Live As Jesus Did (2025)

07/05/2025

Recently, wars, viral infections, broken families, political issues, mental problems, and deaths are some of the most intriguing and prevalent scenarios anywhere in the world. There is no place on earth now that is not facing these issues. We are literally in the last days.

In the darkest hours, in the most problematic moments, and when death is knocking on almost every community's door, what keeps the disciples remaining in the faith?

Nehemiah 8:10 says, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." This verse talks about celebrating because God's joy is our strength. This means that celebrating and enjoying do not depend on our situations or emotions. We should celebrate and enjoy because the Lord is joyful. There is joy that comes from the Lord.

We see that in order to remain motivated, encouraged, and on fire to obey and continue believing, it depends on the joy of the Lord.

To answer "what keeps the disciples believing?" is to answer "what gives the disciples strength?"

It is the joy of the Lord that gave them strength. It is the same joy that will give us strength now.

This is a matter of priority. Our top priority should be how to know the joy of the Lord. If we prioritize only the joy of the Lord and what pleases Him, no matter what we are going through, nothing can overcome us.

One of the greatest verses that talk about what gives pleasure to God is from Hebrews 11:6, which says, 'without faith it is impossible to please Him.' God takes pleasure in faith, in those who believe. The beauty of faith is described in verse 1 of the same chapter, which states, 'faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.' This verse shows that if we have faith, there is no need for evidence, because faith itself is the evidence of the things we hope for.

Even if you don't feel it or see it, He's working. This is faith—even without evidence. Faith itself is the evidence of things unseen. This is what gives pleasure to the Lord.

In your darkest and loneliest struggles, it is not what you feel that matters, but what He feels. The disciples' joy depends on what gives pleasure to God.

Right now, if you're sad, remember that your strength is the joy of the Lord. Nobody can take that away from you and me. It's okay to be sad, mad, or alone, and even if nobody is happy for you, your strength still comes from the joy of the Lord. Hallelujah!

If you please God before men, your strength will be untouchable, strong, and enduring—like the strongest force in the universe.

Joshua 1:5-9 — BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS!
“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

03/04/2025

True change can only be attained through discipleship, specifically the kind of discipleship exemplified by Jesus.

02/02/2025

The Heart of Man

The heart carries the greatest pains, the biggest secrets—even the secrets of others—and some of the deepest thoughts and burdens. If the heart is not right, God’s Word will be misunderstood, for a corrupted heart distorts our understanding of His truth. It’s no wonder it’s seen as one of the strongest parts of the human body. We believe it is capable, so we abuse it and invest heavily in it. We make it a home for our dreams, talents, and the people we love intimately. Yet it’s deceitful. The sickest. The weakest. The greatest threat to the body—it defiles even itself. Its talents cannot protect it; it cannot defend itself.

The heart must be protected at all costs. It is vital, for within it flows the body’s lifeblood—the force that sustains us. It neighbors the lungs, where breath is drawn and life arises. Guard it from corruption. It is better to keep it pure and innocent.

Nevertheless, God desires to dwell within it. He seeks to renew and replace it. To truly protect the heart, we must let its true Owner reign.

The heart will remain sick until it finds its true King.

❤️

Mark 7:15 — there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.

Proverbs 4:23 — Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Mark 7:21-22 — “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

Jeremiah 17:9 — “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can know it?

Ezekiel 36:26 — “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

01/06/2024

If you're in God's hands, you're in good hands.

04/05/2024

Can There Be a Friendship Without Trust?

No. Friendship is a state of mutual trust and support between two or more people. Trust must exist between them before they can call each other friends.

Let’s look at John 15:15, where Jesus said, “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” This was the very first time Jesus called His disciples friends.

Let’s break down His reasons for calling the disciples friends:

Friendship involves transparency with each other. In John 15:15, Jesus revealed that everything He had heard from His Father, He shared with them. He explained that a slave can never know what the master is doing; however, Jesus made His actions and intentions plain and clear to His disciples.

Friendship involves sharing each other’s peace and joy. Jesus shared His joy (John 15:11) and gave His peace (John 14:27). When someone shares their joy and peace, it’s like revealing their vulnerability and emotions. In the world, this might be seen as weakness because knowing someone’s joy and peace can reveal how to hurt them. For Jesus, though, it was His delight—His joy and peace resonated with their souls and became the very hope that sustained the disciples to continue and persevere.

Friendship involves not abandoning each other. Jesus did not leave them as orphans (John 14:18). Instead, He asked the Father to send a new advocate for His disciples—His Spirit, the Spirit of truth (John 14:16–17). To not abandon them meant being with them wherever they went. The Spirit became their great teacher, teaching them everything (1 John 2:27) and empowering them to do greater works (John 14:12). Most importantly, Jesus made the depths of God known to them through His Spirit, for only the Spirit knows the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:11).

(You can add more in the comments.)

These are just some of the ways Jesus proved the kind of relationship He had with His disciples.

All of the above authenticates why there can be no friendship without trust. Tell me it’s not trust when someone shares their secrets, emotions, and spirit with another.

When Jesus did all this, the disciples were far from perfect; they failed many times. Yet to trust is not about deeming someone worthy of it—it’s an act of love without boundaries. Jesus was killed because of His boundless love.

I’m telling you, brothers and sisters, don’t hold back from showing up in prayer or coming to Jesus. He’s a friend—the best one. He will share His mind, His heart, His strength, and His Spirit with you. No one could ever do what He has done. He’s your true best friend—and mine too.

Be friends with Jesus now! You and I can be friends as well.

03/05/2024

The Battle Against the Self (Flesh)

Galatians 5:19–21 specifically points out that it’s not demons or the devil primarily opposing us; rather, it’s our own flesh that pulls us into submission to our desires and pushes us toward sin. It says, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, or**es, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Paul emphasized that our main enemy is ourselves. Your enemy is yourself—the desires of your flesh, the body you sleep with every night, the flesh you feed and keep clean.

The passage clearly states what the actions of the flesh are. All the behaviors mentioned—lust, hatred, divisions, and more—are decisions the flesh makes in each case. We are battling a strong enemy, a cunning one that knows us with great finesse. This enemy understands our weaknesses and the areas where we’re most vulnerable.

It’s frightening to realize that many are deceived by themselves. Some of us twist God’s Word to justify our own benefit. This affects our prayer life too. We pray according to what our flesh craves. We cherry-pick Bible verses to soothe ourselves. Sometimes, we approach God solely for our own sake. Unknowingly, we end up serving ourselves.

Jesus Christ faced the same struggle when He prayed in Gethsemane. He said, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:36). He revealed that He didn’t want to face it, yet He submitted not to His own will but to the Father’s. Jesus triumphed and defeated the flesh—His own flesh.

We are to win over the flesh. Let’s walk in the Spirit so we can overcome the flesh and no longer be driven by its desires (Galatians 5:16, 18).

To know if we’re walking according to the Spirit, we can recognize Him by His fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

Begin to discipline yourself now and submit to God and His Spirit.

30/04/2024

The Final Judgment

When the Son of Man comes in glory and sits on His glorious throne, all the nations will gather before Him. He will separate the sheep to His right and the goats to His left (Matthew 25:31–33). Then He will say, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to 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” (Matthew 25:34–36). Then He said in verse 40, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

The final judgment will be about you and your brothers—you, me, and the others. The judgment is weighed by our relationships with one another.

How we treat each other reflects how we treat God—the very character we display toward our neighbors, even strangers and the least regarded people.

Christ came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and to serve rather than be served (Matthew 20:28). To be precise, He came for us all—His brethren, His neighbors, His others.

His life was all about giving and serving His brothers, His neighbors, and us all. It has always been about the others, and we ought to do the same. How can we say we love an invisible God yet fail to love our visible brothers? (1 John 4:20).

Brethren, our pure love for each other will save us from God’s coming judgment. We love because Christ did.
• Feed your brethren.
• Satisfy your brothers’ thirst.
• Befriend your neighbors.
• Clothe the unclothed.
• Visit the sick and those in prison.

Do all these things with purity and the fullest extent of love.

We need each other. As Pastor Tim Keller said, “We are created for community.” As Adam was with Eve, our fathers with our mothers, you and I, and us with God.

29/04/2024

The Heart of Man

Mark 7:15 (LSB) — "There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man."

The heart is the very center of a human, and whoever rules it is its master. What we act, think, and say reveals the heart’s condition.

In Mark 7:19, Jesus explains, “Everything from outside cannot defile a man, for it only goes to the stomach; instead, what comes out of the man is what defiles him.” He specifically emphasized that we must not only consider what influences a person but what resides in their heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick,” meaning we can never fully trust our heart because of its deceptive nature.

So, if this is the heart’s condition, is it okay to entertain defiled objects and subjects since they remain outside the man and not within?

• No. When deceived, a man often doesn’t realize it. Whoever rules the heart demands something—it drives the man to act, think, and speak. We cannot blame external circumstances, for it is our hearts that lust (Matthew 12:34; James 4:2).

The world is a field of temptations. What the heart desires, it chases. Yet a good heart produces good—good deeds, words, and thoughts.

Ezekiel 36:26 (LSB) — “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” God knows the heart’s condition. He offers a new heart and a new spirit to reign over it, so the heart can be cleansed and purified.

God is the only true good in the universe. If His Spirit isn’t ruling your heart and you think you’re good, you’re deceiving yourself.

Come to Jesus, my brethren—repent, follow Him, and receive the gift of His Spirit (Acts 2:38). He promised to forgive you and me and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Live As Jesus Did

07/05/2025

03/04/2025

02/02/2025

01/06/2024

04/05/2024

03/05/2024

30/04/2024

29/04/2024

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