Dormir en lugar de clamar • Sleeping instead of claiming

ESPAÑOL
En Jonás 1:5-6 dice que, en medio de la poderosa tormenta, todos los marineros clamaban a sus dioses mientras trataban de mantener a flote el barco. Y al mismo tiempo, Jonás estaba abajo, durmiendo.
Es impresionante ver cómo, en medio de una tormenta, los que nos llamamos cristianos y decimos ser hijos del único Dios verdadero, tomamos la misma actitud de Jonás: Mientras todos claman a dioses falsos, aquellos que pueden clamar a Quien tiene el poder de calmar la tormenta... duermen.
Mientras el mundo se deshace en guerras, hambrunas, enfermedades, violencia y muchas otras cosas, la Iglesia del Señor... duerme y se entretiene.
La tormenta no fue enviada para destruir a los marineros (ni a Jonás) sino para despertar al profeta rebelde a la voluntad de su Señor.
¿Será posible que estemos dormidos?

ENGLISH
In Jonah 1:5-6 says that, in the middle of the storm, the sailors shouted to their gods for help while trying to maintain the ship floating. At the same time, Jonah was downstairs, sleeping.
It's impressive to see how, in the middle of the storm, we who call ourselves christians and declare to be sons of the only true God, take the same attitude than Jonah: While everybody shout to their false gods, those who can claim to the One who has the power to end the storm... are asleep.
While the world tears itself apart in wars, hunger, diseases, violence and many other things, the Church of the Lord... is asleep and entertained.
The storm wasn't send to destroy the sailors (nor Jonah) but to wake the rebel prophet up.
Is it possible that we're sleeping?

Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter

I've read a lot of books about temptation but Todd Hunter really gets to the point when take the reader into the heart of the matter and take away the 'mystery clothing'. I mean, temptation is some mysterious weapon in the hands of the enemies of Jesus' people, but if you see it for what it is, well, you can see that temptation is a pretty dull thing.
If I'd have to choose one phrase out of the whole book it would be this: 'I can be tempted only when a desire I already have within me matches something that comes to my attention.' James said it in his epistle and Hunter translated it for us in his book. That's the reason why some people are tempted with drugs, some with social internet and some with gambling, for example.
The book tries to make the reader to understand that Temptation is not that powerful and that, if wanted, desires can be reoriented, defeating temptation in the process.
The only thing that I felt really strange is the 'prayer reading' stuff, but I suppose that this is because I'm not from that kind of church background.
Do I recommend this book? Well, if you're fighting with temptation and really want to start winning the battle, I strongly recommend the book.

Has God Spoken? by Hank Hanegraaff

It's been a few years since I've read this type of book and, even I loved it, it has some parts that are just too much. I mean, the author became a little redundant sometimes explaining things that were already clearly explained.
The other thing that I didn't like was the 'personal' confrontation type of writing. Hanegraaff wasted a lot of pages trying to show the lies in some of the 'christianity detractors' and, although it is ok (and I love to witness a good theological and logical confrontation), it go and go and go and go for pages and it eventually became a boring thing.
Nevertheless, I recommend this book because it is pretty much actual in the 'prophecy fulfillment' department.

El peligro de ser "hijos de luz"

¿Alguna vez, cuando leíste Efesios 5:1 te dieron ganas de brillar como un hijo de luz debería brillar?
Aquí te comparto un pensamiento que publicamos en el blog de la iglesia.
Podés leerlo aquí.
Un abrazo!!!!!!

Put the test to the test

Put your dream to the test, by John C. Maxwell is a really useful book. In fact, it is so good that we made a whole Sermon Series at our church based in the book. Why? Because a dream "planted" from God into your heart is also a promise! Thus the importance of finding your dream, put it to the test and chase it.
This book came into my hands in a time of transition.
My wife and I have been half-time--planting-pastoring for 2 years a little church in Guatemala, Central America, and have beginning to dream about having more time for church. This book helped us to put a lot of dreams on the table and slowly but surely take a lot of those dreams out of the table, since they were pure fantasies and not dreams. There lies the power of these pages!
I mean, if you ask me to recommend you this book in one sentence, giving you just one reason to believe that this book has the potential to fire up you heart, it will be this: "Dreams are not enemies with reality! Fantasies are!"
That's huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maxwell asks 10 questions and you're supposed to answer 'yes' to all of them. If your 10 answers are affirmative, then you may come to achieve your dream. If just one question is answered 'no', you have some homework to do in order to turn that 'no' into a 'yes'. Those 10 simple yeses are the difference between a dream and a fantasy.
Remember the 'dreams on the table' that I told you about? Well, the 'dreams' that had to be taken out weren't dreams but fantasies. 'Put your dream to the test' teaches you how to know the difference and challenges you to pursuit what your life has been promised by God in the form of a dream!
Read this book, discover your dream, put it to the test and conquer it!