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Pero Dios…

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Pero Dios…

(Filipenses 3:13-16)  Mis amigos, me gustaría que supieran que, aunque me he ido y definitivamente estoy en camino,  no me considero a mí mismo como si hubiera llegado, ni  pienso en mí mismo como para estar en tal nivel de madurez espiritual como para sentarme por encima de cualquier otra persona … pero  puedo, con toda confianza decir esto, estoy aprendiendo a dejar ir esas cosas que están detrás, y consistentemente, con calma, he sacado la conclusión  a la que  llegaré  hacia adelante, todos los días, a aquellas cosas que están frente a mí.  A veces no puedo verlo, pero está la fe sólida en mi corazón que dice que sé que lo sé, me acerco a la meta por el premio del supremo llamado de Dios en Cristo Jesús.  Pienso en ello como un objetivo y el premio final.  Como resultado, sean animados…tengamos, tantos como sean espiritualmente maduros, esta mentalidad decidida. De cualquier manera o variación de nuestro curso determinado, piensas lo contrario, ten la seguridad de que Dios te revelará la desviación de tu camino. El Señor es muy bueno para llamar nuestra atención cuando lo necesita. Sin embargo, en la medida en que ya hemos ganado una base segura en Cristo, caminemos todos por la misma regla, seamos todos de la misma mente.  Prestemos atención cuidadosamente a aquellos que reflejan el ejemplo que Jesús nos dio.

Hay 2 palabras que, últimamente, he llegado a apreciar mucho, “Pero Dios“. Pero”, es decir, al contrario, o excepto por el hecho. El mundo nos dice una cosa, luego hay “Pero Dios” que es al contrario. El diablo nos persuade de una manera, luego está Pero Dios, que nos dice la verdad que es, por otro lado, del mundo o del diablo. Efesios 2 dice que una vez fuimos descendientes de la ira, la malicia, el odio y la venganza, pero Dios nos hizo vivos en Cristo.  En salmos 73 “Mi carne y mi corazón fallan;  Pero Dios es la fuerza de mi corazón y mi porción para siempre”.  Muchos vagan desesperados, “Pero Dios nos ha llamado a la paz” (1 Corintios 7:15). Además, 1 Corintios 1:27 dice que no muchos sabios o nobles son llamados, “Pero Dios ha escogido las cosas necias del mundo para avergonzar a los sabios…”

Escuché a un predicador decir una vez que el enemigo ha puesto completamente su voluntad contra nosotros y quiere que cada uno de nosotros se concentre en lo lejos que hemos caído, en lugar de lo lejos que hemos ascendido. Satanás quiere que nos centremos en nuestro pasado en lugar de en nuestro futuro, y hasta dónde todavía tenemos que llegar, en lugar de lo lejos que ya hemos llegado. Él quiere que pensemos en cuántas veces hemos fallado, en lugar de cuántas veces hemos tenido éxito.

Pero Dios quiere que nos centremos en nuestras fortalezas y no en nuestras debilidades, nuestras victorias y no nuestras pérdidas, nuestras alegrías y no nuestros problemas. No es que todos no tengamos debilidades, pérdidas o problemas, pero Dios nos dice repetidamente en las Escrituras que esas cosas no son nuestro enfoque. Filipenses 3 nos dice que Dios quiere que sigamos adelante y respondamos a Su llamado supremo y olvidemos lo que hay detrás de nosotros.  ¡Responde, responder es un gran problema! ¿Realmente respondemos o tendemos a sentarnos y mirar?  Deja ir lo que hay detrás. No hay arrepentimiento en este mundo que permita a nadie revivirlo todo, convirtiéndolo en algo diferente de lo que era. Déjalo ir. No creas las mentiras del diablo. Presta atención a lo que Dios está haciendo, dónde está trabajando Dios, concéntrate en lo que Él te ha dado y responde. ¡Magnifica las obras del Señor!

“Pero”, es decir, por el contrario, por otro lado, excepto por el hecho. Una vez fuimos hijos de la ira, “pero Dios” nos hizo vivos en Cristo. Hay muchas opiniones, “pero Dios” es una. El hombre se jacta de muchas cosas, “pero Dios” es fiel. Muchos vagan desesperados, “pero Dios” nos ha llamado a la paz. Muchos siembran y riegan, “pero Dios” da el aumento.  Los hombres olvidan sus promesas, “pero Dios” recuerda.  La humanidad puede dejarnos, pero Dios se queda con nosotros.  El enemigo de nuestra alma trabaja siempre para nuestra desaparición, pero Dios no permite que seamos dados en su mano. 2 Samuel 14:14 dice que todos debemos morir; somos como el agua derramada en el suelo, que no puede ser recogida de nuevo. Pero Dios no quitará la vida, y diseña un plan imaginativo para que el desterrado no siga siendo un rechazado.  La gente no escuchará el llanto de nuestro corazón, pero Dios siempre escucha incluso nuestro más leve clamor.

Como mínimo, “Pero Dios” ocurre al menos 43 veces y eso no incluye todas las variaciones. El Señor quiere que sepamos que Él está de nuestro lado, y El no bromea.

Gracias por escuchar, soy Social Porter para el Ministerio Viviendo en Su Nombre.

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

Conflicted!

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If i’m not mistaken the last topic was about Peacemakers, those who do more than just keep the peace, but actually step into the fray and make peace with themselves and others. There is a difference, you know, between keeping the peace and making peace.

At this juncture, let me add, among a few other things i figure there are two subtle but significant constants in life…. waiting and conflict. We spend the majority of our lives waiting, and there is always a never ending opportunity for conflict, in one form or another. Seeing as how having to wait and dealing with conflict are such a constant in all of our lives, you’d think we’d be better at it. Amazingly though, we are not.

Tonight’s topic is conflict, do we submit and resent, rebel and persecute, or choose to step into the fray and resolve things, if at all possible? There’s just too many stones being left unturned and as a result conflict persists in our lives. Even if left to ourselves, we are conflicted by opposing ideologies banging around in our heads. To me, it seems …odd…that many churches want to advance the gospel, but typically don’t offer much on how to deal with conflict.         Friends, any time people gather in groups, there will come conflict….eventually, somebody is going to have a conflict about something with someone else. Should we do what we usually do, just say nothing and let it ride, hoping the issues will just magically go away? Probably not the best approach i’d say. The clash among people doesn’t actually just go away, it simply morph’s into something else, only to rear it’s ugly head later on. i believe we spend a lot of time teaching nice principles and only uplifting doctrines from scripture, cycling through our “go to” Bible verses looking for one to make us feel better about …um, something ‘er other, but we spend almost no time learning to resolve conflict, in a setting where struggle, strife, and rivalry is so at the forefront of issues which need to be dealt with. We’ll continue in a moment, tap your toe, dream a little, and i’ll be right back.

Let’s think about 1 Sam22:1-2. “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”

i see the entire cave of Adullam experience as a defining moment for several issues. Historically, Jewish history has it the cave of Adullam, near the city of Adullam, wasn’t far from where David defeated Goliath, it is near where Moses saw the glory of God, and historically it is the same cave where God spoke to Elijah, so it was a pretty important place.

Because of Saul’s desire to put a spear into David, the songbird of Israel took off and hid in a cave. David was conflicted, and Saul was very conflicted. i think something else that was interesting is that David seemed to have a knack of drawing to himself others who were distraught, discouraged, and dissatisfied (that is the three d’s there, did you catch that? Distraught, discouraged, and dissatisfied).. and they were all the three d’s in some fashion or another…..they were all conflicted, with no apparent means of resolve. They were all on the run, they were all in hiding, and they were doing their best to out distance the conflict which pursued them. Whatever the problems were with each of those in the cave of Adullam, their difficulties were great enough they were driven out of where they were. How is it they all seemed to end up in the same place about the same time? Was it God’s doing, directing their paths whether they knew Him or not?

Psa35:11-12 says “Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.” This scripture is the crux of our modern society political system. Conflict is on our door step and we can’t out run it.

When people embellish the truth and make sure others hear of it, it is ruthlessness seeking to set a bias for a hidden agenda, personal conflict then becomes the focus, and they discredit anyone who might oppose them. I am amazed at the people who don’t like the way you talk and they just feel it is of the utmost importance to make sure you know THEY don’t approve. I think that’s bizarre. They leave their bitter words at our feet, and then abandon us to deal with the damage in their wake, isolated and cast off. Leviticus19:16 says we should never go around being a slanderer of others…. that word slanderer there means a scandal-monger, as in someone who loves the chaos of conflict, and causes others to be seen as unbelievable. Being a tyrannical and terrorizing witness, interrogating others in such a way so as to make them admit to things they, in truth, know nothing about, casting shadows on justice and upon doing the right thing, God says it is wrong. He likens it to standing up against the life of your neighbor, and it happens all the time in our justice system, and actually, i think this behavior is generally promoted in our country these days.

Have you ever felt that way? If anyone says ‘no’, i certainly would challenge the honesty of the reply. Conflict is all around us, and avoiding it is impossible. I don’t believe we are so naïve that we somehow believe that avoiding conflict is possible, so let us, the Body of Christ, embrace conflict and begin learning to resolve our differences instead of pretending a smile, making a face, and breaking off our relationships. Going away is not an answer unless it’s under extreme circumstances with no other option.

As in 1Sam22, David’s conflict had become a crisis, but unlike David, our conflicts don’t have to become a deadlocked dilemma. Many serious issues can be prevented by simple early attention. i believe managing a potential conflict long before it’s a crisis is a great investment of time and energy – do you know what i mean? But many times we just let things fester until they are gale force winds of conflict, then we fly into action with a knee jerk reaction and none of it have to be that way had we dealt with things before they got wound up tight as a clock spring.

Maybe… instead of seeing conflict as a good reason to go somewhere else, we should be brave and have those challenging conversations as an opportunity for a deeper association with others. Before you run off make sure you’ve done all you can do to stay connected. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone.  And yes i’m speaking to all the “church surfers” out there, and those who desperately want deep relationships, but find it too scary to disclose enough of themselves to actually make it happen. Is that you? Maybe it’s me. But surely it is us.

In light of the conflicted David, his “mighty men of valor” and their crisis with Saul, what did they do about it?…. ‘cause you know, enduring looong running conflict without resolve….well, that sort of pressure tends to warp your head around over time. They couldn’t run fast enough to get away; they couldn’t find a cave deep enough, a ditch long enough, or a country far enough. David needed a different outcome, so, by God’s guidance and power, David did something other than run, he turned and embraced the conflict; he began to turn his problems into possibilities, and to me, he came up with some creative responses. Like in 1 Sam24:2-3, when Saul was chasing David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself, little did he know that David and his gang of desperate men were pressed far back in the cave.
David’s rough crew wanted to kill Saul right there when the King was so very vulnerable. They figured if they got rid of Saul, then their conflict and crisis would end. Isn’t that what we do? “Let’s get rid of so-and-so, then our problems will be over.” “Let’s get rid of this-n-that, then, yes THEN our problems will be over.” But shortly, we are conflicted and in a crisis all over again. The problem isn’t outside us but inside us. In David’s case though, he knew better and said, in so many words, “No way guys, we’re not doing that! We’ll do this God’s way or no way at all!” David needed a different outcome, so he employed a different approach. 1 Sam24:7-8 “ ….And Saul left the cave and went his way. Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.” i bet Saul was quite embarrassed and humiliated to find out a whole gang of people were watching him relieve his bowels, and even though they had the chance to kill him they practiced self control. After that, David took the opportunity to plead his case to Saul in an effort to resolve the conflict as best he could. He played down his judgment and criticism, restraining his inclination to cast shadows on Saul.

How many of us, sitting out there listening to this, need a different outcome from the one we usually get when things get a bit testy in our relationships?

i think quite a few people prefer a large body of believers, not just because there is a greater opportunity for fellowship, but also because it is easier to control how close we get to others and how much of ourselves we reveal. In a small body of believers, there grows a much more profitable relationship…it’s closer, but it requires persistent diligence, humility, and grace. In large bodies we don’t have to be particularly responsible or accountable, and if anyone challenges us and our behavior, well, this is America, we just move on to the next place. More than a few pastors have expressed deep concerns over the fact that most of their congregation is comprised of sheep from another pasture.

Friends, when we run from the problem, we run from God’s promises, and when we run from God’s process, we run from the blessings. There are people who have encountered conflict, and rather than deal with it, they set themselves above and apart, maintain they are right so as to make the other person wrong, and then, they just move to another pasture. My friends, we are conflicted and we need to begin to learn to deal with our conflicts and resolve our differences.

Are you thinking about how things ought to be, instead of how things are? In the mind of many people, it’s usually the “other person” with the problem and we are somehow innocent and above it all. Rather than aiming our finger at the other party, let’s think about what our part is in the situation. Are we honest about ourselves? Do we strongly hold to our idea of “how things should be”? How people should behave? What ought to happen? Are you constantly judging if someone is being polite or rude, what is correct vs. what is wrong? We can get totally lost in our focus on everything wrong with anything and never get anywhere. Do you realize how many people there are who seem obsessed with what’s wrong with the church and rarely get around to being devoted to what is right with God? Conflicted i tell ya’, conflicted!

Do we hold ourselves to an impossible standard saying, “I’ve got to get this right, because if I can’t, I’d better not even try.” If we do that we’ll just turn into Eeyore and go stand in the rain some place.

Jesus said in Matt11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

i’d like to point out we all need rest, and faith in Christ brings us much needed rest, but it does not absolve us of dealing with our conflicts with others… and running off to another pasture doesn’t remove the conflict, it only delays our dealing with it all. Some important words in that last scripture are “take my yoke upon you and learn from me”. i’d like to share this basic wisdom which God has planted in my heart…….resolving my conflicts starts with me, not with them, but with me. If i want others to be different, then i must be different, if i want a different outcome i must begin with a different approach, being consistent and repeatable, and do it and do it and do it until the conflict in my sphere of influence begins to turn around.

Everyone has dreams and they imagine the way life might be. Of course we do, and we’d be foolish to not admit it. We were born to dream and imagine, so it’s not a fault we need to fix. But, does the movie in our head actually match the real-life situation? There are two lives going on with us….there’s the life inside our head and the life outside our head and we’ve got to make adjustments in order for the two to get along. When the life inside doesn’t get along with the life outside, we are conflicted and need some resolution in order to live at peace with ourselves and others.

Jesus did not run from the conflicts around Him, oh boy, and He was seriously surrounded by conflict. Not only did He not allow Himself to get swallowed up by the world around Him, He chose to embrace the conflict, and respond with the appropriate assertiveness. i said “appropriate assertiveness”.

Listen you who are so easily offended: Jesus didn’t practice a defense because He didn’t carry an offense. What’s with all the defensiveness these days? i say there’s multiple offenses underneath driving the need to be defensive. And oh, how easily we all get offended, wow.

If we want to reduce some of our conflicts, lets open doors not close them, let’s learn to ask ourselves some really relative questions like: How can i move this forward? Do we dwell on how unfair someone was, playing the situation over and over in our minds? Ask yourself, can i improve the situation without demeaning myself? <<<SAY THAT AGAIN —Is the issue about what i imagine, do i have the facts, have i listened and understood the other person? What is this r-e-a-l-l-y about? How else could i see this? Now, i’ve got to say though, asking those questions and getting some answers is a real discipline, so it may take practice in order to entertain such self-inquisition. Be strong and courageous.

Friends, if we withdraw and then go silent, giving someone the “silent treatment”, is anything resolved? The silent treatment is an exercise in pain about who can care less, the most, the longest?. <<<SAY IT AGAIN— It should be no skin off anyone’s nose to listen and understand the other person. No one said we have to agree, but we can certainly listen, right? i believe Jesus was an active listener and he participated in the conversations with the disciples. He asked them questions as they asked him questions, He invited them into the conversation rather than just telling them answers. Jesus is our example of how we should live, act, and have our being; He is our example of how to live out our conduct, character, and conversation.

Conflict….ahhh, what a difficult topic. Re-thinking pain and how we deal with it can be trying, to say the least, especially when we’re the ones in pain, and ignoring it all doesn’t make it go away, in fact, if we ignore our pain, check it out, this is important…if we ignore our pain, it simply becomes triggers. Here is a sticky statement: undealt with pain today, becomes tomorrows trigger points.

i think the following is a good question, What do you do when the other person is screaming at you? Maybe just emotionally screaming, you know, some people are very emotionally loud but yet speak softly. You might feel shame that someone would dare speak to you like that, or maybe anger at yourself for feeling stupid and even being there, but never the less, there you are, getting slammed, and it seems like nobody cares. In fact, the look on their faces, sometimes, is as if other people seem to think you deserve getting yelled at. How do you act? Do you retaliate, or scream back? Gosh, that really solved things, huh? Do you remain calm and choose to engage rather than be driven by the volume of the conflict? Maybe we just smile, back away slowly, and say to ourselves “I’ll never go there again”. Yea, we’ve all done that one.

How many times in our lives have we decided, “I’ll never go there again”? Did … not going, where ever “there” is, actually resolve anything, or did the conflict follow us around, staring at us, begging to be resolved? …. and if we think unresolved conflict won’t follow us, uh-huh, just give it time. Hear me on this: God WILL get our attention. It’s sort of like taking a job, the boss brings up some places you need to improve. You get offended and quit. If you’ve had three or four jobs in a short time span, maybe it’s not the job, ya’ know, maybe it’s you and the Lord is talking to you about you. He does that you know. It’s nice and makes us appear all composed when we quote the Bible and be all spiritual, but if we really, really want to know the Lord and want more from our walk, we’re going to have to quit hiding and resolve our internal conflicts.

How many of us peg the meter between worry and indifference? We think to ourselves… we’re supposed to be trusting God but yet we find ourselves worrying. To escape the weight and burden of worry, and worry does have crushing weight, we flop over to being indifferent. “Fine! i don’t care!” we say to ourselves. But before long we’re feeling guilty about being indifferent because we know God is never indifferent, we’re supposed to be a light on a hill to the world, but yet here we are being indifferent. To escape the guilt of feeling indifferent we try to press forward, quote some scripture, and tell ourselves we’re trusting God again. But…it’s not long before that worry starts c-r-e-e-p-i-n-g back in, and shortly we’re pegging the meter under the weight of worry again. Back and forth, slamming back and forth. What’s really going on there? What i’ve illuminated is a conflict that is common among people in general, and i believe the Lord is the only one who can leads us to resolving the conflict.

And now for Jesus. He is the highest peacemaker in history. From the Garden of Eden, there came a conflict between God and man. God knowing the end from the beginning resolved, from the beginning within Himself, to give to us the ultimate gift to resolve our conflicted souls if we’ll simply embrace Him. This is the truth… Jesus is our example about how to deal with conflict.

Criticizing, casting shadows on others, name-calling, self-elevating arrogant declarations, and passing out ultimatums are poor options which block resolve >>> and feed conflict. We often re-write our story in our minds to make it something other than what it is so we don’t have to deal with life. If we want a different outcome, we’ve got to initiate a different approach.

We are the Body of Christ and i believe God wants us to be experts in dealing with conflict. He gave to us Jesus, who bled and died for us, in order that we would be free and no longer need to be slaves to sin. Let us open doors, not close them, and quit all that running away. Behold the Lord stands at our door and knocks, and anyone who opens to Him, He will come in to us and eat with us, bringing with Him Love, Grace, Peace, and the power to change, and change we must for we can not continue as we were. God has changed direction and we must change with Him. Oh and saying, “That’s just the way i am”, man, that’s a terrible answer. Think about it.

i want to be a warrior with an open heart. i want to be an influencer like Samuel and ultimately Jesus….an influencer not a manipulator. i need a different outcome so i’ve got to let God teach me a different approach. Here’s another sticky statement: A manipulator works for the outcome to favor themselves at the expense of others; an influencer works for the outcome to favor the other party as well as the influencer, as in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that who so ever would believe on Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 is a win/win solution to our conflict; it’s good for God and it’s good for us! That is ultimate peacemaking.

i’m Social Porter…thanks for joining me this evening here at Outposts, an engaging and cheerful cafe at the end of Old Field Road, which overlooks the late evening cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River.

All music was by The Hadouk Trio, Mommy & Me, Frank Gambale, Chick Corea, and Lyle Mays. All music use is licensed by BMI. If you’re so inclined, please go to Living In His Name.org, go down to the bottom and drop a nickel in the bucket. All donations are greatly appreciated.

This evenings topic has been brought to you by Living In His Name Ministries, Area 22 Guitars, The Whistle Stop Cafe on McCrackin St., Ruth Orginals out Chimney Rock Highway, and Trinity Bakers, where there’s always something good in the oven.

As you go your way this week, choose to step into the conflict in front of you, ask God for wisdom to go forward, be honest, get low, be transparent and authentic, opening doors not shutting them. Until we meet again, be strong and courageous, amen!

Problemas y mi Método de Operación

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“Problemas y mi Método de Operación“

  Las transiciones pueden ser muy difíciles y si no se hacen en el mundo de hoy, se llama trastorno de adaptación.

Santiago escribe como un hombre judío que sabe algo sobre las transiciones. Allí estaba, medio hermano de Jesús, aprendiendo a superar cualquier estereotipo que pudiera haber tenido de Jesús y rindiéndose a Él, como Señor.  Aunque las Escrituras no lo dicen,  supongo que también tuvo que resistir el impulso de un posible reclamo de fama diciéndole a la gente que era el medio hermano del Señor, entregando a Dios cualquier posible petición insistente de prestigio. Por supuesto, por otro lado, hacer el “reclamo de fama” para sí mismo, eventualmente le costaría la vida, pero todo por las razones equivocadas. Conocer a Dios era más importante que un reclamo de prestigio para obtener un título y una plataforma para sí mismo.

Siempre es difícil aceptar cambios dentro de una familia cuando un miembro se eleva a una posición inesperada. Pero todo el método de operación de Santiago cambió después de la resurrección de Jesús. Como ejemplo, podemos ver el cambio de su pensamiento con respecto a sus pruebas en la vida.

Santiago 1:2-4 “Queridos hermanos y hermanas, cada vez que surjan problemas en vuestro camino, que sea una oportunidad para el gozo. Porque cuando tu fe es probada, tu resistencia tiene la oportunidad de crecer. Así que déjalo crecer, porque cuando tu resistencia esté completamente desarrollada, serás fuerte en carácter y estarás listo para cualquier cosa”.

De inmediato, esto por sí solo es suficiente para amargar a la gente en el libro de Santiago. ¡Pero se pone aún peor! Él dice que el camino rocoso que recorremos en nuestro viaje hacia la madurez debe ser uno de alegría.  De alguna manera, entonces, se supone que debemos estar contentos de estar en un camino lleno de esquinas afiladas que golpean nuestra piel, mientras pisamos sobre las rocas “golpeadoras del dedo del pie”.

Ahora, no estoy seguro de ti, pero no necesariamente tengo una gran alegría cuando estoy pasando por momentos difíciles.  Un predicador bien conocido dijo una vez, puedes ser lamentable o poderoso, pero no puedes ser ambos.  Toda esta idea de alegría cuando se enfrentan a problemas suena un poco loca. Puedo entender la idea de no dejar que los problemas nos destruyan, pero considerarlo pura alegría?. Eso puede parecer un poco mucho.

No es natural pensar de esta manera. Pero Santiago no está diciendo que debamos tener algún tipo de fiesta superficial cuando llegue la adversidad, o que debamos poner una sonrisa falsa en nuestros rostros y parecer religiosos para el mundo cuando estamos sufriendo profundamente por dentro.

Pero sí nos anima a considerar dejar que sea una oportunidad para la alegría, porque algo muy importante está ocurriendo para nuestro beneficio.  Dios nos está guiando a través de estos lugares y necesitamos ver el lado positivo de todo.

Recientemente, un hombre y yo nos sentamos juntos y me pregunté dónde estaba en su proceso de lidiar con algunas cosas muy difíciles. Luego me dijo que sabía que tenía la opción de ser una víctima y estar resentido con sus circunstancias y las personas involucradas, o podía verlo como una oportunidad para que el Señor cambiara su vida, y estaba eligiendo conscientemente. Si alguien roba tu abrigo, en lugar de estar enojados por el robo, tal vez podríamos ejercitar la otra opción para verlo como una oportunidad para actualizar a algo mejor.

La frase, “… cada vez que surgen problemas… ” se usaba para un pájaro joven, cuyas alas estaban siendo probadas: como un águila joven que es empujada fuera de su nido.

Estoy seguro de que al águila joven le encantaría ver un video sobre volar, o aprender sobre los detalles de arremetida sobre los peces, o recopilar información sobre la elevación y la trayectoria; todo desde la seguridad del nido. Pero la vida real no funciona de esa manera. Cuando los tiempos difíciles nos golpean, puede sentirse como un águila joven e indefensa que ha sido expulsada del nido por su madre.

Pero las pruebas, dice Santiago, no son para hacernos caer, sino para hacernos volar; no para hacernos tropezar, sino para hacernos estar de pie y no para derrotarnos, sino para hacernos elevarnos a la victoria.  Así que déjalo crecer, porque cuando tu resistencia esté completamente desarrollada, serás fuerte en carácter y listo para cualquier cosa.

Si no nos importa esta brecha y cambiamos nuestro método de operación a la visión de Santiago para los problemas, ¿qué podría suceder?  ¿Qué te parece?

Gracias por escuchar, soy Social Porter para el Ministerio Viviendo en Su Nombre.

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

Si – Si Sólo (o Podría Haber Sido)

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Si – Si Sólo (o Podría Haber Sido)

En el mundo de “Si Solo” y “Que hubiera sido”.

Casi, más o menos, casi, en su mayor parte, si, tal vez,

podría haber sido… Sí pero, sí pero si…

… si

… si sólo

Podría haber sido

Podría haber sido si sólo

Podría haber sido

¿Cuánto de mi tiempo paso viviendo en el pensamiento circular de aquellas palabras? Vueltas y vueltas y vueltas.  Dudo que pudiera medir las horas y los días. Mi boca refleja mi corazón, así que debo tomar en serio las palabras de mi boca en reflejo de lo que es el inventario de mi corazón. Escuché a alguien decir una vez que los errores rara vez vienen en singular, a menudo están en camadas. A la luz de eso, he decidido que debería prestar más atención a qué y cómo siembro.

En el principio de Cosechar y Sembrar, a menudo en la vida, entre las buenas semillas que sembramos, están las siembras de cosas que, nunca en esta vida, desearíamos que crecieran a nuestros pies. Pero, sin embargo, cada vez más a menudo, veo las semillas del arrepentimiento que crecen alrededor de nuestros pies como enredaderas que nos enredan y hacen que nuestra atención cambie de asuntos importantes a pasar más y más tiempo desenredándonos de estas “enredaderas”, enredaderas estranguladas, cuerdas que impiden el impulso hacia adelante, enredaderas de distracción y cuanto más nos distraemos, más estamos distraídos.

A muchas personas les gusta vagar por el cementerio de errores pasados y viejos errores, releyendo viejas lápidas y epitafios de las cosas que creemos que hemos “considerado muertas”, gimiendo sobre viejos errores diciendo una y otra vez: “Oh, desearía no haber hecho eso”, pero nunca lo dejé todo. El lamento a menudo paraliza la esperanza, corroe la conexión entre la visión y el propósito, y se convierte en un peso muerto para nuestro impulso hacia adelante.  Esto no es saludable; es una turbulencia gastrointestinal crónica del alma. Pasamos tanto tiempo trayendo el pasado para estar vivos en el presente que “lo que fue” domina el “lo que es”, e influye fuertemente en “lo que será”. El lamento es rendirse al dominio del pasado que no debería ser.

En el silencio de la noche, el lugar gris entre despierto y dormido, reproducimos el video de lo que “podría haber sido”. Es cierto que hay momentos en que es prudente, en pequeñas cantidades, considerar “podría haber sido” y “si sólo”, pero cuando juega en un círculo constante nos hace débiles porque enfatiza demasiado el pasado a expensas del presente.

El juego constante de “podría haber sido”, se convierte en un ancla alrededor de nuestros cuellos, convirtiéndose en pesos, no en alas.  “Podría haber sido” nos canta suavemente, nos adormece para que nos quedemos dormidos mientras el lamento crece suavemente alrededor de nuestros pies, atando nuestro coraje y haciendo crecer raíces a través de los cimientos de nuestra confianza.

Es como una semilla que ha caído en la grieta de una pared de roca, encuentra un poco de agua, brota a la vida, luego crecen raíces que eventualmente convierten una grieta en una grieta, y la pared cae rota al suelo.

Considere el esfuerzo que dedicamos a tratar de reconstruir nuestras vidas a partir de alguna fecha en el pasado, cuando podríamos haber tomado un camino diferente o haber tomado otro camino. Volvemos en nuestra memoria a alguna bifurcación en el camino de la vida y pensamos cuán increíblemente mejor habría sido la vida “Si nunca hubiera tomado…”, “Si solo hubiera comprado la tierra cuando…”, “Si solo me hubiera casado con la otra…”, “Si solo me hubiera graduado de la escuela secundaria”, “Si hubiera rezado lo correcto en el momento adecuado”,  “Si hubiera sido más persistente”, “Si no me hubiera quedado dormido mientras…”, “ojalá nunca hubiera dicho…”, “Si me hubiera quedado en casa”, “Si Dios sólo hubiera dicho…”

Un hombre me dijo mientras lloraba por su vida: “A veces, parece que paso la mayor parte de mi tiempo deseando que Dios haga algo diferente de lo que está haciendo”.

Si.

Si. Si sólo.

Si. Podría haber sido si…

Wow, ese pequeño “si” es tan resbaladizo como el hielo negro … parece tan correcto hasta que de repente tus pies están sobre tu cabeza. Y parecería probablemente ser cierto, las cosas pueden haber sido mejores, pero ciertamente es más cierto en la actualidad … eso fue entonces y esto es ahora, hoy está sobre nosotros, y aquí es donde estamos y esto es lo que estamos haciendo. El pasado está hecho. ¡Fini! ¡Terminó! Hecho para siempre, para bien o para mal. No se permite realizar copias de seguridad. No hay lamento que permita ser revivido para que se convierta en algo distinto de lo que es.

¿No sabes que mirar hacia atrás a “lo que podría haber sido” siempre se ve más dulce en el espejo retrovisor?

Los colores…. ¡los colores de “podría haber sido” son siempre tan brillantes! Los rojos, y los azules, los carmesí y morados, los amarillos y los pálidos… las velas blancas de barcos distantes siempre están llenas y más blancas que las nuestras, y el verde de las colinas lejanas siempre es más verde. Podría haber sido siempre se ve MUUUUY bien desde la distancia.

Parece ser siempre la atracción de “el otro camino”, y el infierno trabaja para mantenernos dando vueltas en el mundo soñado de “lo que podría haber sido” en “el otro camino” sin visualizar el costo. “El otro camino” podría habernos traído multitudes cantando nuestro nombre gloriosamente, pero habríamos perdido a alguien muy cercano a nuestro corazón. “El otro camino” puede habernos hecho ridículamente ricos, pero tal vez hubiéramos tenido que vivir con vergüenza, perdiendo dignidad y honor. El costo de “el otro camino” rara vez se discute en el círculo del video de “podría haber sido”.

Mientras estemos vestidos de carne siempre cometeremos errores, es, evidentemente, algo que nosotros, como humanos, hacemos muy bien. Escuché a alguien decir una vez que el presente es la creación de la próxima historia. Si no nos gusta lo que cosechamos, entonces sugiero que cambiemos lo que sembramos, porque en nuestra obsesión con nuestros errores hay un terreno fértil para el lamento.

Dejemos el cementerio de “podría haber sido” y “si sólo” para seguir adelante. No somos personas de nuestra historia, sino personas de nuestro destino.  Lo mejor que podemos hacer es tomarnos en serio lo que sembramos, dejando el cementerio de cosas viejas donde el lamento crece alrededor de nuestros pies… déjalo ir; que los muertos estén muertos y recuperemos el aliento en una nueva dirección. No solo cambies de opinión, mejor, ¡vuelve a casa!

Gracias por escuchar, soy Social Porter para el Ministerio Viviendo en Su Nombre.

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

Under Siege

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Good evening and welcome back to another, hot off the digital press, Outposts, a semi-live broadcast from the late night, cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River. The stars are out in full force tonight, singing glorious melodies to God …. there’s a slight breeze out of the south west with a forecast for the rest of the week of cold, dry, but clear and crisp.

I’m Social Porter and i’ll be your host this evening, taking up an unusual topic of terrorism and what it means to be “under siege”, of course from a biblical perspective, and of course in a spiritual sense.

In this present day and age, i have come to the conclusion that our Christian faith is under siege. And if that is true, what are we going to do about it? Maybe a better question is what CAN we do about it and are we willing to take action, bravely hoisting our colors up the flag pole.

i’m not saying this to propagate some conspiracy theory, by any means, but i must say, there is a growing mound of evidence that hell is unleashing wave after wave of assault on the Body of Christ in an attempt to spite God to His glorious face, right to the bitter end. The enemy knows he is doomed and beaten at the cross on Calvary, but it appears he’s not going quietly. Our spiritual person is under siege, our immune systems are under siege, our finances are under siege, our ability to speak the truth is absolutely under siege, our hope and faith is under siege, and maybe even most evident – marriage, love, covenant, and peace are under siege….marriage and covenant being reduced to an agreement and a contract, treated as something voidable at anytime at the whim of the participants…and that’s just wrong, and cruel creating contusions of the soul which are deep and long lasting.

Hell knows that if any goodness gets a foothold, if any righteousness gets a grip, if honor and being honest really stands up and writes the truth on the wall – not just “a” truth is it seems best to someone who doesn’t want the entire truth, but the whole truth according to God who, Himself, IS the standard of what is true, if honor and honesty actually stand up and write the truth of the Lord on the wall, then admission of defeat by darkness will be undeniably evident. Interestingly, hell knows it has been beaten, darkness knows it has failed and it’s end is eminent, but even in light of the fact Jesus Christ defeated evil forever, the devil and his buddies carry spite and hatred to the bitter end.

It should be an interesting topic, with what is an amazing array of responses, everything from “Amen!” to people saying i’m crazy. Stay tuned, enjoy the cool jazz, turn the lights down low, and lend me your ears for a short while.

Part of the idea of being a terrorist and practicing “terrorism” is getting people to participate in the fear that an attack is imminent while the “where” and “when” are always a mystery. For terrorism to work, people must buy into the fear, they must be willing to participate in some fashion or another.

My friends, we give the devil too much press, actually i think ANY press is too much press for him. Also, we give evil and fear too much power whether real or virtual… it’s the fertile ground where terrorism thrives, THRIVES on the power of holding their victims in limbo, in fear until they, the terrorist shows up, all in their good time, to work “well deserved judgment” on their victims, and of course that judgment is according to the one doing the terrorizing.

This may be a bold statement for some, but i say:

At this time in history, “Loss of heart” is one of the most formidable weapons against us today.

In light of that statement, i think it would be good to understand what being “under siege” looks like. 2 Kings 24:10 “At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.” More than a few times Samaria and Jerusalem came under siege.

Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times and besieged 23 times.  Another author suggests that it has been the subject of at least 118 conflicts. Jerusalem has been a city of conflict for thousands of years – and to me i think its an ironic twist given that Jerusalem means “city of peace”?

After pondering the idea of “being under siege”, i’m wondering, what does an invading army do in order to be able to say they “set the city under siege”?

i believe the first order is to terrify the people, cause them to be afraid, get them to buy into the idea that they could be injured somehow, and their way of life and culture are threatened. Influence the people to believe they aren’t safe unless the government provides some kind of “safety”. I heard a woman in the grocery store telling her neighbor, “i just don’t feel safe anymore.” I thought to myself, “the truth is, you’ve never actually been safe. Safety has been an illusion. The truth is… badness could happen to anyone at any time, and to think “we are safe” is truly an illusion.” Keeping people terrified means to get them always looking over their shoulder, wondering when bad things will happen, thwart their trust of their leaders and even of their own decision making abilities. Fear is always first and last in their mind, keep them watching the evening horror stories called the news. Tell them the media services always gives the truth, and people should be afraid, very afraid. Fear is the main ingredient. Get them thinking and obsessing over what terrible thing will happen to them next.

Terrorists work to whip people into a fear-frenzy using one of their biggest weapons: people against other people.

Listen to this and hear: If hell can’t get a foot hold in a gathering of believers, they’ll send a disgruntled, dissonant (harmonically unresolved) Christian in to plant discord, backbiting, dissatisfaction, finger pointing (an aiming gun or judgment), and a splintered posture of discouragement. That sower of discord will likely be somewhat correct about the failings of leadership, and will appear to have the “inside scoop” on sound doctrine. .  It is part of being under siege. It is terrorism, born at the gates of hell. Remember, the first thing to do when under siege is 1) keep your head. Don’t let yourself get rattled. Remember God’s promises and don’t be driven by panic and reckless emotion. Keep your head.

2 Kings 25:1 “Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.”

What in the world is a siege wall or a bulwark? In my life i can’t say i’ve ever actually seen a “siege wall”. As best i can tell, it is a high mound laid up against the city, all around. Historically, there are reports of attackers building up mounds around fortified cities higher than the cities walls, hemming the people in, thereby controlling all the going out and coming in, able to cut off all the food in or out…. i reckon control is the key word.

Another thing to do when laying siege to a people or city is to try and cut off their water supply, or devaluing their currency, causing the currency to become worthless. Many towns were situated so they had water inside the city walls, like a good running spring in town maybe, but some towns had a creek or a river which ran through them, which made a nice layout until the town came under attack. The fact that the water supply was outside the city made them vulnerable. If an enemy were to lay siege to their town, the enemy would simply divert the water from the town and wait for the towns people to dry up and die, thereby the attackers would win the fight without loosing a single person or even firing a shot.

And here is another powerful tactic for laying a city to siege: propaganda. It is huge. Spreading lies about the worthlessness of the people and how much better everyone else is. Lie to them about their faith, mix truth with lies, so often, the people can’t tell what is real or not real, breed confusion, influencing them to not trust anyone except those closest to them, and even those alliances can be influenced to become even narrower. Think, the enemy of Heaven is constantly working to divide the Body of Christ, get us squabbling of petty issues which some people think are so important. “He wore sunglasses in the sanctuary! God won’t bless us!” “She was dressed in a jacket and street pants, doesn’t she know God won’t bless her looking like that!?” We aim our fingers at people for the dumbest things and then act like God has given us the INSIDE SCOOP and we just need, we NEEEEED to make sure they, the infamous “they” know of the pending wrath of God they are bringing upon us all with them and their nefarious and iniquitous behavior. Do we think God is really that brittle and we can run Him off so easily? We are under siege.

When we read in 2 Kings 18 about how the king of Assyria came against all the fortified cities of Judah, propaganda was huge…. and it’s always so smooth and reasonable sounding. A general shouted up to the watchers on the wall in 2 Kings 18:19-20 “19….”Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have strategy and military strength–but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?”

They went on with their propaganda by telling the people to not listen to their king, especially when he says God will help, or God will deliver them. Ohh, whatever you do, don’t listen to that foolishness!
Does any of this sound familiar? This day and time we’re being told, albeit indirectly most of the time, don’t trust God. Why listen to Him? He’s not going to help you? You’ve gone too far this time, He can’t even hear you? Nobody cares about you, you should just go home, sit in the dark and wait to die, God isn’t coming.

Ever heard that stuff? Yea, most of us have and it….is…..a…. lie. It’s part of being under siege!

i believe hell has issued the orders against God’s people similar to what is written in Ezekiel 4:2… “Lay siege against them, build a siege wall against them, and heap up a mound against them; set camps against them also, and place battering rams against them all around.” Do you hear all the “against them” words? And what’s worse, many delusional believers seem to have joined the ranks of the enemy, self-assured they’re doing the right thing, to help build the walls blocking our hearing and seeing Jesus. We must remember that the will of our enemy is fully set against us, with all power, all day, all night, unceasing, giving no quarter.

The pestilence which creeps by darkness, seeing our demise, works  …to “cut off our water supplies”, or our relationship with God, …to make us “lose heart”, or create distance between ourselves and Jesus, coupled with our own obsession with shame. They magnify our personal sense of failure and rejection, in hopes to propagandize us into surrender. Think! If you can get a man convinced that he is worthless and makes no difference in anything, that he’s a failure, his kids are going to failures, and everyone thinks him a fool, then one by one, the strong men will just go waste away, convinced they are worthless, never exercising their valor, strength, and faith in God.

The enemy works to “build bulwarks against us” or inspire, real or virtual rejection and abandonment by family, friends, or our church family. They position themselves to “prophesy against us”, sending disgruntled fellows to inform us we are irredeemable, “you’ve gone too far for God to ever use you again”, that you are unsuitable, that we are “bad”, giving us a continuous stream of words facilitating our own extreme self-loathing. We are constantly manipulated in order to “cut off our Leadership and Captains”, using our own rejection from friends who speak into our lives. The enemy is busy planting seeds which sever relationships, encouraging us to lead isolated and detached lives, singled out and alone…isn’t that a picture of the term, “easy prey”?

i’ll say it again, i believe, and this is just what i think:  “Loss of heart” is one of the most formidable weapons against us today.

Many people have become convinced and grow fearful that it’s true that “it’s gone too far and we probably can’t …”. Yes, their are are so easily filled by the news services that doom is just around the corner, so just sit down and wait for the inevitable.

Maybe the “spirit of Eyore”, right out of “Winnie The Pooh”, is really a real thing, huh?!!   Another fellow and i used to joke about “the spirit of Eyore”, but i believe it is a valid “spirit type” that brings with it a down turned mouth, weights not wings, feelings of pointlessness, and despair (to name a few), so much so that we’ll run into the desert and lay under a tree and weep to God that we are the only one left and what’s the point of going on.

There seems to be so many little “word tangles” going on everywhere, and i mean everywhere…people finding a reason to not speak because one person looked a little narrow-eyed at the other, or didn’t exactly talk right, or was too honest, or not honest enough in the other person’s opinion, and on and on. They prayed too loud, not loud enough, with too much authority or not enough, laughed too strangely, didn’t laugh at the pastors jokes, dress to short of too long, wrong shoes, hat too big…..our reasons to reject other people are just absurd, preposterous and nonsensical. The word fatuous comes to mind, which implies being not only foolish, dull, and vacant in mind, but complacent and highly self-satisfied with their own aiming finger as well. It’s often like a world of little judgments all stacked up in a summation of failures. Living in the shadow of that stuff makes you feel like you’re constantly looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. Ah yes, the aiming gun of judgment, judgments all stacked up and steaming. This maybe a bit crass, but when we stack up the judgments against each other it’s kind of like watching horses or cows in a barn…if they just pooped once and left, that would be one thing, but they poop on top of poop on top of poop and it just piles up and piles up, and then it gets all in their feet and they get foot problems that make leg problems, and then they’re just generally sick…all from standing around day after day knee deep in their own waste, wondering what that “smell” is, and “why do i not feel well?”

We are under siege and our only way out is Jesus! He alone is the only hope!

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”

Ephesians 6:14-15 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

i say “Hold The LINE!!” Don’t budge or give an inch to hell! Our ground that God has given to us belongs to us, it is Kingdom property, Stand Firm and HOLD THE LINE!

We must be diligent to not allow things to stand that have been allowed to stand, have courage to ask what we think are unaskable questions, have a humble heart to pursue resolve. Did you hear that? Pursue conflict resolution, not “who is most right”, but resolve the conflict if you can. Be persistent in your pursuit of resolve, put your self-importance and inclinations toward elitism on the altar and set fire to them. Burn your self-importance, title grabbing needs, put them on the altar of sacrifice and light that junk on fire. Yea, you’ve got you and office now, people call you pastor this and apostle that, and yea, you wear a nice suit and the church pays for your conference attendance and business trips, but in your heart of heart you feel like something is missing, like you left something behind when you moved into the swanky neighborhood and started posturing for the camera. The enemy will use these sorts of things, prying us one against another to tear the house down with our own hands. Be strong and courageous!!  We will not back down from the face of terrorism.

i’m calling us back to humbling ourselves before the Lord, lifting one another up before the Lord for blessing not cursing, and when all else fails, HOLD THE LINE and keep on keeping on, don’t stop! Bless your enemies, pray for them, speak hope and encouragement to them, and declare righteousness and holiness over them in the Name of Jesus. Even to the curse-makers, spell-casters, witches and warlocks! We want to leave behind the gathering darkness and yield to Jesus. I don’t want them hurt, i want to bring them with us to Heaven and that hell wouldn’t win not one of those.

Jesus is our defense and provision, and even under siege, i can assure you Jesus has already won it all and hell has no foothold of a chance to ever return to power and authority. Ever. We are not slaves, we are freemen and will NEVER come under the authority of darkness again.

Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Think about it.

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”

i’m not angry, i’m passionate. Go to those who are having a hard time, shield their eyes from the sun, give them a drink of water – i don’t care if they are grouchy, you be bigger than that. Here is how we continue in victory, even when under siege: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”

i’m Social Porter, thank you for joining me this evening for Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation. All music was provided by the Pete Minger Quartet, the Allan Broadbent Trio, Darol Anger, Gary Willis, Plas Johnson, and Larry Carlton. All music use is licensed by BMI.

Support was by Living In His Name Ministries, my beautiful brother at Area 22 Guitars, Allan, Kevin, and Tommy at the Mebane Freedom League, Tony and Danielle of McDowell Electric, Paul at International Tile, Shepherd Funeral Home serving down home potato salad and fried chicken while you’re waiting for your loved ones to be processed, and Jeff and Karen of Trinity Bakers on main street where there’s always something good in the oven.

Be strong and courageous this week, do the right thing, tell the truth, and hold the line of God’s righteousness up to the world, nail your colors to the mast for all to see. Be encouraged, Jesus is coming back and, be at peace.

 

 

 

 

Impresionantes gestos de amor

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Impresionantes gestos de amor

        La canción de Tina Turner What’s Love Got To Do With It (Que tiene que ver el amor con eso) dice que el amor no es más que una dulce noción pasada de moda, porque ¿quién necesita un corazón cuando un corazón puede ser roto? Hay tanta autoprotección en este mundo. ¿Dónde está el espacio para un gesto impresionante de amor con ese tipo de pensamiento?  ¿Nada más que una noción? ¿Sufrió Jesús bajo Poncio Pilato, fue crucificado y resucitó de entre los muertos por una mera noción? Qué decepción.

Luego está el pensamiento de los “Melodians”, una banda de rock de 1965, que cantó “el amor es lo que hace que el mundo gire.  ” Al escuchar el resto de las letras, eso fue calificado para significar – sólo que mientras te sientas de la misma manera que yo, entonces…  sabes que el amor es de verdad. ¿Realmente? ¿Dónde está el espacio para un impresionante gesto de amor con ese tipo de pensamiento?

Hace muchos meses escuché a un hombre en una reunión preguntar sobre las altitudes frente a nuestras actitudes. Todo su objetivo era rechazar ser un respetuoso de las personas. Para argumentar, el libro de Santiago en la Biblia, dedica una buena parte del capítulo dos en llamar nuestra atención sobre el tema de la pobreza y las riquezas.  En nuestras mentes, la idea se planta a una edad temprana de que si “tienes” entonces estás haciendo algo bien, y si “no lo tienes”, entonces seguramente debes estar haciendo algo mal.

Proverbios 30, vs 8 dice: “…no me des ni pobreza ni riquezas”. ¿Has notado que a lo largo de las Escrituras parece haber una guerra contra cualquiera de las dos? Levítico 19:15 interviene en el asunto, hablando a la nación de Israel diciendo: “No harás ninguna injusticia al juzgar un caso; no serás parcial con los pobres ni mostrarás preferencia por los poderosos, sino que en rectitud y de acuerdo con los méritos del caso juzga a tu prójimo”.

Como se ve en Isaias 59:14-15, el profeta vivió en un tiempo en que Judá estaba luchando bajo el peso de la injusticia: “La justicia es rechazada, y la justicia está a distancia; la verdad ha tropezado en las calles, la honestidad no puede entrar. La verdad no se encuentra en ninguna parte, y quien rehúye el mal se convierte en una presa. El Señor miró y se disgustó porque no había justicia”. La sabiduría y el consejo de Dios  para ellos era simple: “Aprende a hacer lo correcto; buscar justicia. Defiende a los oprimidos. Asume la causa de los huérfanos; aboga por el caso de la viuda”. Más tarde, Dios les dice que “suelten las cadenas de la injusticia”, indicando que la injusticia es una forma de esclavitud y opresión.

Dios no es mezquino ni obsesivo. El no valora la justicia simplemente por el hecho de tener orden y mantener a las personas obedientes y en línea. Hay cuestiones más profundas en juego. En el libro de Santiago, el escritor se dirigió a un grupo de creyentes que habían estado juzgando a las personas en su reunión de acuerdo con su estatus social.   Para toda la humanidad, en el corazón humano, la injusticia es un signo de parcialidad, juicio y falta de amor, exigiendo una opinión personal de nuestra propia idea del bien y del mal sobre otras personas. Cuando nos esforzamos por ser justos por nuestras propias medidas, invariablemente, hemos olvidado la medida de Dios, que es la perfección. Cualquier cosa menos que la perfección es, para Dios, una escala fuera de equilibrio.

Preocuparse más por el dinero o la posición de poder de una persona y no verlos como hechos del mismo barro que los demás, incluidas las personas menos afortunadas, ayuda a establecer una conciencia herida, haciendo distancia entre nosotros y Dios- Eso es pecado. Francamente, podemos cambiar eso, la vida no tiene que ser así. Preocuparse más por las personas menos afortunadas y ver a las personas ricas como el “Malo” es algo favorito o popular en estos días. Ninguno de los dos impresiona a Dios. Se trata de la comunidad y de mostrar el amor desde arriba, impresionantes gestos de amor.

Vi que eso sucedió en una reunión de la capilla de la prisión una vez. Cuatro hombres lloraban, orando apasionadamente a mi lado: “Dios se misericordioso conmigo pecador, por el amor de Jesús“. En mi otro lado, escuché otra voz rezando la misma oración. Era la voz de un guardia de la prisión. ¡Asombroso! El evangelio de Cristo nos impresiona con el amor de Dios.

A través de Jesucristo podemos amar a nuestro prójimo como a nosotros mismos, en lugar de dividirnos sobre la raza, las riquezas o los derechos percibidos. ¡Ahora hay un gesto impresionante del amor de Dios!

Gracias por escuchar, soy Social Porter para el Ministerio Viviendo en Su Nombre.

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi.

The Date Is Today

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Have you ever heard God say something to you that seemed to make no sense? And you knew it was something excellent but His words didn’t seem to connect to anything you understood? That happened to me many years ago, and has happened many times since, but at that time i didn’t get it so i put His words on the back burner for another day. Why? Because i know this to be true ….God never tells us something for no reason, nor does He tell us stuff just so we can say, “I know.” He tells us things to build us up, and for the benefit of the Body, to make us and others more fruitful. Everything He says is for a reason and purpose and just because it doesn’t seem to go anywhere in the moment, we can rest assured, one day, God will connect the rest of the dots, so to speak, and it will be an amazing “ah ha” moment, if you know what i mean.

Many years ago the Lord said to me, “The date is today, the time is now. This is what we’re doing and forward is the way we’re going.” i struggled trying to understand it, but what He was getting at seemed very elusive. Of course i understood the words, but they just seemed to go in a circle a little. It was sort of like saying, “If you do, you do, and if you don’t, you don’t”. At the moment you’re left thinking to yourself, “Say what?” Anyway,  you get my point i’m sure.

Reiterating a little, at the time it was almost an obscure thing to say, a silly sounding sentence of nothingness, but in the last years i’ve realized there really was something to it. What he said addresses … a specific part of a season – today, the specific moment of the season – now, He’s addressing what is being done – as in doing what is in front of us to do. He’s pointing out the direction of His actions in us – which is forward, all while being in our season of where God has us. Yet it’s still a little general sounding … or is it?

What is your heading? Are you more concerned about your ministry launch date than your relationship with Jesus? Which is more important?

So, so many people are incredibly concerned about not knowing their God-designated direction, but i must add, i believe many have far more direction than they realize…maybe becoming awake in Christ is more God’s point than actually having a blueprint of “your calling”.

This is Outposts, a live broadcast from the late night, cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River. When you turn off the main road and go all the way to the end, at the bend of the river up against the old growth tree line is a fine cafe called Outposts; a place of contemplative conversation and cool jazz.

As we make our way into our time this evening, i’ll be your host and hope you enjoy the virtuoso performances along with tonight’s topic: What’s your heading, your direction? Are you waiting on the call of God to make a move, maybe He’s waiting on you to make a move, and what does the call of God look like anyway? i’ll be right back.

Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” i think that is what is meant by “The date is today”. In other words, be where you are today and don’t sweat tomorrow so much that you become riddled with anxiety over what might or might not happen. It’s all too easy to get lost in the whirlpool of yesterday, or get caught up in the swirl of tomorrow and not be in the room for today.

The Lord spoke something to me, He said, “Most people spend an inordinate amount of time in yesterday or tomorrow, lost in the serpentine, twisting mists of fading yesterday, what was, and are bewildered at the possibilities of tomorrow, or what will be.

We worry so much about everything and even when we think we are trusting God and not worrying, often at our foundation we are still wrestling with tomorrow. “The date is today”. We are here and now, today is the specific part of the season you are in. It maybe you are in a desert place and have been for a while, or maybe it’s a season of favor and prosperity, or a time of storms where you are growing by leaps and bounds but so uncomfortable. Regardless of the season, which could be in days or years, today is the specific date of that season. In other words, whatever God brings to your hand today – that is what you do. Don’t focus on the storm clouds or the howling wind, and i know, when it seems the storm is howling and the water is flooding your boat it’s really hard not to focus on what might happen, but Jesus is saying focus on Me, today, not yesterday which is gone, or tomorrow which isn’t here yet, the date is today and the time is now.

God beckons us to be in today, this time, and in the moment, divided time, with Him, working in today in His purposes, speaking His peace today for those who’s yesterday was so terrible they feel they have no tomorrow. Today and now. Listen to what God says and consider, think about it and roll it around in your thinking until you understand His intent for today and now.

Psalm 50:15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

Straightaway, the sense of “the time is now” means …at the present time or moment, and in this case there is an adverb of date, the word “now”, and a noun, the word “time”… as in “when”. Let us not only view the idea of “time” as something passing and we are slowly passing away with it, but more  seeing it as a sign and opportunity of grace, with the Greek idea of “opportunity” as ….a starting point. The word “Now” is an opportunity, or starting point, to have great grace in the face of an unmerciful world in it’s last harsh breaths, and our presenting it with the opportunity for salvation by the hand of Christ.

i believe the Lord means more than just chronos time with respect to a clock, but in the sense of God’s Now which is kairos time, as in a decisive moment, precisely at the most opportune minute, the exact time a decision must be made concerning a “critical situation”. “God time” is not a perchance time, or something that happens merely considered as “fortunate”, but God-time is an exact and conscious definitive action. Additionally, God’s “now” includes kaironomia, which is a very interesting word meaning, “in the moment there is the will to create”. Those are moments of indeterminate time in which something special happens, powered by the Holy Spirit. The date is today, the time is now, not later, not a historical time, but “now” time as a conscious definitive action.

In the Old Testament, God made Himself known as “God of the now”. In the New Testament He continued to make Himself known as “God of the now”, and today, He is still our very present help in our time of need by making Himself known as our “God of the Now”. The Lord said in Exodus 3:14 “Tell them I AM has sent you.” “I AM” is present tense, He is the God of now. The date is today,and the time is NOW.

Consider then, God is busy bringing things to pass.  Now, He comforts, encourages, teaches, and equips. Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day;” The date is today and the Lord is also God of the Now.  Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for the past, it can be full of good memories, and it can be used as a learning experience. But Now, the present is good for making the most of life… whether you are in a position to make lemonade or are empowered to do great things.

Many people in church are living in the past. They look to the cross and only see a suffering Savior. They keep him on the cross because they can manage him there. He forgives them their sins when they need Him to and he doesn’t get in the way of their lives. To them, He’s more a resource held only to the outer edge revolving around themselves, than He is the center of their lives and they revolve around Him. Many read only the comfortable verses. In their minds, it sets the grace in which we hope in some future “revelation” of Jesus. For them, God is either back there, or somewhere up ahead. But I don’t think the revelation is just future. God will not be nailed up to some cross and forgotten by His people. He is the God of now.

The date is today, the time is now. This is what we’re doing.” What is “this”? Many times, for me at least, “this” is a vague word in my vocabulary and i often get called on it because i reference something which is specific by calling it “this” or “that”, and usually no one knows what i’m talking about….. but here, it means the thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought. To say, “This is what we’re doing” means we do what God has brought to our hands to do, taking action, in the present, and we won’t deviate from our task…keeping our focus until we are released to do something else.

In other words, as in Colossians 3:23-24  “ …whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

These words speak of the very attitude by which we live and how we approach any task in life. The phrase “this is what we’re doing” is action.

Living and doing life as unto the Lord, in all we do, in all we say is largely about attitude….and that’s attitude as in the “pitch and yaw of our heart”, or how we lean in our hearts toward God, which starts with intent. A bit of trivia, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet is Aleph, and along with one of several literal meanings, it means the sound you make before you make a sound…..which would be intent. According to Revelation 2:23 God knows our most subtle intentions. He said, “…I am He Who searches the minds (the thoughts, feelings, and purposes) and the [inmost] hearts…”

With all my heart, as best as i can muster strength, i work to do what God brings to my hand. Sometimes what He brings to my hand can take several years, other times it is only minutes. Regardless it is all a valuable work unto the Lord, large or small.

i used to be concerned with “what MY ministry was”, but as the years have gone by, my ministry consists more of what so ever God brings to me today, my ministry begins when i wake up and ends when i go to sleep, and honestly, i don’t concern myself much anymore with “wishing i knew what my ministry was.” First in my heart is a continuous upward pointing to God and His sovereignty, and everything else is secondary. i serve the Lord, first, foremost, and last.

FORWARD – moving toward what is ahead or in front. Philippians 3:13-14, ”Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The date is today, the time is now. This is where we are, this is what we’re doing. Forward is the way we’re going. As for yesterday, that was then and this is now.

Paul encourages us to live as Christians in the same manner: throwing away our old way of living and moving ahead into our new life of obedience to God and faith in Jesus Christ. Like the Israelites moving into the Promised Land, we can actively come into the likeness of Jesus for the purpose to destroy the wickedness in our life, or we can simply settle down and live with it. “Oh well, i might as well get used to the darkness. That’s just the way it is.” No…. it’s not. To move in and possess the new life, we must drive out the old thoughts and practices to make room for the new. It requires persistence, and a willingness to pursue a growing abhorrence of evil. God is dynamic, He is always moving forward, and i think that if anyone seems to believe they are standing still, in reality they are going backwards because God is always moving forward.

All this time later, i realize i am living in God’s statement to me of 18 years ago, “The date is today, the time is now, this is what we’re doing, and forward is the way we’re going.” That was then, and this is now. i suppose it wasn’t nearly as non-sensical as i thought at the time.

Has God spoken to you, and what exactly did He say? Are you living in today, the now of life? Are you taking action putting your hand to the plow of what God has brought to you? And are you moving forward? If we can’t answer a solid “yes” to those questions, then we need to be asking the Lord, “What can You and i do to change my situation?” Then listen, please listen, the answer is there. Guaranteed. Think about it.

It has been another wonderful evening here at Outposts, enjoying acoustic night which only happens on every fourth friday of the month.

Be encouraged, Yahweh is for us, He’s on our side! Gather your thoughts, let yesterday become the past and trust God for tomorrow. Be in today, in the now with our Lord and God of Now, and set your feet moving forward, hidden in every moment is the opportunity where change is possible.

Tonight’s program of Outposts has been also sponsored by God Almighty as Himself and the Kingdom of Heaven, Living In His Name Ministries, Area 22 Guitars, Werner Graphics where the Kingdom of God is artistically brought to life, and Trinity Bakers, where there’s always something good in the oven.

Music was by Alex de Grassi, Jeff Titus, Al DiMeola, Keith Jarrett, Michael Hedges, the Acoustic Jazz Quartet, and W.G. Snuffy Walden. All music us is licensed by BMI.

The date is today, the time is now. This is what we’re doing and forward is the way we’re going! Thanks for joining us and we’ll meet again next week!