Shattered Dreams, Faith and Hope

Posted on January 5, 2011 by eig

I have written elsewhere that I don’t believe in resolutions. So this post offers some thoughts about the past year and some expectations for the “new” one.  I am not strict on the concept of new vs. past year. I don’t see time in this manner, especially when it comes to what God does in our lives.  

2010 brought some shattered dreams.  I have borrowed this term from Larry Crab’s book with  same title.  This book has offered some insights as to why God has permitted some things to happen in our lives.  People often think that God will grant us what we “dream” or want but this isn’t necessarily so.  I’ve had many desires, needs and “dreams” that were not materialized.  I don’t blame God nor do I think He owes them to me.  I know one thing though, my shattered “dreams” have brought me to the understanding that my joy should be in God, in seeking him, in knowing him, in serving him. That should be my priority this year.   Among the shattered “dreams” God has restored my hope in Him. 
I am thankful for some of the outcomes from these experiences. Here are some of the the outcomes of my shattered dreams:
1. Finding God.  
In order to find God we have to be stripped away from everything that takes us captive.  It may be our jobs (or lack thereof), our desires, our dreams or even a person.  When we start experiencing these trials then we call upon God.  We realize that we can’t hold on to anything in this world. That our sole trust should be in God.  When God becomes our focus then we will experience joy even in the midst of trials.   Crab says in Shattered Dreams:  “But it’s in the pain that we discover our desire for God, and it’s in the frustration of that desire that we come to realize how sturdy it is….To whom shall we go? Moving toward anything else we might desire is idolatry and foolishness.  Only God has the life our souls desperately need.  We come to really believe that.”  (p. 87)
This is exactly the path I have taken this year. God has become more real.  I see the Scriptures differently as if my eyes have been opened and now I see a different perspective. In turn, I see people differently.  I don’t claim perfection, it is a work in progress. And often I want to regress. 
2. Finding Faith and Hope.
I am learning that my faith and hope is not in a person but in God.  Interestingly, I have been reading and studying up on Hebrews 11.  Many of the man and women of God in the past never got their dreams fulfilled. But their hope was not in this Earth. Verse 39 says: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (NIV) 

3. Finding better relationships.
As a result of the trials experienced, my relationship with my wife has improved.  I see her differently.  I realize that God has truly blessed me by having partner like her in my life for over 20 years.  There is so much that I have learned through her.  Then my son has also played a part as well. He is now left to study in DC and in not having him around I have understood what it means to love a son, especially when you have to let him go.  It is so exciting to see him becoming a man on his  own and see how God has brought a special person into his life.  

4.  Finding a community of faith.  
We joined a new church last year. We have some really wonderful people that I can’t imagine not  having them be part of our lives.  I am not speaking generic here.  There are some specific people that have brought a special blessing to our lives. Of different ages. You know who you are.  We have reconnected with others as well and God has blessed us even more. You know who you are.  And God continues to bring others to be part of our journey.


But I also expect God to help me in the plans for this year.  Some of there are:
1. Our two trips to Latin America with Women For World Health that specializes in medical aid to those who have no means.  One will be in April and the other one in August.  This should be exciting.
2. Ministering to young people who yearn for God.
3. _______________(Many other things that God will fill as we move along)
4.  Learning and re-learning what I shared already.
 
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Letters To My Son: The Myth of Independence

Posted on December 11, 2010 by eig

The Myth of Independence
Dear Misael,

There are many myths that have been passed on without anyone questioning them.  One of them is the myth of independence, well, at least this is what it appears to me after examining the evidence.  There is this idea among young people your age that independence equals freedom.  Once you turn eighteen or twenty-one, you are absolutely free.  I know that what they mean is they are no longer bound by silly laws parents make such as curfew times and other limitations capriciously set by them (at least that’s how they see them).  They dream of the day when they will be able to make all the decisions by themselves.  They want to be independent to choose the friends they want without anyone telling them if they are good ones or not.  They want to choose to go to places without anyone telling them whether they are appropriate or not.  I am sure you don’t believe all of this.  You have heard me say what it means to be independent.  But I want to go a bit further than that. There is a sense in which at a particular age we become mature enough to make decisions and be on our own.  This is part of the process of becoming an adult.  Nevertheless, I think we fail to see that what we call independence is not what it appears to be.  Let me just explain what I mean.  When we are born we are totally dependent upon our parents for everything.  Then as we grow and develop we move to independence but at the same time we become interdependent.  What does this mean?  When we become adults we don’t become totally independent, to do this, we would have to live alone somewhere.  What we mean is that we can make decisions on our own but at the same time we start creating a network of interdependence. 

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A Review of “Jesus Manifesto”

Posted on November 23, 2010 by eig

Jesus Manifesto written by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola is not really a manifesto that Jesus wrote, obviously.  The subtitle is “Restoring The Supremacy And Sovereignty of Jesus Christ” which is what the whole book is about.  If I could summarize the whole book in a few words it would be that Jesus Christ is (or should be) our life, past, present and future. We are reborn in Him and we live in Him day to day and forever.  The authors’ attempt is to bring the preeminence of Christ in everything we do, including the Church. The following quote grasps what the authors try to help us see: “Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. When things go wrong, it’s not because we don’t understand certain doctrines or fail to follow particular commands.  It’s because we have lost our “first love”…or never had it in the first place.” (p. 39)

The first chapter is a survey of how Christ is presented in the whole Bible. So He is not just part of the New Testament. They show that today’s church is preoccupied with teaching Christians a whole list of do’s and do not’s but the centrality of the Bible is on teaching Christ.
In chapter 2 they survey the book of Colossians as it shows the preeminence of Christ: “Christ is the all and in all.” (Colossians 3:11).   They write:  “Christianity is a relationship wit Jesus the Christ.  When things go wrong, it’s not because we don’t understand certain doctrines or fail to follow particular commands.  It’s because we have lost our “first love”…or never had it in the first place.” (p. 39) 
Chapter 3 uses the book of Colossians to write a biography of every Christian, in other words, what positionally we have been declared by God. In chapter 4 they show how we are in Christ’s death and resurrection and how it manifests in our daily living. They argue that our calling is not to be like Christ but to live His life already in us.  In other words, we are incarnations of Christ: “The truth is that if we fully understood what it means that the very being of God wants to take residence in us and share our life, we would all be reluctant incarnations.” (p. 75) 
In chapter 5 the authors argue that traditional trends that focus on theology or ethics to explain what the Christian life is all about misses the point, or more direct, misses Christ.  Christ is the “real thing.”  In chapter 6 they show that Jesus is not a cause nor a program.   Our focus should be on the “face” (in a spiritual sense) of Christ and when we do that, then we can reflect that unto others.  
Chapter 7 is a description of the church as it is the “embodiment and instrument for displaying the kingdom of God.” (p. 107) and our time should be spent “figuring out our relationship to Jesus, and what He is doing in the world. Why? So we can join Him in what He’s already doing.” (p. 108) They also discuss the issue of social justice (and mercy) in relation to Christ.  
In chapter 8, they talk about the forgotten tree of life.  They assert that many christians are focused on learning about right and wrong that they forget to eat from the tree of life, Jesus Christ.  “He is the most exciting person in the universe, bar none.  But we are speaking about the real Christ, not the shallow, anemic, insipid “Jesus” that’s so often promoted today.” (p. 136)  
Chapter 9 is titled “A House Of Figs” which refers to Bethany.  The authors use Bethany to show that it was the place where Jesus was received and it symbolizes a home for Christ, what “the Lord is looking for in every city across this planet.” (p. 146)  I believe the authors stretch this concept a bit too much.  In the last chapter they discuss what they see as a false dichotomy between the Christ in the Gospels and the Christ in the Epistles.  “The gospel that’s so often preached today lacks a revelation of Jesus Christ.  The contemporary gospel boils down to a fire insurance policy, a Santa Claus God, or a performance-based religion.  As long as we stay on that plane, we’ll never see or comprehend the staggering enormity of our Lord.” (p. 170)  The Jesus of the Gospels is the same one from Colossians or from any other book in the Bible.  The Christ of the Gospels is the same one who will one day come in all power and glory.  The book concludes with an afterword which is in a form of a personal letter from the Lord using Colossians 1:9-3:16.
The book is filled with Scripture, especially relating to Christ, something the authors see lacking in many books.  Many of the passages are quoted but the references are footnoted to the back of the book.  I found the book very refreshing.  It helped me see how Christ should be everything to me in everything I do or say or write.  Thus, I am more conscious of this.  It helped me see that my purpose in life is to live the life Christ has given me and to reflect it unto others.  It is not a particular ministry or job.  It is to live for Christ, living as an expression of His life.
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18 Years Ago – My Son Reaches Adulthood

Posted on November 18, 2010 by eig

My wife and I are very thankful that today our son turned 18 years old.  He is now a first year college student at American University.  We are very proud of him, for the type of gentleman he has turned up to be.  I am posting entries of my journal in Spanish that I wrote 18 years ago.  I recently read them and I was quite moved.  It is hard to believe that a tiny person born then, is now 18 years old and a young adult.

November 18:
2:15 pm – I was able to see Misael
 “Al ver a Misael  mis ojos se llenarón de lagrimas. Por primera vez pude ver a nuestro pequeño por el cual habíamos estado orando mucho.” -Journal
“Después que limpiaron a Misael, la enfermera lo puso en manos de Patty. Allí en manos de ella pude contemplar su rostro y agradecer a Dios en mi corazón por traerlo bien y a salvo.  Le hablaba a Misael y parece ser que reconocía mi voz porque habría sus ojos un poco pero los cerraba por el resplandor de la luz. En mi mente decía: ‘Por fin puedes verme, por fin puedo verte.’  Recordé lo que el Salmista dice en el Salmo 139 “No fué encubierto de ti mi cuerpo…mi embrión vierón tus ojos” Aunque yo lo ví por primera vez no fui el primero, sino el Señor.”
“Después se llevarón a Misael a otro cuarto para pesarlo, medirlo, etc…allí en la encubadora pude contemplar cada una de sus partes. ¡Que hermosas son! “…y en tu libro estaban escritas todas aquellas cosas que fueron luego formadas, sin faltar una de ellas.’ Que obra tan maravillosa del Señor. No hay palabras para expresar lo grande y maravilloso que es el Señor. Estoy muy agradecido contigo Señor.”
“Misael pesó 7 libras, 14 onzas y medio, 22 pulgadas.”
“El primer día casi no nos dejó dormir, pues despertó muchas veces. El segundo día fue mejor. El tercero, aún mejor, etc. Creo que poco a poco está aprendiendo a distinguir entre la noche y el dia.”
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Letters To My Son: Virtues

Posted on November 12, 2010 by eig

What are some virtues that I find very crucial for you at this period of time? The first one is prudence.  It is interesting that the word prudence comes from the word foresight.  That is what prudence is all about.  It is foreseeing how our choices have consequences and making sure our decisions are right.  There are times when we do the best we can (with the help of God of course) and yet we fail to see the possible result of our actions.  I have often told you that it is important to always think what could happen, good or bad, in a situation before carrying it out.  The book of Proverbs (which might be a good book to read now) talks a lot about prudence (Proverbs 1:4, 8:5). At this time of your life many young people don’t think prudently.  Impulse, desires, entertainment, and fun are the motivation and prudence is forgotten.  Our desires our not bad but as you know they can lead us the wrong way, to the wrong action, to the wrong habits. Please exercise prudence.

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Letters To My Son: Words of Advice To A Christian Gentleman In His First Year of College

Posted on November 2, 2010 by eig

Before leaving college I told my son I would write to him a letter once a week. I told him I would write it but mail it “snail mail”, not send it in any electronic way. This attempt is a challenge especially when I can’t think of something I have not told him already but I am striving towards this goal. Hopefully, some day, he will have a book to share with his children when they go to college as well.
I will begin posting pieces of each letter, mostly the concepts that I strive to convey to him.

The Road Less Traveled
Dear Son,
I never thought that the day would come, but here I am writing from your bedroom. And there you are in Washington D.C. excited and getting adjusted to your new life.  I am excited with you, but I also miss you a lot.  Many times I have thought of you being here and almost called your name out loud. It will take some time to get used to not having you around.  This house feels the emptiness you have left upon your departure.  Now to what I’d like to share with you about the road less traveled.  You have taken this road.  It is less traveled for several reasons.  One of them is because you are unique.  The road can symbolically be the path you have taken.  No two paths are alike and thus yours is as unique as everyone else’s around you. But there are also other reasons.  It is a road less traveled because you are a Christian young man.  The words that the Apostle Paul told young adult Timothy are true for you as well, “from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15) 

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Listen to Him

Posted on October 21, 2010 by eig

We live in a society where we hear many voices coming from a variety of places.  With technology, we have even more.  Everywhere we go we are asked to do something.  Just watch the commercials on TV or on-line and you will see this.  They all promise you something: happiness, satisfaction, pleasure, health, peace, money, advancement, a new life, etc… Most of them, if not all, are not truthful.  They are trying to capitalize on you.
Today I read this verse:   “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” “”(Matthew 17:5 ESV) It just resonated after reading it.  God speaks these words at what we call the transfiguration of Jesus on top of a mountain.  Only two people are present, Peter and John.  God speaks to them. Of all the things He could have said, he says, “listen to him.”  Why? Jesus is the very Word (logos) of God (John 1). When He speaks, God speaks.  God didn’t say this because Jesus needed to be reaffirmed.  The disciples needed to it.  They needed to understand that Jesus is the Word of Life.  Listening to him and believing his words bring life: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV)
You will hear many voices from friends, preachers, churches, commercials, the internet, but you only need to hear one voice, the voice of Jesus:  “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. “(John 10:14-16 ESV)
Listen to Him.

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Prophet, Martyr, The Death of John The Baptist

Posted on October 19, 2010 by eig

Matthew 14:1-12 describes the martyrdom of the last prophet John the Baptist. His coming was foretold in the Old Testament in the book of Malaqui (chapter 3:1;4:5) He would prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His birth was a miracle in of itself (Luke 1). He grew up dedicated to the Lord and his life was for most of his adulthood, lonely and unusual. But he depended on the Lord. At God’s appointed time he revealead himself to his people and preached the message of repentance. Yet, he was only a prophet who was preparing the way of the Lord. Nevertheless, his message was well received and many came to believe in the Messiah. But his ministry was not meant to be long. Not too long after his ministry began, after having baptized Jesus and declaring him the Messiah, he is arrested. He is arrested for speaking the truth of God. He told Herod Antipas that his relationship with Herodias, who was his wife, was against God’s will (Herod had divorced his wife for no good reason, against God’s standards in the Old Testament). Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the people. They knew he was a prophet of God and people would revolt. He acted like a”good” politician. Evil as he was, the women around him were just as bad. His wife asked his daughter who was between 12 and 14 years old to dance for him on his birthday. They way she danced was very seductive. It is sad to read this. Sad that a young lady was already corrupted at this age. Herod was so pleased with her dance that he promises her anything she wants. Enters Herodias. She immediately tells her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist. As crass, as it sounds but that’s how it happened. An evil woman wants to kill a prophet because she knows she is doing something wrong. She can’t have this threat. Herod gives in, John is killed and his head is brought on a platter to Herodias’s daughter and she gives it to her mom. Evil. The last prophet of God is dead.

I couldn’t help to feel sad for John the Baptist. His life was cut short by an evil man and women. But God knew this would happen. Jesus hears of it and goes away to be alone. He doesn’t attack Herod nor does he start a revolt. He knows God’s purposes. Evil men will not stop God’s plans. Jesus knows that his life will also end not too long after John’s. Jesus will not be defeated by death, he will rise and by his death many will receive God’s gift of salvation. John the Baptist is not dead either. He is very welll alive in Paradise. He is enjoying fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that there hasn’t been anyone as great as John the Baptist (Matthew 11). For a good reason.

This made me think about several things. Ministry. Our ministry may not last long. Many prophets in the Old Testament were called for a specific time and purpose. Once they accomplished what God called them to do, they were done. Many suffered much to the point of death. It also made think about the consequences for speaking for God. Not everyone will receive God’s truth. Those who reject God’s truth will fight back to the point of getting violent. Finally, it made think how evil can get a hold of people even as young as 12 years old. Evil does not respect age.

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Human Affections vs. Divine Affections

Posted on October 8, 2010 by eig

This is an old video. I don’t know why I am posting it, but maybe because I just signed up with Vimeo.

Human Affections vs. Divine Affections from Edgar Galdamez on Vimeo.

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Fading Memories

Posted on October 3, 2010 by eig
Fading Memories
yesterday
I saw you
today
I try
to 
remember
what 
you
look
like
I 
close 
my eyes
I
try
to
imagine
what
you
look
like
I
find
no
Image 
of 
what
you
look
like
the
void
inside
I
know
you
are
there
some
where
beneath
the 
fading
memories
but
what
do 
you
look
like?
©eig 10/2/10
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