When crises come

What does one do when crises come in life? How to react when crises come, difficult situations in life? Habakkuk, chapter 3 tells us about a position that we can adopt. It says, "Even though the fig tree does not flourish nor are there fruit on the vines, even though the olive produce is lacking and the fields do not provide maintenance and the sheep are removed from the fold, and there are no cows in the corrals, yet - say with all . No that's too weak. With everything. – I will rejoice in the Lord and be glad in the God of my salvation.” Amen. Enrique if you can put Habacuc, chapter 3. I would like if we can put the Scriptures, I sent them in advance. "Even if the fig tree does not bloom..."

Last Sunday we talked about the call of Jesus, not to worry, not to get anxious about anything in this world, to adopt an attitude of self-sufficiency in God. And I told them that there was a second part to this message and this weekend when I started to think a little about what I talked about, which I think is, in fact, very accurate in terms of the word of God, I I realized that it was necessary to spin a little finer, it was necessary to divide the word that I shared about anxiety and eagerness a little more. And I realized that there are two types of anxiety that we should talk about and that if we don't differentiate between one anxiety or the other, we run the risk of sharing principles that are very good, very helpful, very biblical, but sometimes there will be people who they'll say, “Well, yeah, that's great. I like what you are saying, but as there is a part that does not reach me, there is a part that does not apply to what I am experiencing. And I realized that I had to, as I say, apply the word a little more carefully, more specifically. And as I say, I see that I would say that there are two types of eagerness, two types of anxiety, two types of fear that sometimes overwhelm us at times in life.

One type of anxiety is what we might call general anxiety, pervasive [sic] anxiety, which controls our lives in general. The other type of anxiety I would call specific anxiety. The first type, which is general anxiety, has to do with an essential attitude in life, a disposition, I would say, general of the person or of the personality, a tendency towards excessive worry, towards giving too much importance either to people, what they think of us, how much influence we exert on it, material possessions, life events that overwhelm us and affect us. This type of person, too focused on material things and the ups and downs of life, generally lives a busy life, an anxious life, people you know dedicating themselves too much to work, sometimes sacrificing human relationships, rest, health including physical, family relationships for a material goal that have been proposed, people excessively concerned with success, with a social position, excessively attached to material things. These types of people will generally be focused on success, on achieving material goals, or on things that have to do with their image or influence with others. That's one kind of stance. And I would say that there are many Christians who, despite knowing the word of God, coming to church, suffer from that type of attitude.

That is why the Apostle Paul many times throughout the Scripture calls believers to a position that is independent of material circumstances, money, and merely social things. Paul, for example, in First Timothy, chapter 6 says, "Command the rich of this age not to be haughty," and in fact, he is referring to Christians above all, if you read the context of the epistle, “…that they not be haughty, that they do not put their hope in wealth, - there is the key – which are uncertain, but that they put it in the living God, who gives us all things in abundance for us to enjoy, who do good, may they be rich in good works, may they be generous, generous.” What do we do when we say, "There is an offering to give to Haiti, for example, or to Hands of Mercy, whatever," we are asking you to be rich in works of mercy, to be generous, generous. It says here, “…staying up for himself a good foundation for things to come.” What is to come? Eternal life, heavenly homeland. Do you know that you can invest here on earth? Your investments here on earth will influence your eternal life. I do not know how. I don't think it refers to salvation itself, but it does refer, I believe, to rewards that we will receive or not, to levels of glory that we will occupy in eternity and that will have a lot to do with how we invest our wealth, our influence, our moments of possibility here on earth. It says, “…lay hold on eternal life.” Because you have to fight for eternal life, you have to make an effort, you have to take it very seriously.

And this type of person, excessively anxious and concerned about life and its material things, for this type of person, how things in the world are so important for this type of individual who displays this type of general concern for the world, the circumstances and life events, the ups and downs of daily living, all of these things have great power to affect your emotional state. If things go well, they are in glory, they rejoice, they are happy. But if things go down, if the economy goes down, or if you lose a little money on your stock market investments, you feel depressed, you feel fearful, you hustle, instead of being satisfied with what God gives you. So this type of person is kind of tied to the ups and downs of life. Life is like a roller coaster, with continuous ups and downs and emotional instability. That is the busy person in general terms, excessively aware of the world.

The second type of anxiety that I felt I had to talk about, and if I don't this Sunday, I promise that the next time I preach I'm going to talk about it, what I call specific anxiety. And this refers, rather, to an emotional state, a reaction to a specific negative life situation. It is when we find ourselves in a difficult moment that threatens our instability. And in this sense, I believe that it is natural and to some extent legitimate to feel insecure, to feel anxious when something we love is at stake for life. These are moments, those moments when we are going through a specific crisis situation, which threatens our well-being. When I was saying that, I accidentally went to Roosevelt who is here. I am sure that when our brother Roosevelt and Laura, who incidentally also addressed us this afternoon, were given that diagnosis, they felt… they had the right to feel anxious, a young couple with small children, how could there not be a specific reaction? of fear, no matter how spiritual we are.

Anything, the loss of a job we need to support our family, to pay the bills, the threat of losing our home and family during times of family crisis, a child having behavior problems or in danger of falling into drugs, etc., a divorce, a family crisis, a diagnosis of severe illness such as cancer or another chronic and debilitating disease, or a long period of unemployment, for example, or at work many times that throw us a number of tasks and responsibilities that we have to fulfill, we feel insecure, our boss is on top of us, "You have to do this, you have to do that," a project that has to be presented to a very important audience, all these things create a Specific anxiety that doesn't necessarily have to do with simply being materialistic or too attached to the world. It is a reaction of our neurology that is natural. In these cases it is understandable that we feel anxious, that we feel worried. It is easy in those cases to identify why. Many times there is a type of anxiety that is generic and one does not know where it comes from. It is a general malaise. The French call it malaise, it is an indefinite malaise and that is a type of anxiety. But sometimes anxiety you can tell exactly where it's coming from and why you're experiencing it, because it's identifiable.

And these two conditions, general anxiety and specific anxiety, are different, have a different etiology, a different origin, and demand different solutions, different medicines. And I would actually say, to cover them exhaustively, and I think that's what I'm going to have to do, would require a sermon on each of them. The words of Jesus, in fact, which I read last Sunday and used as a basis in Luke, chapter 12, are more appropriate and I realized that as I honestly meditated on my words this week. That word of the Lord, "do not worry about tomorrow, what you will eat, what you will wear, etc. because each day brings its own eagerness," I realized that they are more appropriate, especially for the first condition, general anxiety, general eagerness, exaggerated love for the world, fragility before the ups and downs of life, which it keeps us in a perpetual state of excitement, of uncertainty, and the Lord warns us. With respect to that type of eager attitude, Christ tells us, the word of God tells us, "do not love the world or the things of the world because the world passes and its desires but those who do the will of God remain forever. ” And I believe that it is one of the first things that helps us to prevent general anxiety, is to detach ourselves from love for the world, to make an honest examination of ourselves and ask ourselves what control, how much control does the world have over my life, how much do I It matters what others say about me, how I care about having their toys that say, "Oh, he's here, he's a successful and important person." How much do those things matter to me? How much control does the bank account have over me if it goes up or down and how obsessive am I about things in the world?

And what the Bible says is that we do not set our sights, that is the word, we do not set our sights, we do not pay too much attention to the things of the world, but let us set our sights, it says, "set your sights on the things above." And I believe that one resolves in one's heart that one is not going to give more importance to the world and weaning oneself from the world, detaching oneself from the world is a great antidote. Our continued priority must be the things of the spirit, growing in the knowledge of God and his word. A very thoughtful young lady came to me this morning in the English service and asked, "Pastor, how can I show that I care about things above?" And it's a good question because she wanted to be very specific and I liked that she put me against a rock and a hard place with her question. You can see that he was paying attention because I should have been more specific. I said, “Look, what occurs to me is that in your investments every day you must show that you are concerned about being a better woman, growing in the knowledge of God. What do you read? What do you see on television? How are your conversations? Who are your mentors? Read the word. Educate yourself on what constitutes a Christ-centered personality, a mature personality. Meditate on these things and let them influence you and invest in things of the spirit, in whatever activity you do, your studies, be a woman of excellence. Live a productive life and set high goals and associate with people who have high goals. And that will lead you to be the woman that God wants you to be, over using the word of God as a foundation.” Amen.

The Bible calls us, instead of being anxious about the things of the world, to train ourselves to grow spiritually every day, to sanctify ourselves, to consecrate ourselves more to the Lord, to conform our personality more and more each day to the principles of the Gospel and the character of Jesus Christ. Like an Olympian who pushes himself at one thing, keeping his weight right, his muscularity [sic] right, eating the things that give him energy, practicing his art extremely. We have to set our sights on things above. And that will occupy our horizon so much that there will not be much time to worry about the minor things of the daily day. And this is important I warn you too. The Bible, in fact, tells us that if we have sustenance and shelter, we are content with that. Another thing, I think, is that of being satisfied, at least in the basics of life, with having sustenance, shelter, the things we need and using that as a platform for all other aspirations because I believe that one can aspire to excellence, one can aspire to those vacations in Europe, one can aspire to have a good house and a good car. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, the word of God says that God blesses us when we please him with prosperity and blessing but that should not be the basis of our happiness. What's more, I believe that the person who has learned to do without material things is the person who is then most qualified to receive prosperity and blessing.

And the Bible tells us, strive for excellence, yes, try to live a comfortable and pleasant life but don't get attached, don't love money, don't love what others will say about you, don't love influence, don't love symbols of respectability, do not base your happiness on the objects that you accumulate and the success that you can achieve. Content yourself as a foundation with the essentials and learn to live an essential life. As children of God, brothers, our happiness must depend above all on our relationship with our Heavenly Father, on knowing that our eternal destiny is guaranteed, that I have my visa, I have my passport ready and that if I go, I go with Christ. Amen. “I'm going with him, I'm going with him, I'm not staying, I'm going with him,” says the Pentecostal choir. That must be the foundation, not your looking at the bank account and seeing that I added another zero, oh, glory to God, to the right. No. but wow! I grew up in the Lord, I overcame something, like these young people. How good it is to rejoice in those steps that we climb in Christian growth. And there should reside our joy and our meditation, to be an agent of God's glory on earth, to win souls, to support our church in its efforts, to be a mentor to someone. That is what truly should be the foundation of our peace. And the other things will come in addition. Glory to God. Because God says, hey, okay, seek first the Kingdom of God, his justice, and the other things will be added to you.

He knows that the person who cares for God, God cares for him or her and blesses and prospers him or her. Instead of being obsessive about our children, okay, let's worry and give attention to our children, yes, but above all, make sure that the Lord is your priority and God will take care of it. The Lord has told us that through our lives. Serve me, take care of me, and be prudent in your dealings with your children, and I will take care of them, I will bless them until the third and fourth generation, because you put me as a priority. So, we live with that basic conformity and we thank the Lord, and if we have other things that He gives us, well, we are also grateful and we enjoy them.

Another thing that is also very important in this sense of the general desire, the desire for life, the word of God, and it is a corollary [sic], is attached to what I have just said. Let me praise the simplicity, simplicity. It is a value that we Christians must imitate a lot, content ourselves with the simple pleasures of life, family, a meal with our loved ones, a walk on a nice and sunny day, enjoying nature, rest, moments of silence and meditation, a good reading, a piece of music that edifies us, meditating on spiritual and eternal things. The simplicity. For me the best meals are the simplest, the food that mom makes. Those dishes that you wouldn't get in a French restaurant, but that I wouldn't change. I wouldn't change a sancocho for any chicken cordon blue or a white sauce with lecho and cheese. No, give me my plantains with a mangú with fried eggs and I'm happy. And the Central American brothers some refried beans and melted cheese, a good tortilla. The best things are the simplest. Sometimes you go to a restaurant, spend $200 and then you say, what for? what did i eat I would have eaten that for a week at home. And I would have made ten different dishes. Not that I spend $200 dollars, worth the clarification. [Laughs] But I think sometimes people are looking for all those luxuries.

Have you heard of the Quakers? the quakers. The oatmeal that one eats and says Quaker. Well, the Quakers are a Christian sect here in the United States and their motto and their value is simplicity. And there are hymns, there is a well-known hymn about simplicity. They are very craftsmen, very accomplished, for example, a Quaker chair costs a lot of money, a rocking chair made by the Quaker culture. Quaker architecture, clothing, these people empathize with simple but durable things, not very elegant or very showy, but if they make a shirt they make it so that it lasts the person for 40 years, otherwise they gain weight or whatever, or lose weight. But no, they make lasting things. You see a Quaker rocking chair and you say, if someone sits there they are going to break it into 20 thousand pieces, because it is very delicate, very thin, very simple, but it is made to last. Very simple but strong lines. And I would say that such is life. We must get used to simplicity in life. And do you know something? I believe that the most beautiful things in life cost nothing, the air we breathe, a beautiful sunrise, a moment of intimacy with a loved one, a simple meal and things like that. This is what actually… as the Lord says, “Look at the birds of the field, they neither spin nor work, and the Lord takes care of them. Look at the lilies of the valley, how useless they are, just displaying their delicacy before the eyes of the beholders, and yet even Solomon in all his wealth did not dress like one of them. The simple things in life.

I believe that when we cultivate this art of simplicity, contenting ourselves with the small and simple things in life, that then helps us to be happy. And if we have the enjoyment of the most sophisticated things, praise God, we thank the Lord for that. But cultivating simplicity is very important. With that attitude of simplicity and the taste for simplicity, we discover that material things no longer control us. We control them. Riches do not control us, we control them. If we obtain a social position of influence, we use it for the glory of God. And if they take it away from us, look, God gave, God took away, praise the name of the Lord. "Having sustenance and shelter," says the word of the Lord, "let us be content with this." There is also something else that helps me with this issue of eagerness and general materialism and it is the following, it is knowing, brothers, that material possessions are not an unmitigated blessing, that is, it also has its complexity. Material things have their advantages and have their pleasures, but likewise they also bring their worries and their burdens. The devil always has to pay a toll at some point in creation.

The world is fallen, the world is sinful. And everything in life comes with a tax, a hidden tax. You get in your car and you are very happy around, but you have had to pay for gasoline and the gasoline is going to run out and you are going to have to add more, you had to pay the car dealer at some point. You move your hand and praise the Lord and you have to invest a few degrees of energy, and you have to eat to have… The world always costs. Everything you do comes with a charge and material possessions, don't believe it, also come with a charge, sometimes invisible. If you have a lot of money, then you have to worry about money not being stolen, losing interest, inflation not eating it up, taxes not eating it up. Always, everything in life has, if you have a beautiful and very electronic car, anything damages it and you have to pay a certain amount of money to repair it. The world is like that and sometimes we strive for so many things and we believe that when we get there, oh, there will be happiness. And you know that when you get to that top of the mountain there is still another, bigger mountain. And if you are already tired many times... life comes with its burdens.

That is why the Bible says in Psalm 62, "Trust not in violence or robbery, do not be puffed up." That is, there are people who use robbery, violence to achieve things. Sometimes we force the door because we want something and we kill ourselves to get it. It is what it means, I believe, that psalm. He says, “…do not be puffed up, if wealth increases, do not set your heart on it,” because riches are like that, they are complex. The Bible says that when wealth increases, those who consume it also increase. You have noticed, you move to a popular part of the United States, you go to Orlando, close to Disneyworld and at the moment, everyone wants to go visit you, and you have to be there working hard to entertain new visitors . You become a very popular person, everyone wants to go where you are, you won the lottery, I'm going to say, it's not that we play the lottery, but at the moment people come from all over the place because they want something from you . You are going to die and there is a will over there, everyone is looking after you and taking care of you because... And it is like that, the world is... there is interest, riches have their complexity. You buy a bigger house, so you have more rooms to clean, more work to do, more taxes. Everything like that in life. There is a positive side to riches, but there is also another side that is burdensome. And we have to understand that because I think that sometimes we don't understand the complex part of prosperity and so we live striving for it and with an emotional lust for the things of this world.

The Bible says that when wealth increases, those who consume it also increase. The wise Solomon says something very powerful, he says, "Sweet is the dream of the worker, whether he eats a lot or eats little, but riches do not let the rich sleep." Wow! How true is that, right? The more mass you have, the more the devil can land on it. You have to know that everything has its positive side and we cannot love riches so much. We have to take possessions and success in the world with a grain of salt, I would say a very large slush of salt. And these are some preventive attitudes, some wise recognitions that the Bible tells us. Take a pill of that every day, a spoonful of indifference and distance from material things so that then you don't have to be like a puppet being manipulated by the puppeteer of life and circumstances. You can take off. And again, all this has to do with the general anxiety, the eagerness, the love of the world, the things of the world, the excessive fear about the circumstances of life.

Jesus Christ says that, that the things that truly provide happiness cannot be bought. Says the Lord, hey, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to add 18 inches to your height, nor will you be able to add a single day, a minute of life to your body, because those are things that are in the providence of God, are in divine control. The important things in life, brothers, are out of our control. And how good it is to let oneself into the hands of the Lord, even while one makes an effort and is brave, as the word says. Emotions and aspirations must be surrendered to the control of the divine hand. And that leads to the last thing I want to share at this stage. Remember that I haven't been able to work on the specific anxiety aspect yet. I'll leave it more next time we talk. One last antidote is that the Bible calls us to recognize the illusory nature of the world. That word is fine, I am going to break it down a little, the illusory character of the world. The word reminds us in Psalm 103, one of my favorite psalms, it says, “Man - woman - her days are like grass, she flourishes like the flower of the field that the wind has passed over her and perished and her place is not. You will know her more."

I was thinking about that this morning. There is a little flower here in the United States called the dandylion. It is a very beautiful flower. It's like a little glass, a very pretty sphere, a dome and it has many little flowers like that, very delicate. And that flower often adorns a number of fields in the United States. But when the wind comes, those little flowers that you do like that are so fragile and they dissipate and what is left is just the stump, the bottom part, the base. I think that is what it refers to. The Lord speaks of the grass that we use today to light a fire because it is tiny and we throw it away, the dry grass, and we burn it, it burns. Such is man, such is the world, such are pleasures, such are the triumphs of life. The wind passed through it and it perished and its place will know it no more. The world is illusory. The world is evanescent, it is fleeting, no pleasure lasts. The beauty of youth is gone. Health leaks many times. The Bible says that the man, his years are 80 and that is with eagerness, and if they are a little more it is with pain and discomfort. 70, 80 years old and now... that is increasing a little, but the idea is that man is temporary. The things that we love and that delight us so much and that occupy our universe, all of them are gone and we have to, since we were young, I would say, those young people who were up here, arm themselves with that conviction that nothing in this world is permanent and nothing deserves that we deviate for it. If God gives us the blessing of having possessions, amen, but let us know that just as they come, so can they go.

The wise Solomon says towards the end of his life, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." And I would say that's good advice to keep in mind every day. When you are having a lot of success, when people pay homage to you, when they express appreciation and respect to you, immediately make sure that you refer it to God, do not stay with him, because in reality we are straw, we are dust, only out of mercy and the grace of the Lord. We do not keep anything of this world. If the blessing comes, receive it, enjoy it, but lightly so that if God takes it from you one day it won't hurt you, as Corrie ten Boom said, the world is illusory. The sooner we become disenchanted with the world, the more prepared we will be to be happy and to live in peace. You know something? I believe that the person best able to exert influence in the world is the person who has become disenchanted with the world, because that person is a king, is a queen, is a hero, walks independently of circumstances and is therefore free to hear from part of God and live according to wisdom, not according to the pressure of others, the pressure of circumstances. That is the philosopher we must imitate and attend to. The person who has detached himself, the Christian who has learned to live with his eyes on heaven, even though his feet are on the ground. That is the person worthy of being blessed. That is the person worthy of giving advice. That is the person worthy of enjoying the good moments of life because he knows that he is independent of that.

The only permanent and real thing is the eternal, brothers. And we have to practice that thought and internalize it until it becomes a philosophy of life. Every day remember that, the world passes and its desires, those who do the will of God remain forever. Man is like the flower of the field that the wind passed through and perished, and his place will know him no more. But he adds in Psalm 103, “…but the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that fear him, and his righteousness upon their children's children, upon them that keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to put them into practice." Contrast the fragility of man and the world and human history with the solidity of the one who is anchored in the rock that is Christ Jesus. If your life is anchored on the rock of God's truth, the storms of life will come, the losses will come, the winds will come, Hurricanes Henry and other names will come, but your house will remain firm because it is planted on the rock of truth of God and divine eternity. And we have to practice that every day, every day. Indoctrinate yourself and yourself, every morning remember what really matters in life. Arm yourself with those thoughts, those truths of faith. Live life with influence, with joy, with determination. Seize the day, as philosophy says, but know that one day God is going to judge you on all these things and what matters is, are you prepared for eternity? Are you prepared to give an account to your God of how you have lived your life?

I end with the words of Luke, chapter 12, again. The Lord tells us, "Lay up not treasures on earth, where moths and rust corrupt, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break in or steal." For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." Amen. May the Lord help us, brothers, may the Lord help me, even while I work for the Kingdom of God, not to become attached to ministerial success. You know that there are pastors who are eager for ministerial success, and we are always looking with envious eyes at the other pastor who has a bigger church, who is more successful, who has a national or international television program. And that is also eagerness, it is vanity, it is envy, and it perverts the work of the Kingdom of God. Our only desire is to be instruments of God's grace. Live lives that honor the principles of the Gospel, detach ourselves from everything in this world. And I wish that for you too.

Let's lower our heads for a moment. Let us receive something of this word for our hearts. If you are struggling right now, like Marta, give it to the Lord, tell him, Father, I consecrate myself to live for you, live for your glory and your honor, and I ask you to help me look so much towards your face that I get infected with your independence of time, space, matter, circumstances. Help me live content with what you put at hand every day. I embrace your wisdom, I embrace your sobriety, and I claim the peace that passes all understanding. I know that my destiny does not depend on how much money I have. My children are in your control. My house is under your control. My future is under your control. I have a security mesh under me, which I will never pass. Your eternal arms shelter me, your love sustains me. You have my future in your hands, Lord, my eternity is already resolved because I have Christ in my heart and in my life. And I know that you have created me for blessing. You have created me for good things. The thoughts that you have for me are thoughts of good and not of evil. You are committed to my life, to my children, my family, my marriage, my career, my finances, my health, my destiny. And I choose today to trust you, Father. I get rid of eagerness and fear and tomorrow I will do it again, when anxiety threatens me, I will trust you again and confess that you are good, Father, and that you take care of my life. Fear not, little flock, for your Heavenly Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Trust in your Lord. Your old age is not out of God's sight. Your sufferings God has them in his news. Believe in him and affirm his goodwill towards you. Brothers, if someone has come to this spiritual home, does not have Christ in his heart, does not have the truths of God in his soul, I advise you right now put everything in the Lord.

I see that beautiful group of young people up there, you guys are wonderful. I'm sorry to put you on the spot but I call you again, to put your trust in the Lord, early on. OK? That what you won't waste, beautiful eyes, love the Lord above everything else and honor his word and the values of his Kingdom and dedicate your early youth to cultivating the truths of the Bible, of the word of God. Begin now and you will enjoy such a beautiful life and you will be of such blessing to many others. So, young people wherever you might be today, I call you to give your lives to the Lord and to cultivate wisdom and to love Him above everything else and you will enjoy beautiful, useful lives. And so each of us right now confess, Lord, we believe in you. Lord, we put our faith in you. You are my savior. You are the source of my eternal life, Lord. I confess to you, as Jesus, the Son of God, the savior of the world, the guarantor of my eternal life, enter my heart, dwell in me and I yield myself, I surrender to you, Lord. I surrender to you this afternoon. Surrender your life to the Lord now. Confess it and live each day now in his word and cultivate that eternal life that He puts in your hands now through his death on the cross of Calvary. Thanks, Dad. Blessed and praised be your name and your word always rule our lives, in the name of Jesus, the people of God say, amen and amen. Glory to God. Amen.