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Second Chance

2012-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

¡Dios te bendiga este fin de semana!

You Never Marry the Right Person

2012-01-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

How our culture misunderstands compatibility

In generations past, there was far less talk about “compatibility” and finding the ideal soul-mate. Today we are looking for someone who accepts us as we are and fulfills our desires, and this creates an unrealistic set of expectations that frustrates both the searchers and the searched for.

In John Tierney’s classic humor article “Picky, Picky, Picky” he tries nobly to get us to laugh at the impossible situation our culture has put us in. He recounts many of the reasons his single friends told him they had given up on their recent relationships:

“She mispronounced ‘Goethe.’”
“How could I take him seriously after seeing The Road Less Traveled on his bookshelf?”
“If she would just lose seven pounds.”
“Sure, he’s a partner, but it’s not a big firm. And he wears those short black socks.”
“Well, it started out great ... beautiful face, great body, nice smile. Everything was going fine—until she turned around.” He paused ominously and shook his head. ”... She had dirty elbows.”

In other words, some people in our culture want too much out of a marriage partner. They do not see marriage as two flawed people coming together to create a space of stability, love and consolation, a “haven in a heartless world,” as Christopher Lasch describes it. Rather, they are looking for someone who will accept them as they are, complement their abilities and fulfill their sexual and emotional desires. This will indeed require a woman who is “a novelist/astronaut with a background in fashion modeling,” and the equivalent in a man. A marriage based not on self-denial but on self-fulfillment will require a low- or no-maintenance partner who meets your needs while making almost no claims on you. Simply put—today people are asking far too much in the marriage partner.

You never marry the right person

The Bible explains why the quest for compatibility seems to be so impossible. As a pastor I have spoken to thousands of couples, some working on marriage-seeking, some working on marriage-sustaining and some working on marriage-saving. I’ve heard them say over and over, “Love shouldn’t be this hard, it should come naturally.” In response I always say something like: “Why believe that? Would someone who wants to play professional baseball say, ‘It shouldn’t be so hard to hit a fastball’? Would someone who wants to write the greatest American novel of her generation say, ‘It shouldn’t be hard to create believable characters and compelling narrative’?” The understandable retort is: “But this is not baseball or literature. This is love. Love should just come naturally if two people are compatible, if they are truly soul-mates. “

The Christian answer to this is that no two people are compatible. Duke University Ethics professor Stanley Hauerwas has famously made this point:

Destructive to marriage is the self-fulfillment ethic that assumes marriage and the family are primarily institutions of personal fulfillment, necessary for us to become "whole" and happy. The assumption is that there is someone just right for us to marry and that if we look closely enough we will find the right person. This moral assumption overlooks a crucial aspect to marriage. It fails to appreciate the fact that we always marry the wrong person.

We never know whom we marry; we just think we do. Or even if we first marry the right person, just give it a while and he or she will change. For marriage, being [the enormous thing it is] means we are not the same person after we have entered it. The primary challenge of marriage is learning how to love and care for the stranger to whom you find yourself married.

Hauerwas gives us the first reason that no two people are compatible for marriage, namely, that marriage profoundly changes us. But there is another reason. Any two people who enter into marriage are spiritually broken by sin, which among other things means to be self-centered—living life incurvatus in se. As author Denis de Rougemont said, “Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love ... ?” That is why a good marriage is more painfully hard to achieve than athletic or artistic prowess. Raw, natural talent does not enable you to play baseball as a pro or write great literature without enduring discipline and enormous work. Why would it be easy to live lovingly and well with another human being in light of what is profoundly wrong within our human nature? Indeed, many people who have mastered athletics and art have failed miserably at marriage. So the biblical doctrine of sin explains why marriage—more than anything else that is good and important in this fallen world—is so painful and hard.

No false choices

The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the Gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The Gospel is—we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, and at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us. Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God’s saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God’s mercy and grace.

The hard times of marriage drive us to experience more of this transforming love of God. But a good marriage will also be a place where we experience more of this kind of transforming love at a human level.

Excerpt from THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE © 2011 by Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller. Published by Dutton, A Member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Excerpted with permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/relationship/features/27749-you-never-marry-the-right-person

Imagen: http://www.art.com/products/p10054701525-sa-i5833717/arrow-arguments-over-shopping-with-angry-couple-usa-1940.htm

¡Maravíllate!

2012-01-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

Gracias Dios por un año más, porque contigovale la pena empezar otro. Para siempre gracias a ti, el Verbo, por el día quedecidiste hacerte hombre para cambiar por completo mi mundo... y eternidad.

Te comparto este gran pensamiento delPastor John Piper. Practiquémoslo:

“The key tobeing merciful: Be more amazed that you're forgiven than that you're wronged. Notjust convinced, but amazed/ La clave para ser misericordioso: Maravíllate másde haber sido perdonado que de haber sido agraviado. No solo estés convencido,sino maravíllate.”

¡En él confiemos este 2012!

Danza crepuscular

2011-12-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

Nadie sabe por qué lo hacen. Sin embargo, cada otoño miles de estorninos danzan bajo el crepúsculo en Gretna, Scotland. Millones de estos pájaros migran desde Rusia y Scandinavia, escapando del fuerte frío, y se reúnen en rebaños, llamados murmullos, para formar figuras aéreas en movimiento y cambiantes. Complicados algoritmos no han podido explicar sus asombrosas acrobacias, que dependen de rapídisimas reacciones por dejabo de los 100 milisegundos para evitar chocar entre sí -y los depredadores-.

No one knows why they do it. Yet each fall, thousands of starlings dance in the twilight above Gretna, Scotland. The birds gather in magical shape-shifting flocks called murmurations, having migrated in the millions from Russia and Scandinavia to escape winter’s bite. Scientists aren’t sure how they do it, either. Even complex algorithmic models haven’t yet explained the starlings’ acrobatics, which rely on the tiny bird’s quicksilver reaction time of under 100 milliseconds to avoid aerial collisions—and predators—in the giant flock.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Fuente: http://twentytwowords.com/2011/11/04/thousands-of-starlings-perform-a-remarkable-shape-shifting-aerial-dance/

Diciembre

2011-12-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Palabras

2011-11-28T14:32:00.001-08:00

Siento nostalgia cuando veo cómo las palabrasvan perdiendo su valor. No me convenceesa extraña costumbre que estamos adoptando de repartir sin prestar valor anuestras más preciadas palabras. ¿Cómo está eso de amar unos zapatos, unapelícula o una canción? ¿De odiar un mal peinado, el puré de papas o un libro? ¿Taninconstantes seremos en carácter que debemos recurrir al tesoro de nuestros adjetivos,sustantivos y verbos para convencer cuando hablamos? No sé, por lo menos en lo tocante a mí, me sobrandedos de una mano para contar las cosas que amo. Me gustan muchas sí, y esperopara mi interlocutor un “me gusta” o un “muy padre” basten. ¿Y de provocarme odio?No las anotaré aquí. “No me gustó” es más que suficiente.

Quizá por eso siento respeto por quienes piensanantes de hablar. Por quienes me obligan a meditar en la importancia de suspalabras porque precisamente se pronuncian con énfasis y se alternan consilencios.

Yo sí extraño no dudar de las palabras, yme desilusiona la contradicción entre los rostros y labios.

Foto: http://blogs.ya.com/bellaspalabras/c_4.htm

La introducción de la luz

2011-11-28T11:46:00.001-08:00

La introducción de la luz disipa lastinieblas. La introducción de la luz a mi vida, a través de Jesucristoreconocido como mi Salvador y Señor, me lleva también a un gran combate depadecimientos. En la iluminación de mi intelecto que se ve en la disyuntiva demodificar sus pensamientos a los de Dios; en el área de los sentimientos que seinclinan a adoptar su sentir y no el mío, engañoso. Su sentir que ve a las multitudescon compasión. Se sujeta, en sabiduría, a la mente y a la voluntad. Y en estecombate de padecimientos, mi voluntad es iluminada. Nunca obligada a decidirpor el camino de Dios; pero sí enseñada y prevenida de las tristesconsecuencias de no tomarlo.

De la meditación La introducción de la luztrae un gran combate de padecimientos, de Héctor Valay. 27 de noviembre, 2011.

Imagen: http://minimalexposition.blogspot.com/2011/08/anthony-mccall-solid-light-2.html

I Can See Your Love

2011-11-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

Más de 30 veces, sin exagerar, de escuchar esta canción. Espero también te guste.

Lluvia de hojas

2011-11-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Me debo a la sinceridad,todo lo demás se vomita por falso. Disculpa mi inicio grosero, pero como que mehace falta café. Decía, ayer le pregunté a una joven foránea residente enTijuana qué opinaba de mi Tijuana. Tuve que hablar con verdad cuando la vi titubear.Visualmente hablando, sé que no ofrece mucho, dije. Tendrá sus atractivos untanto abstractos, por así llamarlos; tampoco la pueda desdeñar sin darleoportunidad para defenderse. Más si como para la que escribe tiene un punto devista tan parcial, naciendo y habiendo crecido en esa ciudad. Tijuana secompone de una fascinante multiculturalidad, de exquisita comida, y es puntoestratégico para otras ciudades (Ensenada, Rosarito, San Diego, etc.), pero ala vista, reconozco queda corta; excluyendo su playa.

Pensaba en esto cuando,fuera de la Baja, caminaba en medio de un perfecto otoño de hojas rojizas,amarillas, y anaranjadísimas lloviendo del cielo. Concluí que estaba recibiendode Dios un tour individual de su obra personal. Me mantuvo, resta decir,completamente atenta en ojos y oídos por no menos de una hora. Al final no supequé decir más que gracias. En cambio recibí un simple y franco de nada.

Espero perdones mi fascinaciónal contarte mi experiencia del crujir de las hojas cuando paso sobre ellas,pero comprende vengo de un lugar desértico que, vaya la redundancia, imposiblees que se preste a este escenario. Simplemente no deja de maravillarme lagrande y maravillosa creación de Dios. Si tan solo nos prestásemos aobservarla con detenimiento quedaríamos... felizmente asombrados.

“Los cielos cuentan lagloria de Dios, y el firmamento anuncia la obra de sus manos.” Salmo 19:1

Made for another world

2011-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

"Most people, if they really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise...if I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity).

I give painful

evidence every day.

I experience it in

predictable and unpredictable

moments.

I guess I should know

better,

but I am often

caught off guard.

There is an

insatiable longing

inside of me,

a thirst that never

seems to be

quenched.

This deep hunger

doesn't go away

no matter how busy

I get

or how hard I work to be

distracted.

I long for

Justice

Love

Hope

Peace

Perfection

Satisfaction

Mercy

Contentment

Rest

Harmony

Joy

and none of these

longings

ever gets fully

satisfied.

And so in my quest

for more

I am faced with

the incontrovertible

daily evidence

that this simply is not all

that there is

and the sure truth

that I was

hardwired

for another world.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/paul-david-tripp/listening-to-lewis/265640476811556

Foto: http://escritosdeazaharys.blogspot.com/2010/04/sobre-las-nubes.html

Sublime gracia: favor de elevación extraordinaria

2011-09-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Un par de velas

2011-09-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Nos aventuramos a la calle para ver qué veíamos enmedio de la oscuridad. Sí, así empieza mi torpe texto porque la longitud denuestras vistas llegaba a muy poco sin postes de luz funcionando, letreroscomerciales ni semáforos para apoyarla. Es muy fácil olvidar lo que es laverdadera oscuridad cuando se vive en una ciudad donde gracias a lacontaminación lumínica es casi imposible apreciar las estrellas. Se aprende a dormiry despertar con luz. Pocas veces en la vida he tenido la experiencia de tenermi mano a escasos centímetros mis ojos sin poder distinguir ni una sola de sussombras; sin estar consciente que ahí está frente a mí solo porque la siento,la puedo mover de aquí a allá. El apagón del pasado 8 de septiembre en el nortede B.C., el sur en ciertas zonas de California, y un poco más allá en nuestrovecino Este produjo una muy interesante confusión. La gente como sin saber quéhacer con tiempo en sus manos no sabía si prestarse a dejarse llevar por eltemor o aparentar un perfecta calma; total, estos apagones siempre duran menos deun par de horas, es lo que la mayoría pensaba –me imagino-. Pero esta vezpasaron las horas y seguíamos en la penumbra. Las personalidades, sin lascomunes máscaras, y como siempre sucede en los tiempos de inquietud, brotaronmaravillosamente: desde los que en compras de pánico hicieron largas filas enlas hieleras parar cargas bolsas y más bolsas de hielo en sus cajuelas, los quellamaron a cada uno de sus familiares para preguntar si estaban bien, hasta losque simplemente se sentaron en las salas de sus casas a disfrutar de un café aplaticar con su familia con la luz que un par de velas puede aportar. Pero loque estoy casi segura la mayoría experimentó fue un profunda reflexión, bueno,dejémosle en reflexión, sobre si sabríamos cómo actuar en una crisis mayor. Noquiero ni pensarlo, pero quizá un terremoto, o cualquier otro desastre natural.A quién acudiríamos si resulta que un día no solo nos faltara luz sino tambiénel agua, la comida… y ni siquiera mencionarlo: el internet (anoto la palabra “sarcasmo”para que no me definan como insensible). Cuando estuviéramos experimentando loque vemos en las notas periodísticas les sucede a tantos, a la mayoría, quesimplemente día a día perdieron lo llamado por la humanidad “una vida digna”.

No deseo invocar nada, ni menospreciar todos aquellosavisados que han sabido armar y guardar sus botiquines de primeros auxilios y supervivencia.Solo recordar que no estamos exentos de nada y que de nuevo la vida nosdemuestra nos es de confiar la aparente estabilidad que nos ofrece el hombre.Yo por lo menos desearía siempre invocar al que no duda en socorrer al que selo pide de corazón. A los justos que han reconocido tiene todo señorío y puedenbeneficiarse de su protección pues pertenecen a su amado Hijo Jesús.

“¿De dónde vendrá mi socorro?

Mi socorro viene de Jehová,

que hizo los cielos y la tierra.”

Salmo121: 1 y 2

Debes saber… seguro, debes saber

2011-09-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

No sé si está por terminar o se prolongará por un tiempo más esta temporada que me ha tenido básicamente y en dos simples palabras: sentimentalmente enajenada. Qué más quisiera si al final de cuentas soy mujer, pero seamos realistas: este mundo no es ni fue diseñado para ser un cuento de hadas. Bueno, en este caso: una eterna y perfecta novela romántica. Tengo varias semanas repasando, porque habrá tiempo atrás que las había hojeado sin curiosidad, las clásicas novelas de Jane Austen. Una semana aseguro no podré enamorarme más de alguien diferente al señor Darcy y recuerdo al pasar las hojas de la novela de Emma el carácter y proceder del señor Knightley, y no sé al final por quién decidir; me convenzo por fin puedo inclinarme por los dos. De Eduardo o del Coronel Brandon en Sentido y Sensibilidad no caí desmayada al piso, de eso mínimo me puedo enorgullecer. ¡Ah!, aquellos tiempos cuando la sociedad aplaudía los resultados del amor cultivado; cuando la base del galanteo espiritual y mental ocupaban su justo sitio para ser fortalecido, a su tiempo, por el carnal. Cuando se estimulaba una mujer fuera respetada y amada por su vigor, su inteligencia y después por su belleza externa. Creo que más satisfecho no se puede quedar con un historia de amor proyectada en cine que Orgullo y Prejuicio versión 2005, y sin ningún beso (verdadera hazaña para nuestra época). Versiones de estas historias llevadas a televisión no sé cuántas vi, las de cine, todas, creo.

Pero a quién engaño, o pocos quizá, sé que este tiempo de enamoramiento terminará: mi persona siempre se inclina al negativismo. No al de Shakespeare que dejaría todo por amor, que conduce al suicidio. El veneno antes que vivir sin el “amor romántico” (porque debemos aclarar cuál tipo). Negativa en que conozco que todos estos personajes son idílicos, pertenecen al fino y perfumado papel en el que fueron escritos y no a carne y hueso. Nos lo corrobora el mismo ejemplo de la misma Austen que nunca se casó. Llegará el tiempo en que la sensación al que elevan este tipo de novelas cederá su curso natural para descender. Pero quizá… tal vez mi sueño no necesariamente deba terminar tan bruscamente: no seré tan extremista, debo admitir que las mujeres tenemos el confort de conocer un poco del señor Darcy en unos cuantos varones de por ahí, de tener a nuestra disposición de un pequeño tanto del señor Knightley en varios de nuestro alrededor. Ante mí, por lo menos (y refiriéndome a lo más) siempre tendré al más caballeroso de los caballeros, a Jesús, extendiéndome su gentil mano diciéndome, así como el señor Darcy le dijo a su amada Lizzy al final de la versión de cine de Orgullo y Prejuicio: “You must know… surely, you must know it was all for you”/ “Debes saber… seguro, debes saber que todo lo que hice fue por ti” (mi propia vida por ti). Esta sí es mi más íntima y romántica realidad.

Feliz cumpleaños a mi bella amiga

2011-09-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Galletas para celebrar

2011-08-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hace un mes, y un día, que cumplí el primer año en esta mi tercera década de vida. Me gusta, debo ser sincera. No solo por reconocer la cada vez más evidente gracia de mi Dios al concederme más vida (como bien dijo ayer un amigo que por estos días cumplió otro más: “porque yo nací con tifoidea, le doy gracias a Dios por mantenerme hasta aquí”; bueno, más o menos fue dicho así, si no, parafraseo). Es muy gratificante ver como en cada año que cumplo puedo desprenderme con mayor facilidad, o mínimo la ilusión y el intento están, de las cosas de niños. Niñez entendiéndose como aquella persona que obra con poca reflexión y advertencia. Atisbar el peligro, la inconveniencia de antemano que pueden llevar a caminos de frustración. Gratificante conocer como Dios con mayor insistencia me anima e instruye a cargar con una mente inconforme, aguda y sensata que sea capaz de luchar por su reino aunque cueste siempre “nadar contracorriente” (como diría Marcos Vidal). El verdadero gozo no está en ningún otro lugar.

Inicié mi nuevo año con unas ricas galletas hechas en casa por mi prima, por aquella que hace pocos meses nos acaba de regalar a la familia una preciosura que está estrenando sus dos primeros “incisivos”. Celebrando así en un caluroso y quieto parque pensé: me encanta… sí, me encanta comprobar cada año que mi Dios ha sido, es, y será siempre bueno.

Jesús prometió

2011-08-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble. — G.K. Chesterton/ Jesús le prometió a sus discípulos 3 cosas: que intrépidos serían, absurdamente felices y vivirían en constantes problemas. – G.K. Chesterton

Driven to Grace

2011-08-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Paul Tripp

Perhaps, sometime recently you’ve been thinking, "Life is hard. I don’t know if I have what it takes to live God's way.” Or maybe you’ve wondered how in the world you can do what God calls you to do as a husband or wife, a parent, friend, relative, worker, neighbor, citizen, or member of the body of Christ in the middle of the busyness of your schedule and the catalog of other responsibilities you carry. Maybe you’ve been thinking, “It seems exhausting just to maintain the status quo let alone working to make things in my life better!” Maybe God's street-level call of daily self-sacrificing love for God and neighbor has left you a bit hopeless and discouraged. Or maybe you’ve had to face the fact that you simply don’t have it inside you to fight the good fight in this fallen world. Perhaps yesterday's failure has left you despondent and discouraged. Maybe a situation, relationship, conversation or a book has given you a lens on yourself and, sadly, you’ve realized that things aren’t what you thought. Perhaps you’re feeling the standard is too high and the work too hard.

Maybe all this has revealed how selfish your heart really is and left you feeling weak and unable. Well, I am about to say something that will surprise you. If this has been your response, then you’re in a very good place. Let me remind you that this is one of the uncomfortable gifts that God is working to give you. He’s designed the right here, right now situations of life to expose the neediness of your heart and, in so doing, to bring you to the end of yourself. Why does God do this? He does it because he knows that its only when you abandon your own wisdom, strength, and righteousness that you’ll begin to get excited about his grace.

What is your hope? This may seem strange to read at this point, but it must be said: the hope of your life isn’t all the principles, insights, and perspectives found in Scripture. No, the hope of your life can be captured in one glorious, powerful, and transforming word—grace. Without rescuing, empowering, forgiving, transforming and delivering grace, the principles of the Bible would only leave you discouraged and overwhelmed. God’s grace guarantees that you, in your struggle, will never be alone. God’s grace assures you that when you’ve blown it, there’s forgiveness to be found. Grace means that there’s strength available when you’re weak. Grace assures you that there’s wisdom for the moments when you don’t know what to do. Grace gives you hope when there seems little to be found. Grace enables you to get up and move forward when inside you want to quit or run away. Grace reminds you again and again that you’re not alone.

You see, God knows that this side of heaven there are ways in which we all are weak and unable. There are ways we all fall below his standards. So he’s given us the only thing that will rescue, restore, and mobilize us. He’s given us himself! In his grace he invades our situations, locations and relationships. He comes with power we don’t possess, wisdom unnatural to us, and love beyond anything we’ve ever known. He’s willing to let you see how weak you actually are so that you’ll begin to seek what you can find only in him. What you should be afraid of in your life isn’t your weakness; being needy is a good place to be. No, what you should be afraid of are your delusions of arrival and strength. When you think you’ve arrived, and when you’re convinced you’re strong, you don’t reach out for the incredible resources of grace that God freely offers, which will give you what you need to live in a way that by yourself you could never live.

Jack and Shannon were exhausted and discouraged because they had no hope; nothing they did made things better. They felt helpless and alone with no place to turn. Jack knew that he shouldn’t be so angry, but he was. Shannon knew she shouldn’t be bitter and judgmental, but she didn’t know how to deal with her disappointment. There were moments of peace, but those moments were increasingly infrequent and fleeting. The distance and tension between them seemed to grow every day. Their home was no longer a refuge to either one.

Rather than doing the hard work of dealing with their problems, Jack and Shannon developed the skill of working around their problems. But as their problems grew, it became impossible for them to work around them anymore. Their marriage was no longer peaceful and enjoyable. Their home was no longer a place of rest and retreat. So they sat in front of me, exhausted and discouraged. But I knew that it was the exhaustion and discouragement of grace. I knew that God hadn’t turned his back on them but was with them, in them, and for them. And I knew that God had their attention in fresh and new ways.

I didn’t start by laying on them all the insights and principles about marriage that Scripture contains. I knew that that would leave them even more overwhelmed. No, for the first few weeks we met together, I did only one thing: I worked to help them see Jesus. I knew that when they began to see and trust his presence, promises, power, and faithfulness, they would begin to think that maybe they could hope to experience what marriage was designed to be, and they would be willing to do the hard work that would get them there. I knew that they would live with the assurance that God would always give them what they need in order to do what he called them to do.

Jack and Shannon didn't need a lecture in God's law. They knew their marriage was a mess and that what they were doing was wrong. What they needed was a fresh vision of God's grace; a vision of grace so huge and glorious that their problems would seem tiny in comparison. It was God who drove them to the end of themselves so that they would do the one thing they hadn't done for a long time, reach out for his transforming grace.

Are you reaching out?

http://paultrippministries.blogspot.com/

Foto: http://www.desdecuba.com/generaciony/?p=5199

Oh Jehová... redentor mío

2011-07-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Una señorita que pasó la noche en el patio de una cárcel dibujó un cuadro parecido a éste de Daniel en el foso de los leónes. Daniel reposaba su cabeza sobre sus rodillas mientras las abrazaba con sus brazos. Se le ocurrió que quizá Daniel haya dormido sentado así, como ella aquel día en la cárcel. A pesar de esta posición cuenta la señorita que pudo dormir muy bien pues confió en que así como a Daniel, su Señor Jesucristo podía traerle seguridad y tranquilidad DONDEQUIERA que se encontrara.

Imagen: http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/laske_oskar_danielinderlowengrube.htm

Obituary for the American Church

2011-07-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

JULY 5, 2011

by Mike Breen

From time to time I will have the people I’m discipling write out their own pastoral obituary. I ask them to write out how our enemy would take them out, rendering them unable to serve their family and communities. As you can imagine, the answers vary, but always serves as a really helpful exercise as they are forced to confront issues of character, etc.

Now last week I did a post looking at some of the things the Church is doing well. Today, let’s do something different. You see, taking the same exercise I’ve used with pastors, for the past year I’ve been thinking how the enemy would/might be trying to take down the American church. Now what I’ve noticed is that the original temptations Jesus faced (which can best be boiled down to Appetite, Affirmation and Ambition) are somehow warped and insinuated into the culture. As each culture is distinct and different, a smart enemy would come at each culture in subtle ways, tempting them in ways they don’t see or expect, and with things that would look different from culture to culture.

For instance, the issues the European church deal with are actually quite different than the ones the American church is dealing with…even though often times they are put under the same broad umbrella of “Western Church.” Sure, there are some similarities, but the attack is different. More nuanced.

But those original temptations of Appetite, Affirmation and Ambition are slowly insinuating themselves into everything we call CHURCH. We just often don’t recognize it or see it.

And so this is how, if our enemy gets his way, the American church could be taken out:

A culture of CELEBRITY (affirmation)

A culture of CONSUMERISM (appetite)

A culture of COMPETITION (ambition)

CELEBRITY

The idea of celebrity is deeply woven into American culture and values. All you have to do is look at the ridiculous nature of Reality TV and you see how Americans are constantly craving celebrity (either to be a celebrity or to find the next celebrity and stalk there every move). Now there is nothing dark or sinister about “celebrity” in and of itself. You can’t find an argument that says Jesus wasn’t a huge celebrity in his day. However, there is a difference between beingfamous and being significant. If Jesus was famous, it’s because he was doing something significant. The problem with many pastors is they make decisions, develop personas and define success from the lens of what will make them a celebrity/famous (even if they don’t know it or see that they are doing this). So in American church culture, it’s pretty easy to become a celebrity: Grow a HUGE church. Now all in all, it’s not terribly difficult to grow to be a giant church if you have the right tools at your disposal…but that doesn’t mean the ends justify the means of getting there. For instance, though Jesus was a celebrity in his day, he was willing to say things that ran people off in droves. In fact, the book of Mark chronicles the way (from about the mid-point of the book on) how people left Jesus to where, at the end, virtually no one was left. NO ONE wants to be associated with him for fear of the consequences. That’s a Charlie Sheen-esque flameout (obviously without the character issues!). That’s not something you see too often in American churches. I suspect it’s because riven deeply into the American psyche is the desire to be a celebrity. And American pastors are very susceptible to this. Many subtle things happen in people who desire to this kind of celebrity status: They can disengage community and isolate themselves, setting themselves up for moral failure. They can make decisions that are numbers driven and not always Kingdom driven. They can skew to a shallow understanding of the Gospel as opposed to a holistic one that leads people to discipleship. They can put the good of their church (their personal Kingdom) over the good of God’s Kingdom. Question: In what ways are your decisions made by a subtle undercurrent of ambition and a hope for celebrity?

CONSUMERISM

We live in a culture that revolves around consuming. Every TV commercial, every store, every credit card company, every bank, every TV show or movie, every piece of clothing, car or product, every website, every restaurant…every everything is tailored to fit your desires, needs or personal preference. We are easily infuriated when things don’t happen exactly as we want them. We exist in a place that implicitly says this: “We are here to serve you and meet your every whim and desire. Let us take care of you.” What’s more, it’s never enough. Eventually the house or the car get older and we want new ones. The clothes aren’t as fashionable and we want something more in style. That restaurant is getting boring, we must find another. Our favorite TV show is wearing thin, so the search begins for the next favorite. And on and on and on. This is how we are wired to think in the United States. And it is all backed up by this rationale: You’re worth it. You deserve to have what you want, how you want it, when you want it. And for the most part, the church plays the exact same game. We do as best we can to provide as comfortable an experience as humanly possible, using every means at our disposal to attract them in (and then keep them in). So we tailor what we do around their wants and desires. That’s Marketing 101, right? The problem is at the end of the day, the only thing that Jesus is counting is disciples. That’s it. He doesn’t seem to care too much about converts, attendance, budgets or buildings. It’s about disciples. And, by nature, disciples are producers, not consumers. Yet most of our churches are built around feeding consumers. I’d argue 90% of the church’s time, energy and resources are linked to this. But the issue is this: The means you use to attract people to you are usually the means you must use to keep them. In other words, if you use consumerism to attract them to your church, it often means you must continue using it to keep them…or else they will find another church who will meet their “needs.” And yet…that consumer mentality is antithetical to the Gospel and to the call of Discipleship. Disciples aren’t consumers, they are producers. Jesus cared about disciples more than anything else. Question: In what ways is your church community using consumerism as the means to draw people to a Gospel that is, in and of itself, anti-consumerism?

COMPETITION

You will never find a more hyper-competitive culture than you do in the United States. As a foreigner living in this land, I can attest to that with the utmost respect. Americans love to win, they love the struggle of the journey and love holding up the gold medal of victory. Now don’t hear me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with being competitive, it’s just how competition has become warped and twisted within our culture. And it’s that, at least in the church, we are competitive about the wrong things. Much of the American church finds itself competing with the church down the road. “Are we bigger than them? Do we have more influence than them? Do we have the best/biggest youth group in town? Do people like to get married in our church building? Do people like our church better than theirs?” The fact of the matter is that there is a battle, we do have an enemy and we should be competitive…but against our enemy! What we haven’t seen is how crafty he is. This seems to be the alliance he has struck with the American church: “I’ll let a good chunk of your churches grow…just not at the expense of my territory.“ And so what happens? 96% of church growth is due to transfer growth and not churches striking into the heart of our enemy’s territory. We’ll consider it a win because we have the new service or program that is growing…but that growth is mainly from people coming from other churches. That’s not a win! That’s a staggering loss. Furthermore, for many pastors, we don’t think we’ve won until we’ve won AND someone else has lost. Seriously?! For sure, we have an enemy and we should be competitive, but we should be competing against our enemy, knowing that the final battle has already been won, and not competing against our own team members. So gifted and skilled is our enemy, so conniving is he, that he has convinced us that beating the people on our own team is victory while he stands back and laughs, rarely having to ever engage in conflict, protecting his territory. He is beating us with a slight of hand, with a clever distraction, turning us against ourselves. Question: In what ways are you competing (both in actuality or simply in your mind) against people who are on your own team?

In all honesty, it isn’t that the American church will ever truly die or cease to exist. It will always be there. But it is entirely possible that if these three critical issues aren’t addressed and dealt with, it will be a hallow shell that is spiritually listless.

If we think through Celebrity, Consumerism and Competition, the anti-body against all of these is sacrifice. Learning to lay down what builds us up and giving to others instead. “Learning to serve, rather than to be served.” Looking for anonymity rather than celebrity. To build a culture of producers rather than a consumers. To live in a vibrant, sacrificial community fighting a real enemy rather than competing against the same community God has given us to fight WITH rather than AGAINST. It’s about sacrificing what we want for the glory of God and the advancement of his Kingdom, regardless of our advancement or desires. Clearly this is what Paul was getting after in Philippians 2:6-11 when describing the attitude of Jesus as taking on the attitude of a servant, willing to sacrifice all acclaim and equality with God. It was a willingness to set aside and sacrifice celebrity, consumerism and competition at the altar of the incarnation.

Fifty years ago, as these three subtle threads were being woven into the American church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., serving as a prophetic voice, said this:

If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.

We are now into the second decade of the 21st century and we find ourselves still, for the most part, refusing to sacrifice what we want for what God is asking of us and his Church. Will we have the courage to sacrifice as Christ sacrificed? Will we do the things that cost us so that his Kingdom may advance?

http://mikebreen.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/obituary-for-the-american-church/

Dios puede librarnos

2011-07-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Entre dibujos con colores brillantes, buscando significados claros para poder explicar las palabras de los versículos para memorización. Entre momentos de tranquilidad como distraída sacándole punta a los lápices, que luego compiten por el que la tenga más puntiaguda, pero pensando en algún ejemplo de introducción, atrayente, que sirva para captar el mayor porcentaje de su atención. Entre tararear “yo te alabó de corazón, yo te alabó con la voz. Y si me falta la voz, yo te alabo con…” Y entre pedirle a Dios me dé gracia, concentración para abarcar los puntos más importantes que deban sembrarse en sus corazones, con la esperanza de que en un futuro den su fruto y marquen con firmeza sus caminos; y orando por humildad para ser un simple instrumento que no pretenda contaminar el mensaje de vida con ideas de hombres, me encuentro estos días para con los niños en las clases dominicales. Dando vueltas y vueltas en mi cabeza el ejemplo específico de la edad y el gran testimonio de los jóvenes en el libro de Daniel. Tenían alrededor de 30 años cuando decidieron por Dios y como consecuencia el horno de fuego antes que postrarse ante otro ídolo. Treinta años… y sigo maravillada. Se analiza que sobre este gran ejemplo observado en Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-nego el pueblo judío hasta hoy día nunca ha vuelto a adorar ídolos.

Y no es coincidencia que precisamente hasta hoy pude conseguir el libro Más que un carpintero de Josh McDowell. Tenía tiempo deseándolo leer y llega a mis manos en este momento de compartir con los niños. Pero como siempre sucede, al final el maestro termina aprendiendo más que los alumnos. Más para mí porque me hace ver que para dejar huella de Dios en este mundo, no debemos de descuidar amar a Dios con el corazón sí, pero igual de importante con la mente. Porque nuestra fe no es una ciega, una que no requiere de lógica, inteligencia y raciocinio exhaustivo. La obediencia sobre todo y el alinear el corazón, fuerzas y mente para que como aquellos jóvenes cautivos en Babilonia, obtener sobrenatural sabiduría y valentía; declarar con toda seguridad ante el rey Nabucodonosor que nuestro Dios es capaz de librar del horno del fuego. Confiar de esta forma en el verdadero y único Dios que es digno de todo, y esto incluye nuestras propias vidas.

Sinceramente te recomiendo este libro.

“…sino santificad a Dios el Señor en vuestros corazones, y estad siempre preparados para presentar defensa con mansedumbre y reverencia ante todo el que os demande razón de la esperanza que hay en vosotros…” 1 Pedro 3:15

Foto: http://www.dansfriends.com/dansfriends.shtml

No te vengo a pedir

2011-06-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Noble corazón

2011-06-17T21:59:00.001-07:00

Hace poco tuvo que sacrificar a su mascota más pequeña, a la amada Josefina de su Napoléon. Sí, esos son los nombres de su querida pareja de perros. Qué podía decirle más que lo siento mucho. Sé cuánto la quería. Nunca olvidaré el primero que tuvo. El que escabando un hoyo en tierra se fue sin despedirse. Cuánto le lloró.

Y ahora es su cumpleaños, bueno técnicamente en un par de horas para un 18 de junio. Año 28 de mi hermana. La de noble corazón. La que ha llorado sí, pero por esa misma razón ha aprendido a sonreír en mayor medida.

Nuestro Dios te bendiga siempre.

Psalm 73: Judgment Day

2011-06-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

By Paul Tripp

"For behold, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you." (v.28)

To transgressing of your boundaries
You will put an end.
To human thoughts of autonomy
You will put an end.
To delusions of self-sufficiency
You will put an end.
Grace forbids these going on forever.
To acts of violence and deeds of greed
You will put an end.
To the burn of lust
You will put an end.
To injustice and inhumanity
You will put an end.
Grace prohibits these going on forever.
To the silent writing of my own law
You will put an end.
To using others for personal pleasure
You will put an end.
To robbing you of divine glory
You will put an end.
Grace won't tolerate these going on forever.
To disobedience to parents
You will put an end.
To gossip and slander
You will put an end.
To the worship of comfort
You will put an end.
Grace wars against these going on forever.
To self-aggrandizing pride
You will put an end.
To self-oriented envy
You will put an end.
To subtle daily idolatries
You will put an end.
Grace will not permit these going on forever.
To desire-driven lawlessness
You will put an end.
To attempts at self-sovereignty
You will put an end.
To denial of what is true.
You will put an end.
Grace restricts these going on forever.
To denial of You and the elevation of self
You will put an end.
To mockery of what is good
You will put an end.
To the love of what is foolish
You will put an end.
Grace will not allow these going on forever.
What is now will not go on
forever.
This world is marching toward
an end.
We can embrace the hope of
justice.
Final judgment is coming.
Grace requires evil to die forever.
Those far from You will
perish.
Those unfaithful to You will
come to an end.
I have been unfaithful to you.
I have chosen to be far from you.
I have broken each of your laws.
But I am not afraid of what
You will put to an end.
Grace has drawn me near to you.
Grace has paid for my unfaithfulness.
Grace has made me clean in Your eyes.
Grace put my stripes on Jesus
so I would not face them
when you put what is now
to an end.

http://paultrippministries.blogspot.com/2009/04/psalm-73-judgment-day.html

Photo: http://raptureofthedeep.org/index.php/2010/07/29/drowning-silent-killer-read-whyand-save-life/

Cómo, dónde sin Ti

2011-06-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

“Jesús, el manantial de mi vida, la fuente de mi alegría”.-Rojo, grupo musical

Foto: http://pixdaus.com/?sort=tag&tag=fountain

Believing Better

2011-06-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

By Tullian Tchividjian

Remembrance vs. Spiritual Surveillance

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in “accountability groups” where there has been little to no attention given to the gospel whatsoever. There’s no reminder of what Christ has done for our sin—“cleansing us from its guilt and power”—and the resources that are already ours by virtue of our union with him. These groups produce a “do more, try harder” moralism that robs us of the joy and freedom Jesus paid dearly to secure for us.

When the goal becomes conquering our sin instead of soaking in the conquest of our Savior, we actually begin to shrink spiritually. Sinclair Ferguson rightly points this out:

Those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality, that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only when our piety forgets about us and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety be nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sin: An Identity Crisis

The Puritans used to say that far too many Christians live beneath the level of their privileges. Therefore, I need to be told by those around me that every time I sin I’m momentarily suffering from an identity crisis: forgetting who I actually belong to, what I really want at my remade core, and all that is already mine in Christ. The only way to deal with remaining sin long-term is to develop a distaste for it in light of the glorious riches we already possess in Christ. I need my real friends to remind me of this—every day. Please tell me again and again that God doesn’t love me more when I obey or less when I disobey. Knowing this actually enlarges my heart for God and therefore shrinks my hunger for sin. So, don’t let me forget it. My life depends on it!

Believing Deeper, Not Behaving Better

Christian growth, in other words, does not happen first by behaving better, but believing better—believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Christ has already secured for sinners. I need my family and friends to remind me of this all the time.

The bottom line is this, Christian: because of Christ’s work on your behalf, God does not dwell on your sin the way you do. So, relax and rejoice…and you’ll actually start to get better. The irony, of course, is that it’s only when we stop obsessing over our own need to be holy and focus instead on the beauty of Christ’s holiness, that we actually become more holy! Not to mention, we start to become a lot easier to live with!

Will someone please keep reminding me of this?

http://theresurgence.com/2011/06/13/accountability-groups-the-tyranny-of-do-more-try-harder?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheResurgence+%28The+Resurgence%29

Foto: http://churchofallnations.net/default.aspx

Vive en mí

2011-06-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

No es que me he olvidado de este espacio, simplemente, creo que a eso se debe, muchas cosas sin llegar a su definición, giran en mi cabeza. Empiezo un texto, varios quizá, muchos, la verdad, y ninguno llega hasta aquí. Tal vez sea lo mejor, porque hay que tenerle respeto a las palabras. Pero una cosa sí sé, una que lucho por verla y mantenerla clara: la permanencia de Jesús en el principio de mi razón y en el termino de mi acción. Vaya cosa es que te presenten, cada vez con mayor intimidad, a tu ser corrompido.

Para este fin de semana les comparto este canto, no tan nuevo en creación, pero lleno de frescura hoy día para el alma.

No conocemos el Evangelio

2011-06-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Amé a Jehová

2011-04-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

¿Te habrás preguntado por todos aquellos niños con quienes compartiste en las clases dominicales?, ¿qué ha pasado con ellos?, ¿qué será de sus vidas?, ¿seguirán caminado con Cristo? Yo sí, y en varias ocasiones. No sé, ¿será que satanás los habrá engañado al hacerles pensar que una vida junto a Cristo es una llena de reglas?, ¿una donde solo nos corresponde cerrar los ojos, dejar a un lado todas nuestras inquietudes y peguntas más profundas, y obedecer?, ¿estamos en las manos de un Dios que cruzado de manos nunca nos escucha y mucho menos actúa para beneficio nuestro? Sí, sí que vivir en este camino es más difícil. Sí, quizá es más seguro vendrán sobre nosotros más problemas, pero… pero lo habremos ganado a Él. ¡Lo habremos ganado a Él! , y si el está con nosotros ¿quién… quién contra nosotros?

“Amo a Jehová, pues ha oído mi voz y mis súplicas; porque ha inclinado a mí su oído; por tanto, le invocaré en todos mis días.” Salmo 116: 1y 2

¿El que Dios incline a nosotros su oído no sobra como razón?, ¿pues que no lo habremos ganado ya todo?

Foto: http://www.thejournal.ie/22-children-have-died-while-under-state-care-since-march-report-2010-12/

Something has gone deeply wrong with humanity

2011-04-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Cuando todos los recursos fallan

2011-04-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

Llegué a este texto con la noticia de que el autor de éste falleció ayer. Otro personaje que me propongo conocer un poco más; tengo a varios en mi lista. Pero mientras cumplo mi tarea, te lo comparto ya que me fue de mucho ánimo... espero sirva al mismo propósito contigo.

Por David Wilkerson

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.

That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”

Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

Foto: http://bad---blood.xanga.com/740523884/item/

Regalo

2011-04-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hace unos días me tocó escuchar la entrevista a un pastor sobre una campaña de reuniones de debates que está por lanzar junto a un ateo. Resalto, además de la interesante perspectiva creo este evento traerá al juntar dos mentes muy brillantes pero lejanas en cuanto a su perspectiva de Dios, que me quedé ensimismada en la última respuesta de esta corta entrevista. Le preguntaban a este pastor, básicamente, qué consideraba es ser un cristiano, el responde inmediatamente y con total seguridad: un regalo. Así y nada más. Vino a mi mente otra lección, de hace varios meses, que conocí de Noé. Recalcaba esta enseñanza que Noé no se salvó del diluvio por su natural y buena esencia, por poseer un corazón digno que a diferencia del resto de la humanidad, debía preservarse y después multiplicarse una vez la tierra vacía. Sucedió que Dios decidió proteger su vida por gracia. Porque abrió la mente y el espíritu de Noé para que reconociera que era sensato y bueno recibir su regalo de salvación. No porque “el bueno de Noé tenía que salvarse”. En Dios estaba el poder de entregarle ojos espirituales, de hacerle atravesar esa nube que lo tenía cegado y perdido.

Me encantaron las palabras de este pastor en aquella entrevista pues me llevó a recordar 1 Tesalonicenses 2: 13 que nos recuerda: “…. dar siempre gracias a Dios respecto de vosotros, hermanos amados por el Señor, de que Dios os haya escogido desde el principio para salvación, mediante la santificación por el Espíritu y la fe en la verdad…”

Cómo no llorar de alegría al reconocer y VER esta realidad. Siempre demos gracias, y más gracias.

Foto: http://soulfoodmovies.blogspot.com/2011/03/apr-4-8-jesus-movies-on-vision.html

Un 10 de abril

2011-04-11T10:24:00.001-07:00

Hace un año que en este fecha orábamos para que estuviera despejado el cielo durante la ceremonia y, como sucede cuando Dios escucha las peticiones de sus hijos, nos regaló de mucho más de lo esperado: un Sol brillantísimo que nos prestó de su calor y luz espectacular para presenciar su matrimonio. Felicidades a mis queridos hermanos.

I will wait for you

2011-04-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

A todos mis queridos amigos solteros. Para los que seguimos comprobando día a día, en nuestro solo (no solitario) andar, que no hay nada que valga la pena fuera de Jesús.

Algo más

2011-04-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Cuando escuché esta canción me emocioné mucho porque fue como presenciar la salida al mundo del poema dormido que viajaba conmigo desde ya hace tiempo. Este poema tenía muchas ganas de despertar. Hace tiempo se había gestado pero no sabía cómo ni cuándo nacer. Como cuando el Espíritu Santo da sentido a nuestros gemidos más profundos en nuestras oraciones, así esta pequeña melodía vino a mis oídos para interpretar las alabanzas que deseaba salieran de mis labios y llegasen multiplicadas a mi todopoderoso Dios, y a mi preciado Jesús.

To the Afflicted

2011-04-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

Lo leo, lo releo y de nuevo lo leo. Ahora, para este fin de semana, se los comparto esperando les traiga verdadero consuelo y ánimo a sus corazones.

D. L. Moody

If I were to ask this audience what Christ came into this world for, every one of you would say to save sinners, and then you would stop. A great many think that is all Christ came to do - to save sinners. Now, we are told that He came, to be sure, to "seek and save that which was lost"; but then He came to do more. He came to heal the broken hearted. In that eighteenth verse of the fourth chapter of Luke, which I read to you last night, He said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, and that He was anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor, and in the next sentence He tells us, He is sent to heal the broken hearted. In another place we are told He came into the world to declare who the Father was, and reveal Him to the sons of men.

Tonight I want to take up this one thought - that Christ was sent into the world to heal the broken hearted. When the Prince of Wales came to this country a few years ago, the whole country was excited as to his purpose. What was his object in coming here? Had he come to look into our republican form of government, or our institutions, or was it simply to see and be seen? He came and he went without telling us what he came for. When the Prince of Peace came into this dark world, He did not come in any private way. He tells us that He came, not to see and be seen, but to "seek and save that which was lost" and also "to heal the broken hearted." And in the face of this announcement, it is a mystery to me why those who have broken hearts will rather carry them year in and year out, than just bring them to this Great Physician. How many men in Chicago are just going down to their graves with a broken heart? They have carried their hearts weighted with trouble for years and years, and yet when they open the Scriptures they can see the passage telling us that He came here for the purpose of healing the broken hearted. He left Heaven and all its glory to come to the world - sent by the Father, He tells us, for the purpose of healing the broken hearted.

You will find, my friends, that there is no class of people exempt from broken hearts. The rich and the poor suffer alike. There was a time when I used to visit the poor, that I thought all the broken hearts were to be found among them, but within the last few years I have found there are as many broken hearts among the learned as the unlearned, the cultured as the uncultured, the rich as the poor. If you could but go up one of our avenues and down another, and reach the hearts of the people, and get them to turn out their whole story, you would be astonished at the wonderful history of every family.

I remember a few years ago I had been out of the city for some weeks. When I returned I started out to make some calls. The first place I went to I found a mother, her eyes red with weeping. I tried to find out what was troubling her, and she reluctantly opened her heart and told me all. She said, "Last night my only boy came home about midnight drunk. I didn't know that he was addicted to drunkenness, but this morning I found out that he has been drinking for weeks, and," she continued, "I would rather have seen him laid in the grave than have him brought home in the condition I saw him in last night." I tried to comfort her as best I could when she told me her sad story. When I went away from that house I didn't want to go into any other house where there was family trouble. The very next house I went to, however, where some of the children who attended my Sunday school resided, I found that death had been there and laid his hand on one of them. The mother spoke to me of her afflictions, and brought to me the playthings and the little shoes of the child, and the tears trickled down that mother's checks as she related to me her sorrow.

I got out as soon as possible, and hoped I should see no more family trouble that day.

he next visit I made was to a home where I found a wife with a bitter story. Her husband had been neglecting her for a long time, "and now," she said, "he has left me, and I don't know where he has gone. Winter is coming on, and I don't know what is going to become of my family," I tried to comfort her, and prayed with her, and endeavored to get her to lay all her sorrows on Christ. The next home I entered I found a woman crushed and broken hearted. She told me her boy had forsaken her, and she had no idea where he had gone. That afternoon I made five calls, and in every home I found a broken heart. Every one had a sad tale to tell, and if you visited any home in Chicago you would find the truth of the saying, that "there is a skeleton in every house."

I suppose while I am talking, you are thinking of the great sorrow in your own bosom. I do not know anything about you, but if I came round to every one of you, and you were to tell me the truth, I would hear a tale of sorrow. The very last man I spoke to last night was a young mercantile man, who told me his load of sorrow had been so great, that many times during the last few weeks he had gone down to the lake and had been tempted to plunge in and end his existence. His burden seemed too much for him. Think of the broken hearts in Chicago tonight! They could be numbered by hundreds - yea, by thousands. All over this city are broken hearts. If all the sorrow represented in this great city was written in a book, this building couldn't hold that book, and you couldn't read it in a long life time.

This earth is not a stranger to tears, neither is the present the only time when they could be found in abundance. From Adam's days to ours tears have been shed, and a wail has been going up to Heaven from the broken hearted. And I say it again, it is a mystery to me how all those broken hearts can keep away from Him who has come to heal them. For six thousand years that cry of sorrow has been going up to God. We find the tears of Jacob put on record, when he was told that his own son was no more. His sons and daughters tried to give him comfort, but he refused to be comforted. We are also told of the tears of King David. I can see him, as the messenger brings the news of the death of his son, exclaiming in anguish, "O, Absalom, my son, would that I had died for thee!" And when Christ came into the world the first sound He heard was woe - the wail of those mothers in Bethlehem; and from the manger to the Cross, He was surrounded with sorrow. We are told that He often looked up to Heaven and sighed. I believe it was because there was so much suffering around Him. It was on His right hand and on His left - everywhere on earth; and the thought that He had come to relieve the people of the earth of their burdens, and so few would accept Him, made Him sorrowful. He came for that purpose. Let the hundreds of thousands just cast their burdens on Him. He has come to bear them, as well as our sins. He will bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. There is not a burdened son of Adam in Chicago who cannot but be freed if he will only come to Him.

Let me call your attention to this little word "sent." "He hath sent me." Take your Bibles and read about those who have been sent by God, and one thought will come to you - that no man who has ever been sent by God to do His work has ever failed. No matter how great the work, how mighty the undertaking; no matter how many difficulties had to be encountered, when they were sent from God they were sure to succeed. God sent Moses down to Egypt to bring 3,000,000 people out of bondage. The idea would have seemed absurd to most people. Fancy a man with an impediment in his speech, without an army, without Generals, with no record, bringing 3,000,000 people from the power of a great nation like that of the Egyptians. But God sent him, and what was the result? Pharaoh said they should not go, and the great king and all his army were going to prevent them. But did he succeed? God sent Moses and he didn't fail.

We find that God sent Joshua to the walls of Jericho, and he marched around the walls, and at the proper time those walls came tumbling down and the city fell into his hands. God sent Eliab to stand before Ahab, and we read the result; Samson and Gideon were sent by God and we are told in the Scriptures what they accomplished, and so all through the word we find that when God sent men they have never failed.

Now, do you think for a moment that God's own Son sent to us is going to fail? If Moses, Elijah, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, and all these mighty men sent by God succeeded in doing their work, do you think the Son of Man is going to fail? Do you think, if He has come to heal broken hearts, He is going to fail? Do you think there is a heart so bruised and broken that can't be healed by Him? He can heal them all, but the great trouble is that men won't come. If there is a broken heart here tonight just bring it to the Great Physician, if you break an arm or a leg, you run off and get the best physician. If you have a broken heart, you needn't go to a doctor or Minister with it; the best physician is the Great Physician. In the days of Christ they didn't have hospitals or physicians as we have now. When a man was sick he was taken to the door, and the passersby prescribed for him. If a man came along who had had the same disease as the sufferer he just told him what he had done to get cured - I remember I had a disease for a few months, and when I recovered if I met a man with the same disease I had to
tell him what cured me. I could not keep the prescription all to myself. When He came there and found the sick at their cottage door, the sufferers found more medicine in His words than there was in all the prescriptions of that country. He is a mighty physician who has come to heal every wounded heart in this building and in Chicago tonight.

You needn't run to any other physician. The great difficulty is that people try to get some other physician - they go to this creed and that creed, to this doctor of Divinity and that one, instead of coming directly to the Master. He has told us that His mission is to heal the broken hearts, and if He has said this, let us take Him at His word and just ask Him to heal.

I was thinking today of the difference between those who know Christ when trouble comes upon them, and those who know Him not. I know several members of families in this city who are just stumbling into their graves over trouble. I know two widows in Chicago who are weeping and moaning over the death of their husbands, and their grief is just taking them to their graves. Instead of bringing their burdens to Christ they mourn day and night, and the result will be that in a few weeks or years at most their sorrow will take them to their graves, when they ought to take it all to the Great Physician.

Three years ago a father took his wife and family on board that ill fated French steamer. They were going to Europe, and when out on the ocean another vessel ran into her and she went down. That mother when I was preaching in Chicago used to bring her two children to the meetings every night. It was one of the most beautiful sights I ever looked on, to see how those little children used to sit and listen, and to see the tears trickling down their cheeks when the Savior was preached. It seemed as if nobody else in that meeting drank in the truth as eagerly as those little ones. One night when an invitation had been extended to all to go into the inquiry room, one of these little children said: "Mamma, why can't I go in, too?" The mother allowed them to come into the room, and some friend spoke to them, and to all appearances they seemed to understand the plan of Salvation as well as their elders. When that memorable night came, that mother went down and came up without her two children. Upon reading the news I said: "It will kill her," and I quitted my post in Edinburgh - the only time I left my post on the other side - and went down to Liverpool to try and comfort her. But when I got there, I found that the Son of God had been there before me, and instead of me comforting her she comforted me. She told me she could not think of those children as being in the sea; it seemed as if Christ had permitted her to take those children on that vessel only that they might be wafted to Him, and had saved her life only that she might come back and work a little longer for Him. When she got up the other day at a mothers' meeting in Farwell Hall, and told her story, I thought I would tell the mothers of it the first chance I got. So if any of you have some great affliction, if any of you have lost a loved and loving father, mother, brother, husband, or wife, come to Christ, because God has sent Him to heal the broken hearted.

Some of you, I can imagine, will say, "Ah, I could stand that affliction; I have something harder than that." I remember a mother coming to me and saying, "It is easy enough for you to speak in that way; if you had the burden that I've got, you couldn't cast it on the Lord." "Why, is your burden so great that Christ can't carry it?" I asked. "No, it isn't too great for Him to carry; but I can't put it on Him." "That is your fault," I replied; and I find a great many people with burdens who, rather than just come to Him with them, strap them tighter on their backs and go away staggering under their load. I asked her the nature of her trouble, and she told me, "I have an only boy who is a wanderer on the face of the earth. I don't know where he is. If I only knew where he was I would go round the world to find him. You don't know how I love that boy. This sorrow is killing me." "Why can't you take him to Christ? You can reach Him at the Throne, even though He be at the uttermost part of the world. Go tell God all about your trouble, and He will take away this, and not only that, but if you never see him on earth, God can give you faith that you will see your boy in Heaven."

And then I told her of a mother who lived down in the southern part of Indiana. Some years ago her boy came up to this city. He was a moralist. My friends, a man has to have more than morality to lean upon in this great city. He hadn't been here long before he was led astray. A neighbor happened to come up here and found him one night in the streets drunk. When that neighbor went home at first he thought he wouldn't say anything about it to the boy's father, but afterwards he thought it was his duty to tell. So in a crowd in the street of their little town, he just took that father aside, and told him what he had seen in Chicago. It was a terrible blow. When the children had been put to bed that night he said to his wife: "Wife, I have bad news. I have heard from Chicago today." The mother dropped her work in an instant, and said: "Tell me what it is." "Well, our son has been seen on the streets of Chicago drunk." Neither of them slept that night, but they took their burden to Christ. About daylight the mother said: "I don't know how, I don't know when or where, but God has given me faith to believe that our son will be saved and will never come to a drunkard's grave." One week after, that boy left Chicago. He couldn't tell why - an unseen power seemed to lead him to his mother's home, and the first thing he said on coming over the threshold was, "Mother, I have come home to ask you to pray for me"; and soon after he came back to Chicago a bright and a shining light. If you have got a burden like this, fathers, mothers, bring it to Him and cast it on Him and He, the Great Physician, will heal your broken hearts.

I can imagine again some of you saying, "How am I to do it?" My friends, go to Him as a personal friend. He is not a myth. What we want to do is to treat Christ as we treat an earthly friend. If you have sins, just go and tell Him all about them; if you have some great burden, "Go bury thy sorrow," bury it in His bosom. If you go to people and tell them of your cares, your sorrows, they will tell you they haven't time to listen. But He will not only hear your story, however long it be, but will bind your broken heart up. Oh, if there is a broken heart here tonight, bring it to Jesus, and I tell you upon authority, He will heal you. He has said He will bind your wounds up - not only that, He will heal them.

During the war I remember of a young man, not 20, who was court-martialed down in the front and sentenced to be shot. The story was this: The young fellow had enlisted. He was not obliged to, but he went off with another young man. They were what we would call "chums." One night this companion was ordered out on picket duty and he asked the young man to go for him. The next night he was ordered out himself, and having been awake two nights, and not being used to it, fell asleep at his post, and for the offense he was tried and sentenced to death. It was right after the order issued by the President that no interference should be allowed in cases of this kind. This sort of thing had become too frequent, and it must be stopped.

When the news reached the father and mother in Vermont, it nearly broke their hearts. The thought that their son should be shot was too great for them. They had no hope that he would be saved by anything they could do. But they had a little daughter who had read the life of Abraham Lincoln and knew how he loved his own children, and she said: "If Abraham Lincoln knew how my father and mother loved my brother be wouldn't let him be shot," That little girl thought this over and made up her mind to go and see the President. She went to the White House, and the sentinel, when he saw her imploring looks, passed her in, and when she came to the door and told the private secretary that she wanted to see the President he could not refuse her. She came into the chamber and found Abraham Lincoln surrounded by his generals and counselors, and when he saw the little country girl he asked her what she wanted. The little maid told her plain simple story - how her brother, whom her mother and father loved very dearly, had been sentenced to be shot. How they were mourning for him, and if he was to die in that way it would break their hearts. The President's heart was touched with compassion, and he immediately sent a dispatch canceling the sentence and giving the boy a parole so that he could come home and see that father and mother.

I just tell you this to show you how Abraham Lincoln's heart was moved by compassion for the sorrow of that father and mother, and if he showed so much, do you think the Son of God will not have compassion upon you sinner, if you only take that crushed, bruised heart to Him? He will read it. Have you got a drunken husband? Go tell him. He can make him a blessing to the Church and to the world. Have you a profligate son? Go take your story to him, and he will comfort you, and bind up and heal your sorrow. What a blessing it is to have such a Savior. He has been sent to heal the broken hearted. May the text, if the sermon doesn't, reach everyone here tonight, and may every crushed, broken, and bruised heart be brought to that Savior, and they will hear His comforting words. He will comfort you as a mother comforts her child if you will only come in prayer and lay all your burdens before Him.

http://www.biblebelievers.com/moody_sermons/m16.html

Foto: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinleveque/3350109761/

Transform Your Bible Reading

2011-03-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

Dane Ortlund

In a theology debate with the religious PhDs of the day, Jesus told those who claimed Moses as their granddaddy, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me” (John 5:46).

Is that how you read the Old Testament?

Biblical theology shapes our Bible reading by aligning it with that of Jesus himself—namely, reading the Word of God as historically-rooted good news about the grace of God through the Son of God for the people of God to the glory of God.

Place it in the big story

A biblical theology lens trains us to place any given passage in the sweep of the single story. This way of reading the Bible gladly acknowledges the various genres in Scripture—narrative, poetry, prophecy, letters. Yet while the Bible is not uniform, it is unified.

Biblical theology reads the Bible as an unfolding drama, taking place in real-world time and space, that culminates in a man named Jesus—who himself said that “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms”—shorthand for the whole Old Testament—“must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).

Alternatives to a biblical theology approach

What are other ways we might read the Bible?

The Gold Mine Approach – reading the Bible as a vast, cavernous, dark mine, in which one occasionally stumbles upon a nugget of inspiration. Result: confused reading.

The Hero Approach – reading the Bible as a moral hall of fame that gives us one example after another of heroic spiritual giants to emulate. Result: despairing reading.

The Rules Approach – reading the Bible on the lookout for commands to obey to subtly reinforce a sense of personal superiority. Result: Pharisaical reading.

The Artifact Approach – reading the Bible as an ancient document about events in the Middle East a few thousand years ago that are irrelevant to my life today. Result: bored reading.

The Guidebook Approach – reading the Bible as a roadmap to tell me where to work, whom to marry, and what shampoo to use. Result: anxious reading.

The Doctrine Approach – reading the Bible as a theological repository to plunder for ammunition for my next theology debate at Starbucks. Result: cold reading.

Don’t turn the Bible into something it isn’t

There is some truth in each of these approaches. But to make any of them the dominant lens is to turn the Bible into a book it was never meant to be. A biblical theology approach takes the Bible on its own terms—namely, that “all the promises of God find their ‘Yes’ in Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Result: transforming reading.

Biblical theology invites you to read the Bible by plotting any passage in the overarching narrative that culminates in Christ. The Bible is not mainly commands with stories of grace sprinkled in. It is mainly a story of grace with commands sprinkled in.

“

A biblical theology approach takes the Bible on its own terms—namely, that “all the promises of God find their ‘Yes' in Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

”

What about the weird parts?

Some parts of the Bible, of course, seem to have nothing to do with this story of grace.

How, for example, do we read obscure Old Testament records of wayward Israelite kings or wicked priests? The answer from the perspective of biblical theology is this: We read them as stories increasingly heightening our longing for a true king, a final priest, one who will lead as these men were meant to—truly representing God to the people (king) and the people to God (priest).

How do we read genealogies? As testimonies to the grace of God to real individuals, carrying God’s promises down specific family lines in concrete ways, promises that are never derailed, and which ultimately come to fruition in Jesus.

How do we read Proverbs? As good news of wise help from another for stumbling disciples like you and me.

A book of good news

Imagine jumping into the middle of a novel, reading a sentence, and trying to understand all that the sentence means without placing it in the sweep of the novel as a whole. That would confuse the reader, obscure the meaning, and insult the author.

The Bible is God’s autobiographical account of his personal rescue mission to restore a lost world through his Son. Every verse contributes to that message.

The Bible is not a pep talk. It is good news.

http://theresurgence.com/2011/03/31/transform-your-bible-reading

Foto: http://labibliaweb.com/?p=12901

Morning's Here

2011-03-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

La verdad es que no soy muy afecta a las mañanas; recalco el “muy”. Cuando escucho los comerciales que anuncian las especiales para los “early birds” me pregunto: ¿y esos locos quienes son?, ¿quién en su cabal razón no prefiere quedarse descansando en casa que ir por la madrugada a una tienda? Me justifico un poco: no porque no me guste el sol de la mañana, y más después de una noche muy fría; el aroma del café que anuncia las nuevas posibilidades o sacarle el mejor provecho a mi diminuta mente, porque se habrán dado cuenta que uno alcanza la mayor "brillantez" en las primeras horas, y entrecomillemos esta palabra o encerrémosla en signos de interrogación, o sea, para el resto del día no servimos para mucho, sino porque le batallo una inmensidad despejarme del sueño y agarrarle el ritmo a las primeras horas de la mañana. Porque será muy difícil que algún día me vean cantado jubilosamente “Morning’s Here…”, ni al alba corriendo en la playa con la mayor de las sonrisas respirando el aire fresco, justo al abrir los ojos me presentaré delante de Dios (Salmo 5:3) para que despeje mi mal humor, le dé una nueva perspectiva a mi día y me recuerde por qué y para qué urge me levante lo más pronto posible.

Foto: http://local.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=27814298&page=print

Pide

2011-03-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Porque Dios nos ha dado el grande privilegio de pedir por ellos, de intervenir para su bien dondequiera que estén, conoce cómo hacerlo, qué palabras alinear con tus pensamientos dirigidos a ellos. Te habrá pasado que aunque mantengas a estas personas en tu corazón muchas veces no has sabido darle especificidad a tu velada. Por su firmeza, por su perfección y porque estén completos en todo lo que Dios quiere (Colosenses 4:12), pide.

Foto: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=4694846

Todo procede de Dios

2011-03-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

Porque nunca sobra recordar que sin importar el tipo de papel por ejecutar la responsabilidad nunca tendrá motivo para cesar: "Pero en el Señor, ni el varón es sin la mujer, ni la mujer sin el varón; porque así como la mujer procede del varón, también el varón nace de la mujer; pero todo procede de Dios." 1 Corintios 11 y 12.

Y mínimo recordemos doblemente en un día del año las misericordias que nos corresponden hacia las que continuán en opresión; y las gracias por los instrumentos de Dios que nos han extendido la mano cuando estabamos por olvidar que para Él no hay distinción.

Foto: http://www.laborphotos.cornell.edu/agreement_browse.php?cPath=24_54&browse=1&Kheel=742d30iuj9fc3hn5312q9cvvc7

Is Jesus the Only Way?

2011-03-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

En toda su extensión

2011-03-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

Me sucede que crecí entre un mar de términos bíblicos. Desde mi más remoto recuerdo las Sagradas Escrituras están presentes en mi más íntimo alrededor. Quizá muy cercanos en presencia pero perfectos desconocidos en ese peculiar espacio donde se procesa y asimila toda razón. Con gran tristeza –y un vergonzoso asombro- compruebo que aunque muchos de estos salen de mi boca con naturalidad y con perfecta precisión en el ritmo de la conversación, estos no tienen raíz; los desconozco por completo cuando los repaso en cámara lenta fuera de mí, en distancia a su lugar de confort.

Gracias a todos aquellos que al haberme amado desde pequeña les abrieron la puerta de mi casa a todas estas palabras de vida. Veía este mar sobrio sin ningún entusiasmo por navegar, pero mientras pasaron mis días, entendí mejor a estas personas, su devoción por invitarme a acercarme a él. Pues cómo no maravillarme de su color, aterrarme y emocionarme con la agudeza de su profundidad y añorar nunca jamás desaparezca de la vista de mi comedor.

Este pensamiento surgió de una definición sobre el arrepentimiento que vi en internet. Habrá muchos ejemplos que podríamos compartir, pero por ahora éste se prestó para meditar. Qué significa en toda su extensión arrepentirse:

True repentance is: 1.Confession – mind & mouth 2. Contrition – emotions & expressions 3. Change – will & works.

El verdadero arrepentimiento consiste en: 1. Confesar (con la mente y los labios) 2. Manifestar arrepentimiento en emoción y expresión y, 3) Cambiar (en voluntad y en hechos).

Foto: http://readmeansrun.com/blog/2008/01/tide.html

Hablarás

2011-02-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

"Les hablarás, pues, mis palabras, escuchen o dejen de escuchar..."

Ezequiel 2:7

Foto: http://www.joeydevilla.com/2010/11/22/closing-time/

Karen’s Letter and the Missionary Heart

2011-02-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Pastor,

You should only be opening this in the event of death.

When God calls there are no regrets. I tried to share my heart with you as much as possible, my heart for the nations.

I wasn’t called to a place; I was called to Him.

To obey was my objective, to suffer was expected, His glory my reward, His glory my reward ….

THE MISSIONARY HEART

Cares more than some think is wise
Risks more than some think is safe
Dreams more than some think is practical
Expects more than some think is possible

I was called not to comfort or to success but to obedience ….

There is no Joy outside of knowing Jesus and serving Him. I love you and my church family.

In His care,

Salaam, Karen

Foto: http://anujabhaskar.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

Tu Bandera

2011-02-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Para el fin de semana, de Jesús Adrián Romero.

"Y su bandera sobre mí fue amor."

Cantares 2:4

Llorar

2011-02-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

Llorar, sí, llorar como es necesario llorar. Cómo quisiera Dios mío, cómo me gustaría aprender contigo a llorar:

Por mi miseria llorar, sí, llorar por mí, llorar por ti, por nosotros, por esta atmosfera de arrogancia decidida a ahogarnos a todos juntos.

Llorar y llorar por estos ojos nublados, por todo corazón afanado en dejarse llevar en este caudal a desembocar lejos de ti, en oscuridad eterna sin Tu calor.

“Y cuando llegó cerca de la ciudad, al verla, lloró sobre ella, diciendo: ¡Oh, si también tú conocieses, a lo menos en este tu día, lo que es para tu paz! Mas ahora está encubierto de tus ojos. Porque vendrán días sobre ti, cuando tus enemigos te rodearán con vallado, y te sitiarán, y por todas partes te estrecharán, y te derribarán a tierra, y a tus hijos dentro de ti, y no dejarán en ti piedra sobre piedra, por cuanto no conociste el tiempo de tu visitación.” Lucas 19: 41-44

Foto: http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-out-of-the-rain-iran/

2011-02-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

Aprovechando el tema del mes:

Use your head in managing yourself. Use your heart in managing others/ Con la mente administra tu vida. La de prójimo, con el corazón.

-Rick Warren

Foto: http://myspace-fusion.com/graphics/photography/index.php?page=11

Lo recto

2011-02-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Tenemos mucho miedo en reconocer la verdad que nos acusa como seres de mal, para muchas otras cosas seremos muy osados, pero para esto muy pocos. Nos aterra siquiera pensar hasta qué grado hemos afectado a los demás por las innumerables veces que hemos fallado. Nos sentimos baluartes independientes, como si fuéramos piezas de dominó jugando solos. Porque, ¿qué tipo de monstruos seríamos si reconociésemos la real intención de todos nuestros actos?, nos preguntamos. ¿Cómo podría residir en mí tanto mal? Es que no sabía lo que hacía, me excuso; no fue para tanto, le animo a los agredidos aceptar; es que… no fue mi intención. Pero el hecho…hecho está. Y sobra decir sobre lo consciente e intencionado.

“De tal palo tal astilla” dicen. Las circunstancias externas, las que te circundan son las culpables de tu condición. Eres la víctima y nada más.

¿Habrá pensado así Asa, el rey de Judá? Tenía a su disposición todas las tangentes posibles. Como hijo de Abiam, y nieto de Roboam, reyes que nos muestra la Biblia, “hicieron lo malo ante los ojos de Jehová”, Asa pudo haber obrado mal y sin preocupación alguna hacer el falso intento de echar toda culpabilidad sobre ellos. Pero decidió por la osadía, postrarse ante los pies de Jehová, “hacer lo recto ante los ojos de Jehová, como David su padre” y se aferró a su real y mejor herencia en su tatarabuelo David, rey que caminó conforme a los preceptos y mandamientos de Dios.

Y Asa reinó cuarenta y un años en Jerusalén.

1 Reyes 15:9-24

Foto: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7537227@N03/4271082157/

¿Cobardes los que están en Jesucristo?

2011-02-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

"Id; he aquí yo os envío como corderos en medio de lobos".

Lucas 10:3

Foto: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/photographer-jim-brandenurg/

Porque sol... es Jehová

2011-02-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Existe un tramo de aproximadamente dos kilómetros de mi viaje hacia el trabajo que me recuerda un versículo de la Biblia analizado en un artículo que recientemente leí; por recomendación de una prima. Este texto no habla sobre carreteras o rendición de carros, habla de la soledad. Mi carretera va directo al mar, al Pacífico siempre frío, estoy por reclamarme no haber cargado con un abrigo, mis manos están frías y me recorren escalofríos por la espalda, y viene el momento en que vira al sur. Es ahí donde el Sol despierta por mi oriente, como si me estuviera esperando. Apago la calefacción y sonrío con los cosquilleos sobre mis brazos, mi cara, de las partículas de calor que me empiezan a inundar.

El versículo que nos comparten en el artículo dice así: “Porque sol y escudo es Jehová Dios…” (Salmo 84:11). Sea en medio de multitudes o en perfecta quietud aislada, el único que ha venido a mi vida como un verdadero Sol es Jesús, los demás, han resultado iluminación artificial: borrosos y sin calor.

Te recomiendo este artículo sobre la soledad: “My Battles with Lonliness”.

Foto: http://richardxthripp.thripp.com/2008/11/photo-the-golden-highway/

Thy Mercy, My God

2011-02-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

By Sandra McCracken

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,

The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue;

Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,

Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.

En tiempo aceptable te he oído

2011-01-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

“Gracias te damos, oh Dios, gracias te damos, pues cercano está tu nombre”… me detengo; detengámonos en esta última porción. Estrechemos las manos, ¡estrechemos las manos y roguemos nos alcance mientras estemos a tiempo!

Salmo 75:1

Foto: http://desconexion-sideral.blogspot.com/2009/04/reloj-de-arena.html

Trayendo a la memoria la fe

2011-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

“La cabeza de Juan el Bautista” (Mt 6:24), le dice Herodías a su hija pida al Rey Herodes quien le ofrece como presente lo que quiera, hasta la mitad de su reino, después de haberle visto bailar. No le aconseja demandar un gran castillo, joyas, o ningún tipo de bien sino, un asesinato. Y la hija lo pide; tan grande es la influencia de su madre, que la Biblia confirma así fue como Juan murió. Caso contrario el peso que tuvieron en Timoteo las enseñanzas de su madre y abuela. Discípulo de Pablo en las aflicciones y padecimientos por amor a la propagación del evangelio de Dios. Dos testimonios muy distintos. Dos historias que nos demuestran el impacto que una madre puede tener en un hijo. La ruta final que un hijo tome es evidente no recae en la decisión de una madre, porque bien conocemos en cada uno reside el libre albedrío, el dar cuentas de cada una de nuestras decisiones. Pero las manos de una madre moldean, sea para mal o para bien si se siembra con esperanza y fe.

Hace unos días me tocó asistir a un “Baby Shower” donde escuché esta reflexión. Me pregunto si cada madre conoce que así como puede estar nutriendo para bendición también lo puede estar haciendo para destrucción.

"... trayendo a la memoria la fe no fingida que hay en ti, la cual habitó primero en tu abuela Loida, y en tu madre Eunice, y estoy seguro que en ti también."

2 Timoteo 1:5

Foto: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/feminist_art_base/gallery/joanne_leonard.php?i=2708

Más que un simple café

2011-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

Me encontro con este pensamiento y veo retratados esos pequeños momentos que sin ser extraordinarios permiten mi día se llene de colores. Esas pequeñas pausas que le aportan mayor dimensión. Porque Dios en mis actividades cotidianas y aparentemente triviales está:

"Cada mañana cuando abro la bolsa de café, lo huelo, lo pongo a filtrarse y disfruto el primer sorbo, me doy cuenta que la actividad más ordinaria se puede convertir en un acto profundo de adoración." –Jesús Adrian Romero.

Foto: http://tagirov.deviantart.com/art/coffee-92182188

Fight for Joy

2011-01-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

No quiero dejar pasar la oportunidad de compartirles un libro que me ha traído grandes enseñanzas. Sé que es Dios quien lo puso en mis manos en el tiempo preciso. Es en inglés, pero aún así espero se animen a leerlo porque, como dice el autor, es vital pelear por nuestro gozo en el Señor. Es un mandamiento, no una sugerencia, luchar por permanecer en el gozo que Dios nos ha regalado en Cristo. Porque más glorificas a Dios cuando encuentras mayor satisfacción en Él.

Aquí el libro para descargar (dar click en el título):

When I Don't Desire God

How to Fight for Joy

By John Piper

I carry your heart

2011-01-20T16:12:00.001-08:00

Un poema muy conocido pero de los que no me canso de leer y releer. Para todos aquellos amigos, familiares y mucho más que, con su sola existencia, refrescan las duras aguas de este tumulto de mar.

By E. E. Cummings

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in
my heart) I am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)

Foto: http://www.resurgemus.com/archives/2007/01/monday_monday.php

Nunca os conocí

2011-01-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Fue como chorro de agua fría; helada mejor describirá la sensación. No me cabía lo que decía el pastor. Mi corazón empezó a palpitar mucho, entre incrédulo y confundido. ¿Entendí bien? Rebobinar audio. Sí, sí fue lo que dijo.

¿Cómo es que él la imaginó como esposa?, ¿cómo es que ella empezó una vida junto a un pastor, un evangelista, como lo más natural? Cómo es que viviendo bajo el mismo techo juntos, orado de rodillas, apretando con fuerza sus manos, tantas, innumerables veces; pronunciado de sus labios al unísono: “Dios mío (...) en el nombre de nuestro Salvador y Señor Jesucristo, amén”; haber compartido de las historias transformadoras de la Biblia a sus propios hijos como ejemplos a imitar; intercambiado opiniones y anotaciones sobre las predicaciones de los domingos. Gestar ideas, remembrar experiencias, planear misiones en los desayunos; dar gracias a Dios por lo vivido en las cenas. ¿Cómo es que esto pasa? A ella… a la esposa de un predicador de las buenas nuevas de Dios.

Decía este pastor de su mujer que después una de sus predicaciones sobre el evangelio, y de las cuales ella había escuchado inumerables veces, le pregunta una vez en el carro camino a casa: "Paul... ¿tú crees que soy salva?"

Les invito a analizar el testimonio de Charo Washer, la esposa de Paul Washer, uno de los pastores estadunidenses actuales con una pasión extraordinaria por la proclamación del único y verdadero evangelio de Dios. En específico para este post: para los que viviendo engañados, creyéndose de Cristo bajo el escudo de lo que no saben se ha convertido en religión, no les llegue el día en que escuchen de los mismos labios de Dios: "Nunca os conocí; apartaos de mí..."

Versión resumida en español y en voz de Paul Washer:

Versión en inglés y en voz de Charo Washer:

Algo que decir

2011-01-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

Something to say- Starfield

Mi Dios no está distante. A veces olvido esta realidad. Me tiene mucha tiene paciencia, y se sienta frente a mí a despejar mis dudas. Cuando ni en palabras puedo externar mis confusiones, él conoce mis pensamientos y me otorga las respuestas que podré digerir.

Les comparto esta canción muy valiente a mi parecer. Expresa a Dios lo que muchas veces nos callamos por miedo a ofenderle. Pero contrario a lo que esperamos, él siempre tiene respuestas al corazón que abrumado por encontrar la salida le busca humillado.

"Where Is Your Faith?"

2011-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

By Jon Bloom

Why did Jesus still the storm? Imagine what the disciples might have been thinking a half-hour later.

* * *

The sea was quiet now. And there was just breeze enough to push the boat along.

The disciples were quiet too. Andrew was steering. He had taken over for Peter, who sat wrapped in a cloak, exhausted and lost in thought. He had been soaked to the skin. Others were bailing out the remaining water.

Jesus was sleeping again.

James leaned on the bow gunwale watching reflections dance on benign waves. He was trying to absorb what he had just seen.

James knew this sea. He and John had spent most of their lives on or in it. His father was a fisherman. So were most of his male kin and friends. His mind flashed the faces of some of them who had drowned in unpredictable Galilean windstorms like the one that had pummeled them barely a half-hour ago.

A seasoned boatman, James was not alarmed easily. But he knew a man-eater when he saw it. This storm had opened its mouth to swallow them all into the abyss.

Terror had been in John’s eyes when he grabbed James and yelled, “We have to tell the Master!” They stumbled to the stern. How Jesus had remained sleeping while the angry surf tossed the boat around was itself a wonder. They woke him screaming, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”1

James would never forget the way Jesus looked at him. His eyes were at once potent and tranquil. Not a trace of fear. Laying aside the blanket, Jesus rose to full height on the rear deck. James, fearing Jesus was about to be pitched overboard, reached to grab him just as Jesus shouted, “Peace! Be still!”2

No sooner had those words left his mouth than the wind was completely gone! The sudden hush of the howling was otherworldly. The waves immediately began to abate. Each disciple stood where he was, looking dumbfounded at the water and sky and each other.

Jesus’ gaze lingered for a moment on the steep hills along the western shore. Then he looked around at the Twelve and said, “Where is your faith?”3

He had looked right at James when he said “faith.”

Now, as James leaned on the bow, he turned Jesus’ question over and over in his mind.

“Where is your faith?” When Jesus first said it, James felt its intended rebuke. Didn’t he trust God? Wasn’t the Father with Jesus? He had thought he believed this. But the storm proved that all the confidence he felt when the pressure was off was fair-weather faith. The Galilean westerlies had swept it away. He felt chastened and humbled.

But the more James thought about the question, the more profound it became. “Where is your faith?” Where is it, James? When the storm hit, what did you trust? I trusted what my eyes saw. I trusted what my skin felt. I trusted the violent force that was tossing the boat like a toy and would have rolled us over any minute. I trusted the stories told by my father. I trusted the tragedies I remember. I trusted the power of the storm because storms kill people.

Up until a few minutes before, this would have merely seemed like common sense. But Jesus had changed everything.

As James looked back to the sleeping Jesus, the Psalmist’s words came to mind:

For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
Who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.4

Who then is this?5 Someone who can command a killer storm to die when he pleases. Holy fear washed over him again. However, this fear didn’t produce panic, but a deep, unnerving, reverent joy.

* * *

When the storm was raging and Jesus was sleeping, which looked more powerful?

This is an important picture to remember, because when the storms of life hit they almost always appear stronger to us than God’s word. And the important question to ask at that moment is, where is your faith?

Notes

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/where-is-your-faith?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+DGBlog+(DG+Blog)

Wishing you a blessed weekend

Foto: http://www.crystalyacht.com/

Haciendo memoria en oraciones

2011-01-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

"... para que el Dios de nuestro Señor Jesucristo... os dé espíritu de sabiduría y de revelación en el conocimiento de él, alumbrando los ojos de vuestro entendimiento, para que sepáis cuál es la esperanza a que él os ha llamado (...)

2 Corintios 1: 17 y 18

Foto:http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalrural/1092856888/

Vuélvenos

2011-01-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

Vuélvenos, oh Jehová, a ti, y nos volveremos;

renueva nuestros días como al principio.

Lamentaciones 5:21

Qué triste y maravillosa la primera palabra de este verso. Triste en mí, pues revela mi real esencia y maravillosa, en bondad de Dios.Vuélvenos dice, no volvemos o nos esmeraremos para engendrar el espíritu de volver. Qué inútil mi reflejo cada vez que me veo en este espejo. No está en nosotros el volver, qué decir del andar en el camino al que nos ha vuelto. Como aquella otra parte escrita para traer luz a nuestro oscuro conocimiento: "... produce en nosotros el querer..."

Conforme pasa mi vida toma mayor dimensión aquel pensamiento declarado con total convicción "... para respirar Señor, inclusive para respirar te necesito".

Foto: http://www.allposters.es/-sp/Mountain-Climbers-Reaching-Summit-Posters_i2645616_.htm

Getting to the Bottom of Your Joy

2011-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Llegando al fondo de nuestro gozo. Una pregunta aterradora pero vital a preguntar.

Empieza John Piper invitándonos a reflexionar: Digamos que alguien experimenta gozo al sacar un 10 de calificación. Le preguntamos por qué le da gusto sacar esa calificación, y frente a un abánico de múltiples respuestas posibles, entre alegrar a sus padres, ver concretados sus esfuerzos, recibir felicitaciones de su maestro(a), etc, decide es muy necesaria la calificación para tener acceso a un posgrado; tal vez uno en psicología. Ahora, le preguntamos por qué es importante entrar a estudiar un posgrado en psicología. La persona responde será un instrumento para ayudar a los demás. Pensar en la posibilidad de ser fuente de apoyo a los demás le trae gozo. Podríamos continuar preguntándole por qué ayudar a los demás le traé gozo, pero quizá ya hemos llegado al final; ya no hay respuestas. La persona ha llegado al fondo, a uno vacío.

Preguntémonos: ¿Qué o quién me motiva? ¿Quién es la fuente de mi gozo?, ¿acaso seré yo? ¿Busco a Dios para albarme a mi mismo, para que me llene de sus bendiciones y sea yo el beneficiado y en segundo lugar queden Su gloria y Su honra?

Andemos con mucho cuidado.

Aquí la predicación MUY RECOMENDADA: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/getting-to-the-bottom-of-your-joy

Fail Fast

2011-01-07T22:42:00.000-08:00

Está por terminar mi día y el Pastor Rick Warren nos comparte esta frase vía Twitter: "Life is short, so FAIL FAST in order to learn what works. Then do it while you still have the energy. Easier: Obey God's Word." / "La vida es corta, fracasa pronto y conoce lo que sí funciona. Entonces, hazlo mientras goces de energía. Más fácil: Obedece La Palabra de Dios." Yo la tomo, pues mentiría si dijera que nunca me he abstenido de nada sin miedo a caer. Peligroso es nuestro reducido espacio de confort. Inmóvil y sin brillo perecerá.

Foto: http://musingsofanightowl.blogspot.com/2009_08_16_archive.html

The Gospel Song - An Animation

2011-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

By His death I live again.

Wise men still seek Him

2011-01-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

Me pasa que no encontré ninguna fotografía que representase a mi gusto el supuesto día en que los magos encontraron a Jesús guiados por la estrella del oriente. Digo supuesto porque parece que no fue por estas fechas y no porque no crea en el hecho. Y no es en el día exacto de la celebración oficial que parto la rosca, sino una después; llega tarde pero muy colorida y sin sueño. Pero bueno, sea que tenga la fotografía perfecta o la más fea, prepare el chocolate caliente un día antes o después para compartirlo con un pedazo de rosca, lo que sí me trajo una sonrisa es la frase quizá comercializada para algunos, pero a mi parecer muy acertada y digna de utilizar; la del título de este post: "Los hombres sabios lo siguen buscando" (a Dios). Por qué, para qué buscarlo... yo respondo: "Porque ¿en quién más está la vida?"

Porque escudo es la ciencia, y escudo es el dinero:

mas la sabiduría excede en que da vida á sus poseedores.

Eclesiastés 7:12

Hasta aquí

2011-01-01T04:46:00.002-08:00

Fresh start

2010-12-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

Just so you know, your hope is not in the fresh start of a new year, but in the fresh starts and new beginnings purchased on the cross/ Para que sepas: la esperanza de recomenzar no yace en el nuevo año, sino en el nuevo inicio y camino comprados ya en la cruz. -@PaulTripp (via Twitter).

Foto: http://bibleseo.com/luke/conditions-christian-discipleship/

3, 2, 1...

2010-12-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

Parece que mis vacaciones se han tranquilizado un poco; tengo la oportunidad de recostarme en cama a escribir dentro de un espacio de tiempo entre melancólico y feliz. Hoy despido a parte de mi familia que regresó a casa y me quedo con la otra compartiendo un chocolate caliente a sorbos lentos y tristes pues sentimos que a vuelta de esquina están ya las obligaciones. Aterriza la burbuja mágica de apretujarnos en familia en la cena de Noche Buena y el recalentado de Navidad; de desayunar a mediodía, rentar películas y verlas hasta el amanecer, y pasear a los lugares de siempre pero nunca iguales porque ahora vamos todos. Pero me quedo con la parte más preciada, esa que siempre está presente en mi corazón aunque pasen las fiestas de fin de año: Agradecer de nuevo a Dios, y por siempre alabar, se haya humillado a venir a tierra a amarnos hasta la cruz en Cristo hombre. Este es el mejor regalo que jamás haya abierto.

Y viene el fin de año, y pido ser valiente. Estas palabras a veces cuestan, y tal vez todo, pero aun así pasan los días y me doy cuenta que no hay otra forma de vivir de un creyente. Después de todo, y al final, mi tesoro por el cual debo pelear jamás estuvo aquí.

Animémonos a ser valientes, a pedir perdón de corazón y a levantarnos. Un sincero abrazo para este 2011.

Foto: http://gizmodo.com/5439797/25-shots-of-a-happy-new-year

Al mundo paz...

2010-12-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

nació Jesús.

(Y también con mucho cariño Marcel detrás de la cámara).

How Not to Serve God in Going and Sending

2010-12-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Se los recomiendo mucho:

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/how-not-to-serve-god-in-going-and-sending

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

2010-12-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

La gracia sea con todos los que aman a nuestro Señor Jesucristo con amor inalterable. Amén.

Efesios 6:24

Pedazo de cielo

2010-12-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Vengo de un padre despistado, pero sólo en lo común. No le confíes mucho el código ultra secreto de tu caja fuerte porque seguro en un par de minutos lo olvidará, pero sí derrama en sus manos tu espíritu. Ese nunca lo soltará. Sabrá qué aconsejarte y dónde encontrar la solución. Con frecuencia sabe qué viene pues reside en él un corazón sabio. Es un hombre de pocas palabras, pero cuando las deja salir, es porque importan.

Me crió una madre de manos amorosas, de espíritu noble. Ella es mi vivo ejemplo que más valor cobra el mundo con el servicio de las personas que sirven de todo corazón en lo oculto que el lleno de palabras fatuas de eruditos con miles de distinciones oxidadas y empolvadas. No es de palabras condescendientes y así logra añores tenerla toda una vida.

Crecí junto a una hermana muy inquieta, un perfecto y delicado torbellino por doquier. Pero en medio del caos, encuentras en su centro, en el ojo, un mundo lleno de humildad y amistad. Privilegio es que te invite la acompañes en sus aventuras. Son experiencias que nunca olvidas. A ella le corresponde hacer sonreír los corazones. El mío cuando menos, lo hace constantemente a su lado.

De la más pequeña me separa más de una generación y siento como si no hace mucho la empezara a conocer. Sólo estaba en posición de asegurar en aquel entonces que la podías sobornar con un chocolate. Un See’s de preferencia. Pero ahora redescubro una mujer audaz y dispuesta. Me emociona contemplar su colorido, plástico, tridimensional, abstracto, etc., camino por recorrer. Pues a ella le gusta todo esto.

Y provengo de un Dios vivo que ha decidido regalarme “un pedazo de cielo” en esta tierra con esta mi familia. Hace varios años alguien me dijo esto y espero nunca olvidarlo.

Foto: http://www.itsmyheart.org/get-involved/volunteer/

Venimos a adorarle

2010-12-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

Cuando Jesús nació en Belén de Judea en días del rey Herodes, vinieron del oriente a Jerusalén unos magos, diciendo: ¿Dónde está el rey de los judíos, que ha nacido? Porque su estrella hemos visto en el oriente, y venimos a adorarle.

Mateo 2: 1 y 2

¿Es pagano el árbol de navidad?

2010-12-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

Por Pablo Santomauro

Uno de los símbolos navideños más atacado por algunas sectas y aún por algunos cristianos es el árbol de Navidad. La acusación central es que muchas civilizaciones del pasado adoraban o incluían árboles en su tradición mitológica. En la antigua Babilonia, por ejemplo, se usaba un árbol como parte de una liturgia relacionada con el mito de la resurrección de Tammuz, una deidad pagana. Debido a esto, concluyen algunos, que el árbol de Navidad es pagano y se debe considerar como una ofensa a Dios. ¿Es válido este argumento?

En realidad el razonamiento por el cual se llega a esta conclusión es erróneo. Lo único que prueba es que en tales ocasiones se utilizaba un árbol. En el estudio de la lógica esto se conoce como la falacia de culpabilidad por asociación. En otras palabras, el árbol de Navidad es declarado culpable simplemente porque un árbol se utilizaba en una celebración pagana.

Lo que debemos entender es que ciertas semejanzas en costumbres, tradiciones o ceremonias, no necesariamente implican semejanzas en el pensamiento o en el contenido. Permítanos usar una ilustración: cuando un cacique de los indios tarianos en el alto Amazonas muere, lo incineran y luego la tribu participa en una ceremonia donde se beben las cenizas de sus huesos mezcladas con vino. Ellos piensan que al beber la poción adquieren así el poder y la virtud del fallecido. Ceremonias como ésta son comunes en el mundo y en la historia. En algunas de ellas se llega hasta beber sangre. La pregunta que surge es, ¿mancha esto de paganismo la celebración que los cristianos conocemos como la Santa Cena o Cena del Señor? ¡Claro que no! Como tampoco el uso de un árbol en un rito pagano invalida el uso del árbol en la tradición navideña cristiana.

Aún suponiendo que la costumbre del árbol de Navidad hubiera sido tomada directamente de una ceremonia pagana (lo cual no es cierto), cuando el cristianismo le atribuye otro significado, la conexión con el paganismo queda cancelada.

Un ejemplo de interpretación bíblica deficiente.

Algunos hermanos, incluso alguno que se supone son maestros de la Palabra, han llegado a utilizar textos bíblicos aislados de los que omiten el contexto para justificar la aversión por el árbol de Navidad.

Uno de los pasajes más usados es Jeremías 10:1-5, donde Dios condena la creación de ídolos hechos de los árboles del bosque. Asociar el árbol de Navidad con este pasaje es leer en el texto algo que no existe, lo que constituye una violación de las reglas de la interpretación bíblica. Además, el sentido común nos indica que el contexto del pasaje no puede tener ninguna conexión con la Navidad ni con el árbol, ya que la tradición del árbol comenzó en Alemania aproximadamente dos mil años más tarde en el siglo XVI.

Jeremías no está profetizando acerca del paganismo a 2000 años de distancia en el futuro, sino denunciando la idolatría desenfrenada de su época. El profeta escribe a sus contemporáneos cautivos en Babilonia y los insta a mantenerse incontaminados del ambiente pagano que los rodeaba. Ninguna interpretación bíblica legítima permite el torcimiento de este pasaje con el propósito de asociarlo con el árbol de Navidad.

Pero alguien puede preguntar, ¿por qué se habla de adornar un árbol en este pasaje? Obviamente el pasaje no tiene nada que ver con decorar un árbol. La advertencia está relacionada con esculpir un ídolo con la madera del árbol (v.3). Mientras que los ricos podían fabricar ídolos de metales preciosos, los pobres tenían que contentarse con hacerlos de madera (Is. 40:19-20). La referencia a que son adornados con plata y oro es clara referencia en el idioma original a que el ídolo tallado del leño era laminado o cubierto con los metales preciosos (vv. 4, 9).

Es posible que aún alguien pueda objetar, ¿por qué Jeremías usa la palabra “leño” para referirse a un ídolo (v. 8)? Respuesta: El profeta está usando aquí una figura literaria llamada sinécdoque, en la cual se le da al producto terminado el mismo nombre del material usado en la fabricación. El leño se usa para esculpir un ídolo, y al ídolo una vez terminado, se le continúa llamando “leño”. De la misma forma, la Biblia llama “madero” a la cruz donde murió Cristo, porque la materia prima que se usaba para hacer una cruz era un madero.

El verdadero origen de la Navidad

La creación del árbol de Navidad fue el resultado de la combinación de dos símbolosde matiz espiritual. El primero fue el árbol del paraíso, adornado con manzanas, que representaba el árbol de la Vida (Gn. 2:9; 3:24). El segundo fue una repisa triangular decorada con motivos navideños, entre ellos la estrella que guió a los magos desde el oriente hasta Judea. De la combinación de estos símbolos, ambos de contenido espiritual, nació el árbol de Navidad. La tradición le adjudica a Martín Lutero la idea de agregarle luces, representando a Jesucristo, la luz del mundo. Como vemos, el origen del árbol de Navidad no tiene nada que ver con el paganismo ni con la idolatría.

Sin embargo, a pesar de lo ya expuesto, nosotros respetamos la posición de aquellos que ven en el árbol de Navidad algo incompatible con la fe cristiana. Así mismo exhortamos a estos hermanos a no juzgar a aquellos que incorporan el árbol a sus celebraciones. Los cristianos no debemos enfocarnos en diferencias de aspecto secundario, lo que en nada edifica, y por el contrario, ocasiona contiendas.

http://casadeoracionmexico.info/blog/?p=689

Foto: http://www.shorpy.com/node/2119

Intercession - Eric Ludy

2010-12-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Lo vi en un blog que sigo y me pareció muy importante compartirlo.

El Perú es Patricia

2010-12-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Mario Vargas Llosa homenajeando a su familia.

Para el resto de su discurso puedes bajarlo en: http://www.elpais.com/elpaismedia/ultimahora/media/201012/07/cultura/20101207elpepucul_1_Pes_PDF.pdf

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by MercyMe

2010-12-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

Les comparto una de mis canciones favoritas de Navidad.

Que este último fragmento del año lo experimentemos con un corazón agradecido y lleno de paz.

Sobre el sufrimiento

2010-12-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

10 Ways the Doctrine of Suffering Is Mistaught

By Mark Driscoll

There are enumerable examples of bad teaching. I’ll give you ten ways in which the doctrine of suffering is mistaught, thereby corrupting your instinct to use it for a witness.

1. “Suffering is avoided by you having a lot of faith.”

There is something called faith teaching, which is actually faithless teaching. It is unfaithful teaching which says, “If you have enough faith, you won’t get sick and you won’t be broke. You’ll be healthy and wealthy.” The logical conclusion is that if someone is suffering as a Christian, we should not comfort them. We should rebuke them because they are sin and if they had enough faith, they would be rich and healthy; yet, we see in Scripture there are people who have great faith in God, like Job, Paul and Jesus Christ who is God himself, and they suffer. They also experience poverty, hardship, loneliness, and they weep.

The sickest example I can give you from my own experience was a pastor that I knew of who taught, “If you have enough faith, you will not get sick and you will be healthy”, until his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he was left with a dilemma. “Should I change my theology, which is wrong and comfort my wife or will I hold to my erroneous theology and rebuke her for her cancer?” And I grievously report to you that that man publically rebuked his own wife for not having enough faith to beat cancer as she was dying. That is demonic.

2. “Suffering automatically makes you a victim.”

My fear is when I teach on suffering, all who have or are suffering will simply declare, “I am suffering. Therefore, I’m like Jesus.” No, you’re not. Jesus was without sin. You and I, we have tons of sin. And, sometimes, we suffer because of our sin, right? If you disrespect your boss, you will suffer unemployment. Right? If you are cruel to your spouse, you will suffer a divorce. If you eat and drink too much, you will suffer physical ailment. And in those moments, you can’t say, “I’m like Jesus.” You can’t. You must say, “I’ve sinned and I’ve reaped what I’ve sewn.

3. “Suffering is a punishment for a sin.”

God can discipline his people and punish non-Christians for sin, but there is not always a correlation between suffering and a sin. There is an example in the Bible where a man is born blind and some followers of Jesus ask him, “Is he blind because of his parent’s sin or his sin?” Jesus says, “Neither. He’s blind that the glory of God might be revealed in him.” God is doing something altogether different with that man, and his suffering is purposeful, not purposeless, but it’s not the consequence of anyone’s sin.

4. “Suffering is not to be pursued.”

The early church had some erroneous teaching where probably well meaning Christians realize, “Suffering purifies us and identifies us with Jesus”; therefore, they tried to suffer. They pursued suffering. Some of you do. You deny yourself Godly pleasure. You deny yourself any sort of fun or joy. When there is a conflict or a difficulty, you insert yourself that you might have something that is painful so that you might use it to be sanctified. And while it looks holy, it’s unholy. It’s pride which says, “I do not trust God to bring into my life his divine appointments of suffering. Therefore, I will help him by pursuing my own.”

We would not encourage anyone to pursue suffering. What we are saying is when it comes, either from the hand of God or through the hand of God, when it comes, suffer well. Suffer well.

5. “Suffering is to be avoided at all cost.”

Some of you make your decisions based upon, “What will be the path of least resistance? What will cause the least conflict, least pain, least friction, least hardship, least suffering? Then that’s what I’ll do.” And, sometimes, God calls us to hardship. Sometimes, God calls us to pain. Sometimes, God calls us to suffering. And had Jesus chosen the path without suffering, we would be dead in our sins and he would not have left the comforts of Heaven to come into the suffering of the earth.

One author says it well. He says, “I would rather have a bumpy ride to Heaven than a smooth ride to hell.” And I think he’s right.

6. “Suffering is excused because God uses it.”

I hear some Christians who are unrepentant. They will sin and then God uses it for something good and they say, “Well, I know it wasn’t that great, but God used it so it must be okay with God.”

I’ll give you one example. I was having a terse dialogue with a father who, literally, growing up, beat his sons. And he said, “Well, they grew up to be good boys, and they’re strong, and they’re masculine, and they have dignity, and they have courage, and they have toughness, so, you know, the beating wasn’t a bad thing.” I said, “That is a testimony to the goodness of God the Father, not to you as their father. That you are a wicked, evil, sinful man who did an atrocious thing in beating his sons. And if you don’t repent of that, you will go to hell because unrepentant people go to hell and you are a man who’s living an unrepentant life of all of your sin, and you keep making stupid theological arguments like, “Well, God used it, so he must think it was fine.” Just because God uses something, that doesn’t justify the sin. That means that God is good, even when we are bad, but that does not justify our evil.

7. “Suffering is an excuse to passively allow injustice and evil.”

I have heard some people say, “I know they’re doing wrong and I know they’re doing evil, but God is using it to teach me good things, so I praise God for it.” No, you must also resist evil, pursue justice.

I had this conversation with a wife whose husband was beating her. I said, “What in the world are you doing remaining with a man who beats you and your children?” She said, “But, God is teaching me so much through this and I’m growing in my relationship with Jesus.” I said, “Well, praise be to God and be sanctified, but call the police. Have him arrested and thrown in jail. He, too, needs to be sanctified, not just you.”

We cannot allow people to continually sin in the name of our sanctification. We also must confront them and rebuke them and, when necessary, take legal recourse.

8. “Suffering is, for us, an act of atonement, not an act of sanctification.”

God is not making us pay him back for our sin. When we sin, God is not making us come good on our debt. And some of you, I fear when you suffer, you think, “Okay, God is beating me now because I have sinned, and that’s okay. If God beats me enough, maybe he will then love me.” No. Jesus died for your sin. He’s been punished in your place. God is not making you pay him back. We don’t believe in karma. We don’t believe in penance. We don’t believe in purgatory. We believe in Jesus.

9. “Suffering can be fully understood in this life.”

I have read a large stack of books on suffering and evil over the years, philosophical and theological in nature, and what I will tell you is this. There are many aspects of suffering and particular illustrations of human beings’ lives that encountered much suffering that I simply will not answer because I have no answer, other than to say God is good and I trust him. And when the Bible says that we, “Know in part and we see in part”, that’s true. And that, “When we see Jesus, it’ll all make sense.” That’s true. When Paul asks elsewhere his rhetorical question, “Who has known the mind of the Lord?”, he’s not expecting any of us to raise our hand, but to simply say, “Not I.” There are things that you will not understand regarding even your personal suffering until you see the face of Jesus.

10. “Suffering is beyond the goodness of a sovereign God.”

Suffering is not beyond the goodness of a sovereign God. That God, ultimately, uses everything. That God, ultimately, works through everything. That God takes even that which is horrendous and eventually, because of his goodness and sovereign power, uses it for beauty. We believe that, and if we cease to believe that, we lose all hope. Romans 8:28, Paul says it this way. “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” In all things, God eventually works it out for his redemptive good. There’s an illustration of this in Genesis 50:20 where Joseph, looking at his brothers who sought to destroy him, said, “What you intended for me was evil, but God used it for good and the saving of many lives.”

The same thing happened with Jesus. Judas betrayed him. False witnesses came forward to falsely accuse him, and the greatest tragedy, injustice and evil in the history of the world was created and God used it for much good and the saving of many lives, including my own. And, occasionally, that ultimate redemptive good that will be fully unveiled in the Kingdom breaks forth into the earth so that you and I would have moments of hope and clarity that God is not done. That God will, ultimately, right all wrongs and straighten all that has been made crooked, and bring justice in the end.

As a coda to this sermon and others in the series, there was a video that told the remarkable story of Charlotte Elliott, which we posted yesterday.

For more, check out “God’s Hand in Our Suffering,” from the Redeeming Ruthseries, and “Suffering to Worship,” from the Trial series on 1 and 2 Peter.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-driscoll/10-ways-the-doctrine-of-suffering-is-mistaught/465881480517

Foto: http://www.boyofblue.com/cameras/hiv/photos/photo01.html#anchor

Vivaldi - Four Seasons (Winter)

2010-12-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

Feliz fin e inicio de semana.

Cuan grande es Dios- En espiritu y en verdad

2010-12-01T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hoy les comparto una canción de alabanza que conocí por mi hermana. Resulta que su novio un día la cantó en el templo en que se reúne los domingos. Canta muy bien, por cierto. Es una verdadera alegría tener en la familia a un cantante y músico; y más cuando lo hace con tanto amor para el Señor.Ya había escuchado esta canción en inglés pero por alguna razón me gustó más la versión en español. Será que más que las bellas voces y música, me anima mucho el fervor de estos jóvenes. Como desprenderse completamente de todo lo que los rodea y dedicarse en cuerpo y toda alma a estos minutos de alabanza a su Creador.

Dónde la inteligencia

2010-11-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

La verdad es que sí me preocupa recibir baldes y más baldes de todo tipo de información todos los días. Es natural, creo, querer conocer y entender lo mejor posible a mi mundo. Es cosa de atreverse a la primera pregunta para convertirse en un curioso irremediable. De un periódico a otro; la recomendación de un tweet; la noticia sugerida en facebook; la reflexión de un post en un blog, y así sucesivamente, se pasan las horas, se enrojecen los ojos y nos preguntamos por qué cada año nos aumenta la graduación de la vista. Qué bueno diré, que en algo útil se esté gastando. Pero, a la vez, también me inquieta el calibre y la calidad de mi filtro visual. ¿Todo lo que leo me será útil?, ¿con qué debo quedarme?, ¿estoy absorbiendo engaño o es esto real?, ¿me sirve; es de provecho –porque para desperdiciar el tiempo en cosas banales sobran las invitaciones-? En esto mismo sentido, he leído no sé cuántas veces el primer capítulo de Proverbios pero, como siempre pasa con los pasajes de la Biblia, le encontré nuevo sabor a una porción anteriormente revisada: el verso 4. Una vez más compruebo mi ignorancia y redescubro la palabra “sagacidad” a concederse a los simples si es que se someten a Jehová (verso 7). El sinónimo de esta palabra, la prudencia, me dice que es “discernir y distinguir lo que es bueno o malo, para seguirlo o huir de ello.”

Me quedo con la recomendación de buscar y atender a Jehová antes que a nada o nadie para reconocer entre lo bueno y lo malo. Esta es la clave, éste es mi filtro preciso.

Para dar sagacidad a los simples,

Y a los jóvenes inteligencia y cordura.

Foto: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36463157@N08/4483448809/

The Grace of God in our Circumstances

2010-11-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

Why you weren't Born as an Impoverished Child in an Unreached Nation

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 11:30 PM PST

By Michael Oh

Have you ever thought about why you were born into your particular circumstances? If you are reading this blog entry you are most likely a Christian whose life has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You are also likely relatively wealthy, at least compared to most people living in the world. If you have the ability to eat three times per day and have shelter over your head, you are better off than many people in the world. If you earn $25,000 per year, you are the richest 10% of the world. You are rich. In fact if you earn $2,200 per year you are the richest 15% of the world. If you reading this you are literate and likely had several years of education. If so you have received more education than hundreds of millions of people around the world. Perhaps you have gone to college, even graduate school.

So why? Why you? Why your particular circumstances? There are people around the world who might be asking the same questions. Wondering why they weren't born in America. Wondering why they can't eat three times per day, why they don't have the luxury of throwing food away. Wondering what it would be like to go to school or attend college or even read. Wondering what a warm bed feels like.

You could have been born as an impoverished child in an unreached nation. Perhaps as a girl born into a Muslim family where you would be forbidden to show anything beyond what can be seen through the eye slits of your veil and could be beaten if you disobeyed even the simplest command of your father. You could have been born in a remote village in Vietnam with little food or education and no opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You could have been born as a girl in Africa who will eventually be sold by your parents into sexual slavery. That could have been you.

But it's not you. Instead you were born into privileged circumstances. Blessed physically, educationally, financially, and spiritually. Why? Only by the grace of God. What is our response then to such blessing and grace?

Certainly God calls us to be thankful. But too few of us are. We take for granted the blessings that we have received from God. Instead of thanksgiving for what we have received, we complain about and lust after the things that we don't have. We covet what our neighbors have. We idolize material things. We are surrounded by clear, tangible, practical blessings from God that should be so easily recognized and enjoyed. But our eyes and hearts are too often and too easily diverted toward what we don't have by the power and persuasion of advertising and social pressure. Lord, forgive us for our lack of thanksgiving!

And another crucial response to God's blessings and grace in our lives should be to look to share with those in need. Rather than looking at our own circumstances and then the unfortunate circumstances of others and saying, "Thank God I'm not them!" We need to recognize that our circumstances are by the grace of God alone in order that the grace of God might spread from us to others. This is certainly true in care of the global poor. If Christians would simply tithe it is said that the global church would have sufficient funds to solve world poverty. Many Christians in developed nations of the world are growing more and more wealthy. But at the same time as wealth grows, the percentage of giving is decreasing. Giving among Christians was higher during the Great Depression than it is today. That shows that many Christians see offering as more of a tax than an act of worship and a response of thanksgiving.

But even more important is the response of sharing spiritual blessing with the unreached peoples of the world. If YOU were born into a fundamentalist Islamic family what would YOU want Christians in America to do? If YOU were born into a family of a Shinto priest, how would YOU want Christians in America to respond? Knowing what you know today, certainly you would want them to share with you about eternal life through the Savior of the world Jesus Christ. Certainly you would want them to bring the Gospel to their nation and teach them about salvation for their souls and about eternal life. Certainly you would want churches and Christians in other nations to sacrifice financially to send missionaries to teach you the Bible, God's Word to this world.

But again, by the grace of God, you WEREN'T born into those circumstances. You were born into your own. So you can ignore what COULD HAVE BEEN and just continue in the circumstances you have been given by God's grace. Or you can choose to recognize that you are who you are, that you are saved, that you are blessed, that you are undeservedly loved— only by the grace of God— and choose to do all that is in your power to help those in need. To invest the blessing of your education for those who have none. To invest the blessing of your finances to help those who have little or none. To invest your spiritually blessed life to help those around the world who are lost without Christ to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Takanori Oba is a young man who was born in Japan, the largest unreached nation of the world. He was born to a father who when he would get drunk took out his anger by beating his son and throwing golf balls at his head. In the evening when his father returned to their apartment Takanori would quickly turn out his light and pretend to be sleeping hoping to avoid a whipping by his father's belt. Perhaps you are thinking, "Thank God that I wasn't born into a life like his." Eventually Takanori and his mother escaped their father and home to start a new life. Years later the grace of God reached down to Takanori Oba and saved his soul. He later became the first graduate of Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya, Japan where I serve as president. During the second year of his studies he was able to visit his abusive father, seeing him for the first time in over 15 years. When he saw his father, God gave Taka a logic-defying compassion for the man who had caused him such pain.

Why was Takanori born into his circumstances? Was it a curse? No, it was the grace of God. And today Takanori is seeking to share that same grace with the father who abused him. That's what Takanori would have wanted if he were born into his father's circumstances. That's the Golden Rule.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-grace-of-god-in-our-circumstances-why-you-werent-born-as-an-impoverished-child-in-an-unreached-nation?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+DGBlog+(DG+Blog)

Gracias

2010-11-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Un pequeño espacio, aparte de los otros que compartimos, en donde te alabo y te suplico humilles siempre mi corazón para ser una mujer entendida y pueda así ver tu maravilloso, latente, precioso... o mejor dicho como Pablo, tu don inefable.

2 Corintios 9:15

Feliz acción de gracias les deseo.

Es añadidura

2010-11-24T16:20:00.000-08:00

Decía cierto hombre, a forma de paráfrasis, que lo único que quería era libertad de aquel pecado que tanto lo avergonzaba. Anhelaba desesperadamente no caer ya más. Pero no lo veía a Él; en su corazón no entendía que el peor mal que estaba cometiendo en vida era no amar a Dios con todo su corazón, mente y fuerzas. Que, como dice el verso, es éste el primero y más importante mandamiento. Su ídolo era la libertad, no Dios.

Cómo me ha tocado esto, pues cuántas veces creemos acercarnos correctamente a Dios. Secretamente anhelando sólo mire de reojo nuestros otros ídolos: deseos de paz, bienestar, prosperidad, libertad, para que pronto atienda nuestros ruegos. Dios merece nos arrodillemos ante Él porque es Santo, Digno de todo loor sin importar si decide a nosotros inclinar o no su oído. Si llegásemos a recibir algo, es añadidura.

Tarde en entender, debo admitir, aquella parábola de Mateo 20 donde el padre de familia paga distintos salarios a sus obreros, porque dice: “¿No me es lícito hacer lo que quiero con lo mío?” El que Dios nos ame es un regalo extraordinario; el que nos perdone y entable una relación con nosotros en Jesucristo es mucho más que sublime. Nunca será normal, jamás, que el Creador haya decidido estrechar su mano a tan viles seres.

Las palabras del aquel famoso predicador que siempre retumbarán en mi mente: Si Dios decidiera al final de cuentas venir y destruir a toda humanidad… Dios, Dios seguiría siendo bueno. Pero como su Palabra es veraz, promete no sucederá.

Contra ti, contra ti solo he pecado,
Y he hecho lo malo delante de tus ojos;
Para que seas reconocido justo en tu palabra,
Y tenido por puro en tu juicio.

Salmo 51:4

Y a ti se pagarán los votos

2010-11-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Por cada una de tus bondades inmerecidas a mi alma; por hacerme más que feliz cuando me escogiste y atrajiste a Ti. Dios mío, gracias porque has decidido mirarme, porque al saberte conmigo alegras las salidas de todas mis mañanas y tardes (Salmo 65).

Foto: http://flickriver.com/photos/gapey/sets/72157602149093728/

Y de los más remotos confines

2010-11-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

Oh Dios de nuestra salvación,

Esperanza de todos los términos de la tierra,

Y de los más remotos confines del mar.

Salmo 65:5

Foto: http://thegalactica.com/?tag=flower

Porque Él vive

2010-11-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Boundaries of a Wise Heart

2010-11-19T11:48:00.001-08:00

The Boundaries of a Wise Heart

Posted By Jasmine Baucham on November 19, 2010

“You have to demand respect!”

These words, uttered passionately into my cellphone earlier this week, have driven me from blog-hiding to write about a topic that is near and dear to my heart these days (quite largely because of that passionate conversation): boundaries and respect in male/female relationships.

Respect may seem an odd topic for me to cover on a blog called Ladies Against Feminism, because it is usually assumed that women who do not embrace feminism to not demand respect from the men in their lives. And, while it’s true that my advice to my friend (who I shall call “Annie,” because that’s the name of one of my favorite songs, and Annie is one of my favorite people) was not to call up the young man who had wronged her and read him his rights… I do believe that women who embrace femininity can demand respect without emasculating the men in their lives; in fact, on the contrary, I believe that the way the we can command respect will affirm their masculinity.

Rejecting the fruits of the sexual revolution, I’m an old-fashioned girl… but old-fashioned doesn’t equal doormat.

You see, Annie had this friend… this male friend. And this male friend would call Annie at odd hours to talk to her about what was on his heart. He treated her differently than he treated other girls. Usually guarded, he was open to her. Though, if you would have asked both of them what their relationship status was, they would have told you emphatically that they were only friends, this young man’s behavior gave Annie reason to hope for more. And then, he stopped calling her and started calling someone else. And why shouldn’t he? They were “just friends” after all.

Annie was crushed.

Perhaps Annie and I are both naive (in fact, there’s no “perhaps” about my naivety -the older I get, the more proof of it I see), I definitely understood where she was coming from: young, single men, perhaps, aren’t aware of what they have the ability to do to the hearts of young, single women when they invest large amounts of time and particular attention into cultivating relationships with them.

Since this article is directed at women, I can not preach at young men. I cannot say, for instance, Listen: if you are giving preferred attention to any young woman in your acquaintance -if you would, perhaps, call her your “best friend,” and if she is a woman to whom you can talk about “anything that’s on your heart”… either marry the girl or leave her alone, because what you have in this relationship is all of the benefits of commitment without the actual ring.

Since I cannot say something like that (and because it takes two to tango: it’s not entirely the man’s fault), instead, I talked to Annie about boundaries and clearly-defined relationships. To do so, I took a page from Elisabeth Elliot’s Passion and Purity:

The custom of ‘going steady’ is another form that impatience takes. The couple are not ready for marriage or even for the public commitment that engagement ought to entail, but neither are they ready to leave each other in God’s hands, “in the sublime keeping of the general and unspecific belief that God is answering our prayers in His own time and way.” Each clutches the other, fearful lest he “get away.”
Unless a man is prepared to ask a woman to be his wife, what right has he to claim her exclusive attention? Unless she has been asked to marry him, why would a sensible woman promise any man her exclusive attention? If, when the time has come for a commitment, he is not man enough to ask her to marry him, she should give him no reason to presume she belongs to him.

My friend had fallen prey to a young man who, though not ready for long-term commitment, wanted the benefit of having a loving, affirming relationship with a young woman. While I do not think that his intent was at all malicious, his actions were: Annie saw the makings of a long-term relationship; he saw the meeting of a temporary need.

So, what could Annie have done differently?

She could have set up boundaries.
She could have kept things in perspective.
She could have embraced accountability.

1) Annie could have set up boundaries by not answering the phone. I’m a girl, too, so I know -I know! -how tempting it is to let a young man take advantage. No, he hasn’t given you any sign of commitment… but he just needs some good advice from a sister in Christ! He needs a shoulder to cry on! He needs affirmation!

He needs a Titus 2 relationship with an older man, not to strengthen emotional bonds with a girl that he has no intention of marrying. A book that has helped me learn about emotional boundaries is Heather Paulsen’s Emotional Purity. I saw myself in more than one of the main characters of her anecdotes, and it stung, but it has helped me to grasp the dangers of premature emotional intimacy.

2) Annie could have kept things in perspective. If this young man had not gone through the proper channels to make his interest known, she had no reason to believe that he was going to move beyond friendship. In Annie’s home, if a young man wants to go out on a date, he has to ask her dad first. Unless this young man had asked, she had no reason to believe he was serious. She let his words fool her instead of waiting for his actions to confirm them. In Girls Gone Wise, Mary Kassian talks about waiting for young men to lead in relationships.

3) Annie could have embraced accountability. I mean, if she would have called me, I would have told her to tell that guy to hit the road! ‘Nough said.

All right, but, really: Annie could have discussed her standards frankly and openly with her parents: was she truly guarding her heart? Was she setting herself up for disappointment? Was she allowing this young man too much freedom with her?

You might be thinking like I used to think about things like these: if I set up boundaries, won’t I lose my male friends? That has, in some instances, been the case. But what better test of a young man’s character than to see if he only wants to be your friend to fulfill his needs… or if he is willing to protect your heart? What better test of a young man’s affection than to see if he will stick around even when he learns that you are serious about relationships, and you don’t allow men to toy with your affections?

The kind of young man we want won’t be trying to get in through the back door: he will be willing to go through the proper channels to claim a heart, and his primary focus will not be his selfish desire to be near us, but a selfless desire to protect us, even at the risk of his own whims. How do I know? Because if I want a husband who is willing to lay down his life for me (Ephesians 5:22ff), then I need to look for a beau who is willing to lay aside his own immediate desires.

Annie was sweet to let me use her story as a catalyst for this article, but I would be grossly dishonest if I said that I hadn’t made the same mistakes. It was all too easy to empathize with my friend’s confusion: even though neither of us “date around,” we can still leave ourselves open for heartache when we allow the lines in our relationships to become blurred and try to rush things. We wouldn’t trade the peace and simplicity that comes from having well-defined standards in relationships… but we sometimes forget how hard we have to work for that peace.

Since neither Annie nor I are going to start avoiding friendships with young men altogether… we simply need to learn to keep boundaries in our friendships. That means not taking advantage of our male friends as well (or not allowing them to be godly friends in the proper context).

Biblical femininity elevates the importance of protecting a young woman’s heart, and the importance of behaving around young men in a way that demands respect. I am nobody’s gal-pal: I’m a sister in Christ who knows how to handle her heart with care. And, as for me and my friend Annie, if you want these hearts, you’re going to have to ask for them the right way.

http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/biblical-womanhood/the-boundaries-of-a-wise-heart/

Always - Switchfoot

2010-11-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Iniciando mucho antes que en la primera letra de tu nombre, y con la entonación precisa de tu apellido. El firme apretón de tus manos, o el tímido desvío de tus ojos... Él te conoce.

Ni estéis en ansiosa inquietud

2010-11-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

No os afanéis por vuestra vida, qué comeréis; ni por el cuerpo, qué vestiréis. La vida es más que la comida, y el cuerpo que el vestido.

Lucas 12: 29 y 30

Foto: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/France/North/Ile-de-France/Paris/photo1360.htm

Jehová, roca mía

2010-11-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Veronika decide morir (2009)… y saben, no solo entendí por qué sino, me llegó hasta cierto punto lógica su decisión. Con tan solo meditar en las primeras palabras de su reflexión en el inicio de la película.

Coinciden en mi día esta adaptación y un pasaje bíblico que me compartieron: “… Maldito el varón que confía en el hombre, y pone carne por su brazo, y su corazón se aparta de Jehová" Jeremías 17:5. Aunque poética la esperanza que resurge en Veronika en el amor que encuentra en otro joven igualmente trastornado, le vislumbro un destino igualmente trágico: el que se cumple al depositar la confianza en las cosas creadas ( y no en el Creador). Aunque cruel de siquiera pronunciar, fatal es depositar en otra persona nuestra más profunda sed.

Quién decís que soy

2010-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Aconteció que mientras Jesús oraba aparte, estaban con él los discípulos; y les preguntó, diciendo: ¿Quién dice la gente que soy yo? Ellos respondieron: Unos, Juan el Bautista; otros, Elías; y otros, que algún profeta de los antiguos ha resucitado. El les dijo: ¿Y vosotros, quién decís que soy? Entonces respondiendo Pedro, dijo: El Cristo de Dios.

Lucas 9:18-20

Es mejor

2010-11-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

Tu misericordia, dice David, es mejor que la vida. Que la misma vida… que la misma vida me repito y sigo pensando. De todo lo que en ella se espera, se añora, emociona, se anhela, se alcanza, se inicia y termina. Que toda ella. Que lo que en ella nos ha hecho sonreír, llorar, perder y valorar lo consiguiente… es mejor dice, es mejor que lo más que podamos imaginar. Estas palabras de uno de los hombres más grandes de toda la historia. No se le privó nada, y concluye aún, la misericordia de Dios es mejor.

Despierto todos los días y no deja de maravillarme que el Creador de las galaxias sobre galaxias. Cielos sobre cielos… el universo y más allá, en su MISERICORDIA ha decido morar en mí a través de Jesucristo.

Tu misericordia, digo, tu misericordia es mejor.

... y los defiende

2010-10-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

El ángel de Jehová acampa alrededor de los que le temen, y los defiende.

Salmo 34:7

Táctica perfecta para aniquilar la autosuficiencia

2010-10-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

El otro día estando ya listísima para recibir mi postre me trae la mesera un pedazo de pie de queso. Como me vio con cara de confusión y titubeo se me acerca de nuevo y me pregunta si “encontraba bien mi orden”. Los primeros segundos no supe qué contestar, pero finalmente me animé a preguntarle, no asegurarle, si en efecto lo había pedido de queso y no de limón como imaginé. Volteo con lo demás de mi mesa pero la verdad es que nadie pudo respaldarme. No se atreven y los entiendo. Tantas veces me han tenido que corregir. Como en otras ocasiones, recibo de la mesera una de esas sonrisas entremezcladas con ternura y compasión. No hay problema, me cambian mi postre sin más. Los demás en la mesa sueltan la carcajada. No por la confusión de la orden que a todo momento y en todo restorán se da, sino por mi cara de frustración. Y es que con este ejemplo puedo extrapolar el fluir de mis días. Habrá casos más graves, lo sé, hay sujetos que ni recordarán su nombre, pero el mío es tal que me preocupa no estar segura ni de mis propias palabras de hace unos segundos. Y qué decir de mis experiencias más serias, pero por hoy me quedaré con este ejemplo de limón. Es muy extraño asegurarme y reasegurarme de todo lo que recibo, asimilo y proyecto. Dudar de mis pensamientos, de mis acciones. Pero verás, no me desespero, he descansado en un Dios perfecto en diseño y propósito. No para que se mofe de mí, y si acaso se ríe siempre lo hace con mucho amor, sino para que conozca todos los días de mi vida que entre más dependa de Él, mis pasos tomarán mejor dirección. Y en toda aquellas experiencias donde caiga o esté a punto por distraída, ver cómo me toma de su firme y tierna mano para decirme: “Alma… Alma, voltea, es por acá”.

Foto: http://mybyrdhouse.blogspot.com/2009/06/sour-cream-lemon-pie.html

Oh Jehová, te hemos esperado

2010-10-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

"... tu nombre y memoria son EL DESEO de nuesta alma". Isaías 26:8

"All Of Creation"

Separated until the veil was torn
The moment that hope was born
and guilt was pardoned once and for all

Captivated but no longer bound by chains
left at an empty grave
the sinner and the sacred resolved

[chorus:]
And all of creation sing with me now
lift up your voice and lay your burden down
and all of creation sing with me now
fill up the heavens let his glory resound

Time has faded and we see him face to face
every doubt erased forever we will worship the king

[chorus]

Ohh ah ohhh...ohh ah ohhh

The reason we breathe is to sing of his glory
and for all he has done praise the father praise the son and the spirit in one

[chorus]

And every knee will bow oh and every tongue praise the father praise the son and the spirit in one

Y habitó entre nosotros

2010-10-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

“En el mundo estaba, y el mundo por él fue hecho; pero el mundo no le conoció...

Mas a todos los que le recibieron, a los que creen en su nombre, les dio potestad de ser hechos hijos de Dios…”

Juan 1:11-13