Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

What an amazing thing feet are.

According to the Internet, each of them has 26 bones, which make up 33 joints, and are joined by more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Our feet can support several times the weight of our body, withstand heavy falls and impacts, and transmit all the strength of our legs without the slightest problem.

A normal person who walks a couple of hours a day in their daily activities, can walk on them between 80 and 120 km per month, and take about 150,000 steps.

Y eso sin contar que, al margen de ello, puedas dedicarte a correr o caminar un tiempo extra cada día.

That is why it is important to take care of them and wear comfortable and healthy shoes.

As I was saying, the feet are incredibly powerful.

The adversity

But a few days ago I was walking around the house barefoot when I suddenly stubbed my toes with a box.

And, Lord, how it hurt.

The foot still had all the bones, ligaments and muscles, but I was unable to take a step.

It is in situations like these that you look around you and look for the culprits to blame for your woes and vent your grumbling.

The problem, in my case, was that I was the one who had left the box there. So I couldn’t get it off my chest.

But when you sit down, and the pain goes away a little, you can think.

And then you realize the inappropriateness of such a reaction.

Because it is very easy, and common, to fall into the temptation of thinking that if something hurts us or goes wrong it is because the universe has conspired against us. Or that it is our enemy who is sowing tares against us. Or that they are raising storms in our lives.

Now, have you ever stopped to think about what it means for you to think this way?

To think that supposes recognizing that God does not have the capacity to protect us from the attacks of others, be they physical or spiritual beings, or from circumstances.

Looking for someone to blame for what happens to us means thinking that our life should be placid. And we forget that we are in a war. Spiritual, yes, but a war.

And in war, life is anything but placid and calm.

Give thanks in everything

So, what should our attitude be? For God’s answer is found in the 1st epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 5 and verse 18:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

When we surrender our life to Christ, when we accept Him as Lord and Savior, our life becomes His responsibility.

He is our shepherd, who leads us where we need to be, and he is our protector. God will not allow anything outside of His will to affect us.

So, if we walk in obedience to Him, nothing that happens to us will be beyond His control.

If we are aware of this, then the only correct response to the problems and adverse circumstances that befall us is to thank God for them.

Because if God allows something adverse in our lives, it is for our growth and strengthening. So that we can stand firm until the end.

So the next time you’re going to put a box down, or cross a street, or whatever else you do in your life, do it with caution and attention.

But if you nevertheless take a hit, thank God. For it is not the Universe that is rising up against you, but God is perfecting you for victory.

God bless you.

Cover phot by Erik Odiin on Unsplash

En el Valle de Sombra de Muerte

A lo largo de nuestras vidas, todos vamos a pasar por valles de oscuridad y dolor.

Pero la Palabra de Dios da ánimo, y nos muestra cómo seguir adelante en dichos momentos, y vencer.

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La entrada Give thanks in all circumstances (to God) se publicó primero en David Gómez.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Have you ever been next to a successful person? I’m sure when that has happened to you, you’ve noticed it right away.

Because, if there is one thing that characterizes successful people, it is that they look like successful people..

They are self-confident and self-assured. They express their opinions emphatically, without caring about causing controversy. Even their gestures are powerful. Simply put, they are them.

In all cultures and societies there is a stereotype of a successful person. And if you want to be recognized as such, you must try to fit this definition.

Even if you have not achieved any major accomplishments.

If you insist enough, and transmit that winning image over and over again, others will end up believing you are a winner, and you will end up with a cohort of followers who will accept everything you say and imitate everything you do.

Influencer

This is what is now known as an influencer. And in the Christian world, sometimes, this ends up creeping in.

Individuals who, by insisting and moving, have managed to elevate to absolute truth what are nothing more than opinions or personal occurrences.

And they have created around them a mass of followers who blindly support their postulates, and defend them as if their eternal life depended on it.

Followers of whom, on the other hand, they hardly know a single one of their problems. Because these followers are just a nuisance that you have to put up with to make your words go further.

Many years ago I had a problem with someone who behaved like this. He spoke with such authority and confidence that, at the beginning, he left me feeling unsettled and even made me doubt whether what I had studied was correct.

But little by little God was leading me to understand that it was only his performance that left me confused. When I calmly analyzed his statements I was amazed at how he had been able to deceive me so much with such completely erroneous and out-of-context statements.

But the truth is that our adversary will always present himself as someone who appears to have a lot of power.

Goliath tried to intimidate David; the disciples feared before the raging sea; even Satan presented himself before Jesus as one who had the power to give him the glory of this world.

But none of them had the power they appeared to have. For God is the only one who has all power, and he alone deserves the glory. And if you accept him as lord of your life, he will always be by your side to protect you.

Therefore, it is not to us that we must turn the gaze of others, but to Christ. He is the winner. We are overcomers only if we abide in him.

My grace is sufficient for you

The apostle Paul learned this very well. It is believed that the sting in the flesh he carried may have been a sequel to a disease or injury to his eyes, which made him appear sickly and ungraceful.

Paul asked God to take away that problem, but was met with God’s surprising answer which we find in the 2nd epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 12 and verse 9:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Paul understood perfectly well that we Christians are not in this world to appear to be triumphant people, but to show the world the triumph of Christ.

It is not we whom others should follow, but Christ. And if they follow us, let it be because we are showing them the way of faith. This is what it means to be a true influencer.

That is why Paul stopped worrying about appearing to be a successful person, and began to show himself as the weak person he was.

In this way it became evident to all that the light that shone in him could only be understood as a divine light, and that the power he manifested only made sense if it was something that came from God himself.

We are all imperfect beings called to do God’s perfect work. And this is only possible when Christ is our strength and the center of our lives.

So let us live to present Christ with our lives, for when Christ is exalted before the world through us, lives are changed, heaven rejoices, and hell is shaken.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Ben White on Unsplash

En el Valle de Sombra de Muerte

A lo largo de nuestras vidas, todos vamos a pasar por valles de oscuridad y dolor.

Pero la Palabra de Dios da ánimo, y nos muestra cómo seguir adelante en dichos momentos, y vencer.

Quiero saber más

La entrada My grace is sufficient for you se publicó primero en David Gómez.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

The vast majority of us are terrified of making decisions.

Because, except on very rare occasions, it is very difficult to predict the exact outcome of such decisions. Choosing a career, choosing a partner, even choosing the color of your car… But it is something we all have to do every day, starting with the terrible decision to get up now or stay in bed for 5 more minutes.

Now, did you know that we are more accustomed than you think to making decisions?

According to a Huawei study, in the course of a typical day we make more than 35,000 decisions.

Yes, you heard that right, 35,000 decisions. Surprising, isn’t it?

What happens is that we are only aware of 0.26% of them. In other words, in the course of a day we only make about 100 conscious decisions, or so we think. The remaining 99.76% of decisions are made automatically by our brain.

Things like activating the turn signal, holding on to a handrail, walking while talking to another person, saying “excuse me” when you bump into someone, are things that come instinctively to us. Or at least it should.

Because these are things that are ingrained in our nature. Therefore, it is difficult for an educated person not to give way to another, and a liar will lie without the slightest hesitation.

Hence Jesus, in the Gospel of Luke chapter 6 and verse 45 said:

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of..

And we make this treasure every day with our decisions, with our choices.

Now, you might think that, if out of 35,000 daily decisions, there are 34,900 that you do not control, since you are not aware of them, why should your life be judged by those few 100 that, in addition, may be conditioned by the ones you do not control?

Well, it sounds like a good excuse, but it’s not correct.

Because, in reality, it is not the 34,900 that will influence the other 100, but rather it is the 100 conscious decisions that will condition the other 34,900.

And, in fact, even those 100 depend on a single decision: Follow God or reject Him.

Let us see what the Epistle to the Ephesians tells us, in chapter 2 and verse 10:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God’s handiwork

The human being has been created to give glory to God. And God prepared everything so that we could reach that goal.

But mankind’s first major decision in Eden was to disbelieve God and turn away from him.

And yet, God prepared a plan B for us so that we could achieve this goal. He sent Christ to pay our debt and give us a new opportunity.

We have already seen the consequences of that first bad decision: wars, diseases, pain, death…

So the most important decision you will make in your life is to choose between achieving what you were created for and spending eternity in God’s presence, or rejecting it all, turning away from God and ending up in hell.

Because on that one decision will depend all the others, and your eternal destiny will depend.

Make the right choice.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Crecer en la fe

Descubre una vida de plena libertad y gozo en Cristo.

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La entrada Created in Christ Jesus to do good works se publicó primero en David Gómez.

When you have to face challenges before which you feel helpless, remember that with you goes the One who is able to accomplish everything.

“You are meaner than Cain.”

Calm down, I’m not saying it to you. This was an expression that was used a lot, when I was growing up, to refer to people who acted in an evil way.

Later the phrase changed to “you’re meaner than Channing,” in reference to a character in the Falcon Crest series who was always hatching plans to screw up his surroundings.

And the truth is that their plans used to be quite successful.

And that made me pretty angry.

Not because she was bad, but because when I made my plans they almost never, to say never, went the way I thought they would.

It used to happen to me like in the joke about the Spanish hell, the one in which supposedly a demon passed by every day at 12 o’clock to light the oven and torment the souls. The problem was that when there was gas for the oven there were no matches, when there were matches there was no gas, and when there was gas and matches the devil didn’t get through.

So I grew up believing I was a planning nullity.

But when I started working I began to discover that maybe it was something that wasn’t just me.

In fact, the rare thing is that the plans worked out well, to the point of being sent abroad by my company for three weeks to assemble a machine and spend seven months there.

Then I began to think that maybe the issue was not just mine, but that perhaps, for Spaniards, planning is not in our DNA.

But then my company sent me to Germany for three months to receive training at the headquarters of a famous German multinational.

And then I discovered that the Germans also missed more than a shotgun at a fairground booth when it came to planning.

So, I thought that the problem with the plans was not in me, nor in my genetics, but that it is something that affects us all for a very special reason: we will never have all the data. Not even all of the most important ones. Although the truth is that the Germans had them.

What we can always count on, however, are the unforeseen events.

So, is it worth investing time in planning our activities?

And the answer is a resounding yes. Because even planning badly is better than not planning at all.

Because you might save yourself the time to sit down and think. However, you will spend the day running back and forth solving problems that were easy to foresee, and wasting time by not having coordinated basic actions.

And if this is so in our natural life, what will not happen to the plans in our spiritual life, with an enemy lurking night and day to bring us down?

To him who is able to do

But once again God comes to our aid with a promise that, curiously enough, is tucked in as if by stealth.

In this “half-saying farewell” of the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul could have said:

Now to God who is mighty, to him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever and ever. Amen.

This would be a correct and totally spiritual phrase. However, the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to modify it slightly. And so it says (Ephesians 3:20-21):

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. .

The meaning of the phrase does not change much: we must give glory to God. However, this small addition is of great importance to us.

Thanks to him we can realize that we are not alone when it comes to making plans. Indeed, God has already prepared them for us. He is only waiting for us to approach Him in order to set in motion all the necessary preparations for these plans to become a reality.

Because God is not only capable of making perfect plans. It is also the only one able to make them perform far beyond our best dreams or our capabilities.

Because, when you walk in God’s ways, and serve Him, it is not only our capacity that acts, but we have the help, guidance and power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us.

So the next time you sit down to make plans for your life or for your ministry, remember that God is the only one who has the ability to make perfect plans and the power to do it all.

And that it is enough for us to seek his will, believe him and obey him so that we can say with complete confidence that, in God, we will do exploits.

God bless you.

Cover photo by NASA on Unsplash

Crecer en la fe

Descubre una vida de plena libertad y gozo en Cristo.

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La entrada To Him who is able to do se publicó primero en David Gómez.

If you want to be equipped for every good work, nothing this world can offer you is comparable to the Word of God.

I remember, many years ago, when you were about to start a trip the first thing you would check was if you had the road map in the car. And, by the way, that it was not too old.

And then you would try to establish the route.

Although that was almost more of an odyssey than the journey itself.

Because the maps were of two types.

The folded map of the whole country, which you started to unfold, which was bigger than the car and which you ended up crumpling up whole.

Or the one that was bound and divided into sheets. First you located the start and the destination on a general map that indicated the leaves you had to look at.

So, in these you could start on sheet 21, follow the road and when you reached, for example, the left edge of the plan from there it sent you to sheet 48, in this one you reached the lower edge and it sent you to sheet 74 and this was repeated over and over again, but at least you didn’t cover the windshield with the plan.

Now we have GPS, an increasingly essential element, because they not only help us to locate our destination. They also help us, for example, to know where we are or remind us where we have left our car or bicycle.

They are really useful. Although I know of a case of someone who left Madrid to go to San Sebastián de los Reyes (about 15 Km away), and ended up in Donostia-San Sebastián (more than 400 Km away).

In a world in which it is increasingly easier to move around, it is important to have references.

And it’s the same in our lives.

We need references to help us discern if we are making the right decisions or if our attitudes are the right ones.

Some time ago I listened to a talk by a sociologist in which he explained that, for many years, society had four institutions that served as universal referents.

These were school, politics, family and church.

Critical thinking and openness to other ways of being were taught in school.

Respect and coexistence were taught in the family.

Politics was an example of service to society, dialogue and striving for the common good, and the church showed the path of morality.

The problem he found is that all these institutions, which apparently worked, were degrading in their functioning and were losing their prestige and their light as referents.

School has become synonymous with indoctrination by the government of the day.

The family has broken down and there is no longer respect for anything or anyone.

Politics has become the epitome of the “and you’re next” and the pursuit of personal or partisan interest.

And what can we say about the church as a moral reference after so many cases of abuse?

Those four stars that served as a reference in the night ended up going out, leaving people lost in their own paths.

When human beings try to serve as an example to other human beings, we become blind leading other blind people. Lost people trying to show the right path to others. And this does not work.

That is why God has left us his perfect map, the most accurate GPS in existence. Let us turn to the 2nd epistle of Timothy, chapter 3 and verses 16 and 17:

TAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible is a map that does not depend on human lights and that can shine in the darkest night, because it itself is the source of light that illuminates the path we must travel.

Moreover, there is no need to update it, because it is perfect from the beginning, and it is specifically designed for human beings to find their destiny.

But, like physical GPS, this spiritual GPS is useless if you put it in your pocket and forget about it.

The Word of God must always be before your eyes, to verify that every step you take is in accordance with its indications.

Because your every step is bringing you closer to your eternal destiny.

And because it helps you to be prepared for your work, for your service in Christ.

Whether that eternal destiny is in the presence of God or in the lake of fire and brimstone will depend only on your vigilance and your attention to follow the course marked in the Bible.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Tabea Schimpf on Unsplash

Crecer en la fe

Descubre una vida de plena libertad y gozo en Cristo.

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La entrada Equipped for every good work se publicó primero en David Gómez.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Almost any human activity is regulated by rules and laws.

The law establishes which lane you should drive in and at what speed, how you should be hired and how you should be fired, what rules should govern wills, where you can make noise and up to when, and where you cannot. It even established where one could catch Covid-19, such as on public transportation, and where one could not, such as in a movie theater or restaurant. I hope the virus also read the decree.

The fact is that our lives are governed by codes of rules, regulations, decrees, laws, customs?

Have you ever wondered why?

Well, basically because humans tend to follow the two commandments that have been universally considered the most important.

And sadly they are not the commandments of Jesus: love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself.

The commandments or laws that mankind has applied most universally are the following two: the law of the strongest and the law of the funnel.

That is why it is necessary to establish an infinite number of norms and rules that attempt to curb the excesses produced by these two universal laws.

Laws whose consequences are known to all: jealousy, fights, robberies, wars, insults, racism, pride…

Consequences that have led us to become true masters in the “art” of building weapons or in the arts of killing, long before in the art of repairing or healing.

The problem is that, no matter how advanced a society may be, at the slightest opportunity the impulse to follow the law of the strongest appears.

If my opponent looks weaker, why shouldn’t I take advantage of it?

If I can make things difficult for my competition and ruin them, why not do it?

Of course, if it is your opponent who tries to do it to you, you apply the law of the funnel: I do it because we are in a market of free competition and the customer must be able to choose freely, but my opponent cannot do it because if he damages my business he would be violating free competition and the customer’s freedom of choice.

Although we are in the 21st century and we have the laser beam, we have reached Mars and we have found cures for many diseases, however, we continue killing ourselves in infamous wars or making life impossible for those around us.

This is the fruit of a selfish life far from God.

And in the face of this, what does God propose to us in his word?

The answer is found in the book of Galatians, chapter 5 and verses 22 and 23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

God wants us to be able to enjoy life in community and make the best of it.

Companionship, collaboration, synergy, and improvement are the result of a common life in which God’s values are put to work.

Bearing one another’s burdens, supporting the weak and loving one another are the results of letting Christ into our lives..

Because when Christ takes your life your whole value system is transformed.

You understand that the important commandments are not those of the world, those that are limited to trying to avoid excesses.

You understand that the most important commandments are those of Christ, those that impel you to seek the good of your neighbor.

And the consequences of letting the Holy Spirit renew your mind and soul lead you to act with your fellow men in such a way that makes any kind of law unnecessary.

You will respect those who think differently, even if you do not share it; you will not take advantage of your strengths, or the weaknesses of others, to harm them; you will love everyone, even those who “dislike you” or those who are different from you.

This is the result of a transformed life, one in which the fruit of the Spirit can develop.

And all this because you understand that you are not superior to anyone.

And you understand this because you may have tried to do it on your own before, and found that it was impossible.

But when you live for God you discover the certainty of Jesus’ words: what is impossible for men is possible for God.

For what you cannot attain, God has attained for you.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

La entrada The fruit of the Spirit se publicó primero en David Gómez.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)

I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but I’m getting more tired every day.

Siempre hay algo que hacer. The days are getting longer and longer, and we are living faster and more intensely.

And then we have the phone, WhatsApp, Telegram, email… that every day saturate us with hundreds of messages.

Y casi siempre es para pedir algo, o para enviarte un video de gatitos.

Rarely is it to ask, do you need something? Or to say, I am praying for you.

So it’s no wonder we are getting more and more tired.

We have become activists of life and work. Even of the church.

The whole day is squeezed to the maximum.

You have to finish a task at work. You have to go grocery shopping, or shopping for clothes. Go to the gym. Attend a meeting at school, or an event at the civic center. Then you have another activity at church. And, perhaps, you’ll still be able to watch that tv show you love so much.

It is life that drags us down.

And the worst of all is that, many times, we do not see the fruit of so much personal effort.

Because we have forgotten what our true objective is: to be a channel through which the Holy Spirit can act.

And for that we have to learn to prioritize things.

Quizá tendríamos que leer más a menudo el pasaje de Jesús con Marta que encontramos en Lucas 10:41-42: “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” .

Yes, I know, you may be thinking that sounds very nice, but the truth is that you’re up at three in the morning preparing the next study and ironing the clothes. And you haven’t stopped all day.

That is why it is important to find a solution. Or at least something to help us endure.

And no, lottery is not the answer.

However, God does offer something to those of us who are weary and burdened. And for this let us read the words of Jesus that are reflected in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11 and verse 8:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

God knows us, and He knows our needs.

That is why He established the Sabbath day, so that we would stop our activities, focus on Him and rest in His presence.

And that is why Christ offers to receive us, at any time and in any situation, to obtain from Him the rest we need so much.

But if you notice Jesus does not say: “If anyone is weary, let him call me and I will come and strengthen him”.

Rather he says: “Come to me”.

God is not willing to be like that coffee you drink to sober you up so that you can go ahead with your plans.

God wants to be the center of your life. He wants you to leave everything and come to Him. You need to learn that only in his presence can you find peace, strength and security.

And it is only when you are before Him that Jesus can fulfill His promise: I will give you rest.

Because you are not in this world to do many things. You are in this world to do only one thing: to worship God, serving Him where and how He tells you.

The rest, and here I include all areas of our lives (family, work, etc.), must be subordinated to this end.

Therefore, it is not a matter of striving to achieve a good education, a good professional, social or economic status and a place of responsibility in the church.

It is about focusing your training, your work and your place in society or in the church on what God has called you to.

When you do this, and whether your calling demands high standards or not, God will give you grace, give you rest, help you move forward, and honor and bless you.

Because you will be honoring Him with your life and your obedience.

The rest will be work in vain. Y para ese trabajo en vano, aunque fuera ligero, créeme, no vas a encontrar descanso.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

La entrada And I will give you rest se publicó primero en David Gómez.

Undertaking any type of project always requires a great deal of courage, effort and, above all, luck.

If, for example, you are going to start a business project, you should conduct a market study.

If this is positive, you then perform what is known as a feasibility analysis.

And with it under your arm you go out to contact the entities or people you are going to need and to look for the financing.

And if you manage to convince everyone, you start your business.

During all this time many private and public entities will give you advice, training and support, and you will have the guidance of experts.

But you know what. Despite all this, only 1 in 10 businesses reaches 3 years of survival, and only 1 in 20 makes it to 5 years.

The rest fall by the wayside, and in some cases with heavy losses.

That is why, when God calls us to his service, whether full-time or part-time, we tremble.

If what happens in the natural world is so complex and so many good professionals fail, how is it possible that poor sinners can lead others to Christ and be examples of wisdom, humility and love?

And the truth is that they are right. It is impossible for an imperfect being to be a model of perfection for others, were it not for something we forget.

In the business world, your preparation, your aptitude for business and, above all, luck have a great influence. In Spanish we say that it is better to show up at the right time than to be hanging around for 100 years.

But in the Kingdom of Heaven none of this is true.

Obviously, it is necessary that we prepare ourselves in those matters to which God calls us, but success will not come from this, but from the power of God working through your obedience and dedication in the work that He has entrusted to you.

In the first nine verses of the first chapter of the book of Joshua we find God giving him concrete instructions regarding his objective: to conquer the Promised Land.

God entrusted him with the task of leading the people in the conquest of a strongly defended territory with walled cities and professional armies.

It is therefore normal that Joshua did not feel qualified.

Thus, of those 9 verses in chapter 1, in the first we find an introduction, in the second the description of the task by God, and in the next seven what we see is God convincing Joshua that the task is going to be possible.

Get ready

But the most important is found in verse 2:

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

(Joshua 1:2)

And this is what we often forget when God calls us to His service: that it is He who calls us.

Of course God knows that we are perfectly useless, either to live a life of holiness or to be of help and example to others.

But He does not expect us to be capable of it. What God expects is that we allow Him to work through our lives.

And that is what he calls us for.

And so, he asked Joshua something impossible: get up and pass over this Jordan.

He no longer had Moses to open the waters. Moses was no longer there to raise his arms and win the victory.

For God’s objective was to show him that someone far more powerful than Moses was with him: God Himself.

That is why God often calls us and gives us impossible goals. Because He wants us to live clinging to Him.

For when you submit yourself to God and give yourself in simplicity to him, when you abandon your arrogance and your sufficiency, and are filled with his presence and his love, then it is his power that works, it is his wisdom that speaks, and it is his mercy that loves.

It will not be you who convinces of sin or comforts, it will be the Holy Spirit operating through you.

Therefore, do not be afraid when God calls you and tells you to get ready to cross your own Jordan, because wherever He takes you, God will be with you.

God bless you.

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La entrada Get ready to cross the Jordan River se publicó primero en David Gómez.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:12).

Over the years I have learned to choose the battles that are worth fighting, and I leave the rest for a better occasion or for those who have more free time.

It doesn’t mean that I always get it right, because sometimes, they make the battle too easy and the flesh is weak. But I strive to settle sterile debates with a “God bless you”.

So, a few days ago I commented on how sad, and concerned, I feel when I see some terrible debates between Christians on social media..

Public debates full of cross disqualifications between people with different doctrinal approaches, in which they defend their respective theological positions, on passages or issues that, many times, contribute little or nothing to the majesty of the Gospel of Christ.

And if they were only debates between neophyte believers it would have a pass.

But it is even sadder to see how some of the debaters are people of a certain level in their churches. Or that from very famous pulpits worldwide darts are thrown against other denominations or doctrinal positions.

The only thing I usually get out of these discussions is the veracity of Jesus’ statement recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 10 and verses 35 to 36: For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.

It is a shattering passage. It shows us how dissent, that harsh and disqualifying debate, ends up degenerating into enmity and provoking real battles. In which, in the end, the only goal is to destroy the adversary.

On other occasions, disqualifications are directed towards politicians of one or the other sign. That if they are atheists, that if they are corrupt, that if they are reds, that if they are dictators…

As if we were perfect and blameless and capable of throwing that first stone. And as if these politicians, in many cases without a correct spiritual life, if not recalcitrant atheists, with a decree could make society change in matters that, to believers filled with the Holy Spirit, cost us effort and time.

And mind you, I am not saying that we do not denounce injustice or heresy. What I am saying is that we must know how to pick our battles. Those that confront us with our true enemies.

As the apostle Paul tells us in the Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 6 and verse 12:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What this passage is leading us to consider is that our spiritual struggle is not against unbelieving people.

Nor is it against those who oppose the Gospel, nor against our persecutors.

And, much less, against the brethren in the faith, those who have Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Even if they think differently on some issues.

With all these people we may have disagreements, even diametrically opposed opinions.

But in these cases what is necessary is dialogue based on respect. That attitude of examining everything and retaining the good that the apostle Paul advised the Thessalonians.

And to put away from us any attempt to impose criteria or personal positions, and to go with the spirit of enriching the life of the other person. Correcting and reasoning from love, considering what others might be right.

Because not having a struggle against flesh and blood means that our real struggle is with the spiritual hosts of wickedness. Those that truly enslave and damage people’s lives. The same hosts that are trying to confuse you so that you return to your former life and abandon the way of salvation.

If you really want to spend your time and energies in battles with your true adversaries start loving your enemies, praying for those who persecute and outrage you and doing good to all.

And, of course, to intercede for your brothers and pastors, to worship God, to meditate on His Word and to share it with the lost.

For there is nothing more powerful in destroying strongholds, defeating demons and saving lives than a Christian who lives and acts according to his faith. With love, simplicity and holiness.

God bless you.

Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

La entrada For our struggle is not against flesh and blood se publicó primero en David Gómez.

The natural human being is separated from God.

The decision we made in Eden, to disobey God’s will, provoked the spiritual separation between the human being, each one of us, and God.

It may seem an injustice, but it is the same thing that happens when a married couple leaves their homeland and moves to another country. If they do not act explicitly and go to their consulates and register the birth, their children lose the nationality of their parents and acquire the nationality of the country of birth.

And all of us were born outside of Eden, so we only have the nationality of this world.

Some might think that this is solved by reclaiming from God the citizenship in which Adam and Eve were created.

But we have a serious problem, and that is that we do not have the right to claim the “spiritual nationality”for a simple reason, Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, that is, they became stateless, deprived of their previous spiritual nationality and the right to claim it again.

And thus they became subjects of the prince of this world.

“…for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:23

“…after the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

Ephesios 2:2

But God did not want to leave things like that. He knew that outside of our environment we were going to be miserable, and he gave us time to see for ourselves.

And then he opened a way for us to re-adopt that heavenly citizenship that we had in the beginning, and that is the true will of God.

But it was not a road to which we were entitled, we could not claim it, nor could we buy it; because the price is so high that it is impossible to pay. Not even for that 1% of the population that holds 90% of the world’s wealth.

Because its price is the price of your life. It is impossible to value a human life.

But God could. He paid the price through the sacrifice of Christ, and then made this way available to all. It is a gift, a gift from God for humanity in general, and for each one of us in particular.

And it is a gift of love.

It is not something that God owes us, nor is it a right that we have somehow acquired.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

Nor is any previous penance or good deed necessary to be worthy of it.

The only work required is to accept it. It is to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

And if you do so, God receives you as His child and registers you in the Book of Life; the one in which the names of all those who will be able to stand before His presence for all eternity are registered.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:15

Having this spiritual nationality opens up infinite possibilities. For example:

• You can count on God’s presence in your heart.
• You can count on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• You can count on his power and mercy.
• You can count on his peace.
• You can count on their comfort.

Now, just as when you adopt a new nationality you are obliged to know and keep the laws of that country, even if you are “abroad”, obtaining spiritual citizenship also has its responsibilities.

And if you have adopted spiritual citizenship you have to know its “Constitution” and its “rules”; and most importantly, you have to live them.

Because the Word of God is not an endless set of legal and rambling rules, it is a book of life. And if the Gospel has impacted your life, it must produce changes in it.

Because no matter how ethical your life has been up to the moment of your conversion, the level of love, justice and holiness that God demands is infinitely superior.

So much so that it is impossible to fulfill by our own strength, as the Israelites learned throughout the Old Testament.

God is perfect, but not with our concept of perfection, which is limited to accepting “the highest possible degree of quality”. No. God is absolute perfection.

God is righteous. And in their judgements there are no compromises, negotiations or extenuating circumstances.

And God is not only holy, He is thrice holy.

It is a level we will never be able to reach. Only by letting the Gospel become real in our lives, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can we have a glimpse of what it means.

And this new level, for which God enables us through His Word and His Holy Spirit, is something that must be seen in our daily behavior.

But we are not talking about a “perfect” life, but a life of humility, mercy, righteousness and service.

As we read in Micah 6:8: “O man, he hath declared unto thee what is good, and what the LORD requireth of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself before thy God.”

A life that lets Christ be seen in what we do and say, or in what we keep silent and avoid.

Thus, the apostle Paul gives the Philippians three guidelines for them to evaluate themselves.

The first is unity. “…standing firm in the same spirit, fighting with one accord…”. And by this we are not speaking of uniformity, that is to say, of all being alike, but of each one, according to the grace and gifts received from God, helping each other in the work of God.

They may disagree on certain minor points, but they are subject to one another in love and consider one another as superior to themselves.

Because it is only through unity and respect that we will be able to stand firm.. Nothing ensures defeat more than having a disunited team.

Imagine a soccer team where the goalkeeper stops paying attention because the defenders, in his opinion, are not doing what they should. That the midfielders thought of the strikers: “if they like scoring goals so much, let them come and get the balls”. Or that the strikers would say of the goalkeeper: “if he doesn’t come up and help us instead of standing there touching his belly, don’t expect another goal!

They will only win a game if the opponent does not show up. In all other cases, defeat is certain.

The second is action. “…fighting unanimously…”.

I have said it before and I repeat it, if the Gospel has entered your life, it has to produce changes, it has to be reflected in your life, in what you do, and in what you stop doing.

And not out of obligation, but because it is really producing a change of nature within you. No eagle misses running, because its place is not at ground level, but in the heights. On the contrary, it is when it is in real trouble that it is grounded and cannot get back on its feet.

And if you are not an eagle, but a turtle, don’t worry about not being able to fly, because you will reach places that no eagle can reach.

Find your place, and get going. In the church, in the neighborhood, in society. Wherever God puts you, get moving.

Continuing with the soccer simile, I don’t know where God has put you, although what is certain is that you are not the coach. Our work is in the field, in giving our all and fulfilling our mission in the best possible way, collaborating with each other. This is the only way God can make us a winning team.

And the third is faith. “…in nothing intimidated by those who oppose…”.

Find your place, and get moving, and do it because God will be with you.

Of course there will come problems and opposition. But have faith, trust, because God is with you.

Don’t worry about the size of your opponents, or the strength or skill they show, and don’t panic if a teammate suddenly runs away in terror, or even gives up and passes the ball to the opponent to avoid being jumped on.

Do not be afraid of having to face these adversaries, as long as you are on God’s team, because in Him we will have the victory.

You will have to work hard, and it may take longer than you would like, but if you trust in God, victory will come.

On the other hand, if you give in to fear and withdraw, or worse, change teams, you may find it very comfortable at first. You may avoid efforts, you may avoid struggles. But the certain end will be defeat and death.

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Philippians 1: 1-11; 27-28

Finally, it is curious to note that in the expressions Paul uses in this passage: “becometh, stand fast, striving together…”, he has used verbs or adverbs of action.

At no time did he say: “that you say that you are Christians”.

Probably, because if it is necessary to say that we are Christians, perhaps it is because we do not yet behave as such.

God bless you.

Can you help me to share it? Thank you very much.

Cover image by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

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La entrada Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ se publicó primero en David Gómez.