Matthew 19:26

Broken Praise

2011-10-20T00:08:00.002-06:00

Here's a beautiful song that reflects Job's story!

Broken Praise - Todd Smith

If one more person takes my hand and tries to say they understand
Tells me there’s a bigger plan that I’m not meant to see
If one more person dares suggest that I held something unconfessed
Tries to make the dots connect from righteousness to easy street
Well I, I won’t deny I’ve relied on some assumptions
A man’s honest life entitles him to something

But who am I to make demands of the God of Abraham?
And who are You that You would choose to answer me with mercy new
How many more will wander past to find me here among the ashes
Will you hold me? Will you stay?
So I can raise this broken praise to You

Who else will see my suffering as one more opportunity
To educate; to help me see all my flawed theology
If one more well intentioned friend tries to tie up my loose ends
Hoping to, with rug and broom, sweep awkward moments from the room
But I, I can’t forget, I have begged just like a madman
For my chance to die and never have to face the morning

But who am I to make demands of the God of Abraham?
And who are You that You would choose to answer me with mercy new
How many more will wander past to find me sitting in this ash
Will you hold me? Will you stay?
So I can raise this broken praise to You

But You were the One who filled my cup
And You were the One who let it spill
So blessed be your Holy name if you never fill it up again
If this is where my story ends, just give me one more breathe to say
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Estrellas

2010-02-10T22:16:00.002-06:00

Son más que inmensas bolas de plasma ardiendo en el espacio, más que un montón de pequeñas luces en el cielo nocturno, del punto de vista que lo veas, son más que eso.

Es una gran revelación, algo que te cambia por completo la vida, el día en que te das cuenta; el día que logras ver aunque sea por un segundo, la magnitud del llamado que tienes en Dios.

El día que entiendes esa magnitud de un ministerio, una misión o un propósito de Dios que te ha sido entregado entonces dejas de preguntarte: ¿Qué puedo hacer para cumplirlo? Y comienzas a decir: ¿Hay algo que no pueda hacer?

Y es que el concepto de “Todo es posible” ha sido alterado, unos se enfocan en ver lo sobrenatural, otros ponen límites a lo posible, perdiendo su significado en ambas circunstancias. Y es que en el Reino, no se trata de esperar sentado a que pase lo sobrenatural para ver la victoria o el cumplimiento de una palabra. Se trata de moverse, de creer, de buscar las puertas abiertas por Dios.

Lo que me encanta de las estrellas, es que las veas o no, siempre están ahí. Sea de día o esté nublada la noche… ellas siguen ahí. Y es que pasa lo mismo en nuestras vidas, salimos animados de la iglesia, de una película inspiradora o de una charla con nuestros amigos pero cuando estamos bajo techo, bajo el sol o las nubes, dejamos de darnos cuenta que esas estrellas siguen ahí.

JCMs, esto es para ustedes. No es un capricho decir que vamos a alcanzar a la juventud del mundo entero, no es una visión estándar según el mundo de “lo mejor que podemos llegar a ser” ni es orgullo decir que el movimiento será mundial. Es simple y sencillamente: cierto. Porque es la visión que Dios nos ha dado.

Y es mi decisión ver a esas estrellas, a esas promesas, a ese futuro, a través de las nubes o del día, porque simplemente: están ahí.

"Dios es quien produce en ustedes tanto el querer como el hacer para que se cumpla su buena voluntad. Háganlo todo sin quejas ni contiendas, para que sean intachables y puros, hijos de Dios sin culpa en medio de una generación torcida y depravada. En ella ustedes brillan como estrellas en el firmamento" (Filipenses 2:13-15)

Confirmación

2010-02-04T10:48:00.002-06:00

Muchas veces nos dejamos ir por presión de grupo u opiniones.

¿Que pasaría si algun predicador famosísimo viniera y te dijera que hicieras lo contrario de lo que Dios te ha dicho? ¿Te dejarías ir? Deberia ser seguro seguir el consejo del predicador, ¿no? despues de todo, este predicador famoso debería de estar mucho mas cerca de Dios que tú mismo. ¿verdad?

Algo parecido pasó durante el reinado de Jeroboam, sucesor de Roboam, hijo de Salomón, hijo de David.
Un "hombre de Dios" como lo dicen las escrituras, llegó con una orden de Dios a exhortar a Jeroboam, su principal orden era la de que no debía comer ni beber, ni regresar por el camino por el que andaba. Pero al llegar al los oidos de un viejo profeta famoso, este lo fue a buscar y a probarlo:

"Cuando el asno estuvo listo, el profeta anciano lo montó y se fue tras el hombre de Dios. Lo encontró sentado debajo de una encina, y le preguntó:
—¿Eres tú el hombre de Dios que vino de Judá?
—Sí, lo soy —respondió.
Entonces el profeta le dijo:
—Ven a comer a mi casa.
—No puedo volver contigo ni acompañarte —respondió el hombre de Dios—; tampoco puedo comer pan ni beber agua contigo en este lugar, pues el Señor me ha dado esta orden: "No comas pan ni bebas agua allí, ni regreses por el mismo camino."
(1 Reyes 13:14-17)

Si continúas leyendo la historia, el viejo profeta famoso le miente y le dice que Dios le dijo que fuera con el de regreso, comiera y bebiera. Y el "hombre de Dios" le hizo caso. Hizo exactamente lo contrario a lo que Dios le había dicho sin confirmación alguna, solo las palabras de este viejo profeta.

Al final, el "hombre de Dios" murió a manos de un león que estaba en el camino, por donde no debería de haber regresado.

Siempre que una decision es la correcta en Dios, a pesar de todas las dudas, siempre sentirás una paz indescriptible por dentro. Es una confirmación.
Si no sientes paz de Dios en una decision, no la tomes.

Dios SIEMPRE confirma las decisiones de los caminos que El quiere que tomemos.
Bendiciones.

Maracuyá, Pera y Chocolate

2010-01-26T23:52:00.001-06:00

Dios es un Dios de detalles.
Este Martes en el grupo en hogares en la casa de los Bukele, hubo un pequeño testimonio, acerca de no solamente cuidar los detalles en nuestra vida, nuestro ministerio o nuestro propósito. Sino también acerca de siempre preguntarle a Dios, cada detalle, por más insignificativo que sea.

Recuerdo cuando estaba comenzando a manejar yo solo, que cada vez que llegaba a un redondel, o estaba a punto de entrar a una intersección muy transitada, que le decia a Dios: "Señor, echame una mano aqui" y recuerdo muy bien, que siempre encontraba el espacio perfecto para entrar sin ningún problema ni preocupación.

Ayer, probé 2 postres hechos por Victor Lara, un JCM que estudió para ser Chef en Argentina y se acaba de graduar, y se regresó para aca. Uno de ellos era un postre alusivo a la noche vaquera hecho de chocolate (para más detalles, esperen la próxima edición del Refill, la revista de JCM) que estaba increiblemente rico. Luego en el grupo de la casa de los Bukele, un postre de Maracuyá y Pera, una gran combinación que ni el sabor me podia imaginar hasta que lo probé.

A la hora de servir los postres, mientras Victor cortaba los pedazos, los ponían en el plato sin importar su posición. Al terminar de cortarlos, Victor fue donde estaban los platos con un pedacito de pastel, y los empezó a poner todos en el centro del plato, y todos parados como deberían de estar.

Ser detallista es una gran virtud en el Reino. En el mundo la gente no notará mucho esa virtud, no muchos notan los detalles o les importa notarlos. En el Reino, la esencia de nuestro trabajo no solo es su fin en si, sino el camino que tomamos para llegar ahí y cada detalle de cada paso que dimos.

Parece que con el paso del tiempo, no necesitamos la ayuda de Dios en muchas cosas que aprendimos a hacer por nuestra propia cuenta. Pero en realidad, no somos perfectos y en algún momento necesitaremos ayuda incluso con las cosas que somos tan expertos en hacer.

Recordemos a Dios en cada detalle. El sigue dispuesto a oirnos.
Bendiciones.

Silencio

2010-01-03T01:07:00.003-06:00

Hay veces que el silencio es necesario, otras veces no. Pero estoy seguro que en exceso, el silencio es dañino... ¿no?
¿Sabías que del libro de Malaquías (último profeta del antiguo testamento) a Mateo, hubieron 400 años de silencio, donde Dios no dijo ni una palabra?

Imagínate, 400 años sin escuchar a Dios.
Eso pasa a veces en nuestras vidas, quizá no por 400 años, quiza unos días o meses, pero suele pasar. ¿Porqué haría Dios semejante cosa?

Convicciones. Dios está interesado en que desarrolles tu fé a base de convicciones y no solo de sentimientos. Es fácil seguir a Dios en tu primer amor a El. Donde cada cosa que vez te recuerda a El y te esmeras por ser el "mejor hijo", asi como en toda relación de noviazgo. Pero llega un momento que esa relación debe madurar, no dejando atrás los sentimientos, pero estando basada en convicciones.

Imagínate en esos 400 años, familias enteras sin escuchar nunca a Dios ya que ántes Dios solo hablaba a través de profetas. Generaciones completas creían solamente por las convicciones que mostraban sus padres, abuelos, bisabuelos, etc.
Lo interesante es, que esas convicciones eran tan fuertes, que perduraron por esos 400 años, las familias de Juan el Bautista y Jesús son ejemplos de ello. Es más, tan fuertes eran sus convicciones, que aún más de 2000 años despues, son recordadas por ser unas de las familias más utilizadas por Dios en toda la historia.

400 años de silencio, culminaron en Jesús, en vida ETERNA.
Cuando Dios calla, es porque El está trabajando.
Si sientes lejos a Dios, esmérate más por buscar de El. Arma bien esas convicciones, quizá Dios solo esta probando que tán sólidas son tus convicciones de no ser derribadas en tiempos de silencio. Porque si Dios está en silencio en tu vida, es porque grandes cosas te esperan, y El te está preparando para que las recibas.

Convicciones, ponlas sobre tus emociones.
Que Dios te bendiga :)

Piratería (La verdad que nadie quiere oir)

2010-01-01T14:36:00.006-06:00

Eramos siete hablando en el Mc Donalds, de repente surgió el tema de la piratería, si era bueno o malo o no "tan malo"... me quedé callado. Uno de los siete dijo que era robar derechos de autor. Pero que era cuestión de "moral" de cada quien.

No dije nada. Sabía que decir, sabía que contestar, cada argumento, ensayado, escudriñado y puesto delante de Dios para saber si era cierto. Lo era. Pero no lo dije.

Y me quede con eso, me quedé con que pude haber dicho algo. He dicho lo que pienso de la piratería un par de veces desde el púlpito, pero no ahi. ¿Miedo? Quizá. Desde el púlpito no te pregunta la gente, tenía miedo de que me tocara responder más de la cuenta.

Quizá esa oportunidad quedó atrás, pero no quiero perderme la siguiente. Esto es lo que yo debería haber dicho:

-¿Es mala la piratería?
Si. De entrada te respondo con la biblia. Palabras del mismo Jesús: (Mateo 17:24-27)

Cuando Jesús y sus discípulos llegaron a Capernaúm, los que cobraban el impuesto del templo se acercaron a Pedro y le preguntaron: ¿Su maestro no paga el impuesto del templo? Sí, lo paga, respondió Pedro. Al entrar Pedro en la casa, se adelantó Jesús a preguntarle: ¿Tú qué opinas, Simón? Los reyes de la tierra, ¿a quiénes cobran tributos e impuestos: a los suyos o a los demás? A los demás —contestó Pedro. —Entonces los suyos están exentos —le dijo Jesús—. Pero, para no ofender a esta gente, vete al lago y echa el anzuelo. Saca el primer pez que pique; ábrele la boca y encontrarás una moneda. Tómala y dásela a ellos por mi impuesto y por el tuyo.

Los hombres habían instituído que se tenían que pagar impuestos por entrar al templo. Y a pesar de que Jesús era Dios, y estaba entrando en su propio templo, Jesús decidió respetar su condición de forma de hombre en la cual había venido al mundo para cumplir su misión. Jesús decidió que si El queria entrar al templo, El iba a respetar las condiciones del hombre y pagar esos impuestos.

Piratería. El mismo principio se utiliza. Si quieres usar un producto que tiene precio, págale al dueño.

Te lo pongo lo más simple posible: Jesús diría NO a la piratería. El pagó sus impuestos y servicios que usó en la tierra, a pesar de ser dueño de TODO. Entonces, si El es el dueño de todo, porqué no puedes confiar en que El te puede proveer para pagar por esos "servicios" (Cds, películas, música). Lo hizo con Pedro. ¿Eres o no un hijo de Dios?

-"Yo no lo veo malo"
No importa. Dime, siendo hijo de Dios, ¿desde cuándo se trata de lo que tu miras como bueno o malo? Desde el mismo Adán, nuestra perspectiva del bien y el mal nos ha fallado. No se trata de nosotros. Se trata de El. De lo que El haría. Imita eso si eres su hijo.

-"Es cuestión de moral"
Una vez oí a alguien decir que compraba películas pirata por ayudarle a la pobre familia que vendía esas películas. Mentira del mismo enemigo. Si de verdad quisieras ayudar a esa familia, compárteles la palabra de Dios, dales ánimos o víveres. No razones para seguir haciendo eso.
No es cuestión de moral, es cuestión de hacer lo que El haría.

Nadie quiere oír esta historia, esta verdad, pocos se atreven a borrar su biblioteca de miles de canciones bajadas de internet. Si cada canción vale $1, cuenta cuánto producto robado estás usando cada día. Lo peor es, que no se trata de la cantidad, $1 o $10,000, para Dios es lo mismo.

Bien dice la biblia que muchos son los llamados, más pocos los escogidos. ¿Que tánto estás dispuesto a seguir a Dios? La integridad es tan amplia. Pero todo comienza queriendo ser más como Jesús.
Yo tenía mi biblioteca de producto robado. Te lo digo con verguenza y lo he dicho desde el púlpito. Y yo soy el primero que debe seguir su búsqueda por ser íntegro. Hay tanto que me hace falta.
Al final de cuentas, después de esta vida, todo eso se queda acá. Valoro más una corona eterna para Dios que disfrutar ilegalmente de toda la música del mundo.

Que Dios te bendiga. :)

Falta de interés

2009-12-15T14:02:00.004-06:00

De ahora en adelante voy a escribir los artículos de este blog en español y en Inglés, porque muchos de mis amigos sólo hablan español.

Es tan ... ridículo.
Llegué a esta conclusión de todo lo que he visto esta mañana:
Los problemas de mi país no son una cuestión de seguridad, ni siquiera las manos de los miembros de pandillas. Es una cuestión de la indiferencia de la gente, la falta de interés y la falta de ejemplos.
¿Para qué vale la pena excavar un búnker, a 100 metros bajo tierra. Vale la pena mirar solamente nuestros propios intereses? ¿Realmente nos importa lo que está pasando afuera?

Y saben, no hay mucha diferencia con los hijos de Dios. Con nosotros.
No se trata de lo que el enemigo puede hacer contra nosotros. Ni qué recursos están a nuestra mano. Se trata de nuestro interés en el desarrollo y el logro del propósito de Dios para nuestras vidas.

El perezoso ambiciona, y nada consigue; el diligente ve cumplidos sus deseos. (Proverbios 13:4)

Todos hemos oído hablar de Hillsong, y muchos de sus cantantes: Brooke Fraser, Darlene Zschech, Joel Houston, Marty Sampson. ¿Qué tal con otra gente famosa? Chris Tomlin, Michael Smith, Jeremy Camp y muchos otros.
Hemos escuchado de ellos, y muchos más, pero no puedo dejar de preguntarse que tiene que haber mucha gente en el mundo que iban a ser mucho más famosos que ellos para la gloria de Dios, pero nunca imaginaron que podían llegar a ser, de que nunca hicieron nada al respecto.

Quizá para muchos de nosotros, nuestro objetivo no es ser el predicador más famoso, el mejor cantante o el mejor en cualquier capacidad que Dios nos ha dado. Para muchos será, pero si tu objetivo es limpiar el suelo de la iglesia cada domingo, y lo haces con todo tu corazón, siendo fiel, y siendo tu propósito, vas a recibir en el reino de Dios tanto como todos los demás que lograron sus propósitos.

¡Anda, perezoso, fíjate en la hormiga!
¡Fíjate en lo que hace, y adquiere sabiduría!
No tiene quien la mande,
ni quien la vigile ni gobierne;
con todo, en el verano almacena provisiones
y durante la cosecha recoge alimentos.
Perezoso, ¿cuánto tiempo más seguirás acostado?
¿Cuándo despertarás de tu sueño?
Un corto sueño, una breve siesta,
un pequeño descanso, cruzado de brazos...
¡y te asaltará la pobreza como un bandido,
y la escasez como un mendigo!
(Proverbios 6:6-11)

Con Dios, el logro de nuestros propósitos, es más que posible.
Se trata de nuestro interés en llegar allí.
Que Dios los bendiga.

Lack of interest

2009-12-15T13:28:00.004-06:00

From now on I'll write the articles of this blog in both spanish and english, because many of my friends only speak spanish.

It's just... ridiculous.
I came to this conclusion from everything I saw this morning:
The problems of my country are not a matter of security, not even the hands of the gang members. Its a matter of the indifference of the people, the lack of interest and the lack of examples.
For what is worth digging a bunker, 100 feet under. What is worth looking for our own interests? Do we really care of what's happening outside?

And you know, there is not much of a difference with the children of God. With us.
It's not about what the enemy can do against us. Neither what resources are at our hand. It's about our interest in developing and achieving the purpose of God for our lives.

The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. (Proverbs 13:4)

We have all heard about Hillsong, and many of their lead singers: Brooke Fraser, Darlene Zschech, Joel Houston, Marty Sampson. What about other famous people? Chris Tomlin, Michael Smith, Jeremy Camp and many others.
We know about them, and many more, but I can't stop to wonder that there must be many people in the world that were going to be way more famous than them for the glory of God, but they never believed they could get to be, of they never did anything about it.

Maybe for many of us, our purpose is not to be the most famous preacher, the best singer, or the best in any ability that God has given to us. For many it will be, but if your purpose is to clean the floor of the church every sunday, and you do it with all your heart, being faithful, and that being your purpose, you will receive in the kingdom of God as much as everyone else that achieved their purposes.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest
and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an beggar.
(Proverbs 6:6-11)

With God, achieving our purposes, its more that possible.
Its about our interest in getting there.
May God bless you.

Dreams and Surprises

2009-09-16T22:28:00.005-06:00

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Hebrews 10:36

I thought about writing about those dreams that you already have and you know from God that they are going to become real and that reality will exceed every expectation you had of the dream.

But God just showed me a twist in this concept.

Put Grace and Dreams in a blender and turn it on.
I can tell you what you get: Surprises

Surprises from God, now those are the best you can get, I mean the world can surprise you in many pleasant ways, which everyone would call "luck or coincidences", your friends can surprise you in your birthday, but when God sends you a surprise... a perfect surprise, its just not luck, not just a simple coincidence.

2008 Shift Conference at Willow Creek, Chicago, IL.
Just one of many surprises the Lord has given me, the one I remembered right now and the one I want to share
I dont know, the Lord called me in such a special way, I was barely 1 year old being a Christian but I was already learning so much and so fast.
And I found a surprise at Chicago, one of my favorite bands, Switchfoot was going to make an unplugged performance at the conference!
To make a short story, I was there in FRONT ROW enjoying an amazing show!

The whole conference was a great blessing, lets put it like a nice coffee with cream, and the concert was the cherry on top, it didn't add much up to the whole concept and the point of the conference, but the cherry is a nice detail.

Something similar happened on Newsboys

So, grace plus dreams, will it blend? that is the question :)
Surprise smoke! Dont breathe this! haha
(search for will it blend at Youtube if you have no idea what im saying)

May God bless you! :D

Richness and Prosperity

2009-09-14T23:42:00.002-06:00

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
(2 Corinthians 8:8-9)

A passage with a hidden truth, it is interesting to ask ourselves why things on the bible have their hidden true message for the Holy Spirit in us to decrypt.

Anyways, check that closely where it says that they knew that the Lord was rich, yet he became poor for all of them.
And i just can't stop to wonder: "Was the Lord... rich?"

Literally, Jesus had no place of his own (though He is God, he decided to come and pay all the prices it meant to become human, like... paying taxes, and literally Jesus had no properties of his own) and this can be confirmed:

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
(Matthew 8:18-20)

So, as you figured it out since you read the first passage of this article for the first time, you noticed that Jesus was not materially rich here on Earth.
Then, according to Paul, what does "rich" mean?

"...as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses... beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. "
(2 Corinthians 6:4, 9-10)

Jesus had nothing, (materially) yet he possessed everything (spiritually), so what 2 Corinthians 8 is saying, is this: Jesus was spiritually rich, he had everything of REAL value that really matters: everything from the Kingdom, its values, laws, convictions and truths. Yet for our sake, he became poor, he became like one of us, a human, so through his teaching of his perfect love and every other lesson about the Kingdom and its principles, we would become rich, the real richness that really counts, by having Him in our hearts.

The spirit is a real decoder of the truths of the Kingdom, that is why the wicked do not understand righteousness.

But what about prosperity, one would think that its the same thing.
It is not.

Real prosperity (not the material one) is the ability given by God, to make the environment where your heart is to prosper (to grow and have God's grace upon it).
It only depends on where your heart is, not where you are. You could be anywhere but not care much about that place. You could be in an amazing ministry, yet if you are feeling that you are not called into that ministry your work there will not prosper because your heart will not be dedicated to it.

Well, I hope you keep this concepts in your heart, and let your spirit give testimony to your conscience that this is from God :)

It was hard for me to understand the phrase that is marked above. But I'll explain it in another post :) as i keep learning more about this principle: to be anointed by the spirit as a way to confirm things that come from God.

In due time, I'll write about it
God bless you! :D

God's Chisel

2009-08-07T22:11:00.000-06:00

Amazing Video :) Enjoy!

Life = Risk

2009-08-07T21:55:00.002-06:00

"If you have never failed, you have never lived"

We are not perfect, yet we are more than conquerors, but not by ourselves :)

I want to share this video:

Whenever you feel down, remember this:
“Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods”
C.S Lewis.

Inspiration

2009-07-09T02:11:00.002-06:00

I just saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (for the second time), such a great movie, love the action, and the actress... (just kidding haha i like it for the plot and action, seriously)

And you know, as I was seeing it, almost at the end of the movie I got to a point to say "Sam, (the main actor) I really have nothing to be jealous about from your life".
And I didn't mean it just because I'm a son of God, I don't know if he is, I hope he is as well. I meant it because of a life that seems filled with excitement, with adventure, joy and amazing people around Sam.

Because so far in my life, the experiences (real, not a movie's) I have had so far from God have been filled with excitement, adventure and I've met incredible people that share my passion for Christ.

I mean, seriously, your car being an alien robot seems cool, but I've found myself in supernatural experiences that I'll never forget and here's the catch: they're real!

There's not only reasons to have joy, there are also expectations and inspiration to find in God, inspirations to perhaps wake up tomorrow and find yourself in the most exciting day of your life.

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:3

So may you find inspiration to keep serving with all your heart, to keep looking for Christ with such passion, my past experiences help me to find this inspiration everyday to have new experiences, but if you've had none, when I had none I was inspired to have the first experience and trust me, It didn't take so long to find it.

By the way, my record of movies seen many times at the theaters is Bolt, I saw it 3 times! But that's another story of why I did that, there was a purpose, but that's another story that I won't tell in this post, maybe in the next one ;)
You'll know... soon!

Forgiven

2009-07-07T14:06:00.003-06:00

"But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Those are Jesus lasts words in this parable, which title really caught my attention and for some reason, as I was reading it, seemed like if I had never read it before:

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Luke 7:36-47

How much have you been forgiven by Jesus?
You know, one always tends to notice someone at church, someone special that for some reason seems to have more passion towards God than most of the rest of the people.
But what is his secret? Why is he/she more passionate than others?

I think it has something to do with this parable, not because that passionate person has bigger debts that have been forgiven more than others, but this person has understood the magnitude towards how much has he/she been forgiven by Jesus.

If it wasn't for Jesus, we would probably have to keep offering sacrifices (gaining salvation by deeds) like once an hour knowing how much we sin everyday.
Like playing with salvation "Now i have it, now I don't"

I always wondered why some people are more passionate than others, in my case I thought it was because of some experiences that God has given me, but I come to a conclusion that those experiences with God had just opened by eyes more towards being really aware of how much has Jesus forgiven me.

So may you build this awareness of the "magnitude of forgiveness" so you can always find a reason to be thankful (or more passionate) for.

...and it will be given.

2009-06-26T23:59:00.000-06:00

Yup, Ask and it will be given.

It is awesome when all doors are closed, when time seems to be running out and your only way out of problems, your only way out of hard situations seems to be God.

When everything else failed you, and you get to notice that God is the only hope you have left.

God taught me that.
This time he was my last option, and when everything else failed me I had to let go and have this blind faith (blind to my eyes).

What if God were always the first option instead of waiting for Him to be the last.
I want to find out from now on :)

The campaign was a success, we never stopped attending people and we had more than enough medicines, everybody left with the medicines they needed!
Plus all the simultaneous events we had during the day were a success as well!
It was such a day of blessing for everyone!!!

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21

My 26th post in this blog :)
With God all things are possible!
And its not about numbers, but I used to say this: a coincidence is not a match of 2 events, its a confirmation of one ;)

May God bless you and may He be your first option in your list of solutions :)

Ask

2009-06-03T22:30:00.002-06:00

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7

Ask.
I was never good at asking, I would always hold back from asking things to my father, not because he would not give me the things that I wanted, but because as a kid, I always had this conviction in my mind that I didn't really need anything material but just having my dad close to me and making him feel proud of me was enough.

I think I did a good job at that, at honoring my parents. But I was never good at asking for things.
And as I came to become a children of God, I carried this same attitude to God, I was never good at asking things to God.

I have always been like: If God is going to give me something, may it be to bless others.
But I was never good at asking things for myself.

As I grew up, I realized my father would often try to teach me to ask him for stuff, he would say that it was vital that I learned how to ask for things.
He was right. And I learned that just as the brother of the prodigal son, my heavenly father has always been willing to give me anything I asked him for:

"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours."
Luke 15:31

Important lesson, still, asking for things to bless others feels 100 times better than asking for yourself :)

Wondered about the image already? The medicine?
Ah! That is an interesting story...
We have 16 days to get medicine for a medical brigade, and honestly we don't have the resources nor permissions to gather them at church.
But what we do have is a promise from God, and that is all we need.

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
John 16:24

Right about time, don't you think?
Lessons from God are always the most exciting and awesome you'll ever learn in this life.

God, I don't know how, when or where you'll give us the medicine we need for the brigade, but one thing we have for certain, you won't leave us. You are God. You will provide.
I ask for one thing: May you glorify your name once more with this, and give us what we need to bring you glory.
By your grace. For your Glory
With God all things are possible :)

"Flawless"

2009-05-01T09:43:00.004-06:00

This is something I learned at the Shift conference in Chicago last year, that in the life of Christians there are several "stages"

Let's put it this way: (Ill draw it fast in Paint)

As you can see, there is a small line between the non believer and the believer, after that there is the growing stage where the person begins to learn more and more about Christ, up to a point where you make a big decision.

There is a huge gap between the growing Christian and the Christ-Centered, because one thing is to believe in Christ and be willing to live according to his word and have salvation, and something different is to give your will, dreams, thoughts, feelings and emotions completely to God so He can use you for His Kingdom's cause.

That was a great thing I learned last year, its not that God has a guideline for how every person might become Christ-Centered but we as humans, most of us have been through all those stages.

But the point of this note "Flawless" is not that, that was like an introduction, something I wanted to write, "Flawless" means a period of something inside the Christ-Centered stage, because that Christ-Centered stage cannot be explained of what you'll find inside there, because its God that will take your life and show you whatever He wants to show you.

At least in my life, this "Flawless" stage exists, its like you get to a point where you want to be perfect, you want to be the best of this world for God's glory, you want to be the "best son" (After Jesus of course), and there comes this passion where you want to live so according to God's will that you decide not to fail anymore.

But, its "failure" a decision?
Ill get straight to the point, i went through that stage, I wanted to be flawless, but at some point... I failed.
I lost my first love trying to find an answer to a question that God would not answer. And I let myself be taken by the answers that the evil one was giving me.

So here I am and I just realized that, sometimes God will put you to a trial of faith where all you need to do is stand still and not try to answer the reason because God won't give you any in that trial. "When what God does makes no sense (to us)"

So if you are reading this, I wish 2 things:
1- May you get to the Christ-Centered "stage" so God can write your life story
2- May He give you wisdom to stand the trials, if you read this keep in mind: sometimes you need no reasons to anything, just know that He loves us.

And please pray for me if you are reading this, it hasn't been easy for me lately... I need to find my first love, and I just learned that what you lose is right where you left it...

May God bless you.

In Love

2009-03-28T09:31:00.003-06:00

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained"
C.S. Lewis

Ever wondered how can God love us so much?
Ever wondered why God loves you, even when you realize how unworthy we are?

It's funny, love is such a powerful feeling, C.S. Lewis has it as a "steady wish" a burning desire to do one thing and one thing only: To wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.

It's like when you have this feeling, everything else is unimportant, you just want the best for this loved person with all your heart that nothing else matters.

And once you get to feel this way for someone, you'll understand (or at least you will be the closest to) how much God loves you that he gave His son for you.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Ever wondered why happiness is not on the list?
Because happiness can be selfish, and true love is not selfish, its not for a personal gain.
And there you find the reason of grace, it's all about love.
God gave His son just because he loves you, and wanted YOU to live in happiness, to have a real hope, a reason and purpose to live for, to show you and give you the decision to love Him back, to wish for your ultimate good: for you to be with Him.

It's hard to explain it, but you can only truly understand it once you feel this way to someone.
It really fills you the most once you don't think about you at all, but to wish the best to someone else :)

Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways
Proverbs 23:19,26

That is the right path. 19:26
May God bless you.

Holding Hands

2009-02-18T23:36:00.004-06:00

Humans. Sinners.

We are nothing without God.

It is incredible how our flesh reacts to the world, to the circumstances that surround us sometimes, its like in a second after a problem, we can absolutely forget about God, about His control in our lives, and how He is bigger than any circumstance or problem we might ever have in our lives.

We are certain that God is holding our hand, we are certain of that, some of us have been through all sort of trials that allow us to be absolutely certain to the point of defending this conviction with our lives: God is in control of everything.

And we see God's hand holding our hand, and then we raise our heads, and our sight is in the world, when sometimes we only see problems and tough circumstances, and we struggle through them, being certain and still feeling God holding our hand.

But there comes a point, where we are at the edge of being sway by the circumstances, of listening to them instead of listening to God. And in that edge, you feel the insecurity starting to flow through your veins.

Then something beautiful happens, you look down for a second.
And you see God's hand still holding on to yours, even if yours became numb because of the insecurity in your blood.
And you snap out of this numbness, and you grab strength again to look up and face the circumstances again.

He will NEVER let you go, if you ever doubt this, just look down.

When God writes your life story

2009-02-08T22:36:00.004-06:00

Remember the "Thousand souls" entry?

This one has a lot to do with that one, God is writing my life story.
At the start of this purpose that God gave me, God was like "Go and speak to this person" "Now go to that guy over there"

But all of a sudden I find myself with not many souls for the one thousand, though I now understand that it's not about numbers.

But now God gave me this huge vision, to make an evangelistic event at some specific town, to make something huge there for God's glory.

And now I find myself not only dreaming about what everything is going to be like, but actually seeing now how everything is falling into place.

There are seasons of praying, seasons of resting, deserts, trials, and seasons of action.
But this one is something special.

Ill keep you posted.
So may you be certain that God is writing your life story, because if you're not, then you need to ask Him why you were sent here, what is your life purpose on Earth.
Because when you know, you'll find yourself in a new season of your life.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5

What if I go back!?

2009-01-21T22:16:00.005-06:00

Sooooo.... The reason of the title is because I recently did something wrong that was a habit in my life a few years ago, and thanks to God, I managed to stop doing it.

And I felt so bad because I went back to it, and felt extremely guilty for it, some thoughts came to my mind like how would God feel if the prodigal would go away once more.

Have you felt that way before? Sin makes you feel guilty, it is its main purpose, to make you feel guilty and makes you build a barrier of "unworthiness" between you and God.

I got sway and blinded by this "guilt" and I'll tell you what set me free.

So I say, "My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD."

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

Lamentations 3:18-25

It does not matter how many times you fell, you will most likely fall again, but the Lord's faithfulness will prevail every time.

When you fall, don't let the guilt sway you, because let's face it, inside you know that you are feeling that way for nothing and you will get out of it, the only question is how long are you going to feel guilty for.

God will take you back, every time :)

I've been here a thousand times before
Face down on the floor
Wondering how I even reached this place again
But, You have shown so endlessly,
How Your love pours over me
No picture can re-create the beauty that I see

Jeremy Camp - What it means

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Switchfoot - Dare you to move

Today never happened :) The Lord's compassion is new every morning.
So may you remember this if you fall, or if you just did... you'll get up, make a choice to do it right now.

Shadows

2009-01-19T00:13:00.004-06:00

There's always oppression around, isn't it?
It's like somehow the problems will always be around, no matter what you do, there will always be problems... shadows in your life.

It is a matter of perspectives of how you see shadows, I'll tell you a perspective that can help you deal with shadows in your life, because let's face it, just as you can't get rid of your own shadow, you can't get rid of problems on Earth.

Imagine you are inside a dark cave, you can see absolutely nothing and you need to get out, but you can't even see the walls or where you are standing!
Now, you drag a small candle and a match from your pocket and you turn it on.
There is this huge shadow behind you, but the small light lets you see the walls and try to find an exit.
Here is the point, don't focus on the shadows, because sometimes that's the only thing we are tempted to set our focus into.
Focus on the light, and as you do, that light will lead you to the exit of the cave where you'll find more light.
The shadows are there simply because... there's light!
And that's with out problems in life and with the spiritual battle happening around us in every second.
There are problems because there are blessings!

The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16

Jesus is the light to this world, our light, our way out of the cave, out of the darkness the world has to offer.

There's this song that rings in my head when I mention Shadows, two actually.
The Shadow proves the sunshine and I dare you to move, both by Switchfoot.

Every time you see a shadow in your life, remember, they are proof of a light leading your way, don't look back, you can be certain it will follow you, so just keep going!

So may you focus on the light, focus on God, on his Kingdom, his promises and purpose for your life, and not in the problems and oppression the world puts on to try to prevent your purpose to be fulfilled.
The battle has already been won, It is a matter of believing it, and the best way to do it is to focus and be certain that God is there with you, so focus on Him.

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here.

Walking with God

2009-01-03T03:22:00.003-06:00

Lately I have started to read Bible Gateway's daily reading plan, so I'll be able to read the entire bible in one year.

Something really caught my attention on yesterday's reading, I had read this before but I never put any deep thinking on it.

Check this out:
"When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."
Genesis 5:21-24

Enoch "walked with God" for 300 years!

But check this out as well:
"This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.
Genesis 6:9"

Now let's think this through a bit, what do you understand by "walking with God"?
I thought it was something like being taken into a deep vision, perhaps even physically taken into heaven and be with God, "walking".

But there is something else, Enoch walked with God and had other sons and daughters at the same time... meaning that if he was physically taken to God there was no way he would have had more sons and daughters at the same time.
And he was physically taken afterwards, when he was "no more" because God took him away, so the "walking" thing was not physical. (Gen. 5:24)

Check Noah out, he "walked" with God, and he was the only righteous man on the planet.

So what this portion of the scripture is saying, in my opinion, is that "walking with God" means to be following God's path for us.

Why? Because Noah was the only blameless man of all men on Earth, and Enoch? The Scripture says that after Adam and Eve had Seth, "At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD." (Gen. 4:26)

That's when humans began to look for the Lord, but out of them all at that time, only Noah and Enoch were blameless and righteous to be worthy to "walk" with God.

My point is, this still happens now days, though not many are all of a sudden taken away physically like what happened to Enoch, many are found "walking" with God, a walk where God shares what He wants for us, His purposes for our lives, the kind of walk where you ask God for advice, a walk with the one you love.

Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and then he was taken away physically, like what happened to Elijah.
I don't know if I'm going to be taken like that instead of dying, that would sure be awesome, but there's something I know for sure. I want to walk with God for the rest of my life.

So may you walk with God as well, may you find yourself with God on your side in every second of your life, don't imagine it, because its true. He is right there, He is right here with me as I write this entry, and He is right there with you as you read it.

And I don't know what He is saying to you right there, but right now He is whispering to my ear: "I love you son".

And I just told Him, "I love you too Lord, thanks for letting me write this, bless the ones who read it and walk with me forever :)"

Rewards

2009-01-02T23:24:00.002-06:00

So, I said I would talk about the rewards of integrity.

Integrity is the insurance of walking on God's path.
"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out."
Proverbs 10:9

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity."
Proverbs 11:3

The Lord also promised Solomon to uphold his kingdom forever if he would walk in integrity (1 Kings 9:4-5)

It is this simple: when you walk in integrity with God, no matter what choices you make, God will guide you trough to pick the right choices
He will stop you from taking wrong paths.

So may you walk in integrity with the Lord and keep his commands, because if you do so, you will find and accomplish your purpose here on Earth.

God loves you, He does not need us to accomplish his purposes, but he wants to use us. He chose us for some reason, don't let Him down!

Happiness

2009-01-01T20:11:00.002-06:00

What is happiness?
According to the define tool by Google, "state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy"

Ever felt like somehow with no apparent reason at all, you are unhappy at some moment?
Job felt the same, he was aware that God was in control of what had happened to him, yet he made one mistake.
"Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath; my eyes will never see happiness again."
Job 7:7

He said that he would never see happiness in his life again, but he did. God gave him back twice what he had lost.
There is this valuable lesson here, when God is in control and He takes something away from your life, if you walk in integrity like Job did, you'll get twice as much back of what you lost.

There are other rewards for walking in integrity on Earth, and I'll talk about them in the next entry.

Want to have happiness in your life? Walk in integrity.
When you worry about things, then God is not the center of your life.
Because when He is, you are so aware that God is in control of everything, that you have no reason to be worried about any situation of your life.

To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.
Ecclesiastes 2:26

May God bless you.
And may you keep this in your heart so 2009 will be a year of happiness in your life!

A Thousand Souls

2008-12-28T22:40:00.004-06:00

I found my purpose for next year!
So far I've been the kind of Christian that loves to be in every church service, loves to go to concerts, seminaries, small groups and overall - learn more about God as much as I can.

But there is something I have been missing, the great commission:
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
Matthew 28:19

Its time to gain souls for Christ.
I've been getting prepared all this year for this, and its time to share the gospel and defend my convictions.

Gaining souls is like planting a seed, and some seeds may take longer than others to grow, some people that i preach to will grab the seed with passion and will become lambs, and some will only get to be sheep.
But its time to seed.

Davy Jones wanted a hundred souls in exchange for Jack Sparrow's soul, I want a thousand as minimum for next year to God's glory

Hard to do for a beginner? Hey! Remember what blog you're reading?
With God all things are possible!

A Thousand souls.
One Year.
One Purpose.
Glory to God.

Patience

2008-12-27T00:16:00.002-06:00

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."
Ecclesiastes 7:8

Sometimes it is hard to have patience, sometimes when you give up things you want, your treasures, your dreams, your desires because you are willing to submit yourself to what God wants, to His plan in our lives, and we give up something when He asked for it... it isn't easy.

I gave up the thing I want the most here on Earth and all my dreams were related to it, and God said no, and asked me to hand it over.
So I did, at times it is hard to let go, because I let go the thing I want the most, because I believe that what God has stored for me its perfect.
Its just faith holding me.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
By faith we understand..."
Hebrews 11:1, 3

Alright hold on a second right there! By faith we understand? What is that supposed to mean? Faith does not make you understand things, I don't understand why God asked me to hand over the thing I wanted the most on this planet! I don't understand what is in storage for my future, I don't understand anything!
But I have faith I will.

That's the beauty of it, and this is a very important spiritual principle:
I don't understand, but I believe
Therefore by faith, I'll understand.

When I get my feelings, dreams and thoughts sway me, I cry over the things I let go to follow God's will, that's why it is very important that you don't get sway by them.

Maybe God has taken something from your life, and you don't understand it right now, but you have faith that God is in control.
So be certain that you will understand soon.
I wish I could tell you that I never get sway by my feelings and tell you not to remember the things you let go, but earlier today I did all that, that's why I'm writing this.
I believe.
So I'll understand.
And until that times comes, I must have patience.

So may you when you get sway by your feelings, thoughts and dreams, may you remember that even though you don't understand anything right now, you believe that God is in control, and may you have patience to wait until the time comes, when you'll understand that everything was perfect.

With God all things are possible.
Trust Him.

Fasting on Christmas

2008-12-24T20:58:00.002-06:00

Now that you read the title you can ask yourself, who would do that?!

Isn't Christmas the time when you share with relatives and friends, besides hugs and charm... food?
When its Christmas, the tables are so decorated, special plates, and special dishes... great food of course! And you eat all night long!

You know its funny if you see it that way, that when 99% of the population is sharing the time and eating a lot, someone who is fasting at that hour is looking for God, praying and crying out to hear from Him and would not eat that special time meal that is only eaten once a year.

I think that is what God wants from us (not fast on Christmas), to be a difference in the world, to be a light in the middle of darkness, to follow His will and do what Jesus would do when 99% of the people are not doing it.

Are you one of them?

But back to the title... who on Earth would do that?
Well... you'd be surprised ;)

Merry Christmas!

My friend Ronny

2008-12-23T20:56:00.005-06:00

I went to a Newsboys concert a few weeks ago, it was a great experience!
Just as we were on our way to the concert, we saw the band at a gas station and we stopped to see if we could take a picture with them, but the administrator of the tour didn't let us take pictures but he told us to look for him at the concert.

His name is Ronny, I still remember him.

Thing is when we got to the concert, there was a VIP section, which were the first rows of seats.
So we went looking for Ronny, and they let me go past the VIP section to the backstage to look for him, it was great, i had full access to the backstage just because i said "I'm looking for Ronny"

In the end, we got VIP tickets and we had a far greater experience than we ever thought we would have had that day!

I got a bit of authority there because I knew the administrator of the whole concert
Do you know how much authority you have on earth because you are children of God? (John 1:12)

When Jesus came to the Earth as a man, he had full authority to do everything as he pleased on Earth as in Heaven:

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Matthew 28:18

That's out father, he has full authority over anything that has ever been created.
So imagine that, If by knowing Ronny you can go to a backstage of a concert, how much authority do you have by being a SON of the creator of the Heavens and the Earth

"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
John 16:23

By "In that day" he meant the time where he would no longer be on Earth as a man.
You have authority to ask anything to God in Jesus name.
Anything, and remember that his will is perfect because He is in control :)

So may you remember how much authority you have thanks to God, and believe that with God, all things are possible :)

Merry Christmas!
And by the way, read this verse

Always

2008-12-22T23:38:00.002-06:00

Just felt like writing this, which is very important.

I understood something this year, this year has been the year that I have learned the most in my life.

With God there are NO coincidences, its called control.
God is in control of everything in our lives, don't you ever doubt it.

Lately I have been getting this so much into my mind, that God is always in control, but there was this situation that happened in this year that really made me doubt if God was in control of that.

And He didn't take long to answer! Just as I was reading this post by David Guadrón, my answer was there.

So It is time i fix some of my convictions
Its not a coincidence, its not a confirmation, its called Control.

One more thing.
Lately I have been wanting to do this so strongly in my heart:
To push the limits of the passion I can give to God
To search Him, to learn more from Him and to hear Him all day!

So may you as well, push the limits of your passion to God!
Because his coming is near, closer everyday, so may you find and accomplish your purpose on Earth before He comes! :)

The same God

2008-12-21T13:26:00.004-06:00

I went to Chicago early this year, to a youth leaders global conference at Willowcreek church.

Before I went there, God gave me this to analyze during my stay in Chicago:

"Then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it."
Ecclesiastes 8:17

So i was excited to see everything that God had done at Willowcreek
And once we got there I was excited to see this HUGE church that almost looked like an airport inside, the conferences were great and we got to see an unplugged concert by Switchfoot

But as time passed by and they were teaching us many ways to serve in the youth ministry we came to realize that everything that we were taught, we were already doing all that at the youth ministry we are in.

Our youth pastor shared his ministry vision about the youth to Bo Boshers, the head of the youth ministry at Willowcreek, and he was surprised about our vision, and was really touched and knew that was from God.

It's funny when you think about it, I though that I was going to find a more "evolved" ministry just to find out how wrong I was and what a lesson God taught me

Every one of his purposes are unique, no ministry is better than other, for they have different callings and we are all in the same team, so there is no comparison between them.

So I came back and I certainly saw what God had done at Willowcreek, but I also saw with different eyes what God has done here in this youth ministry.

Found the same God that has been with me here all the time in there.

God is the same God everywhere, in every aspect of your life.
His purposes for every ministry, every person are unique.
Don't try to understand them, as Ecclesiastes says, we can't.
But we can be certain of something, It is the same God that has given purpose to everyone, so we can be sure that all the purposes and callings are perfect.
No point in trying to compare.

A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?
Proverbs 20:24

May you delight in the Lord following the steps he has placed upon for you.

Habits

2008-12-18T23:12:00.005-06:00

I heard once that if you want some sort of task to become a habit in your life you have to repeat this task by will at least 10 times, and the eleventh you'll do it by habit.

I have strong habits in my life, like for example something that I think we all do is to turn on the lights when we enter a dark room.
Well, my brother broke the light switch at the bathroom of my old house, so there was just a hole with the bare electrical cables inside, so when i went in and tried to turn on the lights... well... you can picture what happened!

Sometimes it helps when your convictions become habits, when doing good things is just inside of you because you do them all the time.
But it is also important not to do them just almost by instinct, but to remember that all we do is because we do it like if it is for the Lord.

But just like what happened to me when trying to turn on the lights at the bathroom, sometimes those habits are broken, something may get in the middle, and in life, you might fail God at some point.

"In due time their foot will slip"
Deuteronomy 32:35

A tough verse, isn't it?
This verse is the base of a famous sermon called "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" by Jonathan Edwards.
It states that if it wasn't by pure grace, there would be nothing that would stop us from going to hell, and that before Jesus came to this earth, everyone was doomed because there was no redemption on sins if it wasn't by animal sacrifices. Salvation was earned by sacrifice.

We might build strong habits of strong convictions, our hearts may be the most clean of the planet, but this is something very important to remember:

The most important thing is not about not falling.
Its about getting up.

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again"
Proverbs 24:16

Don't get me wrong, it is very important to focus on not falling, but it is vital to get up if you get to fall.
I've seen people spending a life of sadness and sorrow because they fell and never got up, they had built resentment of themselves in their hearts and convinced themselves that they were not worth of living a happy life because they failed.

Welcome to the club if you have been that way, nobody is worth in this planet, it is by pure grace that we now have salvation at our grasp.

So, get up if you fall, ask for forgiveness, grace will come. Then continue your life, and with passion go forth and bring glory to God.

Get up.

Attitude to service

2008-12-16T20:08:00.006-06:00

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men"
Colossians 3:23

Trials are very important, there you either defend your convictions or you learn new ones, they are necessary in our lives and we will constantly be under them.

Yesterday I wrote about God being in control of everything, and today that conviction was put under trial.

Let's talk about out attitude when it comes to serving, everybody wants to be a leader, there are tons of books about leadership, but there are not many about serving.
Because let's face it, it has been men's passion like forever to become better than other men, to be put in a high place where he can draw attention, and we think that when we have come to a state where we can have other people at our command, we have reached a state of high satisfaction.

Even the disciples of Jesus argued about who was the best among them.

Are you available to God in any time?
Can God crumble your plans without you building resentment in your heart?
As a servant, you never choose when or how to serve.
Being a servant means to give God the time to control your schedule and allow Him to interrupt it at any time He wants

So how should our attitude be when we serve?, in every matter, not just serving God, but as colossians 3:23 say, at "whatever we do"

Always pay attention to the needs of others
Give your best with what you have
Do every task with the same dedication
Be faithful with your responsibilities, convictions and promises
Keep a low profile

They are all very important, but take a close look at the last one, to keep a low profile. Why should you do this when serving? Because you're not serving so men can see you and applaud.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Galatians 1:10

With this last said. I encourage you to take a closer look at your attitude when you are serving. And ask God to give you chances to serve to put this under trial.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45

Remember, you are here to serve the Lord, so therefore do whatever you do in His name and with the same passion in your heart.
And like Joseph who served the Egyptians with passion even after being betrayed by his brothers, when put in a high place, may you keep a humble heart. In whatever state or to whoever you serve.

May you serve the Lord with passion.

Control

2008-12-16T00:19:00.003-06:00

Have you ever doubted that God is in control of everything?
I have.

Sometimes i get ambushed by problems, doubts and many things that sway my mind and make me forget that God is in control. In control of everything. Everything.

I was reading about Joseph, the youngest son of Jacob who was gifted by God to interpret dreams, however due to this gift and the fact that Jacob loved him the most because he was the youngest, made his brothers jealous

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
Genesis 37:5

Don't call it coincidence, God was already in control of everything that was about to happen, God knew that his brothers would sell Joseph, He knew that Joseph would end up in Egypt and that in the end he would become the right hand of the Pharaoh.

God gave Joseph a dream, where he was reigning over all his brothers and more than 10 years later, this actually happened. From a slave he became the ruler of all the land of Egypt, and in times of famine he saved his brothers from starving

So Joseph in the end saw this dream fulfilled, because of his position being second in command of Egypt he was ruling over them.

God was always in control, not just for those 10 - 15 years that the dream was fulfilled, but think about it, even since Abraham, his son Isaac, then Jacob, Joseph, and after that, the new pharaoh after Joseph died forgot about the Israelites and put them as slaves, Moses arose, set the people free, Joshua inherited the promised land and there until the times of Saul, David and Salomon, all the way to the bloodline of Jesus and salvation to the Earth.

God has always been in control, the bloodline of Jesus was just perfect coming through all generations since Abraham and the Israelites.

So face this fact: that God is the same God whose spirit lives now days inside everyone of us.
Why then shouldn't He be in control right now in our lives, as He has always been.
Even the end of times is written in Revelations.

Point is, God is in control of everything that happens around us, and He has a purpose for everything.
The past and the future are written.
So be confident that no matter what you're going through, God is right there at your side. Always.
God is in control of our lives.

Facing Facts

2008-12-12T10:35:00.000-06:00

David: "If God wanted me to play football (not soccer) then why did he make me so weak and small?"
Dad: "To show how mighty He is"

That's a kid named David Childers from the movie Facing the Giants, who played soccer his whole life, however when he moves to Shiloh school, it turns that they only play football.
So his dad would cheer him up to become one of the kickers of the football team, even though they already had a good kicker, his dad would tell him "I bet they wouldn't mind having two good kickers"

If you have seen the movie you know how everything turns like, if not I encourage you to see it!

Point is, It is David's attitude that gets my attention, because he is scared of his situation, he sees only what surrounds him, he sees only what he is... on the outside.

And that is most common problem now days among Christians, and God knows I also deal with that problem a lot! That we focus all our attention and attitude among what WE can or can't do.
But what about if we could focus every single time of our lives to see what HE can do in our lives, in our situations, in our problems.

I was really touched yesterday while I heard a pastor saying: "My kids have asked for something very expensive for Christmas, and God knows I can't afford it"
When he said that, something really poked me on the inside and I said "Glory to God"
Because it is in those moments, where the right thing to do cannot be done by our strength, our resources or by out capabilities.
It is in those moments, where the right thing to do is not the easiest to do, when we can see the Kingdom on Earth.

I was troubled yesterday, I came to a point where I said "God, why don't you just consume us all right here and right now, because we fail you everyday, and we try so hard not to, we devote ourselves to the you, we hold our convictions strong in our hearts, yet we can fail at details that sometimes we don't even notice."
And he said to me: "Who will look for me with passion, and who will I trust to show the Kingdom on Earth"

But today i came to my senses and said: "There's no point on being sad because of this, because then I would have to be sad my entire life, because most likely and even though I don't want to and try not to fail God in any detail, I will. Because I learn from those failures and try my best not to fail that way again."
Facing the fact that we can't be perfect not to ever fail, yet look for Him with passion, that out convictions can prevent us from failing most of the time and that maybe by pure grace and when God see us looking for Him with such passion, may we see the Kingdom on Earth.

"With God all things are possible"
Matthew 19:26

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Did you know?
(Yeah, i really tend to notice details)
Facing the Giants movie budget was $100,000
It was finished and premiered at the theaters in 2006, exactly a year later its home box office was $10,000,000 (money raised from the people that saw the movie at the theaters)
Now, multiply 100,000 times 100

It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.
Mark 4:8

That's our God :)

Praise the Lord

2008-12-10T20:03:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed what the last verse of the last Psalm says?
The biggest book of the bible, filled with such wisdom given by God to David and other writers, the book with most word from the Lord ends like this:

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD."
Psalm 150:6

Ever wondered what "Psalms" means? It comes from the Hebrew Tehilim that means "praises"

In trouble, deserts, dry times, sadness, oppression, tribulation, happiness, joy, celebration in every time you have in your life, Praise the Lord!

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble."
Daniel 4:37

Everything he does is right, even when we think something isn't fair, because if He has given, why would you be sad when He takes away?
Because He made the earth and the sky, He made you, died for you to be with Him, never forget this, and you'll praise the Lord no matter in what situation you're in!

For all your times of laughter
In every hopeful prayer
When the world weighs on your shoulders
Through sorrow and your despair
With everything, with every breath, praise the Lord

When the night seems so long (throw your hands to the sky)
You can sing a new song (wipe the tears from your eyes)
When you're weak, He is strong
He can heal your wounded soul
And calm the storm inside

That's part of the lyrics of this beautiful song I heard recently:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt5ibMqAL6k

I encourage you to hear it, its beautiful :)
God bless you my friends :)

Fruit that lasts

2008-12-09T22:33:00.000-06:00

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
John 15:16

Fruit that lasts.
I remember a long time ago I was doing a volunteer job to a web newspaper, a game web newspaper. Nothing fancy, just writing articles and news from the stuff and events that happened inside this massive multi player online role playing game (MMORPG)
And i remember a specific day, like 2 years ago that I said something like "This is great, and no matter what happens I see myself volunteering in this thing in 10 years, 20 years, hopefully more!"

And 2 years later here I am, I can barely remember the name of that newspaper.
I understand now that the things of this earth will pass, that the fruit harvested here, here is where it stays
And what God wants from us is to seed fruit that will last, lasts enough to be harvested in Heaven

Because I've seen people dedicate their entire lives to serve God, and they manage to do it, they stay strong and learn so much invaluable wisdom in the way, and see the Kingdom on earth
Those are the ones bearing fruit that will last.
Do you remember last's week message at church? How about last's month?

I heard this story in Shift 2008 at Willowcreek Church, Chicago, told by Kara Powell in a conference called "Deep ministry in a shallow world"

"This is a true story about a small town that had a newspaper.
And every Sunday in the religion section people would write in letters.
And generally the letters were pretty innocuous, pretty tamed, pretty harmless...
But one letter was written in that really sparkled debate.
Somebody wrote in and said:
"I don't understand what difference it makes to go to church,
I've been going to church all my life and I can only remember a few sermons,
Why should we go to church?"

And so people wrote in in response
And some of them said, "You're totally right, I'm exactly the same way,
I've been going to church all my life and I don't remember any sermons"
But other people wrote back and said "No, I do think church makes a difference"
They couldn't explain why but "church and being part of the community, does make a difference"

Finally One letter came In and ended the debate
Somebody wrote in and said:
"I've been eating 3 meals a day, everyday, of my entire life.
And I can only remember a few of them
But I'm pretty sure that without them,
I would have starved"

Its not a matter of remembering everything literally
But to mark such convictions in your heart
That's where the fruit last

Deaf in the world

2008-12-08T03:18:00.000-06:00

Just so happens that I'm kinda deaf right now, long story!
Thing is I cant even stand hearing any music right now, it just doesn't sound the same and seems like all I want to hear is silence.
Problem is that I hear a strong annoying whistle-like noise inside my head, that is driving me crazy!

Just makes me wonder how annoying it must be for our spirit to be deaf to the word of the Lord, when we are just too busy with stuff of this world, when the last thing we want to do is to stand aside from the duties of the world and pray, talk to God.

If this is how my spirit feels, desperate with this noise inside that wont let you hear anything, perhaps I should reconsider if wasting my time in things that wont even produce anything positive in the world, and least to say anything good in Heaven, is worth.

Just imagine you cant hear music, you can't even hear silence in peace.
Deaf in the world

Now not being able to hear God... that's terrible, you cease to live, and only exist.

I don't want mere existence, I want life. God is life, and everything outside Him is nothing, at least not in Heaven, just mere existing in the world, clocks ticking until your time has come.

I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear,
like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
I have become like a man who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
Psalm 38:13-14

Let not the things of this world ever sway you.