Even when?

I would like to take you to Psalm 90, I would like to share Psalm 90 today. And my God, I only ask that these words that You have put there, that you are cooking in my heart even as I speak, as I always ask, I pray that the meditation of my heart and the words that come out of my mouth be blessing each one of my brothers and sisters here tonight.

Those who are here, those who see us on the Internet and may your word fulfill the purpose, Lord, with which You send it. The instrument may be fertile, but your word is powerful, Lord, and you can do what you well-intentioned. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Good. I would like to reflect on something today and I know that perhaps most of all of you who are here were last Sunday when we were out there breaking ground in that symbolic ceremony where we are declaring that new sanctuary land as God's property. We have declared and I believe so that when that ground is broken, curses that bind people are being broken.

Generational curses are being broken that want to damage God's purpose in us even today and in the generations to come. I believe that this gesture that we made last Sunday has power. I don't know if you believe it but I do. I have a collection of four hundred or so photos and each photo I saw convinced me more and more of that.

Photos that represented your faces, the faces of many of you were in those photos and while I saw all those faces I couldn't stop singing in my heart. In my heart I sang "Your people say thank you, because God has done many things for his people." I say that my brothers, even the people who came out backwards but I recognized and knew who that person was, I said 'I know that what God is doing in that person is something good'.

And I know that his ending is going to be even better. The process may be hard, it may be strong, we may cut each other from the other side, but I know it will be a good ending. Because the plans that God has for our lives are what? Good. They are plans of good and not of evil to give us the end that we hope for in Him.

But when I was thinking about this, I came across this Psalm 90. Look at Psalm 90. Starting at verse 11. It says 'Who knows the power of your anger and your indignation according to what should be feared? Teach us to count our days in such a way that we bring wisdom to our hearts. It's a rhyming verse, right? Teach us to count our days in such a way that we may bring wisdom to our hearts.

Look at this, verse 13 says 'Turn back, oh, Jehovah! Even when?'. Even when? It's like an expression that says Wow, Lord! Go away for a while because of the anger that You had on me and my faults and my weaknesses, for a while, as I have been able to feel like you have turned your back on me. That is what I am reading in this Psalm.

And it is what this Psalm intends, too. That because of the wickedness of the people of Israel, look, there was a time when God kind of said 'This is too much for me'. I'm not going back. I have shown you love, I have been there time and time again, time and time again but you insist, you are stubborn, you are stubborn, you are stubborn, stubborn and there will come a time when I will get tired of you and I will turn your back.

I know because I as a father have now experienced that on many occasions. There comes a time where my dear Lucas my patience boils and it's like Lucas “set back”. I have a perfect example of something like this. I don't know, but when a child becomes a monkey, do you understand that expression 'monkey'? He gets sappy, it's like he cries about everything, he cries about nothing. You touch him like that and he cries. I paid my son a little "teebo" class as the boy has good skill with his hands, I'm not saying he's going to be a baseball player, but he has good skill.

I pay the class, the first class. Fine. I enter, I was the only dad who entered the field with him because he was like that, kind of scary. So the teacher let me in and he fine, in the whole class he learned to throw the bases, he learned to throw the bat, he learned to throw the ball, he learned to catch it. OK. The second time we go, listen to me, that boy wouldn't stop crying. I don't know but he entered that green field and it was like the crying started. It seemed like a joke, if he leaned back he would stop crying but if he leaned forward he would start.

'But Lucas, I'm with you' I go in and sit next to him and crying. Look my brothers, I have to confess, I got upset. My patience swelled. I left and the teacher kind of saw me leaving and told me “No. no, no, give it time." "I'm going to go." The boy was crying all the way to the car. I sat him in the car and told him "Lucas, I feel so disappointed." I told him so, rightly so.

And that Lucas stayed there calmly, crying, sobbing. It broke my heart but I wanted him to learn a lesson. All the way home I didn't speak to him. He tried to tell me “Daddy”, “Don't tell me anything, now”. But you are being very strong, the little boy is only three years old. Have to learn. Even my mother scolded me: "But Omar, how is he going to treat him like that."

"No, you have to learn." The thing was that the following week when we went to class there was no class because it was the free weekend that happened, it was Memorial Day so there was no class. So, last Monday we had the third class. So, since the night before, Sunday night, I started saying to Lucas: “Lucas, do you want to go to teeble class, play baseball with the other kids? And he "No," he reminded himself.

Do you know why he was reminded? Why did he say “I'm going to cry”, “No, you're not going to cry. You played very well." He turned his back on me and ignored me. In the morning when he gets up the first thing he says to me is "Is there no baseball with the kids?" "Yes we are going to play." "Yes, if we are going to play." I dressed him, I prepared him, I gave him breakfast and here I am scheming that “he is going to start crying again. Look, I'm going to cry again."

We go and enter the area of the little park, we play in the area of the frills. The boy was happy. When it was time for class, I said to him, "Lucas, are we going to baseball?" "Yeah". To my surprise, I was stunned, the boy took the glove, put it on and went in, while he was going in he looked back and said "Daddy". I taught him to greet like this and now he does it.

Look, that boy got into the whole class, he made it complete without saying anything. I was sitting in the back and I was sending text messages to my wife "You will not believe what is happening." I took pictures and sent them to him and my wife would always reply “Oh yeah! I'm praying” And I “Yes, keep praying, fast. Everything you want". But the boy is doing the whole class. See, look at that, what technology does.

Well, my brothers, the thing is that the boy did the entire class and the teacher congratulated him. Even other parents who were there congratulated him and he was like “Wow!” Look at this, why do I make this illustration, my brothers? Because this text that I am reading implies something similar in God's relationship with us. There are times that we, because of our pettiness, the Lord has as if “Hn. Wait. Let me give you a break. Go and stand in that corner looking at the wall.”

And there are times when God has to treat us that way. But you know what? Look how interesting. This was where Lucas's attitude captivated me because when the day came Lucas began to talk to me about what he wanted to do: "Are we going to play baseball with the other kids?" "Yeah come on". "I'm coming". I wasn't saying anything, but his attitude was what moved me to go.

Look what happens in this Psalm. Look how verse 13 says. It says: “How long?” and there he is making a plea like “Lord, I need you, and I don't want to see your back anymore, I want to see something else”. And "appeal to your servants, in the morning fill us with Your mercy and we will sing and be glad all our days." "Rejoice us according to the days that you afflicted us and the years that we lived badly."

And this is where the beauty of this Psalm is: “May your work and your glory appear in your servants, your children. May the light of the Lord our God be upon us and confirm the work of our hands upon us” and then look at the emphasis “Yes, the work of our hands confirms”. I don't know about you, but I hear that and I am overjoyed that is, here we are.

Look at this, my brothers, here is a transition like who says – how is it that he says the phrase in English?- from ashes to grandness. Like who says my sadness I'm changing it for something better. I'm already giving you what we're going to sing right now. No Enrique tells me like "No, Omar, no." But look at this. In this Psalm people are like, “Wow! Wait, I'm tired of this. I need something else. I need something new."

They are entering into an initiative like “Lord, I need something from You. I am looking for something from You. I'm looking for you, Lord. I need you to do something about my life. I need your work to appear in me. I need these things that I want to undertake, I want these things that I want to do so that your light, that your glory shines on it so that I can then break out there and achieve all that and more”.

I don't know about you but that pessimism doesn't have a hair. That is not only an optimistic spirit, but it is a spirit that is totally confident in the provision of the Father. If I think of Lucas when Lucas that morning from when he got up until we got in the car and even when we got to the place where they were having the class, all the time he would go “Daddy, play baseball with the kids. Daddy play baseball with the kids." He was repeating the same thing all the time.

But the point is that his insistence moved me to be there with him, support him, not yell at him but not yell at him like cheering him on "Now!" for whatever he did. Look when he ran to first base I said to myself "This is going to go around zigzag or something." He ran to first base and came up on first base. When the teacher said “Go to second,” he ran to second and stayed in second. And me saying "This one is going to lose now he is going to do something else." But he did it all and so well.

I was so happy, my brothers. That when he got to where I was, I couldn't help but give him a hug, throw myself on the floor with him. I got dirty on the floor with him but he was so, so happy and I was even more so for the achievement he had achieved. I believe that he managed to do everything he did because he knew that his dad was not in a state of anger but that his dad's favor was with him.

Any turn of face that he did I quickly. He looked at me and said “Daddy”, “Yes, hit it hard”. I would turn into an eight for looking at him and that is what this psalm is saying. This psalm is saying “Look, Lord, there have been so many years of affliction that we have lived that I am tired of this. I do not want more. I don't want to eat any more of this bread, I don't want it. I want something else. I want something new."

When we were breaking that ground out there I started thinking about that verse “Lord confirms the work of these hands. Confirm this that we are undertaking now. Perhaps in the eyes of another it may be crazy but in your eyes, Lord, this is something that You make possible" And we launched ourselves in faith and believing that God is going to supply along the way and that his favor is going to be opening doors for each one of us.

The same in each of your lives, whatever it is that you are living. Whatever the situation, the circumstance, you name it, fill in the blank, whatever is there, fill it. If you are saying to yourself: “Ah, Lord! Look, I can't get a job because I don't have papers”. Look how you want, throw yourself in faith and the Lord will see that he is going to open the door and grant you his favor. Sooner or later, whether in this country or in another, the Lord is going to get it for him.

"Sir, I can't get a girlfriend. I can't get a boyfriend." “Cut back. shave. Pass some cologne, something” and the Lord will take care of giving you favor later. But do you get the idea, my brothers? Look, anyone if I put it now in a serious tone, really, if I put it in a serious tone. Well, here I am always being serious even if I am laughing.

Check this out. When I see that there are those years of anguish. It may be that some of you are in those years of anguish. It may be that some of you are leaving or you may still be there but many of you who are there. You have one of two options: you can let yourself be carried away by your anguish or you can stop suddenly and say “no more. We've come this far." Although God has not made glimpses in heaven to tell him "your time has come to get out of your anguish".

But the mere fact that you are moving in faith, that you are saying “Look, Lord, maybe I am in this anguish because I screwed up or I messed it up myself. But Lord I repent. You put that conviction in my spirit and I now move with faith because I know the God that I have above in Heaven, the resources that You provide for my life and I am going to start taking the necessary measures now to be able to enjoy what that you truly have."

“And of me being able to live in your favor. And I can walk with my head held high without thinking that 'Ah! I need it for this, I need it for that” or “That one is going to give me a smack”. No, I don't walk in fear, I walk with authority, I walk with conviction, I walk safely because look, I know you are with me. You can see me suddenly walking like this and you ask me for a gift or something like that and I tell you "Look, I only have one peseta but what I have I give to you" And that peseta, sorry twenty-five cents... but do you understand what I'm saying? saying my brothers?

I believe that God wants us to live in light of what is in this text. It's one thing for the Lord to say “Oh yeah! I am confirming that work in you" which sounds very nice and we all want to hear that and another thing is that we in faith say "Lord, I want You to confirm this in my life". "I want You to bring favor on what I'm doing."

Obviously this has, there's a catch for this. There is a side to this. If what you are undertaking is with some intentions that are not very good, think again. What does the word say in Hebrews chapter 4? He says that the word of God is "alive and effective and sharper than all swords and edges and penetrates to the point of dividing the soul, the spirit and the joints and the marrow". And look at what it says: "and discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

I tell you that is the X-ray, the MRI of God is there in the word. You can come with your anguish, with your complaint “Oh, Lord! Mercy on me. What if this and what if” And you can try to make up a whole story before God, but God smells good. God knows when one comes with "blah, blah" and when one is serious before God.

You know that? I am not very intentional in saying this because I am preaching to myself. You can come to me and you can come “Oh, Pastor Omar! What if this, what if the other”. You can tell me your story and I can believe you. I can give you a hundred percent benefit of the doubt but with God it's a different story. Because at the moment of truth, as human beings, in order to win the favor of someone here on earth, we can go the limits. And if they can read between the lines.

We as human beings dare to do anything to win someone's favor here. But with God I can't play that little game. And look, I'm throwing fire myself now. I'm being very honest, I'm throwing fire at myself. Many times I have wanted to speak in a way that manipulated the situation to get my way. And I confess, I have sinned in that way but I have met my consequences afterwards.

But when I meet God, I can come with my tail between my legs, 'Lord, you know this and that,' but God knows. He understands, he discerns my thoughts and the intentions of my heart. If the intentions of my heart when I approach Him are not correct, look, believe me but if you allow me the expression 'I'm going to get shot by...' you know where. Those who are Puerto Rican and Dominican, I think they understand me.

I'll tell the others later. But if I come before God with clear intentions, if I come before God not just because of my mere whims, but because I am coming before God because I know and I am convinced that what I am asking for is in line with His will. for my life and for the lives of other people around me, look, then there is no doubt that all the floodgates of heaven are going to open in your favor. Because God what is there.

So when you come with that attitude before God: “Look, I know I'm not a small thing, but Lord, You know that I love you, You know that I want to serve You, You know that I want to do things well. I want to live well with my wife, with my children, with my church, with the rest of my family, with other friends. I want to do things well even though sometimes my flesh forces me to do something else. But, Lord, help me to live the right way.

I need you to give me favor in this. I need You to give me favor in this conversation with this person, I need You to give me favor in this business that I have to do with so-and-so. I need you to favor me in undertaking the construction of a whole new Sanctuary. I need you to give me a favor to be able to fix my life and break with any vice that I have. I need you to show your favor and I need to stop speaking so many bad words with my mouth and be able to speak things that are good.

If we put our batteries and put ourselves in the place that we have to agree with what I read in that Psalm. Lord, look now, in the morning satiate us with your truth, that your truth is what is in me all the time and that all the crap that is in me fades away. Lord, then I dare to say 'confirm this work'. Confirm these things that I am asking you to do in me, that the doors open so that I can study, that the doors open so that I can get a new house, that the doors open so that I can reestablish my contact with my Children that I haven't seen for years.

May God open the doors for you to be able to restore everything that is your life! All your environments and being able to get ahead. We have to make a change, if that change does not happen... I know that there are things that God begins, that God encourages us, that God pushes us to... But there are other things that come from here, there are other things that have to come out of one saying “Lord, You have given me a word, You have given me a promise, I am going to move on this. I will trust you"

Now You confirm, You bring that confirmation. If that's not there I can't get very far. So my brothers, I don't know about you but there is something we have to do. There is something we have to do. There is an attitude that has to be in us. TRUE? If you are meditating you can stand up. I think it sounds better that way. OK? Another testimony.

Speaking of confirmations, eight weeks ago I was waiting for a response from a person I love very much, who couldn't get the documentation from here and we had a 99.99 percent chance of getting it and migration just said “No”. And we couldn't say anything. I got very frustrated. I cried and cried in the morning, the whole day and I went walking around and nothing. I sat in my car and said, “Lord, if you are listening to me now, these people need a person to speak. A spokesperson. A person who… the one you choose”. So I was sitting in that place and I was crying very frustrated but I was with my Lord, you know?

In that I told him "If you have really listened to me and you are going to send a person, I want you to talk to me here in this place where nobody knows me." And I was standing there in that place where no one heard me. Vanessa came in and did two turns like this and left. So I told him, I called a person and I said "Do you know where Vanessa lives?" And she tells me "Well, she lives in Jamaica Plain"

And we were all the way to the other end of Jamaica Plain, and then I said to Vanessa, "The Lord told me about you sending me as a messenger." And you are the messenger that the Lord used. And now the confirmation of what she is going to do before God, you know? Amen. I want you to close your eyes where you are. Father we thank you, Lord, because Your favor is always with us Jesus. You want to bless our lives, Lord. You want to give us good plans, the things that you have in your heart for us.

Lord, although there are times when we recognize that the ailments we are in are due to our own decisions, my God, but we know that You are the one who is going to give us the way out. Because there is no strong temptation that You do not allow to come into our lives, that You Yourself do not provide us with the exits, Lord. And these exits are often in us, in that spirit, in that promise that You have placed in our hearts so that we can recognize our fault, ask for forgiveness, repent and at the same time settle down to you, cling to you, Lord.

And to be able to get ahead believing that You are, my God, the one who opens doors for each one of us my God. So, Lord, tonight, we decided, my God, to put sadness aside, we decided to put aside our illnesses, our sorrows, and we exchange everything, Lord Jesus, for your joy. We change everything for your promises, we change everything for your love, we change everything for your wisdom in the midst of our lives, Lord Jesus.

We give you the glory Lord Jesus.