I will be silent for a while but to personal requests or questions.

---

 

“The sweet enchantment of good works.”

 

The same difference between pretty and beautiful exists between glamor and godliness. In the same way there is a difference between good works and faith.

 

Just as mascara brings instant gratification to the user of cosmetics, so does good works bring recognition and credit to the worker of good works.

 

When a farmer of potatoes does not have much to feed his family but the last bushel of potatoes from last year’s harvest he faces the choice of either do the good work to feed those potatoes to his family or by faith bury those potatoes to death and in hope waiting for them to sprang back to life and be fruit for his family.

 

Wonderful Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it will remain alone. But if it falls to the ground and dies it will bear much fruit.”

 

The temptation of instant gratification is more prevalent than what we are willing to accept.

 

The prochoice and the pro-life movements are evidences of nearsightedness and vision. The one will sacrifice all for instant gratification and the other one dies to bring about more life.

 

The point of our meditation is to warn each other of the evils of good works when it comes to compete with faith.

 

Prayer is the most sublime spiritual exercise in the life of a believer.

But for Prayer to have life and power it must never be separated from faith because prayer would run the risk of becoming good works when it is reduced to “praying.”

 

If praying is all you do, you might receive the answer to your prayers sometimes; but it will become easy to replace the blessed Lord for the blessing. But no one should blame the love of the farmer for the pig because of the bacon.

 

Our dear Lord Jesus and his many followers went to his hometown teaching in their synagogues and the people were amazed.

 

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked.

(Evidently Jesus was not quoting anybody as the source of his teaching)

“What’s this wisdom that has been given to him, that he even does miracles? Isn’t this the Carpenter?

(It was also evident that Jesus’ audience saw the teaching of Jesus not as the result of the teaching of teachers but as something given to him by God with power to produced miracles, the greatest miracle being the miracles the conversion of sinners into saints).

Let it be known that the credentials of Jesus among those around him are established as “The Carpenter”.

 

Even though I have a good imagination, I find hard to imagine Jesus having an office and a desk with a shining burgundy leather executive reclining chair with an impressive framed degrees and diplomas hanging behind his back wall designed like Air Force One to make the visitors feel small in front of such display of “Power and authority?”

 

Not so with our humble and meek Jesus.

As a speaker here, Jesus is known as the fatherless son of mother Mery, the stepbrother of good old James, Joses, Judas and Simeon and his no name cute kid sisters. Obviously, this is not an impressive resume for a self-appointed teacher of teachers.

 

The neighbors about Pilate seem to ask themselves the same question as Pilate later would ask in the Sanhedrin: “What do I do with “smart” Jesus?

It was too early in the game to ask for the crucifixion of Jesus; but the seed of hatred where murder is born was already planted in their hearts when they said they took offense at him.

 

Let’s not look too far to explain this aspect of human behavior. The Prom queen of a high school is the most popular girl that will either be admired and followed or be resented by the runner ups such as the doctors of the law who bitterly resented Jesus. “They feel offended.” How dare he know more than them city boys?

 

If you wish another example closer to home, look at the last four-years of American History and the 2020 electoral process. I have never seen such display of hate and how easy it is to “lie legally” and get away with it.

 

As a naturalized citizen my greatest conclusion about America the beautiful is that this is a “Decent Country.”

 

But as of today, I can say without fear of being wrong that a high-speed bullet has wounded America. A High Speed bullet can go through the body so fast that the wounded body can survive if the bullet came out without touching vital organs.

 

I am deeply concerned about our country. I am wondering if these are the birth pains about which the scriptures speak before the Second Coming of Jesus.

For many years I have been praying: “Your kingdom come.” For years I have been barking to the prophets of Baal in a no ending feud where loneliness has become my mistress. I also pray in desperation for the Will of God to be done on earth as is in Heaven.

Simeon and I are praying and waiting to see the return of Jesus in our generation or for the Lord to send Elijah and his Chariot of fire while we fish at the seashore. 

 

Meanwhile my days are consumed in a constant evaluation of whether my prayers are in alignment with the will of God or not. Once I pray the comprehensive “Lord’s Prayer” with all my heart, soul, strength and mind, there is not much left for me to do but wait and ponder if I am banking on praying or Prayer.

 

That is the reason why I write this letter to make sure that we are not making out of praying “a good work.”

 

I know no other antidote against praying amiss but making out of Prayer and Faith one and the same thing. Taking Jesus literally at his word in a childlike manner is to the best of my knowledge the secret of the power of Prayer.

 

I will never think it enough to emphasize pursuing childlikeness at all cost as our Lord Jesus so frequently speaks about. Jesus said: “Without childlikeness no one can see the kingdom of God.” And If you cannot see the kingdom of God, I doubt you will long for the kingdom of God to come.

 

Instead you will never see death as gain but will relentlessly pursue the Affordable Healthcare with Pre-Existing condition and sure gloomy post condition.

 

Why don’t you pray the Lord’s Prayer with me in a child line manner and together say at the end by Faith “YES JESUS.”

 

This was your nagging prophet of the poor on duty.

 

Gerry Gutierrez.