Living in times of crisis

We are going to the word of the Lord in the Book of Second Kings in Chapter 4. And we are going to continue with the theme that we started a couple of Sundays ago ("Living in normal times") which was the theme based on the life of this wonderful woman who we call the Shunammite. Why do we call her the Shunammite? Can someone tell me? Because he lived where, in what city? Shunem. Say all: "Shunem." And that's why she was called the Shunammite. It was a city in Israel and the prophet Elisha went there to pose in his house.

A couple of Sundays ago we started that sermon and the Lord changed the twist of the sermon that I originally had. I had shared another teaching based on that text in the morning; but you will remember that the Lord stopped me there at that moment when Elisha was moved by the generosity of this woman who has offered him a bedroom in her house so that when he goes on his missionary trips and passes through that city he can stay in home and have a quiet place there to go and rest.

And so beautiful that image that says that "she wanted there to be a desk, a lamp, a chair, a bed..." She thought of details, she wanted this man to be comfortable.

There she put these things and it touched Elisha's heart and Elisha called her and that's where the Lord went like he 'hijacked the sermon' and Elisha says to her: "You know what? You've been so solicitous for our comfort, you've You have been so meticulous in your attention to us. Can we help you with something? Do you want me to go to the government authorities and give you an interview with the General of this region if you need something, can it be provided? Or Do you want me to speak to the king or something special you need me to do for you?" And what was his answer: "I live in the midst of my people."

She did not want to be rude to the prophet. What did she mean by that? "Don't worry, Mr. Prophet, I'm fine. I have my people around me, I'm in my family, I'm in my town, I'm in my city. I have what I need. Thank you, but I'm fine. What I've done , I have done it for love of God and for love of you who are a servant of God".

And God stopped me there and remember I was talking about what it means to 'dwell in the midst of his people.' God called me to share with you about the importance of being a community as a church. That we are not just like boats that pass us by at night, we come here for a little while, we sit down and here is someone next to me and I don't even know him, I don't know who he is and I don't care and we leave and there is no sense of family. I was also talking about the importance of maintaining good relations with the brothers in the church, right? When there is a roughness, when there is a friction, when there is a disagreement, quickly seek reconciliation. Ask for forgiveness, for forgiveness, be generous.

If the person next to you is out of tune, forgive him or ask the Lord to give him a better ear. Don't be saying, "when is this thug going to get out of here so I can sing like I'm supposed to sing?" Bless it and remember that when that praise comes up there at the throne of God it sounds in stereo with all the... God has purified it. Let's seek to be tolerant people. Let's watch out for each other.

I was thinking this week, do you know when you know you're sanctified? When there is a meal, a buffet and you serve yourself what you need thinking that the brother next door has to give you a little food. What's happening? When there are those meals, you serve everything you can first and whoever comes next is his problem.

That's when all our sanctification disappeared, all our values disappeared, everything disappeared.

And I say that when one sees a Congregation that watches over one another, there is a people that knows and is truly touched by the presence of God. In those moments when we are a community, when we live in the middle of our town, when there are good relationships at home, we also have your family... how does your family see you? Do you see him as an agent of peace, of reconciliation? or they say "Here comes so-and-so, let's run around the world before he starts talking. Because when he talks, everything is damaged."

And it's good that when you arrive at a relative's house, people say, "wow! It's great that you arrived! Because the blessing has arrived, the joy has arrived, the service has arrived." That is so cute. I thank the Lord.

I'm going to take a moment. My sister Nancy is a woman who serves, she is a woman who has a heart of service. And when Nancy arrives at the house, she is the last one to leave because she starts washing the dishes -if it is a meal, whatever- she is a woman who serves, and it is a blessing to have her in the house because she also brings joy from Lord to us But she is also a woman who serves and serves because she serves, if you understand what I'm saying. And that's nice, isn't it?

Living in the town, living in the middle of the town. Always be aware because we Christians are aware of the vertical but not of the horizontal and that is one of the great problems with the people of God.

Sometimes we are tremendous for praise, tongues, gifts... all things that have to do with God, but our brother... let him be struck by lightning, we don't care, that's their problem. I serve my God. And we have to be very aware of that dimension.

I always emphasize the horizontal dimension of the Christian life. Remember that the cross goes up, but it also goes to the sides. Amen.

And so that is very important: that we have that adequate horizontal dimension.

And this woman said "No, I live in the midst of my people" and that is so important.

So, brothers, it is important, I stopped there because I felt that the Lord and in fact there was a great blessing when that word came, several brothers told me "Pastor, that word marked our life as a church." I feel that the Lord wanted that word to fall.

But of course, there are so many things we can say about this passage and this beautiful woman. And you know what? Right now I'm undecided whether to continue with the sermon I gave this morning on this woman...but look...let me go back a little bit and we're going to read in Verse 18 and then I'll continue from there. Alright, let's leave it at that. God will allow me to tie this sermon however He wants.

Elisha blesses this woman with the gift of a son. She had never had children in her life, her husband is an elderly man, they have never been able to have children and as a consequence of her request to the prophet, Elisha insists. After she says "You know what? I don't need anything." Elisha says "No, but we have to bless this woman" and prophesies that next year, on the same date, she will have a son in her hands.

And it is when you serve, when you give to the Lord, God will be solicitous for you. Blessing will come to your life.

Now let's take the account here in verse 18 chapter 4 and it says, "And the child grew up." That baby that Elisha had prophesied to him grew up, he was already a child of perhaps 6.7 years old. It says "But it happened one day that he came to his father who was with the reapers..." His father was, it seems, a farmer, they had an agricultural business. He had his employees, he was working in agriculture. It was maybe at noon, probably, or something like that and the boy comes to where his dad is and he said to his dad, "Oh, my head, my head!" And the father said to a servant "Take him to his mother."

Hey, stop there for a minute.

I stopped this morning. I've never seen that before, but look, who does he refer the kid to when he's sick? To the mom. And I told the parents, the boys, 'Brothers, worry about your children too. That it is not only the mother who attends to the problems of the children'. 'Oh! Take it to mom so she can take care of it. I'm in my work'.

Every father, every dad has a call to care about their children and to love their children and give their children paternal warmth. Be it a female, be it a boy: "Dad, spread warmth and attend to your children." Don't throw it all on mom. That care, education, affection, no! Give your love to your children, worry about your child.

This man, as well as the Shunammite woman, represents the very vitality of spiritual life, a woman requests for the things of God. A woman attentive and concerned about the things of the Lord; in this same way this man is immortalized in the Bible as a man to some extent indifferent.

It's like they say 'non-entity'. While this woman represents passion, this man emphasizes neglect and spiritual mediocrity. When his son comes dying he tells the servants "Take him to his mother so that his mother can take care of him."

I'm sure he loved his son.

But how many of us, men, often neglect our children and think that "well, since their mother takes care of them I don't have to be so..." No, brothers! I believe that children need to see a father committed to the Lord, who leads his house as a priest of God, as a servant of God, who is as vital as his wife.

Unfortunately in the church of Jesus Christ throughout the centuries and in all cultures, many times it is women who have taken the spiritual lead and men are like lagging behind. How sad that! What a waste! When the Lord has asked men to be like priests in his home.

I ask young people who are going to have their children in the future or young parents: 'Make a vow with God that your children are going to see a father who cares for the things of the Lord.' A father who when Sunday arrives will be the first to be gently helping his family to get to church on time.

What is going to be solicitous, because when the Wednesday of prayer arrives, go there to pray; that when there is a special event, he is the first one who is willing to transmit the glory of God to his home. Let's not be indifferent in that sense. Let's not relegate the care of our children to the mother. That's an unpaid message, it's a secondary part of the sermon, but it just occurred to me right now, didn't it?

This boy says to his father, "Oh, my head, my head!" and the father, "Take him to his mother."

'And having taken it and brought it to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon…' and what happened to the child? Died. Here is another very important teaching.

Brothers, one wonders how is it possible that if God gave this child to this woman... she was not asking for it, she had already reached a mature age, she was already adjusted to her sterility and her lack of being a mother And God actively activates your womb, activates your husband's reproductive capacity and you have that child in your early years? And now this son, like any other human being, gets sick and dies.

And I wonder what logic is behind this?

I could see that perhaps a child who is born ordinary like any other child is subject to the ups and downs of life and gets sick and dies. But a child actively determined by God? taken from old age and sterility and given to life by the Spirit of God and that this child dies and... it is important, brothers, many times one wishes that the gifts of God, the provisions of God came with insurance for their whole life and that they come with an extended service contract: that nothing should happen to them and that there would be no problem.

And what I see, brothers, is that look, there are many things in life that are going to come: situations, trials, difficulties, crises in our lives that are not going to make sense. There are things that God will have given you, even, and then you will lose them or they will go into crisis.

And you are going to have to ask yourself if at that moment you are going to say "you know what? God doesn't make sense, God doesn't care about my life, God is false in his promises, so I'm going to ignore him" or if You are going to say "I know that God has a purpose in this and I am going to wait until the Lord clarifies what He is looking for with this" and you are also going to go and seek the solution to your problem in God.

And you are going to wait until the Lord answers you and makes it clear to you what he wants in your life.

Because, brothers, let me tell you that because we are in the will of God, because we are serving the Lord, because God has blessed us, it does not mean that there are not going to be tribulations in our lives. Difficulties are going to come, test situations are going to come. And at that moment you are going to have to determine, you know what? No matter what happens, I am going to remain attached to the promise of my God, and I am going to seek to strengthen that promise in my life.

Because afflictions come, trials come, that is part of daily living, of the condition of being human.

I was also thinking about what the Apostle Paul himself says in Ephesians chapter 6 where he says: "We put on the whole armor of God." Because we do not fight against blood and flesh but against principality, against powers, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.

There is a struggle in life, there is an enemy that will want to take away the blessings that God has brought to your life. We are at war, we live in a sinister world, brothers.

God is not the only player in this stadium. There is a whole host of evil in this world that wants to steal, kill, destroy, sow misery, tragedy in our lives and will want to steal our blessings. And we have to be alert, we have to be vital, we have to be filled with the energy of the Holy Spirit. We have to be prepared so that when the test arrives, instead of collapsing and panicking, we know where we have to go to find the answer we need.

Because anything can happen to any of us. Although you are at the center of God's will, perhaps for this reason the enemy seeks to make you stagger and bring affliction into your life.

Then you have to do as the Apostle Paul says in that same passage of Ephesians 6 says that "We have to put on the whole armor of God, the breastplate of faith, the shield of the word, the sword -I don't know if the shield of the word or the sword of the word, I think it is, one of those things- the thing is that the sword, the shield, the helmet of salvation, the shoes of the Gospel"; all these things we have to dress in each of the parts of the Christian life, brothers. We have to be filled with the anointing of the spirit.

We have to provision ourselves with everything that God has provided. The word of the Lord says "Because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but what? Powerful in God for the destruction of strongholds." Hallelujah.

And we have to fill ourselves with God's anointing so that when the bad day comes the Apostle Paul says there, "so that when the bad day comes we can stand firm", and he says "And having passed everything, stand firm". That word "stand firm" is a word that means - the Apostle Paul was using an image from Roman warfare when a soldier came to attack the enemy and the soldier held his post, held his place. She didn't move from him and when that rush of attack passed, he was still firmly in place, his position defending her. And that is the idea behind that word.

When the crisis comes to your life, when the problem comes, when the enemy comes like a flood to snatch away God's blessing, you have to stand firmly on what God has promised, what God has said to your life. .

And you have to stay there, hold on to that position. Many times all a man or woman of God needs to do is stand on what God has said. You don't have to be out there looking for the devil and attacking and egging him on, I think what you most need to do is just stand your ground.

Says the word "Resist the devil and he will flee from you".

There are moments in life, look, a streak of suffering can come into your life and it is important to identify when those moments come into our lives. It may be a time of sickness. The doctor tells you 'You know what? you have a disease and we are going to have to give you chemotherapy or you are going to have to go into a strong regimen of a crash diet or you are going to have to change your lifestyle and your life is not going to be the same anymore and you have to do this and he has to do the other'. And at that point you have to say 'You know what? The bad day is coming to my life but I am going to stick to the word of God.

Time to put on the whole armor of God, time to take those truths that I have learned in other times of my life and apply them now. We must identify when those times come into our life. It may be a time of family difficulty, it may be a time when the enemy covers you with a shadow of depression, it may be a time when a son becomes rebellious and the little boy who was so beautiful and so obedient at the moment enters adolescence and It's like there's a monster in the house and you don't know where it came from.

What is there to do in those times? Identify that moment and say "this is the bad day that the word speaks of and instead of me screaming and panicking, what I am going to do is that I am going to wear the whole armor of God" and you gird your loins in prayer, fasting, search for the word of God, confession of what God has said to his life. Claim what God has promised in your life and guess what? that time passes like, right now it comes like when... you open an oven that has been accumulating heat and you have sometimes seen that... I have had a couple of occasions that I have seen it explode and come out like a smoke and it comes out like a heat wave.

This is how it happens many times in our lives, there is like a heat wave that passes and you have to be prepared for that moment when it comes, you have two options -I believe that many believers when those bad days come, what God gave us dies. has given and the devil comes to snatch from us what God has proffered over our lives. The question is what are we going to do in those moments? and how are we going to confront the devil who wants to destroy our marriages, destroy our children, destroy our finances, destroy our health, destroy our emotions, remind us of all the mistakes we have made.

Get into a life of depression or anxiety or guilt or resentment or whatever and you have to say 'you're not going to pass through here, I'm going to stand on what God has promised and I'm going to screw my feet on the word of God and you can roar and throw all the stones you want. I am going to stand firm in what God has declared.'

And you begin to put pressure on the enemy with your prayer, with your confession, with your declaration that God is faithful and that God makes sense even though your sense belies it, you, 'no! I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that He is good, I know that He is not asleep'.

"He who guards Israel will not fall asleep or slumber" says the Word of the Lord. And when you hold on, while the devil roars and the storm rips the roof off the house and maybe when it's all over, maybe what's left are two or three sticks from your old house.

When the storm passed, what do you do then? when quiet comes, go back and build your house. Go back again and put tables over those columns.

And you know what? "Your second house will be better than the first" says the Lord.

Brothers, the test will come, the difficulty will come, the struggle will come in our lives. You are going to have at least three, four, five episodes in your life of hardship, of difficulties in your life. I don't think there is a believer worth his weight who doesn't have five or six scars that can show where the devil threw a stone or a sword blow at him. As a warrior, there isn't a General worth his stars who can't say that he wasn't in a battle a few times and that he was hurt maybe, or that he was afraid or that the enemy came to want to destroy him. That's part of life and it's coming and you don't have to wonder about it.

No wonder tests come into your life as if God were inconsistent with you. It is that if you are in God, if you are in this world, you are going to have affliction and the devil is going to come like a bear or a lion and he is going to want to take away what God has given you; and you have to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. You have to use the times of prosperity and tranquility to fill yourself with God's provision. Your oil has to be overflowing and when that strong gust comes, you have to have enough oil so that enough is consumed and there is still enough left for when the other blessing comes.

You fill the vessel again. We are people of war, we live in a sinister world and we always need to be in that position. When the devil comes to take away what God has given you, make sure that you have what you need to face the enemy and that your faith does not waver. Many of us when the dry season comes we collapse because we were weak and we need that.

This morning the Lord brought to my memory the image of David when he was going to fight Goliath and David had to convince Saul -an experienced warrior- that he, a young man who had not been in the war, had what it took to confront to Goliath. And look at how David tells Saul in First Samuel Chapter 17 and it says here in verse 33: 'Saul said to David: You will not be able to go against that Philistine to fight him because you are a boy and he is a man of war. from his youth.

Physically David could never stand up to a seasoned warrior who was about 8 foot tall. Impossible! And Saúl was just looking at this little boy who, although he was a strong young man, could never face a man who had been fighting all his life and who had all the advantages there were and could be: size, experience, weight, skill; Goliath had it all. And here is this inexperienced young man.

Look how David responds to Saul in First Samuel verse 34:17: 'David answered Saul, "Your servant was a shepherd of his father's sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and struck him and delivered him from his mouth, and if he rose up against me, I would seize his jaw and strike him and kill him.

Whether he was a lion or a bear, your servant killed him and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because he has provoked the army of the living God." David added: "The Lord who has delivered me from the lion's claws and from the bear's claws He too will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine."

Glory to the Lord.

Brothers, can we speak that way in our lives when the devil wants to rip off a son -as he came to rip David off in the form of a sheep or a lion? When the devil comes to tear away your peace in your home, when the devil comes to tear away your health or emotional stability or to wreak havoc in your life and want to embitter your heart and want to fill you with resentment or impoverish your life in some way; do you have what it takes to defeat the lion or the bear; break his jaw and take your sheep, your inheritance, your blessing to your home intact?

That's what we have to ask you. I ask him, "Lord, help us so that when the crisis comes to our lives, instead of throwing ourselves to death, we can confront the bear, the lion and snatch what he wants to take from our lives" and for that one requires that one have the necessary vitality.

One of the things I see about this woman is that in normal times she hoarded reserves for the time of crisis. When her son died, she was spiritually and emotionally prepared. She knew what she had to do, she received revelation from God about where the solution to her problem was. Instead of saying, "Oh, my son!" and throwing protests against God and losing her faith, she immediately went to find the solution and how do we know that it was like that? Because we already saw it. Because when everything was fine at home, her business was calm, her marriage was fine, she was already in a calm maturity, she was satisfied with not being a mother.

It is seen that it was a woman who was spiritually vital. When that man of God passed by her house, she immediately begged him to stay in her house because she knew that where God's blessing was, there was also prosperity and stability. "She insistently invited -says the Bible- the prophet to stay in her house"; She knew that she had to look for that presence of God in her life, in her home, that if that prophet who was a servant of God who brought the vitality of the Spirit posed on her house it would be a blessing.

She inverted and says that the prophet came and stayed in her house and "later, not happy with that, she said: you know what? Evidently he passes by here several times a year. We are going to prepare a room for him, we are going to prepare an office for him to so that when he arrives and passes through here he doesn't have to stay in another bedroom, simply there, perhaps feeling uncomfortable being among the family. We are going to make life comfortable for him and we are going to add an annex to the house. We are going to prepare a room for him. room so he's comfortable there and we're going to make sure he has what he needs." We are going to put an Internet connection there so that he also does not have to be asking, we are going to put everything: a good telephone, a computer and so that he can be calm there in his space.

She thought about specific things, she was solicitous, she wanted to invest in the Lord.

She was a woman who clearly loved God and that's important, brothers, when your life is good and normal and there are no clouds in the sky and the bills are paid and health is stable, that is the best time for you to cultivate a life of spiritual vitality. For you to pray regularly, read the word of God regularly, go to your discipleship classes. There is an ad, not paid for again, for the discipleship class.

Grow in the knowledge of the word of God, fill yourself with the anointing, throw yourself a little fast from time to time there and fill yourself with the anointing.

How many of us… what's up? We get spiritual… when? When we're in the trenches and the bullets are whistling through our heads. So we are spiritual giants, so we seek divine intervention and cry out and fast and we are spiritual titans.

Brothers, let me tell you: the best time to cry out and grow and seek God's blessing is normal times.

We have to be like José, who in the years of fat cows, what did he do? He hoarded wheat, food, because he knew that lean times, famine and drought also came from there. And when those times came he needed to have his barns full to give food to the people when food was lacking. And that's how we have to be.

Look, if God is giving you times of rest, refreshment, blessing, joy, prosperity, that is the best time when everything is quiet for you to fill your saddlebag with God's blessing. Serve the Lord, give to the Lord, pray to the Lord, study the Word, prepare yourself because the bad day may come.

I am not scaring you, I am not saying that it has to happen, but if you are a human being and you live in this world, a time of difficulty will come in your life and it is good that you prepare yourself. You are a soldier, you are a warrior, a warrior and you need to be alert so that when difficulties come you can know what to do in your life.

It is a warning. Use this time of your life to fill your saddlebag with God's blessing.

Now look at this, what does she do? when the child dies, verse 21 says "She then went up and put him on the bed of the man of God and shutting the door he left."

Where, look at this here brothers, where did she put the child? If you were the mother of this child, wouldn't you put him in your bed, your bed? Or wouldn't you put him in his bed?

You know that the child dies, you are going to put him in the family bed. What she did? She took the child and put it where? in the bed of the prophet Elisha. She went to the room that she had built in times of peace and put the child on the prophet's bed. I believe that the Holy Spirit enlightened her to make that prophetic gesture and to place her creature in the territory of the prophet of God. Symbolically she was saying 'This is God's problem, it's not my problem. God gave me this son, He's going to have to take care of him now.'

Brothers, where do we put problems when they come into our life? Do we put them in our bed and fill ourselves with insomnia? And night comes and at 2 in the morning -I am the first one who has to raise my hand sometimes- my eyes are like two lightbulbs thinking about this, thinking about the other, thinking about what to do, that this and the other and we lose sleep because we take our problems to bed.

And what does the word of God say? "Don't put problems in God's bed. Put problems in God's closet." The Lord says "Cast your burden on me."

God is telling you: 'When you are in difficult situations throw the problem on God'. The problem is yours. God is eager for his people to throw their problems on him.

Put your problems in divine territory, don't put them in human territory. There is no one there who can help you. You can't help yourself, but when a difficult situation comes in your life, cry out to the Lord, seek God's anointing.

The Apostle Paul again says in Philippians, chapter 4: "Be anxious for nothing." And that nothing means... "nothing" means the death of a child, illness, financial crisis. It says: 'Don't worry, don't cultivate anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, excessive worry.' I know that this is difficult, but that is what the word of the Lord tells me.

When you feel anxiety and sadness and fear about something that is happening, acknowledge it, understand that you are going through it but do not shelter it in your emotions. When anxiety comes to visit my life, I immediately face it and say "You are a person who has not been invited, you have not been invited to this house, you have to leave" and I begin to spiritually wage war against anxiety. and I begin to declare the peace of God in my Spirit and I begin to declare God's blessing and God's provision and solution to my life.

Don't accommodate yourself to anxiety, don't accommodate yourself to worry, don't think 'Now I'm destined to be like this all my life and to take pills all the time and to live...'

Look, the word says: "Don't worry, if not..." That word 'if not' is very important, in other words that nervous energy that enters your life, you know what? Instead of letting it circulate within your emotions and bounce back and grow stronger with each cycle it makes within you, direct it to the Lord.

It says: "If your requests are not known". What does that mean? Instead of worrying, pray; instead of filling you with anxiety, cry out; instead of staying with the problem in your bed, transfer it to the bed of the Lord. "Let your requests be known", God knows them but He loves that you verbalize them, that you take time to express what you need in your life. Cry out, pray to the Lord, present your need to God.

Brothers, I tell you something, every day I learn more and more that prayer is not something that is for when you have a crisis in your life. Prayer must be something that permeates, fills your life every day. You have to pray like one breathes, you have to pray like your heart beats, you have to pray like your blood runs through your veins, continuously. The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing." This means that we have to cultivate that habit of prayer and that taste for prayer, it is not only to solve a problem, but your whole life has to be fed, nourished, integrated by a spirit of prayer.

Prayer is talking with your Father, prayer is having a coffee with the Lord at 4 in the afternoon and renewing yourself with your strength. Prayer is you in the morning delight in taking those minutes of quiet in your house and before the boys wake up and the noise of life begins to roar, you take those minutes and be with your Dad while you drink the first coffee of the day and talk to Him and say, 'Father, I present to you my day, saturate my mind with your presence. I acknowledge that I am a son or daughter of eternity.'

'I know that today my work is going to be blessed because You are going to bless me. I know that You are going to take me along that route 93 or 128 loaded with cars and you are going to keep me blessed. I know that You are going to give me what I need to make this day a blessing. You are going to use me, Your presence is going to be with me. I am going to return to my calm house and you are going to give me the victory. And when I go to bed I am going to put my head on my pillow and I am going to have a peaceful sleep.'

Praying is your remembering that your life is in God's hands and adding vitamins to everything you do and nourishing all your problems, dreams, aspirations with the nutrition of God's presence and you will see that your plants grow much more beautiful than those of the neighbor who does not pray or the Christian who does not pray.

And he will ask himself, "why does this person do the same thing that I do and look how beautiful those tomatoes and chili peppers are that she plants? And look how big the flowers are." It is that you are giving it a spiritual 'miracle grow'. Miracle grow is a substance that is added to the plants, Meche uses it at home.

Listen to me, I think you... a few days ago there were some tomatoes that weren't like basil, well, this is very sophisticated basil, imagine. It has a very nice garden and has a touch for plants. And that basil was drying up and it was dying, and she took it and threw a substance into it -they are like little balls- and she opened up the earth a little and put it in and after a few days that basil was leafy and full of life.

Because? Because it had nutrients underneath, you had to add water to it, you had to keep the insects out, but there was something else that was nourishing that plant and it was feeding on those secret nutrients. And I believe that prayer is like that, prayer is the "miracle grow" of our vital plant and when we pray there is a vitamin that enters into the efforts, the struggles, the interventions, the natural efforts of life and then there is something additional , secret that makes your life flourish and that people ask themselves, "but why does this person work as much as me and earn more money?"

And, "why is this person just like me and has so much vitality and gets up in the morning and there is a song in his mouth while I am depressed?" Miracle grow from prayer.

What does the Word say? It says: 'Rather, let your petitions be known in all prayer and supplication.' That 'in all prayer and supplication' means that this expression of the Apostle Paul 'in all' means continuously, in any type of prayer and supplication, I could say.

Sometimes the prayer may be, 'Lord, I praise and glorify you'; sometimes the prayer can be a direct and specific cry; sometimes prayer can be a praise that you give to the Lord, a song that comes out of your mouth; sometimes prayer can be a pregnant silence when you stay quiet and enjoy that warmth that your Dad gives you, that arm and you say "Thank you, Lord, I'm sorry and I stay close to You".

If I could write merengue, I would write a merengue like that, "Pegadito a Ti" I would call it. Because, brothers, sometimes all that God needs is for us to snuggle up in his lap and we don't have to say anything to him, we don't have to ask him for anything but just cling to him feeling his warmth and letting his vitality be transmitted to us and that we let us listen to that sure, firm heartbeat; he moves for nothing, nothing bothers him, nothing moves him, nothing makes him afraid.

His heartbeat is a regular heartbeat, He knows that the world is under his direction. There is nothing that escapes your vigilance, there is nothing that resists your intervention and when you feel your Father's heartbeat, because you are attached to him, that is all you need.

Go to the bank with that, God's blessing is already on your life.

Yes, prayer is many different forms, not only talk, talk, talk. Sometimes God wants you to shut up and let Him answer you and for you to listen to what He is telling you to simply fill yourself with the option that He has told you: "Son, you don't have to tell me more, I already have yours." and I'm going to give it to you”, and that you remain calm, and receive.

There are many ways to pray to the Holy Spirit, it may be while you are in bed and if you feel restless: close your eyes and dedicate a few thoughts to the Lord and when he comes to see you he will be snoring quietly, because God's blessing has come and you forgot about your problems and it's time to get up. There are many ways, it is in all prayer and petition.

And what does the Apostle say afterwards? It says: "And the peace of God, and the peace of God, and the peace of God."

I declare that peace over your life right now in the name of Jesus, receive the Peace of God.

Take a very strong breath and say 'The peace of God in my life', receive that peace of God in the name of Jesus.

I declare that peace God upon you, any problem that is harassing your life right now, any need, any difficulty, any giant, any enemy, any challenge, look at any construction that you have to do in your life right now say "peace of God, the Shalom of God in my life”.

God is with me as a powerful giant, even if the fire comes it will not burn me, even if the river comes to overwhelm me, it will not drown me.

The Lord is with me, the Peace of God floods me, and the Peace of God says that "It surpasses ALL understanding" because when there are problems in life, logically we cannot aspire to have peace.

But when God installs peace in you, it comes from outside, it does not come from you, it comes from eternity to time and space; from where there are no problems and it passes through that air full of demons and problems and lands in your spirit is an e-mail, direct from God to your heart; a Fedex that comes and God installs it within you.

The peace of God passes all understanding. When you pray, cry out, look for the solution, the divine ground, when you put your problem in the prophet's bed and not in your own bed, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding says, "will guard your minds and hearts in Christ Jesus our Lord."

When you claim what God promises in your life and you move in the energy of the spirit, the peace of God fills your spirit, your heart and guards your mind in Christ Jesus.

And when you set your gaze on Christ Jesus and you install your mind on Christ Jesus, the power of Christ Jesus is transmitted into your life and then he runs to the problem and dissolves it and destroys it and gives the solution that you need.

Because all we have to do is look at Christ, look at Him. If we can look at him with a look of Faith as the chorus says, a pregnant look, that look transmits the power of God into your life and gives you peace and gives you the solution you need.

Many of the problems in our life is because we don't look at Him, we don't keep our eyes on Him, we look at many other things around us, including the same problem that is afflicting us, and God says "take your eyes off the problem, put it on me, son."

The word of God says that there is a passage that says: 'let us look at the one who suffered such contradiction from sinners, in such a way that our spirit does not grow weary until we faint' is in Hebrews, I think it is, right?

And the idea is in the original Greek, focus your gaze with such a degree of concentration on Christ Jesus, that your spirit does not get tired, does not faint, does not fall.

Many times, all that God asks is "Look at me. Focus on what I have said, don't look at the giant who comes with those huge brains and that roar and that threat and that- all that bragging- don't listen to him, don't look”.

Set your gaze on Christ on what He has promised, what He has said, what He has been to you and hold on to him. The Jews in the desert when the fire serpents were poisoning and killing them, what did God say to Moses?: "Look, make yourself a bronze serpent just like the one that is killing them and lift it up on a stick and tell them to look at that snake. And when they look at the snake they're going to be blessed and they're going to be healed."

Because when God gives you a solution and you focus your gaze on the solution, sometimes, brothers, look, God mocks the enemy and teaches you that his worst attacks are for your blessing and many times God turns into the serpent that the enemy wanted , turns it into a source of blessing for your life.

God turns the problem that came into your life into something that is a blessing. But you have to look at Christ, you have to focus on Him, you have to be full of his word, you have to have a reflex that when the problem comes, your instinct will immediately take you to Him, not to the problem. "Look at Him. Focus your eyes on Him and God will lead you to the solution."

I'm going to leave it there.

But the word of God is very clear this afternoon for all of us brothers. God wants a people that knows what to do when trouble comes, I think that is the core of the message this afternoon. When the enemy comes into your life, don't be hypnotized by his serpentine gaze, like the little animals that the snake focuses on and hypnotizes and freezes, and then she can come and wrap them up and destroy them.

No! Look away from the snake, forget about the snake, it's already defeated. Set your gaze on Christ Jesus and make that gaze a radioactive gaze, which attracts the move of God and rechannels it and destroys the serpent. The serpent is not going to be destroyed by you, the serpent, God destroys it, God dissolves it.

This woman put her problem on the prophet's bed and went to the prophet and told him, “Look, I didn't ask you for a son and I told you don't give me a son because you don't make fun of me. Now you gave it to me, my son has died, so that is your responsibility.” And you know the story, the prophet went where the son was, he settled on him and blessed him; He uttered words of life and that woman came out with her son in hand, alive, healthy, resurrected. Because she knew where to put the problem, she knew where to go for her need.

The Lord tells you clearly today, "put the problem in my territory, cultivate the look that focuses on me."

On days of peace cultivate the ability to look towards me instinctively. Soldiers train in peacetime and do the same exercise over and over and over again so that when the roar of battle is on, they don't have to think 'What do I do? How do I cock the rifle, how do I reload it?' They don't do that instinctively because during the time of peace they have trained, and they have repeated the same exercises over and over and over again, so when they do things they do them automatically, because there is no time to think, there is no time to say, 'Ok, what do I do now? and how do I solve it?' No, no!

Looking at Christ has to be an instinct, a reflection injected into you and by dint of repeating it every day of your life it becomes a natural habit and when the problem comes, you put the problem to bed at once in that room that you built for the glory of God.

In your times of peace and quiet, there is a room, there is a refuge, that is the room where the prophet comes, that is the room where the presence of God comes, that is the room where the Holy Spirit is.

That room has to be in every house, it has to be in every soul, it has to be in every interior, there has to be a room where the presence of the prophet is, where there is a bed for you to put your problem and the death that the devil wants to bring into your life. Build yourself that place. Give to the Lord, invest your life in the Lord. When the test comes, you will know what you have to do. The Holy Spirit will enlighten you and you will see the Glory of God.

Let's lower our heads for a moment and ask the Lord to change our instincts. God wants a warrior People, God wants a prepared People, God wants a People that will not be frightened when the roar of the lion comes.

God wants a people who, when the bullets begin to whistle, do not run away because they do not know what to do, but rather a poised people, a warrior people, a proven people, a seasoned people, and when the lion comes, that people entrenches itself, perches on the word and looks at him fixedly and says 'You don't come through here. I have the armor of God. I know how to make war against you and you are not going to get away with it. I am going to stop at what God has declared.

People of God, the times of diapers are over. People of God, God wants you to enter spiritual adulthood. Throw away everything that distracts, everything that impoverishes your walk. The Lord already says 'It is time to stop playing children's games, it is time to come to church like someone who puts on a hat and takes it off.

It is time to stop playing the gospel and let the Spirit of God take possession of every corner of your life, and that you live only for God and that everything that claims rights in your life is dethroned and that the Lord be the King of all compartments of your life.

So that when the day of the test comes you will come out better than before. When everything is over, you are like this woman with her son intact, you can go home and sit again in that rocking chair giving thanks to God, remembering the battle from which God freed you.

Celebrating the blessing, celebrating the liberation, celebrating the faithfulness of God in your life.

There is a price, brother, sister, there is a price to pay. Vitality doesn't come, authority doesn't come, discernment doesn't come just because, it's earned by those who have invested.

Salvation is for all, anointing is for the few. The anointing is for those who pay the price, the anointing is for those who know this is serious. Living a plump and vital life in the Lord, there is a price. Do not enter heaven limping and limping just there when the doors are closing. Enter heaven with your head held high full of strength because you lived a life treasuring vitality. You paid the price, you did the disciplines of a warrior, you strove in the Lord, you gave to the Lord and God brought you out of all your trials.

Hallelujah, thank you, Lord!

Father, arise a mighty people this afternoon. Lord, do something with us. We don't want to be mediocre, we don't want to dishonor that great God we serve. Lord, help us to be soldiers you can be proud of; that we honor that great God whom we serve.

Take away from us everything that competes with that total surrender of our lives. We praise and glorify you Lord. Blessed and praised be Your name.

Sermon by Dr. Roberto Miranda recorded September 6, 2009 in Congregación León de Judá

Listen

|

View (100K)

|

View (400K)

Hear and see more performances recorded September 6, 2009

Sermon Archive