Plays On Word Radio
An in-depth look at the Word of God, the Plays On Word community, and the Plays - with original music - we perform, that are based on the Word of God. New episodes drop Fridays at 7AM EST! To find out how Plays On Word Theater can perform 'LIVE on YOUR STAGE' and to support this missionary & podcast visit: https://playsonword.org/
Plays On Word Radio
Ep 151: A Puerto Rican Journey To Faith, Family, And Freedom From The Flesh (Part 1)
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"Today, on Plays On Word Radio, we are visiting with our dear dear brother and sister in Christ, Orlando and Gloria Burgos."
Two friends revisit the long road from jealousy and fear to peace and purpose, tracing how a rainy night, a persistent invitation, and Psalm 103 sparked a lasting change. We weigh family tension, the war between flesh and spirit, and why truth holds when emotions fade.
• Orlando’s move from Puerto Rico and early struggles
• The breakup, the floor, and the friend who kept inviting
• Psalm 103 and a quiet, lasting conversion
• Distaste for old habits without legalism
• Family pushback and seeking truth in Scripture
• Gloria’s welcome, rebirth, and shared commitment
• Practicing God’s presence to halt the flesh
• Romans 7’s struggle and hope in Christ
• Mourning, mortality, and gospel opportunities
• Creation’s witness, Romans 1 and 8, and urgency
• Testing big claims about heaven and origins
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Welcome And Guest Introductions
SPEAKER_00Lord, you know. You're now listening.
SPEAKER_04It's the best.
SPEAKER_00You know, and I don't I don't know if I told you this, and you know, many times we spoke about that I'm the kind of person that that um I remember one person I said to that they said um how do you know what you say is is is true. Maybe I'm right. I said, well, if you believe what you believe, you know, this person was saying, oh, everybody will go to heaven, everybody. So I said, you know what? If if you're right, I don't have to worry about it. Because I'm gonna be in the same place that you are. But if I'm right, then you're in big trouble.
SPEAKER_02Today on Plays on Word Radio, we are visiting with our dear, dear brother and sister in Christ, Orlando and Gloria Burgos.
SPEAKER_05Hello, and welcome to Plays on Word Radio, where we discuss, analyze, work, and play on the Word of God. Thank you for joining us on this excursion today. Let's join Pastor Teddy, also known as Fred David Kenny Jr., the founder of Plays on Word Theater, as he does a deep dive into the Word of God.
Orlando’s Early Years And Struggles
SPEAKER_03We are here in Burlington, New Jersey on our Christmas Joe tour, and we are with uh people that are very dear to us. Uh Orlando Burgos Rivera and Gloria Burgos, the Burgoses who are very dear to us. Orlando was my best guy, my best guy at my wedding when I married Katie Kenny, and Orlando and Gloria prayed for me, the crazy guy that Orlando worked with at the time, and they prayed for me. And next thing you know, the Lord brought Katie into my life, and then I got I got married, and so I blame them. I mean, I I thank them. Um I thank them. I thank I thank Orlando for all the prayer and uh and you pray for me too. Yes, we do, and um so and Orlando and Gloria have been supporters of plays on word for since the beginning, and they actually came to one of the first Christmas Joes. I don't know if you remember when we did it at Laurel Laurelton. When we were at Laurelton, right around the corner from our house.
SPEAKER_02That's right, yes.
SPEAKER_03Orlando and Orlando and Gloria came out. That was one of the first Christmas Joes. And uh so anyway, we've been I've been wanting to get Orlando and Gloria on the podcast for this whole time since we've been on since we've been on the air with Plays on Word Radio. Orlando and Gloria, how are you guys doing? Good, good. You alright? Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Alright, so I have a question. Wow, he just kicked it full blast. No, I have a question. Um Orlando first. How did you come to meet Jesus? How did he come into your life? Oh tell me this story. Don't tell him the story about when you jumped off the roof.
SPEAKER_00No. No, that's that's before, that's way before Christ. Okay. Um I came from Puerto Rico. I was 17. Finished high school, you know, came here trying to. I was smarter than my family and my dad and my mom, so I thought I knew better than them, so I came to out of all places, Trenton, New Jersey.
SPEAKER_03That was a smart move.
SPEAKER_00And um I lived with my cousins there, and to make the long story short, and six months later I met Gloria.
SPEAKER_03Ah, Vega! Yes, the Vegas, the Vegas sisters.
SPEAKER_00And that's when um well we started dating and uh everything was good for for what for for a minute, like like Tess said. Then after that, you know, you realize that you have more issues that than you never thought you that you had, you know. So I uh I became jealous with Gloria and um The flesh kicked in. And the flesh was just the flesh was active all my life, you know.
SPEAKER_03Let me tell you. My my my buddy Orlando Burgos also all often will tell me the flesh is no no good.
SPEAKER_00It's no no good. You know what? That's why we have to give it to God every every time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um and the flesh will get us in trouble all the time. All the time. All the time.
SPEAKER_03So in fact, I don't know one time the spirit ever got me in trouble. It's always it's always been the my the fleshly desires and the drive of the flesh gets offended or whatever. I it I never have to apologize for anything that the spirit led by the spirit of God leads me in.
SPEAKER_00No, it doesn't always the flesh. The flesh is it's uh it's an issue. So back then, I was 19, you know, we you know, we started living together, and then I was I was just acting up in a way that it wasn't good. You know, I was drinking and and uh I was underage, but in Puerto Rico you can be 12 and you can drink as underage is not it's not a problem, but over here it is. So um then I I don't know we I got mad with Gloria and then Gloria said you know what I'm I don't want this life, you know, I'm um you have to you have to leave. Wow you have to leave and and I could not accept it because it was the only place and the only person that I felt good here because I said if I'm gonna stay in in the states, it's either to prosper or I'll go back to Puerto Rico because I'm not gonna waste my time. So um when you don't have, you know, I didn't have the only relatives that I had here was my my cousins. I didn't have any uncles, you know, my parents in Puerto Rico, my siblings in Puerto Rico. I'm the youngest one of five. So Gloria said, you know what, you have to you have to leave. And uh I didn't want to, but I I did.
SPEAKER_03Did you did you did you when you left, was it the like the theme to the incredible Hulk?
SPEAKER_00I think I think like that, yeah. It was but it lasted a long time. It wasn't just 30 seconds.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_00It was it was bad. It was bad because my I think that's when my flesh took over more like my like Yeah, I'm I'm gonna get back to you. You know, I'm I'm you know, like I was I was feeling this anger inside of me that it was controlling me. Um so
Kicked Out And Humbled By Circumstance
SPEAKER_00uh I didn't want to go back to my cousin's house. So at the time I was working with this guy, um, and I said uh I asked him if he had a you know a place in his uh apartment for a few weeks until I'll find something. And uh he said, well, I have I have a very small apartment and there's uh I already have a roommate. So if if you want you can sleep on uh on the floor. And I said, you know what, it's it's not a problem. I slept on the floor in my uh growing up, so I didn't mean it was nothing to me. So I said, okay, you know what, let me, you know, it's gonna it's gonna be maybe two, three weeks. But God had everything appointed. It's it's like God is so perfect in his in his in his ways, you know, the way he does things. There was another guy, you know, there's this old Puerto Ricans, you know, um, they don't speak English. Uh I barely knew any English back then. So I saw this guy, um, which I met, nice guy, but you know, he was when I saw him, he was smoking pot, which is legal now, before it wasn't. And I was like, you know what, you do your thing, I do my thing, and uh that was like a Saturday. So then Sunday I left. I came back at night, and then this dude came to the house. Gloria a Dios,
The Inviter And The Rainy Ride To Church
SPEAKER_00hallelujah, sois salvo, you know, glory to God, I'm saved. I'm saved, God changed me. And I was like, this guy is crazy. I'm like, I don't know what's wrong with this guy, but he's whatever he's doing, it's is it's it's good, it's good. So from that day on, that guy never stopped inviting me to to church. So he was like, every day, you know, they have different services at different nights, and he used to walk to the uh to the church that he went to. And um one day I remember it was raining. It was raining a lot, and I had a car. And he's like, Gay Orlando, can you take me to the to the church? And I said, Yeah, I'll take you. And then um, you know, back then there was no no cell phone, so you couldn't. And I say, if you want, I'll I'll pick you up within in an hour, an hour and a half. And he's like, no, no, no, you can't go in an hour. I said, why? Because it's not like that. I said, no, you know, they only last an hour, you know, because I'm used to the Catholic way, you know, it's only an hour. So I said, I'll I'll I'll take you to the church and I'll pick you up. I go back at eight o'clock and I pick you up. He's like, no, no, please stay. You know, could could you could you visit with me? And I'm like, listen, I'm not gonna go. I'm not gonna go. Um you didn't want anything to the church. This is, you know, I'm Catholic, I'm I I do my own thing. I don't, you know what, you do your you have your your ways, I have my ways, I serve God my way, you serve God your way, and and that's it. And he's like, no, but just come, you know, and then I'm I'm like, I'm gonna get rid of this guy. And I said, uh, is there is is there any girls in that church? How were you? How were the time? I was I was gonna I was 20. Okay. I was gonna be 20 years old. Okay, and um he said to me, hmm, uh yes, but that yeah it was like uh no, you know, like a like a no.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I know I went with him, and I remember going to this church for the first time going to an evangelical church.
Psalm 103 And A Quiet Conversion
SPEAKER_00I go in, everybody was nice, everybody was very nice, and uh I sat down, and I don't remember who preached. I don't I don't I I don't remember any songs, I don't remember anything. I just remember that I got I didn't see any ladies that day. I I didn't see nobody. I just sat down and when the guy, when the preacher started preaching, he was preaching about Psalm 103, which I didn't know back then, but now I know. And he he went to the port when you that you will rejuvenate like the eagle. And I was very young, but I felt like I didn't want to live anymore. I was tired of of all the nonsense, you know. I'm like, if I if I don't have glory, I don't um, you know what, I'm I'm either going to back to Puerto Rico, I'm not gonna do anything. I was I was just miserable. And all of a sudden he started explaining how the eagle uh rejuvenated itself. And I love out of all animals, I love birds. You know, it's it's something that I always did. Uh and I I just got into the into the the way he was um explaining it, and all of a sudden I just I just felt like something happened during that preaching. And I remember they made the uh the calling. I didn't go forward. I didn't go forward that day, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that something happened in me.
SPEAKER_01Something was different.
SPEAKER_00Something I left that place and I was like, I don't know what happened, but whatever it is, it's good. Yeah, it there was no fear, there was no, it was just like, wow, I feel I feel peace.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um then after that I kept, you know, I started going to church with uh with the guy, and then I that's when I invited Gloria.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00But I called
Inviting Gloria And A New Start
SPEAKER_00her and said, Gloria, you know, it's not that I want you to come back with me, but I think I found something that uh that is gonna be helpful to you too, you know. And um if you want to come to church one day, just just come. And I remember she came, she came, and then after that it was, you know, it's been what we just celebrated our 32 years 33 years of marriage.
SPEAKER_02Bravo!
SPEAKER_00Bravo so that's a nice biblical number, yes, 33 years, and um it's been it's been you know ups and downs, you know, a lot of things, you know. Uh just to say something about Ted, I I I know Ted before he recommitted his life to God, and so a lot of people call him Pastor Ted. Uh he's still my my friend Ted. You know, and I know he's a great pastor, you know, his him and his wife are doing a great job. But I relate to Ted as a as my sibling, as my brothers, you know, not a brother in Christ. It's it's almost like a you know, he can call me and we haven't talked for about two months, and we we'll go back like like nothing, like we saw we we saw each other yesterday. So when I look at what God has done with him, you know, we we are grateful, very grateful, and and to God, how how because he's a lot of help. You know, when I need prayer, I call him. He's mad at me because I didn't call him. I was feeling I wasn't feeling
Real Change Without External Pressure
SPEAKER_00too good. My bag, and I didn't call him for about two weeks, but he's busy, you know. See uh but but uh I spoke to to God, you know. So amen.
SPEAKER_03And uh God told me. Yes, so but I have a question. Remember how we would go through the Bible? Oh yes, and uh we would just you know we it was a great period of time. We were just digging through the Bible, looking for God.
SPEAKER_00Oh, it was beautiful.
SPEAKER_03And so when after you after something changed in you at that church, um what did the Lord start doing in your life? How did he start working? Would he start chiseling things away, or did you automatically become the perfect Orlando Burgos that we all know now? Did that happen?
SPEAKER_00Well, that perfect person is not here yet. Okay, he will be perfect in in the future when God when God decides to take me home or come back for us. But um right away my life started changing. Like I knew a lot of things were like I used to drink, I I love to drink, you know. Um and I remember drinking and I wasn't feeling like you know what I I don't like it. I wasn't enjoying it.
SPEAKER_03A little bit of conviction, maybe from the spirit?
SPEAKER_00Well, it wasn't it wasn't even that, it was like God put drinking out of flavor from my life. It's like it it was not because no one told me, no, you can't do this, you can't do that. So it was, I mean, I heard preaching, but it was it was like you know what, it's it God have dealt with me in my life in a maybe in a different way, like more personally.
SPEAKER_03It's the best when the Lord is the one who does the changes, like a distaste.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it would it it was like I don't like it. It's not like oh I'm I'm gonna stop doing that because Gloria is telling me not to do it, or the pastor is saying not to do it. When you do things like that, as soon as you're out of favor with that person, you will go back.
SPEAKER_03Go back to it, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because we you did it, you didn't do it unto God.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00But it was like, you know what, I don't like it. You know, if it and I'm the kind of person, if I'm if I'm not enjoying something, why do it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I stopped drinking, I stopped doing everything. It was just, and then you know, um, I remember we went to Puerto Rico um a few months after we came to the Lord, and for the first time I was afraid to face my parents. Wow, oh, wow, why is this? It was it was, you know, there I I was raised Catholic and my mom especially, and they they were very strict in the way, you know, they they uh they took us to to church and all that. So going to uh an evangelical church for us, it was like it was like a sin almost. You know, growing up, it was like you knew who were the uh evangelicals. We used to call them Los Evangelicos. So we knew who they were, but uh and we will you know play with them, but we never went to church with anything, you know, and no one ever invited me to church growing up in uh Puerto Rico to a Catholic, to uh sorry, evangelical church.
SPEAKER_03So you're it's kind of like you're turning your back on being Catholic was part of the identity, yes. It's like that with a lot of people, and let's continue.
SPEAKER_00So we went to Puerto Rico and um and I remember
Family Tension And Seeking Truth
SPEAKER_00um that Gloria said, you know what, we we have to go to church, we have to find a church. And I knew where the churches were, but I was afraid. So I I said, oh, there's there's one church over there, you know, in um downtown. So we went and it was closed. Okay. And now like I'm I'm like, I didn't want to go to church. For the first time, I didn't want to go to church. I was like, I'm not going to church. Because I was afraid to confront my my family. Um, I mean, I love my parents and they're you know, I I I honor them, but I was afraid to, you know, for their um response to what I was doing because they knew. I remember before I went to church, I went to Puerto Rico, I told my mom, mom, listen, I'm not going to a Catholic church anymore. Okay. And she got upset, and I was like, but I was like, you know what? Um, you know, I'm gonna honor my my mom, I'm gonna go back to Puerto Rico.
SPEAKER_04So But the church was I went to by myself.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I we went back home, okay, and I stayed home. Okay, and Gloria Gloria left went back to to talk to someone. Were the hours, yeah, to look at the time, okay.
SPEAKER_04And in the meantime, while I was away, then what happened to her?
SPEAKER_00So when while she was away, my my mom asked, Where's Gloria? Uh uh. And I'm like, I can't lie. You know, like so I said she went to look to see what time the services were. Oh my god, that was I I remember my mom got so upset. Oh no, and then my dad, you know, he he they started. Oh, you know, they brainwash you. I can't believe you know, we raised you one way. And now I was I was I felt so bad because I I I was quiet. I didn't defend myself. Um I I remember Gloria coming in and I went to the room and I just started crying. And I remember like it, like it was today, my prayer to God at that moment. I said, God, if my family is gonna be against me because of you, I don't want anything to do with you. That's it. I'm not I'm not gonna serve you, I'm not, but there's one thing I want. Yeah, I want to know the truth. I'm confused right now. Right, right. And I remember coming back, and I got into the Bible. And coming back to the to the to the states, yeah. And I started reading the Bible in a different way. And I remember God showing me through the Bible, not by anyone. Again, you know, God has dealt with me that way, like like it's more personal. Right. And going through the Bible and seeing things that you know what, and and then I realized, you know what, if if I have Jesus, I have the truth. Amen. Um, I have life.
SPEAKER_01Right, right.
SPEAKER_00I have everything that I can have in Christ. So I'm like, after that, I was like, I'm not gonna be afraid of because I know what the truth, the truth I have, and I know what happened to me. Something changed in my life for real. It wasn't like, you know, a uh a religious experience. It wasn't like I was jumping up and down. I was it was more subtle but real. You know, sometimes we get into these emotions that gets us in trouble down the line. This was different.
SPEAKER_03This was real, and you got the word through the word of God. Yeah, the the word of God really,
Scripture As Foundation Over Other Books
SPEAKER_03when you started going through and all of your own, that's when that's some real, real foundational changes started happening where he was really changing you up. Nothing like getting the word in you. It's like, whoa.
SPEAKER_00And that's something that we did together. Remember, every question you had, we went to the Bible to get the answer.
SPEAKER_03Instead of going, uh my buddy Orlando Burgos always always says, Why do you need another book? You know, you don't need another book. You got the you got the best book right here. Yeah. Look in the Bible first. That's one of the reasons why I'm you know, warward plays on word, the word of God.
SPEAKER_00Yes, the word of God. So, and then after that, I my mom saw that that my change was real, and and she after that she appreciated my relationship with God to the point, you know, she passed, it's gonna be a year uh the 19th. Yeah, it's coming up. And uh I always had a beautiful relationship with my parents, which I still do with my dad, he's 92 years old. Um, and that I honor my parents by serving God. So serving God, because that was, you know, giving my heart to the Lord was something that changed my life, and then I realized I have to honor my parents. So everything I did, I always thought of them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00To honor them, you know, even if I wasn't there, even if I wasn't with them, everything I did in my life, I try to honor them. I haven't been perfect. You can ask my wife, and she'll can tell you that out of all the years we're serving God, maybe if you add them all, maybe six months I've been good. Oh man. But the thing is, it's not about being good or bad, it's allowing God to work with you. Yes. And and I really appreciate, you know, friends like you. I always God has always put people in my life, men in my life that I have become very close to. And for some reason, this is something that God always does in my life. Yeah. He will take him away to do better, you know,
Honoring Parents And Imperfect Growth
SPEAKER_00not take him away in a in the sense of you know, out of this life. But like you, you know, you we got very close, and then all of a sudden you you left, and and and then I had to find another friend.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, that's why he didn't call you.
SPEAKER_00I'm like, what happened? You know, I was I was you know the person that I can share my my my thoughts, my my my intimate desires of my heart. Yeah, you know, because it's good to have, I remember have I I I had one pastor that said, a real friend, you will only have very few of them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00They said you the real friend, you will count them with one hand and you also have fingers left. And it's true.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00As a man, you always have very few friends that you can really. I mean, I know a lot of people, but friends, real friends that you can call at any time to for prayer, especially, very few. And Teddy's one one of them. You know, and maybe, yeah, I think Ted is is is the principal. I think he's the pastor out of out of the uh out of the two that I have. No, no, but um, I have very good friends, and um the thing is the relationship with Christ, you know, I I have seen, you know, you know me for you know, and and and um Katie knows us, and and we're very real, you know. When when I talk to you, you know, I'm if I'm upset, I tell you I'm upset. You know, I'm not gonna so but I do that with you guys because I have that that I can confide with you. But we have the best thing that ever happened to me in my life has been coming to Christ. Amen. There's one thing I used to say, why did I come to the United States? Um, you know, a lot of people used to ask me, you know, why are you here? You know, it's so cold here, and I'm like, I don't know, you know, and I'm I'm I'm the guy that 70 and below, I'm cold. 70 and above, I'm good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So, but God had a purpose, you know. I um there's one thing that I that I forgot to mention. Uh when I met Gloria, Gloria's, you know, I don't know if I should share this. But you know, she was she was going to uh uh a divorce. She had a she has a daughter. Back then she was like three and a half years old, and I remember um Gloria telling me, you know what, my my daughter is first. And I was like, wow. And uh, and that was one of the reasons why she said she didn't want to be with me, because she said, I don't want that
Gloria’s Story And Coming Together In Faith
SPEAKER_00lifestyle with my daughter. You know, my I'm not gonna raise my daughter like that. So when we went back, you know, after going back to the to the church, we sat down with the pastor, we told him our story, you know, what's what was going on. We uh we got baptized, and then she was going to going you know to make the divorce, definitely, and when she got divorced, you know, soon after we we got married. Uh and again, very humble, you know. Uh at my wedding, we got married at a pastor's house.
SPEAKER_03Nice.
SPEAKER_00It was uh well my wife, my daughter, Christina, um the two witnesses, okay, my father and mother-in-law, and the pastor.
SPEAKER_03Hey, that's it.
SPEAKER_00That's it in Trenton. Awesome. And I remember, you know what, it was very living room of a house? It was in the living room of a house. That's where I we got married, and and but looking back, you know, it's it was it was the good, it it was the best thing that I that I did because I knew that if I first of all God had had my back all the time. And even though it hasn't been a perfect marriage, I I don't think I will change for nothing my life. You know, even though sometimes when you're upset you say things, you know, and we all do, you know. It's the flesh. Yeah, that flesh is no good. The flesh takes over, but then when you're, you know, just you and God and you realize that she has Gloria have put up with me a lot.
SPEAKER_03Speaking of that, I got a pregunta for you. Question. How about Gloria? Now, when did when did you come to know the Lord? Like when did you see Orlando this change something changing it, Orlando, or did you, or were you, have you always known the Lord? How did you come to know Christ?
SPEAKER_04I came to know Christ that day that I visited the church uh along with Orlando, attended that church. What were you doing? And I um felt the love of God there,
Church Transitions And Seeds Planted
SPEAKER_04and I was just drawn to the love of God, uh, how the people were so um loving towards us. And then after hearing um the preaching and hearing um how to come to Christ, what it is to be born again. Right. And then I received the invitation. And um I would say together, I always say together, Orlando and I came to the Lord. The seeds were planted prior. I remember uh at the church which I currently go to, Fountain of Life, they used to have um plays, and there was a play that um we visited, we saw, it was called Heaven's Gates House Bleams. And there we we went forward to the invitation to come to Christ, but um then I we I started going back to the Catholic Church, like yeah, we we we didn't um stay in that Bible-believing church. Like then once we attended that Bible-believing church, the evangelical church, then everything um came to the church.
SPEAKER_03And made yeah it made sense.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it made sense.
SPEAKER_03Was was is this this is a church that when you guys moved from Triton area down to here, yes, you were in tears because the old man, right? You love the old man, the old pastor. Yes, yes. That was the church. Okay, yes.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I've I've um I remember that all this year.
SPEAKER_03That was hard.
SPEAKER_00In all these years, I've only been we've only been in two churches. One was the Spanish church, I was there for about 10 years, and I didn't want to leave that church, but we moved, and the church that we go to now is five minutes away. And they they had more things for for our girls. We had three girls, yeah, and Gloria wanted to go, and I remember going to the other church, to the Spanish church for about a year by myself because Gloria would go to the English church. And I remember everybody would start asking me, you know, like uh, you know, is everything okay? You know, like, yeah, you know, you know, because they they didn't see my my wife, and I remember talking to the pastor, and he didn't want me to leave. But I said, listen, you know, I'm I I think that's where God is calling us, and um, and you know, been there for since. But one thing we forgot to mention, your sister. Yes, Carmen and Joe, her husband, yes, they they were serving the Lord, and they were the one inviting us to the place, and to the you know, we went a few times to their to their church.
SPEAKER_03Yes, correct. Joe's the one Joe was the the pastor that married me and Katie.
SPEAKER_00Yes, so Joe was the one planting that seed.
SPEAKER_03And he was uh he he was like a military
Creation’s Witness And Responding To Light
SPEAKER_03military guy.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Um again, there was a language barrier because their services was in English and I didn't speak English, and I barely uh understood English back then, and I remember going to that play and I went forward. But I went forward because they say go forward, so I went forward, but it was like after that, it was like it was it was hell's flame, it was heaven gates and hell flames. I think the all the hell flames got up in my heart because after that I was worse. But it was a it was necessary because when I went to the church, remember I said I I didn't go forward. Right, right. I remember that I said, I went forward that day. It was that what I was doing, you know. Now it made sense because now I understood what happened.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so and I'm sure after that I I went forward and made it public. But I don't remember, you know, the the exact day. You know, a lot of people say, Oh, you know, you were saved that day. I don't think there's a I believe that God will deal with you throughout life, and and he will make himself real to you, and he started dealing with you. So the the exact day when you're saved is impossible to know. Right. Because just when you responded to God is different than when God was dealing with you, and maybe you were saved before you responded, right? Because God had already put his seal in you, and then you just reacted or responded to how what God was doing, all of a sudden it's like, oh, now I see.
SPEAKER_03Kind of like your back pain we were just talking about, you know, was it moving the couch or was it a whole bunch of other things that happened beforehand that actually caused the last straw of the couch to throw your back out? But it was, and God has been working, and listen, God's been working on every single human being.
SPEAKER_00Correct.
SPEAKER_03Calling every human being since they took their first breath. In one way or another, throughout creation, God is letting them know that He's God. Man is without excuse. No man can say, I never, God never reached out to me. Because through through through creation, God has reached out to mankind to let them know that this didn't just happen.
SPEAKER_04This is Romans.
SPEAKER_03Romans 1. Men are without excuse because of the things that have been made. Through the things that have been made, God has revealed his divine nature, he's revealed that there is a God. The problem is not that there's not enough light, it's man refuses to respond to the light he's been given because if he responds to the light he's given, he'll be given more light.
SPEAKER_00And so, anyway, I didn't mean to go on that rant, but yeah, it's uh No, but it's it's it's the beauty of how God deals with you. A lot of you know, and God is a personal God, and that's something that I realize, you know, we we all want to go to church, and we and that's it's great. But there's something after.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Or before. You know, it's like there's something that it has to, you have to have that personal relationship when what happens if all of a sudden there's no church,
Flesh Versus Spirit In Daily Life
SPEAKER_00like during COVID. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, that everything closed down, you know, a lot of churches closed down. Um if you don't have a real relationship with Christ, a lot of people left the church. Right. So that relationship is it's more important. It's like, okay, just because I'm not with my wife, that doesn't mean that I don't have a relationship with my wife. That relationship should be utmost.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, when you went to Puerto Rico and she was here, you your relationship didn't change. You weren't in fellowship.
SPEAKER_00Correct.
SPEAKER_03But you were in relationship.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and that and that, and that's something that we have to realize that the relationship we have with God is more important. Because, well, it is more important, but there's something about that relationship that is always with you. Because the Spirit is in you and with you. And it's not something that you can say, okay, let me put let me leave God here for a second and let me go over here and do what I have to do. No, no, no, no. Wherever you go, God, God is with you. He may not reveal himself to you, but he's there. So when when the time comes to reveal himself to you and and made himself, all of a sudden your eyes are open, and you see the unsearchable reaches of his grace, and that's when you say, Wow, he loves me. Yeah, I mean, after all this, he still loved me. Not only loves me, he allowed his son to die for me.
SPEAKER_03Romans 5, that was the demonstration exactly of his love. What? That's how he demonstrated his love for the cross?
SPEAKER_00The cross, and and and and that's why the cross is so offensive. Because a lot of people say, Oh, you did you you think that God loves you when he killed his own son? That's how I know how much he loves me. That that his son willingly gave his life for me, and his father allowed his son to die.
SPEAKER_03It's a it's just absolutely mind-boggling when you think about it. Anybody to but yet the enemy, get this, the enemy is actually skilled in making people feel like God doesn't love them or care about them.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because of the flesh. The flesh. That we were talking about. The flesh always comes to you and shows you something that is not true. You know, all the appetites of the flesh, they're not bad, but they have to be controlled. Because the only
Practicing God’s Presence And Rebellion
SPEAKER_00way you know that is when God comes to you into your life. And you realize that the spirit controls, not the flesh. And what every time you let the flesh take over, that's it. You're gonna sin. There's no way that you allow the flesh to take over and not sin. It's almost impossible.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's it's that's what the flesh does. It's professional.
SPEAKER_00The Bible says if you walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. But if you don't walk in the spirit, that's all we do, because that's all we know. You know, that's a natural man in us. Yes. And it's natural for us to follow sin. You know, because it's as soon as Adam and Eve sinned, that's it. I mean, it's it's in us. I mean, you can that's why we have to be transformed, because our flesh cannot enter heaven the way it is. No, there's no way that it's gonna enter heaven, it doesn't care about the things of God. No, absolutely not.
SPEAKER_03Like the flesh, the fallen fleshly nature does not care about the all it cares about is itself. The way you can find out it is it is very it's it is it's all about self gratification. The way you know just deny it. Any of the things that it desires. It wants air, it wants to breathe, it wants water, um, it wants pleasure, you know, and it wants food, you know. And you denied any one of those things, they have a term for it. Oh, he hasn't eaten in a while, you become hangy.
SPEAKER_00Hangry, yes.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Which means your flesh is letting you know and letting everybody else know it's not happy because it's being denied something. And this is not something that needs to be taught to children because you can see it in an infant. Give me my formula or my milk now. Yeah. Babies get so angry, mad because tantrum. Tantrum. You deny the you deny the flesh air. Just hold your breath. It's go, you're gonna pass out, and your flesh will take over. It only cares about itself. It doesn't care about pleasing God, it doesn't care about the things of God. And that's one of the problems. And the the real problem is that it flesh by itself is not a bad deal. But the fallen flesh is intimate with the knowledge of good and evil. And good, that's whatever. That's not a problem. But being intimate with being intimate with evil, and in the biblical sense, it's being becoming one with evil. So when it says Adam knew his wife, it's the same word, knowing,
Romans 7 And The Inner Struggle
SPEAKER_03knowing his wife for knowing good and evil. And knowing good, you know God. You know, you know good. But knowing evil, becoming one with God is one thing. But becoming one with evil, that has always been the problem, man. And the flesh has become one, intimately one, united with evil. And we see it everywhere. You just turn on the news. There you go. That goes directly back to when Adam, you know, the the knowledge of good and evil and humanity's flesh. And even worse, Paul says in Romans 8, the whole creation. The whole creation waits an eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. The whole creation is been subjected to frustration, meaning the whole creation was affected when Adam decided to rebel against what God said not to do. And Adam said, I know he said, don't do it, but I'm gonna do this anyway, because my wife has given this to me. You know, and he when Adam did it, the whole creation, that means the whole the whole universe, the cosmos. Yes, everything got tilted when that happened. Think about that.
SPEAKER_00Everything created at that moment.
SPEAKER_03Everything. Like every single atom going, or Adam in the sense of atomic structure, right now. Um, but the atomic structure, like the Lord placed him in charge of basically of everything. And it's all fallen now.
SPEAKER_00Everything is fallen, and that's you know, when you realize that you are a sinner, neither you have done wrong, because we have all done wrong, but when you realize that you have sinned against God, that's when you come to Christ. Because, yeah, you know, even after
Mercy, Consequences, And Gratitude
SPEAKER_00we come to Christ, we do things that are wrong. Okay, we might upset our eyes by something we said or whatever. But when I came to the Lord, I I it's like the sinfulness of my sin. I could see it. Like the evilness, like what you just said, that evilness, you know, it's like I did it against a just God, I did it against a good God.
SPEAKER_03Isn't that what David said in Psalm 51?
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
SPEAKER_03Against you, against you and you only have I sinned, oh my god.
SPEAKER_00But that's when you have a contrite spirit, and that's what changes your life, because you realize not that I did wrong to Ted, but I did wrong to God.
SPEAKER_03I mean accept that sacrifice.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. No, I was just gonna say, I think that's why we have to remember that we're we're um in this world, but we're not of it. Because look at look at this world um fast-forwarded from when we were a kid, look what's allowed on TV. You couldn't even say darn on TV, and we see all this sin being normalized.
SPEAKER_00Correct.
SPEAKER_02And you know what helps me, and this is something that you Pastor Teddy preached on a little while ago, and it was practice the presence of God. And when I can stop myself when I'm in the middle of that flesh stuff, you know, okay, how would I feel? I know that the Holy Spirit is here, I know he is among us, but if he were sitting right there and he sees this, practice the presence of God. Something just so simple, but it has come to mind so many times, like, and at the very least, it just helps me halt. Like, put on the brakes. I know you hate this. No, you're right, you're right. But it's like, okay, just stop what's happening. And that that's really helped me because we're we're not, you know, we're not perfect.
SPEAKER_00And and then, and then in that thought, it comes the rebellion that also speak about on Psalm 51. Remember, rebellion is when you know that whatever you're doing is wrong and you do it anyway. That's that's the rebellion. And usually you do it, it's very hard to be to rebel against God without knowing God.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, my thinking is you have to like because God, when you know God, and now you know what is right and what is wrong, and what and you do it anyway, that's rebellion. Yeah, yeah. When you don't have it's your nature, it's what's your nature, whatever nature wants, it's exactly that's that's why you can that's why you can do things and and be like, oh, that's normal.
SPEAKER_03That's because you're you're intimate
Mourning, Mortality, And Gospel Moments
SPEAKER_03and one within.
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
SPEAKER_03So evil becomes almost normalized, like this is the norm, this is the way it's supposed to be.
SPEAKER_00Because that's the only thing that is in you, right?
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00But when light comes in, now there's a struggle.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because you can not have light and darkness. You either have light or you have darkness, because there's no way. And that's the struggle. That's why we struggle with our flesh, because the darkness that is, it could be surrounding us, it can you know start fighting with the light that is within us.
SPEAKER_03Didn't Paul say something like that? I in Romans 7. Uh, man, the things I want to do, I I don't do. The things I don't want to do, I can just do that.
SPEAKER_00I end up doing, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So if if I do the things I don't want to do, then I know that it's sin living in me. Living in my in my memory. He said, he said, in my heart, I I want to do what's right by God. In my inner being, I love God's law, but I find there's something else weight warring against my spirit. What a wretched man I am. Who can save me from this body of death? He goes on to say. Who can save me? Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_00That's the beauty of you know going back to knowing God.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That my life changed for the better. And and I I saw the hand of God in our lives till this day. You know, we still see it. How God has been so good to us. Yeah. I I don't dis any of the goodness of God, I don't deserve. I don't. The sin, the consequences of my sin, like I was telling you earlier, I deserve them all. If it's because I know that I without God, I'm wretched. That's it. There's no maybe I'm a little bit good, no.
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_00But going back to my parents, I when I wanted to honor them, I realized that trying to, you know, have a good family, you know, raise my kids in the fear of the Lord, my daughters, our daughters. I I remember my mom, I remember she was struggling with something years ago. This is when in the beginning when I started coming to the Lord, I think it was in '92. I came to the Lord in 1991. In 92, I wrote, I I remember I couldn't sleep. And I woke up and I started writing something. I wrote something for my mom and I sent it to her. And I went back to Puerto Rico. What I wrote, she put it on a frame, on a water frame. And it's still there at my mom's house.
unknownWow.
SPEAKER_00And I read it not too long ago, and I was like, Did I write that?
SPEAKER_03What did it say?
SPEAKER_00It says, I mean, it's it's like a poem, but it's in in in Spanish. But it says, I can't, I I don't remember the words. That's the thing. I don't remember the words. Wow. I remember a little bit. It's like everything is like, um, even if your children are away from you, have faith that God is with you. So everything was, every verse will finish with God is with you. Amen. You know, ten fe mamma, even when you think that the that that the that the enemy is winning
Truth Claims, Heaven, And Urgency
SPEAKER_00the war, have faith. Mom, God is with you. God is with you. Amen. So and and I remember can you take a picture of that? Yeah, I can, yeah, yeah. I'd like to see that tomorrow. Um, yeah, I'll ask my brother tomorrow. And um, but you see how God works in your life, and I remember my mom, you know, when we went through things in the family, you know, pray for so-and-so, you know. And uh, and every death that we had in our family, and I went to Puerto Rico, you know, my uncles, my cousins, I used to they asked me to talk. And I present every time I had the opportunity, I presented the gospel at that moment. So why? Because there are like ecclesiastics, you know, they say that the you know, I'm trying to translate because every you know, I read my Bible in Spanish, so that it's better to be in a house of mourning than a house of feast, and that's something that we don't realize, but in a house of mourning, what happens? You're you're in front of death, and that's the reality of us all. When you're in the in a feast, you're just enjoying something. You don't think about death, you don't think about, but when you are in front of a casket, you know, someone that has died, it does something to you, and you realize that we are in this life just for a moment. So a lot of people are more receptive to hear a word, and especially when you bring the word, you know what, that's gonna happen to all of all of us. Yeah.
The Monkey Debate And Lasting Impact
SPEAKER_00And the thing is, are we ready for that day? Are we ready to meet the Lord? Oh, I don't believe that. It doesn't matter. Right, right, right, right. Because nothing changes because I don't believe it. Yeah, the truth will not change just because I don't believe it. The truth is the truth, you know, and I don't I don't know if I told you this, and you know, many times we spoke about that I'm the kind of person that that um I remember one person I said to a um, I don't know if it was you or someone else, that they um that they said, um, how do you know what you say is is is true? Maybe I'm right. And I said, Well, if you believe what you believe, you know, this person was saying, oh, everybody will go to heaven, everybody. So I said, you know what, if if you're right, I don't have to worry about it. Right. Because I'm gonna be in the same place that you are. But if I'm right, then you're in big trouble. Yeah. And and sometimes it is the same thing with the with the monkey, remember? With the monkey, you and me. Sorry. So that's yeah, that's it's the same thing. But Ted is um if I have a friend that is smart, is Ted. Oh my goodness, this guy is so smart. And I'm saying this with all honesty. I always tell my wife that he's smart. I mean, this guy has a brain, he's a musician, he's a preacher, he's a I mean, what uh he's he's good, you know, he's very talented, you know, and not I know God gave him all those talents. And one day we were talking, this is in the beginning, you know, a long time ago. We were talking well, he was he was uh uh on the fence.
SPEAKER_03I think you were on on the fence with God, yeah, you know, and the Lord was working on pulling me in all directions. This is part of your testimony, this is part of my testimony, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so and I remember we were talking, and and he said, Oh, but what if what if we we do come from a monkey? What if what if God created everything and all of a sudden, you know, he just let um evolution take over, and then you know, we do come from the monkey. I looked at Ted and I said, Maybe you came from a monkey, but I didn't come from a monkey. I know my I know my dad, my grandfather, my great grandfather. And if I keep going back, there's still men. There's no monkeys. There's no monkeys in my family. And I remember Ted getting so mad, so upset.
SPEAKER_03I couldn't believe it.
SPEAKER_00Because he's like, he's like, he he couldn't answer me anything, and that was I was just telling him what I believed. That's it.
SPEAKER_03I'm and I could not believe that you I was amazed. I was like, I was like, Orlando is smart, he's a head end technician. He's this guy's no dummy, but he actually believes. I can't believe he believes this. Like, doesn't he? How can he believe he really believes what he's saying? That messed with me so bad.
