Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
God is Faithful!
“Everyone who’s inside the faith has to go to the world and preach the gospel. I can’t simply convert and stay silent, you know?”
The “King of Reggaetón” Daddy Yankee, considered one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all-time and who catapulted the genre into a global phenomenon with his breakout single “Gasolina,” recently returned from retirement and charted #1 in the Latin Airplay Chart once again with the Christian single “Sonríele.” (Its accompanying music video, released just five months ago, surpassed 41 million views on YouTube alone at the time this was written.)
What’s more, Psalm 30:11 inspired the title of Yankee’s newest album Lamento en Baile (Mourning into Dancing), a record illustrating Christian themes in every song.
But expressing his faith goes beyond what he publishes under HYBE Latin America and DY Records.
Yankee shared with ABC News that he will not perform “Gasolina” alongside fellow Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny at the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show “[be]cause I’m on a different mission.” But, if asked to perform “Sonríele,” he enthused, “I would love to do it.”
“This isn’t simply making Christian music,” he explained to Billboard’s Leila Cobo. “The challenge is to make the Kingdom part of pop culture. My vision [in the past] was to transform the industry when they told me I couldn’t. Now I’m in the same situation with a different purpose: revolutionize and reinvent.”
But in a music scene where his friends rap about worldly and carnal desires, can he remain faithful to his mission, or will the boundaries blur over time?
Joshua was worried that Israel, finally resting in the Promised Land, would fall into complacency and neglect routing out its remaining pagan neighbors–maybe even intermarry with them. With time, such alliances would begin blurring faith ideologies and lead to Israel’s spiritual collapse.
He knew from experience that Israel, despite witnessing God’s ceaseless faithfulness, tended to fall into sin. He saw the Israelites worship a golden calf after God helped them cross the Red Sea!
Knowing that he was in his final days, Joshua appealed to and admonished Israel, reminding them of all the times God provided for the Hebrews and of what happened to those who turned to other gods (Joshua 23, 24).
And although Israel vowed to be faithful, Joshua was dubious (Joshua 24:14–22), believing it would only be a matter of time before Israel would fail to uphold its half of the covenant once again and evoke God’s righteous wrath.
The book of Joshua draws to a close with the last of Israel’s Exodus-era religious leaders passing away following the Hebrew nation recommitting itself to the Lord–leaving the reader with the question: Will Israel succeed, or fail?
For Reflection
Connecting: Joshua 23 strongly warns against closely associating with those who do not follow God. For the time being, Daddy Yankee balances a relationship with fellow música urbana artists. Do you think this is sustainable? How do you find a balanced relationship with the secular society surrounding you?
Sharing: Joshua’s grim final warnings present a bleak outlook if Israel fails in faithfulness. How do you reconcile a “jealous God” (Joshua 24:19–20) with the image “God is love” (1 John 4:7–8)? Explain your answers in your group/with a peer or journal your reasoning.
- Pray for wisdom in this matter
- Fear God because no one else is like God
- Jealousy and love do not conflict
- Love requires justice
- God is not limited to human understanding
- Other
Applying: In your relationship with the Godhead, how can you mirror God’s faithfulness? How can you reflect God faithfulness among other believers? Non-believers? You may wish to journal your thoughts and pray for God’s guidance.
Valuing: Where and how do you seek God’s faithfulness in the midst of the trials and tribulations you face?
~ Stefani Leeper
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| Various studies conducted within the United States all reveal the same surprising data: transgender identification is on the decline, especially among young adults. Is it that the current U.S. political climate discourages individuals from exploring and expressing gender nonconformity, or could it be that religion really is gaining influence in American life, as Pew Research Center findings suggest?
Sources: Andover Phillips Academy, FIRE, Brown University, Cooperative Election Study (2020-2024) – analyzed by Ryan Burge at graphsaboutreligion.com |
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| Are you wondering how to minister and reflect your faith without pushing people away? Curious about the Adventist stance on contemporary social issues? See what the Gospel has to say.
Image retrieved from beyondpositivethinking.org |
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| Sustained west winds of 10 – 15 MPH (16 – 24 KMH) are just a normal part of life in Central Washington. What we’re not so used to is waking up to full garbage receptacles blown down neighborhood streets, plants ripped from their roots, and patio furniture and Christmas decor swept away into the sky. But with the 50 MPH (80.47 KMH) gales we’ve had this week, those sights are what we’ve been waking up to.
Interestingly, in Exodus 10:19 God uses the west wind to deliver relief from the locusts. Jesus uses the west wind as a metaphor for spiritual discernment (Luke 12:54-56). Scripture highlights the east wind much more often, and usually this wind brings with it destruction – a sign of judgment (parting of the Red Sea being an exception). Because east and west typically hold opposing symbolic meaning throughout Scripture, with east winds symbolizing destruction and judgment, should we Central Washingtonians reevaluate our appreciation for these gales from the west? In this case, probably not, but it is beneficial to look at unfortunate circumstances through a Biblical lens, for by beholding we become changed. What is the weather like where you are? Does the Bible have anything to say that can compare to what you’re experiencing? If so, how can you apply that lesson to your life/circumstance? Stefani Leeper | Projects Director Image retrieved from wvpublic.org |
