Out of fire!

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Not long ago, a 20 years old man who works at an open pit gold mine shared that amazing story. As he was busy driving heavy equipment, he unexpectedly saw a co-worker in serious trouble. Many of us are not familiar with heavy equipment, so we need a word of explanation, the driver seat are directly above the front wheels. Let’s get back to our story, when the 20 years old man saw some flames coming out of the overheat front brakes, he realized that his co-worker was in a dangerous condition. The flame keeps the driver confine inside his cabin. The flames were too high for him to get out.  Swiftly our young heroes took a fire extinguisher, ran to the truck, stop the fire, and help the workmate get out of the vehicle.  Later that day, at a meeting session, the boss thanks the young brave man for his alertness and boldness. That young man told me how deeply touched he felt at that moment, realizing how he has been instrumental in saving a life.

In a similar way, believers in the Lord Jesus are called to be alert and bold. We read in Jude 23 to ‘save others by snatching them from the fire ⌊of hell⌋’.  Our young heroes didn’t ask his co-worker if he wanted any help, in a bold action he just got him out of the flames. As believers we are called to also make some bold action.

Miedo: La lucha contra ella.

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Recientemente he tenido un poco de trabajo hecho en mis Toyota Cressida de 23 años. Andrew es un mecaniso semi-retirado, ama a Harley y a viajar con la furgoneta “Winnebago.’. que acabamos de volver de un viaje en el medio oeste Estados. Andrew me preguntó, ” ¿sabe qué es lo que se llevó a cabo en Moore, Oklahoma? Yo contesto “sí” un enorme tornado. me contestó: ” ¿sabe?, yo estaba allí con mi furgoneta hace sólo tres semanas, ¿se imaginan lo que nos gustaría saber si sería aquí durante este Tornado? Estoy tan feliz de vivir lejos de tornado región.” Como se puede ver, Andrew temores tornado, y es comprensible.

Sin embargo, en algunas situaciones el miedo puede ser tóxico, si dejamos que el miedo de nuestras decisiones, nos destruyen lentamente, lo que nos mueve a hacer que están contra la voluntad de Dios y perjudicial para nosotros mismos y para los demás. El antídoto al miedo es una dependencia absoluta de Dios y su obra a través del Espíritu, Dios nos dio una maravillosa promesa: “yo no os dejaré huérfanos; volveré a vosotros” (Juan 14:18 ). ¿Cómo Dios, Él envió el Espíritu Santo en Pentecostés Día. Uno de los ministerios del Espíritu Santo nos puede llevar cada día siempre que sea nuestro Padre celestial desea que nos represente mejor. Osbeck expresar bien, “cuando las decisiones vitales se debe hacer, el Espíritu Santo puede abrir las Escrituras y nos ilumine nuestras mentes y. Por este fiel guía del Espíritu Santo, hemos llegado a amar y seguir la voluntad de Dios en nuestra vida diaria. Muchos de los problemas se producen porque nosotros no logramos tomar el abogado por el Espíritu Santo y la Biblia. En lugar de la primera oración y Buscando orientación, actuamos y, a continuación, pedir a Dios que bendiga a nuestras acciones. ” [ 1]

El himno “Espíritu Santo, guía fiel” fue escrita y compuesta por un agricultor americano, Marcus M. Wells. La primera estrofa va en esta forma, Espíritu Santo, guía fiel, siempre cerca de los Cristianos, con cuidado nos llevan de la mano, los peregrinos en tierra del desierto; cansado las almas hacia adelante’er alegría, mientras que escuchar lo que voz más dulce whisp’ring suavemente, “Wand’rer llegado! Me Siga, voy a casa te guía”.

Creo que en estas maravillosas palabras “cansadas almas… sígueme, te guía el hogar”. El Rey David no deje que el miedo lo que enfrenta el gigante, pero en lugar de eso sacó a temor en el nombre de su Dios. Vamos a aplicar a nuestra propia situación, usted siga ejemplo de David confiar en Dios ¿cree que Dios tiene todo el poder y toda la sabiduría que le guiarán en todo seguridad? lectura adicional de 1 Crónicas 12:1 -13:14.

Fear: The Fight Against It!

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Recently I had some work done on my 23 year old Toyota Cressida. Andrew is semi-retired mechanic, he loves Harley and travelling with his homemade ‘Winnebago’. He just got back from a trip in the Mid-West States. Andrew asked me, “Do you know what took place in Moore, Oklahoma? I answer ‘yes’ a massive tornado. He answered to me, “You know, I was there with my camper only three weeks ago; could you imagine what it would like if we would be there during that Tornado? I am so happy to live away from tornado region.” As you can see, Andrew fears tornado, and it is understandable.

Yet in some situation fear can be poisonous.  If we let fear drive our decisions, it will slowly destroy us, causing us to make moves that are against God’s will and detrimental to ourselves and others. The antidote to fear is complete reliance on God and His work through the Spirit. God gave us a wonderful promise, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). How did God come? He sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day. One of the Holy Spirit’s ministries is to lead us each day wherever our heavenly Father desires us to best represent Him. Osbeck express it well, “When vital decisions must be made, the Holy Spirit can open the Scriptures to us and illuminate our minds. By this faithful guidance of the Holy Spirit, we come to love and follow the will of God for our daily living. Many of our troubles occur because we fail to take counsel from the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Instead of first praying and seeking guidance, we act and then ask God to bless our actions.”[1]

The Hymn “Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide” was written and composed by an American farmer, Marcus M. Wells. The first stanza goes this way, Holy Spirit, faithful Guide, ever near the Christian’s side, gently lead us by the hand, pilgrims in a desert land; weary souls fore’er rejoice, while they hear that sweetest voice whisp’ring softly, “Wand’rer come! Follow Me, I’ll guide thee home.”

Think over these wonderful words “weary souls… follow Me, I’ll guide the home”. King David did not let fear drive him facing the Giant, instead he drove out fear in the name of His God. Let’s apply it to our own situation, Will you follow David’s example trusting God? Will you believe that God has all the power and all the wisdom to guide you in all security? Something in life needs to be feared, like a tornado; but most of our daily activities, instead of letting fear control us, lest learn to rely and trust a faithful loving God.  For additional reading look in the Bible in 1 Chronicles 12:1–13:14.

[1] Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 158.

Moral Enthusiasm.

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At what level would you evaluate your level of moral enthusiasm?

What words describe it best: “Inward fire” or “Chronic spiritual lassitude”? It has to fall between those two poles.  The Scripture says “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph. 5:18). Tozer penned “When the Spirit presents Christ to our inner vision it has an exhilarating effect on the soul, much as wine has on the body.” A good New Testament illustration would be the two from Emmaus, after meeting the Lord Jesus they mention that they felt an “inward fire”.

Dante, on his imaginary journey through hell, came upon a group of lost souls who sighed and moaned continually as they whirled about aimlessly in the dusky air. Virgil, his guide, explained that these were the “wretched people,” the “nearly soulless,” who while they lived on earth had not moral energy enough to be either good or evil. They had earned neither praise nor blame. And with them and sharing in their punishment were those angels who would take sides neither with God nor Satan. The doom of all of the weak and irresolute crew was to be suspended forever between a hell that despised them and a heaven that would not receive their defiled presence. Not even their names were to be mentioned again in heaven or earth or hell. “Look,” said the guide, “and pass on.”[1]

Jesus told about the church of Laodicea: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot.” Let Him heat up your heart today! I need to add that Dante Divine Comedy is only a piece of literature, it is not inspire like the Bible. In Hebrews 9:27 God says that “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”

[1] Aiden Wilson Tozer, The Best of A.W. Tozer Book One (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2007), 141.

I wish I had taken more risks

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Many elderly people tell us “I wish I had taken more risks; if only I wasn’t so afraid.” Why do they speak that way? Some specialist says it is because with age mature people become more self-confident with who they really are. We have a dreadful tendency to stay in one place or keep doing one activity longer than we should. Life is short, we cannot postpone continuously, occasions will slip away. Change can be refreshing. But change brings many decisions, difficult and frustrating moments that can often keep us from moving forward. We become comfortable where we are, and we fear the unknown.

One day God said to Moses, “You’ve stayed long enough at this mountain. On your way now. Get moving” (Dt 1:6–7). Moses’ new path would be far from easy. He was going to enter inhospitable land. He was about to risk the lives of everyone with him. At 120 years old, he wasn’t a young man any longer. Excuses could come easily.

In his book Connect the Testaments A Daily Devotional, John D. Barry says “We’re all on our way to dying. But as Christians, we’re also on our way to eternal life. Why should we limit God’s work with our fear? And then there’s the most significant problem of all: we ignore God’s command to leave a place, position, or role”1 .

What is God calling you to do now? What comforts is He calling you to leave behind? What have you been ignoring? “You’ve stayed long enough… on your way now. Get moving” (Deut 1:6–7).

1. John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A Daily Devotional (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012).

When our Lord l…

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When our Lord looked at us, He saw not only what we were—He was faithful in seeing what we could become! by Tozer

My youngest daughter Ruth wrote an interesting editorial called “I’m a Failure But that’s Okay”. She mentions how easy it is to mess up in life, as a result we feel so embarrassed. Those moments can totally paralyze us, and waste precious time. What really matters is not how we see ourselves, or how others sees us, but how God sees us. 

Tozer said, “When our Lord looked at us, He saw not only what we were—He was faithful in seeing what we could become!” To illustrate “A young preacher introduced himself to the pastor of a great metropolitan church with the words, ‘I am just the pastor of a small church upcountry.’  ‘Son,’ replied the wise minister, ‘there are no small churches.’ And there are no unknown Christians, no insignificant sons of God. “ This young man saw himself as insignificant, but not God. We grieve our Lord by thinking of ourselves as less than we are in the plan of God. In God’s eyes we are important. When our Lord looked at us, He saw not only what we were—He was faithful in seeing what we could become!

In her blog Deborah Fike wrote, “most of us experience severe disappointments on our journeys. Not only does failure give real meaning to our dreams, it also forces us to prioritize what we really want out of life.”[1] Failures are bad only if we allow them to stop us. God want’s us on the move. He has remarkable dreams for His children, like any father should. We might feel like a failure, but that’s okay because God doesn’t. Because He sees what we could become!”

Want to read my daughter’s editorial! Here’s where you could find it: http://truthjusticeandright.wordpress.com/2013/03/

Hearing God’s Voice

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Work, work! Finally the Research paper is completed. If it is accepted, this mean graduation. Study mix with a busy schedule if not always easy. To the young people, do as much of your study when you are young, because life becomes more and more busy as we advance in life. It felt so good when the last word was written. After creating this wonderful world, God stop and ponder the result of His work. A closer illustration for us would be a contractor that delight looking at the house he just finishes after months of firm work. Did the Omnipotent God ( all powerful ) need to rest? Was He exhausted? Obviously not, otherwise He would not be God. He simply stops to look and enjoy His work. Let’s keep in mind that it took place before the Fall on men. The world was still a perfect place, like a clean house before young children come in with dirty feet. Then God turns to speak with Adam. Imagine the honor of having a conversation with the Creator! What God told Adam is astonishing. At this point I will let one of my favorite authors answer, “When God put Adam and Eve in the garden, He did not put them there to sit and look at each other and to hold hands. He said they were to take care of the garden. You remember that—they were given something to do. Some people believe that work is a result of the curse, but that’s not true. The idea is abroad that the man who works is a dupe, and that work is only for fools—but God made us to work.” A.W. Tozer, Wise Words with a Prophetic Edge.
Let’s close our time with these stories
An Indiana pastor during seminary days, said to a farmer, “You should slow down and stop working so hard.” He replied, “Now, preacher, I have worked with farm machinery all my life. I know that it will rust out quicker than it will wear out.
In Oklahoma City I knew a man who worked hard right up to the end of his life. As a matter of fact, he spent the last day of his life in his office and attended two Chambers of Commerce meetings addressing community projects. That night he died in his sleep at the age of one hundred and five! Like the Indiana farmer and his machinery, this man knew that the body will rust out sooner than it will wear out.

Strength to do the Impossible.

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As I am appreciating a good Costa Rican café, I felt the desire to keep my blog updated…

How fast we forget God’s help and walk in our own strength. It is easy to depend on God’s strength on a mission trip and yet to operate on our own at home. Let me illustrate what I mean, for many years I have slowly been working on my Master degree. (My motive to work on a degree is simply because I love to study the Word of God and to demonstrate my children the importance of study. Now I stand at the end of my ‘school journey’ facing the task of writing a lengthy paper. Although I like to write, I also find it very demanding. I feel much more comfortable communicating verbally, writing is a different story.

Here I am faced with another mountain in my life, and it would be so easy just to quit. This morning I read a devotion that reminded me that in everything I must depend on Him. This is another moment where I have the opportunity to trust Him. The God who sustained me in Costa Rica and helped me do the impossible, is still there ready to rescue me. I like the words penned 2,500 years ago by the prophet Isaiah, “They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won’t become weary. They will walk and won’t grow tired.” (Isaiah 41:31)

Am I feeling weary and tired facing this paper? Believe me, I am. Yet God’s promise is just as available today as it was 2500 years ago. Let me share with you this morning’s devotion from A.W. Tozer, “It is possible to work far beyond the normal strength of the human constitution and yet experience little or no fatigue because the energy for the work has been provided, not by the burning up of human tissue, but by the indwelling Spirit of power. God has provided supernatural energies for supernatural tasks. Our Lord Jesus was able to work with a minimum of weariness because He was a man completely possessed by the Holy Spirit.”

Tozer’s devotion reminded me of how God sustained me during the Costa Rica trip, and that same God wants to help me with the mountain I am facing. Are you facing a mountain now? Don’t let it bring you down, simply come as you are and trust Him. God is still the faithful One!

The Ability to Do.

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“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,” (Rom.1:16)

What God ask us to do the impossible! But how can it be done?  What does it means? The meaning of the word ‘power’ is not complicate. Dynamite was invented only 200 years ago; so it could not be that use the apostle Paul meant.

A definition of the word “power” means the ability to do. God gave us the ability to do what we couldn’t do on our own fallen human energy. You will receive ability to do. It will come on you.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.”

In his book “The Counselor” A.w. Tozer mention this prayer, “Come on our churches in power as we rely upon the Spirit for “the ability to do” whatever You have called us to do. Amen.”

Source: Straight Talk about the Holy Spirit from a 20th-Century Prophet, A. W. Tozer [1]

[1] A. W. Tozer, The Counselor: Straight Talk About the Holy Spirit from a 20th Century Prophet (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 1993).

Reflexion on what I learn from my trip to costa Rica.

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What did I learn from that trip in Costa Rica?

The foremost thing would be that the Gospel is central in the life of both the unbeliever and also for the believer. Paul wrote in Romans 1:17 “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul wrote this to Christians believers, not unbelievers. Our tendency is to give an unbeliever just enough of the gospel to get him or her to pray a prayer to receive Christ as His personal Saviour. Then we immediately put the gospel on the shelf, and go on to the duties of disciples. The problem is that many believers have only a very elementary knowledge of the gospel. In fact Paul always preach the gospel to believers then apply the gospel to their lives.