitulo uno del uno al once).

I also began looking more into the helpful information inside my Mirriam-Webster's Spanish-English dictionary. It contains some real helpful information that I'm just discovering, such as the section on Spanish Grammar in the beginning. All this is new to me, so it is pretty neat when I begin to understand things that used to be a mystery.

Here is a section I translated from Efesios uno en la NVI versión (I translated it literal word-for-word, so the English looks a little strange, but it helps me):

1 Pablo, apóstol de Cristo Jesús por la voluntad de Dios,
[Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,]

a los santos y fieles en Cristo Jesús que están en Éfeso:
[to those saints and faithful in Christ Jesus that are in Ephesus:]

2 Que Dios nuestro Padre y el Señor Jesucristo les concedan gracia y paz.
[From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ they grant grace and peace]

3 Alabado sea Dios, Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que nos ha bendicido en las regiones celestiales con toda bendición espiritual en Cristo.
[Praise be to God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that us has blessed in those regions heavenly with all blessings spiritual in Christ.]

4 Dios nos escogió en él antes de la creación del mundo, para que seamos santos y sin mancha delante de él. En amor
[God us chose in him before from the creation of the world, for that we would be holy and without blemish before him. In love]

5 nos predestinó para ser adoptados como hijos suyos por medio de Jesucristo, según el buen propósito de su voluntad,
[us predestined for to be adopted like children of his through Jesus Christ, according to the good purpose of his will,]

6 para alabanza de su gloriosa gracia, que nos concedió en su Amado.
[for praise of his glorious grace, that us was granted in his Beloved.]

7 En él tenemos la redención mediante su sangre, el perdón de nuestros pecados, conforme a las riquezas de la gracia
[In him we have the redemption through his blood, the pardon of our sins, according to those riches of the grace]

8 que Dios nos dio en abundancia con toda sabiduría y entendimiento.
[that God us gave in abundance with all wisdom and understanding.]

Learning to Speak in Tongues Blog

2008-09-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

I started this blog because I often meet people from countries and languages located around the world. Sometimes they know very little English and so our communication is limited. I have often asked people how to greet someone in another tongue, like Dinka: "Ye ka da;" "How are you?"

Because of these experiences, I started praying and asking God to give me the ability to speak in tongues for the purpose of evangelism (I'm not talking about unintelligible sounds, but rather foreign languages). I've got to admit that this request seems impossible to me, since I've never taken any language classes other than English (and they weren't teaching me how to speak it).

Mostly I'm trying to learn Spanish, which is fun but hard. I learn differently than others, so this is my attempt in my own way. Therefore, I will occasionally post some of what I'm learning, and those who want to learn with me, or who want to help me learn can comment. Any help or interest is appreciated.

I also tend to forget things, so this is another good way to keep it on file :)

Soli Deo Gloria.