The Pursuit of Love

Everybody, regardless of sex, color, religion, social status, young, or old, chubby or skinny, is fascinated by the topic of love and searches for it with a passion. We long for it to be vivid in a sentimental relationship, to grow deeper in our family connections, and to be real with our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and others. In fact, many argue, including the Bible, that human beings are incapable of surviving on this earth without love. Hence, everybody is on that pursuit.

However, many of us have looked for it from certain sources (boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, siblings, friends, dad, mom, sex, alcohol, hobbies, food, work) that have disappointed us. As a result, some have turned their backs on it and others have simply gone hostile and demand it in their own way, silently screaming, "I command you to love me!"

But the fact remains: everybody regardless of his or her situation is on the pursuit of love; they long to love and to be loved.

Ty Gibson, in his book A God Named Desire, quotes different verses of the Bible where the prophet uses the symbol of fire to describe God and His attributes: God’s presence (Ezekiel 1), God’s law (Deut 33:2-3), God’s glory (Ex 24:17), God’s love (Song of Solomon 8), God’s throne (Daniel 7:9-10), and God Himself is “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Therefore, Gibson’s logic dictates that “If God’s law= fire, and God’s glory= fire, and God’s love= fire, and God’s throne= fire, then there is some sense in which God’s law, God’s glory, God’s love, and God’s throne are all precisely the same reality” (41).

Such logic thinking makes me see the story of the adulterous woman and the Pharisees, written in John 8, with different eyes: the protagonist of the story is not the woman… but the Pharisees. These religious men were on the pursuit of love just as the woman caught in adultery was. Why? Because God’s law and God’s justice = love. And they were demanding justice and God’s law to be enforced; they were demanding to love and to be loved in their own hostile way.

I wonder what the life of these Pharisees looked like as they were growing up. Did they enjoy the love and affection of their father? Mother? Siblings and friends? What traumas did they go through as adolescents? Did they demand the love they never have from sources that disappointed them, and that’s the reason of their unkind actions towards the woman and others? Did they ride the same rollercoaster you and I ride in our pursuit of love?

Two Lessons:

           1.     God and only God can fill that container of love we all have inside

a.     Don’t search for it from other sources

           2.     Love begets love

a.     Love somebody who is unkind –He or she is just searching to love and to be loved. Seriously.
                   i.     We all know at least one person

                                            

Blessings!

God's love abiding law and the consequences of our decisions

“He who follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 18:9).

            For this 18-year-old youngster, such machine was more than just a horse. The specs for such stallion seduced him little by little to step on the gas and hear that 3.8 L V6 engine roar his 190hp @ 5250 rpm. He had heard such machine would break the quarter-mile at 130mph at fourteen seconds; he could already feel the adrenaline rush through his veins. Next thing he knows, he was being blocked by this black-and-white for the Bronco’s wheels were spinning around 50 miles over the speed limit.

 Being in front of the judge in a court of law is not easy. A city-salaried lawyer is appointed to you, people are all up on your business when they call you to step up in front of the judge, a couple of police officers on the corners stand by in case you need to be arrested, and one sitting up on a throne with a small hammer in his/her hands seems to be anxious to declare you guilty and throw you in jail for the rest of your life. However, I believe they are all nice people… deeply inside… They are simply holding someone accountable for their actions, something many Christians are not very confortable with.

So, the question is, it’s that why we pray a lot? For we do not want to be held accountable for our actions, so we beg for some grace? An entire book of believable pretexts would not do justice to the amount of excuses I built up on my mind to give to the judge when he asked me why was I racing through the city at 100+mph. He listened carefully, but not matter what I said, at the end of my speech he simply asked, “What do you want, son? A night in jail or an entire Sunday of community service?”

Ezekiel 18 turns an interest corner when it comes to our acts, judgment, and justice. The prophet makes emphasis that every body has the freedom of will to choose between good and evil, and the consequences of such decisions will inevitably follow.  God’s statutes and ordinances have already been set forth, and He expects for us not only to believe on His love abiding law but also to follow it. But, “Where is the grace?” some would ask. Well, grace was poured out on a cross around 2,000 years ago. And not just grace but amazing grace. This grace was shed for the forgiveness of sin, and does not symbolize a “get-away-with-anything card.”

            The Lord finishes chapter 18 of Ezekiel by stating that He does not delight in the flaws of His children, admonishing to turn from our transgressions, and promising to give us a new heart and a new spirit when we decide to turn from them. Freedom of will is splattered all over scripture, and the Lord has given us the knowledge to differentiate between good and evil.

Therefore, on this day, may you choose to worship your Creator with actions; following His statutes, carefully observing His ordinances, and acting faithfully and certainly you shall surely live, says the Lord of hosts.

Looking at life from a different perspective

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me

While we are constantly looking forward for God to respond our prayers, He Himself also awaits anxiously to answer each and every single one of them. “God, give me the opportunity to witness to one of your special children on the plane. Whoever I sit next to, prepare our hearts and simply bless.” This was my prayer a couple of months ago as I was buying my Christmas-break plane ticket. Certainly, God was looking forward for this moment.

It was a rough week. Final examination’s days are the most challenging time of the semester. It was the reciprocal feeling among several friends that this semester, by far, has been the most demanding one of our entire college career. But we all made it; some running, others jogging, and a few of us crawling with a sore throat and a fever on the side with no energy whatsoever to celebrate. Sleep deprived and all, I sat at window-seat 28A with the hope that the eagle would come thru with his promise to take me 7,000 miles across the American continent. Right next to me sat Luz María.

            Jesus, on the other hand, was also hoping that I would come through with my promise I made two months ago. “Are you a Christian?” Luz María asked.  “Oh snap! The prayer!” I immediately thought.  “Yes”, I replied. And then her question followed: “There are so many things in the Bible that are really hard to understand, you know?” I silently prayed… “God, lead.”

            But what kind of question would she asked? “Bring it on,” I thought. It’s time to unload all that theology I’ve learned during these semesters. Will I tell her about the Qal, Nifal, Piel, Pual, Hiphil, Hophal, and Hithpael Hebrew stem? About the historical Jesus and it’s theology? Or maybe about how we can look at the NA²⁷ and the variants of the text so we can come to a better translation of the passage for a superior understanding? Naw, I think she’ll ask about some contradictions the Bible seems to project; I’ll answer with some hermeneutics’ principles.

            Her question, “My daughter suffered an accident in the middle of her 15^th birthday party, and has been laying on a bed for the past six years; she is a vegetable. Why did God allow that to happen?” She continued on expressing her sadness and desire for things to be differently. I, on the other hand, went blank. How do you reply to such question?

            Nevertheless, Jesus was leading the conversation. After sharing a few verses with her, we landed on Matthew 25:33: "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” 

           

            I then whispered, “Do you know that when you bath, feed, clean, kiss and hug your precious child on that bed, you are bathing, feeding, cleaning, kissing and hugging Jesus himself? You, Luz María, have the privilege of having a very intimate relationship with our savior through your special daughter. “ While looking at the horizon, at 34,000 feet in the air, with a peculiar smile she replied, “Wow! I had never seen it that way!” A “thank you” and a prayer concluded our conversation.

            The lack of an associate, bachelor, and/or a master degree in religion is not an impediment for God to use you mightily to witness and touch His people’s hearts. Remember that the Holy Spirit is the one who convinces of sin. Therefore, I invite you today to pray the prayer that will enable you to become and instrument of the Lord and be part of the blessing to change someone’s perspective of life. You can change a one today. You are only one short prayer away.

Blessings!

Sergio Ochaeta

Burger King Prayer

Decisions... Decisions… Some of them are extremely hard to select. We make decisions in our every day life. Many of them are very simple –what shoes should I wear today, what route will I take to work, and/or what food shall I eat for breakfast. On the other hand, there are some decisions that we must study carefully for it’ll affect the rest of our lives. In such cases, we often come before God for an answer and pray a Burger King prayer –Cause we want things done our way. Or perhaps some of our prayers might parallel a Starbucks drive-thru order: “Tall, skinny, sugar-free, decaf, soy vanilla latte, extra hot, whip cream, double sleeve, and no cup please.” Furthermore, it seems that very often we do not hear a reply from Him; just His silence.

THERE ARE SOME MATTERS YOU JUST DON’T PRAY ABOUT

“So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. ¹⁷ Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸ The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven” (Jeremiah 7:16).

Many objects, situations, and even relationships in our lives could become our idols. We hold unto them like smoke penetrates our clothing, and emotional dependency develops stronger and stronger. Are you praying to God to bless yours? The path you are taking, is it the will of God?

GOD SPEAKS ALL THE TIME

“But I gave them this command: Listen to me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you” (7:23).

The verb “to listen” in this verse is “Shama” in Hebrew. And this verb not only means “to listen” but also “to obey.” The Lord, through Scriptures, has already established His laws, precepts, and commandments. In other words, many answers to our prayers can be found through meditation and study of the Bible. “Day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. ²⁶ But they did not listen to me or pay attention” (7:25).

 

THEM HEARTBEATS WILL LEAD YOU ASTRAY

Our mind and heart are in a constant battle in almost every life-changing decision that we must make. That is why scripture encourages us to make God the platform of our decisions instead of our hearts, because “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure" (17:9). God says it in His own way, “But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward” (7:24).

Therefore, may your prayers give forth a pleasing fragrance to the Lord, may your ears lean towards Him and enjoy the utterances of His heart, and may your heart be cleansed so he can renew a steadfast spirit within you.  And above all, may He guide you and bless you in every life-changing decision that you must make today.

Blessings! 

When in doubt… Remember that Father knows best

A few years ago, before going to college and while still in high school, I became an expert at organizing the shelves and maintaining them well stocked at the grocery store I used to work at. But eventually I left that job and managed a shipping company for a couple of years. There I learned how to run a business, and had the opportunity to master the job for I would work 14-16 hours a day. In time, I was hired by a finance company. There I learned how to read a credit report, evaluate customers’ applications for loans, and conclude on a decision whether they were going to pay back the money or not –I was also a good collector. At any rate, I could go on and on about the lessons and how much I’ve learned about life, but the point is that I’ve realized that the more I learn, specially in college, the more I realize how ignorant I am. There will never be a point in our lives where we’ll stop learning.

Yet, I know someone who knew and is intimately acquainted, even before our own emotions, principles, gender, culture, language, mindset, and lifestyle was established, with every single inward part of us –God. Scriptures declare, “before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jeremiah 1:5). Amen! Because as sad as it sounds, we don’t even know our own persona. There are hundreds of books out there in which they talk about “finding your own self.” And for all that, it seems that our hearts deceive us each and every time (Jeremiah 17:9).

In the course of our lives there are many decisions we must take that will positively or negatively alter our very own future. Who will be my husband or wife? Should I move to a new town or country? What career should I study? And many more related questions constantly come to mind. Our heart battles with our mind, and our mind battles with certain voices, and we cannot discern which one is from God. Hard times huh? Yes. I know. However, let’s remember that He knows us better than we know ourselves. Yes, Father knows best.

Spirit of prophecy teaches us that our Bible-reading discipline will gift us the ability to discern His voice. By consequence, this same habit will keep our knees bolted to the floor in constant prayer that will slowly dissipate the adversary’s voice, and our King’s utterances will each and every time become clearer to understand.

Letting go and letting God is not an easy task for any of us since we constantly want to be in control of our lives. In spite of that, let’s be reminded that the Creator of these minds and bodies are KNOWN before the creation of this world. He knows what’s best for us, and he continues to work hard to teach us so.

Therefore, may you make the decision today to adopt a Bible-reading discipline, become a man/woman of prayer, and receive the blessing of the discernment of His voice.

Remember, Father knows best.