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…
By: Obed Pineda “‘So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (Luke 10:36-37) There is no doubt that when a person is going…
By: Obed Pineda “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,…
By: Obed Pineda If you have ever driven past an open corn field during the autumn time, there is a small chance that you have been fortunate enough to spot the figure that has now become the emblem of the fall: the scarecrow. Indeed, these hay stuffed decoy dummies have…
By: Obed Pineda On a certain occasion, the Lord Christ exclaimed, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes” (Matthew 18:7)! Prior to our Master’s exclamation, one learns that a certain dispute had transpired between His twelve,…