Be The Belt Around God's Waist

""For just as a belt is to be bound around a man's waist so was the people of Israel and Judah bound to me - it is the Lord who speaks - to be my people, my glory and my honor; but they would not listen.'" - Jeremiah 13:11

I have to admit that I feel so sad right now. As you know, I've been keeping all of these emails in a blog (http://tres-lumineux.blogspot.com/) and today I decided to do some research into videos and news about God, Christianity, or even some cool websites to blog about. My search results were pretty sad. Then I went into the social bookmarking site del.icio.us and searched for words like God, Jesus and Christianity and I found that some of the top sites bookmarked were articles talking about how God doesn't exist, or sites making fun of Christianity.

So many people ask what's wrong with the world when the problem is that mostly all have abandoned God. Nobody listens. Religion is now whatever people want it to be. They justify their own desires and then believe in whatever philosophy backs up their own selfishness. Then there are those that see the poverty, violence and hurt in the world and ask "Why would God allow this!". Well, in all honesty, a person who asks this kind of question does NOT know God or they'd know that our Creator is a God of love. Just like the belt Jeremiah had around his waist, God told him He wanted us to be, so close to Him. God is a nurturer, all goodness comes from Him and He wanted to hold us right there with Him. We're the ones that stray and abandon Him, and for what? To go out to parties? To go out and get drunk? To spend a whole day in front of a video game? Or spend hours gossiping about people? Or holding on to hate in our hearts that propagate even more sin? What do you have left after you've done these things? Emptiness. This is what's wrong with the world. So much pain exists because nobody invites God in anymore and the only thing He does not do is interfere with our free will. We do this to ourselves. Think about this - when was the last time you prayed? And when you prayed, what did you pray for? Did you only pray because you needed something? Did you pray in a way to test God to see IF He's really there? Or did you pray because you recognize He is your creator and you need Him in your life? We should always ask Him for things, but more importantly, instead of just asking and asking when we're in a bind, we need to find a way to get back around His waist.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord, forgive me and forgive others for our lack of love and attention for You. I am so sorry for having strayed but please have mercy on us and help us to win back Your favor and be Your people. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Either You Are Lost Or You Are Saved

"God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life." - John 3:16

Lately I've been asking myself what to say when someone asks me why they should follow God and this verse answers that question for two reasons. First of all, God loves you. In Genesis it says He created us in His image. We are a part of Him and we owe all we are to Him. In fact, He went a step further and sacrificed His only son for our sins, something He even spared Abraham from doing to Isaac. And secondly, notice how the verse shows only two options - either we are lost without God or we have eternal life in God. Since we were created by God, without Him we are lost. Your life may be all sweet and dandy now, but even the happiest people out there feel that God shaped hole in their hearts whenever they are alone. Lost to God also means that we don't get to share in His glory in Heaven. This may be so far off to you right now while you're mapping out your plans for this weekend, but you can't guarantee you'll be here tomorrow so eternal life might only be a few hours away. It's either you have God or you don't. It's either you are lost or you will have eternal life. I don't know if I'll die tomorrow or in 50 years but death is coming for me and for you, so if you need a reason why you should follow God, it's because Jesus already died so that you can be in eternal glory instead of eternally lost.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, open my eyes and help me to see Your salvation. Help me to fully understand that this life means nothing and is gone in a flash. You, my Lord, are eternal and have the power to give me eternal life. Please don't let me take the sacrifice of Your son in vain but be saved through His blood. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Salt And Light

"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it. You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lampstand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in Heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16

What do you think people think of you? Do they know you believe in God? Can you say that by your actions and words you uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ? Do you realize that just by saying you're not sure if you believe in God or that God doesn't answer you, you encourage the doubt in others? Jesus says you are the salt of the earth because just as salt preserves food, you are called to preserve the faith of others. If by what you do, you lead someone who looks up to you to falter, you are risking your salvation. Your words to people and how you choose to act have more weight than you think; be careful if you allow others to sin because of you. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus says that if you cause someone to stumble and fall, it would be better for you to be thrown into the depths of the sea with a great stone around your neck, so make sure all you do preserves the faith of those watching you.

You are the light of the world. You are not called to believe in God and hide that faith. By hiding it, you're wasting it and the salt will lose its taste. On the contrary, if you believe you must shine bright so that others will know of your God through you. All your words and your actions must be one with the will of God. This isn't a choice for a believer of God, this is your calling and what you must strive to do everyday, one act at a time, one person at a time. If you cause someone to fall, you will be severely punished but according to James 5:20, if you bring just one person to God, you will have eternal life and forgiveness of many sins.

Your path is quite clear. Either you choose to be the salt and light of the world, or you choose to perish.

Today's Prayer:
God, thank You for clearly laying out the path before me. I accept the challenge of being the salt and light of the world, encouraging and bringing people to You with my words and actions. Give me strength to face all trials Lord as I try to stay firm in Your Ways. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

He Will Give You Words To Speak

"So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to answer, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict." - Luke 21:14-15

When Jesus first gave these instructions, He spoke to the apostles so that they wouldn't fear people that would persecute them for their belief in Him as the Messiah. Jesus also gave these instructions with the full knowledge that you and I don't face these religious persecutions in our lives today, but never the less, Jesus knows how quarrels and confrontations with others, either enemies or those we care about, cause us pain, suffering and hurt. Here in Luke, Jesus gives us His word that when dealing with these types of situations, we are not alone for the words that come out of our lips are not our own, but God's as long as we call on Him for strength.

As in all things, problems arise, but for and through everything, Jesus promised to be there for us as our defender, even when it comes to confrontations and arguments.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, sometimes I just can't find the words to express myself during tough situations, but I know that You, who know my heart and the heart of my opponent, can speak through me and help settle all my worries and my problems. Please keep my faith in You strong to see me through this. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

The Body and Blood of Christ

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said a blessing and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup and gave thanks, and passed it to them saying, 'Drink this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" - Matthew 26: 26-28

I had another verse planned out for today but something happened to me which I've decided to share with you. In church today, I asked God to show me His presence and help me to feel Him with me. After the consecration of the bread, I went up on line to receive communion and at the moment I got to the front of the line and the Eucharistic minister lifted up the Eucharist before me and said "The body of Christ," I felt the Holy Spirit powerfully in front of me and immediately the tears began to flow down my cheeks. As I kept walking back to my seat I was overwhelmed by His love for me and how unbelievably lucky, yet so unworthy of his love I am.

After church I told one of my little brothers what I felt and he goes "ohhh, God never does that for me!" And I said to him "What have you seen me do everyday?" And he responded "praying," and I want you all to know this is true. God wants to show Himself to all of you but you need to get close to Him first. He wants you to search for Him with true sincerity and dedication, not just because you need something from Him one day. When you draw close to Him, He draws close to you.

Today's Prayer:
Thank You Lord for loving me and taking the time to bless me so greatly although I do not deserve Your goodness. Help me to yearn for Your love and Your presence each day more and more. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

The Devil

"Woe to you, earth and sea, for the devil has come to you in anger knowing that he has but a little time." - Revelation 12:12

In the beginning when God created everything, He showed to His angels His plans to exalt the human race to share in His kingdom. The angel Lucifer, also known as Satan or the devil, became enraged and rebelled against this because his pride would not allow a human to be higher than him in God's eyes. This caused the rebellion in Heaven in which the angel Michael fought against the devil and threw him out into the earth along with all the others that rebelled against God. All this Jesus showed to His apostle John in a vision and that's why John says woe to you, earth and sea, for the devil has come to you in anger knowing that he has but a little time. God did not cast the devil into Hell but here on earth, where like a furious lion he chases after us trying to lead us into temptation and sin so that he can rob us of the peace, joy, and eternal life the Lord wants to give us.

In a movie, I once heard someone say that the devil's biggest advantage is that no one thinks he exists and this is true. He does not come to you in a way you can identify, but he starts to rob you of happiness and peace subtly. When you don't pray or look to God, he lures you into things that bring pleasure to your flesh while the spirit of God dies within you and you don't even realize you are not living according to God's way. And when you do look for God he starts to bring you trouble. Those close to you hurt you and trials start coming into your life so that you abandon the path of the Lord. You will try to keep your eyes on God but when you do, that's when he will attack you the most and try to lead you to believe that God is the reason you suffer and that God doesn't listen to you.

The devil does this because he hates you and all blessings in your life he WILL try to destroy. The good news is that Jesus' death on the cross has crushed him and all those that follow the Lord will be strengthened by Him when they call upon His Name. This is why you have to keep praying and praying when you're going through trials so that the devil can't get a foothold into your life and convince you that God is not there! I am telling you in all truth today that God does exist and He does love you. Don't let the devil rob you of the good things God has in store for you! Be cautious and aware of all your actions, constantly asking if you are doing the Lord's will or if you're letting yourselves be convinced by the evil one.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord, You have given me life and the devil is trying to bring me sorrow and death. Give me the strength and determination to keep my eyes on You despite all of the lies the evil one throws at me and all the pain he is trying to inflict upon me so that I turn against You. Please help me to see his actions so that I may not be deceived and continue to praise Your Name always! In Your Name we pray, Amen!

Taking Care of Jesus

"For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.…Truly, I say to you: whenever you did this to one of the least, of these my brothers, you did it to me." - Matthew 25: 35-40

It's not enough to only believe in God, we have to show our faith through our actions. Just as God has told us to love our neighbor, it is also our mission to go out and seek those whom we should serve. It is so easy to say that of course we would give Jesus food and drink if we were to encounter Him on the street but would we really do so for a stranger? Someone off the streets? Just as much as God loves you and is in you, so does He love the person He has put before you to help. If you follow the Lord, this passage is such a beautiful expression of love - it is such an honor to have the chance to care for Jesus, give Him drink and food, take care of Him when He was sick, and here Jesus tells us it is the same thing as doing it for Him! There is always someone less fortunate than you that you can treat as your own Jesus so please, open your eyes and look for who to help.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the beauty of letting us clothe You, feed You, and take care of You through our brothers and sisters. I pray that You help me take advantage of these situations and truly open my heart to doing Your will. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Neither Hot Nor Cold

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! You are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold so I will spit you out of my mouth." -Revelations 3:15-16

Many people say that they aren't a very religious person, that they go to church when they can but that they don't commit any major sins so although they don't always pray, they're still a good person. This is a lukewarm person. Christ died on the cross and lived a life of humility, charity, faith and good deeds so that we be like Him and imitate Him in all things. With these words Jesus Himself is saying that you can no longer be in the middle. You are either someone who does not know of God or refuses to believe or you are someone who has accepted Jesus' message of love and faith and has decided to move on with their cross. Anyone else He will absolutely reject because there is no way anyone can be both and truly be a follower of God.

You have heard the call and you know the message. Ask yourselves where you stand today and if you are not hot, ask God for the grace to come to His side with fervor. It is time for you to establish who you are in the person of Jesus Christ.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord God, I am like Jesus says, lukewarm. I know Your message and what you want of me, but my life and the things in it don't let me be the person You have taught me to be. Help me and give me the strength and dedication to once and for all, firmly place my eyes upon You and be Your servant. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

His Words To Me

"For only a few cents you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth much more than many sparrows." - Matthew 10: 29-30

I give thanks and praise to the Lord for these are the words He spoke to me today. While I was in DR I did a lot of thinking and each day I desired to draw closer to Him, but I've been on this path before and always manage to go back to how I used to be and put God third or fourth in my life. But this time, all I desire is to be like Him, purify myself and take up my cross to follow Him. This morning I felt so scared of falling again and I begged God to not let me fall and to each day draw me closer to being more like Him. I opened the bible and my fingers immediately fell upon this passage and the tears came rushing down my cheeks. These words were so clear to me and went directly to my heart. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Lord's consent, but since I asked Him from the botton of my heart to not let me fall, He told me what I'm worth and to not be afraid.

Hold on to the Lord through all of your ups and downs because the love of God is like nothing else. Strive to draw closer to Him each day because it's honestly one of the best things you will ever experience.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord God, I am nothing compared to You but You have called me and loved me. Help me to grow in You each day instead of letting myself get carried away by the things of this world. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

All Things

"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Memorize this verse. Make this the new slogan for your life. The more you repeat it to yourself, the more confident and sure you will be about everything you do.

This verse implies that you already have the power of God. Anything you want to do, to accomplish, you can do without question. All you need to do is believe it. Often times the biggest obstacle to getting where we want to be or facing certain situations is ourselves, but if as a follower of God, you already know that He is with you at all times to support you, then what is stopping you? Nothing.

Those who have their faith firmly placed on God do not waver. They do not doubt. They do not spend their day moping and feeling bad for themselves. If you today believe yourself to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then your life needs to be one of optimism - you must show to others the confidence the Lord has given you. You can do all things in He who strengthens you! ALL THINGS! And if your faith is still shaky, go back to the Lord and ask Him to help you to believe so that you can be free of all the worry, anxiety, and frustrations we experience in life. All these things do come to us, but when you believe in the Lord, the burden is carried for you. You're not alone. God, who is much bigger than any trouble that could ever come to you, is on your side.

I CAN DO ALL THINGS IN HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME!

Today's Prayer:
Lord, help me to believe fervently in You and in Your promises to me. I want to live a live of joy and confidence and let others see the wonders You have done in me. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

The Human Jesus

In Matthew 14, Jesus finds out that his cousin and prophet, John the Baptist, had been killed by Herod. Verse 13 says, "On hearing this, Jesus set out secretly by boat for a secluded place."

The first thing that strikes me about this verse is that the pain Jesus was in must have been incredible. Forget for a second that Jesus is God and think about what the human Jesus was feeling. One of His family members was jailed and killed for proclaiming the Word of God, something He himself was doing as well. This must have served as a strong reminder that His time to suffer was approaching very, very quickly. Can you imagine the fear a man feels at this news? He knew He was next. He came into this world a normal man, like you and I. He had His own fears, He had His own hopes, anxieties, worries, and dreams, just like you and I do. It's so easy to forget this when we feel that God just doesn't understand us because our problems, our sufferings are so big that there's no way He could ever help, but you are so wrong! The glory of God is that He loves us so much that He lowered Himself by becoming one of us and living a human life just like the rest of us. There's nothing you can go through that He can't understand. And probably even more so because although He is God, He never chose to avoid His pain and suffering but accepted humiliation and a death on the cross, seeing it all through with faith. Because He is God it doesn't mean that things didn't hurt Him the way things hurt us, or that God the Father lessened the embarrassment or the humiliation He faced during His last hours on Earth. As a matter of fact, when Jesus prayed in the garden before He was arrested, it says that He was so worried, so scared, that He sweated blood! He said to His disciples, "My soul is filled with sorrow even to death." How then can He not truly understand you in your sorrow?

The second thing that strikes me is Jesus' actions upon hearing the news. The verse says "secretly" and "secluded." Secretly and secluded because this world will never let us be in peace. There are demands coming at us from all angles and we are pressed for time. In the same way, so many people depended on Jesus for teaching and for healing, so He made sure He had His own time, away from everyone else to spend with God. The Son of Man, the human Jesus knew that He was in pain and He needed to be alone to be refueled by God. We have all been taught that the body and the spirit are separate. We eat food to energize our bodies, but it is through prayer and this secluded time with God that our spirits are strengthened. If you are feeling emtpy and alone right now, I guarantee it is because you have not taken the time today to be strengthened by God. Your spirit is hungry, give it nourishment.The Lord Jesus Christ has set before you a perfect example of how to act for He led an exemplary life. He came down from Heaven to show us that if He could perservere in the faith through trials and tribulations, so can we.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for having come down from Heaven to share in our pain and suffering. You are my rock and with my eyes set on You and Your life, I know I can overcome all adversity by being strengthened by You. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Power To Overcome The Enemy

"You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpians and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you." - Luke 10:19

Jesus said this to a group of His followers after they began to see the work they were accomplishing in His Name. Two thousand years later, He tells you and I the same message again. By being His followers, He gives us the authority to overcome evil. Every obstacle, every temptation, every negative energy around us, Christ has empowered us to destroy!

The next time you find yourself facing a strong temptation or involved in a sin, remember that in Christ, you can defeat anything the devil throws at you, for Your Lord and Savior will be there to give you the strength to overcome!

Not only that, but when you're depressed, when you're nervous and have anxiety, or it just isn't your day, don't doubt for a second that that's the work of the devil trying to rob you of your joy. He's a thief and doesn't deserve an ounce of your energy. Jesus Christ has defeated him and as His believers you have the power to overcome any adversity!

What are you scared of? What do you fear? Jesus Christ has given His life so that we can break away from all evil that holds us down. Believe in this and exercise this power so that you may experience the power of God.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in all of my difficulties and through adversity, help me to always remember that You are my God and You have given me power over the devil to defeat him and all the traps he has laid out for me. Keep me firm in You. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

As You Have Believed

The book of Matthew, chapter 9 tells of Jesus walking through town about to enter someone's house when two blind men start chasing after him, yelling at Jesus for help. Verses 28 and 29 say, "When He was about to enter the house, the blind men caught up with him, and Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do what you want?' They answered, 'Yes, sir!' Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, 'As you have believed, so let it be.'"

How many times do we yell and complain that God does not listen to our prayers? That we are tired of asking Him for something and He does not pay attention? Did you ever stop to wonder and ask yourself if your own faith is the problem? The evangelist Matthew wrote this book to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the messiah, but it is a book for Christians to also question themselves too as to whether we really believe this. Do we have faith in this?

When the blind men approached Jesus, He didn't ask them, "what do you want me to do?" because the Lord knows our hearts inside and out. He knows what we want and what we need. Instead, Jesus asks, "Do you believe that I am able to do what you want?" So when you get before the presence of God and ask for something, do you really believe that He can make it happen?

Jesus' answer to the blind men was, "As you have believed, so let it be." Jesus was prepared to give them anything they wanted but the result depended solely on their faith, "as you have believed," not "as you have asked."

This in no way means that God is limiting us because He knows that our faith might be weak. In the letter to the Ephesians (3:20) it says that God gives us much more than we could ever ask for or imagine, so it's time for us to work on our faith and our relationship with the Lord so that when Jesus asks us if we believe, we are able to say emphatically, "yes sir!" and enjoy all of the good things God wants to give us in our lives.

Today's Prayer:
"Jesus, You know my heart and You know I am weak in faith, but please let Your love and mercy cover up for where I am lacking and for my sins. As You did with the blind men, I ask that You open my eyes of faith so that I may unquestionably believe in You and Your love for me. In Your name, Amen.

My Plans For You

"For I know what my plans for you are, plans to save you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and to give you hope."
-Jeremiah 29:11


This has been my favorite verse in the bible since I was a senior in High School. I was living in DR at the time and wasn't sure what college to go to or what to study. I felt so lost and the idea of deciding what my future would be in a matter of months was overwhelming. Then one day, one of my teachers shared this verse with me and I felt alive again. As I read it, I felt God breathe new hope into my soul and He made me feel that everything will be ok for He has my entire life in His hands. He loves me so much that He's working it all out and all I need to do is trust in Him.


I must admit that it's not easy. Throughout my college experience and up until now, I've gone through many ups and many downs. There are times I'm not sure where I'm headed and wonder if I've veered off course, but I always go back to Jeremiah 29:11 and am able to see the hand of God in the last 7 years of my life. He has kept His promises and looking back I've seen the way He's guided me to where I am now. In Jesus' name I am hopeful and anxious to see what wonderful things He has prepared for me and I pray that you feel the same.


Today's Prayer:


Thank you Lord Jesus for loving me so much as to design the entire plan for my life with love and care. Help me to stay hopeful and trust in You even when I do not understand the path my life has taken. I ask this in Your name, Amen.

Lay Down Your Burden

"Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30


The most beautiful thing about the love of God is that it is strongest when we are feeling emotionally and physically drained - if we have the faith to cling to Him for refuge.


Many of us think that maybe because we don't go to church often or we don't pray often that God will turn a deaf ear to us. That maybe we don't deserve to have Him listen to us. But these are the lies we tell ourselves that keep us from receiving the blessings the Lord has in store for us. These are the lies that keep us further from His truth. What we all need to understand is that at these points when we feel beaten down and we just feel like giving up on a relationship, a project at work, or our financial responsibilities are caving in on us, there IS someone there that is waiting with open arms so that you can collapse into them and be filled with a strength that ONLY HE can give. It is such a remarkable feeling to know that the Almighty has called YOU and loves YOU so much, that no matter what, and no matter what you've done, He wants to take you in His arms and give you the peace you need to weather any storm. All you need to do is put down any walls that you've put up that separate you from God and tell Him you need Him more than ever.



Prayer:


My Savior, my God, you know my stuggles, the pain, and the anxiety that take over me at times. I know that I have not lived entirely how You've wanted me too, Lord, but I also know that You are the only constant truth my life. Now that I'm feeling empty, please take me into Your arms. I'm tired and can no longer carry on. Help me to see Your light in all I do. Give me the peace, strength, and courage, Jesus, to pull through and let others see Your glory in me. Amen.