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Either God is evil or he doesn't exist. Wars, famines, terrorist attacks... If God exists, why so much suffering? How many times have you heard that? What if the real culprit behind the world's woes looked at you in the mirror every morning?

Charlie, 21, becomes CEO in three months... and panics. Why me? Do I belong here? It's imposter syndrome. In this article, discover, through biblical examples, the X factor that allows you to overcome it.

Same first name, two reversed paths: one begins as a king and ends as an outcast, the other starts as a terrorist and ends as a hero of faith. This explosive comparison between Saul and Saul will reveal to you why your present is never predetermined.

Going fast or taking the time to do it right? Microwave or conventional oven, based on an original comparison, this article encourages you to position yourself and reflect on how you build your life.

From fear to walking on water… What if this miracle was primarily meant to teach us a lesson? This article shows how a life in danger can be transformed into a victorious one.

October 15, 2024

If God truly exists, why all these wars, all these terrorist attacks? If God really exists, why are people dying of hunger, sleeping rough, why all these viruses? Why so much suffering if God presumably exists?

Have you never asked yourself these questions? If not, you've at least heard someone ask this question.

There was a time when I lacked an answer to this question, and indeed, there was a time when I asked myself the same question, not to prove God's existence, for I already knew that he exists, but simply because I did not understand why all this suffering occurred when I knew perfectly well that God does not want to see humans suffer; on the contrary, he wants all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:2-3)

After years of asking myself this question, I believe, by the grace of God, I now have the answer.

One of the reasons why misfortunes occur on earth is that human nature is inherently evil.

Mark 10:8 : Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”

Before receiving the life of Jesus, man is wicked, his heart is deceitful and evil (Jeremiah 17:9), and wicked man can only produce evil things (chaos, famines, war, etc.). The Bible also says that wicked man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart (Luke 6:45). You might still ask me that if God knows that men are wicked, why doesn't He change them for good? And you will arrive at two conclusions: either God simply doesn't exist, or He exists but is not good, because He allows evil to occur.

And here's what I'll tell you next.

Water exists, but why do some people die of thirst? Why doesn't seeing thirsty people call into question the existence of water? And if some humans die of thirst, is it really the fault of water's "evilness"? But Dave, what are you getting at? you might ask. Follow me and you'll understand.

I come from a country where some people don't have water to wash or drink, even though the country has an astronomical water reserve (rivers, lakes, streams, etc.).

If people in this country are dying of thirst, it's not the fault of the water itself, but rather the fault of those who are supposed to provide access to it. I'm referring to the government, which is responsible for ensuring everyone has access to clean drinking water. Since this isn't happening, the citizens of this country are attacking the government, not the water, because they know the water exists and their only problem is access to it. Someone said, "The power of darkness is the absence of light." In other words, darkness is strong when the light is weak. God exists and is good, yet we experience the works of darkness—that is, all these misfortunes (wars, famines, terrorist attacks, etc.)—because no light rises to put an end to them. And the lights here are the children of God (those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior) (Matthew 5:14). God has never been evil; the problem is us, the children of God, who are unaware and selfish, thinking only of ourselves, our own lives, our own families. We are the government that must bring this water to the people; we are the people God has chosen to intercede against all these massacres, yet we only look at our miserable lives—yes, “miserable,” because of our lives, we allow the world to speak ill of God, to say that he is evil, and worse, to say that he doesn’t exist. God is good and wants all to be saved; in other words, for all to become good.

1 Timothy 2:3-4"This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth."

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come."

My heart weeps when I read the two biblical passages above. We are saved to save, freed to free, healed to heal. If God has saved us, it is for others, to serve others, but how many of us do this? Not only must we intercede for these unfortunate people to stop suffering, we must also dedicate ourselves to the salvation of souls, because the more children of God there are, the more potential intercessors there are to end suffering. Moreover, a good person brings good things from the good treasure of their heart. (Luke 6:45) Therefore, the more good people there are (the light), the fewer bad people there are, and the less suffering there is. God's solution for us is us. God is water, and we are the government; our role is to give access to water to as many people as possible. How do we bring water? By evangelizing, by giving our lives for God's work, by giving our time to win and strengthen souls, by speaking about Jesus to those around us (Revelation 12:11). These misfortunes persist because God's children are not doing their work as intercessors and soul winners. Always preoccupied with our own lives, we become insensitive to the suffering of the world. Thus, no one truly stands in the gap to intercede so that all these misfortunes will stop.

Ezekiel 22:30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one." (NLT)

God wants His children to give their time to pray for countries and cities, to pray to Him to act, to protect, to guard, to feed, and so on. But His children are so self-centered that they become indifferent to the suffering of others. No one wants to make God's priorities their own, when in reality, everything we seek will be given to us by God to the extent that we are concerned first with His interests. (Matthew 6:33) I will end by asking God for forgiveness, first for allowing the world to speak ill of Him, to ignore His existence, and to doubt His goodness, but also for asking you, the reader, for selfishly allowing these misfortunes to happen and doing nothing, because your eyes were fixed on my own life. So, to the question, "Why do all these misfortunes exist?" I answer, "It's my fault; I haven't done my job." God exists, and if He was good yesterday, He is still good today and will be good tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8)

Lamentations 3:22-23 : The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (NLT)

Perhaps, as you read this, you understood that God is not wicked and that He wants what is best for you, so you wonder how to draw closer to Him in order to experience the good He desires for you. And I will tell you that one day, I asked myself this very question, and I received the answer when I asked Jesus to come into my life, to become my Lord and Savior. And immediately, He came; He answered my cry, and from then on, my life completely changed. So, I am here to tell you that it is possible for you too to ask Jesus to come into your life; in fact, He is waiting for you. So if you want, like me a few years ago, to invite Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life, I invite you to pray this prayer with all your heart:

"Lord Jesus, I acknowledge today that you are not at all evil, and that you want what is best for me. I ask your forgiveness for having been against you. Today, I invite you to come into my life, come be my Lord and Savior, I accept you now, change me and cleanse me with your blood and make me an intercessor. AMEN."

See you soon.

God Bless🙏🏾

#Dave Jr

Some important links:

Apostle Yvan Castanou: If you want to keep your "little life," you'll lose it anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/live/iuRayFYZFoU?si=MmL2IXzoC0QoTY61

Pastor Malkah TSHIBANGU: INTERCEDE SO THAT GOD'S WILL BE DONE ON EARTH.

https://www.youtube.com/live/HIiiF0igd5s?si=mdW41s1Eb98m0nyk

BIBLE YouVersion

https://www.bible.com/bible/133/GEN.1.PDV2017

14 Mars 2024

Stop being an Imposter.

Welcome back my dear Readers, we meet again today with a new article.

Today, I have a new story to tell you, it's the imaginary story of Charlie. Charlie is 21 years old, fresh out of university, he gets a job in the best bank in his city.

From the moment of his recruitment, three months were enough for him to be promoted to managing director of this bank.

I know, you're thinking what I'm telling you is almost impossible, but imagine it anyway and you'll see where I'm going with this.

Let's continue our story. Charlie learns he's been promoted and reacts with fear. He tells himself he's incapable of handling the position, and in his mind, these questions keep recurring: Why me? Wasn't there someone more competent than me? At my age and with my level of experience, am I capable of managing this level of responsibility? I was comfortable in my old job; is this new position really where I'm meant to be?

In short, so many questions which are only proof that our friend Charlie does not think he deserves this position, better yet, he does not feel he belongs there.

We have all faced a situation at some point where we felt out of place, a situation where we felt underqualified.

If, like me, this has already happened to you, then you have suffered from "imposter syndrome".

The Canadian Medical Association defines this syndrome as a psychological tendency towards fear and self-doubt that causes the affected person to doubt their own achievements and overwhelms them with a persistent and internalized fear of being portrayed as a fraud, despite their demonstrated abilities.

However, my goal here is not to say that you have a syndrome, far from it, I come to expose this syndrome in the light of the Word of God and give you what I think is the remedy for it, or at least one of the remedies.

In the Bible, several people were afflicted by this syndrome, and since I like you (yes, you who are reading this 😊), I've selected three for you. I know that the good reader will look for other examples in the Bible. 😁

 ● Example 1: Moses, who is afraid and feels incapable because of his stutter. (Exodus 4:10-17)

Exodus 4:10: “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, Lord, forgive me! I do not know how to speak. Even when I was a child, I did not speak well, and it has not changed since you have been speaking to me. My mouth cannot say what I want.’”

 ● Example 2: Gideon, who thinks God made a mistake in choosing him. (Judges 6:11-24)

 Judges 6:15: “Gideon replied, ‘Lord, forgive me! How can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.’”

 ● Example 3: Jeremiah, who thinks he is too young for the work to which God is calling him (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

 Jeremiah 1:6: “I replied, ‘Alas, Lord God, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’”

Now that you know this syndrome attacks even great men of God, I'm going to give you a remedy. In all these examples, whether it's Charlie Hebdo or those in the Bible, the people involved are simply forgetting one crucial factor: God's grace. God is sovereign; he does whatever he pleases (Psalm 115:3), and therefore, he shows grace to whomever he chooses (Romans 9:18).

God's grace delivers to us things that are not rightfully ours, but which God gives us simply to show us that we have entered into His favor.

Therefore, we are not chosen because of our abilities but solely by grace. This feeling of being incompetent or simply not seeing ourselves in our place may seem normal, however, it is not. Although we may sometimes find ourselves in a position that seems far beyond our capabilities and abilities, instead of becoming defensive and fearing being seen as a fraud, we must be aware of God's grace, knowing that it is neither by our strength nor by our power, but by the Spirit of God. (Zechariah 4:6)

Therefore, you shouldn't place your trust in your own abilities but in the Spirit of God. So, instead of moping and being afraid, you should thank God for the opportunity He has given you. In short, the remedy for imposter syndrome is thanksgiving, continually giving thanks to God because this is God's will for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) And if, right now as you read this, you are experiencing a situation in which you see yourself as an imposter, I invite you to pray this prayer:

“Father, I thank You for what I am experiencing right now (name your situation, for example, “I thank You for this director position”). Everything I have is by Your grace, and I ask Your forgiveness for having trampled on this grace by thinking that I obtained these things through merit.” I pray that you grant me the grace to be grateful at all times and to always give thanks, no matter the situation. Imposter syndrome is no longer my lot in the name of Jesus. Amen!

See you soon.

God Bless🙏🏾

#Dave Jr

January 2, 2024

Welcome, we meet again today with a new article. As a reminder, last time we made the difference between Christians who want to go fast (microwave) and those who decide to take their time (conventional oven).

After reading this article, you understand that there's a category of "Christians" who appear good but whose inner self (heart) is evil, and another category whose outward goodness is merely a reflection of their good heart. However, this isn't inevitable; one can start well and end badly, or end well even after a bad start.

A good beginning is good, but a good end is better. For the end of a thing is better than its beginning. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

You probably don't believe me 🤔. I expected that, which is why I prepared an example in each of the two cases to try and convince you.

The life of King Saul teaches us. Chosen as king by God, he stood out from the other Israelites, and the Bible says that no one was like him.

1 Samuel 10:24: Samuel said to the people, “Have you seen the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then all the Israelites applauded and shouted, “Long live the king!”

 During the early years of his reign, Israel experienced great victories, and it was during his reign that they were able to defeat the Philistine giant Goliath.

Saul had a golden opportunity to be a king who would be a model for all future generations. However, instead of continuing to follow God, he allowed his heart to turn away from Him.

Several serious sins, beginning with the offering of an unauthorized sacrifice (1 Samuel 13:9-14), marked the beginning of his fall from the throne. This downward spiral continued when he failed to exterminate the Amalekites and their flocks (1 Samuel 15:3-9), as God had commanded, but spared King Agag along with the best animals from his herd. He then tried to cover up his transgression by lying to Samuel and, indirectly, to God (1 Samuel 15:13-16). This act of disobedience was the final straw: afterward, God withdrew his Spirit (1 Samuel 16:14). God's break with Saul is certainly one of the saddest episodes in the Bible.

After his mistakes, he was still king and therefore well regarded by many, but this was only an appearance, for his heart was already far from God.

1 Samuel 15:11: “I regret that I chose Saul as king. For his heart turned away from me, and he did not do what I commanded him…”

In short, his disobedience, his abuse of power, but above all his estrangement from God, facilitated his downfall.

In contrast to King Saul, there was Saul of Tarsus, who got off to a bad start. Murderous, violent, and a persecutor, in short, Saul was a terrorist (Acts 8:3) because he killed innocent people under the guise of obedience to God.

Despite his troubled past, God's grace located him and he met Christ, thus becoming the Apostle Paul, who wrote more than half of the New Testament in the Bible.

The last years of his life were quite different, as he lived for Christ and for the advancement of the Kingdom. (Galatians 2:20)

The Apostle Paul was able to complete his walk with God successfully (2 Timothy 4:7) because he understood that the end is more important than the beginning. He was aware that remaining steadfast and clinging to God is a grace. Thus, every day, he worked to avoid falling or straying from God. He even shared this advice with the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 10:12: “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall!”

 This brief comparison between the lives of King Saul and the Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) presents two concrete examples showing that who we are today is not fixed and that we can shift at any moment, for better or for worse. Everything depends on our heart, so we must guard it every day so as not to become complacent, for the devil is always prowling, trying to drag us back.

1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober-minded; be alert! Your enemy, the spirit of evil, is like a roaring lion. He goes about looking for someone to devour.”

I will conclude by saying this: if you are standing, take care that you do not fall (1 Corinthians 10:12), and if you have already fallen, cry out to God, He will hear you and deliver you from your distress (Psalm 34:17).

However, if, like the apostle Paul, you have made a bad start and want to get back on the right path to walk with God, pray this prayer with me:

“Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I started off on the wrong foot, however I understand that this is not inevitable.

Come into my life today, I accept you as my Lord and Savior, my life begins anew with you and from now on, like the Apostle Paul, I walk with you. AMEN."

If, on the other hand, your start was good, but you fell like King Saul, say this prayer:

“Lord, I was running well, but I stopped because of… (you mention what stopped you; masturbation, lies, slander, sadness…) I ask forgiveness for this. However, I don’t want to stay here, and I know that you have the power to bring me out of this, so I come to ask for the grace to be granted to me to break free from everything that is holding me back. You say in your Word that what we ask for in faith, we must believe we have received; therefore, it is with faith that I believe I have broken free from everything that is not from you, and that I now continue my walk with you in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.”

With that, I wish everyone an excellent year 2024!

See you soon.

God Bless🙏🏾

#Dave Jr

Sources :

1. What can we understand about the life of Saul?

https://www.gotquestions.org/Francais/Saul-dans-la-Bible.html

2. What can we understand from Paul's life?

https://www.gotquestions.org/Francais/Paul-dans-la-Bible.html

3. Apostle Yvan Castanou: Your heart plays so many tricks on you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRGGsZUyoag

October 30, 2023

Which one are you?

It is my great joy to find you again through this text. Last time, I spoke to you about the attitude we should have when we fall in our walk with God.

Today, I would like you to be able to imagine being hungry with me. Yes, I love to eat.

Imagine being starving after a long day at work, and the only thing you can eat is an old plate of rice that's been sitting in the fridge for a while.

Before we continue, I'd like you to visualize my scenario. So, feeling incredibly hungry, you decide to take that meal, even though it's stale, and put it in the microwave to heat it up. Three to five minutes later, it's time to take your meal out of the microwave and savor it with gusto. You quickly approach the microwave, and with a decisive movement, you open the door. There, you see steam rising from your dish; your eyes sparkle. All day, you've been waiting for this moment. You grab the plate, which is piping hot, but you barely feel the heat because you're so hungry.

Enough chit-chat, you need to tackle your meal with the utmost passion, so you take your spoon, plunge it into the rice like a shovel into the sand, and guide it towards your mouth. The rice touches your tongue and then comes the disappointment: your rice is cold, it hasn't heated up at all. The microwave heated the plate, but not the food on it.

Disappointed, you decide to eat anyway; after all, you're still hungry, and some cold meal isn't going to satisfy your hunger. Besides, you remember that the Bible says to nourish our flesh and take care of it. (Ephesians 5:29) I'm sure that just imagining this scene disgusts you, and you want to know why I asked you to imagine such an atrocity. (That's putting it mildly, of course.)

Well, simply because we very often use the microwave to save time, but sometimes we are disappointed in the end, whereas with a conventional oven, we certainly take much longer, but the result is most often ideal. Therefore, a parallel can be drawn with the children of God.

On the one hand, there are those who believe they don't need a mentor, a father figure, in short, any kind of guide. I call them "microwaves." They are easily exposed, and when you see them, they give off a pious, fiery appearance, when in most cases their hearts are cold, like a plate of rice whose surface (appearance) is scalding hot, but whose contents (the heart, the inner self) are cold. What good is it, then, to serve God, to be the holiest of all saints, if our lives don't reflect God inwardly? If we don't walk according to God's Word? All this because, eager to move quickly, we haven't taken the time to work on our hearts.

Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Wanting to walk without a Father is akin to rebellion. God himself calls the Israelites rebels when they strayed from the path Moses showed them.

Exodus 32:9: “The Lord added, ‘I have seen that this people is a rebellious people…’”

On the other hand, there are those who, like Elisha, decide to take the time to train themselves, to grow under the spiritual guidance of a servant of God who will impart the fundamentals and help them work on their hearts. Thus, at the time of their exposure, their outwardly vibrant appearance will simply be a reflection of their inner selves.

I call these people “Conventional Oven” because a meal cooked in a conventional oven, while taking time, when set correctly, yields perfect results. Think about it: Elisha would never have received the double portion if he hadn't chosen to submit to Elijah and learn from him (2 Kings 2:9-15).

In most cases, our works will always raise questions about our origins, our place of origin, our Father. Even Jesus was asked where his Father was.

John 8:19: “So they said to him, ‘Where is your father?’”

 In light of everything I've just said, several questions can be raised, including:

Why do some people not want a father/mentor? What are the consequences of not having a father? Is being "microwaved" irreversible? Can we begin?

Microwave and then conventional oven and vice versa?

The answers to these questions will be covered in upcoming articles. So, stay tuned for more!

See you soon.

God Bless🙏🏾

#Dave Jr

August 22, 2023

What a pleasure to see you reading me again! And if it's your first time, you're most welcome. So, hold on tight, grab your Bible, and get ready for takeoff. In Part 1, we drew inspiration from the biblical text of Matthew 14:22-33 to explain how Jesus comes to us in the storm and empowers us. Here's the link to Part 1 for those who haven't read it yet: 👇🏾👇🏾
Jesus Walks on Water/the World (Part 1)

After reading the text, and if you have prayed with all your heart to invite Jesus into your life, you have begun your walk of dominion over the works of the devil. Here you are, a child of God, delivered and healed from every form of distress or sickness. Here you are, in a position of dominion over what dominated you. In a position of dominion over the world.

Finally, here you are, walking on the waters (the world) toward Jesus, like Peter. However, the world hasn't had its last word and is determined to take away your dominant position. So, it joins forces with its ally, the flesh, to try to engulf you again and stop your journey with and toward Jesus. Let's return to our text from Matthew 14:22-33. Between verses 30 and 31, we see that the water (the world), through its best friend the wind (the flesh), tries again to destabilize Peter.

The Bible says, "But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink into the water." The sight of the violent wind was enough to frighten Peter and stop him. Sight, one of the five elements of the flesh that I previously described as an ally of the world, this flesh can make us deviate from our objective if we do not neutralize it.

Before Jesus, in our lives, we used to act according to what our five senses told us to do.

Practical examples :

 ● Masturbating after seeing obscene images.

 ● To fight after hearing someone speak ill of us.

 ● To insult after someone has touched us carelessly.

 ● Overeating after tasting a delicious dish.

 ● To criticize someone after smelling a body odor coming from them.

 So you understand from these examples how the flesh works towards your downfall.

Peter, through what he saw, allowed fear to enter him. In the same way, it can happen to you too to fall, to return to what you had abandoned. But when this happens to you, don't blame yourself; immediately seek to get back up, for the saint is not the one who never falls, but the one who always rises humbly.

If you want to learn more about the fact that the flesh is an enemy that you must learn to neutralize, I advise you to read this book by Apostle Yvan Castanou entitled: “Neutralize public enemy number 1: The Flesh!”

Note: This book is available in audio format on various platforms.

That said, I know what you're thinking now; you're probably wondering how to get back on your feet?

Am I right? I know I am. But I think you're starting to know me, and you know I would never leave you without showing you the solution. Besides, you're reading this far, so I don't want to lose a loyal reader.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading this far, but it still doesn't answer the question you're asking. So, how do you get back up when you've fallen? The answer is simple: just follow Peter's example.

In verse 30, seeing his mistake and how the water had regained control over him, he immediately cried out, “Lord, save me!” So you understand that the solution is JESUS. The Bible says that when a righteous person cries out, God hears them and delivers them from all their distress. (Psalm 34:17)

Don't forget that it is JESUS who allows you to walk on water, so only he can allow you to walk on it again when you no longer do.

You're probably still wondering how Jesus reacts when you cry out for help after falling. Maybe you've even fallen yourself and you think Jesus will reject you if you come back to him. In that case, I only have one thing to say to you: "You're very wrong."

Read verse 31 with me:

Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand to Peter, took hold of him, and said, “You have little faith! You did not trust. Why?”

Immediately, on the spot, instantly, directly… so many synonyms to show us Jesus's swift response. From the moment you ask him for help, he reaches out to you. He doesn't reproach you, he doesn't make you feel guilty, because he is LOVE, and love doesn't judge in times of distress, but reaches out to help. What often prevents us from returning to Jesus is that we compare him to men, knowing that a man wouldn't forgive us for the act we've committed, we think the same of Jesus. However, Jesus is God and is merciful; his mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and nothing you do will be so terrible that God refuses to forgive you. If you have fallen, do not be afraid to return to Him and ask Him to pull you out of the abyss into which you have fallen. If you have been living in sin for some time, you may be serving God, but you know that your life does not honor Him because of this sin, then pray with me this prayer with all your heart:

“Father, I ask your forgiveness for my sins, for everything I do that is not in accordance with your word. I make the decision today to turn away from these evil deeds. However, your Word tells me that it is the Spirit who gives strength, so I understand that I cannot do it alone. Therefore, I ask you, Father, to grant me grace so that I may stand firm against the works of the flesh, and to hold your Word close to my heart so that I may no longer sin against you. In the name of Jesus, I have prayed. Amen.”

There you go, I've just served you dessert and I believe that, thank God, this dessert did you good.

With dessert served, I think I can stop there.

No, wait!!!

Not so fast, I have a gift for you, a bonus you definitely weren't expecting, but which is important.

This gift is simply an answer to a question I believe you are asking yourself now that you have resumed your walk. Indeed, I think you have already wondered what the purpose of this walk is? You fell and you got back up, but you continue to walk.

What is the true purpose of this walk with Jesus here on earth? For the last time, let's return to our foundational text, verse 33: 'Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter, saying, "Why do you have little faith? Why did you not believe?" Then the disciples who were in the boat knelt before Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God!"'

Peter was in the storm, he decided to come to Jesus, he was afraid and was overwhelmed, he asked Jesus for help and received it immediately. All these events allowed the other apostles to say, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” It was thanks to this that those who had remained in the boat understood and accepted that Jesus is the Son of God. In these words, you have your answer: the true purpose is for Jesus to be glorified through our lives. The Bible says that whatever we do, let it be for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Our story with Jesus, where He took us, and where we are now, our ups and downs… all these things must ultimately be for the glory of God. The real goal is that others in the world can look at our lives and glorify Jesus. They must look at our lives and want to step out of their boat and walk on water; in other words, the world must look at us and want to be part of the great family of God's children. That is the purpose of our lives as children of God. It is with this awareness that I began writing articles, because I understood that I must use all the talents I have for His glory. But I will tell you about that in another article, God willing. This is the end of this short series on Jesus walking on water. Thank you for reading it all. Feel free to reread it, share it with your loved ones, and tell me what you think in the comments. Next time, I'll tell you about my testimony, my little story with Jesus, but in the meantime, I suggest you meditate on 1 John, chapter 3. I'll also leave you with this link to a testimony from someone who experienced ups and downs with Jesus, but who, like you, decided to return to God and ask for His help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueCuSVC0dr4

See you soon.

God Bless 🙏🏾

#Dave Jr

14 Mars 2024

Water, this little three-letter word, synonymous with life for some and the danger of death for others, can very easily be taken as the perfect embodiment of the expression "half-fig, half-grape." Grape, because without it man dies (literally), and fig for its capacity to engulf man thanks to its dangerous spines called marine animals, or even through its intrinsic force which, combined with its best friend the Wind, very often triggers natural disasters. Water is LIFE, they say; however, faced with a hungry shark or a tsunami, to say that this same water is DEATH would not be heresy.

In the Bible, water plays a significant role in several stories, from Noah's flood to Jesus' walking on water and Moses' parting of the Red Sea; water has not gone unnoticed. The dual nature of water, explained above, leads me to focus on Jesus' walking on water. A walk that leaves no one indifferent. A miracle for believers, a magic trick for those who believe in magic, or simply a lie for scientists. Regardless of one's beliefs or background, this story sparks debate.

However, why does the Bible tell us about this?

This story can be found in the book of Matthew, chapter 14, verses 22 to 33.

A careful reading of this passage is crucial for a full understanding of what follows. I must admit, this story isn't exactly short—enough to make even the most ardent readers blush. But the fact that you're still reading this part of my text shows me that you enjoy reading, or rather, you don't dislike it. It also shows me that you haven't disliked my writing so far, which is a pretty good sign for me. That said, I'll return to what I was saying, hoping you've taken the time to read the text, and if not, don't panic! I'll put the link to the text right here: 👇🏾

Matthew 14:22-33 : https://www.bible.com/bible/116/MAT.14.22-33.NLT

Now that you've read this part, I can get to the main course. And yes, everything you've read so far was just an appetizer. Getting back to the point, this text has four main parts:

 ● The disciples are in danger in the Boat without JESUS.

 ● Jesus arrives walking on the water and Peter does the same.

 ● Peter is almost drowning and asks for JESUS' help.

 ● The disciples recognizing that JESUS is truly the Son of God.

The first part, between verses 22 and 26, gives us a brief glimpse of the mortal danger the disciples faced when Jesus wasn't in their boat. From the beginning, you've probably wondered why I put the word "World" in the title of my text when I'm only talking about water? Believe me, by talking about water, I was indirectly talking about the world. Take a moment and reread the biblical passage, replacing the word "water" with "world" each time. You'll understand that the disciples on the water without Jesus are comparable to someone in the world who doesn't yet have Jesus in their life; they are in mortal danger because the world is just waiting to engulf them. And without Jesus, we live in the world without dominion, without hope, and with death as our only future.

Nevertheless, God does not want this future of misfortune for humankind (Jeremiah 29:11), which is why, in the boat tossed about by this perpetual danger in the world, God came to us through his Son Jesus. This brings us back to the second part of the text, between verses 27 and 29, in which Jesus, seeing the disciples' fear, seeing their distress without him, decides to come to them. The same is true for our lives, which, without Jesus, are bleak. And, to deliver us from this, Jesus comes to us. And all he asks of us is to be willing to take the step toward him.

In our biblical passage, Peter asks to come to Jesus; that is all that Jesus needs, that you open your heart to him and that you might want to remain close to him.

By making this request to Jesus, by opening his heart to him, Peter began his journey toward Jesus, and this journey took place on the water. He, who had previously been on the verge of being swallowed by the water, suddenly began to walk upon it; in other words, Peter began to have dominion over the water. What can we understand from this? When you open your heart to Jesus, when you ask him to deliver you from danger, Jesus takes you and places you in a position of dominion over the world that yesterday frightened you and was slowly killing you.

“Listen! I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of the devil. Nothing will harm you.”  (Luke 10:19)

The journey to Jesus is a journey of overcoming everything that has dominated you. No matter the sin: masturbation, lying, slander, stealing… If you want to break free, the solution is to open your heart to Jesus. So, I'll take a short break to ask you to pray this prayer with all your heart if you want to open your heart to Jesus, let Him into your life, and begin your journey to Him. If it is your desire to let Him into your life, then repeat these simple words:

“Lord Jesus, I ask you for forgiveness for my sins, come into my life, I need you so much. Today, I believe in you and I accept you as my Lord and as my Savior, and from now on, I am a child of God, I walk according to your Word, and the Holy Spirit dwells in me. Amen.”

Congratulations! Welcome to the great team of those who walk on water, those who dominate the world. And although your life is far from over, you have already made the best decision of your life. However, this journey you have chosen to begin is neither without difficulties nor linear; it often features peaks and valleys, like a roller coaster. If my text were a meal, then this notion of ups and downs in this walk on water (the world) would be the dessert. But before serving it to you, I must give you time to digest the main course. After all, a good chef allows time for digestion before bringing them dessert. That is why I have decided to stop here and reserve the rest for a second part, which will be published very soon.

In the meantime, I leave you with some testimonies from a few people who, like you, saw their lives transformed after making the decision to leave their boat and follow JESUS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9Py6eWRyKY 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhB-9eJUZf8 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDHbi9xj5fk

See you soon for part 2.

God Bless 🙏🏾

#Dave Jr.