A person who does not love God or keep His commandments tries to invent things in an attempt to deceive the Lord. At one moment, they present themselves as converted and ready to honor Him, even with actions He never asked for. At other times, they pretend there is nothing wrong in their own lives. In Isaiah’s day, the people were straying from the Kingdom of Heaven, practicing deeds that displeased the Lord. Be vigilant!

God called those who prescribed invalid sacrifices the princes of Sodom and Gomorrah, for they led the people into errors that deserved divine judgment. However, the Most High rejected these filthy intentions, because they came from barren minds. The Lord prefers that we love one another; in this way, people will see that there is another Spirit in us—the Spirit of the Lord (1 Peter 1:22–23).

We must always live in God’s presence so that we may do what pleases Him. Just as Jesus lived in full communion with the Father, pleasing Him in everything, we too can continually enjoy divine favor. Living in the Lord’s presence means fulfilling the mission He gives us, without despair when evil comes upon us. We have His holy anointing upon us (1 John 2:20, 27).

With this assurance, if a dangerous situation arises, such as the one that occurred with Jesus and His disciples on the Sea of Galilee, we will simply set fear aside and command the sea and the wind to be still (Mark 4:37–41). Those who obey the Master’s command do not stray from the path marked out by the Father. We do not know when problems will come, but when they do, we will not even need time to decide how to act, for we will already know what to do.

With the fear of God active in our lives, we make prompt decisions, for we are clear about what to do when faced with a demonic attack against us or our family. Using the authority Jesus has given us, we will command every evil force to leave the oppressed and never return (Luke 10:19). We have power to protect all Christians!

There is no instruction for us to present the Lord with sheep, oxen, or any other animal, as certain self-appointed leaders insist on demanding in order to oppress us with such commands. The Scripture declares that no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11). Therefore, never allow yourself to be ensnared by the enemy’s lies. Pay attention to the Bible!

Christians do not need to perform any rituals required by the Old Testament, because Jesus has already paid the price for us to live free from the devil (Hebrews 9:11–12). In the past, before the Master came into the world, animal offerings provided temporary help but did not resolve the people’s problems. Today, everything has been paid in full, all we need to do is believe in Christ’s vicarious work!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares