Self-Denial

Last sunday we went to have dinner with some friends and when we got to our cars in the parking lot, our friend Omar stopped and pointed us in the back of another car what you see in the image above. In the case of the spare wheel of a Toyota RAV4, the owner had crossed out the make and model of his car, and had written the brand of his choice... "Porsche"... I don't really understand what he tried to draw below. This car owner was in self-denial, because even when having a Toyota RAV4, he was encouraging himself to believe that he had a Porsche. Isn't that what we regularly do?

In the Bible is contained the story of David and Bathsheba. In it, the King sees in the distance a girl taking a bath on her house's roof, which was normal because it was the warmest place in the house and where the water was stored... I explain this just in case anyone wants to defend David by attacking Bathsheba. David who, ignoring that David was taking a tour on the roof of the Palace when he was supposed to be in battle. The King sees the girl, wants her, ask to have her brought to his presence and had sexual relations with her. When she tells the King that she is pregnant, David builds a plan to make Uriah, her husband, come from the battlefield, sleep with Bathsheba his wife and make him think that the baby was his. Uriah didn't agree... Even after David had him drunk... So drunk Uriah is more honest than King David... Uriah asks to return to battle and David agrees, but not before handing him a note in which the King ask to have him placed in the front of the battle to have him killed by the enemy. When Uriah is killed in battle, David takes Bathsheba as his wife. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

After a while, David is interestingly confronted by the prophet Nathan. I encourage you to read it in 2 Samuel 11. The prophet says the story about a very rich man who has many sheep and cows, and how it robs a poor man's only sheep. This is David's response:

2 Samuel 12:5-7a (NIV)
5So great was David's anger against the man, he said to Nathan: "As surely as the Lord liveth, that whoever did this deserves to die!" 6How could do something so mean? Now pay four times the value of the sheep! 7Then Nathan said to David: "You are the man!"

The Prophet's response was devastating for David. David was in SELF-DENIAL. The power, ambition, leisure, had managed to confuse David and was easy prey to temptation... and having committed sin... David enters a very common practice among us: SELF-DENIAL.

Can you recognize this phrases? "Me fat? I've lost 5 pounds"... "I'm not in love with that man, what happens is that he is a great counselor"... "I'm not a gossiper, I only alert people when I see something bad happening"... "I'm not criticizing, I'm just giving my opinion"... "I don't sit to pray, but I pray all day"... "I see things differently"... "I believe in God in my own way"... SELF-DENIAL.

Beginning of transformation is confession. Until you move beyond the fog of self-denial, the transformation you desire won't start.

David's story doesn't end in SELF-DENIAL. It ends with King David lying on the ground repented. Hence the following Psalm:

Psalm 51:4 (NIV)4 I have sinned against thee, only against you, and done what is evil in your sight, so that, your judgment is right, and your judgment, unimpeachable.

It is in the middle of confession that the transformation begins. David confessed and immediately God extends grace, loves, delivers him, raised him up, makes him grow and transforms David.

Today, run away from SELF-DENIAL. Confess those good things in you and start using it for the benefit of the Kingdom of God, but above all, confess what's wrong with you, ask forgiveness and start becoming the person God created you you to be.

JUST SAYING!!!

God bless you,

Pastor D

David Pimentel

http://www.thejustsaying.com
https://www.facebook.com/pastordavid.pimentel
davidforgiven@gmail.com
@thejustsaying
@adavidpimentel

Radiante

Hace un par de semanas, nos tocó ir a colocar nuestras huellas en una oficina del Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos. 

Los procesos migratorios generan cierta tensión. El que ha pasado por uno de estos procesos y ha preparado su petición, sabe a la tensión que me refiero. Es una sensación de duda. Es la pregunta: "¿Estará todo completo? ¿Serán suficientes los documentos que deposité?", PERO... en esta oficina, no se respiraba esa tensión. Había un silencio especial, no por respeto sino por expectativa. Todos recibimos un formulario para llenar y entregar cuando se nos llamara por un número de orden que se nos entregó junto al formulario. Nos señalaron el lugar para sentarnos y comenzaron a llamar personas... o más bien, números. Cada persona se ponía de pie, entregaba el número y su formulario, y un empleado de la oficina le señalaba el lugar donde debía dirigirse. Después de completar su cita, salían por el mismo lugar que entraron, permitiendo a los que esperábamos ver su rostro... Ese rostro que veíamos, es el que quiero referirles.

Era un rostro... radiante. Las personas salían con una alegría muda... Era una alegría que no necesitaba palabras. Era una alegría que trascendía lo corporal. Hasta la ropa se la acomodaban saliendo. Habían sido transformados por la experiencia y no eran necesarias sus palabras.

¿Nos sucede lo mismo cuando estamos con Dios? ¿Salimos radiantes cuando vamos a la presencia de Dios? ¿Salimos transformados por lo que experimentamos? ¿Se da cuenta la gente de que has estado con Dios, no por como hablas sino por como actúas?

Éxodo 34:29 (NVI)

"29 Cuando Moisés descendió del monte Sinaí, traía en sus manos las dos tablas de la ley. Pero no sabía que, por haberle hablado el Señor, de su rostro salía un haz de luz."

Más adelante en el libro de Éxodo, dice que cada vez que Moisés hablaba con Dios, había un brillo especial en su rostro. Era tal la gloria de Dios y el nivel de cercanía que Moisés desarrolló con Dios, que parte de la gloria de Dios se reflejaba en el rostro de Moisés. Incluso menciona que las personas no querían ni acercarse por temor.

¿Qué tal si la diligencia y esfuerzo que invertimos en cosas plenamente materiales y humanas, la invirtiéramos en buscar y experimentar a Dios? ¿Qué tal si el nivel de alegría y emoción que expresamos por cosas de esta vida, las intercambiáramos y las persiguiéramos como un resultado de nuestra relación con Dios?

¿Qué sucedería si la Iglesia lograra tal intimidad con Dios? ¿Qué sucedería si la Iglesia se acercara tanto a Dios, que parte de Su gloria se reflejara en nosotros? ¿Qué tal si nosotros los cristianos pudiéramos llegar a un nivel de cercanía con Dios en el cual no "tuviéramos" que predicar, sino que la transformación en nuestra manera de vivir fuera tan poderosa que la gente recibiera el mensaje sin palabras?

Si viviéramos para experimentar ese nivel de cercanía con Dios simplemente nuestras vidas serían extraordinarias. Dios no cambia... Dios es el mismo hoy y siempre... Está aún más cerca que en los tiempos de Moisés... ¿Qué esperamos para vivir vidas radiantes?

JUST SAYING!!!

Dios te bendiga,

Pastor D

David Pimentel

http://www.thejustsaying.com
https://www.facebook.com/pastordavid.pimentel
davidforgiven@gmail.com
@thejustsaying
@adavidpimentel

Radiant

A couple of weeks ago, we went for our biometrics to be taken at an office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.

Immigration processes generate some tension. He who has gone through one of these processes and has prepared its petition, knows the stress that I mean. It's a feeling of doubt. It's questioning: "It's everything complete? Will the documents I deposited be enough?", BUT... in this office, that tension is not felt. There was a special silence, but the silence produced by respect... it's the silence of expectation. We all received a form to fill out and return when we were called by a serial number given to us with the form. We were pointed where to sit and they started to call people... or numbers. Each person stood up, gave the number and form, and an employee of the office showed everybody where to go. After completing the appointment, everybody came out through the same place they entered, enabling those who where still waiting, to see their faces... That face we saw, is the one I wanted to refer to you.

It was a... radiant face. People came out with joy... It was a joy that didn't need words. It was a joy that transcended their bodies. They even accommodated their clothes while coming out. They had been transformed by the experience and  words weren't necessary.

Is that the case when we are with God? Do we come out with a radiant appearance when we are in the presence of God? Do we come out transformed by the experience? Do people  realize that you've been with God, because of the way you talk or because of the way you live?

Exodus 34:29 (NVI)

"When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord."

Later in the book of Exodus, we read that whenever Moses spoke with God, had a radiant face. Such was the glory of God and the level of closeness with God that Moses developed, that some of the glory of God was reflected in Moses's face. It even says that people felt fear and didn't want to come to him.

What would happened if the diligence and effort we invest in material and fully human things, we would invest in the searching for God and having an experience with Him? What if the level of joy and emotion expressed towards things of this life, were felt by us as a result of us pursuing a relationship with God?

What would happened if the Church would achieve such level of intimacy with God? What would happened if the Church were so close to God, that part of His glory were reflected in us? What would happened if we Christians could reach a level of closeness with God in which preaching wasn't even "necessary", because people got the message through the evident power that provoked a complete transformation in the way we live?

If we'd live to experience that level of closeness to God our lives would simply be extraordinary. God doesn't change... He is the same today and will always be the same. He is even closer than in the days of Moses... What do we expect to start living radiant lives?

JUST SAYING!!!

God bless you,

Pastor D

David Pimentel

http://www.thejustsaying.com
https://www.facebook.com/pastordavid.pimentel
davidforgiven@gmail.com
@thejustsaying
@adavidpimentel