THE ULTIMATE PLAN!

By Irving Serrano

In today's world it seems everyone is in a constant rush. A rush to go to work, a rush to get home. In the interim, the time we save by rushing seems to be lost in something else. When we here of a storm heading our way, we go right into survival mode, we go out and by food, water, flashlights, and all kinds of supplies. My question is the most important in any ones life. Your joy, or sorrow for all eternity depends on your answer. The question is; Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a Church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die? God says in order to go to heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "ye must be born again". We find in the Bible, God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple, you can be saved today. How? First my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. " for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" ( Romans 9:27). Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. " for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This includes total separation from God in hell (Romans 3:23). " It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement" ( Hebrews 9: 27). But God loved you so much He gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. "He hath made him (Jesus, who knew no sin) to be sin for us....that we might be made righteousness of God in him" ( 2nd Corinthians 5:21). Jesus had to shed His blood and die. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus17:11). Without shedding of blood is no remission (pardon) (Hebrews 9:22) "God commandeth his love towards us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot Lie. My friend, " God commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17: 30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the cross. In Acts 16: 30-31), The Philippian Jailer asked Paul and Silas; "Sir, what must I do to be saved? And they said, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved". Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior. (John 1:12) " But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become Sons of God, even to them that believe on His name". " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved ( Romans 10:13). Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can be. It means shall be saved. My friend, let me invite you to accept Gods plan of salvation. Perhaps you feel you know Jesus? You may consider rededicating your life to God, and allow Him to prepare you for the biggest storm, that has yet to come. You realize you are a sinner. Right now, where ever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer. In Luke 18: 13, The sinner prayed; Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank you for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of your merciful grace. Amen".

Love always, Irving Serrano.

GALA HAS A NEW LOGO!

Tampa-2011- The Gala Foundation changed its logo on all its web-sites today. The Foundation had been wanting to secure and commission a privately owned Emblem that depicts the broad writ and range of the Organization, retiring the provisional former Logo. Noel Serrano wanted a uniformed logo that conforms to the Main Gala Web-site and all Affiliate Publications and Sister Sites. Gala's Spanish Web-Site has a Familiar Globe with a livelier color setting. The New Gala Logo has the Globe theme on all Gala Publications on all web Sites. This had been long in  the planning stages. Noel W. Serrano, Noel's son was in contact with the  Logo Company that submitted several ideas for the  selected Logo. Noel was concerned about future copy rights  and decided to commission an  original and patently owned Logo for the  Gala Initiative.  The Gala Foundation owns the rights to this trademark an will be utilized  on all Gala Web-Sites.

A LEADER IN MOSES

By Irving Serrano

Some would agree He, was the most important figure in Judaism, Moses, parted the Red-Sea to free his people and brought them the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. His story appears in the Bible, and is filled with miracles and talks with God. At birth; the Hebrews, descendants of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, are slaves to Egypt's King (Pharaoh) who has ordered newborn males killed. Moses Mother hides him in a papyrus basket among the Nile`s reeds. Pharaoh`s daughter finds him, takes pity and adopts him. He flees as a young man, but God appears to him in a burning bush, and years later sends him back with his brother, Aaron, to demand the Israelites release. Plagues arrive, the Hebrews escape, and Egypt`s Army drowns in the Red-Sea. A wilderness sojourns follows, in which God, through Moses, makes a covenant with the Hebrews and lays out rites of worship and Laws of communal and personal behavior. At the age of 120, Moses dies by God`s decree just before the people enter into the land known in recent centuries as Palestine and Israel. His Hebrew name, Moshe, means " the one who draws out".....His story starts in Exodus, and ends in Deuteronomy, two of the ;five books of Moses" or, in Hebrew, the Torah ("Law") It includes the escape from Egypt.... The burning bush and stone tablets, appear on Mt. Sinai. Moses is also a figure of faith in Christianity and a Prophet in Islam. Also found in the Koran. In today's world, God makes it possible for us to serve Him, to follow and share the message of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. We must keep our sights on God. We must practise the Faith, and trust whole heartedly, and like Moses, find favor in Gods eyes, until the end of time.

9-11- WHAT MAKES US STRONGER

The goal of terrorism is to disrupt the normal activities of a group by paralyzing its members with fear. A decade later we can look back on the terror attacks of 9/11 with both historic and Christian perspective.

The World Trade Center towers in New York represented the financial strength of capitalism. The Pentagon in D.C. is the headquarters of our nation’s military prowess. And while the target of Flight 93 is subject to speculation, the White House and Capitol buildings are the literal seat of our Federal Government. Not only would large numbers of individuals be injured and killed, our very institutions would also be under attack. Nearly 3,000 lives ended as a direct result of terrorist action, a reality that should not be downplayed. But in another sense the ultimate goal of the 9/11 terrorists was never achieved. Even while our buildings were collapsing our resolve grew stronger.

FDR said we have nothing to fear but fear itself. On 9/11 we saw firefighters, police officers and even civilians put themselves deliberately into harm’s way to help others. The current condition of our economy can only be considered a “recession” when compared to our own previous levels of economic profits. No other economy in the world operates at the U.S. level of production, growth and profitability. Sadam Hussein is dead; Osama bin Laden is dead; the War on Terror continues to identify and apprehend conspirators around the world. The post 9/11 world is a different place, such that such an event on that scale could not occur today in the United States.

The American spirit – our patriotism and determination – is not in buildings made of mortar and steel. What makes us rich is not housed in banks, just like our freedom and liberty are not structures in D.C. Recall the resolve of London during World War II. Even while British cities were leveled to rubble, its people would not give in to Hitler’s Germany. Their buildings fell but not their spirit. Al Qaeda failed to terrify the American people; if any thing they only made us mad. The goal of terrorism is fear, and rather than blow us apart the attacks on 9/11 drew the American people together. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
How about a Christian perspective? I feel pretty good about the strength and resolve of our nation, even in the current political and economic climate. But our hope is not in kings or kingdoms of this world. If our buildings and our nation falls, as Christians we are ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, a kingdom not made with hands. Our hope is not in this life. ”And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” -Matthew 10:28 God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13).
The 9/11 terror attacks failed to intimidate our nation. Christians do not fight against flesh and blood, but against power and principalities, and spiritual evil in high places (Ephesians 6). We will not forget… and we will not fear.