Cash Luna - Not By Sight: Only Faith Opens Your Eyes

CONTENTS

2018 Cash Luna

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Emanate Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Emanate Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Published in Spanish as No es por Vista, Editorial vida, Nashville, Tennessee.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Epub Edition February 2018 9780310348078

ISBN 978-1-4002-0831-9 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-0830-2 (TP)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018932107

Printed in the United States of America

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Here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

Antoine Saint-Exupry,

The Little Prince

To the author and finisher of our faith,

Jesus,

our Lord and Savior

Acknowledgments

Thank you so much...

To Sonia, my beloved wife and faithful friend, who is always with me to take on every new challenge we believe God for.

To my children, for all the love and support they have provided in my calling to travel to other nations, taking the Word and power of God, sometimes at the expense of being away for long periods of time.

To my mother and her unwavering trust in me. She never doubted for a second that I would one day fulfill my call to be a missionary, even when neither of us really knew what that would entail.

To my pastor, Jorge H. Lpez, who showed me the way of faith.

To my wonderful team, the greatest gift God has given me in the ministry, after His Holy Spirit. Thanks to their constant work and unbridled support, we have been able to go as far as God has granted us.

To the faithful members of Casa de Dios, the church I founded and pastor, for the love and respect they provide to me and my family. Thank you for joining me in these faith endeavors!

CONTENTS

The great day had finally arrived! All those sleepless nights, missed meals, loans for textbooks, and long treks to college because he couldnt afford bus fare had finally paid off. With diploma in hand, Carlos tearfully embraced his mother, who was as proud as any mother could be of a son who was now a doctor. I always believed in you, son, she whispered. Could there possibly be any greater reward than hearing those words? Just starting his new life, that young man was facing a crossroads between getting a job as a general practitioner or pursuing further studies, and the word faith meant everything! That word described his greatest assettrust, assurance, and a vision of the future. This was all he had available to him, as finances were certainly not in his reach. But the conviction he heard in his mothers words continually echoed within him, motivating him to press on toward his dreams. Despite circumstances and limitations, Carlos was always optimistic, sure that he would reach his purpose and fulfill his life goals. He had faith!

We all have faith in something or in someone. We all believe, or we are at least convinced about something in life. The question is in whom and in what do you believe? This question is quite significant because our lives are defined by where we place our trust. Carlos had faith in his abilities, and his mother had faith in him. These were truths that defined his life. For example, I believe in my wife and my kids, and I trust in them. I have faith in them. But above all else, I believe in God. That truth alone has helped shape my life, more so than any other. After all, I am a pastor and founder of a ministry, which makes my Christian faith a pillar without which Cash Luna would not be Cash Luna.

One does not need to be a pastor, however, for the truth of Gods Word to have an impact in a deep way. Inevitably, our human nature intertwines with a divine one, searching for a sense of existence, desiring to create, transcend, understand, and enjoy the beauty and perfection of the universe. Consequently, faith and belief are part of our very essence. Its an ability, a gift to be maximized. That, in and of itself, is the entire reason we possess it. Its not about leaning on a blind type of faith, but rather about sharing in the joy of relying entirely on the One who has loved us even before we were born. Thats what I want to write aboutthe incredible potential that your faith has, especially the power that you can unleash when you place your potential of faith in Gods hands.

As members of humanity as well as passionate believers fully convinced of the existence of God and of his infinite love toward us, it would be nothing short of futile to remain silent before so much evidence of his grace in our lives. So, where do I start? How about by sharing the lessons I have learned through personal experiences. The before and after of accepting God as my Father, Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit as my counselor, my intercessor, my comforter, and the giver of power to fulfill his work. These basic truths of the Christian faith have been the basis for how I have faced lifes challenges.

Time and time again, the Lord has led me throughout all these years to share about him and his passionate love for us. But there was a time when I wrestled with the whole dilemma of religion. How to share having faith in God without sounding religious or fanatical? It seemed like an impossible task, yet this was my desire. The faith I want to share is one that flows naturally like a river; one in which you can immerse and whose waters will refresh and reinvigorate you. Moreover, if we choose to flow in that mighty current, it will lead us to a vast oceanour purpose in life! This is exactly what the Lord desires: to renew us and give us a new life, through the eyes of faith. And it is designed to change everything, to strengthen and guide us.