Testing Loyalty

When Jesus mentions Lot's wife (in Luke 17:32), nor does it mention his name or make any reference to his identity.
Not even her name is known, and nothing is known about her beyond what is reported in these passages, which show how serious disobedience to a command from God can be:

And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life;
Do not look behind you, and do not stop anywhere in this plain;
Escape to the mountain, so that you do not perish.
(…)
Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.;
And he destroyed those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and also the vegetation in the land.
But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

(Genesis 19:17, 24-26 – ACF)

In other words, she is remembered only as a example of what no it should be done When receiving an order from the Creator: disobey it.

Another point to highlight is the fact that the Bible also does not mention the specific reason for this disobedience.
However, Lot was a financially successful man living in a city that, although corrupt and wicked (see Genesis 13:13Given that the town offered its wealthier residents a comfortable standard of living, it is reasonable to assume that she was very attached to her possessions, wealth, and prosperity: in the midst of her escape, her heart felt the weight of losing everything she clung to, so that God did not seem sufficient for her to accept the drastic change in life she would have to face.
Even though God showed his desire to save the whole family and sent two angels to her house to warn her family about the destruction that was to come, she didn't want to lose what she possessed and tried to see if anything among her belongings could have been preserved… and this ended up costing her her life.

The call for reflection in this text is for each Christian to consider to what extent being a child of God is sufficient to give meaning to their existence.
The question is important because there are many who also cling to their earthly ambitions, projects, and desires to the point that, at various times, they fail to see the value of God's presence in their lives, even when circumstances are not pleasant or favorable.
There are, for example, those who desire to achieve their earthly goals—such as completing a college degree, acquiring a house, a car, or achieving success in their profession—to such an extent that, if they fail, they rebel against God and even seek illicit, sinful means to obtain what they desire.

An interesting case is that of King Zedekiah, who was placed as regent of Babylon over the kingdom of Judah.
According to the biblical account, he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, committing the same sins as his predecessor, Jehoiakim (as per...). 2ⁿᵈ Kings 24:19And, examining what is said about their sins in the previous chapters, it becomes clear that the main point was the tolerance and even the encouragement of idolatry.
His end was terrible, having his eyes gouged out after witnessing his children being executed in front of him and, apparently, then being imprisoned for the rest of his life (see 2ⁿᵈ Kings 25:6-7).

Even if they have a Christian "culture," in reality an idolater is—like Lot's wife—someone for whom even the living God is not enough…
“Simply being a child of God doesn't seem enough to him, so he seeks to fill the supposed empty spaces he feels he has within himself with earthly achievements and even with devotion to other alleged deities or powers.
That is why many who call themselves "Christians" eventually read horoscopes, practice—in order to obtain success in the coming year—rituals characteristic of Umbanda at the turn of the year, and, so as not to be labeled "intolerant," seek to be "politically correct" with adherents of pagan religions, even accepting to participate in their celebrations and rituals.

However, in view of what is happening in the world today, the need for every Christian to become aware that God is sufficient is urgent and imperative: being excessively attached to earthly things, to the projects, ambitions, and achievements of this present life is a problem that can be very serious!
Even placing excessive value on friendships can become a problem, since Jesus warned that betrayals would occur with great frequency in the times leading up to his return (check Matthew 24:9-10).
In short, the one living and true God will have to be enough, and—increasingly—this will have to become clear to all Christians in the end times.

The good news is that He is, indeed, enough.
The Creator of heaven and earth, the one who sent his Son to pay the price for the sins of humanity (see John 3:16) and has the power to do infinitely more than human beings can ask or even imagine (according to Ephesians 3:20) is all you need.
Christians haven't always felt His presence clearly, especially when facing difficulties, injustices, and even persecution… but the same God who kept thousands of martyrs steadfast in their faith even amidst the cruelty of their persecutors throughout history is the One who is with every Christian in the world today.
This is a promise that He Himself made, in the person of His Son:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you;
And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Amen.

(Matthew 28:19-20 – ACF)

Therefore, there is no need for a Christian to act like Lot's wife or Zedekiah: as soon as earthly life ends, the things of this world will inexorably be left behind, as the apostle Paul recorded:

Because we enter this world with absolutely nothing, and when we leave it, we can take nothing with us.

(1ˢᵗ Timothy 6:7 – KJA)

In the life of the one who departs from this Earth, the only thing that will matter is the presence of God.
And only this presence—in the person of the Holy Spirit and manifested through faith—will place you in possession of the kingdom that was prepared, from the foundation of the world, for all who believe.

Then the King will say to all on his right:
‘'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'.

(Matthew 25:34 – KJA)

In the Bonds of Calvary

Eduardo Pydd Teixeira

ORIGINAL TITLE: God is sufficient.

Sometimes I come across people I thought were Christians posting things related to horoscopes on social media, and other times, men equating the Lord Jesus Christ with any other "gods" when they agree to swear allegiance in secret societies that promise "enlightenment"...
Such illusions of wisdom are merely proof that iniquity multiplies exactly as prophesied in the Scriptures, this being just another example. indication That the end times are rapidly unfolding, and before the Lord returns like a thief in the night, the prophesied reign of the Antichrist must be consolidated not only in Brazil, but throughout the world!
In the 2023 phase of "The Worst Gospel," I decided to use new formats in the hope of helping to increase the reach of content related to the Scriptures—stories, videos, shorter texts, guest authors…—and this publication, which I took the liberty of revising and illustrating, is part of that project.
Thank you for reading this far.
I still need all the help I can get: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was entirely produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.