Looks Easy... But Don't Let Your Guard Down

Looks easy, but don't let your guard down. I remember a subject in high school we all thought too easy and we laughed at the obviousness of that subject. Of course, we didn't make much effort for that subject and when the year was already advanced, we were so far behind, that most of us had serious problems to pass the subject. This happens to us in life. We do not give importance to personal relationships and situations that seem easy to handle and do not require a lot of attention on our part. However, with the passage of time, that situation or relationship has become a serious problem, only because of  our carelessness and lack of attention. You should take care of small bumps that are coming together, before they become a mountain. Trusting your problems to God, does not mean you neglect them and act irresponsibly, just because God is there to help. When the devil tempted Jesus to jump off the highest point of the Temple, because God would protect him, Jesus said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

No Excuses

What do you do when God calls you? Do you Look for excuses not to go? Maybe you tell God you're occupied with your business, with your family or professional matters. No problem, God will call others and you'll continue with your business as usual. However, you are the one who loses the blessing. I'm not talking about punishment or going to hell, or anything like it. Losing the blessing is what happens to the child that doesn't do what the father asks. He is still the Child, but the other child that does what the father asks, has his blessing. Jesus told the story of a man who prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations, but they all began making excuses and that man still filled his house but with other people. That passage is in Luke 14:15-24. Do not miss the blessing of participating in the great banquet in the Kingdom of God. When He calls, you should respond quickly and without excuses. Now go and get your blessing.

Easy or Difficult

Do not believe everything you're told. Please confirm everything with the teachings of Jesus. Today, a lot is preached about the easy Christian life. However, Jesus said this: Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.  You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:12-20

Always Ready!

Always Ready! What if there is an emergency and The Rescue Team is not ready? What if they answered: Now we can not go. Please call later to see if we are ready. Absurd and inconceivable! That does not happen because Rescuers are aware of their responsibility and they are always ready. That same consciousness of responsibility should be present in those who follow Jesus Christ. Jesus said: Be ready for service. The servants who are ready, will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, whenever the time, the servants who are ready, will be rewarded. You also must be ready all the time, for a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. When someone has been given much responsibility, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. You can read this in Luke 12:35-48. If you are part of Jesus Rescue Team, you must be always ready to serve. Do not neglect your responsibility!

Inner Beauty Queen

Inner Beauty Queen: Christa Brelsford was volunteering in Haiti on January 12, 2010, when the terrible earthquake we've all known for the news, hit that country. A concrete slab fell on Christa and her right leg had to be amputated below the knee. But that did not stop Christa. Following her recovery, she completed her Ph.D., created the organization "Christa's Angels" to help in the reconstruction of Haiti and also climb mountains. We can also mention Michelle Marsiglia, who has impaired vision, Jenny Wright who has Down syndrome and Kerri Pitman who have type 1 diabetes, which affected her vision. These women spend much of their time, volunteering to help others. These beautiful women have a beauty that only God can give, with a heart to serve others out of love. That true beauty, may not win contests, but it wins many souls and hearts for God. Seek the beauty of following Jesus and loving your neighbor.

Obey and Live

Obey and Live: On the morning of October 25, 2010, the Indonesian Government raised the alert for Mount Merapi volcano to its highest level and warned villagers in threatened areas to move to safer ground. People living within a 20 km zone were told to evacuate. Over 350,000 people were evacuated from the affected area and were saved. However, Mount Merapi erupted, killing 353 people and injuring many more, because many residents living in the risky zone of 20 kms, refused to leave their homes to look after their belongings and many other evacuees returned to the zone during the eruptions to take care of their cattle. There are people who do not obey the authorities and may even pay with their life for their attitude. Unfortunately, the same thing happens with God. Jesus told us what we must do to live after death, but many refuse to obey, risking their eternal life for their attitude. This is why Jesus said: You have eyes, can’t you see? You have ears, can’t you hear?’ Do not risk your life, follow Jesus and live.

Don't Be A Fool

You are a fool if you worry about what you have or what you don't have. Jesus said: Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own. A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. Can all your worries for wealth add a single moment to your life?  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. Store up treasure for you in heaven! Because wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. You can read this in the Gospel of Luke  chapter 12. Do not worry about what you have or what you do not have, seek the Kingdom of God and you will have the peace of those who are rich in heaven.

Eye Exam

How long have been since you have an eye exam? I do not mean the eye exam Ophthalmologists or Optometrists do, but to some soul searching about what you see and what you like to watch. Examine yourself to assess if you like to see what is good or bad, and whether you are looking for the good or the bad, when you see a person or situation. Jesus taught us that the eye is a lamp that provides light for your body and that when your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. About this, Jesus taught us: Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light. You can read this in Luke 11:33-36. See the good and look for the good when you look around you, and your life will be radiant.

There Are No Limits

There are no limits. I would like to hear you excuse for not striving for your dreams: Christy Brown was an Irish author, painter and poet who had severe cerebral palsy. Marla Runyan is a three time national champion in the women’s 5000 meters and is blind. Jean-Do the author and editor of the French fashion magazine ELLE, was paralyzed from head to toe and was able to move only his left eyelid, after coming out of a 20 days coma. Despite his condition, he wrote the book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Helen Keller was an American author, political activist and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Stephen Hawking is a British theoretical physicist, whose world-renowned scientific career spans over 40 years. He has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and gradually lost the use of his arms, legs, voice and sight. Albert Einstein had a learning disability. He did not speak until age 3 and had a very difficult time doing maths in school. Thomas Alba Edison had a learning disability. He couldn't read until he was twelve years old and had a very difficult time writing even when he was older. And what are you missing? What is your excuse for not achieving your dreams and goals? No matter if the world says you can not do it. God created you with a great purpose. Then, do not look at the obstacles or limitations and fight for your dreams, because it is up to you to achieve them, with God's help.

There Is Always A Bridge

The problems and adversities we face in life are as impassable chasms, that hold us back and prevent us from achieving our dreams and goals. That's why we get worried and stressed, which damages our physical, emotional and spiritual health. However, there are two ways to deal with these situations. The first is, look at the abyss, bemoaning the fact that we can not pass to reach our goal. That attitude does not help. The second is, to find a bridge to cross, believing that the bridge exists. No matter how much we have to strive looking for the bridge, we must fight to find it, because "There Is Always A Bridge". Today I want to offer you a bridge that is always available. That bridge is our Father who is in heaven. When we put our trust in God and His Promises, He is always going to provide a bridge to cross and He will often use the adversity we face, as the bridge that will take us to a destiny even better than we had in mind or dreamed. For God there are no abysses but bridges, you just need to believe it.

A Treasure No One Can Steal

All you have to worry about is seeking the Lord. There should no be any worries or concerns that make you upset or distracted, and prevent you to sit at the Master's feet, listening to his teachings. Read this passage that you can find in Luke chapter 10: As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Will you be able to put aside your concerns and seek Jesus? You'll find a treasure that no one can take away from you!

Bodyguard

Bodyguard : Usually, celebrities like artists, sportsmen , businessmen and politicians, hire bodyguard services to have physical protection. However, we've all seen the news about attacks, assaults and murders of famous people, despite having bodyguards. This does not mean that bodyguards don't work, but shows how difficult it is to protect a person facing so many possibilities of aggression and that people and technology are not infallible. However, there is someone that "is" Infallible and Almighty, that told us: The very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are very valuable to God. Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. I am with you always, even to the end of the age. So, do not worry if you do not have bodyguards, because you have God as your Lifeguard and Soulguard. Don't be afraid.

Love Without Religion

Love without religion. The right way is not in the religious norms, but in love. Jesus said that to have eternal life we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we ask: Who is our neighbor and how we love him? Jesus replies with a story in which some bandits attacked a man and left him half dead in the road. Two religious persons saw the man lying there and passed him by. Then a despised Samaritan saw the man, he felt compassion for him.  Going over to him, he helped him and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews because they mixed their race and religious norms with the pagans. At the end of the story, Jesus asks: who loved his neighbor, the two religious persons or the despised Samaritan? The answer is obvious: The Samaritan. Jesus concludes: Now you go and do the same. What God cares about is how you treat your brother who is close to you, whoever he is and not how you practice a religion. Luke 10:25-37

Addiction or Balance

Addiction or Balance: Lorenzo is very successful, but is a work addict and when his family asks to share time with him, Lorenzo is never available and his excuse is that through his work, his family lacks nothing. Addiction to work is an obsessive - compulsive disorder. In addition, the body of the work addict may produce adrenaline as a result of a consistently heightened level of stress, and those who are addicted to work may be addicted to the adrenaline their body produces. The addiction to work has similar patterns to other addictions, including gambling addiction, video game addiction, extreme sports addiction, sex addiction and alcohol and drug addiction. The family of an addict, lack the presence of their loved one at home and also when the addict is at home can show irritability and withdrawal and isolation syndrome , which destroys the family peace and functionality. If you have this problem, seek professional help or you can lose much more than a career. But above all, ask your heavenly Father to fill your emotional emptiness, take control of your life and heal you of that addiction. If your soul is filled with God, you don't need of any substance or obsessive behavior, to feel good.

Miracle = Believe + Obey

If you follow Jesus, you will receive teachings and healing. But if you believe His promises and obey Him, you will see miracles that achieve what seems impossible. We learn this in a passage in which Jesus had slipped quietly away toward the town of Bethsaida, but the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. Then, Jesus welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and He healed those who were sick. That happened in a remote place where there was nothing to eat and Jesus decided to feed them, even though they were about 5,000 men, not counting women and children, and the disciples only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Jesus told the crowd to sit down and even though they were hungry and the feeding options were practically nil, they all obeyed and sat down and waited, because they believed in Jesus. The result was that they all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! We can read this passage in Luke 9:10-17. If you follow Jesus you will be fine, but miracles happen when you believe in Him and obey Him.

Can You Babysit My Kids?

Can you babysit my kids? Many children as they grow, just remember their parents in special dates of the year and the rest of the year they only contact them when they need something. These are the phrases that parents hear frequently: Can I borrow some money? Can you babysit my children? can I use your car? But very few times, grown up children, call or visit their parents to give them love, company and share with them special moments that make them feel appreciated and loved. No parent is perfect, but the vast majority went to great lengths for their children and at the end of life, the only award that counts, is a grateful child. Unfortunately, that's the same attitude we have with God. We never remember our Heavenly Father and we only seek Him when we need something. How many times we seek God just to enjoy His company, tell Him how much we love Him and how grateful we are to Him for all He has done for us? Jesus told us to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and with all our strength. Please, love your heavenly Father and your biological parents.

Act With Faith and Without Fear

Do not be afraid, act with faith and you will see a miracle. There is a passage we read in Luke chapter 8, in which a man named Jairus, had a twelve years old daughter, who was dying and he came to Jesus, pleading with him to come home with him. As Jesus went with him, a messenger arrived and told Jairus: Your daughter is dead. But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus: Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed. When they arrived at the house, Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice: My child, get up! And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! In that same passage, while Jesus went with Jairus, a woman who had suffered an illness for twelve years and could find no cure, coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe and immediately, she was healed. But Jesus said: Someone touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me. When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she explained why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. Jesus said to her: Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. What is the lesson? Fear and worry will not solve your problems, but having faith in the mighty power of God, will do it, if you act according to that faith.

Without Faith You Don't Progress

Without faith you don't progress. There is an exercise used in personal development workshops, to show the concept of trust in the team. This exercise is for two people as partners and one person leads another through a path with obstacles, but the other person that is blindfolded. Once we did that exercise in a workshop and is shocking to see how those who trusted their partner, even though they stumbled a few times, made it to the end of the route. But those who did not trust their partners, became paralyzed, resisted and did not reach the end of the route. That's what happens to us with our heavenly Father. In life we walk as if we are "blindfolded" because we can not see or know, what we can expect in our next step and the obstacles that we can find, are much more impressive and challenging than those in the exercise of the workshop. God says: Trust me and let me guide you, because I can see and know the way. However, we doubt God and feel fear, insecurity and become paralyzed, fighting the perfect hand of God that wants to guide us. You are in the best team and your guide is the Creator of the universe, who knows everything and can do anything. If you trust Him and let yourself be guided, you will advance in God's perfect "route" and you will succeed, even if you stumble a few times.

Do Not Turn Off The Light

Do not turn off the light. The light helps us see in the darkness, because it penetrates the dark, making everything clear and revealing all that is concealed by darkness. Talking about light, Jesus said: I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. And He also said: You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. That is, Jesus is the light and if you follow Him, His Light will be within you and you will be the lamp of Jesus. About that He said: No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.  For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. So watch your light so it will not fade and do not hide, Jesus wants everyone to see you, so they can see the light He placed in you.

Image Management: Appearance or Character?

Image Management: Appearance or Character? For John is very important his personal appearance and carefully selects the brands he uses. When people want to project a certain image through appearance, they pay a great deal of attention to the brand and style of the garments and objects they use. This type of person, only seek to project in others, an image based on appearances. However, what matters is not what you appear to be but what you really are. What really impacts others is what they perceive from the way you behave and not from the image projected by your appearance. That is, your goal should not be in your appearance but in your actions. Finally, if you want your actions to transcend time and space, follow Jesus and obey what he commanded us to do. If you love your neighbor as yourself and do to others whatever you would like them to do to you, you will impact others deeply, changing their lives and you will also have the best brand and style, because when you follow Jesus, His Image will be reflected on you.

Life or Death Insurance?

Life or death insurance? My friend Peter likes to live with peace of mind and for that reason he has several insurance policies that offer personal, family and property protection, providing different levels of coverage for the eventualities of life. What Peter does with insurance is fine and shows he is a responsible and cautious person. I know Peter likes to be prepared for eventualities and one day I asked him if he had any insurance of "eternal life", and of course, he was speechless. That day I explained him the plan of salvation and Peter received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. From that moment, my friend was sure of his eternal life. There is a popular saying: The only certainty we have is death. However, although death is certain, there are many people who do not prepare for it. God's insurance policy is free, has no expiration date and in addition of eternal life, provides you with peace in this life. Jesus says in chapter 11 of the Gospel of John: I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?