Christ must be horrified at Christmas

* Luís Alberto Alves

Curious as there is a Christian worshiping Christmas tree and even speaking that Jesus Christ was born in the month of December. They ignore the second chapter of Matthew, where the birth of Jesus Christ is narrated in the rule of Herod and in the city of Bethlehem of Judea, without, however, specifying the day and month. Even so, they sign below that Jesus was born in December and that's the end point.

Sadder in this story are teachers of theology hitting the foot that the Lord was born even this month and we should celebrate his birth, entering all this wave of the Christmas spirit. If you look at the entire New Testament, in no book, letter or epistle you will see any reference to the birth of Jesus Christ. Why did no apostle write about this subject?

In Jeremiah, chapter 10, from verse 4, God condemns the setting up of a Christmas tree in the house, custom of the Babylonians. Even so, this class does not accept. If the Lord clearly says that this is abomination, why do they insist on this tremendous error?

I have no doubt that from the highest heavens, Jesus Christ must be displeasing with this kind of reverence for a tree. Some say that this gesture helps evangelization. Christ does not need a cane to reach someone's heart. Nor much less the use of a pagan feast to worship Him.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

Modern church does not enter the Heavens

* Luís Alberto Alves

You count in your fingers, the Christian churches today that did not adhere to the fad of the world. He invested the Word of the Lord to satisfy whims and despised the counsel not to frequent the wheel of scoffers. The important thing is not to receive the stamp of grimace and outdated. That is, he is striding towards hell.

Numerous members comment that the lifestyle stipulated by Jesus Christ at the beginning of this age can no longer be applied today. The world has evolved and Christians need to follow the turning of this wheel to lose the trolley of history. For this bunch of crazy, the Lord is outdated. Rules of the beginning of Christianity have no validity now.

The clothes are scandalous, the makeup is nothing to do with the whores, the speech is suffering, loaded with profanity and dishonest. They are arrogant and arrogant, as well as selfish. They think of no one. Only in them. Praying for others is a utopia in the conception of life of this type of Christian, who is said to be in touch with the 21st century.

This is the modern church. Where everything is allowed. Even to sin successively. In this type of congregation, people do not marry, but become lovers until sexual attraction disappears. Borrowed money is never paid. Drug addiction is routine. So is dishonesty against the neighbor. Everything is good there, even going to hell after death.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

End of the year is empty church season

* Luís Alberto Alves

Every end and beginning of the year, the churches are empty. People take vacation from worship services. They leave prayers in the background and the concern is only to consume, even what they do not need. They're hallucinating. He walks the lost streets, like cockroaches after receiving a burst of poison.

Not even the most elaborate sermon is capable of making these people stay in worship. I would say that the pastor and the workers enter into solitude. The banks, with few members, symbolize the disengagement towards Jesus Christ.

Quickly forget the words of the Lord when he announced that our dwelling not here in this world, but in Heaven. But the blind of faith can not understand the depth of this message. For them the ideal is to buy in bulk.

They spend the end of the year eating a lot, just like the bear on the eve of hibernating. All to get into the sleep of not needing the support of God. For some this may be the last year of their lives or even this day, this week and they remain empty-handed, with nothing to present to God.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

The Devil acts in obsession and oppression

* Luís Alberto Alves

Few people can discern the areas where the Devil seeks to act in the Christian's life. He seeks to attack from the inside out, in the case of obsession or from the outside in, in oppression. In these two lands he beats strong in many Christians.

How many people can have good thoughts every day? For some, the short skirt on the desk is reason enough for the spirit of prostitution to dwell in the mind and to suggest the malignant affair of adultery. It is oppression, when we are attacked from the outside of our soul.

It may come disguised as rage, when in a traffic jam, we feel like throwing the car over who tried to hit our car or even speak a bad word against the boss who lives stepping on our callus. It is the routine of the Christian.

In obsession, the thoughts of end up own life, or else beat up who we love because of bullshit. Or even try to vomit the anger built up in the heart. The enemy of our souls sometimes has nothing of stroke in these seas: oppression and obsession.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

Evil advances in the world

* Luís Alberto Alves

Evil is advancing rapidly in this world plunging into rot. What is the reason for this? Simple! The coming return of Jesus Christ. Do not expect my brother that the situation will improve. On the contrary, the tendency is to worsen in order to fulfill the word of the Lord.

In many areas degradation is visible. In personal relationships, ruin took over. Few really have love for one another. The business is to take advantage. No one cares about the pain of the bankrupt, the addict or even the beggar. It is the culture of selfishness.

The children of this century are already born thinking of themselves. They do not respect their parents and demand that their wishes be fulfilled, no matter how absurd they may be. They bring in the soul the virus of ruin. One of the marks of this millennium, revealing the authenticity of the Word of the Lord.

At this time, even the Christian church grew cold. With the exception, most only think of material goods. There is little talk of spirituality in the pulpits. The business is to praise the dark theology of prosperity. Christian saved, in the eyes of these people, is who has a lot of money.

* Luís Alberto Alves is pastor

The past must be forgotten by the Christian

* Luís Alberto Alves

Every year end is the same: many Christians are thinking of the past. Some even believe that before they knew the Gospel they were happy. Great lie of Satan. When you hear some secular music, then the enemy works hard in the mind.

We can never wish to go back to the days that never return. These are bad experiences that we should leave in the limbo where Jesus threw them. Resurrecting memories of sad moments, where we suffered too much, is an attempt on the Lord's will.

We need as servants of Jesus Christ to continue looking ahead. The best God has reserved for us all. Ignore the garbage from where we left for the Glory of the Almighty. Do not want at any time to look and say to yourself that there was happiness.

When it comes to relationship destroyed and from which you managed to get out alive and whole. Forget! Jesus reserved for him years of peace and happiness. Do not waste time saying "ah! If I had done this or that, I could have avoided this defeat. " Let the past take care of itself!

* Luís Alberto Alves is pastor

God helps you, but the decision to win is yours

* Luís Alberto Alves

God always helps us. But the decision to win the battle rests with each of us. Nothing falls from the heavens with a kissed hand. Several Christians are spoiled. They like to get blessings without sacrifice. They throw everything into the Lord's hands and fall asleep waiting for the request to be answered.

Usually these people have no life of prayer. In worship, you are the first to complain. Watch everything in silence. Not a Glory to God comes out of their mouths. These people's interest is for the blessings. They never thought of satisfying Jesus Christ. Pure selfishness.

As it is in the book of the prophet Isaiah, our God is of the impossible. He is able to make possible, what in our eyes is a task without any chance to materialize. In Jesus' dictionary, the word impossible is not present. However, these Christians are not aware of this rule.

It is in your hands my brothers the victory. It can also be defeat if you do not fight and strive to realize the dream that still exists only in the spiritual world. Close your mouth and come to God more intensely.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

Have you fed your spirit?

* Luís Alberto Alves

At this time of year people are concerned only with material feeding. They go to the supermarkets and fill the shopping cart with various types of food. There are turkeys, fries, various types of meat, pastries, cakes, drinks and panettone. They spend the day eating, until the stomach gets very full. This is the rule of life for some. Mostly Christians.

Few, because of the lack of concern for Christ, realize the nourishment of the spirit. They forget to look for the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, to gain strength and continue to face this world where the evil one is allowed to reign and to continue in his project to ruin lives and try to bring the greatest number to hell.

We need to feed our spirits by praying, fasting, and remaining in the presence of God. If you look at the new testament in the book of Matthew, chapter 2, you will find that there is no date showing that Jesus was born in December. In order not to fall into the deceit of the Christmas spirit, which is also non-existent in the Bible, try to pray a lot.

It is never too much to contact God through prayers. Speak to Him, open your heart and reveal your anguish and leave your anxieties in your hands. The more you feed the spirit, the more you will be willing and able to continue walking with Jesus Christ. Enjoy. Man does not live by bread alone, but by the Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

Whoever is dirty, who gets dirtier

* Luís Alberto Alves

 The return of Jesus Christ is very close. How can I guarantee this? Just look at the world around us. How much dirt! People have lost their sense. Depravity is total. Homosexuality and lesbianism in most countries have become lifestyle, especially among teenagers.

Practicing crime is natural. The thieves of this century, when arrested by the police, naturally assume the crime without any remorse. Killing someone for them is normal, as if it were right to take someone's life. Disrespect is the rule in many sectors of society.

Corruption runs rampant in the upper echelons of politics, business, art, and even among evangelicals. Large numbers of false Christians aim only for self-interest and, of course, make lots of money. The commitment to pray was behind us.

Inbred by the Word of Grace, they plunge deep into the muddy sea of ​​sin. They just forgot that Jesus Christ said to the one who is dirty, to get dirtier. I do not know the day, month, and year, but I am sure that the Lord's return is imminent.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

When we take care of God's problems, He

* Luís Alberto Alves

Sometimes we become worried when we are immersed in the work of the Lord. We think our lives will be upside down. But God rejoices and cares for what torments us. Find solutions to problems, considered by us difficult.

Thus the wheel of life turns. Do it with love and affection. Never let selfishness enter the heart and accomplish the tasks anyway. If you are on the streets distributing food and clothing to the beggars, as I have done several times, let your professional side prevail. It is for the Lord that does.

Do not let thoughts of defeat in your head. Imagine you've let go of your troubles and Jesus Christ will leave you alone. This will never happen. On the contrary, the solution is in his hands. It is only to continue trusting and believing in the best of God.

The Lord knows the heart of every servant. Mainly two dedicated. Who do the work without any interest. Do not chase after rewards. Only seek to please the Father. They know that Jesus goes on opening doors, which our human wisdom does not do.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

If you are old, have the adrenaline of the young

* Luís Alberto Alves

I admire the huge dose of adrenaline in young people. When united to the power of the Lord, they find energies for activities that require great effort. In less than a month they can raise enough money to run a youth congress.

They produce truffles, make pancakes, and go out selling in the streets. The important thing is to get the resources to pay for the event, where the name of Jesus will end up being glorified. They stay up until dawn making decorations from the church.

The old men of the gospel, already in their 50s or 60s, need to be mirrored in the youth effort that denies the pleasures of the flesh to rejoice the Lord. Imagine someone who needs to go almost 20 miles to rehearse and arrive home late at night. All for the sake of the Lord!

That is why I argue that within a church it is necessary to blend young and old for sameness not to take account of the gospel. Thus we will have the energy to carry the Word of God to the ends of the earth. You can be sure, you have too young to go there.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

Caution: Time can cool you down and keep you from God.

.* Luís Alberto Alves

Nothing like the time to bring about changes in the human being. It changes concepts, ideologies, character, besides destroying great loves, which at the beginning gave a sign of eternity. It can be used by the enemy to drive us away from the good ways of the Lord.

Time is in no hurry. Just as old, he walks slowly but steadily, without stopping or looking back. Ruma always ahead. It involves the person slowly. It does not let her realize that the cold of unbelief penetrates subtly into soul and spirit.

First it puts the tiredness, then the apathy, the discouragement, the laziness, the lack of perspective and finally the lack of love. Gradually he turns the living ember Christian into charcoal erased and annihilated in faith. It changes concepts about the Lord, constantly hammering his mantras.

If there is no vigilance, you my brother will thicken the team of evangelicals who have turned away from Jesus Christ without realizing it, only with argument of lack of time. He becomes concerned about the material, leaving in the last place the spiritual, the green card of access to the Heavens.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

We need to return to the heat of the early church of Acts 2

* Luís Alberto Alves

The evangelical church needs to return to the heat narrated in Acts, chapter 2, when the new converts divided the bread, sold the estates, and divided the money for the gospel to advance beyond the walls of Jerusalem. And today how are we?

As a church pastor I perceive the coldness in the hearts of most Christians of this 21st century. Few are involved in the affairs of the church. They also criticize who gets their hands on the work. The concern on the part of this flock is to sit and watch the service and alone.

When it comes to your ears that some brother is hungry, he turns his back and says loud and clear, "I have nothing to do with it." It is disconnected from the ideals of the early church, where Peter and the other apostles were greatly used by Jesus Christ.

We need to return to the warmth of this early church. Where people were content to be in the presence of the Lord. To pray, to fast, and to preach the Word to the lost. The greatest desire was to remain in the arms of the Father. We must leave the cold of hell away from us.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

It is in the pressure that we must remember the Lord

* Luís Alberto Alves

Can you withstand pressure? Whether at work, marriage, college or even in ministry? When all is well it is easy to believe in the power of Jesus Christ. But the bad day comes for all of us. It shakes our structures. Unfortunately, few Christians remain loyal to the Lord.

There are cases of people giving up walking. They throw everything aloft, claiming that God left them alone. They were Christians in the good times, especially of peace and happiness and in the opposite moment they jumped of the boat of the Lord, to return to the trash of ondem left.

Pressures will always exist. It is wrong to imagine that we will grow up in an atmosphere of extreme harmony and happiness. Utopia. We will only have total peace in Heaven. As long as we are fighting in this dark world, we will only have fierce fighting.

So my brothers, it's time for you to raise your head and keep moving toward the target. Do not let the darkness sow in your mind that was left alone. Jesus Christ will never abandon his son. You will always be on our side.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor

In the tragic hour we remember the name of Jesus Christ

* Luís Alberto Alves

In our daily life, we rarely remember the name of Jesus Christ. Perhaps because of over-reliance on human wisdom. We set it aside. As insignificant, unimportant to us. Even Christians commit this terrible mistake.

This week that marked the end of November, the plane crash with the Chapecoense soccer team and crashed five minutes from the airport in Medellín, Colombia, reminds us that this attitude is not good and we need to rethink the way to consider.

In the fast and desperate dialogue between the pilot and the flight control tower, when the urgent landing request was requested, as the plane was running out of fuel, something caught. At the end of the speech he quotes the name of Jesus and the silence interrupts the conversation. The plane had already fallen.

Even the arrogant, when the moment of danger comes they pronounce the name of Christ in the hope of salvation from that terrible problem. But we must invoke him always, not just in need. When we do this we demonstrate how selfish we are.

* Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor