See failure as the matrix of success

First Wednesday of the year 2012, wow, that's great for me, I don't know about you but it's great for me. This morning my sister Raquel asked me the same question and said, so, what is the plan for this new year with the services on Wednesdays? And I, follow one Wednesday after another to see what God is doing behind us, exact, backwards or to gain momentum, as they say. But if there is something that I can say, my brothers, in response to that question, my brothers, it is that to see the hand of God working in the midst of our lives, that is the most I want to see.

And I have been meditating and reflecting not only on my personal things but also on you when I look at the church from up here, when I see you, and I see the different stories that are immersed there, the different dramas that are in the process of unfolding, different chapters that have remained incomplete, chapters that have been closed and new chapters that have begun, I know that there is all that there between the seats, I know that there is all that there in your house where you are seeing us, there are lives that have finished a year well and are starting the year well, as there are also stories of people who ended the year 2011 with a bitter story and the year 2012 is also starting like this, half bitter, there are people who are starting this new season in their lives, with a sense of expectation that something good is going to happen, that something good is going to unfold, there are people who perhaps from this point present when they look have In the future they can't see very clearly what's happening what's going to happen, but somehow or another they're like, ok, let's see what happens.

And it seems very particular to me, because last Sunday at the 12 o'clock service, the pastor was preaching, and there was a moment in his preaching when he said a phrase that burned in my head, it stuck in my head, of this phrase that he said, and he was talking about facing this new year with a very positive perspective, with an optimism of not seeing the glass half empty but seeing the glass half full, of knowing that God is with us, he will to be with us, that we can face any circumstance that comes, that in both good and bad times God will be there, he will carry us out. But suddenly he said a phrase that really shocked me, because it is not a phrase that one is used to hearing in a message like this, and it is the mere fact that, when I hear my pastor say that at this time some moments to to be able to see that glory, that light at the end of the tunnel, first they are going to have to face their tragedies, they are going to have to face their failures, and they are going to have to do it, they are not going to be able to do a bypass, they are going to have to cross.

There are people who are going to have to cross that valley of tears, and that may sound somewhat harsh, it may sound somewhat ugly, but blessed, they are going to start the year wishing that I am going to cross the valley of tears, of shadows, but brothers, look at the phrase he used, he said: the Christian life needs those moments of trial and struggle, of loneliness, of darkness, without those moments, then we will not be able to enjoy the essence of living by faith and trusting in a God who gives everything. can. Without those moments, our Christian life is null, it is just one more theory of those that are out there, so we need those hard moments where things get like, uh-huh, and now what? I come to a cross street and I have 4, 5 options and I don't know which one to go for.

And you suffer in those moments, in those times, in those transitions, you suffer, you lose things, you win things, you fight with people, you reconcile with people, there are different situations that happen around you and not many of them. They are beautiful to appreciate, I like it because the pastor says that if you even see a work of art, those works of art, that combination of colors, are made of shades of shadows, and shadows can often represent religious language, Theologically, shadows can represent darkness, darkness, of something not very desired, but when you see a work of art, it is those shades of shadows that often give that art its beauty. If you take the color red and start mixing it with the white, what will happen? It will turn pink, but you know what that essentially is? It is a shade that you are adding to degrade it to another, so the shadow is needed in that scenery that God is painting in our lives.

So I started to think about what I can talk about with my brothers today, today January 4, 2012, the first Wednesday of the year, this topic crossed my mind, that we can see failure as the matrix of success, that we can see, face , failure as the matrix for success, it sounds very nice but it is not easy, nobody likes failure my brothers, nobody, nobody can tell me I live to fail, whoever tells me that we will truly pray for you , because his theology is kind of weird. But I do dare to say my brothers that we have to learn to accept those failures when they come, and see them as opportunities for ourselves to be able to move to another level.

You know that in the bible there are so many stories of people who failed in some way or another throughout the entire bible, from cover to cover, I began to think of some, I thought of Abraham, God made a promise to Abraham and instead of waiting for the time that passed, he ended up with a concubine and that brought failure and caused a war between two peoples that has lasted until our times, just as I thought of Abraham, I thought of Sarah, her failure was reflected in the fact that she scoffed at the news that the angel was bringing but with everything and that God fulfilled his promise. What happened to Moses, Moses murdered an Egyptian for defending an Israelite, so he was a murderer, he murdered someone, but with everything and that God, and Moses had many other failures after that, but with everything and that God fulfilled his purpose in the life of Moses.

Who else can I think of? José, how many failures did José suffer? His brothers sold him, he was a slave, he went from one to another, he was in prison, and with everything and that God took care of fulfilling his purpose in Joseph. David was an adulterer, he was a murderer, after that his life with his children was one tragedy after another, but with everything and that God fulfilled his purpose and his promise in the life of David and his descendants. Daniel, Daniel, obviously the failure of the lives of Daniel, Sadrac, Mezac and Abed-negoti could have been said to be that they were sold to a land that was not theirs, and they were slaves in that place, with everything God took it upon himself to fulfill his purpose and his promise in that generation.

If I go to the new testament, it can be said that one of the best was the story of Peter, Peter's failure was seen when, when he denied Jesus, and with everything and that God took care of fulfilling his purpose in him. Paul's failure was seen in the fact that he abused hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Christians, and with all that, God took it upon himself to fulfill his purpose in Paul. Look, there are people who, even when they see the death of Jesus on the cross, think that this was the greatest failure, and with everything and that, God took it upon himself to fulfill his purpose in his son to bring us redemption and salvation, the failure as a matrix for success.

Brothers, I tell you, these are things that have made me think a lot, because as I look and I can see very good stories that I have seen that are in our midst, I know many of those stories, and that I have shared those stories and in part I have had a front role of seeing those good stories unfold in the midst of their lives, so I also know that there are those stories in their lives that are not very good either, that are very hard, and we have shared them, we have cried, we have afflicted ourselves, we have prayed for things and sometimes we have prayed without being able to see the answer we expected, and it can be considered as failures, like I failed at this, I failed at that, and one gets frustrated again. think about what I did wrong, or what I said wrong, what I didn't do, and look, all these are things that one can ask oneself, and one can reflect on it, but the important thing is my brothers that we do not remain stuck in that failure.

Let me remind you of a very particular story. I'm going to take you a little bit back to your childhood, how many remember Samson? Yes? How many believed they were a Samson when they were little? Not necessarily by hair but by force, sorry Bruno I didn't want to look in your direction like that with that intention. Samson. In Judges chapter 19 the story of Samson appears, and everyone knows the story, it was that God told his parents not to shave him, not to cut his hair because that hair was where his strength was, it was the sign of a man chosen by God, and from there God was going to use him as one of those liberators of the people of Israel, and we all know, Samson had brute strength, he was like the Hulk of the time of the Israelites, so to speak.

That was Samson, and of course, the character of Delilah who was a Philistine appeared, and she wanted to find a way to destroy the Israelites so as to defeat this main enemy, and after two attempts she was trying to seduce Samson, who was trying to touch him here, touch him there, and that's in the Bible, what happens is that I'm speaking in the language of Omar Soto's version, after various little things, trying to seduce poor Samson , Samson told him no, if they do this to me, my strength will go away, oh really? And I don't know how many other things, and when Samson woke up, Paf would break it, grab them, and then Delilah would come, don't look, don't worry, this is what they can do to me, if they do that to me.

The second time after he was asleep, look, now I have discovered what can be done to him, and there he goes with a new pod, and they try to make another trade for him but it doesn't work, Samson comes, he breaks it again with his force , and Delilah comes, ah, you fooled me a second time, you lied to me again, boy, what happened? I thought I had earned your trust, and after the second time that's where Samson said, well look, this It's my secret, if they cut my hair that's where they dominate me. Look how the scripture says, it says chapter 16 verse 19: "And she made him fall asleep on his knees, and she called a man who shaved off the seven locks of his head", I imagine it was the seven braids on his head , "and they began to afflict him because his strength went out from him."

There was seen the failure of Samson, who discovered his secret, there are people who say that his failure was that he allowed himself to be seduced by Delilah, but his failure rather occurred when he discovered his secret, he himself threw himself into failure, and again these things are things that make me think like wow, how easy it is many times for any human being in any situation, in one way or another, to lose their destiny, their purpose, and to get carried away like that by the things that around us, the stresses of the world, the things that grab our attention from the world, and we lose our strength, or rather they steal our strength so to speak, and we fall into failure.

The portion says that they even gouged out his eyes, and they tied him, with chains to grind the jail, they tied him like a mill, I don't know with what force he could move it now but that was his torture, that was the pay for his failure, and although this scenario may sound a little morbid, but look where hope is seen in verse 22, it says that the hair on his head began to grow after he was shaved, after his head was shaved, what happened?, it started to grow again. There was that little ray of hope my brothers that many times we cannot see, perhaps two or three little tuquitos began to grow, and he said this does not have any strength, but if he says that his hair was growing, it was obviously because the hair it was going to grow back to the length that it might have been, or at least to the length that was required, so to speak, for the force to enter it again.

But the force entered him later, Samson was taken to this temple where he was, the Philistines were obviously having a party because they had already conquered him, and they brought him to that party to mock him, so that he would say that he would act and entertained them but it was more of a mockery what they were doing with him. I like this story because it says that he asked his companion to take him to the pillars, to the columns, that gesture of Samson in the midst of the noise that they were making against him, in the midst of the mockery, perhaps it they were, I even began to think how Jesus they were spitting on him, they were hitting him, they were mocking him, ah! look at this one who believed them all and look at him now as we have him here, serving us, he is the reason for our laughter right now.

And in the midst of all this, I imagine Samson on the one hand feeling guilty, on the one hand feeling like a failure, on the one hand perhaps saying God has forgotten me, forget it, God doesn't want anything with me, I messed up here, I discovered something that I shouldn't have discovered, but in the middle of that, he said the following, verse 26 says: "And Samson said to the young man who led him by the hand, bring me closer and let me feel the pillars on which the church rests." house for me to lean on, and the house was full of men and women, and all the chiefs of the Philistines were there, and on the upper floor there were about three thousand men and women who were looking at the scene of Samson, then Samson cried out to Jehovah and said, Lord Jehovah, remember me, and strengthen me, I beg you, just this once." Check it out.

He knew that what he was thinking of doing was going to cost him his life, he knew that as he approached the columns, I imagine that he was already plotting, Lord, all I want is for You to give me back the strength to I push these columns and eliminate those who are making fun of me, therefore those who are making fun of you too, just this once, remember me, and get me out of this failure in which I find myself. Look brothers, so it was: "Then Samson took hold of the pillars on which the house rested and put all his weight on them, his right hand on one and his left hand on the other, and Samson said: let me die with the Philistines, then he leaned down with all his might and boom! the house fell on the principals, and all the people who were in it, and those he killed when he died were many more than he had killed during his entire life.

That's interesting, huh? Obviously there's something sanguine about it, I don't want to rate this movie R because of all the gore in here, but what I see in essence is that my brothers, this man's failure became the matrix that It produced him greater success, the mere fact that he says that in that event he managed to eliminate many more than he had eliminated in his entire life, makes me understand something very big. All the characters that I mentioned make me understand something very big, and that is that when we are in God, our lives, whether you are a ministerial leader or you are another participant in the church, if your life is in the Lord All your failures, my brothers, God can take them and turn them into something of great value, both for Him, so that He can glorify Himself in it, and also to take you to a level of greater influence. of greater joy, of greater understanding of who God is in your life, God can only do that. If Samson had not cried out to Jehovah and said have mercy, remember me just this once, please, if he had not remembered God at that moment, even if he had long hair as he wanted, he would not have had the strength that came directly from God.

All those characters that I mentioned to you, even when we remember Jesus himself, if they had not remembered God's purpose, which God had with each one of them, their lives would not have gained the meaning and value they had after those moments of failure, so my brothers, the message that I want to convey to you is very clear in this, I am also preaching to myself, it may sound a bit scary when I say wow yes, I want to face this new year with all the strength of God but at the same time I have to be sensitive that when those hard times come, trials, difficulties, a loving relationship that did not work out, a job that I had, and I thought it was fine and suddenly I They give the letter that no one wants to wait, we're sorry but we have to let you go, you go down the street at 45 and suddenly they stop, one tire blows out, the second one blows out and you only have one spare.

You are in the service and suddenly the pastor says something like he gives you pow, and you say wow, where did that come from? I don't come to this church anymore. You are there well wrapped up in your ministry, and suddenly the little sister that you least thought came up with something and you are like wow, but I did not expect this to come out of this person, what did I do wrong, where was the situation What is coming out with this knife thrust into my back now? I'm not going to keep mentioning things anymore because I don't want to put them too much, whatever my brothers are, whatever it is, think this way, those failures, those traumas, those unforeseen situations that may come, depending on the mentality we have. , that outlook that we have towards life, will be the result that we see after, if we believe that God is a great God as we sing now, oh yes, sing it all you want, in the bathroom in the kitchen, sing everything whatever you want, but if what you are singing you are not singing from within that God is great, and that he can do what you cannot do, believe him that the failure that you have experienced is going to turn into some glory to the Lord, and that when you are on that side looking back you are going to say wow, Lord it was hard but you were with me, that is the mentality my brothers.

I remember Roberto's words last year when he said I can't promise you a year free of problems but I can promise you one full of victories, it's reality, it's reality. We cannot let those losing battles intimidate or discourage us too much. Look how easy it is when one feels discouraged, the first reaction is to abandon everything, ah, I'm going to give up on this, I'm not going to do anything else, but it's not what God wants from his children. Maybe for a moment yes, you're going to have to feel the burden of that feeling like, oh, I screwed it up, it didn't fit me, I couldn't complete this, I couldn't do that, but look, erase, get up again, keep going walking, but where am I going? I don't know where I'm going, keep walking, but pastor that doesn't make me feel, keep walking, at some point God will appear to you along the way and will let you know, This is the path that I want you to follow now, here we are going to show you something new that you have not known yet.

So my brothers I encourage you, actually I'm going to tell you this, this occurs to me now, don't be surprised when you hear news that is difficult, don't be surprised when your ears receive news that seems scandalous to you, look, so good that he looked, so holy that he seemed to be, don't be surprised, believe God, believe God and trust Him, that the one who has the last word is Him, it's not me or you, it's Him, so let's get stand up my brothers, let's see failure with those eyes of positivity, I don't know if it's the word but let's see it like this, your hair can grow back, hahaha.

There are many bald people out there who are rubbing their hair, that's good, but believe it, your hair can grow back just like Samson did, your hair can grow back, and God's strength can flow again in your life, so that you can achieve what God has determined for you, so God I declare your blessing on each of my brothers and sisters tonight, You know the reason, the reason why I have shared these words , and I ask that each of my brothers and sisters can leave here with a renewed sense of hope, trust, and certainty in you Lord, and know that you are the only one who makes it possible for our failures to become treasures. for us to achieve your blessings, to be able to achieve the success that You want us to have.

Lord on this first Wednesday of the year 2012 I pray Lord that in these services we may begin to see your hand in a new way Lord that we may see your Spirit moving in new ways around us that these Wednesday nights Lord truly become a source of energy, a source of renewal, a source where your word can flow freely, a source Lord where praise and adoration rises before Your Presence as a pleasant smell before you Lord , that these services can become, Lord, a place where sadness becomes joy, where the poor can say that they are rich, where the weak can say that they are strong, where the broken can be raised, where the sick can be healed , where the one who is confused can receive clarity in his mind, where we can receive supernatural wisdom to know how to proceed with any matter that comes into our lives.

But above all things Lord, that these meetings can be that moment where we meet face to face with you Lord, be with each one of my sisters, I declare Your blessing in each of their lives, I ask you to prepare them, that your Spirit speak to their hearts, that you prepare them to face not only those good and pleasant moments that can come to us, but also those difficult moments, Lord, that we can look up to you and know that our help comes from you. We give you thanks, Lord, and to you we give you all the glory, all the honor, amen and amen, sisters and brothers, may the Lord bless you, may the Lord keep you.