A Strong Man Who Walked a Hard Road by Pastor Joseph Cortes Sometimes we forget that Jesus did not spend His earthly life inside comfortable religious surroundings. He knew what physical work felt like. Before His public ministry began, Jesus lived the ordinary life of a tradesman. Mark 6:3 records people asking, “Is not this the carpenter?” Think about that for a moment. The hands that would one day be pierced by nails were hands that had worked. Jesus knew what it was like to build, repair, lift, carry, shape, and construct. He knew what physical exhaustion felt like. He knew what sweat felt like. He understood a hard day's work because He had lived it. That alone should correct some of the unrealistic pictures people have formed of Him. Then His public ministry began, and immediately He was driven into circumstances most people would desperately try to avoid. Mark tells us, “And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:13). Jesus spent forty days alone in the wilderness, surrounded by the dangers of that wilderness while being tempted by Satan himself. He faced not only the physical hardship of the desert but the spiritual confrontation of the enemy. Satan came directly against Him, tempting Him again and again, yet Jesus stood firmly upon the Word of God. Again and again His answer was, “It is written.” Jesus did not defeat temptation through human philosophy, positive thinking, or motivational slogans. He stood upon the written Word of God. There is something there for every believer. Strength is not pretending temptation does not exist. Strength is standing on God's Word when temptation comes. Strength is not avoiding every difficult situation. Strength is knowing who you are in God when circumstances become difficult. After those forty days in the wilderness, Jesus did not begin living an easy life. His ministry required constant travel. He walked from town to town. He crossed mountains. He sailed across the Sea of Galilee. He slept outdoors. He spent entire nights praying. Jesus Himself said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Think about that. The Creator of heaven and earth walked this earth without even claiming a permanent place to sleep, yet He never complained that His mission was too difficult.

The Gog Magog countries are aligning. https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2026/11/02/syria-considers-joining-saudi-arabias-mecca-alliance/

Are you worried about the election results? Or are you hopeful because your guy won? Either way, we just traded one group of screwups for another. The problem isn’t who’s in office. The problem is WHO YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN. No matter who you support, sooner or later, you’re going to be disappointed. I see post after post about politics, but very little talk about Christ. Too many Americans give Him little thought while placing their hopes in politicians who will eventually let them down. Who cares about Republicans? Who cares about Democrats? WE NEED CHRIST! I wonder how many of you are rolling your eyes right now. And yes, I’m talking to BOTH sides! If we want to see real change in America, we need to change the people, not just Washington, D.C. Look at your own community. Look at your local government. Look at the corruption, the dishonesty, the selfish ambition, and the decisions made at the expense of ordinary people. Washington isn’t the only place that needs changing. But here’s something worth considering: We can elect new leaders every two years, four years, or six years. We can replace every politician in office. Yet if the hearts of the people remain unchanged, what have we really accomplished? AMERICA DOESN’T JUST NEED BETTER POLITICIANS. AMERICA NEEDS PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN AGAIN! People who know Christ Jesus. People who understand grace. People whose faith is more than a political label or something they practice on Sunday morning. Elections will change things. They always have. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes for the worse. But there’s one thing no election has ever changed, and no election ever will. NO MATTER WHAT, CHRIST IS STILL ON THE THRONE! HE IS STILL KING!

by Pastor Joseph Cortes Ephesians 6:13 reads, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Have you ever stopped to consider what it means to put on the whole armor of God? The apostle Paul is not describing something ordinary. He is describing the spiritual protection that God Himself has provided for every believer. We are soldiers in a spiritual conflict, and our Heavenly Father has not sent us into that conflict without the equipment necessary to stand against the enemy. He knows the battles we face, the weaknesses we struggle with, and the spiritual opposition that comes against us. Nothing about our circumstances is hidden from Him. Therefore, when God tells us to put on His armor, He is not asking us to provide our own protection. He is telling us to take hold of what He has already made available. Think about this for a moment. Every believer is an individual, and although the armor described in Ephesians chapter six is the same armor of God for all Christians, the Holy Spirit knows exactly how to prepare and strengthen each of us for the particular battles we face. God does not deal with us as though we are all identical. He knows our personalities, our limitations, our experiences, and the responsibilities He has entrusted to us. He knows where we are strong and where we need His strength. He knows the battles we have already fought and those we have yet to encounter. And through His Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He equips us to stand. I often think about David when he was preparing to face Goliath. In 1 Samuel 17:38-39, King Saul attempted to dress David in his own armor. Saul placed his helmet upon David's head and covered him with a coat of mail. But David quickly realized that he could not fight wearing another man's equipment. The Scripture tells us that David said, “I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.” David took off Saul's armor because it was not something he had tested or learned to use. What may have been suitable for Saul was not suitable for David. David had learned to depend upon the Lord while tending his father's sheep, and he would face Goliath with that same confidence in God.

A Love That Abounds and a Faith That Endures by Pastor Joseph Cortes Paul not only praised the Thessalonians because their faith was growing exceedingly; he also said, “the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). Their growing faith produced growing love. That is important because genuine faith in Jesus Christ should never make us cold, distant, or unconcerned about others. The more we understand what Jesus has done for us, the more His grace should move us toward people. When you begin to understand how greatly you have been loved by Christ, something starts changing inside you. You begin asking how you can help someone else hear what you have heard, how you can encourage another believer, how you can help get the Gospel out, and how you can use what God has given you for His purposes. Not everyone is called to stand behind a pulpit. Not everyone will teach a Bible study. Not everyone will lead a ministry. But everyone can participate. The work of the Gospel requires many different people serving in many different ways. Some preach, some teach, some pray, some give, some encourage, and some work quietly behind the scenes where almost no one sees what they are doing. Some make it possible for another person to preach or teach. Some simply share a message with someone who desperately needs to hear it. We should never believe that what we can do is insignificant. Paul says their love toward one another “aboundeth.” That means it was increasing. Their love was becoming greater. Their concern for one another was becoming deeper. Their faith was growing, and their service was growing with it. There comes a point in our walk with Christ when serving Him stops feeling merely like a responsibility and begins becoming one of the greatest joys of our lives. We begin realizing that there is nothing more meaningful than being used by God to touch another life. There is something wonderful about knowing that a prayer you prayed encouraged someone, something you gave helped someone, a message you shared strengthened someone, or a word you spoke reminded someone that they were not alone.