Estamos en medio de un movimiento poderoso…

Donde otros están tratando de encontrar la disciplina y el esfuerzo para forzar un estilo de vida nuevo, nosotros tenemos acceso a un poder como ningún otro: tenemos acceso a la gracia de Dios. Como lo definió una persona, la gracia de Dios es “su presencia poderosa para cambiar”. Aquí es donde Él aparece, con todo Su poder y amor para decirnos: “Si estás conmigo, no estás tratando de cambiar por ti mismo. Si te quedas sin energía o motivación, puedo ayudarte. Si fallas, puedo restaurarte. Si no sabes qué pasos tomar, puedo enseñarte”. En el momento en que invitamos a Jesús a vivir en nuestros corazones, Él estuvo listo y dispuesto a llevarnos a la transformación, a llevarnos de lo que hemos sido, a lo que fuimos creados para ser. ¿Cómo cambiaría tu vida si creyeras lo que Él dijo? ¿Dónde estarías si caminaras en obediencia de todo corazón ahora en lugar de esperar el momento perfecto?

Comenzar un nuevo año a menudo viene con la determinación de hacer cosas que nunca antes habíamos hecho, de cambiar para mejor, pero lo milagroso de la vida cristiana es que en realidad podemos comenzar de nuevo todos los días.

Como iglesia, solemos empezar el año con 21 días de consagración. Durante este tiempo, oramos, ayunamos y pasamos tiempo intencionalmente con el Señor para dedicarle nuestro año. Es posible que hayas oído hablar de esta temporada y hayas pensado: “Eso suena bien, pero nunca podría hacer eso”. o “¿Oh ayuno? No sé qué es eso, pero parece que es para los cristianos realmente buenos como los pastores o los líderes de grupos de amistad, definitivamente no para mí”. Pero lo que realmente está sucediendo aquí es que estamos tomando la palabra de Dios. Si Él quiere hacer nuevas todas las cosas (Apocalipsis 21:5), queremos que Él comience con nosotros. Si Él quiere transformarnos renovando nuestra mente (Romanos 12:2), queremos darle pleno permiso para invadir nuestros pensamientos. Cuando ayunamos, estamos dejando ir algo que nos da fuerza o consuelo (comida, dulces, medios, carne, etc.), para recibir la presencia y el poder de Dios de una manera completamente nueva. No es un momento para morirnos de hambre para que Dios haga lo que queremos que haga, sino una temporada para bajar el ruido para que podamos escuchar Su voz más claramente que nunca antes. Dios quiere transformarnos, Él sabe y ve para quién nos creó, y anhela quitar todo lo que impide el amor para que podamos estar en una amistad profunda e ininterrumpida con Él.

We started this year strong: with a powerful movement of God in our community. We have received so many wonderful words of wisdom and instruction as we celebrate 23 years of Houses of Light. What do we do with what we have received? What is the proper stance to take in the midst of a mighty engine of God?

When the Holy Spirit came on the days of Pentecost, he launched a new community into the world. I believe that the way those early believers acted when he came can instruct us in how we can respond to God’s move among us. As more believers were added to their number and empowered by the presence of God among them, this is what happened to the early church:

And they dedicated themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to communion, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the product to all, as each one had need. And day after day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their houses, they received the food with joyful and generous hearts, praising God and having the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to them day after day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47

Part of what they did in addition to fellowshipping with one another, breaking bread, and praying was that they dedicated themselves to taking the teachings they were receiving and meditating on them, persevering in their development as Christians.

What do we do with the words we receive? Is it possible that the Lord is inviting us to dedicate ourselves to learning and making an effort to grow with the teachings we receive so that we can multiply exponentially not only in number but also in spiritual maturity? By doing this, we can follow the example of the early church and discover that our spiritual growth leads to the flourishing of our community.

We can develop better friendships, have deeper fellowship, and see signs and wonders in each other as we surrender to the process of praying and learning from the Lord. The Holy Spirit came with power over the early church, but they were not in the business of seeking any kind of sensationalism. They devoted themselves to learning about the Kingdom and practicing those teachings in the context of the community. From its unity and development, the church became

a vibrant family characterized by prayer, generosity, constant growth, and the manifestation of God’s power.

What if we could do the same? What if our response to God’s move was to submit to the teaching, not looking for the next big emotional moment, instead rooted in the Lord and in the community in which God planted us? That’s how the church turned the world upside down then, and I think that’s what God wants to do in our midst now. Let’s not let these encounters with God pass without transforming our hearts. Let us take advantage of the teachings and messages entrusted to this house to be good hosts of his presence and the hundreds of new believers that they want to bring into the kingdom. Let’s take advantage of this month to reflect on where we should grow and invite the Holy Spirit to transform us by renewing minds as we deepen the word we have received.