Author: Ricardo A. Lopez

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” – John 10:10

One of my favorite verses because it not only alerts you and makes you aware of the purpose of the enemy, but it also gives an implicit message that is highly encouraging for whenever we experience a spiritual attack. This verse supports James 1:2 where it tells us to count it all joy whenever we face trials. Why? It’s not letting us know that the enemy is going to come with the purpose to steal, kill and destroy us, so that we can be afraid of him, but rather, it’s implicitly telling us that the fact that we are doing things right! The more we please God and walk in his righteous path, the more the enemy doesn’t like it and is threatened. The more we obey God, we discover the perfect will He has for us, the more we are prospered and become empowered through His spirit and through His revelation. This is when the enemy comes with the purpose of destroying it all as the verse says. But this is where I rejoice the most. The enemy cannot steal from me if I don’t have anything he wants. He cannot kill me if I have no life, and he cannot destroy if there is nothing built! What does this mean? It means we are blessed! When an attack comes to your life, get a hold of the word of God and remember this. You are doing exactly what you need to be doing. It’s only confirming that you have the blessings, joy, peace, love and salvation of God which the enemy wants to steal from you. You have Jesus in you (He is the way, the truth and the life). He has given you life once your sins were forgiven. This is what the enemy is trying to kill. And lastly, it means you have been “…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” Ephesians 2:20. This is what the enemy wants to destroy! Rejoice, for we don’t have to live in fear any longer, because “…if God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.

“Hermanos mios, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halleis en diversas pruebas”  –  Santiago 1:2

Parece algo contradictorio o sin sentido lo que dice este versiculo. Como sera posible no solo estar contentos o felices, pero aun en sumo gozo, cuando estemos pasando por alguna situacion dificil? Uno dijera que el escritor quizas no sabe que es sufrir por un tiempo de prueba. Como humanos, tenemos emociones y orgullo, y situaciones dificiles nos estresan. No son momentos gratos y como resultado, sufrimos. Es una locura pensar que en medio de cuando todo me va mal, cuando otros me critican, cuando me estan levantando falsos, cuando mi vida parece destruirse, uno puede sentirse feliz y tranquilo. Y si es imposible…  pero solamente cuando no estas agarrado/a de Cristo.

La palabra de Dios nos sigue diciendo en Santiago 1:3 que por medio de esa prueba, surgira la paciencia. Es imposible tener dominio propio y no reaccionar cuando nuestro orgullo or alguna emocion es afectada, pero gracias a Dios, el nos ha dado un espiritu de dominio propio. Sujetandonos de esta verdad, y poniendo nuestra fe y confianza en Dios, no miraremos la prueba como la causa de nuestra derrota cercana, pero como la causa de nuestra victoria en Cristo. La prueba es una oportunidad para poder crecer, para madurar y ser mejor como hijo de Dios. Solamente con Cristo a nuestro lado es que podemos vivir confiados y con una paz que sobrepasa todo entendimiento. Solamente asi, podremos tened por sumo gozo cuando pasemos por cualquier prueba.

“…y hubo en el mar una tempestad tan grande que se penso que se partiria la nave. Y los marineros tuvieron miedo, y cada uno clamaba a su dios; y echaron al mar los enseres que habia en la nave, para descargarla de ellos. Pero Jonas habia bajado al interior de la nave, y se habia echado a dormir. Y el patron de la nave se le acerco y le dijo: Que tienes, dormilon? Levantate…” Jonas 1:4-6

Es muy interesante como en los 4 capitulos del libro de Jonas, le tienen que decir a Jonas tres veces que se levantara (1:2, 1:6, 3:2). No se puede iniciar una accion fisica sin primero levantarse. Por eso, despues de cada una de las veces que se le dice a Jonas “levantate,” sigue una accion (por ejemplo ve o clama a tu Dios). Tambien Isaias 60:1 empieza con “Levantate,” seguido por la accion, resplandece! Pero que nos ensena esto acerca de Jonas? Mientras el dormia, habia una gran tormenta. Todos en el barco estaban reaccionando a la tormenta menos Jonas. Esto no tiene sentido, Jonas estaba desconectado de su alrededor. Por lo regular, un ser humano reacciona a lo que sucede a su alrededor. Por ejemplo, en un temblor, terremoto, huracan, incendio, lo normal es reaccionar y protegerse, no quedarse sentado, tranquilo, o descansando. No es normal no reaccionar a un ambiente extremo, pero Jonas simplemente durmio abajo en un cuarto, protegido y tranquilo.

Dios esta sonando la alarma a Su Iglesia. “Levantate! Despierta! Reacciona!!! A que? A la tormenta que nos rodea. Solamente observemos las leyes del pais en el que vivimos. Ya no sabemos que es el matrimonio, ya no sabemos que es la sexualidad, ya no sabemos cuando empieza una vida! Hay un mundo que se pierde sin Dios. Hay un mundo lleno de seres que necesitan que alguien les comparta un amor verdadero. Solamente alguien que pueda traer buenas nuevas. Hay una gran tormenta en nuestro alrededor!

Iglesia, que estamos haciendo? Estamos dormidos en nuestro cuartito? Espero que no! Pero si ese es el caso, es tiempo de despertar, levantarnos y reaccionar! “Como, pues, invocaran a aquel en el cual no han creido? Y como creeran en aquel de quien no han iodo? Y como oiran sin haber quien les predique? Y como predicaran si no fueren enviados?” (Rom 10:14-15) A Jonas Dios le dice dos veces, “Levantate y ve…” pero que de nosotros? Tendremos escusa para dormir en medio de la tormenta en el mundo? NO! Jesus dijo en Mateo 28:19 – “Por tanto id…” La orden ya fue dada! Ahora es tiempo de despertar, levantarnos y por fin, ir! Si seguimos dormidos, y no vamos, nadie les predicara y ellos no oiran. Si no oyen, no creeran. Y si no creen, nunca invocaran a aquel, el unico quien los puede salvar! Jesus!

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” Luke 24:1-5

This passage takes place after Jesus has died and has been placed in the tomb as was customary. Two days later, those who followed him came looking for him in the tomb. They noticed the stone that covered the entrance was rolled away. As they went inside, two men in bright garments asked them a powerful question, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
In Mark 5, we are told of how a possessed man dwelled in the tombs and not in his house. This shows us that when we give in to sin, it will surround us by death. Nothing in your life will prosper, your ministry will not flourish, your desires for God will fade off, etc. Jesus said he is “LIFE,” this means that sin takes you farther and farther away from Him, from Life, thus forcing you dwell in spiritual tombs and in valleys of death.
Here is the exciting thing!!! See, the enemy calls your sin and/or your past with the purpose to guilt you, to enslave you to it. However, when Jesus calls out your sin or past, it’s to set you free from it! That’s why in John 4, the Samaritan women was not embarrased when he called out her sinful lifestyle, instead, she got up and pulicly testified about what Jesus had done to her! He had set her FREE!
Now, there will be times when the past and the old sins will come looking for you after you have been set free. The thing is, that it will come looking for you where it was used to seeing you, amongs the tombs, amongs death, but because of the greatness of God, when the past comes looking around, be assured that there will be 2 men with bright garments standing there asking that sin and past, “Why do you seek the living (YOU) among the dead?!!!!”
When you give yourself to God, when you choose to surrender your life, your heart, and your will to Him, He will set you free and give you life! You will no longer dwell amongs the tombs! He is the way, the truth and the LIFE!

Excited to have joined this Bible Counseling Class!