Qualify to Receive Blessing

I ask that you open your Bibles to the book of the chapter of James chapter 1. I believe that this is a word that many of us know but at the same time it is strong to hear these words as well.

I believe that this is a word that we all know in James chapter one, all of us maybe be familiar with it, maybe some of you not, but still is a word that encourages us a lot in our lives.

It's a word that brings a lot of encouragement, a lot of encouragement in the midst of our lives, particularly mine, and I wanted to share something about this passage with you, it's going to be a kind of slightly different message, I'll let you know why later, but I hope it's a blessing to everyone. So, if you allow me, I would like to pray quickly so that I can fully enter into the word:

Dear God, once again, thank you for this opportunity that you give me to be able to expose your word this morning Mister. Lord, I know that your word is alive and effective, much sharper than any double-edged sword, Lord, which penetrates to the depths of our lives and discerns the intentions of our hearts and aligns us with you. So I ask you Jesus that right now any word that comes out of my mouth that is yours, I put myself in your hands Jesus and that you be according to your will as you intend for this day, for this moment, for this time , for this hour that it happens in your name Jesus, amen and amen.

Okay, I would like us to start reading in verse 2 of James, Chapter 1, it says: “My brethren, count it all joy when you find yourself in various trials, knowing that the trial patience produces patience from your faith, but patience may complete its work so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing, and if any of you lack wisdom, what should be done? Ask God, who gives to all abundantly and without reproach, and it will be given to you."

I'm going to leave it there for now. You know, to give you a little background, I really like this letter from Santiago because at the beginning, he writes to the twelve tribes that are in Jerusalem but he is actually speaking to the Christian church that is there in the city Jerusalem, it was a very interesting church because it was one of the first churches that were founded. It was a church that had a diversity of things that were happening within it, among these, for example, there were different problems, different aspects that were occurring between the lives of these different leaders and people who lived in this church.

As many of you know, one of the things that James talks about the most in this book is about the language, and obviously by the language it is understood that perhaps there was gossip between people, here, there, different groups that are speaking against each other. And that is also represented in some who were perhaps living a somewhat superficial religiosity, it was more like who says "from mouth to outside", but there was no kind of experience, and in the same way some friction between the relationships of people who were economically rich, and people who were also poor. He was becoming a respecter of people. And it is in the midst of all this dynamic that Santiago writes this letter, and what interests me is the way he begins, because he begins by referring to a problem, to a test that this church is going through and I understand that perhaps when others would speak of a test as something negative, as something unwanted, Santiago begins by speaking of a test as something of great value.

And this is where I want to begin to delve a little into what this whole context of the passage of this chapter number 1 is talking about. He mentions: "... consider it great joy when you are in various trials...", and I understand that we as Christians can find this joy because we know that even in the midst of trials, the Lord is there present and He is directing each of our lives, but there are times when this test is pressing, it is difficult to experience that joy.

And here is Santiago then starting to develop a kind of logic in what he wants to let people know, I want to go through this logic a little bit. He begins to say that the test of our faith produces something in us, and that something is what? Patience, right? Now, in that test, our faith is being tested and I wonder, our faith, in what? I can say that it is our faith in the word and in the promises that God has given to each one of us, but I want to return to this a little later, but the proof is also at the same time that it opens a door to opportunities to grow, the test also opens a door of opportunities for temptation.

If we continue reading the passage, for example in verse 12, look how it says: it says, “...blessed is the man and also the woman, who knows how to endure temptation because when you have withstood the test you will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When someone is tempted, -look how interesting-, do not say that he is tempted by God, because God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone...".

Look at this, how interesting, brothers, something very basic about temptation: I have heard people say that temptation itself is not bad, giving in to temptation is the problem, but when I looked up the definition of temptation in the dictionary: definition says that temptation is a person or a thing, which incites one to a bad action, a wrong action. So whatever it is, maybe one can be surrounded by temptation all around, and obviously they don't give in to that temptation, but when the temptation comes there are things that are there kind of prompting us to do something, or think something, or say something. Something we shouldn't do.

And temptation is not only limited to how to be tempted to smoke, or drink or smell or inject something that may not do the body any good, it does not mean just being cheating on your spouse, it doesn't just mean spending your money on things that maybe aren't worth it, it doesn't mean completing something you might have started, it doesn't mean being with the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time, it does not mean just listening to other voices instead of hearing the voice of God. Temptation can be seen manifested in all of these forms, but I believe that in this context in which James was speaking, the main temptation or the initial purpose of the temptation had to do with people forgetting the word of God. That was the biggest temptation. It wasn't that I was going to get into a fight with a person because they were gossiping about me, it wasn't that maybe I was going to go head to head with a person to see who knows more about the Bible, to see who knows more. , who is wiser, no, no, no, the initial temptation was pointing towards the mere fact of how much we take into account the words and promises of God about our lives.

Now that is what I see then of the temptation that is there and if in the midst of that test in which we are, what that temptation is looking for is to forget the word of God, what then do we have to do? Most people when they are on trial, when they ask for something, what are they asking for?, they ask for patience, yes, that's one thing; They also ask for strength, they can ask God "Lord, give me your grace, cover me to know how to do something here", or there are people who can even ask to be freed completely: "Lord, deliver me, God", or they would say "from the still water , save me God, I'll save myself from the rough”, or something like that can also happen.

However, what Santiago is wanting to let us know is that in the midst of the test what we have to ask for is wisdom from God, wisdom from God because that wisdom from God is what will allow is that we can understand, that we can see what the opportunities for growth are in the midst of that test, because whenever our tests come, and remember that what is being tested is our faith, whenever the tests come it is because there is an opportunity that God wants us to take advantage of it, but we can only see it that way when God's wisdom is governing our thinking.

Look at something very interesting here, many people try to define wisdom and I am not trying to define it here but I want to make a distinction: wisdom is not intelligence my brothers, maybe intelligence intelligence is what allows me to be able to go to university and complete a degree, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a doctorate, whatever it is, that is intelligence, that is what I see the intelligence that is there. But wisdom goes further, because wisdom allows me: number one, to identify a series of principles that I may have reached throughout that education and those principles, wisdom then allows me to apply them to my life, those principles that I manage to identify, but not only that I apply them, but the wisdom of God impels me so that I can live those principles. That is where I see the complexity of what is the wisdom of God. It is not satisfied only with the fact that I know something up here in my head, but that God's wisdom is going to force me to take that knowledge into daily life. Follow me?

We must seek the wisdom of God, how can we acquire that wisdom from God? Well, the passage let us know, if we go back to verse 6, it says: Ask with what? you have to ask with faith, ".... ask with faith without doubting anything, because the one who doubts is similar to a wave of the sea, a wave of the sea that is dragged by the wind and thrown from one part to another, do not think then whoever does such will receive something from the Lord, because a double-minded man is unstable, unstable in all his ways.”

So here he gives us a first way of how we can achieve wisdom: You have to ask God for it, and you have to ask with faith and this is obviously achieved through prayer. If I don't maintain a prayer life, and I'm not saying that you pray one hour three times a day, seven days a week, but that you can at least maintain a healthy prayer life, a healthy conversation with the Lord, that you know that there is a connection there that you are not going to let go of. When I maintain that life of prayer, I am sure that God will impart his wisdom on the life of each one of you, on my life as well. He is going to let me know how I proceed in life, he is going to let me know how I proceed according to his will, how I proceed according to what he has intended for my life and for the people around me.

Another way that we too can receive wisdom from God is by listening to the word, listening to the word of God and not just when we are here on a Sunday and we arrive at ten o'clock Not only is it not just that we begin to listen to the message, but also that I can expose myself to reading the word, to be able to listen to others when they speak inspired by the word too, you have to listen to it.

I have to open my heart to be able to receive that word that is making me speak. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing of what? From the word of God, very good. Now but... is it enough just to hear the word?

Verse 19 says: “For this reason, my beloved brothers, every man should be quick to hear and slow to speak, slow to vent, because the anger of man does not work the justice of Therefore, discarding all filthiness and abundance of malice, receive with meekness the implanted word which can save your souls...".

Look at how interesting the context in which he is putting it, because he started talking about a test, right? Trials when people don't know how to deal with them can what: lose their lives, and I'm not saying they're going to die and end up six feet under or seven feet under, but the picture is their lives come crashing down, they have no coherence in their lives, when they cannot deal with the test led by God.

But when he is saying that when we expose ourselves to the word, and that word is planted in the midst of our hearts, that word can what? save our souls. But then he says: "....be doers of the word and not just hearers, deceiving yourselves because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer of it, he is similar to a man who considers his natural face in a mirror ....”

Let me pause here. I would like to ask the girls, the women of this church: how many of you have a mirror in your bag? show me! I want to see your mirror; or in the wallet or in the purse, or in the pocket or in the car or wherever, I want to see how many of you have a mirror: hahahahahaha here I have a mirror, raise your mirrors, please, show your mirrors, look at them there, let me see which one is bigger than I can use; okay okay I am going to show you a bigger mirror; It is clear that it is not mine, it belongs to Bruce's brother who is up there, okay? But he doesn't use it for himself, he uses it to see the sound equipment from the back, okay? It's a soundman's technique, so Bruce, don't worry, I'm covering there.

Brothers, a mirror, Santiago refers to a mirror, and it is very interesting, because I began to ask myself, I was breaking my head last night thinking about this: I told myself wow, a mirror, why do they always refer to a mirror? It is not the first nor the last time that a mirror is referred to in the Bible; and obviously when you look at a mirror whether it breaks or not, there is something that that mirror does. If I pass this mirror like this for all of you and the rest of the internet; If I show you this mirror and you see yourself there, if I pass this mirror over: what are you going to do? Don't say you're going to be scared, please. What one does is that one examines oneself in that mirror, one examines oneself, one sees that the hair is fine, the girls say to each other, let's see if my makeup is fine? Teenagers when they are growing up who are going through puberty who get all the pimples on their faces, they start to see each other and say “Wow, how many pimples I have! Which one can I exploit? Which one should I leave alone and not touch it? I need Oxiclean to clean my face or some other product”. But the point is that one uses a mirror to examine oneself.

Of course, there are people who don't like to see themselves in the mirror so much, that when they stick a mirror to themselves, what they do is take a look; It's like: “ahh, I'm fine, let's go!”. Now, of course, there are other people who like to be in front of a mirror and when they are in front of the mirror it's like, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, "mirror, mirror, tell me: which of all is the most beautiful?" In my case, of course, he is the most handsome," the mirror reveals to me: Omar, in fact, it's not you, but I can't deal with this mirror. But there are people who pay attention to what is in that mirror, and they know that when he talks about the word as a mirror, it is precisely because the word fulfills one of those functions, to examine us.

When you expose yourself to the word of God, that word tests you. How did I start the prayer? Saying: because the word of God is what?: alive and effective, much sharper than a double-edged sword that penetrates until it reaches the bone, the marrow and discerns the intentions of the heart and everything is exposed before God, that is the word of God.

Of course, if I let the word of God fulfill that function, perhaps that word will begin to reflect things of mine that I don't like, and since I don't like them what are you going to do? To take a look at them, and I am not going to look closely, therefore, do you know what is going to happen? What is going to happen is what Santiago says here in the scripture, he says: "that like the man who the mirror is considered his natural face because he considers himself and leaves and then forgets what he was like.

How many of you remember which way your hair is when you looked in the mirror this morning? It is the same with the word of God, we can be sitting here right now and we are like salivating like wow, how interesting all this sounds, even more so when you get up and walk out that door, how many things are we going to remember what was discussed here. Did we skim the word that was discussed or are we paying very intense attention to what was being said?

Another thing that it says about a mirror is that the word also helps us to transform ourselves. Look at this: Second Corinthians: if you can go with me for a moment 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, verse 18, 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, Verse 18; Look at what he says:

“...Therefore, we all with unveiled face as in a mirror are the glory of the Lord, from glory to glory in the same image. ..”

What if when I look in the mirror instead of seeing the face of Omar Soto what I see is the face of Christ Jesus. Perhaps there are some who will say, like I dare not look at that mirror, because what is that mirror going to tell me, but if we truly understand the intention of Jesus and what he wants to do through his word, if we look at that mirror we should feel inspired; because when I see that mirror what I say is: Omar, you lack but your goal is to look like Christ Jesus. Your goal should be to be transformed according to his image. So when I expose myself to listen to the word, when I expose myself to the fact that this word can truly penetrate the depths of my heart, I am not only allowing it to examine my life, but I am also allowing that word to transform me to the image of Jesus.

But this is not only achieved when I am only a listener or when I let myself be exposed to the word of God, I have to let that word lead to action. There has to be an action, doing what the word requires of me, you know what my brothers? Doing does not come very easy to many people. Think about it, is it easy for you to do? If I ask you, boy, that your dad tells you, “ah look, please take out the trash”, do you do it quickly? Even me with my wife, there are times when we are with Lucas, when we hear this noise coming from Lucas, and he tells me, “it's your turn to change the pamper”, will it be natural, easy to do? I've had to learn, yes, it comes naturally, I'm already cured of fright, I can take it now, it comes out because I've already exposed myself, I've been exposed to an action that has been there, and there, and there,

And you know what, my brothers? Although perhaps the image is not the most concrete, but the same thing happens with us too, when we take the word of God into action, it begins to become part of us.

You know, I'm going to tell you a story: I know a man, he told me this, he was on his way home after a long day at work, and he was cutting in the There was traffic on the main express so he decided to cut through one of those smaller streets to get to his house and he came across the event that trying to cut through that street he realized that there was traffic again. And the traffic was due to an elderly lady whose seven-passenger minivan had stopped in the middle of the street. And we are talking that it is a two-lane street, the one that goes and the one that comes, that is, that the bus stopped in the same middle, the cars that came behind it had to invade the same lane to be able to pass by it. and go straight.

Then this man tells me that when he realized that, the first thing that came to his mind was: get up and help that woman, but he felt so tired and he was in such a hurry to get home that he did the same as the other people did. But when he turned the person around, the light changed, it turned red, and he remained standing in the light, and he looked back and he saw that the lady got out and with the strength she could, she opened the bonnet and He tried to deal with the cables and obviously the lady didn't know what she was doing and the lady was upset, and she got into the bus and stayed there. And this man was standing there in the bus and she said to him: wow, if I stopped at the red light, why don't I help this lady better? And he decided to do it, the man went around the block and while he was going around the block he came out and said: if another person has already stopped to help the person, well, okay, I can follow him directly. I am going to understand then that it was not necessary for me to do it.

And it's a thing that when she turned around she found that the lady was still in the same middle, she got out and said: ok ma'am, it's my turn to help her, she went and parked his car, and when he parked his car, he realized that three boys entered behind him in a pick-up with a trailer part where they had three of those motors, like this, racing, and he comes out and tells them; Well, let me ask the guys if they can help me because he said, well, I'm kind of small like that, I just can't push a seven-passenger van, so he went to the guys to ask for help and the guys were there looking like that, everyone. smoking, and they looked kind of weird, and he went there with all his calm and came out and told the boys: look, could you give me a hand to push this lady and get her out of the middle of the street so that the others cars can pass?

He tells me that the boys looked in the direction of the lady and then they looked at him and said, excuse the expression: they told him: F you, let the Lady call a crane, I'm not going to do anything. Wow, this Lord was like... that's the spirit of many people.

So that infuriated him so much that he went walking to that lady's bus, and while he was walking, he told me that he was praying, and he told me that he I said, Lord: why this type of action, I am going to throw myself to move that bus. Think about this, the bus was not on a flat street, the bus was also on a street that had a slope, and it was not a downward slope, it was an upward slope, so the man went, he asked the lady, Alright? Yes, no, I called a tow truck but it hasn't arrived, well, ma'am, look, get in the car, put the car in neutral and I'm going to try to push and the lady herself, you know, asks: and can you? It was an Afro-American lady, she told him in English: are you sure that you can push this car with me inside? You know, uh, Madam, don't worry, I'll try.

The Lord went to the back of the bus and told the car that, because the cars were hitting it: please, move back a little bit! And he began to push the bus and he said to her, Ma'am, put the car in neutral because it was not moving and Mr.: are you sure? put the car in neutral, put the car in neutral and the man there began to push and push and He told me that beads of sweat were coming out of him, in a push I would only say about 5 or 6 meters just to make the bus fall on the sidewalk and the rest of the cars could pass. But this gentleman told me that he just started to push and he felt like he was pushing a Toyota Corolla. He says that his strength came from he doesn't know where, he pushed that bus, set it down on the sidewalk and set it right Upsss!! Mrs. there, thank you, you were able to do it!!! and he said fine, no problem, he got on his bus and when he arrived on his way home he got out, he only kept thinking about the answer that those three boys had given him, he got out and said, Lord: how much does it cost to make a difference? How much does it cost to be able to live according to the principles that are marked by your word and not in any other way?

And brothers, I think about that story, that of that gentleman and I ask myself how much it costs us many times to be able to do what the word of God requires of us. Because you know what my brothers? The word of God does not require easy things, the word of God requires us to take actions that many times will be despised by others, but with everything and that the Lord calls us to be so.

Look at this, think about the sermon on the mount, I refer to the chapter of Luke and this is a reference to Jesus and I am closing my thought with this: Jesus, he makes an illustration in the 6th chapter of Luke when he's more or less finishing his sermon on the mount and we all know the sermon on the mount, right? It is the sermon where he begins with the beatitudes, blessed are those poor that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.... and he begins to give all this list of things, of beatitudes, then Jesus continues speaking and saying: Do not judge, it also talks about divorce, it also talks about offerings, it also talks about how to pray. In that sermon on the mount Jesus says a series of things speaking with his word about how we should carry ourselves and also with other people around us.

And at the end, look how Jesus ends by saying: in Luke chapter 6, verse 46, he says: “....why do you call me: Lord, Lord” and not do what i say? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I am going to teach him who he looks like.

That looks like a man who, when building a house, what did he do? he dug and deepened and laid the foundation on the rocks and when the flood came, he tested them, when the test came, when the flood came, the river crashed against that house, but it couldn't move it, why? Because it was founded on the rocks, plus the person who heard and paid no attention to the word of God, he says, Jesus says, that person looks like a man when he built his house, on what? on earth, without what? without a foundation, there is someone out there who is hatched, I am glad, without a foundation, against which the river hit with force and then, it fell and the ruin of that house was great.

You know what my brothers? You know what my brothers? The passage from James says that when we do what the word says we will be truly blessed. And when I read those words of Jesus I understand what it is to be blessed, do you know why? First, the fact that Jesus uses me as an example, and that changed the whole world for me, the mere fact that Jesus out of so many people can choose a person as insignificant as me, or like you and what can you say, these They are people who have decided to make their home on the rock.

And look at this, brothers, how interesting because here is a point that I want you to pay attention to, because he says. "....the one who built his house, dug and deepened.....", that is, there is a reference to a hard job that was done, that is, he was not satisfied with just taking a shovel and digging three feet of depth and that's it No, he did three feet and that's it and after three feet he looked for a bigger shovel, he looked for a digger and he began to dig much deeper (without falling, please), he began to dig much deeper, he had a very hard job, very intense, but that person knew that if his life was going to prosper, if his life was going to be blessed, he had to go through the work of getting to the rock. And then on that rock he will build his whole life.

Did you see the difference from being a mere hearer to a mere doer of the word? You know what, when your life is on the rock, I think that other houses that are around you that may not be very safe on the rock, when the river comes and your house is the only one standing, do you know what? what are you going to be able to do? You are going to be able to accommodate people in your house, and be able to help them so that they can, when all the storm passes, that they can then build their house on the rock. You are going to be able to help others so that they can also dig and deepen so that they can then base their house on the rock. And tell me if that doesn't represent God's blessing on your life, I think so.

I think that is the final point my brothers, if we want to live in that blessing that is only experienced when our house is founded on the rock that is Christ Jesus, you know what? no matter what comes, no matter what comes, if our house remains standing it is because the blessing of God is upon you. It is because you have promised or made a covenant not only to be a hearer of the word but also to be a doer of the word. And if you maintain your responsibility with your line of that pact, you know what? The Lord is going to remain faithful with his part of the pact as well, that no matter what comes and knocks on the door of your house, the Lord is going to be there with you. And your house will not fall.

Guess what? I would like to do something different today, I would like the ushers to prepare the sacrament with the table, please. And I want brothers that we stay in a spirit of meditation. If you can please bring the table here, I know Pastor Greg is going to come down and help me with dinner too.

But I would like brothers that we do something, something different today. You know, when we participate in dinner, what dinner means is obviously the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made for each one of us on the cross, the bread represents the body, the body of Jesus crushed on the cross for each one of us. that gives strength to our bodies and the cup means that blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all our sins.

In other words, I see that by approaching this table we are approaching a table of opportunities, a table of new beginnings, that is what I see. We have a chance to start over. So reflecting on this word that we meditate on today, I would like that today we can do something different before God, it is not before me, it is not before anyone here, it is something different before God.

I believe that the word of God enlivens us, restores us, transforms us, examines us, I know that the word of God does all these things, and many times we do not respond according to what that word requires of us and we decide to look at it, ignore it and continue leading our lives as we want. And yet when the waves come, when the river comes and they begin to lash and we see that our house is falling off the jingles from the roof, or some two by four are falling from the sides, and we see that the foundation begins as to wobble then it's like, I have to pay attention to something in the middle of all this.

And I believe my brothers and sisters that today, by participating in an event like this, we all have the opportunity to reaffirm our lives, to reaffirm our house on the rock that is Christ . And I'm talking to you,

I'm sorry, yes, I want to invite you to determine today where you are going to build your house and how you are going to build your house, and determine my house will be on a firm foundation, and if I haven't been doing it up to now, now I am going to start by the grace of God.

I believe that my brothers that this message is for all of us, I speak to all of us who have been in the gospel for years and also to the most recent to the gospel as well, ( This message is for all of us some a bit brand new today and others who have been in the gospel for a long time).

We are invited to participate in the table of Christ Jesus, (you are invited to the table of Jesuscruist), It is here that we meet him, (it´s here that we have an encounter with him), where in some way or another his word becomes real, (where his words takes life in us), he examines us and lets us know how much we need to experience that total transformation, (we examined ourselves at this moment , we recognize how much we're lacking, how far do we have to go). And here there is no fear of being rejected my brothers, (but here there is no fear of rejection), because...with open arms. (cause God will be received us with open arms). It gives us a new opportunity to affirm our life on him who is the rock, (he gives us an opportunity for a new beginning, to build our house on the rock).

I understand that this is a genuine faith, (that's what genuine faith it's all about). It is not a faith that is based only on how much I know of the word, (it's a faith that is not based on just how much I know about the world of God), but rather on how much I let that word transform me and move to actions. (But how much I let that word transform me so that I am different because of it), and all of us here need that, (we all need that today), even we as pastors need it, (all of us, pastors, everybody , we all need that transformation). There is no exception among people here.

So brothers, I invite you today, (So I invite you today, my brothers), to make this dinner event something different, (let's make this table special today, that recognize for what it is). Take this moment as an opportunity for reconciliation. (Take this is a moment for reconciliation), take this as an opportunity to go back and build your house or establish your house on the rock. (It's a moment to return and said I am going to build my house on a rock), and don't think there are no opportunities for me, I've been away for a long time, (and don't think 'hey, this doesn't apply for me, I've been away for too long)

.....for me, with more intentionality is this call ( for you even more the calling and the invitation is for you today), because the Lord Jesus calls you to affirm your life on him. (Jesus calls you today to affirm your life on him), to establish your life in a foundation that will not let you fall into shame (to establish your life on a foundation that won't leave you ashamed) lift (that will raise you up), from glory to glory (from glory to glory), and from power to power (power to power).

I invite you brothers, let's stand up to the ushers ( I want you to stand and the ushers to prepare...) Let's pray for dinner too ( we are gonna pray for the table today).

Lord Jesus, we come before you now (Lord Jesus, we come before you today) in this most sacred moment (in this holy moment), and we know that we are not rejected by you (and we know that we are not rejected by you) but we are received with open arms (we are received with your open arms of grace) This cup (this cup) what this sacrifice symbolizes for our lives (what this sacrifices symbolizes for our lives).

Allow this to be an opportunity, Lord) of new beginnings (for new beginnings) for my brothers and sisters (for my brothers and sisters) and that se hace un realidad (That it will be a reality) through your word (through your word) working in our midst (...here working among us) thank you Jesus (thank you, Jesus) amen.