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Denber Perez, Vegreville, AB (2026)

09/26/2023

Genesis 1:26 - "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.'"

He made us in His likeness, He wanted us to live in eternity, to be connected to Him forever. But sin came, and then death. We were set apart from Him, disobedience banished us from His presence, and we have lived its consequence ever since.

It's in you, in me, in everyone. There's this longing, to find a purpose, to find meaning. It feels like a hole in the chest, an empty pit, a lingering darkness, and no amount of riches or hedonism will fill that space.

We are built for eternity but we choose the temporary.

"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'" (John 6:35)

Photo: The Light of the World, painting by William Holman Hunt

09/01/2023

Psalm 119:75 - "I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me."

The Lord is good but also just, He's kind but not tolerant. He's a good Father, He won't let His children stray from His way. Be grateful for the affliction, the correction may be His way to redirect your life from the path of destruction. God uses pain as a teacher, if we allow it to work, you can grow beyond anything you can imagine. Nothing is impossible with the Lord.

Photo: The Return of the Prodigal Son, painting by Rembrandt van Rijn

08/18/2023

Psalm 81:10-12 - "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
“But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels."

Maybe we are responsible to where we are in our lives, the bad decisions, the disobedience, sin and immorality. Our stubborn hearts and the desire for the comfortable, expedient and pleasurable clouds our judgment towards what's right, holy and acceptable. We find every excuse not to do what we're supposed to.

Maybe we don't want to be healed. Maybe we don't want to be better, because then we have to take responsibility over our lives, the decisions we make, the paths we take. But like the man healed at the pool of Bethesda who was lame 38 years of his life, if you take a leap of faith, obey, take up your bed and walk, Jesus can raise you up. It is hard to do, maybe even unbelievable, but if you surrender to His will and pick up your own your afflictions and trauma, He can turn it around and use you as a blessing.

It is His will to make you fruitful, do not let unbelief stop you from what He made you out to be.

Photo: Seascape with Jonah and the Whale, painting by Gaspard Dughet

08/16/2023

Matthew 5:5 - "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

The word meek here was from the Greek word 'praus,' it is strength restrained by gentleness, it is a demonstration of power under control. It speaks of discipline and the ability to forego gratification in the hope of a future. Meekness is to be strong in the trials, to be gracious in defeat, to stand up despite the failure, to bloom in the midst of the desert, to be purified in the fire. It is a bargain to get to your full potential. It takes courage, it takes will, it takes faith and hope and love.

It takes sacrifice to get the inheritance, and meekness is a weapon. It is self-control that leads to true freedom, to unbound treasures, to your purpose and meaning.

Photo: St. Paul and Silas in Prison, painting by Michael Václav Halbax

08/06/2023

Psalm 23:4-6 - "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Despite the struggles, the Lord is never absent, He's always present, always working. His understanding surpasses ours and He allows things to happen to let His glory, His plans to shine.

Faith is not just blind belief, it is the contrary. It is to trust in all His works, His past deliverances, His victories. It is the hope that despite the suffering, it's all in accordance to His goal for your life.

Trials and difficulties are a blessing. That's when He's preparing a table for you, an anointing where your cup will overflow. Dwell in Him forever, trust in the God who never fails, the one who never changes, the one who keeps His promises.

Photo: The Burning Fiery Furnace, painting by George Jones

08/02/2023

Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ - "A good man obtains favor from the Lord, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn."

There's always consequences to sin, it might not come now but you will reap the harvest of what you sow, it leads to discontent, destruction, to death. Harder is the straight path, but it always leads to growth, reward, fulfillment, to life.

Wickedness is easy, its momentary pleasure can deceive, resulting in guilt, shame and condemnation. Righteousness on the other hand is difficult, it humbles, it requires perseverance, it breaks you to your deepest core, but it has the power to build you up.

Obtain the favor of good works through faith in the One who saves. In obedience to His commands, throw away wicked intentions and the fleeting gratifications of sin.

Photo: Abraham's Sacrifice, painting by David Teniers

07/28/2023

Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

There are things we won't learn unless we force ourselves to. Doing right is a lot harder than choosing the wrong things. Wisdom comes to those willing to give up their base desires for something greater.

It's easier to hate than to forgive, to show indifference than to love, to be proud than humble. It's easier to give in to vice than discipline. The Lord is not a tyrant, He gave us free will to choose after all. He put the commandments in place for our own good, not so He can punish us.

Choose discomfort, obey and be transformed in His wisdom.

Photo: The Judgement of King Solomon, by Martin Johann Schmidt (Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest)

07/26/2023

Genesis 3:15 - "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

The fall of man was not a tragedy but the start of a beautiful story of redemption. After sin came into the world, God did not choose to destroy us, instead He set a plan in motion. To send the Son of Man, to live in the flesh like we do, to be tempted, to feel pain and hunger, to feel every human emotions. He died for our sins, to give us a way to life. What the enemy thought was God's defeat, became His ultimate victory, for He lives, Jesus defeated death.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Put your faith to the one who loved you since the beginning of time. Commit your ways to the Lord and He will start to do His good work in you.

Photo: Ascension, painting by Francisco Camilo

07/22/2023

Job 2:10 - "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

It's not easy to understand suffering. But sometimes, God uses it to show us the way forward. It forces us to grow and persevere, to transform us into what we're called to be. There's no triumph where there's no struggle. Jesus said that those who want to gain life will have to lose it.

Let the pain mold you, let suffering be the fire that separates you from failure and regret.

Photo: The Liberation of Peter, painting by Antonio de Bellis

07/12/2023

Luke 22: 31-34 - And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

We pray for more faith, hope, and love, not for the trials to go away.

Jesus prayed to strengthen Peter's faith instead of letting the trials pass. We are not immune from difficulties and temptations, so we pray for the Lord's strength to overcome the hurdles. What this world means for evil, God uses for His good to those who follow Him and his Word.

Surrender to Him. Pray in times of temptation, when mad, disappointed, hurt, angry, and broken. Do not run away from discomfort, face it head on. He rewards those who are faithful, those who persevere towards the end. Be refined in the fire.

Photo: The Descent of the Holy Spirit, painting by Giovanni Lanfranco

07/08/2023

John 15:12-13 - "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

True love is a sacrifice. He gave it to all of us in spite of who we are. No one deserves that kind of love but He did it anyway, He died on the cross for all our sins, so we can have life. He bore the pain so we don't have to. He first loved us so we can show that love and compassion to everyone.

It is a gift to be loved, to be accepted, to know that despite what we've done, His love is enough to cover it all. He will do it again and again, however many times we fail.

Photo: The Israelites in the Desert, painting by Jacopo da Ponte

06/28/2023

Matthew 7:7-8 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

The Lord is gracious and merciful to give our heart's desire. He wants to invoke our faith, to keep asking, to keep knocking. It is a call to action, to pray, and to toil for His promises. He's waiting for you, come and take the opportunity to pick up your own cross and carry it daily. There is a reward waiting to those willing to follow Him and do His good works. His love will never fail you.

Photo: The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, painting by Rembrandt van Rijn

Denber Perez

09/26/2023

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