I remember many years ago…. A group of six guys (and I) from Bible College went to Honduras for the first time driving from Pensacola, FL! It was a wonderful trip as we shared testimonies, our dreams and our aspirations for the future. Bro. George, a teacher, friend, father figure, and mentor all mixed into one package, bravely led the way and captivated us with stories form this unknown world. Not one of us spoke Spanish but our dear Bro. George had done this before. What an adventure!
One of the stories we heard along the way was about a forgotten short lived Central American war between El Salvador and Honduras. It was called The Soccer War; as tensions between the two countries came to a boiling point when they faced each other for World Cup play-off games in June of 1969. The first game was in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, and the second was in San Salvador, El Salvador’s capital. That’s where things really became tense and people were killed. This escalated and tensions increased. On July 14, 1969 El Salvador launched an air strike on Honduras that provoked a four day 100 hour war. Just in case you are asking, no one really won. One curious detail I learned was that Christians on both sides were praying that God would deliver, protect and give the victory to their country. That sounds good, right?
I have lived in Latin American countries for many years and I know that soccer and nationalism is a volatile combination, but the Soccer War was much more complicated than just who was going to play in the World Cup. It was about national pride, and the hope of land, and the possibility of carving out a future in dignity that every person deserves.
It was on that trip that I stood on a mountain that overlooked Tegucigalpa and my heart was touched from above. A heavenly calling was birthed in my heart; that very night I preached my first sermon. I came back to Central America in 1978 to study Spanish in Costa Rica. This was a very volatile time in the history of that part of the world as the Sandinistas were fighting Nicaragua’s president. Well, guess what? I was driving, and going through Nicaragua was a challenge during this explosive period. I was surrounded by hundreds of Sandinistas and sympathizers in Esteli. I thought that this was it! But God made a way and opened the group; I wasted no time and quickly drove away! A few minutes down the road I was greeted by hundreds of Nicaraguan soldiers and armored vehicles on their way to establish order in Esteli. God had freed me of a true battle.
While in language school I was present the day Chet Bitterman and another student had a very hot discussion. Chet was an outspoken conservative and was not politically correct about his views of the Central American conflict and about the M-19 group in Colombia where he was to serve. The other student was an outspoken leftist that supported the well-known Liberation Theology. It was like being in a ping pong match; my head was going back and forth to the point of getting dizzy! The discussion did not end well that day. A few years later on January 19, 1981 Chet was abducted by the M-19 guerrilla group in his beloved Colombia, and later executed. The other student was abducted by the feared death squads in Guatemala. He was not executed but rather thrown out of a van naked on the street after being tortured.
There are many other personal stories that I could share now but I need to get to the point. My friends, I am getting very concerned as the elections in the USA are getting closer. I am seeing tweets and blogs from Christians from both sides of the fence using ever increasingly aggressive rhetoric against the other side. To be honest, it reminds me of the Soccer War. I know we need to be responsible citizens, pay taxes, and participate in the electoral process. But what I am seeing is a political fervor that has blinded many Christians to the point provoking radical party affiliation above seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness. We are first and foremost Kingdom citizens according to God’s Word. We are in this world but not of this world. I am NOT implying disengagement as an option. We must participate in the process. But we must represent the values of the Kingdom before preaching party lines. It is NOT about LEFT or RIGHT; it is about God!
This post is a call to repentance for Christians in the USA who have been more zealous about their party than the Kingdom. This is a call for Christians to repent of, and rise above, the sin of racism which is still deep within the heart of this nation. This is a call to prayer and fasting for this nation. This is a call to seek the kingdom and His righteousness FIRST. This is a call for Christians to reach across party lines to establish what is really important: that Jesus be exalted in our country. This is a call for Christians to humble themselves before the Lord knowing that He hears the prayer of his people. Just as in the Soccer War, I believe that it is inappropriate that as a Democrat, or a Republican, we ask God for a victory for our political party. There are issues more pressing than what meets the eye. We must pray like never before!
It is unrealistic to think that a short blog could fix our nation’s ills. We can however take a lesson out of history, and personal experiences, and apply it to our present condition. No one really won the Soccer War. No one really won in Nicaragua. No one really won in the decades of guerilla warfare in Guatemala. I wanted to share my personal experiences to illustrate a point. As the USA seems to be polarizing itself farther left and right, I wonder if anyone will really win after all is said and done.
Jesus is still on the throne. Let’s turn our eyes to the author and finisher of our faith. Let’s learn to live with Kingdom values. There is a better way.
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 negotiate 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…
