neighbor dog defects on my door

 I live in a upper middle class region in Brazil, but this doesn't prevent me from having to deal with  disrespectful  neighbors. As I live in a big city, I really don't know a lot of my neighbors, but certainly one of them, who has a dog, made it defect at the entrance of my house. It is very common that people walk with their dogs and let their urine and feces on their neighbors sidewalk (brazilian people are very friendly and very disrespectful at the same time!), but it is a worse provocation to let the feces at the very entrance of a house. Two days later, it happened in front of my garage. It must be the same dog by the feces shape. Today, we found a trash bag on our backyard that was thrown above the wall. I began to think that someone hates me or my family. Is this some kind o racism against nikkeis...? Nowadays, this prejudice is not so common but who knows?

 Brazil is facing a lot of problems with covid-19. I and my family are blessed by staying at home with our finances in order. Certainly, a lot of people were severed affected by the lock-down. So, I have much more to thank the Lord than to complain. My considerations about the feces on my door:

• The Lord knows everything. One single hair of my head is under his control.
• I am loved by the Lord, but this doesn't mean that I am loved by the human race.
• I must fear the Lord and not a bad neighbor.
• The Lord is my Protector and He revenges me, so I don't need to make justice by my own hands.
• Sometimes, the Lord makes me search for Him in the problems that happens to me.
• This house is not my house. I am living here in this world for a brief time. I will be moving next to my King. 
• The Lord wants me to pray for my enemies.

My old father is evolving in his dementia. He has some kind of schizophrenia because he listens to a "radio" that always says bad things. He is paranoid. He has to protect his money and his belongs. I don't know exactly why (e.g., he is afraid of being robbed or he wants to turn off the voice in his head), he is locking himself in his room with closed windows. Thus, the air is blocked. As, I suppose he is not cleaning the place, it is really a bad air that he constantly breaths. Poor dad! He is always protecting himself from my brother's wife and her son (his grand son). Let us suppose that my father had a Christian mind, then he were eager to pray for his enemies, to focus on the Lord's blessings and not on the evil surrounding himself. Certainly, a Christian mind would let him free.

Ravi Zacharias Scandal

 Today is February 17th.

I've known about Ravi Zacharias Scandal through :

I enjoy David Wood's video posts and this one is no different. 

I began to dig dipper and dipper on this scandal, and I found this video:

David Wood has been focusing on bringing Muslims to Jesus and I much appreciate what he does. It is interesting that Lori Thompson testimony is in a pro muslim youtube channel. I don't know how they got it; anyway, I will focus on Lori Thompson. 

She is the victim. I was bullied when student and I can understand a little bit of Lori Thompson and her husband pain. I remember when I had some thoughts about killing my perpetrators due to the pain they were inflicting on me. I had some thoughts about killing myself too. Fortunately, nothing occurred. 

However, I think that her case is far worse than mine because her perpetrator was a global evangelical leader who captivated and seduced her by using the name of the Lord in vain. 

It is interesting to see how many people seem to consider that a scandal such this should be avoided in order to keep the "no thinking" sheep on the Way. It is laughable that some ditto Christians seem to embrace a great apologist cause with sympathy while despising the poor victim. It is also very interesting that the one to uncover much of Ravi Zacharias lies was an atheist. 

For sure, we Christians must learn something about searching the Truth. Are we serious about the Truth?

What to do on Saturdays and Sundays?

From Monday to Friday, I would like to be concentrated in spending time to my job, that is:

• research. I need to publish papers. It seems that I am always in debt to the brazilian society.
• class. Teaching computer related things.

I understand that the Lord is honored when I execute my secular job, however, I would like to have a mind away from my job at weekends.

As I am preaching once a month, I would like to reserve Sunday to prepare the sermon. Until recently I was preparing the sermon on one day - generally the Sunday before the preaching. I was recording the sermon on a video. During the week before the sermon, I was watching myself in order to improve the sermon that was given "online" by internet. However, chatting with a friend of mine that is a quasi theology academic, I decided to improve the sermon. The fact is that my church is diminishing and it is very certain, that one cause is the lack of a proper message to our world. Preparing a message that calls attention in our "evil days" is very difficult, but it is not impossible. I decided to spend every three Sundays or more in preparing the sermon. The idea is to prepare a message specially to my church, publish it, in hope that is a message to the brazilian Nikkeis too.

 In Decalogue, the Israelite is commanded to keep the Sabbath. In most Christian churches, Sunday is the Dominus Day - the Lord's day. Today is Saturday and I would like to make a good use of it. 

How?

One idea is to use Saturday thinking about some way to earn money, besides my job. However, in this case, Saturday doesn't look the Sabbath. As I am not an Adventist or jew, it seems reasonable to me. I am saved by Jesus and not by keeping Jewish rules. I certainly respect the idea of resting one day per week as much as not eating raw meat, but both of them are not a commandment to me (because I am not jew).

Another idea is to visit my old father with his problems. 

In September, 5th, 2020, Saturday, I was going to visit my father when I had a bike accident. I broke one arm and lost part of my tooth. At that moment, he didn't recognize my pains just to visit him. He was reluctant to let my brother use his car to take me to the emergency room. 

He doesn't usually become glad when I visit him. In fact, today, talking by internet (by my brother's smartphone), he told that it is not necessary that I visit him. Unfortunately, dad is not thinking clearly. He is locking himself in a prison due to his paranoia.  I would rather much more staying at home, but I must visit him, anyway, despite what he wishes. 

Where I am heading to

 Life is very short. Today, August, 16th, is Sunday.

I must be thankful to the Lord for the good life I am already living. Today, I am physically fine, no financial problem, no big social problems, etc. If absence of problems means happiness, then I am happy. In fact, there are some minor problems: I am not publishing any paper for decades, my wife gets angry with me from time to time, I wish to have a better relationship with my daughter, I would like to become a entrepreneur, etc. Some years ago, I was intimidated by these same problems, and now, they seem so small. Some years ago, I was ashamed of not publishing papers, and now, it seems a small detail in the universe! Do the universe really need my papers? Certainly not. Do planet Earth need a successful company from me? Nope.

A big question is: "where am I heading to?"

I am heading ultimately to the cemetery whereas planet Earth will continue its path without my opinion, my ideas, etc. I am heading to the judgement before the Lord where I will be asked about my relationship with the Lord, how I have been living to Him instead of living to me. A lot of big problems I formerly had was due to search of my honor and glory such as having a successful company. Now that I am more centered in honoring the Lord than myself (I hope it is true indeed), these big problems became very small.

I hope to retire in 3 to 8 years. I have been thinking on being a great entrepreneur, specially in my retirement, but now, is it what I want indeed? What kind of thing would I do?

I have been wondering about the church. I would like to have more relationship with other Christians, to spread the word of the Lord, to help others grow in their faith. I'm quite sure that these things would be more gratifying to my life than thinking about a company and money related things. 

I should be more helpful to others, to cooperate more, with much less ego involved. Till now, I know that I have been living a very egoistic life and cooperating only when I see some advantage. Let the Lord change my heart.

 

corona virus

Today is Sunday.
Churches are closed everywhere, and every place that agglomerates people, even parks, thus, the streets are desert. It is almost a surreal world and nobody would believe it would happen in November, 2019.
I am very blessed that I may stay in home, without wondering about money to buy food. There are people hoarding food but I think that they are very wrong. In short term, commodity prices must fall, I think, as it is happening with oil prices that fell sharply 50%.
Our little church is adapting to this new world. 
It is very likely that the corona virus covid-19 came from bats. They are sold in the Wuhan Chinese Market. It is disgusting. Imagine bats being sold to eat, no wonder this virus came from such a place.
As we read the Acts book, Peter was to eat unclean animals, but I am quite sure there were no bats in his vision.
In my opinion, although we as Christians are not obliged to follow any jewish diet, I am quite sure, that this corona virus epidemic wouldn' t happen in a Jewish diet world.

time and money

The purpose of my life is to glorify the Lord and rejoice on him.
The purpose of my life isn't to be rich and live by passive income.
Perhaps, one day, I will live accordingly to what I believe.
Although I really search the Lord by medidating on his words, I feel that I need to grow much more in love, peace and joy.
The Lord has already provided me enough wealth to me. I don't need more. I am very aware of it, however, I enjoy very much to search for new companies to invest; or to have a more focused portfolio that generates more wealth.
I have enough money.
When I spend my time in money related things, am using it wisely?
I know that following some simple principles, I will have more than enough untill my death; and I also know that I won't have much more money if I study more.
So, let me rejoice more on the Lord.
Let me stop waisting time and live to the Lord.
Let me praise him for my life, NOW.
Let me praise him for my health, my family and my friends; for those that the Lord put on my way.
Lord, forgive me when I seem so much focused on money as it were my god.
Forgive me when I don't pray for people around me to convert and follow you.
Help me to bless all people around me, mainly my wife and my children; and after, people in the church, and after, relatives that I meed on Christmas.
Let my lips reflect what is in my heart: that you are my Lord and not that money is my god.
It is so easy to meet people on Christmas and talk about money and it is so difficult to talk about Jesus.
I really don't think that money talking is a sin per si. Jesus himself talked a lot about money. He made many parables talking about treasures, He even compared the Kingdom of Heavens as a great perl that was of great value. So, there is no sin to talk about money; somehow everybody is searching for money, a better life, and even to serve others when discuss projects to earn money. It is fun to me and fun to a lot of people.
However, it is so easy to forget Jesus.
Is there any way to start a conversation talking about money and somehow, change to Jesus? Is there any way to use money related things to lead people to Jesus?
Jesus is my great treasure.
or
money is my great treasure.
In case of money, I don't want to share my wealth position and even I don't want to share my money.
In case of Jesus, I want to teach my knowledge of Him and I want to share Jesus with others.
Let Jesus be my great treasure, Lord.
Let the Spirit guide me.

Mercy, not sacrifice

I am going to preach Matthew 12:1-14 today.
Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 two times: Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:7. There, we read:
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

This verse is connected to Mark 12:33

And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

Let the preacher preach to himself first, and then to others.
The way I spend my time shows a lot about how I love the Lord and love others. Do I seek to know the Lord and do I have mercy?
I attended the church since childhood. In general, I saw the Lord as the universe's Commander who created a lot of rules: don't do this or that. If you sin, you are in hell unless you repent.
How should I rest in the Lord with such thoughts?
Although I had to believe that the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever, in fact, the Lord was a rigid commander. I was very prompted to think: ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed" Matt25:24
In order to please him, I had to constrain myself in many aspects and in doing so, I was ready to judge others who didn't constrain themselves; that is: I was a religious man, but without mercy. But, I still hadn't peace in my heart because the Lord was like a lion, eager to attact me.
As I began to understand that I belong to the Lord despite all my sins, I began to rest on him. I believe that I began to love more others and be more merciful to others because the Lord has been merciful to me.
Therefore, I know that I am in the Way to know the Lord more and to love others more. Even though I enjoy staying with believers, there are many and many times that I prefer to stay alone. Am I wrong? Maybe. These days, I am spending my time thinking about money allocation, much more than putting my thoughts in the Lord. Am I wrong? Maybe. Anyway, I am quite sure that the One who began the work on me, will complete it.
In today's sermon, Jesus is defending his disciples that were accused of not keeping the Sabbath because they caught grain and were eating it. Jesus said:

7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

Jesus is saying this to me, too; mainly when I saw the Lord as a lion who was eager to send me to hell by not tithing, for example. I didn't understand that the Lord desire mercy, because for me, the Lord was nor merciful and the only way to please him was by sacrifice. So, in the same way, I was eager to condemn the guiltless.
The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, he is the Lord of the tithing, he is the Lord of any ceremonial law and I love him more than the ceremonial law.