Walking the narrow road

One danger and temptation in discipleship is to tell people Jesus doesn´t expect transformation from us.

But an equally or perhaps more damaging blow is to provide people with just rules to go with. If we do that, we prove ourselves unfaithful to Jesus. Yeah. No question He would want us to open up the Bible, to find the principles we must agree with and apply to our lives.

Such principles must be taught, but not as mere rules to be followed. If anything, my short experience discipling teaches me to strive to make clear at least four things in my exhortations:

1. To uphold the Word of God, the source of all our wisdom.

2. To comfront people with Jesus as the Forgiver of all our sin. Is anything too hard for us to obey given the full forgiveness of sins we´ve received from Him? He is our Savior.

3. To encourage people with Jesus as the All Powerful One. Is anything too hard for Him to overcome in us if we only ask it of Him in prayer? He is our Lord.

4. To present Jesus as the One deserving all our honor and praise. Is anything more valuable and worthy than Him? He is our God!

Point people to Jesus, brother. Thanks!

Beginning of 2012

I'm 5% short of replenishing full strength to my battery. However I need a stronger force to refill me with love and passion.

You know, it's funny. It's the beginning of another year full of hopes and dreams to chase. But somehow in my soul there is such a clear sense of my fragility. And that's why I chose to run instead here. To pour out my soul before you Oh Lord. To offer a little prayer to you in writing this. You know me. Better than anyone who would ever read this. You love me better than anybody on this planet. And I still feel the sense that I need you more in my life. Maybe that is what you want to teach me right at the start of this new season of life.

Mom blessed me with a particular blessing when we hug at midnight. Lots of noise outside. But they have subsided and have yielded to a extended silence. I'm left with the echo of her voice and owning her wishes as mine. A few hours ago Dad was wondering at the length of time I have spent back in my homeland ever since my return. I wasn´t counting them. Just living them. But if I am to be truly honest, I must acknowledge that I haven't been living them fully. Rather there were no months in these 48-month period where I did not complain about my current station...

...Yet all that needs change and my life a special refocus on things that really matter. But nothing of that would work if the right attitude is absent. Help I need. To always bring to mind how good have you been God with me giving me the past year and the previous ones more than I could ever deserve. And this is all your doing. I hear story after story -and have lived a few of them!- where I realize this great truth: Your love is deeper still. Mend my heart Jesus and give me always of the everlasting waters that I may never thirst again. Oh, yeah. Thank you!

Look on the Son!

If we would stop thinking that the will of God has to do more with the clothes you are going to wear today, the boy you are going to date tomorrow, the color of the car you are going to buy next month, the house you are going to upgrade to next year and all vane and worldly pursuits, BUT rather understand once and for all that God's will concerns more with righteousness and merry obedience to God, THEN we would start seeing changes across our communities and the world.

If so, where to begin? Reminding ourselves Jesus' words whose will was to do His Father's will. And this is His Father's will:

39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (Jn 6:39-40)

No righteousness can be pursued in life until we get that single thing right first: looking on the Son and believing in him.

Latest happenings

Today I awoke with the feeling of having been instructed in a dream to keep on writing the journal I began in 2005. Not that I think I have anything worthy to leave in writing but this is more for my soul I guess.

How then to start writing? Tears flowing down my eyes while falling on my knees at prayer meeting yesterday night? Me still battling my fears of inadequacy? Or could it be a funny way for God to answer my prayer at the close of last year: more faith, more humility, more love...

Still far from the mark, let me tell you. Just a couple of things pass through my mind and a third one.

First that I discovered (or rather rediscovered) what I could not say to my aunt when having a meal with my parents and siblings. I did not have an answer to her question: "what is faith". And having heard over the course of two or more years people God has blessed to come alongside, I was sick of that chant that I even began to believe and administer in little pills to one of my students: "have faith". Her question took me aback while her demeanor was rather pesimistic: "but teacher, whan is then faith". And I blew it. I gave the "common sense" worldly snippet to her. And I'm sorry for it. Now, I began to see everything clearer but in connection with Christ. Faith is not self-confidence but rather a humble and joyful confidence in Christ who is greater than you yet closer to you. You are rewarded if you seek Him. Hebrews 11:6?

Second, that I saw a direct application of the verse I started to believe more firmly recently. Rom 8:28. Favorite of many people.

"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those called according to His purpose"

And as I'm reading verses of Philippians this month, I saw Paul's application of that verse in His own life:

"12 I want you to know, brothers, [5] that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard [6] and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ." (Phil 1:12-13)

Paul understood that his imprisonment wasn't a pointless thing. He saw it in connection with the gospel and with the hero of the gospel: Christ. And that hit me. As I reflect on the latest happenings in my life I could not help myself but to think how tired I am of being battered, bruised and struck down. But, I know that He is taking hold of me. He hasn't deserted me. Yes, I appreciate the prayers of my brothers and sisters who might be thinking I am in a very sorry condition. But as I said one of my friends lately: "if we could only know what the Savior suffered"...

Finally, God is answering another prayer of mine to become more bold in bringing others to glorify Him. For He calls everyone, each and every one of his creatures to glorify Him. One aspect of that is to thank Him for the meals that are placed before us. Maybe some would think of this as a pointless religious act Christians do, but hey wouldn't it be great to bring non-Christians along to thank God for the food He provided for you. And I was happy my friend did not reject me at my request. He even prayed God to bless me as I often don't ask this in prayers of mine. This also was a manifestation of the grace of God in my life.

Could I say with joy amidst the storms that I have a dear Savior who love me and will never leave me? Yes, amen and amen. Glory to Jesus forever and ever! None but Jesus!

P.D. For those of you who know Spanish this is the soundtrack of this post:

JE's resolution #15: Blessing those who act irrationally against us

15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger toward irrational beings

Given that anger is an emotional response of displeasure to someone's wrongdoing, then I understand such person as acting irrationally when he doesn't reason before or while performing his action. Conversely, someone is rational when he acts with premeditation and when to a fair extent he is aware both of the motives that drive him to action and of its consequences.

But are we to read the resolution between lines and conclude that is legitimate to feel angry at rational beings? Wasn't that Jesus' experience? Indeed, He became angry at those who were testing him by asking whether healing on a Sabbath was lawful. They weren't questioning him out of lack of knowledge nor because they were crazy. So, it is understable and right for Jesus to feel angry at them because he knew clearly the motives -they wanted to seek a fault to accuse him- behind their questioning. They weren't irrational at all.

But what about us? We can't clearly look at other peoples' motives! However, we can pray for them and for the situation. We can also reason with them, namely asking questions to clarify our own understanding of their actions and discern whether they have been acting rationally or not.

Now, there would be cases when we would not even try reasoning with them. If they are under the effect of alcohol or drugs or with a mental illness then they are not acting rationally even if they harm us. In such cases, anger is not a proper response. By getting angry at them and by acting driven by such anger we would not only be wasting time and energy. We would be sinning by taking revenge in our own hands rather than trusting God who will ultimately does us justice. Indeed God's counsel is: "overcome evil with good"(*)

May it be so.

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it [9] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

(*)The implications of this principle are vast and are out of the scope of this short reflection. It will suffice to say that this overcoming involves not only a passive response on our behalf but also an active one. For the latter, we must be thankful to God for legislation passed within our own societies in order to minimize irrational behavior in the citizens of the state.

JE's resolution # 14: Being willing to endure suffering

14. Resolved, Never to do anything out of revenge

Revenge is, according to the dictionary, punishing others for a perceived wrong. As in soap operas or movies, we may think of killing or murdering as the sort of punishment that is in view here. I can hardly believe the author had only that in mind.

Say your employer denies the raise you asked of him. What shall you do? If you respond lowering your productivity, then you might be acting out of revenge. Say your mother tells you are not to going to that amusement park. What will you do? Perhaps grumble a little or accept it. But then, your mood changes. For a day, for a week and so forth. Or perhaps you plunge into inmorality. You might be acting out of revenge.

Going back to the working place example. Perhaps the employer is not appreciating your hard work and effort. You perceive this as injustice. Whether this is true or not, it's not the point here. Whether this injustice is big or small, still it's not the point in view. Question is: would you be willing to suffer this injustice? Or would you be quick to complain and act faithlessly?

Bottom line is this: we are quite unwilling to endure suffering.

There is a positive side to such unwillingness to endure suffering. It points us out that suffering is not the way things should be. Moreover, it brings along a desire for another world. One where suffering will be no more. Such world will come one day and its author would be our God and Father. Hoping this is key in our daily fight of faith.

But acting out of revenge manifests a bad unwillingness to suffer a wrong because it seeks to destroy the surface cause of the wrong as the sure way to eliminate the suffering and its consecuences. And someone who gets at the point of revenge has firstly convinced himself that suffering is not to be endured because suffering itself is pointless.

But suffering does have a purpose. A true disciple of Christ expects it to happen along his journey. He recognizes the vine needs maintenence to grow properly. The Gardener prunes the branches so that the vine grows more and more fruit. Imagine how much more wine can be had then!

Enduring suffering in this fallen world isn't an easy task. At the end of the day, we must take heart that if we are in Christ even suffering is not for our ultimate destruction but only for our good. Our Father truly loves us and so gives us always bread instead of stones. May our hope be in Him forever.

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

JE's resolution #13: Being aware of the needs of my neighbor

13. Resolved, To be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality

This resolution seems to prompt an absurd question: who is a fit object of my charity and liberality? Seems like that other famous one "who is my neighbor"?

If we're tempted to think so, then we have our Savior's commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Seek the good of your neighbor in the same way you seek your own good. Bless your neighbor as you bless yourself. Clearly, the assumption is that we're alreading seeking our own good which is true whether we accept it or not.

But if the resolution was not meant to distinguish between people who deserve our charity and people who don't, then what's its value or its aim? Our Lord gives us a clear picture of this:

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)

Our Lord gives us a sample list of fit objects of the charity and liberality of His sheep. Fed the hungry. Gave a drink to the thirsty. Welcomed the stranger. Clothed the naked. Visited with the sick and the prisoner.

Convicting, isnt' it?

Honestly, anytime I read these words it always has an impact on me. How little or how much I do, God knows. And I pray I do not grow dull at his warning but rather more responsive as I grow old.

To not grow dull, it may help me ask a few things to myself. Doesn't Jesus provide always for my physical needs? And what about the spiritual ones? Hasn't He given me the bread of his body and his blood to drink by dying in my place? Hasn't he entreated me when a stranger and alienated from him? Hasn't he clothed me with the robe of His righteousness? Hasn't he come down from Heaven to visit me in my sickness and bondage to sin? Questions I need to ponder more often.

Make me a worthy sheep in your fold, O Lord!

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)