Tu Misericordia es mejor que la Vida – Salmo 63

Posted on July 17, 2023 by eig

El trasfondo de este Salmo es posiblemente cuando David estaba en el desierto de Judá (2 Sam. 15:28; 16:2-14) después de haber sido expulsado por su hijo Absalón que quiere matarlo. David está huyendo y termina en el desierto con una cohorte de personas que están con él.

Es en el desierto, sediento y probablemente muy cansado David dice: “Dios, Dios mío eres tú; De madrugada te buscaré; Mi alma tiene sed de ti, mi carne te anhela,”. (v. 1) Literalmente tiene tanta sed que todo lo que puede decir es que desea a Dios más que el agua. Su ser interior anhela a Dios más que el agua en el desierto. Recuerda lo que es tener cercanía con Dios en el lugar de adoración. Fue allí donde pudo ver el poder y la gloria de Dios. Él quiere esto ahora. Esto llevó a David a decir que la misericordia de Dios es mejor que la vida. Esta parte me ha llamado la atención muchas veces. ¿Por qué diría David esto? Todos queremos vivir, tener vida. ¿No es desear la vida mejor que cualquier otra cosa?

David dice que es la “misericordia” de Dios lo que es mejor que la vida. Esta palabra es clave aquí. La palabra en hebreo es “jesed”. Es una palabra que es muy difícil de traducir al español. A veces se traduce como “misericordia” o “amor”. En Lamentaciones 3:22, la palabra se traduce como “misericordia”. Es debido a la misericordia de Dios que no somos consumidos o destruidos. Parte de lo que esta palabra significa es misericordia, pero la palabra significa más que eso. “Jesed” es el amor inquebrantable de Dios por su pueblo. Es un “amor comprometido”[1] basado en un pacto hecho con su pueblo. Al pueblo de Israel se le dio un pacto con Dios y también a todos los que hemos llegado a creer en Cristo. Somos parte del Nuevo Pacto a través de Su sangre. Su amor por nosotros es para siempre. Nada nos separará de su amor (Romanos 8:39). Y es por eso que tener el amor “jesed” o amor infalible de Dios es mejor que la vida misma. Vivir la vida sin él es inútil. Podemos no tener nada, estar luchando por llegar aquí o tener todo lo que deseamos siguiendo nuestro propio camino de “felicidad” y satisfacción, pero todo esto terminará una vez que muramos. No es así, si tenemos el amor infalible de Dios. Tenemos la “esperanza de vida eterna” (Tito 1:2). Esperamos con ansias el día eterno (2 Pedro 3:18). Por lo tanto, podemos unirnos con David y decir: ” Así te bendeciré en mi vida; En tu nombre alzaré mis manos.”. (v. 4). Él debería ser nuestro mayor deseo mientras vivamos aquí. Nada más.

 

[1] Según la traducción por Alec Motyer en Salmos día a día: Una nueva traducción devocional.

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Your lovingkindness is better than Life – Psalm 63

Posted on July 17, 2023 by eig

Psalm 63

The background of this Psalm is possibly when David is in the desert of Judah (2 Sam. 15:28; 16:2-14) after been pushed out by his son Absalom who wants to kill him. David is on the run and ends up in the dessert with a cohort of people who are with him.

It is in the desert, thirsty and probably very tired that David says, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you.” (v. 1) Literally he is so thirsty that all that he can say is that he desires God more than water. His inner being longs for God more than water in the desert. He remembers what it is to have closeness with God in the place of worship. It was there that he was able to see God’s power and glory. He wants this now. This led to David to say that God’s lovingkindness is better than life. This part has caught my attention many times. Why would David say this? We all want to live, to have life. Isn’t desiring life better than anything else?

David says that it is God’s “lovingkindness” that is better than life. This word is key here. The word in Hebrew is “hesed”. It is a word that is very difficult to translate to English. Sometimes it is translated “mercy” or “love”. In Lamentations 3:22, the word is translated “mercy”. It is because of God’s lovingkindness not we are not consumed or destroyed. Part of what this word means is mercy, but the word means more than that. “Hesed” is God’s unwavering love for his people. It is a “committed love”[1] based on a covenant made with his people. The people of Israel were given a covenant with God and so have all of us that have come to believe in Christ. We are part of the New Covenant through His blood. His love for us is forever. Nothing will ever separate us from his love (Rom. 8:39). And this is why to have God’s “hesed” or infallible love is better than life itself. To live life without him is hopeless. We can have nothing, be struggling to make it here or have all that we desire following our own path of “happiness” and satisfaction, but this will all end once we die. Not so, if we have God’s infallible love. We have the “hope of eternal life” (Titus 1:2). We are looking forward to the eternal day (2 Pet. 3:18). Thus, we can unite with David and say, “I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands.” (v. 4). He should be our utmost desire while we live here. Nothing else.

[1] As translated by Alec Motyer in Psalms by the Day: A New Devotional Translation.

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Reflections on St Paul’s letter to the Galatians:There is only one Gospel from God

Posted on July 6, 2023 by eig

The book or letter to the Galatians was written by Paul the apostle to a group of churches he established in the southern part of Galatia (now modern Turkey) during his first missionary journey (A.D. 46-48). It is probably the earliest of Paul’s letters written around AD 49 just before the Jerusalem Council mentioned in Acts 15. These small churches probably met in homes and not long after becoming believers in Christ came under the influence of Judaizers, who advocated keeping of the Mosaic Law to be a Christian and, and especially being circumcised. This created chaos in the churches. Paul wrote this letter to them to correct this wrong teaching. Unlike today, writing back then was the best communication format when not possible to do it in person. Given in a particular cultural context, writings that make up the Bible, including this letter, are God’s words given to us followers of Jesus. They apply to our own circumstances and our daily lives.

In what we call “chapter 1” (the Bible did not originally have chapters or verses), Paul begins to address the churches of Galatia. In a very direct way, he begins by telling them that he is an apostle, one sent not by men nor “through man” but “through Jesus Christ and God the Father.” This alludes to his conversion and calling which he will later recount on this letter.  This also establishes his authority as not coming from himself but directly from “Jesus Christ and God the Father”.

Paul never misses an opportunity to share the Gospel. The Gospel isn’t just a one-time event in the lives of Christians. The Gospel is Jesus, who died and was raised from the dead by the Father. He reminds them that He, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who gave himself for our sins “to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” It is interesting to note that of course we are saved from our sins through Christ but he also came to “deliver us from this evil age.” In other words, Jesus rescues us from the grip of this evil age. We are no longer under its control. The evil age hasn’t changed. It is still evil. We can call it whatever we want to, but God’s truth is clear. This is an evil age.

Paul goes on to tell them how shocked he is that they have “so quickly deserted him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel” (v. 6). There isn’t another gospel but a distorted “gospel of Christ”. Using strong language of condemnation, he lets them know that even if an angel was to appear and “preach” to them a “gospel contrary to the one we preached to you,” (v. 8), they are to be cursed or doomed in hell. He repeats this twice. This he says, is not to please him, because if he was, he would not be a servant of Christ.

The point is clear. The gospel is one and comes through Jesus Christ and God the Father. This is the gospel Paul preached to them given to him directly “through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (v. 12).[1] This is the one they have believed.

If you are a believer in Christ, you have believed in this gospel. This gospel isn’t man’s invention, it is God’s truth given to us. This gospel has called us to the grace of Christ. In other words, we believe by faith, and it is given by grace not by works. We live by grace. His grace. Adding anything to it dilutes the gospel and makes it a false gospel. To follow “another” gospel is to desert him.

“Lord do not let us desert you. Help us to keep believing the gospel and sharing it with others regardless of what they think of it or what they think of us. May we never seek to please others more than you. Thank you for saving us from our sins and from this present evil age. May the glory be given to you forever and ever, amen.”

[1] He will explain how this happened later in the chapter.

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¡Animando y fortaleciendo a otros, adorando en el Día del Señor! – Hechos 20:1-17

Posted on May 22, 2023 by eig

En esta sección, Pablo volverá a visitar Macedonia y Acaya (Corinto) con un doble propósito. Una era animar y fortalecer a los creyentes en las iglesias que había plantado. Una segunda razón fue llevar una ofrenda a Jerusalén, la iglesia madre. (Ver Romanos 15:25-27; 1 Corintios 16:1-9; 2 Corintios 8-9).

Este capítulo también comienza una unidad literaria (Hechos 20:1-21:17), en la que hay tres escenas de la vida comunitaria cristiana (las reuniones en Troas [Hechos 20:7-12], Mileto [Hechos 20:17-38] y Cesarea [Hechos 21:8-14]), alternando con cuatro informes de viaje (Hechos 20:1-6; 20:13-16; 21:1-7; 21:15-17).

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Book Review: Tim Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation

Posted on May 22, 2023 by eig

Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual FormationTimothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who would have known that the year this book was published would be Keller’s last on this Earth and make his passage into the land of the Emmanuel our King. Just finished the last two chapters today, just a couple days after we read this news.
This book is not a biography proper, a full chronology of his life but it does offer a sequence of four periods of time in the life of Tim Keller and the different people that influenced his thinking, his theology and his ministry. Keller was a man with a keen intellect and a capacity to synthesize what he read to inform his personal life and ministry. This led him to plant a church in New York City that not only would impact the city but would be become the hub for a global church planting movement. Since the very first book that I read by Keller, The Reason for God, I was impressed by his intellectual capacity and his spiritual life. I find his writing intellectually engaging and in particular, impressed by the way he is able to pull from diverse sources to support his ideas. As a reader, this was fascinating and led me to others sources to learn more of the topics he wrote about. Keller became one of my favorite writers (only once did I see part of a video teaching which I did not find as engaging as his writings). Hence, I was interested in reading this book about what formed and shaped Keller intellectually and spiritually. Hansen has done a good job in what he sought to do. I have learned much more about Keller that I did not know that influenced him, some that I am was already familiar.

Keller’s influence through his writings will continue to be helpful for those interested in engaging the culture with the Gospel. But more importantly, the people he led to Christ will continue to be a testament of his love for Him which will certainly be rewarded by our King.

“Only if our highest love is God himself can we love and serve all people, families, classes, races, and only God’s saving grace can bring us to the place where we are loving and serving God for himself alone and so for what he can give us,” Keller explained.” pp. 98-99

“For Keller, this meant training leaders not to see church as an escape from the hated city but a place to learn how to meet the city’s needs, both spiritual and physical. It meant forsaking “church growth” mod els that use the city and instead deploying the church in a “city growth” model that helps everyone flourish.” p. 156

“Churches that live for themselves die by themselves…. If our evangelism is to be effective, the church must be concerned to meet the surrounding need.” p. 158

“Just as the single most formative experience in our lives is our membership in a nuclear family, so the main way we grow in grace and holiness is through deep involvement in the family of God. Christian community is more than just a supportive fellowship; it is an alternate society. And it is through this alternate human society that God shapes us into who and what we are…. The real secret of fruitful and effective mission in the world is the quality of our community.” p. 215

View all my reviews

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All I want is to know you and worship you

Posted on May 9, 2023 by eig

I woke up this morning repeating a song in Spanish that says,

“I long to know you more, to live in holiness in intimacy.

I always want to be with you. Your glory to behold for eternity.”[1]

The chorus says,

“All I want is to worship you.

All I want is to worship you.

I come to your feet to give my heart.

All I want is to please you.

All I want is to please you.

I will forever sing of your love.”

It is a song that expresses the desire to know God more, intimacy that leads to our holiness. These words express the longing that every believer should have as his primary focus. As I sang it this morning, that’s what I was expressing to the Lord. My desire is to know Him, to be intimate with Him, and eventually to behold His glory for eternity.

This was St. Paul’s life focus.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ…I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:8, 10

Paul literally left everything to know Christ. He considered everything lost and trash to gain Christ. He wanted to know him, “the power of his resurrection, and partake of his sufferings” so that he would be as much as he was even in his death and partake of his resurrection.

The process of knowing Christ is lifelong and must keep growing. This month marks forty years of knowing Christ for me. Like every believer, I have experienced ups and downs in the Christian life, arid times that led me to drift away from God. Suffering, doubts, discouragement and everything that is part of our daily lives. But over the years my focus has been on knowing my Lord. This desire has continued to grow, “I long to know you more, to live in holiness in intimacy.” Our world with its desires and its culture seems less attractive to me. My desire to behold his glory for eternity is more evident.

This song made me think of eternity. In eternity we will behold his glory. As we behold his glory our response will be one of worship. This is the worship happening right now around the throne of God. Heavenly beings worship Him day and night saying,

“Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’

who was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev. 4:8)

In doing so, the twenty-four elders representing believers of all ages unite in worship,

” he twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.” (Rev. 4:10-11)

God’s glory and holiness lead heavenly beings and believers to worship God. This worship will be perpetual and universal (Psalm Psalm 39:5; 86:9; Jer. 16:19; Apoc. 15:4). What will this be like? I personally believe that the worship of God is a result produced by the glory and holiness of God. No one can stand before the Lord without worshiping Him. It is obvious that our state will be perfect, and that our worship will be perfect. This perpetual worship will be easy to carry out because we will know the glory and holiness of the Lord as we have never known it before. This worship will be as natural as singing a song constantly as I have been doing this morning. Songs are expressions of our heart to God for who He is in His character, for what He has done for us, and for what He will do. I think each of us will also worship God in a unique way and God will welcome it.

Why is God pleased with our worship? Because God created us to worship Him (Ephesians 1:6). This is the main reason for our existence. Worshipping God should come most naturally to us. But we know that even as believers we lack perfection in our worship of Him. But it should not be an excuse. We must continue to know Him (even in His sufferings) and as we spend more time with Him in intimacy, the more we will yearn for Him, the more we will worship Him, and the less we will desire from this world with His desires. We will be holier. Psalm 29:2 invites us to worship Him:

” Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”

You can do this with a song, praying to Him, spending time in His Word, and acknowledging Him in everything you do today.

[1] Lo Único que Quiero. Lyrics & Music By: Israel Chaparro & Esteban Alvarado

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Lo único que quiero es conocerte y adorarte

Posted on May 9, 2023 by eig

Desperté esta mañana repitiendo un canto que dice,

“Anhelo conocerte más, vivir en santidad en intimidad.

Contigo siempre quiero estar. Tu gloria contemplar por la eternidad.”[1]

El coro dice,

“Lo único que quiero es adorarte.

Lo único que quiero es adorarte.

Vengo a tus pies para entregar mi corazón.

Lo único que quiero es agradarte.

Lo único que quiero es agradarte.

Por siempre cantaré de tu amor.”

Es un canto que expresa el deseo de conocer más a Dios, intimidad que lleva a nuestra santidad. Estas palabras expresan el anhelo que todo creyente debe tener como su enfoque principal. Al cantarlo esta mañana eso es lo que expresaba al Señor. Mi deseo es conocerle, tener intimidad con Él y eventualmente contemplar su gloria por la eternidad.

Este era el enfoque del apóstol san Pablo.

“Considero como pérdida todas las cosas, en comparación con lo incomparable que es conocer a Cristo Jesús mi Señor. Por su causa lo he perdido todo y lo tengo por basura a fin de ganar a Cristo… Anhelo conocerlo a él y el poder de su resurrección, y participar en sus padecimientos, para ser semejante a él en su muerte;” Filipenses 3:8, 10

Pablo dejó literalmente todo para conocer a Cristo. Todo lo consideraba perdido y como basura para ganar a Cristo. Quería conocerle a él, “el poder de su resurrección, y participar de sus padecimientos” de tal manera que fuera tanto como Él aun en su muerte y participar de su resurrección.

El proceso de conocer a Cristo es de toda la vida y debe ir aumentando. Este mes cumplo cuarenta años de conocer a Cristo. Como todo creyente, he experimentado subes y bajas en la vida cristiana, tiempos áridos que llevaron a alejarme de Dios. Sufrimientos, dudas, desánimo y todo lo que es parte de nuestra vida diaria. Pero al pasar los años mi enfoque ha sido conocer a mi Señor. Este deseo ha seguido creciendo, “Anhelo conocerte más, vivir en santidad en intimidad”. El mundo nuestro con sus deseos y su cultura me parece menos atractivo. Mi deseo de contemplar su gloria por la eternidad es más patente.

Este canto me hizo pensar en la eternidad. En la eternidad contemplaremos su gloria. Al contemplar su gloria nuestra respuesta será de adoración. Esta es la adoración que sucede en este momento alrededor del trono de Dios. Seres celestiales le adoran de día y de noche diciendo, dicen,

“¡Santo, Santo, Santo es el Señor Dios Todopoderoso, que era y que es y que ha de venir!” (Apoc. 4:8)

Al hacerlo, los veinticuatro ancianos que representan los creyentes de todas las edades se unen en la adoración,

“se postran delante del que está sentado en el trono y adoran[e] al que vive por los siglos de los siglos; y echan[ sus coronas delante del trono, diciendo:

11 “Digno eres tú,

oh Señor y Dios nuestro,

de recibir la gloria,

la honra y el poder;

porque tú has creado

todas las cosas,

y por tu voluntad tienen ser

y fueron creadas”. (Apoc. 4:10-11)

La gloria y la santidad de Dios llevan a los seres celestiales y a los creyentes a adorar a Dios. Esta adoración será perpetua y universal (Salmo Salmo 39:5; 86:9; Jer. 16:19; Apoc. 15:4). ¿Cómo será esto? Personalmente creo que la adoración a Dios es un resultado producido por la gloria y santidad de Dios. Nadie podrá estar delante del Señor sin adorarle. Es obvio que nuestro estado será perfecto, y que nuestra adoración será perfecta. Esta adoración perpetua será fácil de llevarla a cabo porque conoceremos la gloria y santidad del Señor como nunca antes la hemos conocido. Esta adoración será tan natural como cantar un canto constantemente como lo he estado haciendo esta mañana. Los cantos son expresiones de nuestro corazón a Dios por lo que Él es en su carácter, por lo que ha hecho por nosotros, y por lo que hará. Pienso que cada uno de nosotros también adorará a Dios de una manera única y Dios la recibirá con agrado.

¿Por qué le agrada a Dios nuestra adoración? Porque Dios nos creó para adorarle a Él (Efesios 1:6). Esta es la razón principal de nuestro existir. La adoración a Dios debería ser lo más natural para nosotros. Pero sabemos que aun como creyentes carecemos de perfección en nuestra adoración a Él. Pero no debe ser excusa. Debemos seguir conociéndole (aun en sus sufrimientos) y a menudo que pasamos más tiempo con Él en intimidad, más le anhelaremos, más le adoraremos y menos desearemos de este mundo con sus deseos. Seremos más santos. El Salmo 29:2 nos invita a adorarle:

“Den al SEÑOR la gloria debida a su nombre. Adoren al SEÑOR en la hermosura de la santidad.”

Puedes hacerlo con un canto hoy día, orando a Él, pasando tiempo en su Palabra, y reconociéndole a Él en todo lo que hagas hoy.

[1] Lo Único Que Quiero. Letra & Música Por: Israel Chaparro & Esteban Alvarado

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Cómo Dios usa a sus siervos – Hechos 19:1-20

Posted on May 8, 2023 by eig

Aquí vemos a Pablo usado por el Señor de varias maneras. Estos sirven de ejemplo para nosotros hoy.

 

 

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Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”

Posted on May 1, 2023 by eig

One of the most amazing passages for me is John 21:1-25. The scene involves Jesus days after his resurrection with several of his disciples including Peter.  I can imagine Peter a bit discouraged. He knew Jesus was alive but was leaving soon. It is possible he hadn’t heard from him in a few days (Jesus remained 40 days after his resurrection according to Acts 1:4). Peter decides to go fishing and some follow him. They spend all night fishing, and they don’t catch anything. Morning comes and Jesus comes to shore. He asks them if they have food and they answered no without knowing it was him (it could have been dark). Jesus gives them instructions to cast the net on the right side and assures them that’s where there are fish. At this point, they should become suspicious that it is Jesus. After all, their first experience with him was when they were fishing, and they catch a lot of fish. So much that Peter is marveled and falls at Jesus’s feet to worship him. As soon as they throw the net, fish start appearing, one hundred and fifty-three to be exact (but who is counting?). At this point, John gets it and yells, “It is the Lord!”. When Peter hears this, he can’t wait, puts on his outer garment and jumps in the water to go see Jesus. As soon as he gets there and the rest as well, they find Jesus has prepared breakfast for them. He puts more fish on the coals and tells them, “Come and eat breakfast”. None of them say anything. There’s nothing to say. They are happy. Jesus takes bread, breaks it, and passes it to them. I can imagine that their minds went back the many times he has done this, especially the Passover when he tells them the bread is his body. They begin eating. Everyone is quiet, enjoying this moment. But then Jesus breaks the silence and directs himself to Peter.

What follows, is for me, one of the sweetest parts of Jesus and his disciples, in particular with Peter. In fact, as I was reading it, I was tearing up.

In a family relationship, the children usually feel that they need to hear they are loved by the parents. Parents don’t usually ask their children. But here Jesus asks Peter a question that not only requires him to affirm his love but brings forth a hurtful past, a failure. Peter had denied the Lord three times. Now Jesus asks him, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”. Peter answers, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love you.” The Lords asks him a second time and Peter answers the same way. Jesus asks a third time. After this third time Peter is hurt. His memory flashes back to his failure. He answers again, but this time he adds a word, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Reading into this, Peter was saying, “This time I do really love you Lord. You know I failed but I repented. I truly love you.”

Each time the Lord asks Peter if he loves him, he gives him a command, “Feed my sheep.” The Lord is saying, “Peter, since you love me, do what I called you to do. Be a fisher of men.” At this point Jesus also gives a prophetic word for Peter that isn’t given to anyone else. Jesus says that Peter when he is old will be led by someone else where he does not want to go. John, the writer of this, says that this meant that Peter would die for Jesus and “glorify God” through it. If there was a time for Peter to back out of following Jesus, it would be here. But Jesus knew that Peter loved him.

We know from history that Peter died as Jesus said he would. It is said that Peter was crucified by Nero the Roman Emperor around 64 AD. Peter loved the Lord so much that he considered it unworthy to die in the same manner as he did. He asked to be crucified upside down.

I can imagine Peter entering heaven and telling Jesus, “I love you Lord,” and Jesus saying, “I knew you did Peter and I love you!”

What if we were told how hard our lives would be as a follower of Jesus and eventually it would cost us giving our lives as a martyr of our faith? Would we still love him and follow him? Maybe we don’t need to be so drastic. But the question still remains, “Do we love Jesus more than anyone or anything else?”

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Sigue hablando, no te quedes callado – Hechos 18:1-17

Posted on April 24, 2023 by eig

En este pasaje miramos como Pablo sigue hablando, sigue compartiendo el evangelio en diferentes maneras y formas. El Señor le usa para plantar una nueva iglesia la cual en un corto periodo de tiempo. Esta iglesia sería a la que Pablo escribió dos cartas (i.e. 1, 2 Corintios).Aprendemos varias cosas de Pablo que aplican a nosotros hoy día.

 

 

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