The closer we live to God, the better we will be answered. Our prayer to Him will never be in vain or go unanswered. Why not use the authority given to us by Jesus in the face of adverse situations? No matter how far we are from the Father, He will never be far from us. He will always be the jealous and only God we can call on. Whoever loves Him will be loved by Him (John 14:23).

         In the Ten Commandments, God forbade the making of graven images. Idolatry causes indignation and disgust in the Lord: You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me (Exodus 20.5). We must be separated from the world and consecrated to our heavenly Father.

           After the children of Israel were warned not to ally themselves with the Canaanites, they were ordered to tear down their altars, break down the images and cut down the groves of the land they would occupy, as these items could lead the weak to worship demons. They would participate in a new life in which they would lack nothing. None of the gods of Canaan could remain so as not to corrupt them; otherwise, the Lord would abandon them.

            God teaches us the same way. Obviously, we can't forbid adherents of other religions from performing their rituals, but we do have a duty to speak to anyone who wants to hear about Jesus, showing them that He doesn't fight with any expression of faith. On the contrary, He saves those who come to God through Him. If we treat people well who think differently from us but are interested in hearing the Gospel, they will be converted and see the difference Christ makes (2 Timothy 2:24-26). 

           The lost who decide to give themselves to Jesus will feel that it is impossible to mix the Master's words with teachings that differ from the Word. The Holy Scripture declares: For you shall not bow down to another god; for the name of the Lord is jealous; he is a jealous God (Exodus 34.14). Whoever receives the Savior into their heart will soon realize the difference between the old belief and the Gospel and will choose to serve God!

           The Pharaoh who reigned in Egypt 3,500 years ago saw the Hebrews' efforts to one day be free as a way of increasing his “good treatment” of them, so he said: Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it and let them not regard false words (Exodus 5.9). God's servants longed for full freedom. In Christ, we are free from the reign of lies and hatred. Believe it and live it!!

           The Bible says: God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries and He reserves wrath for His enemies (Nahum 1.2). Pray, for the Lord will answer you!

           In Christ, with love,

           R. R. Soares