¿Maestro bueno? • Good teacher?

ESPAÑOL (for english version just scroll down)

En Marcos 10:17-22 tenemos el famoso relato del "joven rico" que al acercarse a Cristo lo saluda diciéndole "Maestro bueno...". Luego de formular su pregunta, el joven recibe una respuesta, digamos, extraña: "¿Por qué me llamas bueno?"

¿Quiere decir esto que Cristo creía que él mismo no era bueno? ¡Para nada! Ya que Cristo le dice después: "Sólo Dios es bueno", de lo que podemos entender que lo que le está diciendo es: "No me llamés bueno a menos que estés listo para aceptarme como tu Dios. Estás equivocado en tu concepto de mí".

La cuestión es esta: El joven rico veía a Cristo sólo como un maestro bueno, pero no como a Dios y Señor. Y esta "revelación" definió el resultado del encuentro entre Jesús y el joven porque, ya que Cristo "era" un maestro bueno (según el joven), todo lo que tenía para ofrecerle al joven era buenos consejos.

Y los consejos pueden tomarse o dejarse.

Y el joven lo dejó porque Cristo pidió demasiado.

Por el contrario, si el joven hubiera visto a Jesús como lo que en realidad era (Señor), habría entendido que a Cristo no le interesa negociar porque no es un accesorio en nuestra vida o una cita en nuestra agenda (1 vez a la semana). Más bien, Cristo es nuestra agenda... o debería serlo.

Entonces, si nosotros vemos a Cristo como un maestro bueno, también negociaremos con él en lugar de obedecerlo, y de hecho es lo que la mayoría de "cristianos" hace: negociar con Dios.

Podemos decir con toda certeza que lo que la Iglesia (en todo el mundo) necesita hoy es rendición absoluta a Dios.

Necesitamos dejar la negociación y comenzar a obedecer.

Necesitamos dejar de exigir nuestros derechos al Dios del universo y comenzar a servir.

Entonces, sí... Cristo no es "bueno" a menos que lo veamos como "Dios bueno" porque no le interesa ser un maestro bueno que da buenos consejos. Cristo es Señor y no aceptará ser nada menos.

ENGLISH

In Mark 10:17-22 we found the famous story of the "young ruler" who, when got near to Christ says 'hi' with these words: 'Good teacher...' After the question of the young ruler is asked, he gets an odd answer: 'Why do you call me good?', Jesus asked.

Does this means that Christ believed that he wasn't good? Not at all! Jesus continues saying: 'Only God is good', from what we can understand that Christ is saying: 'Don't call me good unless you're ready to accept me as your God. Your concept of me is wrong'.

The thing is this: The young ruler saw Christ only as a good teacher but not as a God and Lord. Ant this 'revelation' defined the result of the encounter between Jesus and the young ruler because, since Christ 'was' a good teacher, all he had to offer (according to the young ruler) was good advice and what do you do with and advice? You can take it o leave it.

And the young man didn't take it because Jesus asked too much.

On the contrary, if the young ruler would have see Jesus as he really is (Lord), he would have understand that Jesus is not interested in negotiating because he's not an accessory in our life or an appointment in our agenda (once a week). Jesus is our agenda... or should be.

Then, if we see Jesus as a good teacher, we will negotiate with him also instead obeying him. In fact, a lot of 'christians' do this: negotiate with God.

We can say with all certainty that what the Church (all over the world) need today is total surrender to God.

We need to stop negotiating and start obeying.

We need to stop demanding our 'rights' to the God of the universe and start to serve.

So... yes... Jesus is not 'good' unless we see him as 'good God' because he's not interested in being a good teacher with good advice. Christ is Lord and won't take nothing less.

¿La luz o el Camino? • The light or the Way?

ESPAÑOL (for english just scroll down)

¿Alguna vez te has topado con una iglesia (o grupo de creyentes en algo) que creen que sólo su método te llevará al cielo y que si estás en otra congregación estás frito? ¿Te has preguntado por qué pasa esto o en qué punto del viaje es que una iglesia sana se confunde por completo? No estoy diciendo que todas las religiones llevan al mismo Dios, porque no es así. Todas las religiones llevan a alguna parte, pero si querés llegar al Dios bíblico, el único camino es Cristo. Ni María, ni Pedro, ni Tomás, ni Gabriel, ni Vos Mismo.

Entonces, si existe una variedad de iglesias que predican a Cristo como el único camino al Padre ¿por qué algunas de ellas terminan diciendo que sólo su forma de seguir a Cristo es el camino correcto? La respuesta está escondida en Mateo 5:14.

En el famoso "Sermón del Monte", Cristo le dice a las personas que lo estaban siguiendo: "Ustedes son la luz del mundo". Esas personas son como nosotros, la Iglesia, ya que estaban siguiendo a Cristo. Pero si analizamos bien la frase, podremos encontrar la clave de lo que estamos hablando: El problema de que una iglesia se confunda y llegue a creer que ella es el único camino nace cuando cree que ella es El Camino. Entonces, obviamente, la lógica dirá que quien no esté en ese "camino" no está "yendo al Padre". El error es simple: Pasar de ser la luz que alumbra el camino, a ser el Camino.

Toda iglesia local es vulnerable a este error, pero si tenemos la información adecuada, podemos evitarlo porque la verdad es que la Iglesia no es y nunca será el Camino. Sólo es la luz que alumbra y señala el Camino (Cristo) para aquellos que quieren ir al Padre.

ENGLISH

Have you ever bumped into a church (or group of believers-in-something) that believe that only its method will take you to heaven and if you are in some other congregation, then you're fried? Have you ever wonder why does this happen or in what point of the journey a healthy church gets confused? I'm not saying that every religion can take you to God, because they not. Every religion can take somewhere, but if you want to reach the biblical God, the only way is Christ. Not Mary, nor Peter, nor Thomas, nor Gabriel, nor Yourself.

So, if there's a variety of churches that preach Jesus as the only way to the Father... Why some of them end up saying that only their way of following Jesus is the right way? The answer is hidden in Matthew 5:14.

In the famous 'Sermon on the Mount', Christ tells to the people that were following him: 'You are the light of the world.' Those people are like us, the Church, since they were following Jesus. But if we really think about the phrase, we can find the key for what we're talking about: The problem of a church being confused and believing that it is the only way begins when she starts to believe that she is the Way. Then, obviously, logic will tell that anyone who doesn't walk in that way, is not walking towards the Father. The error is simple: Switching from being the light that lights the Way, to being the Way.

Any local church is vulnerable to this error but if we have the right information, we can avoid it because, the truth is that the Church is not and never will be the Way. It is only the light that shows and lights the Way (Jesus) for those who want to go to the Father.

LA MUSICA • THE MUSIC

ESPAÑOL (For the english version just scroll down)

Hace varios días que venimos platicando en la iglesia sobre esa barrera del cambio musical que aparentemente pone a las iglesias en un lado del muro y a las almas en el otro.

No creo que esté mal que una iglesia guste de cierto estilo musical, pero el problema nace cuando esa preferencia interfiere con la salvación de las almas de hoy día.

¿Qué queremos en H3O? Básicamente queremos cantarle a Dios música tan buena y tan actual, que las personas quieran escucharla y cantarla todo el día, en el carro, en el iPod, en el iTunes, etc.

La banda británica "Delirous?" es un gran ejemplo de ese viaje musical de ministración en el que el cambio debe ser la regla, para atraer a nuevas generaciones y enseñarles a cantarle a Jesús en la forma en que su corazón sabe cantar.

La música es una expresión de los tiempos en que vivimos y en lugar de ir en contra de esa corriente, debemos aprender a usar su fuerza para la gloria de Dios.

ENGLISH

We've been talking at church, for a few days now, about that division wall called 'Musical Change' that, apparently, puts churches in one side and the souls in the other.

I don't think that having a 'church musical preference' is wrong, but it becomes a problem when it interferes with the salvation of the today's people.

What do we want at H3O? Basically, we want to praise God with music so good and so current that the people would keep listening and singing it all day long, in the car, in the iPod, in the iTunes, etc.

The british band 'Delirious?' is a great example of that musical ministering journey in which the change is the rule, in order to reach new generations and teach them to sing to Jesus in the way their heart likes to sing.

The times we live are expressed through the music and instead of fighting against that current, we should learn to use it's strength for the glory of God.

Letting Go of What People Think

ENGLISH (Taken from LIfeChurch.tv's blog)

Becoming obsessed with what people think about you is the fastest way to forget what God thinks about you.

My mom taught me the common truth, “You can’t please everyone.”

From my observation, ministers seem to be more vulnerable to people-pleasing than most professions.

In reality, we should be the most resolved of all not to live for the applause of men but the approval of God.

• Don’t let anyone talk you out of following God’s voice.
• Don’t let anyone’s criticism distract you from your passion.
• Don’t long for affirmation before you move forward.

Say what God prompts you to say. Go where God leads you to go. Do what God puts on your heart. Let go of living for people. Become obsessed with living for God.

Hagámoslo al revés • Let's do it backwards

ESPAÑOL

Pasó el sábado en la tarde. Los músicos de la iglesia estaban ensayando a las 3:00pm y de pronto apareció un caballero en la puerta de la iglesia (que está ubicada en la planta baja de un edificio) y preguntó que "¿dentro de cuánto tiempo terminaríamos con nuestro ruido?".

Luego de pedirle a los músicos que se detuvieran un rato para poder escuchar al señor que estaba en la puerta, le dije con toda calma: "¿Perdón?"

Entonces replanetó su pregunta: "¿Dentro de cuánto tiempo van a terminar su ensayo?"

Luego de responderle, se despidió y se fue. Nosotros, en cambio, nos quedamos y luego del ensayo nos pusimos de acuerdo para comenzar a ensayar en nuestra casa, para no molestar a los vecinos que quieren descansar el sábado por la tarde. Además, la casa en la que estamos viviendo tiene espacio extra y permite mantener el "ruido" bajo cierto control.

En este punto, varias personas me dijeron que no moviéramos el ensayo porque 1) estábamos pagando un alquiler y eso nos daba derechos, 2) los dueños del edificio sabían que estaban alquilando el lugar para una iglesia y eso significaba música y ensayos, y 3) el caballero que llegó a pedirnos silencio quería descansar porque estaba crudo.

Los puntos son razonables, pero algo en nosotros (Virginia y yo) nos seguía diciendo que lo mejor era pensar al revés, hacer las cosas ilógicamente y estar dispuestos a que la banda de la iglesia ensayara en otro lugar para que un borracho pudiera tener su tan anhelado descanso.

Entonces, al siguiente día, domingo, el "borracho" llegó al servicio a pedirnos oración. Quería volver a los caminos de Dios, quería seguir a Jesús, quería volver a activarse en una iglesia, quería ser libre.

Oramos por él y esperamos con fe que su vida se haya encarrilado hacia Jesús.

¿Se entiende mi punto?

Cristo estuvo dispuesto a venir a morir para que un montón de borrachos, mentirosos, drogadictos, pornoadictos, trabajólicos, maltratadores, etc., tuviéramos nuestro tan anhelado descanso. Hizo las cosas al revés. Se fue en contra de toda lógica. ¿Podremos nosotros, la Iglesia, hacer lo mismo? ¿Nos atrevemos?

ENGLISH

It happened last saturday. The church's band was rehearsing at 3:00pm and suddenly a man showed up at the door (the church is placed in the 1st. floor of an apartment building) asking: 'How much time will you be doing this noise?'.

After asking the band to stop for a moment, I told him with calm: 'Excuse me?'

So he rephrased his question: 'How much time will you be rehearsing?'

After getting an answer, he said bye and left. But we stay and made plans, after the rehearsal, to to practice in other place (our house) in order to not bother the neighbors that want to get some rest on saturday afternoons. Besides, our house has some extra room and the noise handling is better there.

So, at this point, a few people told me that we shouldn't move because 1) we were paying rent for the church's local and that gives us some rights, 2) the building owner knew that we were going to plant a church there and it meant music and noise, and 3) the gentleman who asked us for silence wanted to rest the hangover.

Those were reasonable points but something kept telling us (Virginia and I) that it was better to do things backwards, go against logic and be willing to change the church's band rehearsing place so a drunk could have his rest.

Then, the next day, the man showed up at church and asked for prayer. He wanted to go back to God. He wanted to follow Jesus. He wanted to be active again in a church. He wanted to be free! So we prayed and we're hoping with faith that his life is now re-railed to Jesus.

Do you see my point?

Christ was willing to come and die so a lot of drunks, drug junkies, porn addicts, workholics, abusers, etc., could have our rest. He did everything backwards. He went against all logic. Could we, the Church, do the same? Could we dare?

MI plan de negocios • MY business plan

ESPAÑOL

El domingo pasado hablamos sobre el diezmo y las ofrendas en la iglesia (H3O) y justo ayer (miércoles) alguien me preguntó en la oficina: "¿Cuál es tu plan de negocios para la iglesia?" Y luego de pedir que me repitieran la pregunta, no sólo la repitieron sino que la explicaron: "Ajá... ¿En cuánto tiempo vas a estar ganando dinero con la iglesia?" (OJO: No se estaban refiriendo a ganar un sueldo digno, sino a ganancias deshonestas). Contesté que no tenía ningún plan de negocios, a lo que me preguntaron de nuevo: "¿Todos hacen dinero con eso menos vos?" Y en ese momento decidí quedarme callado porque habría contestado desde el fondo de mis emociones. La pregunta me causó una mezcla extraña de indignación, enojo y tristeza. Pero me puso a pensar, así que quiero compartir con ustedes "mi" plan de negocios:

1 • No creo que la pobreza sea una señal de espiritualidad (y la prosperidad tampoco), pero no voy a ganar dinero con la iglesia porque estoy respondiendo a un llamado de Dios y no a un deseo de mi corazón. No es un negocio. Es un ministerio.

2 • Voy a luchar para que esos pocos (porque son la minoría) que han hecho de la iglesia un mercado, pesen menos que los muchos que han estado y están dispuestos a sacrificar todo por servir a Cristo con todo lo que tienen.

3 • En lugar de ganar dinero, vamos a "perder" dinero hasta que duela, como lo hemos estado haciendo. Y si un día pierdo esto de vista, le pido a Dios que me haga volver al camino correcto, al inicio del sueño de responder a su llamada.

Así que mi plan de negocios es no hacer negocios.

Ojalá sea una rspuesta lo suficientemente clara.

ENGLISH

Last sunday we talked about tithing and offerings at church (H3O) and yesterday (wednesday) somebody at work asked me: 'What's your business plan for the church?' I asked the question to be repeated and he did, and added some explanation: 'Yep. In how much time will you be earning money from the church?' (NOTE: He wasn't talking about a salary, but a milking-the-cow-to-death type of revenue) So I answered that I had no business plan, and he replied back with another question: 'So everybody is making money but you?' And at that moment I decided to shut my mouth because I would have answered from the bottom of my emotions. The question caused me a weird mix of indignation, anger and sadness. But it made me think, so I want to share with you 'my' business plan:

1 • I don't think that poverty is a sign of spirituality (and neither is prosperity), but I'm not going to win money from the church because I am responding to a God calling and not to any of my heart's selfish desires. It's not a business. It's a ministry.

2 • I will fight so those few (because they are the minority) that had turned the church into a market have a smaller presence than the majority of servants that have been willing to sacrifice everything for Christ.

3 • Instead of making money, we're going to 'loose' money until it hurts, like we have been doing. And if I loose sight of this, I ask God to bring me back into the good road again.

So my business plan is not making business at all.

And I hope that this answer could be really clear.

¿Qué tiene de malo? • What's wrong with it?

Al ver esto, de verdad pienso: ¿Qué tiene de malo en divertirse "bien"? La Publicidad y la Iglesia (con P mayúscula e I mayúscula) han dejado de lado la diversión, sin darse cuenta de que con eso dejaron de lado la efectividad.

By seeing this, I really wonder: What's the matter in having a 'good' laugh? The Advertising and the Church (with capital A and capital C) have let aside the fun without realize that by doing that, they just let aside the effectivity.

SEPTIEMBRE EN H3O / SEPTEMBER AT H3O

El 14 de septiembre, por la noche, corrimos 7.5kms en ocasión de las fiestas por la Independencia de Guatemala y al día siguiente nos juntamos en la iglesia para cambiar una "bodega" en la clase de niños.

Gracias H3O por estar siempre dispuestos a hacer pequeñas cosas que hacen grande el Reino de Dios.

On the night of september 14th we made a 7.5kms running for our Independence Day and the next day we gather at church to a "extreme make over" to turn a storage room into a kids classroom.

Thanks to H3O for always being ready to make small things that make great the Kingdom of God.

THE STAFF OF THE LORD

Exodus 17:8-16

According to the passage that we just read, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. They attacked the weakest part of the people and that was the reason why God said that He’d destroy them completely. The first step for this was the counterattack that Moses planned: Joshua and the army should be in the valley while Moses, Aaron and Hur would be at the top of the mountain. And the staff of God would be in the hands of Moses. That’s our lesson.

I • THE STAFF OF GOD

The term “staff of God” appears only two times in the Bible (this one and the time when Moses, still living with his father in law, decides to go back to Egypt to free his people). The name “staff of God” gives, almost automatically, the idea of power to change the world, to save the weak, to heal the broken. Power. Simple as that. Power.

And, actually, the staff of God had indeed all that power and more. Nevertheless, just like a guitar by itself is worthless, the staff of God needed to be in the hand of somebody in order to unleash the power.

II • THE STAFF OF GOD IN THE HAND OF MOSES

Who wouldn’t love to lay a hand in that powerful staff, even for just a moment? Having the power of God at our service. Be able to hold that relic should be cool. But, if the “staff of God” only appears two times in the Bible but the staff itself appears a lot of times more, what was it called? Answer: The staff of Moses. Yep. The staff of God is the same staff that cut the sea in two, the same that turn the Nile into blood, the same that filled the city with frogs, the same that draw water from the rock, the same one that darkened the sun, the same staff of Moses. So, the staff of God isn’t a piece of wooden specially blessed, but a rod in the hand of a God’s servant who believed and obeyed God.

Now, since the rod was used to, among other things, protect the lambs when were attacked by wolfs, it wasn’t a weak staff, but a hard, strong and heavy one. And Moses was supposed to hold it high so Israel could win the fight. The problem was obvious: tiredness. So Aaron and Hur came up with a great and working idea.

III • THE ARMS OF MOSES IN THE HANDS OF OTHERS

They sat Moses down in a stone, so they could hold his arms “high” until the Israelites get the victory. Good strategy!

Aaron and Hur could have propose to Moses to hold the staff by turns. First Moses, then Aaron and then Hur, and the cycle would start again. But it wasn’t the right thing. Why? Because Moses was the one called to hold the staff, so Aaron and Hur asked themselves: “If Moses part is to hold that up, what should we do?” And they crashed right unto the answer: “We should hold Moses!” That’s team work! Up in the hill, Moses was holding the staff while Aaron and Hur were holding Moses, and in the valley Joshua was fighting with the army.

CONCLUSION

From this passage, the great lesson for this day can illustrate with a game of words in the English language: the STAFF of God isn’t a piece of wooden, but a group of people, like a church staff, concert staff, newspaper staff, etc. The staff of God is not a relic lost in some foreign monastic refuge, but a group of people that follows the Lord, serving and loving people in Jesus name. The ones who hold the rod high (in leadership and Word teaching). The ones who hold these ones up (helping and serving in every aspect of the church). The ones who lead the armies that helps in the society and the people that form these armies. You are the staff of God!

And all that we should be doing is to hold high the name of Jesus. Make Him famous. Protecting His truth. Proclaiming Him out loud with our lives! And then, God’s people will always win the battle!