11/08/07
Visa granted:
“…whoever who does not give up everything cannot be my disciple…” This may be the hardest lesson of all for a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s also a permanent lesson since our Father in heaven – who prunes the branches – make sure there is nothing interfering our devotion, our loyalty, and our faithfulness to Him and the fruit He wants us to bear for His glory. Being pruned and giving up sounds painful and sometimes it really is; but is our own culture–shaped predisposition to hold on things we consider dearly valuable for us, what really makes us suffer more than is needed… that predisposition, rooted in our pride and self centered nature, becomes a god to us since we serve it, we fear it and we love it. It determines what we need, what is good for us, what brings satisfaction or pain to us… it affects our emotions and corrupts our wisdom… it rules our lives.
To be a disciple of Christ we must get rid of all other gods. This is easy to talk but hard to walk, so God help us bringing that ‘situation’ to our lives so we can see and decide who we are really serving and who is the True God. Someone may ask; ‘is it possible I’m serving other gods if I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior?’ well, in 2 Kings 17:41 we read that people worshiped the Lord while they served their idols… yes, it’s possible and - sadly - it would not be the first time… I have been there.
On Nov 8th 2007 I received my passport with a new visa granted to come back to United States as a religious worker for the next 3 years. Thanks for the prayers of many dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm sure God allowed His will to happen inside of me in my heart; and outside of me in the circumstance that brought the final decision for my visa. I guess His will in my heart is the one that brings a smile on His face, not for something I did, but for the amazing grace He granted to allow my struggling heart get to the real place of surrendering, and be able to give up the desire to be in a specific country. It was the desire – not the country – what was becoming and idol in my heart; and it was just minutes before the interview at the US consulate when, through the help or the Helper, I was able to really sacrifice this desire on the altar. I gave up on it and killed in my heart as I guess Abraham killed Isaac in his heart, the very last second, when he raised his hand with the knife. No way I got there by myself; His grace carried me.
The on-going lesson I’m learning is that being a "living sacrifice" means to be fully alive and pursue things and dreams; but it means also to make a "pre-decision" to give ALL those things and dreams up for the sake of the only thing worth to have... intimate life with Jesus Christ. We are intimate with Him through the "death" (giving up) of those things we hold and eventually bind us... there is freedom in death, so we can live entirely for Him, so we can identify ourselves with Him.
Thanks God for pruning our hearts. I see it now.
Visa granted:
“…whoever who does not give up everything cannot be my disciple…” This may be the hardest lesson of all for a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s also a permanent lesson since our Father in heaven – who prunes the branches – make sure there is nothing interfering our devotion, our loyalty, and our faithfulness to Him and the fruit He wants us to bear for His glory. Being pruned and giving up sounds painful and sometimes it really is; but is our own culture–shaped predisposition to hold on things we consider dearly valuable for us, what really makes us suffer more than is needed… that predisposition, rooted in our pride and self centered nature, becomes a god to us since we serve it, we fear it and we love it. It determines what we need, what is good for us, what brings satisfaction or pain to us… it affects our emotions and corrupts our wisdom… it rules our lives.
To be a disciple of Christ we must get rid of all other gods. This is easy to talk but hard to walk, so God help us bringing that ‘situation’ to our lives so we can see and decide who we are really serving and who is the True God. Someone may ask; ‘is it possible I’m serving other gods if I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior?’ well, in 2 Kings 17:41 we read that people worshiped the Lord while they served their idols… yes, it’s possible and - sadly - it would not be the first time… I have been there.
On Nov 8th 2007 I received my passport with a new visa granted to come back to United States as a religious worker for the next 3 years. Thanks for the prayers of many dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm sure God allowed His will to happen inside of me in my heart; and outside of me in the circumstance that brought the final decision for my visa. I guess His will in my heart is the one that brings a smile on His face, not for something I did, but for the amazing grace He granted to allow my struggling heart get to the real place of surrendering, and be able to give up the desire to be in a specific country. It was the desire – not the country – what was becoming and idol in my heart; and it was just minutes before the interview at the US consulate when, through the help or the Helper, I was able to really sacrifice this desire on the altar. I gave up on it and killed in my heart as I guess Abraham killed Isaac in his heart, the very last second, when he raised his hand with the knife. No way I got there by myself; His grace carried me.
The on-going lesson I’m learning is that being a "living sacrifice" means to be fully alive and pursue things and dreams; but it means also to make a "pre-decision" to give ALL those things and dreams up for the sake of the only thing worth to have... intimate life with Jesus Christ. We are intimate with Him through the "death" (giving up) of those things we hold and eventually bind us... there is freedom in death, so we can live entirely for Him, so we can identify ourselves with Him.
Thanks God for pruning our hearts. I see it now.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment