Bold faith receives its reward

This morning I shared a word with the brothers of the service and I would like to do it with you too. I would like you to look in your Bibles in the Book of Mark, Chapter 5, there is a story that I want to share with you. It is a story that every time I read it, that every time I come across it touches me deep in my heart, I always find something different in it between its lines. And today, then, the Lord put a concern in my heart and share this with you as well and that you can carry that blessing with you in your lives as well.

And I would just like to read some verses to be able to contextualize it, so that we can understand where we are going. I know that it is a story that many of you know, but I would like to highlight some things in it for the edification of our lives today.

Book of Mark, Chapter 5, beginning in verse 21, reads like this: “... As Jesus crossed again in a boat to the other shore, a great crowd gathered around him. And he was by the sea. And one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and as soon as he saw him he fell at his feet and begged him a lot saying, 'my daughter is dying, come and lay hands on her so that she may be saved and she will live.' , Jesus with him and all this great crowd followed him and pressed on him. But a woman who had suffered from blood flow for twelve years and had suffered from many doctors and spent everything she had and had profited nothing. It was worse before…”

Let me leave it there. This is a story, my brothers, that I think is very relevant to today. And I know that perhaps many of the women who are here can identify with that story, but I believe that men also have a lot to learn from it. And the first thing I can identify is that Marcos is talking about a certain woman. It is a woman we do not know her name, it is a woman we do not know her identity, we do not know her background, her family, we do not know anything about this woman, the only thing we know about her is that she has a problem. Many of us can identify with at least that aspect. Which of you doesn't have problems? Let me see your hands. Ok, we're in the same boat then.

This woman, her problem was unique, so to speak, it was a unique problem. The Bible, the story describes it as having an issue of blood, many ways this can be interpreted that maybe she had a hemorrhage or that she had a problem with her menstrual cycle. But the point is that for twelve years this woman was suffering from it, she was suffering from this. Now I wonder, we now if I start to think what happens to a person when they have a problem like this with their blood. What happens? He weakens on one side, his hemoglobin drops and therefore he sucks, a very Puerto Rican word, he got away from me there, his strength, energy is taken away.

Now, if a woman gets moody when she's on those days, I know that women can relate very well to this, and their moods can vary in different ways, I wonder, how would the moods vary? moods when it's been a problem for 12 years, how difficult would the moods be with that person. So not only did she feel weak, not only did she have low energy, on top of that it could be that she was totally depressed as well and depressed for what. according to what the story says, he had spent everything he had on doctors and I like the way he says it, he had suffered for the doctors, that is, the doctors instead of bringing him relief had brought him more suffering and there are times when one sees that Nowadays, one goes to the doctor to get rid of the pain and there are times when one leaves the doctor's clinic with more pain. We must pray for the doctors of today and if I have some here, believe me that we are praying for you.

So not only was she weak, not only could it be that she was depressed and had not yet found that healing that she needed, but also because of the standards and patterns of that society in which she lived, a woman who had that condition was considered unclean and when she considered herself unclean she had to isolate herself completely. She couldn't come into contact with anyone, she had to live apart from people. If she went out into the street, she had to go out at a time where she wouldn't meet people and where she would have to do the things she had to do by herself.

So I start to think about this, my brothers, and I want, I invite you to use your imagination with me in this story. I want you to go back centuries and imagine that you are in this woman's room. Put yourself in this woman's room. Perhaps this woman is lying in her bed, perhaps she is already fed up with life, she has no hope, she is so exhausted, so anguished that she no longer knows what will happen to her. But suddenly, in that room she begins to hear a noise, from her room she begins to hear a noise that was totally different and so between word and word she could hear, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes.

And like that here it comes, here it comes, like it caused something to her. Who is coming? And if we are really Pentecostal we would say, Christ, but obviously that is not the idea. As she continued to listen the noise started to say, Jesus is coming. Jesus is passing through the neighborhood. Here comes Jesus. Let's go see Jesus.

And this woman, I imagine, who suddenly began to think; and there perhaps lying on her bed, she began to remember perhaps the stories of that person called Jesus, of how Jesus had healed many, of how Jesus had put his hand on the blind and they ended up seeing, of how Jesus He had put his hand on those who were lame and came out jumping, because they could not walk and they came out jumping, about how Jesus had freed a herdsman who was completely possessed by legions and ended up clean and went out to serve and communicate and announce the greatness of the Sir too.

So there is that woman lying down, I imagine that this woman suddenly begins to think: I have treated doctors, none have been able to cure me; I've spent everything I have, all my money, and I'm still going with this flow, can this Jesus do anything for me? Will this Jesus that people are running after him, will he really be able to do something for me now?

And I imagine that an internal battle began inside this woman. Maybe lying there she kind of got up and sat on the edge of her bed and kind of rocked in bed and kind of thought, I'm going or I'm not going, I'm moving or I'm not moving. And in his restlessness, perhaps he would get up and look out the window and begin to see the noise of people coming, coming, coming, and perhaps that noise increased his vigor until suddenly he began to see the silhouette of Jesus like this in the distance, in the walking distance. And maybe she thought, maybe this is my chance, maybe this is where I'll be able to find what I'm looking for.

And I imagine that she dressed up, put on her clothes quickly, tried to cover herself up because she knew that if she was going out, people would criticize her, because she's not supposed to go out, not be there. in the middle of the crowd. But I imagine that she goes out and then she is at the door of her house, there at the entrance, and there is all the noise there, moving from one place to another, and who knows if perhaps Jesus had already passed by and was seeing to Jesus there in the distance and perhaps if at that moment my opportunity was like, there it goes, I will enter again. She could have said that, but no. What does the passage say?

She got into the middle of the crowd and reached for Jesus. You know what? I want to do something to wake them up. Do you give me permission? I have time, a lot of time. I want volunteers to come up here with me for a moment, please, quickly, quickly, let's not waste time. Come, come, come. Come, come, come.

Edy, you are going to be the character of Jesus, stand there. I want a crowd here in the same medium, a very large, very large crowd. Any other volunteer please. I want to illustrate something so that you can see the dynamics of this passage. Ok, Jesus is over there but look over there at Jesus. I am going to be this woman, I am very sure of who I am, for the record.

But I imagine this woman who had to have covered herself so that no one would recognize her, and I have all this crowd in the same medium and my answer is on the other side. And I know that in some way or another that person who is on the side there, Jesus, if you can get closer because you are still far away, help me Jesus, please. I imagine this woman who had to start getting in the way of... thank you.

Jesus forgot to say, someone touched me. Oh my God... now I understand the woman even more. Look, that gesture could have cost that woman her life. But she was so and so and so sure. If you see in the story where she says, just by touching the cloak, the edge of Jesus' cloak I will be saved, I will be healed. And at that moment that she got into the crowd, and when she saw a little corner to be able to grab Jesus' cloak, and touched it, something happened there, something happened at that moment that made her walk pause.

I imagine that when that woman reached out to touch Jesus, who felt what had happened, she left, but in that way she knows that what was happening inside her stopped, ceased. And at that moment, Jesus did not feel a tickle come out of him, Jesus did not feel a little air that blew him, Jesus felt something come out of him. And that's where it all stops. And this question comes: who touched me?

Then comes this dilemma, the disciples like Jesus, but, what are you talking about, man? Everybody is oppressing you, everybody wants to take a little bit of you like you're an apple pie. Everyone wants a little song from you and you come to say that someone touched you. But look, this is where I see that beautiful dynamic of Jesus because Jesus, I imagine that he was having a heart-to-heart communication with that woman, he couldn't see where she was, but he knew that she was there, he knew that this woman was perhaps hiding out there, afraid, but at the same time she was happy for what had happened to her.

And I imagine that Jesus in his heart was saying, come, come, wherever you are, don't play hide-and-seek. How many of us the Lord tells us, don't play hide and seek with me. Here I see you, I know where you are. Until this woman, I imagine, that in her heart she felt that cry of the heart of Jesus, she felt that call of Jesus saying, come, where are you, until suddenly the crowd split in two as if it had been the Red Sea, and this woman comes out and I imagine her coming, as the passage says, fearful and trembling and perhaps she had a nervous laugh, but she came to Jesus and prostrated herself before him and said to Jesus, I was , I was the one who touched you.

And look at how Jesus tells her, if we see the text Jesus says to her, “...daughter, daughter..” Mark identified her as a random woman with no name and Jesus said daughter. "... your faith has healed you, your faith has made you safe..."

You know what, my brothers? I can tell you that here today in our midst there are people who believe they are one more in the middle of the crowd. Today here is someone who may think or believe that nobody knows your identity, maybe you are here today, you are sitting there, you are listening to me but inside you are like what difference does this make, who really cares about what that I live, for what I have. Who cares?

Perhaps the problem you are going through, you have spent what you have to try to solve it, perhaps you have spent money, if it is a physical condition that is damaging you, tributing you. Perhaps you have expended physical energy, emotional energy, mental energy, trying to find a solution to that problem you are dealing with and you fill in the blank, it may be a problem with your son, with your daughter, with your husband, with your wife, with the grumpy boss at work, it can be a problem with yourself, with your own attitude, with your ambivalence, that today you want to do one thing, but not tomorrow, that today you speak well to your people, but tomorrow you are coming down the saints from heaven, and those are the things with which one fights. And you may have been struggling for months or you may have been struggling with that situation for years. It may be that since this woman is already lying on the bed, defeated, defeated, without energy, without strength, depressed and nothing happens, you have given yourself over to the current to see what happens to you. It may be that like that woman you are like who says, I get out of bed or I don't get up, something could really happen to me or not. It may be that like that woman you are leaning out of the window and looking at the crowd, it may be that you are listening to what others are saying about Jesus but that you have not yet experienced.

Do you follow me? It could be that you are in the process of putting on all your things and covering yourself up as much as you can so that nobody is going to say, oh, look, this one has become a Christian now, and you are like there, in the pull and pull, I go out or I don't go out, I get into the crowd or I stay here, I look for what I need so badly at least in this person we are talking about, or I stay here stuck in my room suffering, bleeding to death. I stayed here spilling all my blood. Who knows if your own faith is bleeding to death and you have not wanted to admit it.

The story does not stop there. There is another character in the story, that character is called Jairo. Do you know who Jairus was? Who was? The one who said his daughter was dying, but who was he? The principal of the synagogue. They know what a principal of the synagogue was. I'm going to put it in good terms for us right now. This morning I interviewed a school principal and an assistant principal from another school. In other words, I interviewed brother Miguel Prieto and brother David Díaz, I interviewed both of them. And I asked them a question, as a school principal, what do you have to do? And the first thing they tell me, obviously to ensure the care and education of the boys who come there. Second, what was it? One has to be evaluating the teachers, ensuring that they are imparting a good education. Third on the list, dealing with parents, with all the issues that they may have with their children as well, fighting for security, taking care of the administration of that institution, so that everything can run according to the laws of the state, and endless other of things that I know that they did not mention to me but that they do anyway.

Do you know what the principal of the synagogue did? The principal of the synagogue was the one who was in charge of studying everything that the rabbi teachers were going to teach. He was the one who was in charge of tidying up, who's turn is when, at what time and in what place inside the temple. It was the principal of the synagogue who was in charge of all this type of administration. So I'm not talking about a Juan Pancho de las Casas, I'm talking about a man who had a position of authority, who had a place of influence, that what he said was going, that's the type of person who I am talking.

And look how interesting because if I follow the story, what does it say, that this man approached Jesus, greeted him, Jesus, how are you? Your robe looks very good. That man forgot that he was principal, he forgot about his status, he forgot about the diplomas that were bordering on his wall, he perhaps forgot about the efot that the man was using, and the only thing he had on his mind were two things: one, that he had a need because his daughter was dying, and second, because the only answer he had to his problem was in Jesus.

Who knows if he, like the woman, tried many doctors, took his daughter to many doctors, healers at that time? Hey, look, my daughter is dying, see if you can do something about her. But none, none, none, none could do anything with her. It is very interesting because this passage from Lucas, this story in Lucas that the woman had suffered from her issue of blood for how many years? For 12 years. If you see the same story in the Luke passage, how old was the girl? 12 years. This father presents his daughter, gives her an identity, Jairus gave his daughter an identity, however the woman introduces herself as if she were one more in the crowd, but what did Jesus do when she approached him? he? It gave him identity. He told her, you are my daughter.

Hey, my brothers, I want to, I wonder when I look for how this story makes sense to me today, one of the first things I ask is, where are we? Where are you? Are you like the woman perhaps lying on the bed, that you have already given up and have given your life at the mercy of what is going to happen? Maybe you are leaning out the window to see where the noise is coming from and listening to what they are saying, but that you have not experienced yet? Maybe you're getting dressed and getting ready to go out and jump in and see if something works? Or are you stuck in the middle of the bustle making space to get where you need to go?

Perhaps you are like a Jairus who has decided to strip himself of every title and position that he had to come and present himself at the feet of Jesus and be able to find in him the answer he so longed for. And I wonder what the hubbub is between us and Jesus. What will be the bustle that is in your life, what will be the crowd that is standing between you and the person of Jesus, the answer that is found in Jesus so that you can arrive.

As I mentioned a minute ago, it could be something, a way of thinking about you, that you don't want to give in to it and you're so set on that way of thinking that there's no one to get you out of it. . It may be that the crisis in which the entire nation is living right now has given so many their hair on end that they don't know what is going to happen or what is going to happen. These people in the biblical story had put their hope in what was in front of them, they put their hope first in a doctor, they put their hope in the material resources they had, but none of that worked. Today, in the system we live in, there are people who put their hope in Wall Street, there are people who put their hope in Main Street, and all these institutions, what is happening to them? They are completely falling apart. It is a crisis that is affecting the nation in so many ways and so where are we looking for hope? We are now looking for hope in two people: I mean, we are not, they are, because we know where our hope is. But people gravitate to all that, the questions they ask: how do you plan to solve the problem of the economy? And you know what? What they say may sound well articulated, but I imagine that in the ears of God it sounds like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And they ask the other, what do you plan to do with the war? And what they say may sound good, well articulated, but to the ears of God it sounds like blah, blah, blah, blah. Or maybe God says, oh, great speech, but you know what? I am the one who has the last word.

And my brothers, you know what? I say this as a parenthesis here, because I think it is very important that we can understand this. This story, you know what? In that character of the woman I see the character of the church represented there, because the church in one way or another, due to all the circumstances that are occurring around the world that have oppressed and that have pressured the church in some way or another , the church may feel that it has been hemorrhaging as well. But I understand that the church, as that woman did in history, is the resource that God wants and is going to use so that there is a manifestation of his power in these times, so that the tumult that exists in the midst of the crowd's hubbub, of the people, stop for a moment and listen to those words that they say, someone has touched me. And that someone is the church.

We are living in critical times where the principles of this story need to be seen today. It is necessary for the church to get up from its bed of bleeding, it is necessary for the church to look out the window and be able to see what is happening out there, but that is not enough. It is necessary for the church to dress up, dress up, and break out there and get into the crowd until it can get to the point where that power of God is unleashed.

Do you know whose turn it is to do that? To all of you. The message is this: how are you going to get up from the place where you are to do everything possible to break all the patterns of this society and get into the hubbub, even if they criticize you, even if they push you, even if they kick you, even if they stumble and fall, but may you do everything possible to reach out and touch everything that Jesus means, it may be the hem of his cloak, it may be his flip-flop, it may be the hairs on his leg, it may be all that you want. And the idea is that you move with a daring faith, my brothers. I believe that God is looking for us to have a bold faith to truly see his strength, his majesty moving, working in ways that neither you nor I have seen before.

And guess what? It's very interesting because I mean daring faith with intention, because when I was little, I don't know about you, but for me being daring was something bad. My mom told me, look boy, don't be daring. And that was something bad and that was where the blow to the head came from. But I understand that what this woman had was the guts and courage to have a daring faith that went against everything that prevented her from getting into people and being able to touch Jesus.

Wow, I think it's as if the Lord himself told us, where are we? Where we are? I imagine that in that woman's room, in Jairus' room, when they found out that Jesus, I imagine that these two people in one way or another had that war, that internal battle, shall I go or not? I dare or I dare not.

Perhaps Jairo was saying on the one hand, but I, the principal of the synagogue, knowing that Jesus has had so many fights with the rabbis in the synagogue, knowing that all those rabbis are going to be very attentive to me Let's see what I do, what I don't do, I can't go. I want but I can not.

I imagine that other woman was also thinking, if I go they are going to tell me something, if I show up they are going to nudge me. But I understand my brothers, that there is a God who works behind the scenes even when we cannot see him and God works through his grace working in us. it is the grace of God that moves us to do things that we never thought we could do.

Guess what? In recent days, my sister Carolina, she gave me some messages that she usually receives in the email of a prophetic ministry, and there are times that I read them, but it's been a while since I read what she happened to me, and last week she gave me with, she had it on the desk, I took it to relax and said, let's see what the word is... well, not to relax, I took it seriously. But I took it and opened it and I said, let's see what the word of God is for today. and I'm reading and suddenly I came across this phrase that said, God has put you in a moment of unusual grace. I said it in English, God has given you a time of unusual grace to get your bearings. God has put you in a moment of unusual grace so that you can pick yourself up, locate yourself, and once you have done so, that you can respond to his call in you.

Guess what? The grace of God works every day, the grace of God works in us every day, but when he says that there is an unusual grace, an unusual grace, an unusual grace, in other words, it is a different grace, it is a grace that has a a different purpose, it is a grace that is looking for something to happen in you that had not happened before, it is a grace that is looking for whatever is stuck in your life to be released, it is a grace that is looking for that which it is bleeding in you, it stops once and for all, it is a grace that is looking for that if the money is leaving you because of a hole in your pocket, that grace is looking for that pocket to be sewn complete and that it can be ministered well as God commands, it is an unusual grace that is looking for that if your marriage is bleeding here, there, north, south, east and west, that then it stops completely.

Are we going to let that unusual grace slide? Or are we going to flow with it? Are we going to let the crowd prevent me from getting there? Or am I going to push myself until I can reach that resource of life and power so that everything around me can be transformed, so that everything in my life can be transformed and through my life, that everything around me is also transformed?

Hey guys, this is serious stuff. This is serious. That woman risked everything to get to Jesus. Jairus risked his position to get to Jesus. And do you know what happened? They got their reward, they got their answer. Jesus had that answer for them. I want to direct this word to you to close.

I want you to look at the center of your life right now and assess where you are, where you are. Are you hearing the rumors but not doing anything? Are you leaning out the window but nothing yet? Are you thinking about your status that my tie looks good and that no one is going to think anything bad of me?

A daring faith is the one that will receive its reward. God is looking for a church that is daring, today more than ever. God is looking in his past, what's more, I know that I have been told that one should not read much in the Scriptures, but knowing what is said about Jesus, that he is sovereign, he knew what was going to happen so soon he got out of that boat. He knew that Jairo was going to introduce himself to him. He knew that this woman was going to come up behind him and touch the hem of his cloak, he is moving in the middle of your life.

There are times when God does move behind the scenes, but there are times when God moves clearly in front of you. How are we going to respond to that action of God? I invite you, my brother, my sister, to stand up for a moment, let's pray.

You know, I don't know your identity, I know who you are, I don't know what you experience day after day, night after night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I don't I know, but there is someone who does know. And that someone is so and so willing to work in you, to bless your life, he's dying for it, he is dying to bless your life and sometimes he approaches you but there are other times that he wants you to approach him. Where are you?

It may be that in your bed where you can be, you have not even considered following Jesus and I can tell you this afternoon that if you want to see something working in you and Jesus is not In the panorama of your life, this is the day where he can enter, where you can allow him to enter that panorama and things change completely. On a day like today, Lord Jesus, He comes walking and there is a crowd, there are a multitude of problems that you think will not allow you to experience his healing touch, but he knows, he knows that if you give that step and you push yourself, he's going to take care of the rest, he's going to take care of the rest.

Let me finish telling you this, when Jesus was talking to this woman after she had been healed, someone approached Jairus and said, Jairus, don't bother the Master anymore, your daughter is already dead. I imagine that for Jairo at that moment it was as if the noise that all the people were making had turned off and his entire world fell apart. I imagine that Jairo said, well, that's as far as it went, it's over. But Jesus was there and heard what they said to Jairus, and he quickly turned to Jairus and said, Jairus, don't be afraid, just believe.

Maybe there are some here who feel like their life is bleeding to death and you identify very well as the woman, but it may be that there are others here who can identify with Jairo and who perhaps told you that bad thing news and you're saying, it's over here. But Jesus tells you, do not be afraid, believe, believe.

If you want this afternoon, if you want to have a moment where you can approach Jesus and make that gesture of reaching out and making an effort until you reach and touch the edge of Jesus' mantle, to acquire in your life, healing and salvation that only he can give, I want you to raise your hand wherever you are and I want to pray for you.

Lord Jesus, in a way, in a gesture of faith, Lord we raise our hand, reaching out to touch You, Lord. Father, and it is not a novel, it is not something fictitious, I believe that it is very real that when that faith that you have activated in us is put into action, in a daring way, in a courageous way, your Lord, you allow that power may come out of you so that our lives can be transformed, can be changed, can be renewed and right now you have your sons and daughters, Lord, who are reaching out their hands to you, because they have tried everything, they have tried doctors, they have tried their best friend, best friend, mom, dad, son, daughter, wife, husband, they've tried everything, they've tried their job but still nothing, Lord, and this..... hands to you because power comes from you, strength comes from you, that healing touch comes from you, that saving, redemptive touch, only from you, Lord.

I ask that right now your Holy Spirit, Lord, reach the hands of each one of my brothers and sisters and that they can feel and receive from you that touch of your power, Lord, so that their Faith may receive, my God, the reward that you are waiting for so much, Lord.

Father, release that spirit of power, that spirit of faith, you are calling a church, Lord, that dares to move in the midst of the crowd so that your manifestation can then be seen in all the sectors of this society in which we live. And Lord, as a church we pray for this nation, as a body we reach out to you asking for a miracle in this nation, Lord, there are political leaders who are fighting and burning their eyelashes trying to find a solution to the crisis in this country but we as a church know and declare that the solution is found in you, Lord.

There are people who gravitate their hope towards presidential candidates but we gravitate our hope towards you, Lord. And we do not ignore our responsibility as citizens of your Kingdom, to pray and intercede for the political government leaders of this nation, the most that we can ask you Lord, as your body is that you have mercy, Lord and that you in your grace be whoever it is the person who ends up at the end, just like you did with the Syrian king, who was not a person who perhaps recognized you in its entirety, but you still declared him to be your servant, and you used him in the same way, Mister. Whoever the next person ends up in power, may you show your grace, may you show your mercy, Lord, may you show your wisdom and your power by working in that person and through that person.

We say this, Lord, because our mind is very finite, but you are sovereign, you see beyond and we ask Lord, that you in your infinite mercy operate as you know how things can be better. Father, and even if the situation gets worse, that we as a church do not stop moving through the crowd to reach touch your mantle, Lord, and see a manifestation of your power, that we do not let ourselves be overcome by the situations thrown into a bed, isolated from everyone else, but that we can dress ourselves in your armor, Lord, that we can clothe ourselves with the strength that you give us, with the authority that you give us so that we can live in a way that we can see that touch of yours in middle of our lives.

Lord, just as that woman was in the crowd, I understand that there is someone here who feels like one of the others, you feel that you don't even know why you are here, but the Lord is having a conversation with you right now heart to Heart.

The Lord is telling you that this is your opportunity to experience that unusual grace and place yourself in the place where you will receive the blessing you are looking for and waiting for. Only through me, the Lord tells you, listen carefully, only through me will you be able to get out, it's not by your own strength, it's not by your own resources, it's because of me. If God has spoken to you today and I know that it has been so, please receive that word and in the best way that you understand, obey God's call on your life.

Father, I declare your blessing on your sons and daughters. Lord Jesus that we can continue living in a way where our faith moves us to reach you, Lord, that we do not let ourselves be carried away by the circumstances that surround us, that we do not let ourselves be intimidated by anything but that we can move, Lord, as a sure faith , convinced that you are our hope, that in you are our hopes, Lord.

Bless your sons and daughters, Lord, bless their families, I declare your blessing on each of their families, on their jobs, their studies, those who are at school, at the university, To the singles, I bless you, Lord in this church, I declare your strength in their midst, self-control, my God, the certainty that you love them and that you have the best for them. I bless the youth of this church, Jesus, the children of this church, Lord, I bless you too, all the leaders, Lord, the pastors, the leaders of this church, I declare your blessing upon them and that all of them, like your body we can keep moving, Lord, until we reach you, that call to which you give each of us to reach that final goal. You who are the author and finisher of our faith, thank you Lord Jesus. Amen and amen. Thank God, thank God.