Something for your weekend my friend. Prepared with love.

“Are you beautiful?”

Rachel was beautiful but Lea was plain looking. Judah was the son of Lea and Jesus was the descendant of Judah. Absalom was very handsome but Jesus is not spoken in those terms but by Isaiah the prophet who said that Jesus would be a man of sorrows acquainted with grief from which people hide their faces as one found not attractive to be desired.

God seems to take away the beauty from his children so the world might not find them as one to be desired, but from whom men hide their faces due to their fading beauty. Sorrow and grief leave their mark on our face but not without carving beauty beyond the senses that the invisible hands of the Holy Spirit does in the face of the Godly.

As the skunk is protected by his bad smell and as the porcupine is protected by its spikes, so some believers are protected from temptation by the removal of the good looks from their faces. A man’s heart should not be pretty but beautiful in integrity, honesty, truthfulness and honor.

Children, adults and the elderly should find such a man friendly and above all accessible to approach without fear in spite of his plain and sober looks.

The furious love of God is jealous and it protects his beloved from adultery by removing the worldly appeal and carving instead beauty beyond the senses. Godly beauty is not meant for the carnal eyes but the eyes of faith.

The followers of Jesus are called to walk on water while they trust and obey. There should be no surprise when in the name of Jesus one can do the impossible, see the invisible and believe the incredible. In other words, we are called to live supernatural lives in the most natural way to the glory of God as his witnesses.

Accept that you are different from the world not because you want to be different but because you are truly different because of Jesus. Looking good and feeling good is not as important as “Being joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.”

I long to pray with someone in joyful agreement to vent my needs and sleep in peace but many find godliness undesirable.
Do not rejoice in your good looks, neither should you count your achievements and performances in the work of the king and his kingdom as something to be proud. Rather rejoice that your names are written in the book of God in Heaven.

If your names are already registered in heaven, that means that you are already the possessor of Eternal Life in Jesus, therefore you have all the reason in the world to “Rejoice always, pray continuously and be thankful in all your circumstances.”
That is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Are you still thinking of “looks?” If so, let me use an Italian expression: “Forget about it.” This letter was for the man and woman of sorrows, acquainted with grief within you. “Comfort ye my people says the Lord.”

And to those who are beginning to feel like an ugly duckling, I suggest you ask Jesus like a child, “How much do you love me dear Lord Jesus?”
Let Jesus tell you, “I love you this much.”
And he extended his arms wide open and he was crucified.

Gerry Gutierrez.

PS. When the message is rejected, it is easier to despise the old messenger whose looks have no earthly appeal anymore. Our comfort is that we proclaim Jesus and his message and not ourselves thereby we demand everyone to ”Listen to him!” Beware beautiful people, listen to Jesus and pray by repeating after him that which you have listened from him.

Happy Anniversary my dear Caleb and Kelly Gutierrez. "Listen to Him."