WORDS

HOPE, FAITH AND LOVE

1 Corinthians 13: 11-13

23/10/2020

By: Apostle Valdemiro Santiago

“When I was a boy, I spoke like a boy, I felt like a boy, I talked like a boy, but as soon as I became a man, I ended up with boyish things. Because now we see through an enigma mirror, but then we will see face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know as I am also known. Now, then, faith, hope and love remain, these three, but the greatest of these is love. ”

Jesus says that if you and I do not become like children, we will not see the kingdom of heaven. And then we read that someone is no longer a boy. Some people say that the bible is difficult to understand. In purity, in forgiveness, you and I have to be boys, children always forgive. Father and mother beat, punish, they probably won't forgive, but their son comes out of punishment by hugging you, kissing you, says he loves you. We must be children in forgiveness, in purity, but we must be adults in knowledge, in faith, in hope, in courage.

He says when he was a boy, but he did not speak chronologically, his age. He spoke of ignorance, lack of knowledge, because everything happened so quickly with him. When it was Saul, he spoke badly of God and the work and when he said those words, he was persecuted instead of persecutor before. He pursued because he was a boy, in ignorance. The boy does not perceive the danger, he is not self-sufficient, he has to be careful, protective and there are many people who still live as a boy in this sense and are sometimes taken to and fro. When I was a boy, I believed in werewolves, headless mules, December came. I dreamed of Santa Claus and what I was going to receive. Boy does not know what is true, what is a lie, what is right, what is wrong. Boys make a lot of mistakes. You and I, although subject to Him, made a lot of mistakes. We can't go too far, because the world is watching our mistakes. Our successes, few realize, because we were made to get it right. We cannot live like boys, because boys make a lot of mistakes, we have to be like boys in purity, in forgiveness, but be like adults in responsibility, in justice, in hope, in faith, in courage. Boys are afraid. We must have God's direction, live differently from the world. It's not about age, it's about maturity. The world lives and misses like a boy. We have to win boyish things. In verse 12, Paul refers to God and what awaits us, which is infinite. What awaits us, what awaits those who believe and trust in God, is very great. Paul meant that one day he will see God as people saw him. Whoever sees me today, know, one day you will see God, physically, look in the face of God. But for that, you have to stop being a boy, you have to have responsibility, hope, faith, communion, you have to follow the teachings of what God gives you. You don't come to church because of me, you come to see God, not physically, but manifest in some work, some miracle, that gave you the conclusion that it was done by God. When the apostle Paul says that he sees obscurely, he spoke of the manifestations of God that gave reason to believe in the presence of God. We also have, even if you doubt, we have reason to believe. Although we do not yet see how we will ever see, but there will come a day when we will see the Lord as He is, face to face. I've seen people say the opposite, but if love is synonymous with God, it has to be greater. Look, we fight for so much, want so much, get hurt by so much, stress for so many things, but everything passes, everything ends, everything ceases to exist. What remains are these three, faith, hope and love. If you manage to cultivate these three, you will have a better quality of life than you ever dreamed of. If you can take care, save, feed, fertilize, irrigate, protect, grow, you will reap. If you cultivate faith, hope and love, you will be invincible, unbeatable. Church, I never had sponsors, someone to face my pain. Today I see children of fourteen, fifteen years old cared for by their parents, I had no one to take care of me. When I was fifteen, I lived with one of my brothers in a small tent, he was eleven years old and we didn't even have anything to eat. I had no way to survive. The world is cruel. They were two children, they will survive together, with no one to educate, teach. Our shack was bonded with FEBEM. The FEBEM boys always spoke to us. There is nothing greater in our life that is worth more than cultivating faith, hope and love. Cultivate the three, which are greater than any friendship, any fortune, any treasure. You get where you want with these three. With faith, you face the greatest challenges, with hope, you have the patience to keep the greatest moments that God gave you and with love, you help, give yourself, give charity and, with the three of them, you win the world. At dawn, when you are distressed, call on the author of these three virtues. Every day when you pray, ask for faith, hope and love. If you