Sunday greetings to my family and friends.

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Faith in God alone!

 

If the fear of the Lord for others is the basis for your trust in those people, then you must get ready for your heart to be broken. A broken heart is just the proper reward for those who put their trust in any other but God alone. "Cursed is the man who puts his confidence in the flesh." 

 

Trusting others more than God is idolatry and Idolatry is a more common sin than we are willing to admit. And everything that competes with God in my heart for loyalty is anathema and that is a curse.

 

Apart from idolatry being extremely foolish, the bigger gun that an idolater has to face is a very jealous God who requires from his own, singleness of heart, singleness of mind, singleness of soul and all your strength in loving him.

 

God does not need anything from human beings to be God. The possessive jealous love of God is more for our sake than his sake. Idolatry is trying to make something out of nothing in reciprocity to God who created everything out of nothing

 

The jealousy of God requires that man stands alone in perfect solitude before God in complete faithfulness and loyalty.

 

When Paul speaks about faith alone as means of salvation, he also presents faith as a gift from God's gracious hands. At the same time Paul vigorously goes against “Good works” because whatever is not by faith has the potential to compete as good works, which at the same time is idolatry therefore useless and lifeless for salvation. Ephesians 2:8

 

If idolatry has blocked your view of the invisible God, it’s time for you to make your faith see and know this: “Be sure that your sins will find you out.”

God just teaches us not to trust anyone but God exposes the sin of great men of God such as David, a man after the heart of God who was not spared from exposure of the scandal of his sin.

 

You might be a killer of Bears and Lions, of Giants and Philistines, a true hero after God’s own heart, but if in your heart you have allowed room for idolatry, be sure that your sins will find you out. He who sweeps the dust under the carpet must know that on that heap of dirt like pulpit, a prophet like Nathan, will stand to humiliate you because you have failed to humble yourself.

 

The spots must be removed, the wrinkles must be ironed, the blemishes must be corrected from a man of God in order to stand before a three times holy God.

Remember that you are saved by grace through faith and this not of yourself because even faith is the gift of God so no one can boast.

 

Yes, in Jesus your sins have been covered but not forgotten, because God cannot forget anything and does not forget your sin. What God has forgotten is not to remember to hold your sins against you because he has already held your sins against Jesus and Jesus has paid for it all in your stead.

 

We are only witnesses of Jesus who testify that the grace and the love of God is for sinners such as us, but the Church of Jesus is built in the name and testimony of Jesus alone plus nothing.

 

You may be a hero in your own right. A fearless man, a man after God’s own heart but you must never forget Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.

There should be no room in our minds and hearts but to seek forgiveness and freedom from guilt if we are still under the bondage of sin.

 

God’s commitment to extraordinary men is not to make them heroes who may end up competing with his Son Jesus.

No! God’s commitment is to make us humble and meek like his Son and there are only two ways you can accomplish that: Either we humble ourselves or he will humiliate you thoroughly even if it takes you to your deathbed or shortly after as many whose sins have been exposed shortly after their death. The church is built on Jesus’ name and testimony alone.

 

Golda Meyer used to say, “Don’t be humble, you are not so great.” But the humility we are talking about is that in the heart that according to Jesus is something we must learn from him until we become humble and meek like Him.

Ted Turner from CNN used to say that, “If I were just a little bit more humble, I would be perfect.” Turner was very far from understanding that humility is not like an ingredient to add to something to make it Complete, but it is nature to be acquired, for Jesus said: “Learn of me for “I AM” meek and humble.”

 

When Jesus said “I AM” he is talking about his nature and not about mastery of a trade to be learned which can be taken or leave it, but as a natural part of that person as is the color of his skin.

 

From the twilight of a hospital bed where my restless mind rests only in Jesus plus nothing, I write love letters to you oh follower of Jesus.

 

Gerry Gutierrez.

 

Picture is in Tacoma Winter days.