This year the Holy Spirit wants to ignite a fire within you! This FIRE is associated with the calling He has for you. After prayerful consideration, write down those things that ignite a divine passion within you to accomplish His will. He has wired you internally with a calling that passion brings into existence. You must understand that the Devil will try to lure you into thought patterns that n…egotiate you out of your divine passion by causing you to think about those things you ought to do, what you should be doing, etc. The daily routine can dowse out the flames of passion for God’s calling. The end result is that you feel like an inferior Christian. He is calling you to be an on fire Christian! The FIRE is connected to passion and that passion will lead you into that eternal calling that He has planned for you before the foundations of the world! This year be honest with yourself and let the passion express itself. This will align you in a new way in His Kingdom and connect you into a new world in the Spirit! Let the Holy Spirit ignite the fire!!!!!
2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation”
Isaiah 49:8 “This is what the LORD says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances,”
Have you ever put off making an important move or decision? You are convinced that you need to make that move and step out of the boat to walk on water. Time has passed, months turn to years and the nagging question remains… When is the right time? What are the optimal conditions that constitute the best case scenario in order to have the confidence to proceed? Perhaps you are considering a whole new phase or facet of life that has been in your heart for years but you have been paralyzed by fear or what your friends may say. Timing is always an important consideration and walking by faith is as well.
Let me suggest that there may never be a best case scenario and that there will always be those that will challenge you, doubt your motivation and condemn your actions. There comes a time when one must in truth walk by faith. Remember that Abraham left Babylon not knowing where he was going! (Hebrews 11:8) Imagine that! He knew in his spirit that he had to move and step out but he didn’t have all the details! This to me is a very powerful thought especially when we consider our factual, scientific and material based culture! Without this kind of faith it is impossible to please God!
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Today is the day of salvation! Hopefully you are “saved” by a personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus by faith and His grace; remember too that the children of God are led by the Spirit of God. Salvation and the leading of the Spirit are related concepts. Romans 8:14 “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
Today is the day of salvation! We understand that biblically salvation also includes healing, deliverance and restoration. When we are led by the Spirit in a new direction, a greater dimension and understanding of these wonderful benefits are opened up to us. Walking by faith opens up the treasures of heaven and God’s Kingdom. The time is now as today is the day of salvation! Take a step of faith today in the right direction. Obey God and step out of the boat. Forgive someone. Serve someone. Fast and pray. Be focused on eternal truth and reality. Establish vital relationships with those who can help facilitate your transition and support you in spiritual growth.
James 4:8 “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
I want to encourage you to seek the Lord like never before. There must be zero tolerance for sin in our lives; we must purify our hearts before God with deep and progressive repentance. The inability to step out by faith many times is a result a chronic double-mindedness that springs from the love of the things of this world and the fear of man. Jesus said that condemnation is a result of loving and preferring darkness over light! (John 3:19) When we take steps in the right direction, toward God and His will, He comes close to us! Let me tell you something: a divine visitation of His presence is right around the corner! Believe it and go for it! The long awaited breakthrough is closer that you might have thought. Today is the day of salvation! Today is the day and now is the time! Relentlessly pursue the high calling of pleasing Him in all things!
With much love in Christ,
Ernie and Silvia
“I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way: The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear, fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear.” Edgar A. Guest 1881-1959
Across our nation untold hours are spent in study and sermon preparation for our Sunday services. Our preachers purchase the latest book hot off the press, they travel far for the latest spin on doing church in our confused culture through conferences and seminars, and they dig deeper into the Greek and Hebrew to bring out the hidden beauty and fullness of the Scriptures. Of course, it’s for a good cause; after all, the sheep need to eat, right?
I remember years ago hearing the experience of an old preacher. After his sermon one fine Sunday, one of the members of the deacon’s board approached him to complain about his message. It went something like this: “Pastor, everything was going well until you stopped preachin’ and started meddlin’.” Yes, the sheep have to eat and the appetite they have developed has become more an issue of sermon appreciation rather than receiving the living life transforming Word of God. We as ministers have produced a generation of sheep with itching ears. Congregations have been trained to expect something new, deep and hidden! Somehow as ministers, we have lost our way and strayed into preaching elevated sermons that appeal to our cultural values at the expense of producing Disciples of Christ. Sermonizing has become an art form and perhaps one of the maximum expressions of Christianity in our Western churches.
Philippians 4:9 “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” NIV
I’ve never heard a preacher tell his / her listeners that they are to imitate and practice what they themselves do in their life. It’s more common to hear: “Don’t do as I do but do as I say.” The Apostle Paul’s teaching is so different from what we hear today. He taught: “Do what you see me do.” This powerfully profound statement implies of deep personal relationships, transparency as well as an exceptionally high level of personal purity and holiness.
The four walls of a church building along with the platform, pulpit and pews is not the best scenario to obtain this class of Christianity. The church must be brought home for Christianity to be reborn in our culture. There exists a great interest in God these days and a lower than ever level of interest in the Church. Maybe we’ve seen too much, too much discrepancy between the ideal and the real. One may ask: Where can I hear the best sermon? Maybe we should be asking where the best sermon may be seen. The best place to see a sermon is at home. As parents, leaders and ministers we must adjust our thinking and priorities. Home was, is and always will be the best place to live the Christian life. There are many young eyes that long to see the best sermon; the one that only you can give.
“Y él mismo constituyó a unos, apóstoles; a otros, profetas; a otros, evangelistas; a otros, pastores y maestros, a fin de perfeccionar a los santos para la obra del ministerio, para la edificación del cuerpo de Cristo, hasta que todos lleguemos a la unidad de la fe y del conocimiento del Hijo de Dios, a un varón perfecto, a la medida de la estatura de la plenitud de Cristo; para que ya no seamos niños fluctuantes, llevados por doquiera de todo viento de doctrina, por estratagema de hombres que para engañar emplean con astucia las artimañas del error, sino que siguiendo la verdad en amor, crezcamos en todo en aquel que es la cabeza, esto es, Cristo, de quien todo el cuerpo, bien concertado y unido entre sí por todas las coyunturas que se ayudan mutuamente, según la actividad propia de cada miembro, recibe su crecimiento para ir edificándose en amor.” Efesios 4:11-16
He estado escribiendo algunas reflexiones sobre el tema del liderazgo cristiano a través el punto de vista del propósito profético de Dios para la Iglesia y el Cuerpo de Cristo. Hoy nos encontramos en un momento tremendo de crisis, conflicto y de transición; debemos captar la magnitud de las oportunidades en esta hora de propósito revelado en la Palabra y por el Espíritu Santo para aplicar ese conocimiento para nuestro propio contexto a fin de para lograr un cambio en nuestro propio proceso de pensamiento como líderes y pastores en las iglesias donde servimos.
Si le preguntara a al cristiano común y corriente, ¿Qué es un apóstol? estoy seguro de que tendría varias respuestas, algunas de las respuestas podrían ser bíblicas y profundas, mientras que otros podrían ser cáusticas o sarcásticas. Sí, el “típico cristiano” de hoy tiene mucho que decir acerca de la Palabra y las prácticas comunes en nuestras iglesias. En nuestra era de Internet, los líderes cristianos tienen que enfrentar las congregaciones que tienen acceso a los mismos recursos, libros y seminarios que utilizamos para preparar nuestros sermones y enseñanzas. Debido a esto, tenemos la oportunidad única de ofrecer a nuestra gente la naturaleza misma de Cristo expresado como un líder-siervo. Los libros, el internet y los seminarios nunca pueden proveer y modelar el patrón bíblico de la función del siervo-líder que enseña con el ejemplo de su vida y así proporciona el contexto y el ambiente necesario para impartir la vida y hacer discípulos. En verdad, la mayor enseñanza es la que se recibe en el estilo de vida de uno que ha logrado que su familia esté fundada en la Roca. Esa persona es la que impacta y transforma las familias en donde sirve, sea un “predicador de plataforma” o no.
Estos ministerios: el apóstol, profeta, evangelista, pastor y maestro deben cumplir con su vocación bíblica formando una unión y relación estrecha con aquellos que están llamados a servir. El proceso que lleva a las “ovejas” a la mentalidad del siervo-líder requiere mucho más que la forma típica de ministración desde la plataforma y el púlpito. Desde mi perspectiva, este escenario es en realidad construye una gran muralla de separación entre el “ministro profesional” y el que viene levantándose como siervo-líder. Pero ese es el tema de otro artículo. Tenemos que romper la mentalidad que requiere una cierta cantidad de personas presentes para tener una enseñanza o un servicio. Lo que es absolutamente necesario para lograr la conversión de una oveja en siervo-líder es la relación y la comunicación personal e íntima en forma regular durante mucho tiempo. No puede haber un sustituto para el tipo de relación tuvo Jesús con sus discípulos, que es exactamente el mismo tipo que existía en la iglesia primitiva. La producción en masa en el contexto del aula o salón de clase nunca ocupará el lugar de la verdadera relación que tiene con un mentor de un discípulo. Como líderes cristianos que deben disminuir la velocidad y echar un vistazo al modelo de nuestro trabajo. Hay que examinar y evaluar nuestra eficiencia y ser brutalmente honestos con los resultados. Bien puede ser que hemos anunciado el evangelio a las naciones, pero el resultado final puede ser expresado como una pregunta: ¿He hecho discípulos?
Como siervos del Señor, todos sabemos que debemos hacer discípulos a fin de cumplir la gran comisión de Jesús. Pero hay que tomar en cuenta que las limitaciones de nuestra mentalidad, estilo de vida y el tiempo muchas veces no nos permiten hacer lo correcto. La verdad es, sin embargo, nos parece que siempre tiene tiempo para esas cosas que consideramos importantes y si, las hacemos. Puedo hacer tiempo para comer y preparar la comida, y la diversión; tengo tiempo para leer y hacer muchas otras cosas “que me gustan.” ¿Y usted? ¿Las vidas de la gente alrededor de usted son importantes? ¿Serán tan importantes que les va a compartir su tiempo con ellas y sembrar la palabra en sus corazones? Este es uno de los principales puntos del liderazgo de servicio que deben ser evaluados.
Ayer, Silvia y yo fuimos a dar un paseo caminando por el parque. Nos encontramos con un anciano sentado en el lugar exacto en que lo habíamos visto la semana anterior. La primera vez que caminamos por allí, sencillamente lo saludamos “hola.” Sin embargo, esta vez, el Espíritu Santo nos guio a tomar un tiempo de “nuestro” día para compartir con este caballero. Sí, compartimos a Cristo con ese hombre y la presencia del Señor y el amor de Dios eran tan fuertes en el encuentro. Hoy, en unas dos horas vamos a visitar a este hombre que, según sus propias palabras no tiene a nadie… Le prometí que lo visitaría pronto. Me sorprendió su respuesta: “Usted puede venir mañana.” Por lo tanto, vamos a ir. Y como ayer, estoy seguro de que las lágrimas una vez más van a correr por nuestras mejillas al salir de su casa.
El apóstol Santiago habla de la religión verdadera y pura (Santiago 1:27) que no se trata de un servicio hermoso “en la iglesia.” La religión pura se produce cuando nadie más que Dios reciba la gloria. Como líderes cristianos, todos tenemos mucho que aprender acerca de la religión pura. Vamos a ser guiados por el Espíritu Santo, y pasar tiempo con la gente para impartir en sus vidas. Si usted está más enamorado del púlpito, de la plataforma y de las bancas, va a construir una gran muralla de separación entre usted y la voluntad de Dios; entre usted y las personas por quienes dedicó Jesús su vida. Hoy tenemos que responder a la voluntad de Dios. Hoy es el día del arrepentimiento y la hora señalada de refrigerio espiritual. Hoy es el día perfecto para compartir el amor de Cristo con alguien. ¡Hágalo hoy mismo, dedique tiempo para alguien hoy! Porque si no lo hace hoy, es probable que no lo haga mañana…
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:1-7
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live — where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city — where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore!” Revelation 2:12-16
I have to share briefly about a very serious issue that is causing great damage in the Church today. In the above texts we find references to the practices and the teaching of the Nicolaitans as well as the teaching of Balaam. First of all, the Nicolaitans were a heretical group that caused much damage to the early Church. The term is a compound word in the Greek and comes from a root word that means “victorious over the people.” Our word “laity,” used frequently in religious circles also comes from this term. We cannot mention the concept of laity without considering its counterpart: clergy. So, we are talking about a religious system that has an elite, professional caste that rules over those lesser souls on a lower level that have been deprived of knowledge, spirituality and power.
Today’s super-leader assumes a role that is out of God’s plan biblically speaking and follows this “victorious over the people” attitude. This highly gifted person is so “anointed and powerful” that no one in the congregation would ever dream of getting that far in God. The gifts are so strong and the signs and wonders so convincing, that nothing and no one would ever dare to challenge or even suggest another option. It really happens, and frequently at that! This leader tends to surround him or herself with people that always say “yes.” The yes men go together with today’s Christian super-leader. In this context, a true prophet is not allowed. The only type of prophetic ministry that is allowed is superficial and will always directly support the super-leader’s ministry.
Other characteristics of the super-leader are: susceptibility to flattery and praise, gifts validate the ministry and are used to establish the domain and personal turf, impatience with anything that even remotely resembles another perspective, the tendency to criticize publicly other ministries in a way that establishes his own as more credible, and creating a dependence on his or her own ministry to maintain the flock in doctrinal and spiritual purity for their own protection.
In our time, many highly gifted and anointed leaders have been literally worshipped by those who have been duped into believing that the gifts are above the fruit and have been deceived into a religious system based on works and merit to earn the acceptance of the super-leader. True freedom in Christ has been traded for a place in the super leader’s confidence with the hope that someday, they will be rewarded with a similar “ministry.”
We need to go back to the Word of God and remember that many saints during the Reformation gave their lives because of doctrines such as the Universal Priesthood of All Believers. The Blood of Jesus paves the way for ALL believers to enter into the presence of God freely; we don’t need this elite class of super-leader that creates once again the same obstacles that brought on the Dark Ages.
A true leader will graciously leave behind the glories of the platform, the microphone and the pulpit (if he / she still insist on having them) and reach out to those who don’t understand their inheritance in Christ and bring them into a position of understanding by empowering them with New Testament truth. The professional clergy, a term that doesn’t exist in the context of true New Testament Christianity, opens itself to the teaching of Balaam who found a way to be paid large sums of money.
I do believe in the Five-Fold ministry of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. They must follow the parameters that Jesus established for servant leadership. I know from experience that all things revolve around leadership; we are responsible for the system we have created. We must guard our hearts and learn humility as well as create a new system that empowers believers to be all that they should be in Christ instead of creating greater hindrances for the people we serve. As stated above: “Repent therefore!”
There is no one system that is sufficient for the needs at hand. However, the home church or simple church model reduces many of the above mentioned scenarios to manageable proportions. Will you consider the true characteristics of your leadership style and compare them to the Servant-Leader Jesus taught of? Or, would you rather go for the common mixture of marketing and power so common in the Church today? From my heart and from personal experience I can wholeheartedly say that there is new joy and peace that comes from doing things God’s way! Will you join the ranks of those who are creating a quiet revolution that is sweeping over the nations? Do you have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church?
