WORDS

The True Sense of Easter, The Gratitude for God

Love God the way the king Josiah loved

02/05/2017

By: Bishop Jorge Pinheiro

Article by: Victor Correa

When the king Josiah started to reign, he did what the Lord regarded as being right and what 2 Kings 23.21 says. People are used to change the sense of celebrations. Easter is celebrated in a different way compared to what God established. It was to make Israelis remember they were slaves in Egypt and God delivered them all from that condition. Now it`s a business party. They exchange lamb to rabbit and the blood to chocolate eggs.

Josiah was a man who feared God and when he became aware of God`s instruction in relation to the Easter, He ordered to celebrate the Easter right away, which means gratitude. God wanted His people to remember those benefits He provided them. The human being portalts what God does to us very easily. The enemy tries to disguise what God does to us

They tried to disguise Christ`s birth itself. It takes place on Christmas, but people think about Santa Claus, special dishes, gifts, roasted pork, Christmas supper, but just few people talk about Jesus. We have to have gratitude for God everyday. We have to thank the Lord for everything, for our lives, for our health. The angel of death, like in Egypt keeps acting even today. He destroys homes, families, and finance. God saves His people from destruction through the love and mercy for Jesus Christ`s blood. We have to thank because too many bad things could have happened to us and they were avoided by the lamb`s blood. However, today, the lamb is Jesus Christ, the immaculate Lamb. It`s the blood of Jesus Christ that protects us today. Later, Josiah ordered to extinguish guessers as well as idols. Israel followed the king and his examples. Josiah, noticing that, took all evil things out from people and gave them examples. That`s why the4 kingdom of Josiah was so blessed. He served God and wanted to follow His law. He cleaned up the wrong things and forbid everything that didn`t please God. The Bible is God`s Law book. We have to be careful and do what the Bible tells, teaches, explains us what we have to do and not to do. God provided man with free will, the choice for us to decide about obeying His Laws or not According to men`s laws, if you obey them, nothing good happens to you, but if you transgress them, you are sent to prison, punished, lose items and privileges. God`s Laws bring penalties, but if you obey them, benefits will come too. When you obey God`s Laws, you are benefited and many good things happen. You thrive, progress, grow, and advance in life. Church, It`s worthy obeying God`s Laws, to abolish dirt, sin, prostitution, robbery, lie, gossip, and what it is worthless because you will become blessed and happy. There are many promises in the Bible for those who obey the Laws of God. About Josiah, God said that there was no similar king, who got converted to the Lord deep from the heart and deep from the soul with all his strength before. The Bible says that our heart is where we have our treasure. Your heart is where you have the most important thing of your life. In Josiah`s case, his treasure was God. Soul is the center of our emotions. Praise and worship God has to touch your soul, to make your heart fell happy. In order to come to the church, wake up at dawn, offer, give the tithe, fast, climb up the mountain, it`s necessary to have strength. When we put our strength to serve God, as Josiah did, God recognizes. How many people use strength, intelligence, and their body to do other people harm, to commit crime? Today, converted, we have to use our strength to seek God, to do people good God wanted other Josiah had been raised, but it didn`t happen. Today, you are Josiah at your home, of your family, of your neighbor, of your town, at your work. People have to look at you and see a servant, a servant of God, a person with good will. The world needs people like that. Meditate this Word, like many people do now, it`s important. Spending time for God`s Work, travel to get to the church, that means, to use your strength to seek the Lord and it`s worthy because it`s done for God and it counts on your favor. God sees you, observes your soul. Love Him deep from your soul. Emotions of the world are short-term; your soul has to be connected to God. Love God`s issues to make His light bright in you, so, wherever you go, people will realize that.