You Get What You Pay For!

Once upon a time (it feels like it) i was in a hardware store looking for a drill, i found two of them that i liked and to me, the only difference (huge) between them was the price. I asked a lady worker for help, considering that the store's motto is "the helpful place", i had no doubt that she would help me, but when i asked her why the price was so different, she replied: "You get what you pay for!" Then she turned around and left and i was shocked by her attitude. Of course she meant: "If you pay for the best drill, you will get the best drill". It didn't take much longer to realize that she was right, despite her lack of politeness, she spoke the truth. Applying this "truth" to our context (christianity), we'll see that Jesus spoke just like that (parable), for example: Matthew 13:45-46. Do you remember what Jesus told the rich young ruler? Mark 10:21. How about Luke 14:26. Is Jesus being "literal" when He says that His disciple must HATE his family? Of course not, Jesus is talking about "priority" or "importance", He is not teaching us to literally HATE our neighbor or else He would be contradicting Himself: Matthew 22:36-40. There's something called "extreme or hyperbolic language" in the Bible and that's the case. Another case is found in Genesis 29:30-31. Do you understand what it means to follow Jesus as His disciple? It means that you will LOVE Him MORE than you love anyone else, even yourself, to the point that you will be willing to lose your life for His sake. If the PAYMENT is your "life", then you will GET "eternal life": John 12:25; If the PAYMENT is "money" (prosperity gospel), then you will GET "money", etc. At the end, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! How much is the Kingdom of God worth for you? Are you willing to "sell" everything and follow Jesus Christ? Are you loving the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind?

Go and Sell no More. Are You a House of Prayer?

Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13. What is prayer anyways? To me, prayer is not a monologue, reciting the catechism, quoting the Bible, etc. Prayer is a direct communication between God and us, a dialogue between God and His children. What is the house of God? Is the "physical" temple in Jerusalem or the building you call church? Acts 7:48-49. So, if God does not dwell in temples (buildings) made by human hands and He is asking what house we're building for Him, what is this house? 1 Corinthians 6:19. If you read all about the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon, you'll see that both had a place called Holy of Holies, where the glory of God was. In Ezekiel 10 we see that the glory of God departed from the temple. From the beginning we can see that the Holy Spirit dwelled in different people like, kings, prophets, priests, etc. In the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was made available to everyone who was born again. So, when Jesus said "My house" He was talking about every child of God, the ones who the Holy Spirit lives in them and He is saying that they will be people who pray, people who hear His voice: John 10:27. So, what type of house you are you building? Financial (selfish ambition); entertainment (all about fun); mausoleum (spiritually dead); NGO (humanism), etc. Are you always bargaining with God? Are you always taking advantage on everything? Are you willing to follow Jesus Christ (as a sheep follows its shepherd) wherever He leads you? Are you obeying your Lord unconditionally? Is your HEART a holy place or a den of thieves? Right now, Jesus is asking you: What house will you build for the Me?

Breakthrough: The Answer is Just 1,2,3... Prayers Away!

Luke 18:1-8. How many times you started praying for something and as the time passed you just gave up, because you "lost heart"? How many times you felt discouraged waiting for something impossible to happen? How many times you thought you were crazy believing in God's promise because it took "forever" to come true? If it happened to you, congratulations, you are a sinful human being and you need Jesus Christ. If it never happened to you, congratulations, you are a sinless human being, you ARE Jesus Christ! Of course, if you are not Jesus Christ, then you never prayed before! Bottom line: At one point in your prayer life you'll feel discouraged, but you should never "lose heart", you should never stop believing that God will fulfill His promise! I think (maybe you are different) that everyone of us will at some point deal with our weakness, that is, lack of faith, that's why we must keep going, keep praying, keep pressing on until we see the result, our prayer answered. I lived something like that when God promised my son David (read post  Personal Testimony: My Son), at one point i felt discouraged, it thought i was "nuts", but after 5 years believing in God's promise, i took David in my hands and saw God's promised fulfilled and i gave glory to God who kept His promise. In the text above, Jesus is assuring us that it will take HEART to receive what God has for us, it will take determination and courage to fight against our UNBELIEF and if we PERSEVERE we will receive it. Maybe you are waiting for a BREAKTHROUGH, for  an answer to your prayer and maybe right now you're feeling discouraged, my advice to you is: DON'T LOSE HEART! Maybe we prayed a thousand times for it, but maybe the answer will come when you pray next time, how do you know the time? ONLY GOD KNOWS IT! But you have to keep believing. The other "side of the coin" is: Are you 100% sure that what you are asking is God's will for you or the one you're praying for? Are you praying for your UNBELIEVING spouse? Considering that you know what FREE WILL means, do you believe that your spouse WILL BE SAVED? 1 Corinthians 7:16. Do you think that Paul is saying that YOUR HUSBAND OR WIFE WILL NOT BE SAVED? Pay attention to Paul's question: How do you know whether YOU will save your spouse? Do you really think YOU can save YOUR spouse? On the other hand, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST CAN SAVE YOUR SPOUSE? DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST CAN SAVE YOUR SPOUSE? HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IF BY TAKING "FOREVER" TO SAVE YOUR SPOUSE GOD IS NOT JUST TRYING TO "INCREASE" YOUR FAITH? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU WILL BE SAVED? I hope you understand what i'm trying to accomplish here: TO TEST YOUR FAITH! I am NOT telling you to divorce your spouse, God hates divorce: Malachi 2:16. Of course there are exceptions, like adultery for example. Are willing to pay the price to receive what God has for you? Are you willing to cry the last tear until you receive the "blessing" (what you're praying for)? IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? Remember Abraham? Genesis 18:14. Remember what God said to the Prophet Jeremiah? Jeremiah 32:27. Has God changed? Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8. Why our prayers ARE NOT answered? 1) Wrong motivation: James 4:3. 2) Will of God: 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. Time or Opposition: Daniel 10:12-13. We must know if it is the will of God and keep praying until we receive: Matthew 7:7-11: 1 Thessalonians 5:17. I wrote this because this morning i was "feeling down" (i'm going through a tough time), but i decided in my heart that i won't give up, i won't lose heart, i will fight to the end and i know that God will give me the victory! I hope you'll feel encouraged and will keep praying and believing until you receive the "blessing". AMEN.

Faith and the Mustard Seed: If You Don't Sow It, It Won't Grow!

Matthew 17:20. Was Jesus speaking about a literal "mountain"? Was He speaking about a non-literal "mustard seed"? I'm asking this because depending on your point of view, you'll have different results. E.g.: If the word "mountain" is figurative for "marital problems", then "move the mountain" can mean divorcing your spouse; if it's literal, then you'll have to believe this truth in Luke 1:37. Of course, between speaking to the mountain, "Move from here to there", and actually seeing the mountain move, it'll depend on the will of God and how big your faith is. Now, let's talk about the mustard seed: Matthew 13:31-32. Here Jesus is not only talking about the "size" of the mustard seed (least of all), but also the "life" that is in it, that if it is sowed it will become a tree. Pay attention to what Jesus says in Matthew 17:20 ...If you have faith AS a mustard seed. Think about this: How good is to have a mustard seed in your "pocket" and never sow it? Will it ever grow to become a tree in your pocket? Even if the mustard seed has the "potential" to become a tree, you still have to sow it, then it will develop to become a tree. James 2:26. When talking about faith, the process is the same as sowing, we must "work" our faith in order to grow it, STAGNANT FAITH BECOMES A DEAD FAITH! E.g.: If you say that you believe in Jesus Christ and His word (Bible) and you have unforgiveness in your heart, you are denying Jesus and your faith is dead. Why? Matthew 6:12,14-15. If you're feeling unforgiving right now, you probably have a "root" of unforgiveness in your heart and until you deal with it you won't feel forgiven, because if you don't forgive you won't be forgiven. Is your faith growing? Are you "walking" by faith (works)? Do you really want to please God? Hebrews 11:6.