Category Archives: Grace

Breaking the Bottle

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As we journey through the holy week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, I’d like take a moment to reflect on one of the events leading up to His ultimate sacrifice and its significance.

Recently, I heard a beautiful song by Steffany Gretzinger and Tiffany Hudson named “Break The Bottle.”  

*”I’m going to break the bottle

I’m going to pour it all out

I don’t waste what’s spent on You

Even if they call me crazy

You’re the One who saved me

I’ll never waste what’s spent on You…

Pour me out like water

Pour me out like oil

There is not another

So worthy of it all”*

The moment I heard the lyrics, I was reminded of Mary (the sister of Lazarus and Martha) and her beautiful, extravagant act of worship—just a couple of days before the Last Supper and three days before the world would witness the most selfless act of love.

“Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

— John 12:3 GNT

Mary’s act wasn’t just about perfume. It was about value, devotion, sacrifice, and worship. In that moment, she symbolized what Jesus would soon do for all of humanity—be broken and poured out. And just as her gift filled the house with fragrance, Christ’s sacrifice would fill the world with the fragrance of redeeming love.

“Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him.”

— Ephesians 5:2 TLB

It’s a powerful image: Christ’s love being like a sweet perfume to God. And now, Jesus calls us to follow His example. We are called to live lives so full of worship, surrender, and love that we, too, become a fragrant offering. May our lives reflect this sweet fragrance. May our acts of love, compassion, and surrender—no matter how costly—be poured out for His glory.

“But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance.”

— 2 Corinthians 2:14 GNT

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your beautiful sacrifice of love. Please give us Your Spirit of worship that overflows into our lives in a way so that we are broken and spilled out for Your glory, as a beautiful fragrance of love. Amen.

A Prayer of Hope for 2021

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2020 has been a sad, difficult, stressful, and overwhelming year. COVID-19 has brought great loss and hardships to so many. Even though 2020 has been a dark year, we have not been alone. God has been with us all along and He is our hope going into 2021.

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 “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” 

– Psalm 71:14 

Tonight, we are praying for God’s blessing over 2021.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being with us throughout 2020. Thank You for Your never-ending love and faithfulness. Please be with us as we enter 2021. You are our hope, and we trust in You. For those who have lost loved ones in 2020, we ask You, Jesus, for Your comfort. For those who have COVID-19, we ask that Your healing hand be upon them. We ask that You heal our land of COVID-19 and that the pandemic end. For those who are struggling through financial hardships, we ask for Your providence. For those who are facing loneliness, we ask that you surround them with Your love and presence. For those who are tired and weary, we ask that You give them strength. For those that don’t know You as their Savior, we ask for salvation. Please bless this New Year with Your infinite love, joy, and peace. In Your holy and powerful name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

God bless you!

Immanuel: God is with us

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Fir trees are laced with lights, tinsel, and ornaments. Lamp posts are garbed with garland and holly. Gift wrapped packages are everywhere. The music playing in stores yells “it’s the most wonderful time of year.”   

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You look around. You don’t feel very merry. The Christmas lights aren’t all that bright and the warmth of holidays just isn’t there. Maybe you are going through a difficult and dark time in your life. I don’t know what you are facing. If you are experiencing great loss, grief, pain, illness, brokenheartedness, sorrow, disappointment, depression, anxiety, stress, emptiness, fear, confusion, brokenness, family problems, work problems, deadlines, or financial hardships; then it’s okay to feel not okay. 

It’s okay if you don’t welcome the Christmas festivities. Trees, presents, and holiday foods are nice; but they are not the reason Jesus came. As the prophet, Isaiah, prophesied in the book of Isaiah, Christ came to be to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,” 

– Isaiah 61:1 NIV 

 Christ came so we wouldn’t have to face the pains of this world alone.  

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”  

– Isaiah 7:14 NLT 

The same Savior, that came over two thousand years ago, is still with us; comforting our broken hearts, freeing us from bondage, and being a light to us in our darkest moments. In Matthew 28, Jesus promises to be with us always. “ … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20 NLT 

“Emmanuel
He is still with us
We’re not alone
Here within His love
Emmanuel
He is still with us…

 Mercy is falling, falling
Lift up your hands receive it now
Here in the presence of the Lord…

Be still and know He’s in control
Here in the presence of the Lord…

Pour out your heart before Him
Open your arms He’ll hold you now
Here in the presence of the Lord..

Emmanuel
He is still with us
We’re not alone
Here within His love”

-Lyrics to Here in the Presence by Elevation Worship

  

Dear Lord Jesus, our Savior and King, we thank You for coming to earth to not only save us, but also to be with us no matter what hardships or pains we are experiencing. When our faith is dwindling and our hope seems lost, please remind us that You are still with us. You are our strong refuge and our light in the darkness. You are our comfort in depths of our pain and our anchor in the storm. Your are our warmth on the coldest of nights. You are our healer and our protector. You are our loving Father and our Prince of Peace. Please make us more aware of Your beautiful presence. Please embrace us with Your infinite love and surround us with Your all surpassing peace this Christmas and always. Amen.  

 

* Emmanuel is the Romanized version of the word “Immanuel.”

Luz en Tinieblas

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“Milagroso

 abres camino

 Cumples promesas

Luz en tinieblas

Mi Dios así eres tu…”

Este es un extracto de la letra de la canción, “Way Maker,” escrito por Osinachi Okoro. Me encanta esta canción. Nos recuerda de la fidelidad de Dios.

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 “Por la fe, Sara misma recibió fuerzas para concebir, aunque era estéril, y dio a luz, aun cuando por su edad se le había pasado el tiempo, porque creyó que era fiel quien le había hecho la promesa. Por eso también, de un solo hombre, que ya estaba casi muerto, llegó a tener una multitud de descendientes, tan numerosos como las estrellas del cielo y tan incontables como la arena que está a la orilla del mar.”

-Hebreos 11: 11-12 RVC

En Génesis 12, Dios hizo una promesa a Abraham y a Sara por medio de Abraham. “Pero Jehová había dicho a Abram: Vete de tu tierra y de tu parentela, y de la casa de tu padre, a la tierra que te mostraré. Y haré de ti una nación grande, y te bendeciré, y engrandeceré tu nombre, y serás bendición.”-Génesis 12: 1-2 RVR 1960 Años después, Dios confirmó Su promesa a Sara. Cuando esto sucedió, Sarah se rió con dudas. Génesis 18: 13-14 RVR 1960 dice: “Entonces Jehová dijo a Abraham: ¿Por qué se ha reído Sara diciendo: ¿Será cierto que he de dar a luz siendo ya vieja? ¿Hay para Dios alguna cosa difícil? Al tiempo señalado volveré a ti, y según el tiempo de la vida, Sara tendrá un hijo.” Aunque Sarah se rió con dudas, Dios aún cumplió Su promesa a ella y a Abraham. Como Sara, a veces luchamos con la duda.

Dios sigue siendo fiel!

No importa lo que pensemos o sintamos,

Dios sigue siendo fiel!

¡No importa cuáles sean las circunstancias,

 Dios sigue siendo fiel!

“Mantengamos firme, sin fluctuar, la profesión de nuestra esperanza, porque fiel es el que prometió.”

– Hebreos 10:23 RVR 1960

Si Dios fue fiel en su mayor promesa: hacer un camino para que recibamos la salvación a través de su Hijo, Jesucristo, podemos estar seguros de que cumplirá el resto de sus promesas.

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por cumplir siempre Tus promesas. En medio de nuestras dudas, por favor ayúdanos a tener fe en ti y en tu fidelidad. Amén.

 

Publicado en 15 de noviembre de 2019

Posted in English on November 15, 2019

Click on the date to read this post in English.

Promise Keeper

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“Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are…”

This is an excerpt of the lyrics from the song, “Way Maker,” by Osinachi Okoro. I love this song. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness.

I for blog sarah MG-0047.JPG“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
‭‭-Hebrews‬ ‭11:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Genesis 12, God made a promise to Abraham and to Sarah through Abraham.
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” -Genesis‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Years later, God confirmed His promise to Sarah. When this happened, Sarah laughed in doubt. Genesis‬ ‭18:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬ says, “Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”” Even though Sarah laughed in doubt, God still kept His promise to her and Abraham. Like Sarah, sometimes we struggle with doubt.

God is still faithful!

No matter what we think or feel,

God is still faithful!

No matter what the circumstances are,

 God is still faithful!

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who

 promised is faithful.”

‭- Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If God was faithful in His greatest promise: to make a way for us to receive Salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, then we can be confident that He will keep the rest of His promises.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always keeping Your promises. In the midst of our doubts, please help us to have faith in You and Your faithfulness. Amen.

¿De Dónde Viene la Fe?

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¿Alguien te ha dicho alguna vez, “solo necesitas tener fe, las cosas saldrán bien”? ¿Cuál fue su respuesta inmediata? Tal vez pensaste: “Ojalá fuera así de fácil”. O lo ignoraste pensando: “la fe no es para todos”. Tal vez pensaste “por qué algunas personas confían tanto en su fe, mientras que otras se están ahogando en dudas y temores?” ¿De dónde viene la fe?

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“Así que la fe viene como resultado de oír el mensaje, y el mensaje que se oye es la palabra de Cristo.”

 – Romanos 10:17 NVI

Romanos 10:17 NVI nos dice que “la fe viene como resultado de oír el mensaje, y el mensaje que se oye es la palabra de Cristo.” Para tener fe, debemos escuchar el mensaje del amor de Dios a través de la palabra de Dios acerca de la esperanza que tenemos en Cristo. ¿Si nuestra fe está disminuyendo, tal vez no estamos leyendo la Palabra de Dios y / o buscándolo diariamente en oración? ¿Si nos falta fe, tal vez estamos cerrando nuestros oídos al mensaje de Dios? ¿Quizás hemos cerrado nuestros corazones al amor de Cristo? ¿O estamos permitiendo que las distracciones en nuestras vidas quiten nuestros ojos de Jesúcristo?

Querido Señor Jesúcristo, elimina cualquier obstáculo que pueda estar impidiendo que nosotros o nuestros seres queridos vengamos a Ti, escuchemos Tu mensaje y crezcamos en la fe. Amén.

 

Publicado en 11 de octubre de 2019   

Published in English on October 11, 2019     

Click on the date to read this post in English.

Where Does Faith Come From?

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Has anyone ever told you, “just have faith, things will work out”? What was your immediate response? Maybe you thought, “I wish it was that easy.” Or, you brushed it off, thinking: “faith isn’t for everyone.” Perhaps, you thought “why are some people so confident in their faith, while others are drowning in doubts and fears? Where does faith come from?”

IMG_9209-1 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

 – Romans 10:17 NIV

Romans 10:17 NIV tells us that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” To have faith, we must hear the message of God’s love through God’s word about the hope we have in Christ. If our faith is dwindling, then perhaps we are not reading God’s Word and/or seeking Him in prayer daily? If we are lacking in faith, then perhaps we are closing our ears to God’s message? Maybe we have closed our hearts to the love of Christ? Or we are allowing the distractions in our lives to take our eyes off of Jesus?

Dear Lord Jesus, please remove any obstacles that might be preventing us or our loved ones from coming to You, hearing Your message, and growing in faith. Amen.

¿Quieres Tener una Fe Duradera?

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¿Quieres tener una fe que todavía habla incluso después de que estás muerto?

IMG_8020“Por la fe, Abel ofreció a Dios un sacrificio más aceptable que el de Caín, y por eso fue reconocido como un hombre justo, y Dios aceptó con agrado sus ofrendas. Y aunque Abel está muerto, todavía habla por medio de su fe.” 

-Hebreos 11:4 RVC

Tener una fe perdurable implica tener un corazón que está dispuesto a entregar su todo a Cristo. Romanos 12:1 RVC dice: “Así que, hermanos, yo les ruego, por las misericordias de Dios, que se presenten ustedes mismos como un sacrificio vivo, santo y agradable a Dios. ¡Así es como se debe adorar a Dios!”

“Después dio a luz a Abel, hermano de Caín. Abel era pastor de ovejas, y Caín cultivaba la tierra. Andando el tiempo, sucedió que Caín llevó al Señor una ofrenda del fruto de la tierra. Y Abel también llevó algunos de los primogénitos de sus ovejas, de los mejores entre ellas. Y el Señor miró con agrado a Abel y a su ofrenda, pero no miró con agrado a Caín ni a su ofrenda. Y Caín se enojó mucho, y decayó su semblante. Entonces el Señor le dijo a Caín:

«¿Por qué estás enojado? ¿Por qué ha decaído tu semblante? 7 Si haces lo bueno, ¿acaso no serás enaltecido? Pero, si no lo haces, el pecado está listo para dominarte. Sin embargo, su deseo lo llevará a ti, y tú lo dominarás.»”  -Génesis 4: 2-7 RVC

 ¿Alguna vez te has preguntado por qué Dios estaba complacido con la ofrenda de Abel y no con la de Caín? Hay cuatro puntos de vista sobre por qué la oferta de Caín se consideró inaceptable. En aras de la brevedad, discutiré los tres que encontre más plausibles.

  1. No fue un sacrificio de sangre

Sacrificios en el Antiguo Testamento presagiaron el gran sacrificio que Cristo haría para salvarnos en el Nuevo Testamento. Esto habría significado que Caín habría necesitado humildemente cambiar sus frutos por un cordero.

  1. No fueron los primeros frutos de Caín

Cuando venimos a Dios en adoración, debemos traerle lo mejor de nosotros, nuestros primeros frutos. Proverbios 3: 9 RVC dice: “Honra al Señor con tus bienes y con las primicias de tus cosechas.”

  1. Caín tenía la actitud equivocada

Cuando venimos al altar de Dios, no solo debemos venir con una actitud de obediencia, pero también con un corazón arrepentido y lleno de perdon.

  • “Samuel le contestó: «¿Y crees que al Señor le gustan tus holocaustos y ofrendas más que la obediencia a sus palabras? Entiende que obedecer al Señor es mejor que ofrecerle sacrificios, y que escucharlo con atención es mejor que ofrecerle la grasa de los carneros.” -1 Samuel 15:22 RVC
  •  “Al Señor le agrada que se le hagan ofrendas, pero más le agrada que se haga justicia.” -Proverbios 21: 3 RVC
  •  “ Por tanto, si traes tu ofrenda al altar, y allí te acuerdas de que tu hermano tiene algo contra ti, deja allí tu ofrenda delante del altar, y ve y reconcíliate primero con tu hermano, y después de eso vuelve y presenta tu ofrenda.” -Mateo 5: 23-24 RVC

Querido Señor Jescristo, gracias por Tu infinito amor y misericordia. Ayúdanos a complacerte con nuestra adoración y tener una fe eterna, que testifique de Tu amor. Amén.

Do You Want Enduring Faith?

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Do you want to have a faith that still speaks even after you are dead?

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“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

Hebrews‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Having an enduring faith involves having a heart that is willing to surrender your all to Christ. Romans 12:1 NIV says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1 NIV

“Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

 ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:2-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever wondered why God was pleased with Abel’s offering and not Cain’s? There are four views as to why Cain’s offering was found unacceptable. For the sake of brevity, I will discuss the three I find most plausible.

Not a blood sacrifice.                                                                                                                                Sacrifices in the Old Testament foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice Christ would make to save us in the New Testament. This would have meant Cain would have humbly needed to exchange his fruits for a lamb.

Not Cain’s firstfruits.

When we come to God in worship we are to bring Him our very best— our firstfruits. ‭‭         Proverbs‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;”

Cain had the wrong attitude.

When we come to God’s altar we must come with not only an attitude of obedience but also a repentant and forgiving heart.

  • “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” -1 Samuel‬ ‭15:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  •  “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” -Proverbs‬ ‭21:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  •  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” -Matthew‬ ‭5:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for your infinite love and mercy. Please help us to please You with our worship and have an eternal faith, that testifies of Your love. Amen.

¿Por Qué Tener Fe?

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¿Por qué tener fe? ¿Por qué es tan importante la fe? Tal vez has estado viendo todas estas publicaciones de mi blog y te has preguntado, “¿por qué está haciendo tanto alboroto por la fe?” ¿Es realmente tan importante la fe? ¿No hay toneladas de otros temas más interesantes?

A lo largo de esta serie de blogs, el valor de tener fe se ha revelado tantas veces. Sin embargo, la entrada de hoy se centra en un hombre en particular en la Biblia, cuya fe agradó a Dios tanto que fue recompensado con no experimentar la muerte.

Enoch: Why have Faith?

“Vivió Enoc sesenta y cinco años, y engendró a Matusalén. Y caminó Enoc con Dios, después que engendró a Matusalén, trescientos años, y engendró hijos e hijas. Y fueron todos los días de Enoc trescientos sesenta y cinco años. Caminó, pues, Enoc con Dios, y desapareció, porque le llevó Dios.”- Génesis 5: 21-24 RVR 1960

Note como dos veces, menciona que“ Enoc caminó fielmente ”. Hebreos 11 también hace referencia a la fe de Enoc.

“Por la fe Enoc fue traspuesto para no ver muerte, y no fue hallado, porque lo traspuso Dios; y antes que fuese traspuesto, tuvo testimonio de haber agradado a Dios.“- Hebreos 11: 5 RVR 1960

Tener fe agrada a Dios. De hecho, la palabra de Dios dice que “sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios”. Enoc tenía una gran fe y fue elogiado por eso.

“Pero sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios; porque es necesario que el que se acerca a Dios crea que le hay, y que es galardonador de los que le buscan.” 

– Hebreos 11: 6 RVR 1960

En el Nuevo Testamento, Jesús les dice a sus discípulos que los futuros creyentes serían / ​​serán bendecidos porque creyeron / creerán en Él sin verlo. “Jesús le dijo: Porque me has visto, Tomás, creíste; bienaventurados los que no vieron, y creyeron.” – Juan 20:29 RVR 1960 Tener fe es importante porque agrada a Dios y trae bendiciones de Dios.

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por tus hermosas promesas de bendiciones. Por favor, ayuda la persona que esté luchando con su fe a fortalecer su fe y saber con confianza que está con ellos y que los ama. Por favor, ayúdanos a buscarte fervientemente y caminar en fe todos los días. Amén.

 

Publicado en Ingles el 18 de julio de 2019 

Published in English on  July 18, 2019