Homes Saving Lives 1 To 10 2

Homes Saving Lives 1
Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

homes Saving lives
52 lessons for Friendship Groups
© 2021
Apostolic Assembly
of the Faith in Christ Jesus,
5401 Citrus Ave. Fontana, CA 92336.
www.asambleaapostolica.org
Editor:
Bishop José G. Zúñiga
By
Gabriel Pereira das Neves
English Translation:
Missionary Lee Millen
Layout and Design:

Eliseo Martín del Campo.
Printed in the United States of America

homes
Saving
lives
52 lessons
For Friendship Groups
Asamblea Apostólica
de la Fe en Cristo Jesús
Table of Contents
Lesson 1. Scaffolding and construction 7
Lesson 2. Fragile masks 10
Lesson 3. Is praying a waste of time? 14
Lesson 4. The century of speed 17
Lesson 5. The key to prayer 21
Lesson 6. Humility, seal of wisdom 24
Lesson 7. The man who came from the sea 28
Lesson 8. The blessing of the fruit 31
Lesson 9. Life and its opportunities 34
Lesson 10. A unique opportunity 39
Lesson 11. Seize The Opportunity
Lesson 12. Persons Of Faith And Prayer
Lesson 13. Weakness That Is Strength
Lesson 14. The Great Discovery
Lesson 15. Looking At The Cross
Lesson 16. The Two Thieves
Lesson 17. Close But Far
Lesson 18. The Most Important Decision
Lesson 19. Will You Receive It Or Reject It?
Lesson 20. Do You Love Jesus?
Lesson 21. Why Should I Be Baptized In Water?
Lesson 22. Obeying the Word
Lesson 23. The Fullness of The Holy Spirit or Failure
Lesson 24. Spirit of God, Breathe on Me
Lesson 25. Love Not The World
Lesson 26. How Are Your Garments?
Table of Contents
Lesson 27. The Worshipers That God Seeks
Lesson 28. How To Worship God
Lesson 29. Adoration and Transformation
Lesson 30. Songs In The Dark
Lesson 31. Blessing (part 1)
Lesson 32. Blessing (part 2)
Lesson 33. Inexcusable
Lesson 34. Ephesus
Lesson 35. Smyrna
Lesson 36. Pergamos
Lesson 37. Thyatira
Lesson 38. Sardis
Lesson 39. Philadelphia
Lesson 40. Laodicea
Lesson 41. The Lord’s Church
Lesson 42. The Mission Of The Church
Lesson 43. Royal Priesthood (part 1)
Lesson 44. Royal Priesthood (part 2)
Lesson 45. Holy Generation (part 1)
Lesson 46. Holy Generation (part 2)
Lesson 47. The Reina-Valera Bible
Lesson 48. The King James Bible
Lesson 49. Let’s Read The Bible
Lesson 50. Do You Understand What You Read?
Lesson 51. How To Study The Bible (part 1)
Lesson 52. How To Study The Bible (part 2)
homes Saving Lives 7
lessoN 1
Scaffolding
and
Construction
How can we be useful in building other lives?
1 Peter 2:4–5
“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men,

but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are be-
ing built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” NKJV
iNTRoDUCTioN
Next to the house where I live a building is emerging.

For almost a year, a team of brave workers has worked day by
day, until dusk. The building rises little by little, inch by inch, me-
ter by meter.

8 Friendship Groups Manual
I had never noticed, up close, the complex and slow ritual

of a large building under construction from its initial base.
SCAFFOLDING
Lately I have noticed a detail: the scaffolding of the building

that is being erected. Scaffolding goes up as the building goes up.
Modern scaffolding, with all safety conditions in mind.
Piling bricks, installing windows and building walls 20, 40

or 60 meters high has its risks, its dizziness, its constant dangers.
Those workers on great heights are brave!
The building that I have seen rise from its foundations is al-
most finished — fifteen floors — and the scaffolding is gradually
disappearing. They were useful, but they are no longer needed;
they accomplished their task. The external part of the building
has already been completed.
In the internal finishing, where the workers work now,

scaffolding is not needed.
CONSTRUCTION
Closely accompanying the birth of that great fifteen-story

building, the spiritual relationship sprang up spontaneously…
God is the true architect of the universe, the great engineer of
the world and of the life in it. And God invites us to collaborate
in the construction of His kingdom on this earth.
By His mercy, I can see thousands of brothers seriously

engaged in the task that God has assigned us; serious people,
committed to this work from head to toe.

THE IMPORTANT Thing
I think of myself. I feel like a scaffold… an assisting scaffold,

a service scaffold.
The building of life, of the Church, of the Kingdom… it

is God who basically builds it. As the Principal Architect, as the
Chief Engineer. We, men, enter like scaffolding ...
Scaffolding is not essential, but it helps, complements. For

this reason, the scaffold is humble, it provides the service, fulfills
the task and then it removes itself or it is removed ...
Psalms 115:1: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to
Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth.”
CONCLUSION
Let us pray like this: Lord, sometimes I want to do

it all without you. Other times I think that you do everything
alone and you don’t need me. Let me learn, Lord, the lesson of
the building under construction.
My role here is to be a scaffold, humble, but also necessary

for the construction of life, of Your Kingdom, of the Salvation of
others. It is so enjoyable to be a scaffold, a simple scaffold and
nothing more!
Thank you so much, Lord, for allowing me this role.

lessoN 2
Fragile
Masks
¿Cómo podemos ser creyentes genuinos y auténticos en
estos días de tanta falsedad e insinceridad?
2 Corinthians 4:2: “But we have renounced the hidden

things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of
God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending our-
selves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
Juca Chávez, a renowned Brazilian singer and actor, under-

went a surgical operation in mid-1974. Already on the operating
table, addressing the doctors and nurses around him, he told
them, smiling: If you were going to do a good thing, you would
not need to wear those masks!

THE GOOD DOES NOT USE MASKS
The good does not need to wear masks. Goodness can

walk bare-faced; It has nothing to hide. At the other extreme,
the evil that is ashamed of itself resorts to the usual expedient:
hiding behind a mask. It simulates goodness to save face.
Wasn’t that the way Adam and Eve proceeded after being
deceived by the serpent? They took hold of some fig leaves and
hid behind some trees. But God found them. The mask is always
a fragile thing.
THE FRAGILITY OF THE PRETEXT
There is no perfect crime or flawless simulation. Cain, dy-

ing of envy and jealousy for his brother Abel, planned to end
his life. Using a “mask”, he invited his brother for a walk in the
countryside, pretending to be innocent of any devious intent.
Then, taking off his mask, he perpetrated the cruel homicide.
Again, God entered the scene, subjecting the first mur-

derer in the annals of history to an investigation. Cain, afraid, his
conscience stained by the blood of his brother, wanted to hide
behind the mask of the pretext: “Am I my brother’s watchman?”
But there are no excuses that are valid before the one who
knows it all.
THE LOOK OF GOD
I’ve been thinking about the masks that we use some-

times, in some cases. I have reflected on the childish fragility of
our masks and on the divine arm of Justice, much longer than
is believed.

Although on many occasions human justice fails, although

the human gaze does not discover what the mask hides, there is
always someone who sees beyond; One whose gaze penetrates
the most intimately in people. It’s that ‘someone’ who searches
the mind and tests the hearts, as the Holy Scriptures mention:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wick-

ed; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind,
even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit
of his doings.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10
GOD’S FORGIVENESS
Evil always comes from within. The exterior is its exten-

sion. And even the best-fitting mask always leaves slits through
which the light of God’s gaze penetrates. Although it is night,
although we are alone; the Lord sees everything.
Is there anyone on the face of the Earth who has never

used a mask, adult or minor, with much or some malice? With-
out a doubt, no.
But we have one consolation. For our inconsistencies,

childishness, selfishness and sins, there is divine mercy and for-
giveness. Woe to us if it were not so!
CONCLUSION
May God help us to be transparent people; that we can

honestly acknowledge our mistakes and confess them to obtain

mercy. May we be people of integrity even in these times of

masks that are generally untruthful. And yes, we can!
“But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not

walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully,
but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every
man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Cor. 4:2 NKJV.

lessoN 3
Is Prayer
a Waste
of Time?
Do we give the right value to prayer? What do you think?
Psalms 18:6: “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and

cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry
came before Him, even to His ears.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
In the anti-religious museum in Bucara, Russia, there are a

series of photographs of believers prostrate in prayer. They are,
for the most part, followers of the Islamic religion. Under the
museum photos, you can read inscriptions like these:
“All the hours spent in useless prayers are hours wast-

ed for productive work.” “Remember that prayer is the worst

of drugs!” “The search for a higher being is reserved for weak

minds.” And the defenders of communist pragmatism sign the
inscriptions.
LOSS OR GAIN?
Enthusiasts in the pagan world clap their hands at concepts

such as the antireligious museum. Activists who do not under-
stand faith, who do not know the spiritual dimension of the hu-
man being and of life, enthusiastically subscribe to such ideas.
For the supporters of Marx, Engels and Lenin, religion is

the opium of the people. And me, how do I consider and how
do I place prayer in my life? Loss or gain? Poverty or wealth?
Wasted time or precious time?
PRAYER IS A BLESSING
In reality praying is a blessing, a protection, a benefit for

our spiritual, family and material life.
The word of God tells us: “ Praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all per-
severance and supplication for all the saints...” Ephesians 6:18.
NKJV
Scripture also tells us: “ Watch and pray, lest you enter
into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26.41. NKJV
And he teaches us that: “For the eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the
Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12 NKJV.

The Lord left us prayer as the fundamental means to be in

constant communication with Him. It is not a waste of time; on
the contrary, it is a profitable time by which to have a blessed
life and to be able to live an eternity with Jesus.
ITS BENEFITS
I would spend hours and hours writing about the many

benefits of prayer. Here are just a few:
There is no time limit or agenda required to pray to

God. He is always available. We can pray at all times: “Pray
without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV
In prayer we find hope: “Be anxious for nothing, but in every-

thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6.
Praying guarantees us the best company: “The Lord is

near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”
Psalms 145:18 NKJV
CONCLUSION
Let’s quote one more promise from Jesus: “Again I say to

you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they
ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two
or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst
of them.” Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV
So, let’s pray to the Lord right now, and ask Him to fill us
with faith and confidence, with assurance and perseverance, and
with a burning desire to seek His face every day, in prayer. Amen.

lessoN 4
The
Century
of Speed
People rush more and more each time, but seem to ob-
tain each time less and less; on the way to nowhere. Why does
this happen?
Daniel 12:4b: “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge

shall increase.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
A world of high and dizzying speeds is ours. The Interna-

tional Formula 1 pilots clock in at more than 300 kilometers per
hour in their major competitions. Every man for himself!
Also impressive is the statement of a group of psycholo-

gists who discovered that most of these driving champions feed
a secret suicidal instinct.

Very significant and eloquent is this medical report on the

protagonists of Formula 1; undoubtedly, one of the most danger-
ous sports in the world. But it’s not the only one…
AT FULL SPEED
We literally live in a century of speeds. High speeds on the

streets, at work, in relationships. Everyone is in a hurry! Even in
our prayers to God, we are getting faster and reckless.
Millions of faithful in the world complain bitterly because

worship or service takes too long; because too much is sung;
because the preacher or conference speaker is longwinded in
his presentation.
We have so many things to do! We look at the clock all

the time. And just as food is heated in the microwave oven;
as well as with the speed of an e-mail or a search in Google;
we also want to carry the important things in our life — at
full speed.
We have little time for family, for loved ones, for friends,
for God… and all because we are racing through life. The banal
or mundane work and occupations are “more important.”
WHERE ARE WE GOING
Let’s give generous applause to that Christian minister

from Los Angeles, California, who advises drivers in his congre-
gation to sing Christian hymns as they race down the freeway.
These are some of his recommendations:

Those who walk at a speed of 100 km per hour, should

sing: “The world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”
Those who reach 120 km per hour, would do well with

that hymn that says: “Close to you I want to live.”
And those who like to run at 140 km should chant: “In the
clouds I will see His face when I finish my walk.”
Is it a lunacy what this Pastor recommends? It doesn’t

look like it, according to how we run today. And what does God
recommend for us?
THE COUNSEL OF GOD
Our car is just an extension or representation of our-

selves, of our feet and hands, of our way of thinking.
The car is just a means that can transport us well ... or

lead us to an abrupt end; depending on how we drive it. With
our life it is the same. For that reason…
“Thus says the Lord: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for
the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find
rest for your souls...”
Jeremiah 6:16.
CONCLUSION
Beloved brother, how do you conduct your life? Where

are you taking it? Where do you want to go? Are you certain
that you will get what you desire?

Let us pray now and say to the Lord the words of David:
“My times are in Your hand.” Psalms 31:15a.
Lord Jesus, my days, my time, my projects and my future

are in your hands. Help me today so that I can make a stop along
the way; so that in my life I can fulfill Your will and not mine.
Allow me from this point forward to value more the

things that I really need. Remove from me all foolishness, vain
efforts, anxiety, and that continuous urge to run from one place
to another.
I ask that you give me patience and calm, oh God, and

guide me along the peaceful path that leads to eternal life. You
are the Lord of my time. I place it in your hands now! Amen.

lessoN 5
The key
to
Prayer
Prayer is the key that opens the door in the morning and
closes it at night. What do you think about that?
Psalms 42:5-8
“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you dis-
quieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the
help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from
the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep
at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone
over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
and in the night His song shall be with me—a prayer to the God
of my life.”

INTRODUCTION
In the past, I thought that praying was the great internal

and external sign of my love for God. The years passed, and I
discovered that prayer is, above all, a deep awareness of God’s
love for me.
Over time, my faith in God has increased and the desire

to pray has become irresistible. Praying, dialoguing with God,
humbling myself in his presence, I express my love to him.
PRAYER AND LOVE
Prayer is then that moment when I love God, and pay him
homage, glory, gratitude, and praise. As I pray, I practice an exer-
cise of love for God.
There is another angle, moreover, that I cannot and should

not forget: Prayer is the moment in which I become aware that
God exists and loves me: “We love Him because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19. NKJV
The love of humanity for God will always be incomplete,

imperfect, limited, partial. While God’s love for us is infinite, un-
limited, free and eternal. God does not need of us, but we how
very much are, in need of Him!
PRAYER AND STRENGTH
Prayer simply springs from our need and dependence on

God. Without prayer there can be no awareness of one’s own
weakness.

Prayer is the key that opens the door in the morning and
closes it at night. And only from God, through prayer, do we
derive our strength.
To live among men, we need this effective and tremendous

force of prayer. The human body can live temporarily without
food but ends up dying without it.
So it is with the soul; without prayer, one dies. There is

no such thing as a fast from prayer - although many insist on
practicing it.
CONCLUSION
Prayer puts in my life the comforting certainty that there

is someone who loves me selflessly. Someone who loves me
even though I am not worthy of that love. Someone who loves
me although I am the most prodigal of the prodigal children of
this world.
Lord, guide us, lead us, draw us back to You; towards the
power of Your love. We now seek Your face, because we need
You, O God, more than our food, more than water, more than
air, more than everything and more than ever.
We plead that you renew our strength now, to be able to

seek you more; in the name of Jesus. Amen.

lessoN 6
Humility,
a seal
of Wisdom
Things don’t make sense if we don’t make sense of things.

What do you think about that?
Psalms 139:14 NKJV: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully

and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul
knows very well.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
It was a spectacular test in my teaching ministry. Prevent-

ed from giving a leadership class due to an unforeseen trip, I
spoke with one of my collaborators:
“Hey brother, do you want to teach the class in my

place tonight?”

“I have no problem,” he replied. “I’ll give a culture show to

those guys who know nothing.”
Uncomfortable, I made the same request to a brother

with great experience in the subject, and he said:
“Look;Well, at the last minute, I can’t agree to it. If you had

warned me a few days before, fine. I’m not one of those who
improvise things ...”
What contrasts! The first, judging himself to be very pre-

pared, enthusiastic, willing to make an “exhibition” before the
students.
The specialist, the old sailor of the deep sea of teaching,

asked for several days to prepare.
THE MARK OF A SAGE
The mark of the wise is humility. Also, that of the saint.
The true sage knows how much he does not know, even
though he is very cultured, and erudite.
The pedant or book worm exudes pride because he ig-

nores how much he does not know. He read two books su-
perficially, maybe viewed a documentary on the subject on film
or television ... and self classifies himself a doctor. The world
revolves around him!
The pretension is weakly undergirded. He lays the foun-

dation on the roof and vice versa, per se. Builds without using
the plumb line and finds everything perfect, out of the ordinary,
great, because it is his finished work.

Humility is calm, prudent, silent, a twin sister of balance

and good sense.
The souls with depth are humbly silent, because the mystery
envelops us everywhere.There are unfathomable recesses that no
one understands. Enigmas that are not deciphered.The small things
of this life and of the life to come that escape all understanding.
THE SENSE OF THE INTIMATE
In the intimate or singular details of certain things, there is

something of our own intimate being.The most valuable pearl is
hidden in the depths of the sea; ignored, subtle, simple, marginal-
ized by the ways of man. A rarity of great value.
In the depths of each one of us ... such singularity. In the

intimate, so many intangible things. Covertly, how much we pro-
tect some things! They are of no value to others, but they rep-
resent a great treasure to you or me.They are pearls in a locket.
They may not be particular or special, but they are inti-

mate; they are ours, and not only ours, that you can believe.They
would look insignificant if they stood on the common pathway
all take, if they showed themselves to strangers. But for each of
us, these things make perfect sense.
A VALUABLE SEAL
The simplicity, the plainness, the gift of analyzing and

meditating, respect for others, silence in the face of dissenting
thought. May we not lose these things, brothers!
That the strange world of machines and touch screens

not kill the spirit. That the revered science, technological ad-

vancement and “progress” not cancel out the value that is in

each one:
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excel-

lence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Corinthians
4:7. This makes it crystal clear that our great power comes
from God, not from ourselves. Amen.
CONCLUSION
Dear God, may we never lose our simplicity. Lord, may I

be humble, silent, holy and wise, without ever losing my child like
heart and the ability to value the smallest details of life.
Because in your kingdom, oh God, the greatest man is the

one on his knees. In your kingdom, Lord, and on the catwalks
of humanity, the great man is the wise and holy one who has a
child’s soul.
Help us to be humble every day. Amen.

lessoN 7
The man
who came
from the Sea
Where does the secret of the believer’s strength reside?
ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV: “Now to Him who is able to

do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
Dad would tell us an ancient story. One day, many years

ago, a famous singer came to town, one of the best voices in
the world - according to many accounts. Those were the times
of opera, before television, movies and the Internet swept away
everything or practically everything.

THE SECRET OF A VOICE
Everyone ran, literally filling the city theater. That one

show was big business, the biggest show up to that day.
The people were left electrified by that voice that shook

the mayor’s office on one side and the chief magistrates on the
other side; applauding the singer and standing for more than 15
minutes, asking for an encore.
After having sung another two or three songs from his

international repertoire, the mayor of the city had the courage:
“If I may ... who gave you that extraordinary and remark-
able voice?”
“The sea, where I come from!” Was the answer. No one

understood at first. The singer explained:
“It was by the sea where I spent years and years doing
exercises, tuning my vocal cords. Other times I walked si-
lently on the sand, traveling for miles and miles, in the morn-
ing and in the afternoon. Hearing the murmur of the ocean
helped me a lot.
Watching the ebb and flow of tireless waves, I learned to

be persistent. Trying to superimpose my voice over the noise of
the waves, I strengthened the resistance of my lungs.
From that dialogue with the sea, from that daily coexistence
with the nature of God, my love for music, my vocation as a singer,
my resistant and resonating voice was born. That is my secret.”
Up until now the fascinating story that Dad told us, the
waves of years gone by have not erased from my memory.

OUR SECRET
Today we are very grateful to the Lord that he has allowed

us to launch ourselves early on into this infinite ocean of our life
with Him, of our walk in His presence.
That singer had a secret, a special magnetism, an excellent

communication prowess to convey his messages — according
to Dad.
And me? What will give my tasks as a Christian the

strength of conquest, the power of radiance and the all-im-
portant touch of perseverance? If you will allow me, here are
some thoughts:
Willpower, lucidity of objectives, optimism; and above all,

intimate contact with God; a limitless ocean of grace, mercy,
goodness and above all, love.
The “inner man’s” life — the life of the spirit — is the soul
of every ministry, of every mission; and prayer, the food of each
day. The secret of our strength is in the strength that we obtain
in secret.
CONCLUSION
A committed and deep prayer life confers on us the cer-

tainty that it is worth putting ourselves at the service of the
Lord, at the service of the Church and at the service of souls.
Let us each do this, for the Kingdom. Let’s do it most of all

for God’s approval on our life and for God’s blessing on those
around us. Lord, give us more of Your strength and power!

lessoN 8
The Blessing
of theFruit
The chorus of a well-remembered apostolic hymn says:
“But do not permit it, but do not allow me, that I arrive in
Heaven empty-handed.” What do those words mean to you?
Jeremiah 17:7-8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the

Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted
by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not
fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anx-
ious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
There is a paragraph by the poet Kalil Gibran in which a

blank page speaks like this:

“Pure I was created and pure I will remain forever. I pre-

fer to be burned and turned into white ashes than to endure
that blackness touches me or that dirt comes next to me.”
The inkwell heard what the sheet of paper said and

laughed in the shadowy recesses of his heart; but did not dare
to approach her.
The colored pencils heard her too and never came close.
The sheet of paper, white as snow, remained pure and

chaste forever. Pure, chaste ... and empty!
EGOTISTICAL STERILITY
That text by Gibran came to mind when I was meditating

on the episode of the barren fig tree, narrated by Christ:
A man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. A barren

fig tree for three long years. He thought about cutting it, given
its uselessness. The vintner or caretaker asked for a little more
time, promising to give it special treatment:
“But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also,
until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not,
after that you can cut it down’ “ (Luke 13:6-9).
The barren fig tree has its eloquence. God, who is our Father,
fills us with benefits, gives us His grace; He gives us opportunities
to grow in virtue and do good, storing up treasures in Heaven.
But we, egoists, complacent, how many times do we de-

spise divine goodness by wasting His favors, wasting our tal-

ents; sailing in the waters of sterility, of dissipation, of empti-

ness, of nothingness.
With a fear of risking it, we stop doing good. Fearing criti-

cism or personal failure, we absent ourselves from building the
kingdom of Christ.
CONCLUSION
But You, Lord, since from all eternity, have a plan with me.
You gave me birth to grow, to serve, to fulfill Your will.
The birds sing, the waters run; the stars rotate in space
being useful, fulfilling their destiny, the mission you gave them.
May I not omit mine, Lord; may I not disappoint by folding

my arms, fleeing from commitments, betraying the imperatives
of my baptism in Your precious name.
How sad it would be, Lord, to arrive at the shore of eter-

nity empty-handed! Having had all this life spent in my hands,
only to repeat the story of the sterile fig tree and the pure,
chaste sheet of paper ... and terribly empty!
My God, don’t tire of me. Give me another opportunity

today, to be able to give you the fruits of my conversion. In the
name of Jesus. Amen.

lessoN 9
Life
and its
Opportunities
We serve a God of opportunity.
What do you think?
Nehemiah 2:2-5
Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since
you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became
dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why
should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’
tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?” Then the king
said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has
found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city
of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

INTRODUCTION
To unite the threads of life is to link its adversities. Lov-

ing others is synthesizing differences. Living well is recogniz-
ing, appreciating and taking advantage of the opportunities
that God offers.
RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITIES
Richard, 18 years old. Like all young people, he dreamed

of a bright, delightful future: moving forward, occupying a promi-
nent post, succeeding in life, being someone.
His father, a prosperous industrialist, poor at the beginning

of his career, rich and esteemed years later. Richard asked him
one day:
“Dad, what is the secret?”
“There is no secret, my son. It is not simple or easy. The

important thing is to be alert to the small things, to jump with-
out fear when opportunities arise.”
“How can I recognize the favorable opportunity?”
“They cannot be identified, my son. The fact is that you

always have to jump in, trusting, believing. The strong and brave
are those who dare in life, and not those who do not feel fear!
“Does the horoscope help, Dad?”
“Nonsense, my son.The horoscope is foolishness, a refuge

for the superstitious, ignorant and weak. Never put your feet on
that fragile and deceitful ground!”

Today Richard is doing very well. Married, with four chil-

dren, a competent professional, a healthy, calm, gentle man, a
friend of all. He is reaping what he sowed. He is humble, and not
vain. Because he lucidly assimilated his father’s advice.
VALUE THE OPPORTUNITIES
The long mantle of life is woven with the thread of op-

portunity. Is it life that plays the tailor or are we the ones who
sew, good or bad, the opportunities of each day?
Dislarei, a psychologist and writer, put it this way: “The

secret of success is to be prepared so as not to waste the op-
portunity when it presents itself.”
I have carefully opened the package of life, and in there I

have found tons of opportunities, thousands of occasions of all
sizes, styles and classes.
Life is a Trojan Horse in whose belly armies of occasions

and opportunities smile. We should never complain about this
one thing: a lack of opportunities to advance, fight, build, fulfill
and progress.
If I ruled the world, I would put in schools and universities,

as a compulsory subject: The art of valuing life’s opportunities.
SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES
There are people who do precisely the opposite, underes-

timating opportunities, wasting them, mistreating them without
responsibility or remorse.

It’s a shame. Opportunities knock on our door and we hit

them in the face, or we pretend not to be home. Our heart is
far away, attentive to other interests, anchored in other ports.
With total sincerity! I pity the sleepers, the lazy, the de-
featists, the installed, the insecure, the “blind,” those who spend
their nights and days with their windows closed.
Opportunities hover nearby asking to be welcomed, offer-

ing joy, peace, hope, clearer horizons, better guarantees, new jobs,
compensatory tasks, nobler goals, entrance tickets to eternity ...
But legions of the unwary and complacent pay them not

the slightest bit of attention. I have taken, from a recent survey
among university students in the United States, these three re-
sponses:
“An ideal in my life?” That’s all I need. It would be very

uncomfortable!
My reason to live? Squeeze the lemon of life to the core and

then throw the lemon rind away. Life is a bitter fruit to the heart!
If I am happy? I’m nothing. I live letting myself be carried

away, dragged away by the waves of my instinct and the whims
of the moment!
CONCLUSION
Nehemiah was afraid of the king — of course — but nev-

ertheless he took advantage of the opportunity he received, and
thus accomplished the all-important mission of rebuilding the
walls of Jerusalem.

My friend, you have in your hand the gift package of life.

Open it as soon as possible, as it is full of opportunities, big and
small, sacred and trivial. Don’t let them pass.
Joys and satisfaction in life abound around you right

now. Don’t make the mistake of throwing away so many op-
portunities that God offers you today; of being, doing and
having everything that He prepared beforehand for you. Let
us pray for all of this.

lessoN 10
A unique
Opportunity
Seizing opportunities can be considered a duty?
What do you think?
2 Corinthians 6:2
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of

salvation.”
iNTRoDUCTioN
There is a well-known Arab proverb that recalls four

things that do not come back: the spoken word, the shot ar-
row, the life changing lesson in life that was had and the wasted
opportunity.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
If we had to pile the opportunities we lost in life inside the

house, there would really be a lack of space in our home.
For those who are vigilant and responsible, those who

take things seriously, perhaps a small room will suffice.
The sloppy, the idle, the lazy who say “let it go” would
need to get huge buildings, because their specialty, with diploma
and all, is wasting opportunities!
When I miss a precious opportunity, in any field, activity

or situation, it is not only I who is harmed.
Everything is so social interactive, so broad, so collective

and global in life, in society, in the world, in the Church ... The
slightest gesture or word, any attitude, behavior or omission,
reminds us of the stone that we throw into the lake.
The stone touches the water, sinks to the bottom; but it

leaves its mark on the surface, where it forms the classic con-
centric circles that children (and some adults) like to see.
When I do good, many people benefit. When I do wrong

or cross my arms in omission or negligence, everything around
me suffers, is harmed or resented in some way.
No one is irreplaceable, but we are all useful, necessary.

God will one day ask us to account for the right or wrong deci-
sions of our existence, well or badly lived; of what we did or left
undone; of the seeds that we sowed or neglected to sow; of the
opportunities that we could seize or squandered.

NECESSARY QUESTIONS
Here are some questions that seem relevant to me and

that we should all answer from time to time:
Am I detached from life, from the world, from the envi-

ronment where I work, study and live?
• Do I have problems that, although seemingly insignifi-

cant today, tomorrow can have unpredictable conse-
quences?
• Am I aware of it at home, at school, in my profession,

in church, in my colleague cohort, in my societal sur-
roundings?
• Do I deal with these problems or do I put them aside

so as not to “overheat my thinking cap”, and not both-
er myself?
• Do I have talents, qualities, virtues, aptitudes, tenden-

cies, intelligence, fortitude and heart?
• Do I efficiently and with a collaborative spirit appreci-

ate that rich valise that God gave me freely?
• Do I become aware of big problems around me that

challenge me, or do I dismiss them on the simplistic
basis of “they don’t interest me, they don’t concern
me, they aren’t my business but someone else’s”?
• Do I respond to the tireless searches of others by

showing them that the church in particular and so-

ciety in general need people with ideals, talents, and

motivation? Or do I waste the opportunity to com-
municate my vision of things?
• Do I seriously and solidly prepare for the challenges of

the future by studying, reflecting, praying, building the
edifice of my personality, storing up a cache of data to
become an optimal professional, a worthy and honest
citizen? Or do I settle for an easy life, letting the ship
run unmanned in the hope that miracles will happen
when the emergency strikes?
ATHLETES OF GOD
Life is full of opportunities. It is up to me to take advan-

tage of them with rationale and wisdom.
There are always alert individuals who, from each exis-

tential opportunity, build another step on the scale of personal
growth and that of their brothers. Others hide in the trenches
of apathy, rest and indifference.
The choice is always ours.
God is faithful and generous. He wants us to be happy,

healthy, fulfilled in the human dimension and in the eternal one;
but it is up to us to take the initiative, discovering the pathways,
the secrets and the modality of our contribution, unique and
necessary in the building up of the Kingdom.
Millions of individuals could take the first step in discover-

ing their latent abilities as bosses, leaders, mentors, counselors,
and servants of others, if they took full advantage of the endless
opportunities that are offered to them daily.

I like this comparison: The soccer coach instructs, advises

and directs the players. He teaches tactical plays, passes and
combinations; perfecting the qualities, correcting the defects.
But the one who plays and acts, the one who wins the victory,
is the player!
God, who gives us the great opportunity to interface in

this world, is our coach. He’s the tactician, the supervisor. We,
the athletes in the field of life. A win, draw, or loss in the game is
ultimately up to us. Don’t you think so?
CONCLUSION
Lord, help us to take advantage of this unique opportunity

that is the life that you lent us for a few years. Give us faith, Lord,
and character to be able to hold firmly the profession of our
hope in the inheritance that You have guaranteed us in Heaven.
Give us the strength to seize every good opportunity!
Amen.

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Homes Saving Lives 1

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

Layout and Design:

Printed in the United States of America

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men,

Next to the house where I live a building is emerging.

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

I had never noticed, up close, the complex and slow ritual

Lately I have noticed a detail: the scaffolding of the building

Piling bricks, installing windows and building walls 20, 40

In the internal finishing, where the workers work now,

Closely accompanying the birth of that great fifteen-story

By His mercy, I can see thousands of brothers seriously

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

THE IMPORTANT Thing

I think of myself. I feel like a scaffold… an assisting scaffold,

The building of life, of the Church, of the Kingdom… it

Scaffolding is not essential, but it helps, complements. For

Let us pray like this: Lord, sometimes I want to do

My role here is to be a scaffold, humble, but also necessary

Thank you so much, Lord, for allowing me this role.

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

2 Corinthians 4:2: “But we have renounced the hidden

Juca Chávez, a renowned Brazilian singer and actor, under-

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

THE GOOD DOES NOT USE MASKS

The good does not need to wear masks. Goodness can

THE FRAGILITY OF THE PRETEXT

There is no perfect crime or flawless simulation. Cain, dy-

Again, God entered the scene, subjecting the first mur-

THE LOOK OF GOD

I’ve been thinking about the masks that we use some-

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

Although on many occasions human justice fails, although

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wick-

Evil always comes from within. The exterior is its exten-

Is there anyone on the face of the Earth who has never

But we have one consolation. For our inconsistencies,

May God help us to be transparent people; that we can

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

mercy. May we be people of integrity even in these times of

“But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

Psalms 18:6: “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and

In the anti-religious museum in Bucara, Russia, there are a

“All the hours spent in useless prayers are hours wast-

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

of drugs!” “The search for a higher being is reserved for weak

Enthusiasts in the pagan world clap their hands at concepts

For the supporters of Marx, Engels and Lenin, religion is

In reality praying is a blessing, a protection, a benefit for

Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

The Lord left us prayer as the fundamental means to be in

I would spend hours and hours writing about the many

There is no time limit or agenda required to pray to

In prayer we find hope: “Be anxious for nothing, but in every-

Praying guarantees us the best company: “The Lord is

Let’s quote one more promise from Jesus: “Again I say to