Today, Super Bowl LII will be held in Minnesota. This is the most watched sporting event held in America and it is one of the biggest tournaments worldwide; only surpassed by the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.

            Sports and similar events have grown exponentially in the United States. There are competitions almost every day, in almost everything you can think of and at every level. Little kids compete in “Pee Wee” leagues and then continue playing in Middle and High school, in college and some become “professionals.” There’s even senior leagues for retired athletes.

            America (and the whole world) has an obsession with competitions. We play and watch a bunch of “normal” sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, car racing, etc.), but there are many tournaments involving other activities like Frisbee, darts, horseshoe toss and many other really weird “sports.”

            I have never heard of any event in which couples compete to see who loves the other person more. A few years ago, Stanford University conducted a “Love Competition” in which a few couples competed via an MRI to see who loved his partner the most. The brain scan showed different levels of reactions in the brain, along with raised levels of dopamine, endorphins, serotonin and other brain chemicals.

            This is not the kind of love competition that I am referring to. MRI’s and X-Rays cannot determine how much we love others, because love is not an emotion or “chemistry.” Love is a gift from God and is expressed mostly by loving and giving actions that come from our will.

            The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16)

            Love is measured, not by fancy poems and extravagant gifts (although there is a place for those), but by our giving. In 2 Corinthians 8:5, the apostle Paul speaks of the Macedonians great giving in this way:

            “…but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”

            This is real love. Love gives. God gave and the Macedonians gave. Giving, however, is more than giving money—it is giving ourselves to God and to others.

            I have often wondered how different marriages (and other relationships) would be, if we would try to outlove each other. Divorce and fights would be a thing of the past if we were more concerned for the well being of our partners or friends. Philippians 2:3, 4 says,

            “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

            Alexander Gonzalez

            A place that every Christian should visit is the Middle East. There are many interesting and fascinating locations in this region, including Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon and of course, Israel.

            These biblical lands are full of mystery and enchantment. It was there where all the heroes of faith walked, lived and died. It was there where the nation of Israel prospered and then decayed. It was there where our Lord Jesus was born and died for our sins.

            One of my favorite places to visit would be the area between Egypt and Israel known as the Red Sea or “Sea of Reeds.” This is the place that is portrayed in the movie “The Ten Commandments” when Moses is used by God to open the sea.

            In a sense, I (and perhaps you too) have been to the Red Sea. No, I haven’t visited the Middle East yet (donations anyone?), but I have had many Red Sea moments in my life.

            I am referring to those bittersweet days, when nothing goes right and everything gets worse and worse by the minute. You feel trapped and cornered every which way you turn. To make matters worse, the “Egyptians” are right behind you; ready to destroy you and there is a big sea all around you, making it impossible to escape.

            I tell you that these must be God’s favorite moments. We are surrounded by enemies and obstacles and no one else can (or wants to) help us, but God. In those moments, when the sea is raging, the lion is roaring and our strength is gone; God appears at the last possible minute and opens the sea (Exodus 14), calms the storm (Mark 4:39) and shuts the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:22).

            Perhaps you are IN a Red Sea moment right now. Everything is dark around you and you feel like God has abandoned you. I cannot tell you how long it is going to last, but I know three things:

            One day, it will come to an end

            God is with you now

            God will rescue you.

            He promised so in 1 Corinthians 10:13,

            “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

            Alexander Gonzalez

                Have you ever been in a troublesome situation? We all have faced problems and tribulations almost on a daily basis. If is not one thing is the other, but the fact remains that troubles will visit all of us with an irritating frequency and intensity.

                And yet, there are days which seem more problematic than others. I am referring to the days when attacks come one after another; like a swarm of locust that devastate everything in sight. These days are intolerable and seemingly never-ending.

                That is exactly how I have been feeling these last few days. It all started on Friday with a simple cough, but it has degenerated into something far worse. Now I have problems or pain in almost every inch of my body. I have a medical condition in:

                My head and my eyes

                My nose and my mouth

                My throat and my neck

                My stomach and my chest

                I also have constant fever, which in turn has drained all of my strength. I am also suffering from headaches, insomnia, allergies and dehydration and a few more I forgot. The only “good news” in all of this is that I have dropped a few pounds…which I need to.

                My case cannot be compared to Job’s day of trial. In one day, Job went from being the richest and most blessed man of his time (Job 1:3), to one of the poorest and most miserable (humanly speaking). In one day, Job lost his fortune (camels, cows, sheep, and donkeys) and all his children (Job 1:13-18).

                Only Jesus, and perhaps the apostle Paul, suffered even more than Job. In fact, Isaiah 53 tell us that Jesus was:

                “…despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (v. 3)

                 Do you want to talk about having problems? Jesus is personally acquainted with sorrow, grief, troubles, pain, abandonment, betrayal and any other problem you can think of (or complain about). He, who put Job to the test, voluntarily became the Object of derision, scorn and all sorts of attacks.

              But Isaiah continues,

             “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…He was bruised for our iniquities…and by his stripes we are healed” (vv. 4, 5)

             I don’t know how to end my problems or this blog, but perhaps we can learn that problems are part of life; that Jesus knows about our problems and that He uses problems to bring the best out of us. Remember that it was He that faced the wilderness for 40 days; that prayed with his own blood on Gethsemane and that shed that same blood to save us from Hell.

            Alexander Gonzalez

              In the late 1980s and early 1990s there was a very popular TV show called “Full House.” It was a hilarious family show and safe for the family most of the time. Four adults and four children lived under the same room, and many comedic situations developed from their daily interactions.

            There was a time in my life when I lived in a full house myself. My wife and I raised three rambunctious boys and at times, it seemed as if we had ten or more children running around the house instead of only three.

            In a sense, I really miss those days, although I enjoy the peace and quiet of my empty nest. This peace has been shattered this week by the screams, the cries and the laughter of my grandsons. Yes, my house has been invaded by noisy and smelly little creatures; my home is a full house once again, at least for a few weeks.

            A full house is a blessing from the Lord. Psalm 127:3-5 speaks about it in this way:

            “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
            The fruit of the womb is a reward.
              Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
           So are the children of one’s youth.
           Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;”

          There are many empty nests in the United States. These homes have no children in them. Some of them (like mine) are empty because their kids are all grown up and have a life of their own now. This is normal and good. Children grow up and then marry and move out. It is painful to say goodbye to them, but we are happy that now they have their own home and family…life must go on.

         On the other hand, there are houses (I cannot call them “homes”) that are empty because the parents have decided to either not have children, or they just kill them. Since January 22, 1973, almost 60 million babies have been aborted in the United States.

         Israel sacrificed many of their children to the idol Moloch in the Old Testament. The US performs their sacrifices in Planned Parenthood clinics and other similar “altars” today. If God did not forgive his chosen people, do you think that He will overlook the American Holocaust?

         I pray that the killing stops and that we all seek God’s forgiveness. Personally, I think that this nation has crossed the line and only a revival from heaven can stop God’s judgment.

         I pray that all of us can have full houses. Let our homes be filled with children, with laughter, with love,  with peace, with forgiveness, but most of all with God and his Word.

Alexander Gonzalez

            I like to travel all over the world. I have traveled to a few different countries in the last ten years, most of them on missionary trips. Sometimes I wish I was a millionaire so I would be able to travel even more.

            Among my favorite destinations to visit are Israel, Hawaii, Alaska (only in the summer), Australia, the Canary Islands and almost every nation located along the Mediterranean Sea. There are many beautiful places on this Earth that are worthy of a visit.

            Being a millionaire would allow me to travel to some of those exotic locations, but I would rather be a famous (or at least well-known) evangelist to take the Gospel all over the world.

            One can dream, right?

            Right now, I find myself on a plane, traveling once again. This time, though, I am coming home. I have spent two weeks helping my son in Omaha, but now is time to return to my own house.

            Thinking about this latest trip reminds me that I am not home yet. No, I am not referring to the fact that the plane hasn’t yet landed in sunny Florida, but that I have not arrived in heaven, my real home.

            I enjoyed my time in Omaha with my family, but it was also filled with work, pain and discomfort. The same happens to all Christians on this Earth. We might have a few days of joy here and there in this planet, but there is also pain, sadness, stress and even death.

            I can’t wait for the plane to land in Orlando, Florida. The cold days in Nebraska will soon be only but a memory. I can’t wait for the day when I reach my heavenly home. This world is too cold, dark and filled with sin and death. This world is not my home.

            Hebrews 11:13-16 summarizes my feelings so much better:

             ^“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.  And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Emphasis mine)

            Lord Jesus, please come and take me home with you. This is the best place for me (Philippians 1:23). This is my real country (Philippians 3:20). This is where I want to be for all eternity.

            Alexander Gonzalez