CONFRONTANDO A UN HERMANO FUERTE

CONFRONTANDO A UN HERMANO FUERTE

Cuando la Biblia enseña que solamente Jesús no pecó, es porque realmente ese es el caso. De ahí en adelante todos nosotros tenemos errores y sino hemos cometido errores le hacemos a él mentiroso dice Juan en su primera carta en el capítulo 7. La atracción sexual quizás, o el manoseo indebido de dineros que no son suyos,  probablemente las mentiras  entre otras…son cosas en las que todos incluido este escritor estamos expuestos y nos vamos a ver tentado en algún momento. La tentación en sí es un problema sino cuando perdemos la cabeza al rededor de la tentación. En el 2014 en la ceremonia de graduación de la escuela de predicadores recuerdo el encargo enfático de los ancianos. Uno de ellos dijo: “ Tengan cuidado de; las mujeres, el dinero y el poder”. Hasta el día de hoy esas palabras resuenan en mi mente y corazón ya que han sido las tres causas principales de la deserción de tan buenos predicadores del evangelio. ¿Que hacer cuando estamos frente una situación realmente difícil y cuando usted tenga que confrontar a un hermano que posee buena reputación, que tiene mucha más experiencia que usted, a quién quizás usted ha guardado mucho respeto por su trayectoria en el Señor y por su sana doctrina?.

Amado hermano, los cristianos siempre buscaremos como hacer lo correcto aunque las emociones estén en medio de todo… la razón no puede verse empañada.

Amado hermano, los cristianos siempre buscaremos como hacer lo correcto aunque las emociones estén en medio de todo… la razón no puede verse empañada.

La respuesta simplemente no es fácil es una de esas condiciones difíciles donde somos probados y donde satanás demanda su cabeza y usted lo sabe. Aquí algunas cosas que usted puede considerar antes de proceder:

  • Orar: Ore a Dios ya que usted se dará cuenta que en los momentos cuando su corazón está agitado y su alma en mucha dificultad es cuando más “tonterías” pueden ser cometidas tanto que hasta le falta la respiración y las palabras no le salen de la boca. La oración es la única herramienta donde usted puede desahogarse  con alguien sin caer en murmuración o Chisme. Dios siempre está en control de todo aún cuando usted no ore, Dios sabe lo que está sucediendo aún cuando usted no le cuente, sin embargo el privilegio de la oración es más un beneficio para usted y para mí que para Dios. ¿Ha notado usted que después de orar por algo que le aflige se siente más tranquilo, y además la paz rodea su espíritu? Adquiere un mejor juicio propio para tomar desiciones y una mente lucida. Aparte de eso el Señor desea escuchar su corazón al usted hablar con El. En su desesperación porque la presencia de Dios no se apartara de él, David confiesa su pecado en Salmo 51 y escribe en el v17: “Los sacrificios de Dios son el espíritu quebrantado; Al corazón contrito y humillado no despreciarás tú, oh Dios.” Podríamos decir que los momentos más tristes y desafortunados de la vida de un ser humano son las oportunidades más claras para acercarse al Señor.
  • Investigue. Antes de confrontar a un hermano fuerte, sano y con buena reputación que usted sabe que ha pecado, por favor investigue a fondo todos los acontecimientos que rodean  a sus sospechas. No existe nada más desastroso que una falsa acusación hacia un hermano fiel. En tal caso usted será culpado ante el Señor por hacer tropezar a un hombre de Dios (Mt.18:6). Por esa razón la oración va de primero, ya que le dará la sabiduría necesaria para aguantar e investigar más los hechos. El tiempo juega un papel relevante, no permita que le juegue una mala pasada, porque cuando las cosas están mal solo es cuestión de tiempo (Lc.8:17). Con todo tampoco el tiempo puede ser muy prolongado para que usted haga la confrontación que necesita hacer. Amigo lector esto es complicado y las mejores palabras que usted puede darle a su mente son las palabras de Salmos 130:5 “Espero en el SEÑOR; en El espera mi alma, y en su palabra tengo mi esperanza.”(LBLA).
  • Tenga Evidencia: Una vez que el tiempo de investigación ha concluido si hay culpabilidad de aquel hermano a quien se tiene como sospechoso la evidencia será una evidencia firme y la obtendrá por sí misma pero sino hay evidencia como en las matemáticas simple…no hay culpabilidad de nada. Es ahí cuando usted tendrá que trabajar con su mente porque probablemente todo ha sido una estrategia más del diablo para envolverlo en un problema muy grave; como lo es una confrontación infundada hacia un hermano fuerte y fiel. A este punto deberá usted de, al menos tratar de comprender que es lo que su enemigo está tratando de elaborar. Muchas veces nos quedamos tan enfocados en nosotros que no podemos ver de la manera que el diablo está viendo las cosas. En una acusación infundada hacia un hermano fuerte no solamente el diablo ha trabajado en su mente y ha logrado que usted caiga sino que también ha logrado meterle la “zancadilla” o ponerle freno a aquel hombre de Dios que tanto daño le estaba haciendo. No permita que el diablo le utilice a usted para sus propósitos. Por otra parte al tener usted la evidencia recaudada, haga análisis, piense bien, busque claramente la razón en aquello que usted ha encontrado como prueba y si realmente es relevante … Por favor guárdele para luego poder demostrar y hablar con evidencia fuerte en la mano. 
  • Confrontando: Cuando  esto va a suceder el amor debe de ser su motivación principal. Es cierto que la reputación es algo que esta en juego pero usted debe de entender que el alma de su hermano esta en peligro de ir a condenación, así que usted debe de estar dispuesto a cualquier cosa para que su hermano se arrepienta. Usted va a sentirse intimidado probablemente para hacer la exhortación de frente pero es necesario que lo haga, es necesario que sea firme, es necesario que ponga en su mente que frente a la cruz  de Cristo todos somos iguales y que con respecto a la responsabilidad suya con Dios se encuentra en el deber de hacerlo. Si su hermano se arrepiente por favor es imperativo que de usted no salga nada para con terceras personas. Es igualmente trascendental que la confrontación  la haga usted a solas con el hermano… ¡No sea cobarde! en tomar a otros consigo y planear una emboscada para confrontar a su hermano, ¡eso está mal!, es anti-cristiano y el Señor le hará responsable por obrar de esa mala manera.

Amado hermano, los cristianos siempre buscaremos como hacer lo correcto aunque las emociones estén en medio de todo… la razón no puede verse empañada. La instrucción bíblica es clara en Mateo 18 “Estando tu y el solos” sin embargo la intención de este artículo ha estado en ayudarle  un poco más para que usted lleve a cabo este mandamiento. El Señor siempre desea que nuestros problemas sean solucionados entre nosotros y que la crisis no avance por el bien de muchos, por lo tanto nosotros deberíamos de desear eso que Dios también desea.

 

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What If All of God’s People were Prophets?

What If All of God’s People were Prophets?

The events of Numbers 11 provide poignant backdrop to the Spirit’s work in the New Testament.  There is a very real sense in which the Spirit’s work in the church is the fulfillment of Moses’ prayer about Him in this chapter.

Who were the mouth pieces of the Lord?

Who were the mouth pieces of the Lord?

Numbers 11 records Moses’ empowering the 70 elders of the tribes of Israel. To equip these 70 men in assisting Moses in leading the people of Israel, God took some of the Spirit that rested upon Moses and applied that Spirit to the 70. The Spirit came upon those men and “they prophesied” (Numbers 11:25) – (Because that’s what men do when they encounter the Holy Spirit).

However, two of the men, Eldad and Medad, had not attended the ceremony with the other 68.  They still resided in the camp when the Spirit came upon the 70.  Yet, that did not limit the Spirit’s power upon them – “and so they prophesied in the camp” (Numbers 11:27).

Joshua was distressed by this unsupervised act of prophecy.  Perhaps he was concerned that Moses’ authority would be undermined by men beginning to prophesy outside of Moses’ direction.  Whatever the case, Joshua urged Moses,” My lord, Moses, stop them” (Numbers 11:28).

Moses provides us with a most interesting and important response: “But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!’” (Numbers 11:29).

Notice first the parallel construction in Moses’ statement:  All the Lord’s people were prophets – the Lord put his Spirit on them.  To Moses those are synonymous expressions.  The Spirit on a man makes that man a prophet.  That is the only function Moses sees that connection performing. The same is true in the New Testament. Whether the Spirit is poured out, or a person is anointed, a person is baptized in, a person has the Spirit placed on him as a seal, or the Spirit fills a man, etc., nothing has changed.  Those connections are always prophetic.

Perhaps more importantly, Moses foreshadows an answer to the most common objection to the statement of the preceding paragraph: “Not all the early Christians had spiritual gifts.”  That statement is made as an unassailable truth that answers all the arguments of those who might seek to reject the orthodoxy concerning the indwelling of the Spirit.  However, Moses’ wish is directly contradictory of that supposed axiom.  He was yearning for a time when all of God’s people had access to the Holy Spirit.  Did that time ever come?

In Acts 2, Peter quotes the only Old Testament passage ever quoted in defense of the Spirit’s work from Acts 2 till the end of the Bible:  Joel 2:28-32.  That passage begins by stating that in the Last Days the Holy Spirit would be “poured out” (and so would come upon) “all flesh.”  All 70 men in Numbers 11 upon whom the Spirit was put became prophets.  The same is true of the recipients of the promise of the Spirit in Joel 2.  “All flesh” (inclusive of young and old, free and slave, son and daughters – which list is oddly similar to 1 Corinthians 12:13) would see visions, dream dreams and prophesy.  They would be prophets.  Joel 2 does not just promise prophetic access to all kinds of people.  Joel promises actual prophetic powers to all flesh.

Space does not permit, in this article, an examination of the evidence of that truth’s manifestation beyond Acts 2. That will have to wait for another time.  However, it is (at the least) an expositional error to dismiss the prominence of the spiritual gifts provided through the Spirit’s work in the first century church.

Much of modern teaching and preaching is focused on being applicational and relevant. Solid exposition is absent in modern sermons. Preachers hurry to place the statements of the New Testament directly into the lives of their audience.  Technical or “religious” language is purposefully removed to keep the lessons accessible.

As a result, many rarely even consider that the epistles were written to real, living, and now historical people.  Those people were covered under the time-limited promise of Joel 2 (a promise that we are no longer under) that “all flesh” would be prophets.  The historical and circumstantial differences between them and us is important in exposition and doctrine. This is especially true relating to the work of the Holy Spirit as almost all agree He performed a prophetic work for them and not for us.

Unfortunately, our need for personal relevance trumps their real, historical experience with the special promises to the infant church.  In so doing, we often minimize their needs and, at the same time, harm our understanding of scripture and our expectations of the work of God.

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Let’s Go Running

Let’s Go Running

The Bible often mentions athletics. That first-century world had its “Olympics”—not with the ancient duplications of the marathon from Greek culture, but the Romans regularly had sporting events where athletes competed with one another. Paul speaks of one fighting (boxing) not as one just throwing punches into the air, but one who faced the opposition head on (1 Cor. 9:26). The writer of Hebrews described runners who removed the weights from their body which they had used in training but then removed for the actual competition (Heb. 12:1). Let’s look at four times running is found in the Bible.

Where are you running?

Where are you running?

They Ran To Jesus

We know the story of the rich, young ruler who came to Jesus and was told to sell all he had.  He wanted Jesus’ answer so much that he came running to Jesus (Mark 10:17). On another occasion, just before Jesus fed the 5,000, He departed with his disciples in a boat. The people from all the cities actually anticipated where He was going and ran to be there when He arrived (Mark 6:33). Oh, that our world would see Him this way and run toward Him. Oh, that all my brethren would run to Him!

They Ran Away From Jesus

Think about the events on Passover night and all that happened in Gethsemane. The mob approached sleeping disciples and praying Jesus, and Judas betrayed Him with a kiss. Though Peter temporarily defended Him, the situation got so bad that “then all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matt. 26:56). How tragic! When He could have called thousands and thousands of angels, He had to face death by Himself. God, help us to never run away from Him!

Jesus Runs To Us

To see Jesus is to see the Father and to see the Father is to see Jesus. They are the same in nature. Jesus beautifully describes the love of fathers (and by application describes the love of the Father) in the story of the prodigal son. Put yourself in the place of that wayward son as he approached his father, and imagine what he felt when he saw the father running toward Him. Now imagine yourself coming to the Savior and the joy to see Him running to us!

We Run With Jesus

They were told, “I will be with you until the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). When they carried the gospel to the lost, they were never without Him—not even once. He promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His presence assures us that heaven will do all it can in helping us in His work. Do not cower in fear. Boldly stand with Him. Let’s run to Him as He runs toward us and with us. Victory is assured!

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Questions About Your Congregation

Questions About Your Congregation

Paul commanded that we “Examine ourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). In Haggai 1:5 and 1:7 it says consider your ways. So let’s have an honest examination today of your home congregation in just 10 areas. In the past 2-3 years:

What condition is your congregation in?

What condition is your congregation in?

1. Have marriages in your congregation gotten stronger?
2. Have children shown more honor and respect to their parents?
3. Have more young people remained faithful and grown a stronger relationship with Jesus?
4. Have members developed a healthy fear of the Lord that is revealed through their actions?
5. Are more members glorifying God by wearing modest clothing?
6. Are families spending more time in His Word?
7. Are your deacons actively serving with joy and seeking more ways to further His kingdom?
8. Are your elders moving away from the “business” of church operations and giving more time toward His word and toward shepherding souls?
9. Are you evangelizing more in your communities?
10. Are you preaching Jesus Christ and His Gospel over and over from your pulpits?

Examine yourself. Consider your ways. What does the fruit of your congregation show?

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Halloween Hollerin’ and the Christian Backbone

Halloween Hollerin’ and the Christian Backbone

First things first. Since becoming a blood-bought child of the holy and living God, I cannot help but hate Halloween. This, because Scripture says “The fear of God is to hate evil” (Prov. 8:13). New Testament Christians are commanded to “not love the world or the things in the world” (1 Jn. 2:15); to “not imitate what is evil, but what is good” (3 Jn. 11); and to avoid even the “appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22 KJV). How is it even remotely possible – and especially to a people who are typically so cognitive of the distinctive origins of those things which they do and do not practice – to participate in any and all such Halloween celebrations and festivities which are so deeply steeped in the dark and satanic, without breaking every one of those God-given commandments?!? (1)

Do You Have a Backbone?

Do You Have a Backbone?

However, having said that, although it is neither specifically indicative of, nor exclusively devoted to the celebration of Halloween, there is a T-shirt often seen out there this time of year that always seems to give me a chuckle whenever I see it. That particular shirt’s message actually serves as the centerpiece illustration for this article. It is the shirt with the two skeletons, one of which is holding the spine of the other in his hand, and with a caption which reads something along the lines of, “I got your back, bro.”

But let’s face it folks, there is absolutely nothing funny about – and in fact it is nothing short of a terrible tragedy – having a body without a backbone. Such a body can never be fully and truly healthy, and in reality, in most cases it cannot even actually long survive. And sadly, the same is just as true in the spiritual world, as it is in the physical one.

In Scripture, the church is often referred to and illustrated by utilizing the analogy of a “body” (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; and etc), with Christ as its head (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 24; and etc.), and with each and every member – just like the joints and ligaments in a human body – doing their best to help the body grow as strong and healthy as is absolutely possible (Ephesians 4:11-16).

In order to best accomplish that level of true biblical and spiritual growth, the local body, church, or congregation of God’s people must have at its core, the type of strong leadership – the evangelists, pastors (or elders), and teachers (vs. 11) – that will serve as it’s straight and narrow, unyielding and unbreakable, spiritual backbone. These must be the mature, learned, devoted, committed kind of Christian men and servants of the living God who will not for even a moment, treasonously or treacherously compromise or seek to pervert the powerful truth of God’s eternal word for any reason, person, price, or problem (Galatians 1:6-3:1, 5:1-12). These are the type of “backbone” leaders who would never sell out the truth for the sake of attendance, nor insist on shelving or silencing the sharing of certain texts for the sake of the church checking or savings account.

And brethren; above all, if the body of Christ where you work and worship is blessed enough to enjoy the life-giving and body-building benefits of such a vital “backbone” of spiritual leadership, then love, serve, guard, respect, obey, and pray for them constantly. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was pleading for His brethren in the Thessalonian congregation to recognize and respond with when He wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13:  “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.” As Hebrews 13:17 would similarly instruct: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.  Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

Always remember, they have your back… let’s make sure that we have theirs!

Footnote (1): See: http://churchofchristarticles.com/blog/administrator/halloween-festivities

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