By: Obed Pineda “Yet the righteous will hold his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.” (Job 17:9) As anyone who has ever prepared and organized any event can tell you, nothing ever goes exactly as planned. There is almost always an unforeseen and uninvited…
By: Obed Pineda “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Psalm 27:13-14) 5:30…
By: Obed Pineda “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2nd Timothy 3:14) Meeting strangers for the first time, for many, is not an easy experience. A primary reason this is so is because a…
By: Obed Pineda The beautiful story of Job is probably the most read Scripture by those who feel trapped in a cage of affliction. Reading about the triumph of this holy man over the Satanic challenge brings comfort and encouragement during our personal storms. The poem of Job (for it…
By: Obed Pineda “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.” (Luke 10:8) Montezuma II was emperor of the mighty Aztec empire in sixteenth century Mexico. It was during his reign that the Spanish conquistadores (“conquerors”) successfully overthrew the Aztec empire and…
By: Obed Pineda “Do not fear little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) David is a quiet and timid southern man. Because of his build and height, it is not an easy feat for him to disappear within a sea of…
By: Obed Pineda Lessons I Learned from Arequipa: “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.” (Mark 2:3) It was a crisp Sunday morning in Arequipa on July 14th. Experiencing such exquisite, cool weather in the month of July felt surreal, considering that just…
By: Obed Pineda “Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 9:17) I remember sitting in my political science class (during the short stint I was blessed to attend the University of Houston) listening to the professor begin his…
By: Obed Pineda “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35) The current population of Lima, Peru is estimated to be…
By: Obed Pineda “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) We had finally arrived to our destination. After several unforeseen setbacks, delays, tough personal trials, and very little sleep, we had finally reached Arequipa, Peru. Even though my…