Author Archives: cameron

Intimidad con Dios

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Intimidad con Dios

         Acércate a Él y Él se acercará a ti. Pruébalo a Él.

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

Fil 3:12 ” No quiero decir que ya lo haya conseguido todo, ni que ya sea perfecto; pero sigo adelante con la esperanza de alcanzarlo, puesto que Cristo Jesús me alcanzó primero”.

La meta espiritual de Pablo era “proseguir hacia la meta, al premio del supremo llamamiento de Dios en Cristo”. No se obsesionó con sus errores y fracasos. En cambio, solo le pidió a Dios que lo perdonara, y luego puso el pasado atrás, porque ahora estaban cubiertos por la sangre de Jesús. Mantuvo sus ojos en el premio, y fue por él. Ese es un gran ejemplo, pero siendo realistas, para muchos, es difícil de hacer… ya sabes… toda esa idea de “simplemente perdónate a ti mismo y sigue adelante”. Eso es ideal, pero a menudo nuestra familia y amigos, y especialmente el enemigo de nuestra alma, simplemente no nos dejarán olvidar nuestras tonterías del pasado. ¿Cuántas reuniones familiares terminan con risas y charlas sobre tonterías y cosas así? Así fueron las cosas o lo hizo, y cada vez que se revive la historia, se agrega algo más, volviéndose más y más vergonzoso, hasta que ya no quieres volver más.

¡Ve por ello! ¡Puedes hacerlo! ¡Yahweh está a nuestro favor!

El Espíritu Santo hizo un cambio tal en la vida de Pablo que en realidad vio su vida anterior como basura. Fil 3:7 “Pero cuantas cosas eran para mí ganancia, las he estimado como pérdida por Cristo”, y v8, “…por quien lo he perdido todo, y lo tengo por basura, para ganar a Cristo.” Se sacó las “ropas de Yo sé” y se quitó los “zapatos de persona importante” y eligió la amistad y el afecto por Dios en lugar de hacerse un gran nombre y sentarse en espacios con aire acondicionado.

Nunca conoceremos la intimidad con Dios hasta que hagamos de la devoción a Jesús nuestro objetivo y enfoque central. No podemos tener intimidad con el Amante de Nuestras Almas si sólo sabemos de Él, dándole sólo nuestra ascensión mental. Cuanto más somos consumidos con la devoción a Él, más nos parecemos a Él, y cuanto más nos parecemos a Él, más maduramos en nuestro caminar como creyentes en el Hijo Unigénito de Dios. Cualquier cosa que nos distraiga de esta búsqueda es un obstáculo para nuestro desarrollo espiritual. Filipenses 3, en su conjunto, es un desafío audaz para cada uno de nosotros a convertirnos en personas conforme al corazón de Dios a través de una relación cada vez mayor con Jesús.

Deja que esto se te pegue: el logro personal nunca nos hará merecedores de una posición o madurez espiritual.

Ganar las tres “P”, Poder, Posición y Prestigio, no nos ganará a Cristo. Lograr títulos, calificaciones, grados o avales no nos ganará a Cristo. Debemos estar dispuestos a darlo todo, incluso nuestros propios sueños y metas personales en nuestra búsqueda de conocer a Dios, “… por la excelencia del conocimiento de Cristo Jesús, mi Señor…”. Como se mencionó antes, quítate la ropa de “yo sé” y los “zapatos de persona importante” y vete a estar entre la gente, viviendo la vida como el Señor te ha dado. No debemos retener nada mientras entregamos nuestros corazones para alcanzarlo. Como se ha dicho antes, Daniel 11:32b “… pero el pueblo que conoce a su Dios se fortalecerá y realizará grandes hazañas”. Si nos dedicamos a conocer al Señor, Él nos abrirá puertas asombrosas, porque esta búsqueda inquebrantable de intimidad con Dios a través de un conocimiento creciente del Señor es la verdadera marca de la madurez espiritual.

Fil 3:20 dice: “…nuestra ciudadanía está en los cielos…”, por tanto, no temamos al mundo ni a las cosas, principados o potestades que hay en él, sino pisemos las aguas, arriesgándonos con Dios, “…según la operación por la cual es poderoso aun para someter a sí mismo todas las cosas”.

Prometemos lealtad, al Señor, del Reino de los Cielos unificado, y a la teocracia, Un Rey, por la cual se erige, un Reino, bajo Dios, con libertad y justicia para todos.

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

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

El Valor de la Sabiduría

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El Valor de la Sabiduría

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

Sabiduría. No llegaremos lejos sin ella.

         La sabiduría es una profunda comprensión y realización resultando en la capacidad de elegir para producir los resultados óptimos, es la comprensión de lo que es verdadero y correcto junto con el juicio correcto; la sabiduría es el fundamento de nuestra moral, ética, principios, razón y conocimiento y es la fuente de lo que determina nuestras acciones en la vida.

Necesitamos sabiduría en la guerra, sabiduría en asuntos administrativos, sabiduría en el manejo de personal, sabiduría en asuntos espirituales, sabiduría en moral, ética y nuestros principios. Si crees que tienes suficiente sabiduría, obviamente no tienes suficiente. La sabiduría es como el agua, es un ingrediente vital en todo en la tierra. El valor de la sabiduría, según Proverbios 3:1-6, está por encima de todo. Su valor no se puede correlacionar ni igualar con nada que pueda poseer cualquier persona que respira. La sabiduría es uno de los dones más necesarios en la vida de los creyentes y como para los no creyentes, pero sin embargo es el don más difícil de encontrar dentro de nuestra nación, y muchas veces, especialmente incluso en el Cuerpo de Cristo. Y uso la palabra “especialmente” porque nosotros, la gente, estamos conectados directamente a la fuente de sabiduría por la sangre de Jesucristo, pero parece que poseemos muy poca sabiduría de Dios de la que está disponible para nosotros si la pedimos. Oh, sí, “si la pedimos” es correcto. El Señor quiere que nos unamos a Él en la búsqueda de la excelencia, y tenemos que estar lo suficientemente interesados ​​en una relación con Él para poseerla.

¿Por qué no respondemos a la oferta de Dios de darnos sabiduría? No es que haya poco suministro, pero tal vez sea más porque no lo buscamos, y tal vez hay muchas personas que no tienen la sabiduría ni para saber que la necesitan. La humanidad siempre ha buscado una “solución rápida” para sus problemas, conformándose con una especie de curita para resolver su dilema, pero, a menudo, no buscamos a Dios en busca de sabiduría que resuelva nuestros problemas desde la raíz.

Creo que nuestras respuestas con frecuencia están justo frente a nosotros, pero sin la sabiduría, que solo Dios tiene cerca de Su corazón, pasamos por alto nuestras respuestas, buscamos en todas partes, sin encontrar ayuda, nunca nos damos cuenta, por falta de sabiduría, que la solución está frente a nosotros.

En nuestra sociedad moderna, parece que la sabiduría ha sido reemplazada por el conocimiento científico y la práctica de confiar únicamente en la observación y el experimento. ¿En qué momento se dará cuenta la humanidad del valor de la sabiduría en lugar de vivir de la observación y el experimento? ¿Cuándo nos caemos y nos quemamos? Pero para entonces nuestra falta de sabiduría será un arrepentimiento como una conclusión “después del hecho”. 1Cor2:5 “Para que vuestra fe no esté fundada en la sabiduría de los hombres, sino en el poder de Dios.”

¿Es la sabiduría de Dios algo para valorar o devaluar, se deprecia? ¿Es la sabiduría un conjunto de reglas para vivir, o una ideología vaga, es una parcialidad que tiene favoritos? No, la sabiduría es primero antes que el carácter y la autoridad. La sabiduría está disponible para cualquiera, de parte de Dios, que la busque. Santiago 1:5 “Si alguno tiene falta de sabiduría, pídala a Dios, el cual da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche, y le será dada.” Dios es la única fuente de sabiduría en el universo, por lo tanto el valor de la sabiduría es el valor de Dios mismo y Él tiene un valor infinito, como lo son todos Sus atributos. “Infinito” significa que Sus atributos no tienen izquierda, ni derecha, ni arriba ni abajo, ni adelante ni atrás, son infinitos.

Tener sabiduría es uno de los beneficios de conocer a Dios, y sin sabiduría, ¿en qué somos diferentes de las rocas? La verdadera sabiduría es una persona viviente, no una marca que se consigue en la tienda… ¿y quién es la personificación de la sabiduría? 1 Cor 1:24 dice: “…Cristo poder y sabiduría de Dios”. Colosenses 2:2-3 “…y de Cristo; en quien están escondidos todos los tesoros de la sabiduría y del conocimiento.”

Así que aquí hay algo hermoso para considerar: con cada encuentro con Jesucristo, hay una revelación de Su vida que nos permite ser como Él es. ¡No puedes verlo a Él sin ser cambiado por Él! Ya sea Su naturaleza divina, Su verdad o Su sabiduría y consejo o Su poder y autoridad. Lo que se nos revela se nos imparte. Es como el agua, no puedes tirarte al río sin mojarte, ni puedes estar en Su presencia sin ser cambiado. Es la entrega de Su persona lo que tiene el poder de transformar nuestras vidas, y uno de Sus principales atributos es la sabiduría.

Pide a Dios por sabiduría, pídele sabiduría. ¿Qué tenemos que perder cualquiera de nosotros cuando el Rey del universo nos ofrece, de forma gratuita, eso que necesitamos para vivir hoy, sabiduría? ¿Tienes alguna? Ten más, necesitamos todo lo que podamos obtener.

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

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

¡No te rindas!

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¡No te rindas!

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi

         No te rindas, estamos demasiado cerca para irnos a casa y ahora no es un buen momento para renunciar.

         Los medios de noticias reportan tanto desaliento que parece difícil para la mayoría escapar de la avalancha de malas noticias. A veces parece que hay un flujo tan continuo de mentiras e información engañosa que más de una persona simplemente ha apagado las noticias. Dudo que sea porque están enterrando la cabeza en la arena, es solo que ya no saben a quién creer ni saben qué es verdad. Creo que, en general, muchos se sienten subestimados, anónimos, empleados mundanos, habitantes de búnkeres atrapados en el espiral descendente de un mundo que se derrumba.

Tengo un llamado en mi corazón hoy, uno que dice: “No te rindas“. Sé que es nuestra elección si continuamos con el Señor o no, y entiendo bien que cualquiera de nosotros puede renunciar a nuestras relaciones y simplemente deambular por el desierto. Pero estamos tan cerca de la meta. Estamos cada uno en esta carrera, estamos en la pista. Nuestros pies se están moviendo, estamos en el juego y estamos a solo centímetros de la línea de meta y Dios está trayendo la resolución cerca de nuestras manos, y ahora, en este momento, ¿algunos de nosotros queremos renunciar? Por favor, no. Dios tiene un destino para ti y está a solo unos centímetros de tu mano, a la vuelta de la esquina. Sigue poniendo un pie delante del otro, sigue leyendo tu Biblia, sigue orando, no te rindas. Estamos casi llegando a casa y este no es momento de dejar de alcanzar a Jesús.

A veces las cosas van mal, y la vida parece una subida cuesta arriba, es inevitable en algún momento u otro. Cuando es poco nuestro dinero, lo que debemos es abrumador; cuando nuestras lealtades parecían haberse convertido en obligaciones, y nuestra respiración parece que no encuentra aire; cuando sentimos que la vida y las circunstancias nos acaban de aplastar, déjame animarte: “No te rindas!”, ahora no es el momento de hacerlo.

En Hechos 27:24, Pablo relata la visita de un ángel: “Anoche estuvo a mi lado un ángel de Dios, ángel de este Dios a quien sirvo, diciéndome: “No te rindas, Pablo”. Todavía vas a presentarte ante César, y todos los que navegan contigo también lo lograrán”. No nos permitamos el cansarnos de hacer el bien. A su tiempo recogeremos una buena cosecha, ten paciencia, ya verás, Dios cambiará las cosas a tu favor. Mantente firme y rehúsate a ser movido de tu posición de Fe. Mírate a los ojos, y dite en el espejo cada mañana, diciendo: “No seré movido, de confiar en Dios”.

Una vez intenté iniciar un grupo de oración de pastores de tres condados. Llamé a todas las puertas de las iglesias que pude encontrar, llamé a cualquier miembro del liderazgo que contestara el teléfono y les pregunté si había un grupo de oración pastoral en el área de los tres condados, ¿estarían dispuestos a asistir? Todo lo que encontré era que si se formaba un grupo así, les gustaría asistir. Sin embargo, sorprendentemente, ninguno se ofreció a ayudar, ninguno se ofreció a facilitar, ninguno ofreció ningún estímulo. En general, solo se quedaron mirando. Después de 2 meses de preguntar, tocar y perseguir a los líderes del área, me desanimé y me fui a casa. Me sentí agotado por la falta de respuesta. Más tarde me mudé a otra ciudad. Muchos meses después regresé al área para visitar a unos amigos y el domingo visité su reunión matutina en la iglesia. Al final, el pastor anunció un grupo de oración de pastores de los tres condados y si alguien estaba interesado, estaba invitado a asistir. Estaba tan sorprendido que casi me caigo de la silla. El anciano pastor volvió a mí, gentilmente me estrechó la mano, sonrió y dijo: “Renunciaste demasiado pronto. Te rendiste. Tenías el interés de todos, y tu línea de preguntas despertó a la gente y les dio esperanza de unidad y armonía. Pero renunciaste antes de ver el fruto de tu trabajo, hijo, y simplemente te fuiste a casa. No te rindas, no renuncies”. Hizo una pausa, su barbilla tembló levemente y sus ojos se aguaron un poco, luego dijo: “No puedes renunciar, hijo. Ahora no. ¡Estamos demasiado cerca!”.

Así que te estoy compartiendo esas mismas palabras: “No renuncies, No te rindas”. No puedes simplemente renunciar. No ahora. Estás demasiado cerca y ya casi estás llegando a casa.

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

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi.

GotS Of Stewards And Servants

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          1Cor12:7, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Rom12:6-8, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if ministry, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Service and serving are the words used representing ministry, and we often think of it as a deacon and priestly gift. And, like apostle, prophet, pastor, healing, miracles and teaching are Holy Spirit gifts meant to be employed for the common good of all, so those who have the gift of ministry are not less than any other gifts, but are vibrant and necessary for the well being of the house of the Lord.

Ministry…what a broad word we toss around these days. Basically the word means service, to serve, to work, and is also used in reference to serving God. In Rom15:16, Paul refers to himself as a minister of Christ Jesus but the word for “minister” in that verse has a slightly different connotation other than simply service. What Paul meant was that he was literally, in a liturgical sense or what was called wearing a “reversed collar”, he was “doing priest’s work” “that the offering-up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”

The word “minister” in Rom15:16, carries with it the idea of the “sacrificing priest”. i can’t say i’ve ever been that person that i would claim such a thing… i’m just as guilty as anyone else of misusing the word ministry, largely out of ignorance, but also, in my being as honest as possible, i’ve done it with a faint hope of also gaining some respect for myself, and that’s a poor motivation.

Surprisingly, the same word used in a priestly fashion that we translate as “minister” also means “one who discharges a public office at his own expense, generally, a public servant, a minister “. That’s challenging…. “a servant of the state, assuming public office to be administered at his own expense”. Hmmm….i’d guess that the, “at your own expense” part wouldn’t go over too well with many who are in ministry. The, “at your own expense” part is really a challenge when you know you’re doing a viable service, endorsed by God, but you’ve got $10 in your pocket and the rent is due. It’s easy to say, “just trust God”, but when the rent is due, now we’re down to where the rubber meets the road

When we tell people we are “in ministry”, just what are we looking to convey to the other person or people? Many seem so very focused on making sure others know they are “in ministry”, but making sure others know that about you has a subtle way of spoiling the simplicity of our walk with God…bear in mind that even “ministry” can be an idol, birthed by the spirit of religion.

Bob Deffinbaugh of Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas said, “While watching the television coverage of the visit of Pope John Paul II, I was reminded of the Roman Catholic concept of ministry. If I were to try to distinguish the Catholic view of ministry from that of our local church, I would say that Catholicism still practices an Old Testament ministry. Catholicism continues to perpetuate a clerical priesthood that is almost entirely responsible for what is called “the ministry.”

Mr. Diffinbaugh went on to say, “Probably few Catholics or Protestants would disagree with this analysis. But what most Protestant evangelicals fail to realize is that much of the Roman Catholic conception of ministry is perpetuated in Protestantism with only the labels having changed.”

It would not be difficult to surmise that so much of church leadership truly operates that same way. It is possible that if we aren’t under the thumb of leadership, even the most effective may not be allowed to serve, unless they come to the table with degrees, titles, and seminary experience accompanied by strict obedience to the rules of those recognized as leadership.

i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation, broadcast semi-live from the deck of a rural café which overlooks the broad and beautiful Ockluhwahhah River, where the trees gently lean over the rivers edge and every evening is pleasant.

Service unto the Lord and those around you is a “get to” not a “have to”, and to have a heart and mind to serve is a Holy Spirit gift.

Come go with me as we explore “ministry”, what do we mean, how do we do it, and the benefits of a sold out heart to God. Sit back in your big arm chair, relax and breath….i’ll be right back.

Joyce Meyer once said she gets tons of mail from people asking her to pray for them that God would reveal what their ministry was. She said, straight out, to quit worrying about it because every morning, when you wake up and go out your door, you are IN your ministry.” If we truly believe God has called us to “go out” and serve others, then why are we waiting around to find out what we should do?

Years ago i read a story about Mother Teresa. She and another nun wanted to go to an unchurched town in India and start a mission with a small aid station. In order to accomplish that, they had to play by the rules of their denomination, so they put in a request with the local priest, who made all the decisions for everyone in the service of the church…. and there they waited. Yep, they waited 5 years for a reply, but for 5 years they prayed and asked the Lord to move the heart of the priest to grant their petition. Sure enough, by-and-by, they got their walking papers. They packed the one pair of extra clothes they had, picked up their walking sticks and left for the remote town. When they got there, they had no idea what the Lord wanted them to do, or what their ministry was. So while they waited to hear from God, they sat under the big tree at the center of town and sent word out to the street children that if anyone wanted to know how to read and write, meet at the big tree at about noon. A lot of kids showed up, all living on the streets, children of all types, all homeless, all hungry and unlearned. Every day the two nuns would pray to God and ask Him what their ministry was, but in the mean time they were teaching the kids to pray, read and write…..all while they were waiting to hear from God. Over the following many months, while they were waiting to find out what their ministry was, a church had sprung up, salvations occurred, and a small hospital of sorts was developed. i don’t reckon they ever did get a “word from God” exactly concerning what their ministry was, but in the mean time, they served the community with all their heart, and God was brilliant among them…..just brilliant.

So what do you mean when you tell people, “i’m in ministry”? What do you think the head guy who comes to your church all dressed in high dollar clothing and is always asking for money, what do you think his or her idea of “being in ministry” is? Does that person say things like, “If you want God to bless you, put some extra in the offering plate?” How do you think it would go if you asked a very dangerous question, which is “What does the ministry do with the money?” They may very well give you the left foot of fellowship real quick, so brace yourself.

We who are in ministry, as servants of the people, are not in that position to get wealthy. We are in the position of servants to comfort, encourage, teach and strengthen those around us, not to sheer the sheep so closely they bleed.

To be a servant we must think like a servant. i heard somewhere that servants make g-r-e-a-t leaders. Hmmm…. i wonder where i got that idea? In Numbers 14 the Lord pardoned Israel after Moses pled their case, but even though God pardoned their rebellion, He said none of the people who had seen His glory and signs in the desert would enter the promised land…..except…..Caleb. Num14:24, “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”

Wanna live under an open Heaven? You don’t have to give money to make that happen….that’s a lie. Besides, how can you buy an open window in Heaven anyway? i didn’t think God, His callings, or Holy Spirit gifts were for sale that He would open the windows of Heaven if you gave enough money. Now you may think that’s absurd, but there are people in ministry who will tell you that if you give more money you will get more of the Holy Spirit, and it’s simply not true. If you want to live under an open Heaven, be a servant, get low, like Jesus, and God will use you, just watch and see. People are looking for a knight, someone of honor and humility, not a street fighter.

If you’ll live as a servant to others, God will, i repeat, will use you. Philip2:4-5, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” or like the Msg Bible translates, “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.” And how did Jesus see Himself? As the Son of God, yes, but also as a servant and He is the greatest leader in the history of everything. He humbled Himself all the way to the cross. He did the ultimate balancing act between maintaining His position with the Father as Lord, and also stooping to wash the feet of the disciples. He didn’t exalt Himself, He got low and waited on the Father to raise Him up.

How often do we want to get into ministry so, so bad, we run ahead of God, creating a platform of our own making? i can tell you from my own sad experience, it’s easy, real easy. We often think to ourselves we’ve got something to say, that it’s very important others hear it, but no one is letting us say it, so we finagle around to get ourselves in position to be on a platform we think we should have. The Greek word for “dignity” means, with in all honesty, being just as serious about our motivations as possible. The Hebrew word “dignity” reflects the idea of being elevated by respect and worthy of honor, an attribute worthy of those who minister, unless…. we elevate ourselves, then there’s a problem. Titus2:7, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,” We will be far more effective in our servitude of the Lord if we will step off our self-made dignity, a platform of our own making, and get low. Real servants don’t try to use God for their purposes. They let God use them for His purposes.
Again, the word “ministry”, as used in Rom12 also means “let us wait on”. It always appears in the N.T. in connection with the service of the church and others. Being in “ministry” is a gift of God for us to serve others, with the goal of  lifting them up, leaving ourselves out of the credits at the end of the movie…and that’s not so easy in a world which constantly capitalizes on being seen and recognized, promoting the idea of lifting ourselves up. We are very vulnerable to advertising ourselves when we feel very unseen and unheard. i have a friend who had a word from the Lord while at church one time. He was slightly driven by the urgency to give it. When he asked if he could say it he was told no, not because he was wrong or ever had been wrong, it was just no. His feelings were hurt, of course, but then the Lord spoke to him saying, “Isn’t it enough that i have spoken to you?” So when i’ve felt the urgency to speak or act, i remind myself that God sees and hears me, isn’t it enough for me to know He has spoken to me?

Some limit the idea of “ministry” to that of being a deacon, but yet i wonder why Paul split ministry out as something separate from prophecy, exhortation, and teaching and the other gifts of the Spirit? i don’t know, but there it is in 1Cor12:5 where Paul says, “different kinds of services”, and again it is considered a gift in Rom12:7, saying, “if ministry, then in our serving.”

Frédéric Godet, a Swiss Protestant theologian who wrote some of the most noteworthy commentaries of the time calls ministry, “An activity of a practical nature exerted in action, not in word.”

i made note of a statement by a friend who said, “Ministry is about our focus on others, not ourselves. This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. Paul said, Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. This is what it means to “lose your life”- forgetting yourself in service to others. When we stop focusing on our needs, we become aware of the needs around us. Jesus “emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant.”

Here’s a good question we should ask ourselves while we’re being venerable and as honest as we can possibly be about our motivations: When was the last time you emptied yourself for someone else’s benefit? It’s tough to be a servant if you’re full of yourself.

What is it which prevents us from getting low and serving others?

To say you have the gift of ministry is very broad, as was previously mentioned. There are many different services which require real Holy Spirit gifting to accomplish. Being of service to others one time may be easy, but to be consistent and repeatable about the calling is another story.

For example in 2Cor5:18 there is mentioned the “ministry of reconciliation”. There is the ministry by the prophets in Hosea12:10, where the Hebrew word there for “ministry” means service with an open hand, like a picture of being generous. Acts6:4 is about being devoted to prayer and ministry of the word.

That part about devoted to the ministry of the word speaks to those who are commissioned for the continual proclamation of the gospel, and tending to the care of the congregation. It’s basically the job description of what we call “a deacon”, which was originally taken from the Jewish concept of someone who continues in prayer, and works to feed, nourish, support and even govern, sort of like a deputized priest. In Rom15:8 Jesus was called the “deacon of the circumcision”. Being a deacon is about serving, not a position above the congregation and below the pastor. Apostles, and bishops qualify to be called deacons because they serve and are called to the ministry or reconciliation.

1Cor16:15 shows us another ministry, “ministry of the saints”,  they devoted themselves to the service of Christians…that is, by showing hospitality; by providing for their needs; by attending and aiding other believers in their journeys, etc. According to 2Cor3:7-9, even death and condemnation have ministries, in this case the reference is to the law which was carved in stone by the finger of God. In the next verse though, the ministry of the Spirit and of righteousness far exceeds the ministry of death and condemnation beyond all imagination, far beyond the vanishing point forever….and that’s a long way.

i love Paul’s visual in 2Cor9:10-13, “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the implementation of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their concrete trustworthiness of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others”.

Stephen and Phillip were appointed to wait tables in the church, they were leaders by being servants.

i believe that is a great picture of having the ministry of giving….some are gifted at making money, then let them give to those who are in need; some are gifted in administration and staff support, then let them do their calling without pointing themselves out; some are gifted in the ministry of teaching, which is a technical service, let them discover the sound doctrinal precepts with all honesty and openness; some have a ministry gifting of being a visionary, they’re very good at conceptualizing and imagining, let leadership allow those people to tell what they see and take it seriously.

Here’s a gift i think needs special notation: some have a deep caring for the sheep and are called to be pastors, although i must admit, calling someone a pastor nowadays is like a catch-all title. If you ask most pastors what they do, if they’re honest, they’ll say they don’t really know except that they counsel, clean toilets, speak the gospel, field complaints, help define sound doctrine, organize events when those talented with organizational skills don’t step up to the plate, and visit the ill and terminal. Even when they themselves are ill and possibly near the end of their vision, their passion to serve the body is extraordinary….which is an earmark of a Holy Spirit gift. And of course, let it be said, not everyone who calls themselves pastor actually has a gift for it. Ministry isn’t something we go get, it’s something God gives, and if He didn’t give it, we would simply be performing and that would be a counterfeit.

Paul said there were many variations of gifts, like the service of discernment, the ministry of clerical needs, the service of prayer. Ahh, now there’s a good one, the service of prayer …it is a powerful yet subtle ministry we are all invited to participate in, but there are some who have an unquenchable fire in them to pray, like the extraordinary life of Rees Howells, a powerful, gifted intercessor. God has distributed to some the ministry to the infirmed, it’s a mercy gift, like some nurses i’ve met….they aren’t just doing medicine, they bring with them the power of the Holy Spirit that makes a difference in everyone’s life who they touch. Or like some doctors, they have a gift for healing and medicine and the power of the gospel just comes in the room with them and they are extraordinary in their practice. The list goes on and on and i wonder if we’ve limited ourselves to seeing the gifts of the Holy Spirit to just the “big 5” in Eph4?

To continue the list a little of different ministry-type giftings a little further, how about missions as a ministry? Having a gift and passion for outreach is huge and takes a real team effort to accomplish, not to mention very specialized leadership with an anointing to accomplish it. Even flying out of the country with 15 or more people to a 3rd world nation for 2 weeks involves an amazing amount of planning, which often requires a multi-faceted team of people with very diverse gifts. How about the ministry of counseling? i’ve met some very gifted counselors, some of which actually had little education, but with them was the presence of God who gave them insight and wisdom and a real knack of speaking right to the heart of the problem. Here’s a vital ministry….How about the gift of consistently showing at the right time with the right supplies in order that certain needs would be met? That’s a real ministry friends.

i believe the Lord’s concept of ministry is pretty different than much of modern Christianity. The Gr. word for ministry most often used in the N.T. is diakoneo, meaning …service while having an eye on the health of God’s house through the door of grace, which speaks highly of… being a steward not an owner. In Mark10:45, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served (diakoneo) but to serve (diakoneo), and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He also taught that being a servant was an integral part of following Him. John12:26, “If anyone wants to serve (diakoneo) me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant (diakonos) will be too. If anyone serves (diakoneo) me, the Father will honor him.” Wanna really live under an open Heaven? Do you really want God to bless and honor you? Then forget giving some big shot your money and be a servant. i believe one way Jesus measured greatness was in terms of service.

From what i understand, and i could be wrong, the Greeks had a disdain for service to others, being a servant was to be insignificant, but the Jews believed it had great dignity. Sadly, and not much different than today, the religious leaders of Israel began to think of ministry in terms of status rather than service, and then came Jesus who absolutely refused to accept such thinking and put all service, or ministry on the same level of importance, when He said in Matt23:8, “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one teacher and you are all brothers”. i’d guess that just added fuel to the fire God had lit under the hyper-religiousness Pharisee’s who stood to lose titles, authority, money, respect, and then to be lowered, how dreadful, lowered to be called merely a brother among other brothers. Yet, that’s exactly where Jesus said we have to go if we’re going to be in viable, powerful, authoritative ministry, which is a humble calling …. To be a servant we’ve gotta think like a servant, they make g-r-e-a-t leaders, and it’s really difficult to be a servant when you’re full of yourself. Again…from God’s perspective, ministry is being a steward, not an owner.

i believe most people in ministry fall into 1 of 2 categories, they’re either empire builders or kingdom builders. Both are gifted, but the empire builders build for themselves, and the kingdom builders are servants of the Lord who work to prosper the gospel. Kingdom builders don’t see others who have the same gifting as competition but as allies and partners….there’s just no place in God’s plan for being envious of other fellowships or servants. Kingdom builders classify themselves as being servants after God’s heart and see ministry, as a “get to” not a “have to”.

i used to play on the worship team a long time ago before it was called “the worship team”, and after several years it became common place to me. It wasn’t long before i groaned inwardly that i had to play again. i ceased seeing it as an honor, a get to, i saw it as an obligation, a “have to”, and it wasn’t long before my passion and zeal was just gone for playing music at church. Another of my shortcomings in the past has been i tended to judge a book by it’s cover, but the truth is you can’t judge the “spirituality” of a ministry by the form it takes as much as by the results it produces.

1Peter4:10-11, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Think about it.

John12:26, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”

Ministry is service, and if we’re going to be servants then it needs saying: real servants think like stewards, not owners. Pause if you need to in order to let that one sink in. If you’re the senior pastor or in leadership of a church that has church running on a nearly unalterable time schedule, got it down to the minute for worship, prayer, and preaching….are you being an owner, or a steward, and if you’re a steward, just what are you stewarding, what are the sheep being served?

We who are in ministry, our first purpose is to bring glory to God by way of our obedience, our confession of Jesus, and our generosity toward others. Our ministries should be an expression of our love of the Lord and thanksgiving.

2 Cor4:15, “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”

Christian ministry is both at the same time, practical and spiritual. Christians should never be accused of being “so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good.” Ministry builds up the church, the body of Christ. In the words of Paul, it supplies “the needs of the saints”, and gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Each of us has a unique role to play for which no one else can serve as a substitute. You and your ministry gifting are necessary. Do you hear that?

There is a call on your life, what will the Lord lead you to put your hand to? Keep in mind while you’re waiting to find out what your ministry is, if you’ll live as a servant to others, God will use you.

Drive carefully, pray for your neighbors. The Lord hears your prayers, it’s a fact, so you are never alone. i’ll talk to you next time. Amen.

Comunión, no más Soledad

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Comunión, no más Soledad

Millones de personas dan vueltas, van a trabajar, hablan por sus teléfonos celulares (o al menos fingen hacerlo), están casadas y tienen hijos. Muchos viven en vecindarios de todo el mundo, comunidades donde todos están rodeados de todos, pero, aun así, la aflicción de la soledad es asombrosa.

En 1974, cuando estaba en la Marina, hicimos un recorrido por el área del Mediterráneo, fuimos a algunos lugares fascinantes y pasamos mucho tiempo en Nápoles, Italia. Era un lugar hermoso con tanta historia y tanta gente, pero, sinceramente, yo era el tipo más solitario que jamás haya existido. Sinceramente, no sabía cómo conectarme con nadie. Por supuesto que tenía amigos, pero en realidad no nos conectábamos excepto por las drogas o la bebida o tal vez por la música, pero no mucho más. Por supuesto, tuve padres, hermanos y hermanas, pero ninguno de nosotros se comunicó. No tenía una conexión real con nadie, pero no era que algunas personas mayores no intentaran comunicarse conmigo, quiero decir, en el fondo de mi corazón, no había conexión, identidad, estándar, ninguna persona especial que yo sentía que podía escucharme y podía ser honesto. Solo era una persona perdida, sin propósito, sin meta y sin identidad. A decir verdad, de nuevo, no sabía cómo conectarme.

Estaba muy asustado creo. Tenía miedo de que si alguien realmente supiera lo que estaba pensando o cómo me sentía realmente, no querrían tener nada que ver conmigo. Además, la sociedad y la cultura en las que crecí realmente fomentaban el individualismo mucho más allá de estar conectado a una comunidad de cualquier tipo. Fui desafiado como individuo a sobresalir, a ser más que los demás, a ser más rápido, más largo, más ruidoso que cualquier otra persona, por lo que yo mismo sobresaldría como individuo. La idea de “jugador de equipo” ni siquiera se me pasó por la cabeza. Estaba solo. Rígido, frío, minimizado, solo y no tenía idea de qué hacer al respecto.

Un amigo mío y yo estábamos involucrados en el ministerio de prisiones y cárceles, y uno de los hilos conectores que veía era simplemente gente solitaria. La mayoría están solos, desconectados y están seguros de que nadie los quiere, ni siquiera Dios. De alguna manera han aprendido el “estilo de vida del rechazo”. Espero que todos nos demos cuenta de que la gente aprende ese estilo de vida de alguien. Las personas no solo crecen sabiendo cómo vivir una vida siendo rechazadas y solas. Alguien se los enseñó. Padres, escuela, iglesia, amigos. Es un tema “no hablado” que enseñamos: la vergüenza y el rechazo.

Cuando era joven, un pariente me habló un día, sentado en el porche delantero. Me habló de Jesucristo y la versión resumida de la Historia del Evangelio. Curiosamente, todo quedó grabado en mi cabeza, y años más tarde, después de ser drogadicto, alcohólico y, en general, adicto a cualquier cosa adictiva, Jesús me invitó a unirme a Él en Su vida. Qué cosa tan maravillosa me dio Dios: el compañerismo.

En mi comunión con Dios desde esos primeros años, Dios me ha dado identidad, una buena identidad, una de ser honesto, diligente, paciente y fiel. Me di cuenta de que toda mi vida me enseñaron a no mentir, pero nadie más que Dios me enseñó a ser honesto. Al principio era muy malo en intentar ser algo positivo y maduro. Nunca tuve ninguna de esas cualidades antes. Ni siquiera sabía como era eso. Pero, desde ese día ya no estoy solo. La comunión con Dios trae alegría y significa que tenemos algo en común con Él. Jesús dijo que donde dos o más se reúnan en Su nombre, Él estará entre ellos… eso es compañerismo. Desde los días en el jardín de Edén, fue el deseo de Dios tener compañerismo con nosotros. Ya no estoy solo porque Dios me ha escogido y he venido a Él por la sangre de Cristo, tengo comunión con Dios, tengo una guía y una razón porque tengo comunión con Dios. El Compañerismo con Dios es uno de los beneficios de conocer a Jesús, y no puedo pensar en nadie mejor para estar más cerca. CA Spurgeon dijo, “la palabra “compañerismo” no solo significa un acuerdo estricto de corazón, sino que implica llevar a cabo ese acuerdo estricto un poco más, en comunicación mutua”. En otras palabras, si hablamos con Dios, Él nos hablará y espera conversación. ¡Guau! Ahora ESO es asombrosamente maravilloso. El idioma hebreo es un idioma de acción, y si estoy solo en mi propio pequeño mundo, pero digo que estoy en compañerismo, entonces, como dicen por ahí: podemos decir, decir, decir… pero a menos que lo hagamos, hagamos, hagamos… entonces no somos, no somos, no somos.

Jesús, eres el sol de nuestra alma; tú eres para nosotros el río del que bebemos, el pan que comemos, el aire que respiramos; eres la base de nuestra vida y eres la cumbre de ella, ¡eres el marco, el puntal, el pilar, la belleza, la alegría de nuestro ser! Si te tenemos a ti, no podemos pedir nada más, porque eres todo en todo, y si no te tenemos, somos miserables, despreciables y perdidos. Entonces, tenemos comunión con el Padre, porque lo que es Su felicidad es ciertamente nuestra felicidad.

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

Traducción por Alfredo Magni Sozzi.

Bigger

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Bigger

Many years ago, down beyond my house near an old tobacco barn was a large spreading Mulberry tree. i never cared much for Mulberry’s but the birds were absolutely crazy over them in the season of the tree bearing it’s fruit. The truth is, that old tree, which had likely been there for 100 years was just an irritation to me. Like i said, i didn’t care for the fruit enough to make jelly, and when you picked the berries, the mulberry juice stained your fingers a deep purple which wouldn’t come off even with the best soap. But i had an incredible realization of the magnitude of creation one day there at the Mulberry tree.

It was hot, oh so hot and the birds were in all their glory as they gorged themselves on the fruit. i muttered out loud to no one in particular, “Stupid tree”, and suddenly, woosh, God was amongst us, catching me by surprise. He called me to come closer to the tree and just look, more than just notice, but really take in all that it was. You know, when the Lord is upon you, there is a brilliant clarity that happens, as in that moment i saw the massive creation of just the intricacy of leaves, the strength of bark and roots, and got an idea of how the tree served as shade and shelter for some, and food for others, including bugs and gnawing things, and how the Lord had sustained that tree for a really long time.

From that day till now, i’ve slowly begun to realize i have such a small view of the vastness of God. His idea of things like prosperity is so, so much larger and far reaching than what i think. i think of it like a rich guy driving a Cadillac with steer horns on the front, but God sees it as a knight in armor who is buffed to a high shine with sword and shield and the full endorsement of the king.

i see faith as something i wish i had more of like a glass with only a little bit of water in it, He sees faith as a place i stand on the foundation of the work of Christ with a constant upward pointing to the sovereignty of God as a second nature. God’s idea of faith is so, so much larger than we think.

My idea of healing most of the time is i just want the pain to stop and not be sick anymore. God’s idea of healing is that we are brought into unity and made whole, functioning as one person, in our right mind, flesh and soul in complete subjection and obedience, under the governance of the Holy Spirit, to function in season and out how so ever He asks us. God’s idea of healing is far beyond the light of this world. Bigger.

My idea of mercy is merely that i, yes I want God to be nice to me even when i’m a horrible person. God’s idea of mercy is bigger, so, SO much larger it is beyond my imagination. If everyone got what they “deserved” and what was “fair”, there would be no one left alive. The mercy of the Lord spans our lives from the beginning to the end. Every mountain and valley, every river and sea, every man, woman and child breath and live within the amazing mercy of God. His mercy is over the horizon and beyond the vanishing point. That is huge. i am the one who makes His ideas small.

We make grace to be nice, necessary, and we say knowingly, “Oh, it means unmerited favor”. How narrow because God’s idea of grace is as amazing and vast as His mercy. Grace is sister to mercy, and where mercy is, grace is close by. Within the Hebrew word for mercy is the word grace and Grace under the umbrella of mercy is “Compassion and kindness beyond the vanishing point, which crowns us with the Sword of the Spirit for life and new beginnings.” God’s idea of grace so totally eclipses anything i had in mind. Bigger.

We all need hope, and if we have faith, we can rest assured hope was there first. Once again though, many seem to have turned the vastness of the hope in Christ into a narrow one way street, and His idea is so much larger. And no, i’m not going to tell you. It would be best if you pondered God’s idea of hope to a conclusion, you look it up, you read and find out how He sees it. You’ll be amazed at how much larger it is than would have ever entered your mind. Bigger. Way bigger.

Too often, we accept Christ to our own salvation, but many just stop there. When i first got saved and went to a little rural church, after a while i noticed we never got beyond “Jesus saves” to really knowing God’s preferences and standards. Sure, the important 3 initial survival tools of any believer are, pray, read your Bible, and tell others about Jesus, but for me, i wanted to know who was behind my faith, my peace, my courage and hope. i thought then, and still believe now that there is so much more of God to know. He is much, much bigger than we have imagined. i barely have grace for people who say they’re believers and don’t act like it, but Jesus, oh my gosh, Jesus died for a world of people who don’t do what they say, and i think i was at the top of the list of sinners, yet He died for me and did not flinch at my wrongness.

God’s idea of goodness is vastly larger than ours. Read your Bible, and don’t take the word of a friend because it’s too much trouble to find out what the Lord says for yourself.. On almost all counts, i find the Lord is so much larger and better than i’ve thought. We’ve gotta know it for ourselves. Friends, you can do this!!

What do you think?

Haga de la percepción una prioridad

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         Hace muchos años entré en una relación comercial con otras dos personas. Creamos reglas sobre la Sociedad, escribimos cheques para el negocio y parecía que todo iba bien. Me habían advertido de tener negocios con uno de los hombres, pero pensé que yo era más sabio que ellos y no escuché la sabiduría de mis compañeros que tenían una historia con él. Eventualmente, un socio, que se suponía que era un buen creyente, tomó la propiedad del negocio, se negó a responder más, y toda la empresa se convirtió en una píldora tan amarga… Solo quería salir de la sociedad, incluso aun siendo una pérdida para mí.

He aprendido de la historia y me he comprometido lo mejor que pueda a nunca repetirla, con todo mi corazón. La historia es radicalmente importante para ser recordada, y aquellos que no conocen o recuerdan la historia están condenados a probablemente repetirla. Pero, hay algo más grande que tener solo un recuerdo de la historia, y eso es una percepción de esa historia. Percepción es conocimiento, conocer, aprendizaje, discernimiento, perspicacia y noción, pero más predominantemente se considera discernimiento. ¡Oh, si cuando era mucho más joven que hoy, oh, cómo me gustaría haber tenido discernimiento! Es cierto, necesitamos una retrospectiva, y una retrospectiva clara es buena, pero más que una simple retrospectiva, necesitamos una percepción de nuestra retrospectiva. Tener una visión retrospectiva, sin sabiduría acerca de lo que estamos viendo en el espejo retrovisor, no mejora nuestras posibilidades de no repetir la historia.

La Percepción debe estar en la parte superior de nuestra lista de prioridades. Prov. 2:2 “Afinad vuestros oídos al mundo de la Sabiduría; pon tu corazón en una vida de Entendimiento.” (Versión El Mensaje) Tener sabiduría y perspicacia cambia nuestros valores e intereses, y la sociedad actual necesita drásticamente un cambio de valores e intereses. El mundo actual en el que vivimos que no conocen al Señor funciona desde un conjunto muy diferente de valores e intereses que están tan lejos del corazón de Dios como el este lo está del oeste. Obtener entendimiento y sabiduría a menudo incluye algo que apretar y remodelar, pero al final, es el Señor quien nos hace mejores y mejores. Juan 1:4 dice de Jesús “En él estaba la vida, y la vida era la luz de los hombres”, y Jesús dijo en Juan 14:6 “Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida”. Hacer de la percepción y la sabiduría una prioridad de vida para nosotros es recuperar el camino de la vida y nuestra relación con Dios que se perdió en el Jardín del Edén.

Un hombre sabio probablemente no te dirá que es sabio, probablemente dirá que se ha dado cuenta de que no sabe nada y que verdaderamente sólo hay uno que es el único poseedor de la sabiduría y el conocimiento. “Si alguno de vosotros tiene falta de sabiduría, que la pida a Dios, el cual da a todos abundantemente y sin reproche, y le será dada. Pero pida con fe, sin dudar…”

Hacer de la percepción y la sabiduría una prioridad en nuestras vidas nos pone en contacto con el Conocimiento y la Comprensión de Dios. Teniendo en cuenta la forma en que ha ido la historia, ¿podemos decir que nuestra propia sabiduría y percepción sin Dios nos haya dado a nosotros o a nuestra nación algún beneficio? Solo Dios tiene lo que necesitamos. Solo Dios tiene sabiduría y percepción, lo que nos pone en contacto con el Conocimiento y la Comprensión que tanto necesitamos. La retrospectiva es buena, pero más que la retrospectiva necesitamos percepción, y esa percepción justa es propiedad de Dios. Él nos lo dará si se lo pedimos. Es Su placer compartir Su sabiduría, perspectiva, conocimiento y comprensión con nosotros si estamos dispuestos a humillarnos, creer en Él y simplemente pedírselo.

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

Traducción por Alfredo MagniSozzi.