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.

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La entrada My grace is sufficient for you 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 Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge (Psalms 94:22)

We have had a difficult few years.

Pandemics, volcanoes, wars, heat waves, uncontrolled inflation, rising mortgages, droughts, floods…

And this in general, because, then, in particular, each one has had his or her own problems, work, health, accidents, family losses…

To use a Spanish saying, it would seem that all mankind has been looked at by a one-eyed man.

But the truth is that no visually impaired person is to blame for this.

In some cases we are faced with the consequences of living in a world separated from God, and all that this represents in terms of evil, lies and selfishness.

In other cases, they are the consequences of our own limitations and shortcomings when making decisions.

And in others, they are situations that God allows or propitiates for our growth and maturity.

So now that 2022 is over and we look back, why deny it, what many of us see is a time of difficulty and pain.

But, if we look closely, in the midst of that darkness, there is something that has never been missing. And that something is God.

It is true that, at times, situations become very uphill and that there are tunnels that seem to have no end.

But always God’s presence has been made real. Perhaps not as we would like, as a wave that carries away everything that prevents us from moving forward, but as that peaceful whistle that brings us peace and hope.

Something that King David also experienced. Thus, in Psalm 94, after crying out for God to intervene in his situation, he states in verse 22:

But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

Yes, David was having a hard time. He was having a very hard time. But it was always clear to him that God was his refuge.

And, as it happens to all of us, the psalmist would also have liked God to put a quick end to the pain or injustice he was experiencing.

But David was not afraid of what might happen, because he knew he was in God’s hands.

So yes, 2022 will not go down in history as an easy year. But what we will be able to affirm, with joy, when we remember this year, is that God has always been with us.

And, if we remain faithful to Him, He always will be.

Happy 2023 and may God bless you.

Cover photo by Marcus Woodbridge on Unsplash

La entrada But the Lord has become my fortress se publicó primero en David Gómez.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13).

For many centuries, Christians have wondered how it would be possible for the whole world to witness Christ’s return to Earth.

Today it is no longer necessary to imagine. When Jesus returns there will be thousands of cell phones broadcasting that glorious moment, around the world, in real time.

Because one of the benefits of technology is that it allows us to see, first hand, what is happening anywhere on the planet.

The good, and the bad. The Iraq war was the first war broadcast live on television.

And this new terrible war in Ukraine is the first war that is being broadcast live on social media.

And what we can see is Dantesque, which is a polite way of saying hellish.

Through cell phones we are seeing terrible images of crime, suffering and destruction. Romantic or epic concepts of what war means or heroic sacrifice are swept away by reality.

We do not see people who go joyfully to give their lives for their country. What we see are only people full of pain who try to defend their own, and who die and suffer because of the evil of others.

And we Christians are in the midst of this world. And our brothers in Ukraine are going through the same hunger, the same suffering and the same death as their fellow citizens.

In fact, a volunteer from a Spanish church was also killed in the massacre at the Kramatorsk station. I was there giving comfort, and a little water and food, to the refugees.

And when you hold in your arms the mangled body of your mother or your child, it is very human to let yourself be carried away by anger, and cry out to God that fire come down from heaven and destroy the one who has done this.

And like this there are hundreds of situations that push us to our limit, whether in professional, moral, economic, or whatever other issues. Issues that serve as an excuse for our human, but often mistaken, reactions.

Because our life does not exist to serve as a support for our passions. Nor can our cry be for destruction, however much pain we may feel, but that the earth may be filled with the glory of God.

Let us see what the Word of God tells us in the first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 10 and verse 13:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

And a nuance before continuing. The Greek word used in this verse serves both for what we know as temptation and also as test.

Because just as it happened to Job, God is faithful, and He will never allow our adversary to come with temptations greater than the strength He gives us.

Nor is God going to lead us into situations that we cannot endure and that destroy us as Christians.

Rather, in all these circumstances He is going to give us a way out. And that way out is none other than to look to Christ on the cross, dying for you and for me, and crying out to God for forgiveness for his executioners. Because without that forgiveness the end of his executioners, as well as yours and mine, would be terrible. And eternal.

Does this mean that we cannot cry out to God for justice? Of course we can, and indeed, that should be our cry. May his righteousness and his fear fall upon every person in this world, whether for salvation or damnation.

Let us remember that, if we have to give an account of every idle word, how much more, he who has rejoiced in the pain of others, will have to give an account of it in heaven before God, but also on this earth.

Therefore, let us not make excuses to let ourselves be carried away by our desires or by our anger. Let us be children of our Father in Heaven.

And, in the face of so much pain and suffering, let us cry out for consolation, but, above all, for the return of our Lord.

After all, cell phones are now ready for all to see.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

La entrada God is faithful 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.

…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Amen (Matthew 28:20)

It has been almost 2000 years since Christ left us to return to the Father.

A long time, but during which the church, with its lights and shadows, has been fulfilling the Great Commission that He entrusted to us: to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, baptizing and teaching to keep His commandments .

A duty, undoubtedly, far beyond our capabilities and skills. And that would be impossible without the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, it is not surprising that, when God calls us to serve Him, in whatever service, our first response is: “no”.

And, under a false sense of humility, let us reply like Jeremiah or Moses, “Lord, I am useless, please send someone else”.

Curious humility that leads us to reply to God to tell him that he does not know what he is doing when he asks us to do this or that.

It is not humility, it is fear of failure that leads us to answer this way.

The fear of screwing up and being laughed at by others, or that God Himself will throw our uselessness in our face.

It is pride that makes us answer God: “No”.

For if we were truly humble, we would obey Him without grumbling.

It is true that lack of experience leads us to doubt our capabilities.

But what we have to remember is that in God’s ways the capacity does not depend on us. It is not of him who wills or of him who runs, but of him on whom God has mercy.

That is why we all can and should commit ourselves to the task of serving God wherever He needs us, to make the message of the Gospel grow in the midst of this earth.

When Jesus committed the Great Commission to the disciples, they faced the same fears.

They knew their weaknesses. They had fled when Jesus was arrested. Even after his resurrection, He had to call them back because they had returned to their old professions.

If Jesus was not going to be with them, who would continue to perform the miracles and wonders that attracted so much attention? Or who would silence the enemies of truth with words of power and wisdom?

That is why Jesus, when he gives them the witness of the task ends with these words that we find in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 20: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Yes, it is true that He physically left us almost 2000 years ago, but the truth is that He has never left us alone.

His Holy Spirit has been with us since Pentecost, and since then nothing and no one has been able to stop His church. And nothing can stop it as long as He is with us.

They may persecute us, they may try to silence us, they may even kill us, but as long as there is a church the Gospel will always continue to run. For we have the promise of Christ that his presence will be with us until the end of the world.

As Peter said when he healed the paralytic, our services are not done by our power or virtue, but by faith in Christ and the grace of God.

Whatever God calls you to, forget your pride, say yes to God, and start working.

If you have to train, train, and if you have to mature, do it. But don’t wait until you’re perfect, because then you’ll never do anything but whine in the corners.

Whatever you have in your hand at any given moment is what you must give to God so that He may bless and multiply it.

For even with only five loaves and two fish, physical or spiritual, God can lead you to feed a multitude.

And the fact is that life, and victory, belongs to those who say yes to God, to those who dare to put their hand to the plow and, in the name of Christ, go forward.

Until the finish line.

Because Christ is and will be with them.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Ellaby 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 And surely I am with you always se publicó primero en David Gómez.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).

The first major recorded event, after the fall of man in Eden, was a murder.

Perhaps that is why we should not be surprised that one of the most present events throughout history is war.

An act whose only purpose is to bring pain, death and destruction to the victim. Sometimes, however, it seems that the aggressor forgets that he or she will also have to pay a price.

But of course, whoever gives the order to start a war is usually far away from the front line.

War is synonymous with casualties, and it is often said that the first casualty of war is the truth. However, this is not always true.

Aggressions are often justified under the pretext of defense, such as the famous “preventive wars” in the Middle East or the aggression against Ukraine. However, the truth always prevails through the clouds of bomb smoke.

The real first casualty of war is peace.

As soon as the first shot or the first explosion sounds, peace is dead. In fact, it may have died a long time before. The next victims are people, and, with them, the entire creation.

For nothing is more contrary to the concept of divine creation than war. And despite social advances, no one has managed to eradicate it. Nor will it succeed, until Christ comes again.

It is well known that the vast majority of the advances we currently have at our disposal have their origin in military needs. Digital watches, cell phones, computers, GPS, and even some medical advances were initially aimed at killing more and better.

We have gone from the stone or the jawbone of an ass to the missile. But the human heart still harbors the same yearning for evil.

And maybe missiles are not launched every day (now in Ukraine they are), but every day thousands of people attack their fellow human beings causing them physical or emotional harm, or both.

And in this context it is very easy to lose hope and faith.

Perhaps because of this, and because Jesus knew that violence is an endemic evil of humanity, he left us this beautiful promise recorded in chapter 14 and verse 27 of the Gospel of John:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

The world offers peace when violence ends. But it is still not a complete peace, because true peace is not the absence of violence.

A rape victim does not regain peace when the assault ends. And I wish the Ukrainian war would end right now, but that’s not going to bring peace back to Ukrainians. Because pain, hatred and rancor is growing in their hearts.

Recently a young woman from Kiev said that the Russians would never manage to enter the city, and the reason she gave was neither military nor geographical. The reason she gave was that hatred in the Ukrainian population had grown so much that Russian soldiers would never be able to defeat them.

That is why Jesus did not leave us the peace of the world, but left us his peace. A peace that does not need external conditions, the absence of violence, to exist, but is a peace that remains in all times. And that develops even more, if possible, in times of persecution and trial.

It is a peace that grows continuously as our faith and dependence on God grows. A peace that helps us to forgive and heal our wounds. Because what hatred does is to keep them open and infected.

And it is this peace the world needs. Therefore, today more than ever, the world needs us to be visible, even if they do not want to see us, and to carry the message of the Gospel, even if they do not want to hear it.

So cling to your Lord, and go forward, and even if the violent ones take everything from you by force, you will discover that there is something they can never take from you, the peace that Christ has given you.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

La entrada Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you se publicó primero en David Gómez.

These are very difficult times.

Pandemics, climate crises, wars…

Indeed, life is a fragile and ephemeral thing, as the Psalmist reminds us:

The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

Psalm 103:15-16

We spend our lives struggling and striving to improve it.

We want to have a better position, a better job, better training, better savings….

And we do not realize that this is exactly the same thing we did when we did not have Christ in our lives.

The same as the world does.

And worst of all, sometimes we do it without even thanking God for what He has already given us, and for what He spares us.

And we forget God’s message: Seek the Lord and live.

At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, one of the news broadcasts featured a young student who had gone to Ukraine to study for a degree.

This young man was already safe in Poland, to begin his return to his country. But when the journalist asked him what his departure from Ukraine had been like, the young man replied that he had been treated very badly, that he was forced to stand for more than 15 hours in a crowded train where he could not even move, and that this caused problems with his legs.

Really? Were you treated badly because you were evacuated to safety while many others were left suffering and dying in razed and encircled cities?

It’s sad, but, sometimes, we do the same. We have stopped seeing God as Lord to see Him as a mere provider. It is no longer enough for us that God saves us, heals us and gives us his grace and gifts, now we want him to do it our way.

We keep forgetting God’s message: Seek the Lord and live.

Now, is it a bad thing to want to improve? Of course not. Even Paul, when writing to the Corinthians tells them in his first epistle:

Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

1st Corinthians 7:21

Wanting to improve is good, but only if it is done from God’s perspective. That is why we must seek him.

Amos

Amos was a man who tended and drove oxen.

He was a man of the country and had received no theological training other than that which was given by the Levites to the people in general. As he says: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet”.

And yet, God called him to announce his message in a very difficult time for the kingdom of Israel.

A message of judgment and punishment, but also of reconciliation.

The problem, for the Israelites, was that they did not listen.

They were very focused on their goals, to become a strong and feared kingdom, even if it meant making war on their brothers in the kingdom of Judah.

And to do so, they did not hesitate to ignore the law that God had given them. And they mocked the consequences of the curse that came with turning away from it.

They thought they were the masters of their lives. That is why they despised Amos’ message and threatened him to keep quiet. Or, at least, for him to prophesy away.

It’s as if they were saying, “If you want to entertain this for us that’s fine, but don’t bother here.”

And the truth is that God heard this “plea” of the Israelites, as we see in chapter 8 of the book of Amos, because after Malachi there were 400 years of silence on God’s part, in which there was no prophet in Israel, until John the Baptist.

They sought to make a great name for themselves among the nations, not realizing that they, along with their brethren in the southern kingdom, had been chosen by God to be His people.

No other nation on earth had such a privilege, but to them it seemed little. They also wanted the shine and luster of the world’s appearance.

Seek me and live

They forgot about God’s message:Seek me and live. For in God alone is blessing, life and honor.

They had already incurred in this tremendous sin centuries before, when they asked Samuel to have a king “such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8).

And here again we see how dangerous it is to insist on our ways and desires, because as in the case of the prophetic silence we have just seen, God also granted them this request:

And the Lord told him:

“Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

1 Samuel 8:7-9

Israel did not want to be ruled by the sons of Samuel, because they had departed from the ways of God and were corrupt. But they didn’t let God offer them the alternative, they wanted to be the ones to choose the way to fix the problem.

And the ways of man are seldom the ways of God. With the added problem that when you fall in your ways, there is no one to help you up, because God is not around.

And not because He cannot be, but because you have decided to turn away from God and reject his help.

That is why Amos tells them that 1000 will go out and 100 will return, or 100 will go out and 10 will return. And it is that they were going in their own strength, and they forgot that, no matter how good you are, there will always be those who are better than you.

But God did not want Israel to be destroyed, just as God does not want the death of the wicked, nor does He want us to be wiped off the face of the earth.

That is why he offers us his alternative, the only real alternative that guarantees us blessing and joy: To turn to him.

Israel wanted to get what it needed by its own means. But that wasn’t going to work, because in the spiritual world that never works.

Therefore, it will never be a good idea to try to make your life outside of God’s ways, because you will end up decimated; nor to set your sights on the things of the world, because you will end up defeated.

And when problems arise, people run from here to there without anyone chasing them, just for fear that something bad might happen.

People who will seek protection in the Bethel of endless jobs, or will try to enter the Gilgal of unethical agreements, or will try to move to the Beersheba that promises prosperity and security, but none of that will give them what they expect, because only in God will we find life.

The Bible already warns us that there will be wars and rumors of wars, which is why we must be more aware than ever of who we have believed in and in whom we have placed our confidence, and that is why it is more important than ever that we seek God, because only in him will we find life..

And, above all, in these difficult times we are facing, let us be an example of love and generosity to those in need, and let us be an example of light, not allowing anyone to take from us what God has given us.

Let no one rob us of the peace of Christ.

May God bless you

Cover photo by Finding Dan | Dan Grinwis on Unsplash

La entrada Seek me and live se publicó primero en David Gómez.

When we receive a summons from a court, or a letter from the tax authorities, we start to tremble.

Because, usually, the news is negative for our interests.

We have become accustomed to the fact that most of the time when a stranger approaches us spontaneously to offer us something, what we discover is that they are looking for their own personal benefit.

Therefore, it is very common that, when you share the gospel with someone, they are wary of your possible hidden intentions. And even more so when you tell him that it is a gift from God for anyone who chooses to accept it.

It’s something you’ve probably been looking for, because we all yearn for a full and meaningful life. But it sounds too nice to be true.

It is easy to think that it is like those promotions, where you go to pick up a gift and end up buying a timeshare apartment on the Persley Island.

Satan has done his job very well.

It has accustomed the world to evil. And it has done so in such a way that, when the salvation of Christ is presented, they reject it, because they are afraid of suffering the umpteenth deception.

At first glance, there is no way to tell the difference between a thief and someone who is not a thief.

In fact, many wrongdoers are tremendously affable and pleasant people when dealing personally with strangers.

Because if they look nice it is easy for others to think they are good. This makes it easier for them to let their guard down and take advantage of them.

Abundant life

Therefore, it is not surprising that in the Gospel of John, in chapter 10 and verse 10, Jesus gave us a promise with a warning:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Throughout our lives we will meet many strangers. People who need to receive Christ as Savior and have the abundant life that Christ gives to those who receive Him.

And we are here with the mission to tell the world that Christ has come for them to have that life.

But, to have a chance of being heard by the world, we have to make a difference to the thief.

Because they need to be able to see that we are not coming to steal their freedom or destroy their lives.

And it’s not about looking nice. It is a matter of leading a Christian life that demonstrates emphatically that Christ’s offer of an abundant life is real.

I am not saying that we should have a life of abundance and continuous laughter.

I am saying that our lives should manifest the joy and peace of God.

That is very easy in the midst of joys, but where it shows most is in the midst of difficult moments. And there is no need to hide these.

Because to achieve victory, you must first live the battle and fight to the end. Then we can speak with the authority of the Holy Spirit.

And for this, there is nothing better than letting Christ be the true Lord of our lives, and allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work within us.

In such a way that, when they look at us, they do not see us, but see Christ through us, so that they can then make their decision.

For it is impossible to mistake Christ for a thief.

God bless you.

Cover photos by Annie Spratt 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 So that they may have life se publicó primero en David Gómez.

One of the things that is most valued in a person who has to lead a group or a project is his or her capacity for self-motivation.

This is because, in the course of his or her work, the leader will find himself or herself in situations that will undermine his or her endurance.

Resources that fail, poorly designed systems, collaborators who do their job reluctantly, when they are not putting obstacles in the wheels of the project, superiors who don’t know anything…

Those responsible for finding these people know that if they don’t find someone with that exceptional ability to move forward, most projects will likely never come to fruition.

For this reason, in personnel selection processes, technical preparation is no longer given so much importance, as this is something that the vast majority of candidates will have.

Nowadays, what is most valued is the candidate’s attitude towards life’s problems.

Because chances are, if you get a job like that, you’re going to have a lot of bad nights. And if you don’t have the right attitude, you’ll end up spending your little free time at your psychologist’s office.

And it is the same in the spiritual life.

To go to the end in a faithful manner, facing the consequences of living a life of holiness and obeying God, will require much effort and persistence.

Because we will be up against a ruthless enemy.

And that strength and persistence is something that only a select few have naturally.

And even for those, this natural energy eventually runs out one day.

So, if this capacity for endurance is so rare, how can those of us who do not have it remain steadfast to the end?

Are we doomed because we are unable to develop such a level of resilience?

As always, the answer is in God.

Let us see what the book of Isaiah tells us:

.…..but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

To advance in your spiritual life, it is not necessary to go from here to there looking for the latest preaching or the latest talk of the enlightened person of the moment. Nor is it necessary to have an extraordinary innate capacity.

If you want to keep your strength strong, if you want to renew your energy and your vision to move forward, all you have to do is trust in God.

For it is to those who wait for the LORD that this promise is reserved. Not to those who run alone.

And, for this, there is nothing better than to stop and set aside time each day to listen to the voice of God. And dedicate it to prayer and meditation of his Word.

Pray, yes, but remember that prayer is not a monologue. Prayer is a dialogue. It is you talking to God, but it is also God talking to you.

And meditate on his Word in order to re-tune your life to God’s will.

For only in this way can you deepen your knowledge of your Creator and the knowledge of His will.

When you achieve this, the glimpse of God’s glory will renew you completely, and His Holy Spirit will be able to strengthen, comfort and encourage you.

With the added assurance that this promise of God, to receive new strength, is for each and every one of his children. Without distinction of capacity or calling.

So the next time you are thinking of throwing in the towel, go into God’s presence and wait and trust in him. And he will give you the strength to go on, one more day.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Birger Strahl on Unsplash

La entrada Those who hope in the Lord se publicó primero en David Gómez.