We have a Father who watches over us every day. That's why you're sitting there in your chair today because He has watched over you until this very moment. Yes, I have a Father, but the question is, what do I do for Him? That's the question the pastor asked us last time. What do I do for the Father? What do I do during the week for the Father? How do I behave? Because it's not just in here that matters, there's also an outside world watching us. And not just here in the physical world, but God is watching us from heaven, amen.

In every home there are rules and instructions to follow. I remember that before I got married, I lived in a house that wasn't my own at the time. I lived with other people, and there were rules. If I didn't follow those rules, things didn't go so well for me, right? Well, things didn’t go so well for me and the Lord had to reshape several areas of my life. As I've mentioned before, I was one of those people who didn't like to answer to anyone about what I did or about where I went. I thought, "Why bother? I'm in charge of myself. I support myself. I do everything myself." That was the mindset I had. But let’s look at what the Word says about that. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 8:6. "For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." Listen carefully, it says for us, not for those outside, but for those who are here. It says for us, for you and me, that there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything proceeds. That means that everything exists through Him, the Father, everything comes from Him, and everything returns to Him. And what must a child do? Obey the Father because He is over us.

The Father isn't only there for us in the good times, but also in the times when we need to be corrected. You and I were created with a purpose and that's what we were singing about earlier - to worship Him at all times and at every moment - because through Him everything you see exists. If you see trees, it's not because man made them, Christ made them. If you see the mountains and all that, man didn't make them, Christ made them. If you see the waters and all that, man didn't make them, Christ made them. If you see your brother next to you, look at him for a moment, man didn't make him, Christ made him in His image and likeness. And He says that He made us like Himself, amen.

"The Father isn't there only for us in the good times, but also in the times when someone needs to be corrected."

God is above every situation. Even before you and I were born, there was already a purpose and the fact that you won the race to reach your mother's womb was not a coincidence. It was because Christ had already said so. He didn't say just anybody would win the race amidst millions and millions of sperm, but that you would win the race because God had predestined for you to do so from before. And that is why we are here because Christ has the perfect plan. And we were held in our mother's womb, some for seven months, and others for nine months, and some a little over nine months, but glory to God, here we are all here. Why? Because God said, "That's the plan I have for you, because I am your Father, and I know what I'm doing," and He does everything His way. And look how good it is! He says that the Father calls us by name. He knows everything about me. He doesn't need to run a scan like they do now to see how many organs I have and if they're all working right or if any are failing. Christ already knows us. He knows every single one of us and even knows how many hairs we have, and which have fallen out. The Lord even knows that because God is perfect.

Think about a son who knows that he has everything he needs from his father. Let me give you an example. When his father provides him with food, clothes, and money for whatever he wants, what reason does that son have to go looking outside for anything when he already has everything he needs at home? What's he going to look for on the outside? If he wants food, he's got it here, because his father or parents have food that God has provided. He doesn’t have to go outside for anything. The same is true in Christ. When we have a Father, and He gives us everything, why should we go looking for the garbage the world offers? We know that what the world offers us is nothing good. It just offers garbage. And what does that garbage do? It contaminates the mind and the heart and leads to disobedience. The risk in tasting the garbage of the world is that one gets used to it. It’s illogical, but there it is.

God did everything for you and me. Holy Week is coming up soon, and we remember everything the Lord did, everything the Lord went through for us during those days. But what about the other days? What about the other days in our lives? We should remember every single day the sacrifice Jesus made. He didn't do it out of obligation, but out of love. And you might say, "Oh, I've heard that before, they repeat it over and over," but it's reality. No one was going to die for us. We were stained with sin, but when Christ came He just looked at us and said, "It's necessary that I do it.” If God did that, what are we willing to do for Christ? God does ask for something from us: obedience. But the question for me is, am I obeying? Am I constantly cleansing my mind and heart? Or do I really want to keep feeding on what's outside even though that doesn't help me at all?

And let's go to 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” What do we have to do first? Confess. Be honest because, many times, what we want to do is hide. But with the Lord, we must be honest and tell Him, “I have this. I have that. This is what separates me from You. This is the barrier that I have and that doesn't let me move forward.” We must be honest. The Lord already knows everything, but the Lord also wants us to tell Him. He says, “If we confess our sins.” Listen carefully. “God who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The last part says, “From all unrighteousness.” But where do we come from? We come from wickedness. Imagine how wicked the heart is and yet the Lord says, "God, who is faithful and just, will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God says He is faithful and just and He forgives us all our wickedness. What does God want from you and me? That we give Him glory and to say, "This is what I was born for. This is why I came to this place today, not for the person next to me, but I came today to focus on something, and I came to raise my hands.”

We know someone who has a physical disability, but he gives glory to God. He praises his God with all his being, and there it is fulfilled where it says, "If I lack hands, I praise you with my feet, and if I lack this, I praise you with this.” And that comes from the heart, because it's not just an emotion. Praising Christ shouldn't be an emotion. It should be something that continually comes from the heart. Because whoever does something that is grateful to God and they long to be with God the Father. Many people have various aspirations. Some will say, "I am a student, I long to finish my degree, I want to be out of here, I long for that day I finish. I long for that moment." Others will long for many other things. I was laughing because, well, I have a classmate who's a huge soccer fan, and you know which player is coming, right? I think they’re coming to San Pedro Sula and they've called it “the event of the century.” He was saying, “I long to go see Mr. Messi, and I would give anything just to see him, even from afar.” Listen carefully. That stuck with me when he said, “I would give anything to go see him.” And I said, “Lord, what if we longed for You like that? What if we’d give anything to see You and be in the presence of Christ?” Wow! What wouldn't God do?

The situation is that when the son no longer longs to be in the presence of his father, the relationship breaks down and when that relationship breaks down, the boy rebels. Let's speak in natural terms. He becomes disobedient. There are many like that in the natural. But if we talk about Christ, sadly, there isn't much difference. We rebel against God. You might say, "But I'm not rebelling. I go every Sunday. I do this and I do that. I do so many things." But when that relationship with Christ or with God who is the Father isn’t there, we are rebelling. It's as simple as that.

We were created with a purpose and that is to continually praise the name of Jesus Christ. If that's in your home, that's what your children will see and that's what your children will follow. If that doesn't exist in a home and the children don't see their parents doing it, then they won't do it either. In our homes, when the child says, "Mommy, I got a scrape, pray for me so the Lord will heal me," or "Mommy, I have a pain, pray for me," or "Oh! I have a little pain here, come, I'll pray for you so the Lord will heal you." When something like that happens in our homes,Christ is there. It’s not because we are good, but because God is perfecting us, day by day, day by day, until He comes. Now I have an obligation as a mother to pass on what is important to the next generation. Are we teaching them about Christ? Are we showing them Christ? Or are we giving them worthless things? I have a responsibility and one day the Lord will hold me accountable. God will hold me accountable for what I pass on to my little girl.

Sometimes many things get in the way, preventing us from giving God what is rightfully His and when that relationship between the father and child is lost, the child does whatever they want and says, "Oh! I'll come to you tomorrow.” “You know, Lord,” I would say, “the years are weighing on me, and I'm so tired, I'm getting old, and I have no strength left.” But what does the Word say? It says that He renews my strength every day. That it is God who gives me something to do each day and keep us alive.

Let's go to Psalm 63:1, "You, God, are my God," as it says there, "Earnestly I seek you;" Earnestly I seek You; “I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry, and parched land where there is no water." Amen. When he reached this point, and David did, he longed with all his heart. He desired to be in the presence of his Father, "I seek you earnestly.” God knows we have to go to work and do many things. But the day has 24 hours, and you don't work 24 hours a day, nor do I. The Bible itself says that everything has its right time. There is time to work and time to study. There is also time to go to God and say, “Father, here I am, thanking you for this day, because you allowed it, because I was able to go, go to work, do this, and come back, and I am here alive.” That is seeking Him intensely. That is seeking Him in the morning, so that when you go out you’re safe and when you return, you give thanks to God because you are home and you can thank God.

Intensity, he says, is a need that arises from within. You have a need to eat, and when I'm hungry, I'm going to stir things up. I'm going to stir this, that, and the other, because I'm hungry, and hunger can't wait. Otherwise, you'll hear a rumbling in your stomach, and you have to go and find food. With that same need, we should seek the One who provides the food we eat each day. Imagine if God were to say one day, "Today there will be no food." Why wouldn't He? Because God is faithful. But when there is fasting, what happens? My soul faints, not because I'm with Christ, but because I need the plate of food, and because I'm very hungry.

That's how my soul should faint to be with the One who created me. And look at the person next to you; aren’t they a beautiful and perfect creation of Christ? Regardless of what we look like, He made us in His image and likeness because He is our Father, amen. He is our Father.

I remember, I've said it many times before, a while ago I was a teenager, and now I'm getting closer to gray hair, and very soon we may no longer be here because everything passes so quickly, and this life goes by so fast. But he says, “Your love is better than life,” - it's better than anything out there, because life in Christ, the life you came into this world to live, isn't about becoming rich or a millionaire, but about giving glory to God.

When we live yearning or intensely seeking that which truly gives life, God doesn't hold back, and I think many of us have experienced that. And if someone had the opportunity to share their testimony, they would have much to say. Because it's not about what I have, it's not about what I want, because that doesn't bring glory.

About a year or so ago, I was undergoing medical treatment, and during those medical visits to those places, which aren't very pleasant, I met a woman named Carmela. I remember, and you know how it is, you even become friends with the patients there, and you start talking, and you ask, "Why are you here?" and so on, and I remember that this woman was very ill because of the diagnosis. They had diagnosed her with something that wasn't pleasant to hear. I remember when they told her what she had, she started to cry because it's a very, very critical illness. She kept saying to me, "I don't know why this is happening to me." She started crying and said, "I've always helped people, I bring them food, I do this, I do that. I don't know why these things are happening to me." And she said, "But I also had problems with the Lord." And she said, "That's right, look," she told me, "I have everything." She seemed very well-off, and they sent her to that place because that's the specific place where they do those kinds of treatments. This young woman told me, "I have motorcycles, I have a yacht, I have this, I can travel wherever I want, whenever I want, I can do whatever I want, I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and spend whatever I want. But it bothers me, because that money can't save my life, not even by selling everything I worked my whole life for.” But our children, because in the eagerness to do, and do, and do, it was never enough. She lost valuable things - she lost her family completely, and in her illness she was fighting alone, because no one came to be with her, she went all alone.

And I remember she needed someone to accompany her because she was having a dental procedure, and I went with her there at that time. We helped her at school, with transportation, and everything, and she said, "Now I realize someone who has nothing, no understanding of God, now I realize that everything I worked for in my whole life, that will be left to who knows who because my children abandoned me and don't want to know anything about me." We spoke to her several times, and all that, but I never saw her again. I don't know if she's already passed away; I couldn't tell you. But the last time we met, she just said to me, "I'm not coming back. I'm ready to die anyway; I'm alone." And many other things, but what struck me that day, perhaps wasn't so much about her, but rather the lesson God wanted to teach me. And let's go to John 17:3. From that moment on, I made that verse my own. It says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” This is eternal life: to know Jesus Christ. Back in the 80s, I longed for many things, but now that I have this in my life, I say, “That’s all rubbish,” because what I have now is gold, and silver - it’s Christ, and that is life.

When we reach this point, something changes; something has to change in our lives. And sometimes the Lord allows situations. And I was saying, “What am I doing in this place, Father?” The blood makes me sick, I vomit, I see blood, and I get dizzy, and I feel all sorts of things, and I’m like, “Oh God.” But God taught me a life lesson, and that is, that eternal life is not in what moves in this world, but in what Christ moves within me. Because that is God.

And since then, whatever little thing happens, whether good or bad, I thank God. Whether it's an illness, or financial problems, or if we get sick, I say, “Thank You God, because You are with us and we are not alone.” I have the Father, the Creator of the heavens and of the earth, the owner of gold and silver - that God is with me. And we’ve had to grab hold, I think many of us here, to our children, and not to run away, but to run and pray for them and to say to God, "You place Your mighty hand upon her, and You heal her because You are her Father, and she is Your daughter, and when something happens, it is not by chance, or it is not luck." Words I don't believe, when someone tells me, "Look, you are lucky in this, that, and the other." He who has understood that this is eternal life, and that it is Christ, knows that everything comes from Christ, and that everything proceeds from Christ.

The other day, with what's happening here at the church right now, there was no transportation. A friend was telling me the other day, there was no transportation, no taxi, nothing. I'd been standing there for about half an hour, and I said, "Either I walk, Lord, or You send someone." But then I said, "No, I'm not going to walk, because I'm wearing these heels and I won't be able to handle it. I know You'll send someone." And then someone appeared out of nowhere and said, "Suyapa, get on!” and I said, "Really?" They said, “Yes, get on!” “Lord, thank You,” because I know that coincidences don't exist - it's God. I get on the bus, and he says, "I'll pay for you, I'll pay your fare here," and I say, "Lord, thank You." It's not a coincidence, nor is it luck, it's Christ Jesus the Father who takes care of His children at all times.

Last year something amazing happened to me too. I haven't worked in quite a while, and well, the Lord helped us with everything. And that day, I said, "Lord, I want this, but I can't buy it because there are other needs that have to be met." I wanted to buy milk or whatever I wanted, right? And I can’t. I got on the bus, and it’s very rare for me to take the bus. And on the bus was another person. I remember, and that's when I broke down, I was completely overcome with emotion because he gave me a bag of dairy products, and what I like- cheese with chili. That day my soul broke, because I said to the Lord, "God, even though I am wicked and evil, You still take care of me.” My heart sank because I saw the bag with so many little things inside. All I could say was “It’s not luck, it’s not a coincidence, that was my Father saying ‘Suyapa, okay.’” He said, “Here take it,” but that only happens when we learn that everything comes from Christ, and God had to put me through a good process last year. It was a year of climbing, but we were there with Christ, climbing. Because not everything is easy when we go to the Lord, and everything that happens is to give glory to Christ.

I remember at the end of January, I lost my job. I was—almost, for quite a while—more than half a year without work, and the Lord taught me a lot. In another time, I would have been filled with despair, thinking, "What am I going to do now? What about milk? What about food? And if Esther gets sick, and that, and that, and that." But I said, "Christ, You take care of Your children," and today, I can say, that process wasn't for the worse, but rather for the better. Do you know why? Because in the midst of all that, I encountered the Beloved, I encountered Christ. And I could say: it's worth it; everything that happens to us is worth it. And the Word says that all things work together for good. And today I can't say I'm sad about that, but rather I rejoice because God did the perfect work, and today I can say, “Father, thanks to that I was able to find You in a secret place.” I was able to say, “There is Someone with me who teaches me that not everything is bad, but everything works together for the good.”

And we were, as the Word itself says, that the Lord takes care of each one of us. He even takes care of the birds of the air. I believe that many here have gone through these situations and have seen the hand of God, and that is what pleases our Lord, because that gives glory to God. And man no longer says, “It's me. I am because I have strength and I'm young. I am because I am strong and I can still do it.” God says, “Let's leave all that behind and now I’ll start doing My own thing.” And that is where Christ is glorified, not once, not twice, not three times, but continually. So when something happens to you, don't say it was luck, or a coincidence, but rather say, "It was my eternal Father who has watched over me until this day." Amen.

God has cared for us even while we were sinners. But when we return and have that relationship with the Father, there we are satisfied; there we are filled. And Christ is more than enough for me now; Christ is more than enough. I no longer need to have 40 or 50 pairs of shoes—though I loved them.

”Now, Lord, I only need one, just one. One here, one there, and that's more than enough for me. That's more than enough.” Because man, by nature, carries the feeling of not being satisfied; the feeling that he needs more. And it makes me laugh because it's true what the pastor was saying the other day. I used to say, "Oh, I am a fanatic about shoes.” And that's how it was for a long time. I'd say, "They're black, but they're missing a blue stripe, or they're missing that gold detail to match that dress I don't wear because I don't have those shoes." I'd get to that point and I'd buy them. When I was single, as soon as I got my paycheck, I'd spend it all at the store - on clothes, and shoes. Ask me now if those clothes still exist. Ask me now if those shoes still exist. Everything ends, but whoever does the will of God remains forever in Christ Jesus. Because God is life.

We're going to go to Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 6:7. I'm just going to read the verse to you, and it says, “Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.” Yes, it says, “Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied,” listen carefully, “Never,” repeat that word, “Never,” again, “Never,” say it again,

“Never.” “Never, is satisfied.” And he says, “No, it's that I long for. I long to have that; to go see that man there, and I have to work hard because I don't know how much money it will cost, and I have to,” or, “That girl, I'd give it my all. If I have to come in to work Saturday or Sunday and they tell me to work until midnight, I'll do it, because I need to see that man.” And I'd say to him, "Sir, could it be that he has something beautiful, something different, some special hair, or perhaps something unusual in his stomach? An organ decorated in a unique way? Could it be that he has a piece of gold in his liver? In his lungs? Sir, man works so hard to eat, yet he is never satisfied."

"Sir, man works so hard to eat, yet he is never satisfied."

But he who eats and drinks of Christ, who is the source of life, the Word says, will never thirst again because Christ satisfies him; because Christ fills him; because Christ completes him; because Christ is everything. And the child who knows he has a Father who is not of this world lives waiting for Him every day, because he knows that the Lord's coming is very near. And here we return to the case of the young woman. I ask, “Who would have kept the yacht that went to the beaches? Who would have kept the houses and all those things?” In the end, she was left without children. In the end, if we don't have Christ, it's all worthless. And no matter how much we work, we won't be satisfied.

And there's plenty of that out there. But when you know that God is eternal life, you will be more than satisfied. Let's go to Luke 12:15. That's the one God speaks about today. “He said, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’” It doesn't depend on how much you have; that's not life. Life is having Christ. It's having the One who has breathed the breath of life into you. Be careful.

Why is this? We can fall because of that. That's why the Lord says, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.” The Lord is more than enough, brothers and sisters, and we don't need to work 24 hours a day. What we have is more than enough in Christ Jesus. Tell the person next to you, “God is more than enough.” Because behind a dissatisfied person, you know what's going on? A dissatisfied person is hard to please because they're always bitter. Even if you bring them the biggest gifts it won't make them happy because they're dissatisfied. And they need other things than the gifts to feel satisfied. They complain about those around them and say, "Why, Lord, was I born in this neighborhood? I should have been born over there. Look at these people who are with me, how awful! I deserve to be somewhere else, where they recognize me and see that I'm important." They get angry and irritated easily; these are dissatisfied people. They compare themselves a lot to others.

And there's something…You know what? I was reading a study that says when a woman goes to a store and compares herself to the mannequin, that's a serious mistake. Why? I don't have, personally - the height, nor the measurements, or the legs, the face—I have nothing like that, because God made us different. It's illogical for me to look at a mannequin and say, "I want the clothes on that mannequin." And I think that the clothes on that mannequin will fit me the same, and when I try them on, I am disappointed that the clothes don't look the same on me and then I’m dissatisfied. And now I have to get them altered because they won't be long enough. I have to get them altered because I don't have the measurements. But that's comparing myself to others, and I'm not going to compare myself, because I'm not the same.

But if I can compare myself to someone and say, "I want to be like you," - that's Christ, I want to be like Christ. But when I say, "I want to be like that mannequin," the study says, that's a serious mistake because that's something commercial. What are you saying? You're not the right size; now you have to go to the gym to get the right size so you can fit into the same clothes as the mannequin—and that one, and that one, and everything else. That's a serious mistake, comparing myself to others. Or saying, “That guy has a three story house, I have to live and work hard because I want a three-story house. He made his with Baroque tiles, now I want one made of glass, to stand out and look more beautiful.” They're more focused on what they lack and don't see what they have; that's being dissatisfied. They're more focused on what they lack than on what they have.

Here I'm going to give you about 30 seconds to pause and reflect on what God has given you up to this day. What do you have, not because you deserve it, but because God has given it to you? Don't think about the future, or what you want to have, think about the moment we are in right now, and say to God, “What I have today is more than enough.” Because when we start giving thanks for the little things, when you go and someone gives you something like a meal, you say, "Lord, it's more than enough, it's more than enough." I don't need to look at everything else because that will wear me out. There will come a time when all this will fall apart, that's how it is. And the houses, I don't know who will inherit them, Church, it doesn’t matter.

I only know that I need a safe place, and that is Christ Jesus to satisfy me. And if, until this day, you have desired other things and feel unsatisfied, the word of the Lord says that if we confess with our mouths, He is faithful to forgive us. And to finish, let's read Matthew 16:26 - "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" In other words - anxiety is useless, worrying about tomorrow is useless; instead, give thanks for what God has done. Let’s turn to Psalm 63:5, "I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

"I only know that I need a safe place, and that is Christ Jesus to satisfy me."

When the heart is satisfied, it longs to be with God and hear Him. The heart yearns with all that it is to love Him and worship Him. What satisfies its life is the love of Christ. The Spirit convicts the heart of its error and constantly humbles it. It lives in gratitude. It knows that with Christ, it has absolutely everything. And it has peace in the midst of any situation.

The Son's longing for the Father should always be to dwell in His presence. He is more than enough to satisfy us. Not only me, but my family, my generation, satisfied with what God has provided to this day. Say to the Lord, “If there has been anything I have wanted more than You - then forgive me. Because perhaps I was wrong, but God You more than enough.” Amen. Hallelujah.

The Lord loves it when we tell Him, when we confess with our mouths, and when we continually say, “Lord, perhaps I was wrong, but today I ask You, Lord, help me, help me, because I don’t want to be filled with what’s outside, which is garbage. I want to be filled with Christ, who is eternal life.” Knowing Christ leads us to eternal life. It is the longing to be in His presence.