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On the Irresistible Temptation to Win

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Victor Chininin Buele

Deep inside every believer, just like it is inside of everyone who does not yet know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, lies a strong temptation. We want all the glory and none of the suffering.

Satan knew this just might be the way to get to the man Jesus and get him to sin and fall from the mission to save sinners. Go to Matthew 4 and Luke 4. What did Satan try to do? He tried to persuade the man Jesus that it was better to eat than to know God in the middle of flesh-weakening hunger. He tried to get the man Jesus to look at a fraction of the kingdoms of the world and their glory and believe the lie that worshiping Satan would give all of that (and what clearly couldn’t be seen) to him without any suffering. He tried to get the man Jesus to recklessly put God to the test. The temptations clearly whispered something that is really tempting for all of us: The glory is yours, free from pain and sacrifice.

We want to win.

And that’s where things start going wrong. We can have great and marvelous reasons for wanting to win. We will want to fulfill the Great Commission. We will want to hear the Lord say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We might be driven by wanting to alleviate human suffering and pain, confusion and deceit. We may desire to see every person free in Christ.

But soon enough we realize our inadequacy. I would say weakness, but there are plenty of people who have specialized in turning the word weakness into an euphemism for sin, mostly to cover it up or diminish its weight. We are inadequate. We can’t do it.

That’s the moment when our holiness is tested. Will we trust in the Holy Spirit to empower us to fulfill our calling, or will we see our hope in someone else, someone seemingly victorious, successful, wise?

I don’t write as someone without intimate knowledge of this temptation. Chuck DeGroat in one of his books put words to something I always knew to be true: since I thought I knew, or more accurately perhaps, as I was persuaded by Pastor X that I would never be as good as Pastor X, then Pastor X became my victor. And I could devote my life to serving and imitating Pastor X, empowering him to fulfill his calling, which he could do seemingly so effectively. And I saw others who did the same. They could never preach the gospel, in their opinion, so they would want to bring people to the man for him to preach to them. They loved to see him change little things here and their in their dead church, and that emboldened us to support him all the more. To be more loyal. Even to the point of destroying others so that his valuable ministry would continue uninterrupted.

It is a great tragedy that a person would be killed in the so-called Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. But a greater tragedy is that those who profess to be Christians fail when faced with this temptation. Instead of losing and having to rely in the Lord, instead of actually fighting the darkness in our own lives and spheres of influence, instead of doing something ourselves, it is easier to watch someone else do something and appropriate what we see as their victory.

I get it that college campuses are difficult places. How many students are you relationally connected to? What have you told them about the hope you have that far transcends any modern or recycled ideology?

It’s easier to like somebody on YouTube than to do the hard work of martyrdom: giving testimony of the hope we did not buy or merit but received freely through the life, death and resurrection of the now ascended Jesus.

♦️Somos nuestros peores enemigos ♦️

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Víctor Chininín Buele

Franco Quezada llegó a la alcaldía de Loja con una mezcla muy peculiar de decir ser del pueblo y de tener mucha ilusión. Siendo alguien que ha tratado de obedecer al llamado de Dios a orar por el señor alcalde y al haberlo hecho en varias ocasiones desde el púlpito que Dios me ha encomendado, me pareció hoy pertinente hacer unas breves observaciones acerca de lo que ocurrió el día de hoy.

Digo que somos nuestros peores enemigos porque actuamos y no necesariamente pensamos. Nos enfrascamos en ciertas ideas y las perseguimos con furia sin estar preparados para el destino al que nos llevan. Nos enemistamos y nos peleamos. Nos resentimos y dejamos que este cóctel mortal de emociones nos gobiernen.

Esta mañana la mayoría de los señores concejales del cantón dieron rienda suelta a sus emociones y a sus propios intereses obviamente diciendo representar y estar en sintonía con Loja. Y tal fue la intensidad del show político que me dejaron con dudas acerca de que si el Tribunal Contencioso Electoral va a declarar improcedentes a sus acciones para remover al señor alcalde de sus funciones.

En lugar de enfocarse en las causales presentadas y votar a favor o en contra de la remoción basados en la evidencia presentada, dieron rienda suelta a sus instintos políticos. Quisieron humillar a Franco Quezada y como niños malcriados en el patio escolar quisieron dejarlo hecho leña en el suelo y levantarse del polvo, victoriosos, los héroes de Loja.

No me pareció justo dejar que palabras salgan sin pensar en sus consecuencias. ¿Realmente es Franco Quezada el peor alcalde que ha tenido Loja? Estas hipérboles no son útiles sino solo para tratar de avergonzar a alguien y hacerlo sentir mal.

La realidad es que el licenciado Quezada no ha mostrado ser un buen administrador. Pero el pueblo lo eligió sabiendo eso perfectamente bien. Estaban hartos de lo que decían estar hartos en aquel momento. Y me parece algo cobarde ahora echarle la culpa a este hombre por lo que el pueblo dijo querer en las urnas.

Es verdad también que el alcalde ha estado en modo crisis. Ha enfrentado a monstruos y ha perdido muchas batallas con ellos. Se le han ido puentes y asesores. No parece ser el hombre más humilde y su imagen de sencillez y humildad parece contrastar con un rechazo a consejos que le permitan hacer su trabajo de mejor manera.

Parece que pensaba que era un problema de imagen y buscó resolverlo de la manera que un influencer lo quisiera hacer, con videos impactantes, música épica, publicaciones que buscan tocar el corazón. Pero el problema es realmente serio. Todo administrador debe entender sus limitaciones y buscar con cabeza fría y dedicación inagotable la solución a las mismas. Le falta mejorar en eso.

Pero en vez de desearle que lo boten, mi corazón se parte cada vez que veo a este hombre sufrir. Se siente incomprendido. Ha llevado obras a lugares que han esperado mucho tiempo, pero en la ciudad eso no se ve. Incumple, falla, promete, baila, se ríe, abraza al pueblo, está muy feliz en los actos públicos, siempre con su mano en el corazón cantando el himno, tratando de ser un orador público y del pueblo. Realmente se identifica como el alcalde del pueblo.

Pero se encuentra en una situación muy seria y en la que creo que muchos se encuentran. Es hora de enfrentar la realidad del fruto de lo que se ha hecho y no se ha hecho. Independientemente del éxito o fracaso de la votación de los concejales de hoy para removerlo del cargo, lo que Franco Quezada necesita hoy y lo que todos los lojanos necesitamos es a Jesucristo. El pueblo que lo eligió ahora lo juzga porque gobierna como pobre, porque maneja la ciudad como pobre, porque usa el dinero como pobre.

Y ellos mismos se gastan sus 20 dólares que se ganaron con el sudor de su trabajo en Cantaclaro y Pilsener y en salchipapas y otros caprichitos antes de que caigan los innumerables bancos y amigos y comercios a quienes deben mucho dinero.

Sí, ser alcalde requiere todo lo que hace bien el licenciado Quezada pero mucho más. Y el momento en el que se debe reconocer la insuficiencia de uno es el momento en el que uno reconoce que en la debilidad de uno, solo hay Uno que la puede cubrir. Franco Quezada siempre habla de Dios y que es Su voluntad que él esté a cargo de la ciudad. Pero Franco Quezada necesita conocer al Dios verdadero, al Jesús que verdaderamente es humilde y no rechaza consejos sabios, que no busca justificarse a sí mismo ni tratar de dar excusas por sus fracasos.

El principio de la libertad es reconocer la verdad. Y cuando reconocemos la verdad acerca de nosotros, y Dios obra en nosotros, nos vamos a arrepentir y arrepentirse requiere cambiar.

No solo Franco Quezada necesita reconocer la realidad sino todos los concejales también y todos los lojanos. Todos tenemos parte, culpa y responsabilidad de lo que está pasando. El alcalde no puede ser nuestro chivo expiatorio.

Pregunta básica: ¿cuánto ha orado usted por Franco Quezada?

¿Por qué no te invito a la iglesia el domingo?

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Víctor Chininín Buele

Este domingo se celebra el momento más importante de la historia de la humanidad: la resurrección de Jesús.

Es el tiempo en el que veo mis redes sociales llenas de publicaciones, bien intencionadas debo afirmar, de mis amigos invitando a las personas a sus iglesias el día domingo. La intención suele ser que queremos abrir las puertas de nuestras iglesias a toda persona para que venga a escuchar el evangelio en el día más importante para el cristiano: la celebración del evento que transformó no solo la historia sino nuestras vidas, nuevamente, la resurrección. Verdaderamente es cierto lo que Pablo escribe a los corintios: “Y si Cristo no ha resucitado, la fe de ustedes es falsa; todavía están en sus pecados. Entonces también los que han dormido en Cristo están perdidos. Si hemos esperado en Cristo para esta vida solamente, somos, de todos los hombres, los más dignos de lástima” (1 Cor 15:17-19).

También hay quienes en sus invitaciones no resaltan el tema de la resurrección pero enfatizan la experiencia de la visita a la iglesia: huevitos de Pascua y caramelos (en los Estados Unidos), la música, un mensaje inspirador y motivacional, comidas, invitados especiales que vienen a predicar o a enseñar.

Quizá alguien haya notado que yo no suelo invitar a las personas a la reunión de la iglesia del domingo de resurrección y pensé que era una buena idea dar una pequeña explicación de lo que pasa en mi mente y corazón.

Primero, la iglesia es un cuerpo formado por todos los creyentes regenerados por el Espíritu que se reúne para adorar a Dios los domingos (y otros días también). En el contexto de la iglesia de habla hispana escucho mucho la palabra “templo” y no me gusta invitar a nadie al “templo” porque el templo como se lo ve en el Antiguo Testamento ya no existe ni tiene importancia. Es claro que el cuerpo de la iglesia se reunirá el día domingo de resurrección a celebrar a Cristo. Y podría invitarte a la reunión de mi congregación este domingo, pero no quiero invitarte usando palabras que describen un lugar que lo llamamos por un nombre que hasta tergiversa el mensaje de la resurrección. Porque Cristo vive, ya no hay un templo. Al contrario, todo creyente en quien mora el Espíritu es templo del Espíritu Santo.

Segundo, yo creo que hemos invertido el orden. Pensamos que la meta es traer a alguien a la iglesia y no a Cristo. Incluso a veces sentimos que alguien más le va a predicar ahí. Pensamos que el pastor le va a predicar el evangelio y que mi tarea es llevarlo a la iglesia. Y mucho mejor en el domingo de resurrección porque ese día obviamente van a predicar el evangelio. Estoy convencido que alguien debe venir a la iglesia por convicción. Pienso que debemos presentarle el evangelio y confrontarlo con la necesidad del arrepentimiento de su pecado. Uno de los frutos de ese arrepentimiento va a ser el quererse reunir con sus hermanos y hermanas en Cristo a adorar a su Padre a quien ha sido reconciliado por la fe. Si alguien no quiere a Cristo, venir a la iglesia hasta le puede llevar a tener una falsa paz: porque estoy haciendo algo “bueno”, estoy bien. Y si fallamos en predicar el evangelio siempre, le vamos a dar espacio para que pueda establecerse en la congregación sin ni siquiera creer.

Tercero, ¿a qué estamos ganando a la persona? Recientemente alguien a quien estimo mucho en Cristo, informaba en las redes sociales que se había traído huevitos con caramelos para los niños en helicóptero. Pues, no dudo que sea una estrategia altamente llamativa y novedosa. No dudo que sea memorable. Pero ¿qué Cristo fue predicado? No podemos ignorar las lecciones de Neil Postman–el medio que usamos para comunicar puede volverse el mensaje y va a transformar el mensaje. ¿Qué le digo a una madre en crisis cuando su hijo le dice que hay un Cristo que manda caramelos del cielo y no tienen para comer esa noche en casa? El mensaje de la resurrección es el único mensaje que puede traer esperanza a ese hogar, pero si lo tergiversamos quitamos la esperanza verdadera. Y cuando damos falsa esperanza, damos un Cristo falso que va a decepcionar.

Jesús no es un bien comercial que podemos vender.
Jesús no es la poción mágica que va a quitar todos los problemas de alguien.
Jesús no es un espectáculo en el que los mediadores del mensaje en el escenario van a convertir a nadie.
Jesús no es un evento social, una costumbre o una tradición.
Jesús no es el cajero automático que dispensa nuestros sueños.

Jesús es el Salvador del mundo. Él nos llama a morir a nosotros mismos y a dejar atrás todo aquello que nos da confianza y falsa esperanza.
Jesús nos salva y nos da el privilegio de compartir Sus sufrimientos y a consolar a quienes estén sufriendo con el consuelo que solo nos puede venir del Dios de toda consolación.
Jesús es nuestro Señor y si lo es de verdad, no podremos callarnos de compartir Su evangelio con toda criatura. Nos veremos como los heraldos de tales grandes noticias. No haremos un outsourcing de ese privilegio.
Jesús es la verdad, el camino y la vida.
Jesús resucitado es nuestra esperanza.

Romanos 8:23 Y no solo ella, sino que también nosotros mismos, que tenemos las primicias del Espíritu, aun nosotros mismos gemimos en nuestro interior, aguardando ansiosamente la adopción como hijos, la redención de nuestro cuerpo.

¿Y en polvo te convertirás?

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Víctor Chininín Buele

El día miércoles veía yo al Secretario de Estado de los Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, en una entrevista en la televisión mostrando como católico romano la cruz en su frente, señal recibida el miércoles de ceniza. Y recordaba aquellos momentos de mi niñez en los que recibía tal señal en mi propia frente. Recuerdo las palabras del sacerdote siempre haciéndome sentir insignificante y pequeño. Yo recuerdo que en mi adolescencia yo ya deseaba evitar estos encuentros con el sacerdote cada cuaresma. No me gustaba. Cada vez que iba ahí al altar me decía: “Recuerda que polvo eres y en polvo te convertirás”.

Yo era joven, quería ser rico y salir de mi tierra a ser alguien grande. El último mensaje que yo quería recibir era que todo lo que iba a hacer no importaría porque me convertiría igual en polvo.

Mensajes así llenan la vida de la religión tradicional, rituales casi sin sentido para la persona que participa pero momentos y eventos culturales que se vuelven parte de la vida de uno y que lo marcan. Escuchar estas palabras anualmente marca a la persona, quiera o no que lo marquen.

En aquellos años de juventud rebelde, lo último que yo quería era pensar en que me podía morir. Y así somos los seres humanos. Le tememos a la muerte. Pero Jesucristo vino al mundo a salvarnos del pecado. El autor de la carta a los hebreos nos recuerda que parte de esta salvación es liberarnos del temor a la muerte y por medio de esta liberación, erradicar en nosotros estas adicciones de por vida que nos creamos por querer tapar el temor a la muerte: “Así que, por cuanto los hijos participan de carne y sangre, también Jesús participó de lo mismo, para anular mediante la muerte el poder de aquel que tenía el poder de la muerte, es decir, el diablo, y librar a los que por el temor a la muerte, estaban sujetos a esclavitud durante toda la vida“. El temor a la muerte esclaviza porque pasaremos toda la vida tratando de evitar lo inevitable o tratando de escondernos de lo inevitable y eso nos genera una vasta gama de emociones que sin Jesucristo vamos a tratar de manejar o tapar o esconder o medicar de muchas maneras.

Entonces, esta frase confronta a la persona con la realidad de que la muerte le espera.

Pero, y aquí viene lo que espero que sea una contribución a este tema, la frase que viene supuestamente de Génesis 3:19 no dice lo que nos dice el sacerdote que dice. Y en esto, a mí me parece que se pierde el evangelio, por eso es que esto se queda como un simple ritual, porque nunca nos quita la vista de la muerte y nos muestra al Salvador, al Redentor, a quien ya resucitó.

Me explico. El texto en hebreo dice: וְאֶל־עָפָ֖ר תָּשֽׁוּב que yo traduciría como “y al polvo regresarás“. Mi punto es que hay una diferencia muy grande entre “te convertirás” y “regresarás” y en esta diferencia perdemos el evangelio. ¿Por qué digo esto? Porque en Génesis 3:19 estamos en el contexto de enfrentar las consecuencias muy reales del pecado que se cometió en este capítulo, la entrada del pecado al mundo. Dios recuerda al hombre que vino del polvo (כִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה לֻקָּ֑חְתָּ), que es polvo (כִּֽי־עָפָ֣ר אַ֔תָּה) y que al polvo regresará.

La primera definición de la palabra convertir según la RAE es “Hacer que alguien o algo se transforme en algo distinto de lo que era”. Y el segundo ejemplo que da es: “La piedra se ha convertido en polvo”. Es decir, es algo que cambia de naturaleza. Se vuelve algo que no era. Y en este caso, esto es contrario a lo que se trata de comunicar, el texto dice que el hombre siempre ha sido polvo, que Dios le ha dado la vida, el soplo de la vida.

En hebreo no existe la palabra arrepentimiento. En los textos en los que usted ve la palabra arrepentirse en el Antiguo Testamento en español se usa la misma palabra que en Génesis 3:19, shub. Por ejemplo, en Ezekiel 14:6 leemos: «Por tanto, dile a la casa de Israel: “Así dice el Señor Dios: ‘Arrepiéntanse y apártense de sus ídolos, y de todas sus abominaciones aparten sus rostros'”». En hebreo esto también usa la palabra que vemos en Génesis 3:19 (שׁ֣וּבוּ וְהָשִׁ֔יבוּ). Por tanto, literalmente, el Señor Dios dice, Regresen y regresen de sus ídolos…

Esta palabra shub significa regresar, dar la vuelta. Puede ser que remotamente el segundo significado de la palabra convertir según la RAE en algo apunte a esto: “Ganar a alguien para que profese una religión o la practique”. Pero como el evangelio no está tratando de ganar a alguien a una religión, es mejor pensar de manera hebrea y usar la palabra regresar.

La mente hebrea, pues, no tiene este concepto de arrepentirse. Tiene el concepto de regresar. Esto significa que en nuestro andar, o andamos hacia Dios o andamos hacia el pecado. Y andar hacia el pecado requiere que en algún momento regresemos a Dios, nos demos la vuelta, cambiemos de dirección. Escucho de vez en cuando a algún genio por ahí que dice que quiere dar un giro de 360 grados a algo y me río, porque un giro de 360 grados nos deja exactamente donde empezamos. Un giro de 180 grados nos cambia completamente la dirección, eso es shub.

Entonces, si queremos recordar Génesis 3:19 al iniciar la cuaresma, es importante ver que la consecuencia natural del pecado es que regresemos al polvo, pero la promesa del evangelio es que si confesamos con nuestra boca que el Señor Jesús Mesías es nuestro Señor, Salvador y Redentor ya no regresaremos al polvo para siempre sino que regresaremos a Él, a nuestro Señor, Salvador y Redentor por siempre.

La cruz está vacía. Jesucristo ya resucitó. Hay vida después de la muerte. Hay esperanza certera para quien ha confesado con su boca que Jesucristo es el Señor. Pero esto requiere que regresemos. No hay atajo. Debemos dar la vuelta completa y abandonar nuestro pecado, nuestros ídolos, nuestra esclavitud al temor a la muerte que nos esclaviza a otras cosas. Es por eso que el Señor Jesús enseñó en Juan 14:6: “«Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida; nadie viene al Padre sino por Mí”. No hay otro camino.

Claveles y compras, la cuna adornad

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Víctor Chininín Buele

Buenos días y Feliz Navidad.

Se siente la Navidad. Las canastas navideñas ya han sido distribuidas y hasta devoradas. Los aguinaldos y décimos, gastados. Los pavos, comprados o recibidos. Las calles y casas, adornadas. La Unidad de Control Operativa de Tránsito brilla por su eficiencia en mantener a la urbe en movimiento. El Banco de Loja ha colocado su árbol, este año sin luces por la crisis energética. Cafrilosa puso gorrito de Papá Noel al obelisco del Redondel Isidro Ayora y luces iluminadas con paneles solares. Los concursos gastronómicos en las novenas ya están acabando. Los bailes seguirán. Las fundas de caramelos, compradas y distribuidas.

Pudiera criticar la Navidad de Benjamín Carrión y de Salvador Bustamante Celi: la Navidad de claveles y rosas, el Niñito bonito llorando por los pecadores, jugando entre flores, temblando de frío.

O pudiera simplemente unirme al coro angelical, porque los demás lojanos que no tienen voz de tarro como yo sí tienen voz angelical, y cantar a toda voz, “Pero mira como beben los peces el río, pero mira como beben al ver al Dios nacido, beben y beben y vuelven a beber, los peces en el río al ver al Dios nacido”.

Pero, ¿qué profeta que valga en realidad cinco centavos puede hacer eso?

Me recordaban el otro día que el predicador no solo debe exhortar sino también animar. Y Hebreos 10:24-25 nos llama a eso, y no solo al predicador sino a todo cristiano: nos llama a congregarnos, exhortándonos los unos a los otros, sí, y también considerando cómo estimularnos los unos a los otros al amor y a las buenas obras.

Y se me ocurrió que la Navidad cultural lojana que celebramos en estas fechas pues es uno de los pocos momentos en los que un gran segmento de la población está dispuesto para dedicarse a buenas obras y muchos lo hacen de corazón aunque creo que muchos lo hacen al menos para aparentar. Pero como también nos recordaría Pablo en Romanos 14:23, “Todo lo que no procede de fe, es pecado”.

Es decir, que esmerarnos para preparar y degustar de una cena maravillosa es pecado si no se origina en un corazón que tiene fe en la realidad que el Jesús que creó el universo dejó su gloria en los cielos para hacerse hombre como nosotros y vivir una vida como la nuestra, enfrentando todo tipo de tentación, excepto que al contrario de nosotros, Él nunca pecó. Siempre fue y ha sido inocente.

Comernos aunque sea un pollito si no hay para pavo es pecado si en nuestro corazón la envidia o la frustración de no comer como las propagandas o la tradición nos dicen que debe ser una cena toma un lugar prevalente en nuestros pensamientos y acciones.

Gastarnos hasta lo que no tenemos para comprar aquel deseado juguete o prenda de vestir o perfume o flores es pecado si no se origina en un deseo generoso de amar como Cristo nos amó, sacrificándose hasta lo sumo para vivir la vida perfecta que nosotros jamás hubiéramos podido vivir y pasar los insultos, heridas, ofensas y calumnias que lo llevaron a la cruz, a morir por nuestros pecados.

Sacrificarnos para lo que sea, viajes, comidas, cenas navideñas, reuniones, es pecado si no es un sacrificio verdadero en respuesta a la obra de Cristo para nuestra salvación.

Buenos deseos de Año Nuevo y prosperidad son pecado si no se originan en un corazón agradecido por la resurrección, un corazón transformado por el nuevo nacimiento, un corazón que tiene gozo verdadero porque la esperanza de la resurrección ya está viva allí y todo mundo puede ver que la persona ya no es lo que era antes pero que Cristo cambió su vida de una vez para siempre y no hay vuelta atrás.

En todo evento nos dicen estas frasecitas que suenan como que motivacionales. Uno de los empleadores más grandes de la ciudad nos invita a detenernos un momento y reflexionar sobre lo vivido, a llenarnos de gratitud por cada enseñanza, desafío e instante que ha tocado el corazón, a que miremos al futuro con esperanza sabiendo que a pesar de las dificultades, siempre hay un camino lleno de luz.

Y como ustedes pueden ver, toda cena navideña y agasajo nos comunica ese mismo mensaje.

Una Navidad sin Jesús. No nos llaman a reflexionar en el milagro de la encarnación, en el precio que Jesús pagó por los pecados que estamos cometiendo esta misma Navidad. En el barrio, el cura se escapó con la rapidez de Jeannie de Mi Bella Genio en cuanto acabó de cobrar por la misa que dio. Y ¡qué mensajecito que nos dejó! Sean buenos vecinos, aguántense, no desprecien lo que les regalan… cero Cristo. Y en cuanto se fue, empezaron a pasar el traguito mientras esperábamos a los que venían a bailar, danzas tradicionales glorificando el beber en exceso. Feliz Navidad a todos.

Estos mensajes nos llaman a buscar dentro de nosotros lo que sabemos muy bien que no podemos encontrar ahí: el combustible para el agradecimiento y la esperanza de un futuro mejor.

Para verdaderamente ser agradecidos, necesitamos entender la obra de Jesucristo. Necesitamos entender su encarnación y su crucifixión, su resurrección y su ascensión. Para ser agradecidos no tenemos que ver las cosas que nos rodean, sino de dónde nos rescata Jesús. Jesús, el que nos rescata del orgullo con el que podemos pecar en la cena navideña del Hotel Sonesta.

Para tener esperanza certera de que el futuro es mucho mejor de lo que podemos imaginarnos o soñar debemos reconciliarnos con Jesús. Él debe ser nuestro Señor, nuestro Salvador, nuestro Redentor, nuestro ejemplo a imitar. Solamente en Él hay un camino lleno de luz.

No hay otro camino, no hay otro Dios, no hay otra salvación.

Y no es hoy un Niñito bonito, manojo de flores, pequeñito por siempre pero listo para hacer milagros. Es el glorificado Creador del universo, sentado a la derecha del Padre en este momento intercediendo ante Él por sus hermanos, reconciliados al Padre en la fe.

La mayor decisión que tenemos por delante en esta Nochebuena es, ¿vamos a seguir a Jesús, al verdadero Jesús, a dondequiera que nos lleve, sin importar lo que nos cueste?

Solamente en Él podemos y podremos siempre tener una Feliz Navidad. No pida que el Niño Jesús nazca en su corazón como nos piden las novenas. Pida al glorificado Jesucristo que reine en su vida, que sea su Señor. Confiese con su boca que Jesucristo y solamente Él es el Señor.

Una muy feliz Navidad para usted y los suyos.

Disqualified

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Victor Chininin Buele

One of the words that arose the deepest responses from inside of my soul during this election cycle is the word disqualified. And two specific questions about it: (1) Where does the concept of being disqualified come from? (2) Why does it not seem to matter one bit to people (in general)?

Vice President Harris might have thought she was delivering a major blow to former President Trump’s campaign by calling him disqualified. The rhetoric used by him as he spoke of former Rep. Liz Cheney seemed to be the last straw.

But it didn’t seem to change much in people’s decision making process.

Once upon a time, my piano professor and friend of more than two decades challenged me about making comments like the one I’m bringing before you now on account of the Dunning–Kruger effect, a cognitive bias that, put simply, means people who have no expertise in something, or who have a very limited competence in a particular area, think of themselves as experts, going well beyond their actual abilities and knowledge. On this particular subject, I ask you to trust me, for I know a thing or two about the effect the word disqualified has in people. To tell you what these experiences are in detail would distract from the point.

I ask you the first question because the American experiment has reached the point where pluralism has gone from being a foundational ideal of American democracy and public discourse to being an impossibility. We have been pretending for quite a number of years that there is no absolute truth. Never mind that to say that is in itself a statement of absolute truth. But then, President Trump comes into our little screens in our pockets, and all of a sudden, time and time again his lies become something that can’t be avoided. There is, after all, such a thing as absolute truth. And there is something inside of us, even in the deepest levels of our perversion, if we haven’t repented of our sins and turned to Jesus in holiness, that cries out for justice and vindication. Trump challenges this false post-modern premise of supposed neutrality as it comes to the truth. The idea that I have “my truth” and you have yours seems to work great when we are talking about “private things,” but it clearly fails at moments like the one before the United States today.

This moral compass, or these faint remains of a conscience point us to the fact that God truly does exist and that He is truth and love and justice and mercy. Our souls are in great disarray these days because we want truth so long as it doesn’t expose the lies we like to live out, we want love so long as it doesn’t require us to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and find there that true love requires death to ourselves and to our most precious passions, we want justice so long as the other gets what he deserves, we want mercy so long as it is in a virtual signaling sort of presentation and puts me in the best possible light.

Where would Vice President Harris get the idea that President Trump is disqualified? From somewhere in the depths of her heart where she knows that God is life and the author of life and that we must not kill, where she knows what Jesus taught: that even to insult my neighbor is as if I had already murdered him.

When the human soul truly beholds the spectacle that Trumps brings forth, it cries out for mercy, for God to make this right, to somehow sort out this contradiction.

And now we come to the second question, why does it seem to not matter one bit. Well, first of all, technically, as any sinful narcissist has demonstrated in the history of the world, it is possible to show a list of qualifications and say that the person in question is eminently qualified, largely ignoring the concerns that resulted in the accusation of disqualification. Narcissists are excellent at coming out of accusations clean as a whistle in their own eyes and making the person raising the concern to think that she is crazy or deceived or confused or just wrong. Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution requires that Mr. Trump be a natural-born citizen, at least thirty-five years-old, and a resident of the United States for at least fourteen years. Those are the technical qualifications. He meets them all. He is not disqualified.

When the human mind is trying to sort out that conflict between what our eyes are seeing/our ears are hearing and what we want to do, cognitive dissonances “help,” and that’s why this word carries no impact. To say someone is disqualified puts into question the moral and intellectual decision-making process of the person making the choice to affirm the qualification, in this case, to vote for President Trump. How can I be the “good person” that I know I am and still vote for this man that I know to be [insert here the revelation of Trump’s heart in display now, as it always changes]? So, I must end up affirming the qualification because there is no way that I can remain in my own eyes a thinking, moral being and still do that. Sure, I must affirm that a pastor must be above reproach and faithful to his wife while I ignore the sexual immorality that has characterized Mr. Trump’s life. We deny the evidence in front of us, and we tell ourselves that we are doing the right thing, the honorable thing, the thing that will bring the best success to the nation, the thing that will expand the Kingdom of God.

I only speak of Trump for brevity and to not obscure the point, not out of a sense of endorsement of the Vice President, nor to fake fairness.

My point here is quite simple: today’s election will reflect many things about your heart. What do you believe in? What do you hope for? What makes you angry? What do you worship? Pluralism is breaking down because now that everyone is more open about the fact that we are our own gods, these gods are in conflict in a lot more visible and profound ways than ever before when we all pretended to have the same basic morality. I appreciate the memes and publications that clearly say that we are past “agreeing to disagreeing” but that we are facing dueling moralities.

The challenge for the United States, whoever wins, is to answer honestly and truthfully who we are. I think that a lot of people need to admit the truth that America has never been a Christian nation, and others need to admit that they really are becoming a new inquisition of thought and practice. The nation cannot continue like this. Trump didn’t create the division. It was already there. His gross immorality was just the event that forced us to have to find a way to deal with it. And we are failing. We are justifying ourselves and carrying on the idea that everything is going to be alright. It won’t be. Not until we truly acknowledge what it is that we worship and act like it.

Americans are very committed evangelists. Things are going to get uglier, I am afraid, since these competing gospels are coming at each other and not bending the knee to the One who rules over all.

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.
They shall spring up among the grass
    like willows by flowing streams. (Isaiah 44:3-4 ESV)

El descanso que da Jesús

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Víctor Chininín Buele

Ecuador está atravesando una sequía muy seria que ha resultado en apagones del servicio de electricidad de hasta 14 horas diarias. Esto significa pérdidas millonarias a nivel nacional y en el corazón humano desempleo, hambre y desesperación. Resulta que el texto del domingo era Marcos 6:30-44. ¿Qué podemos aprender de este texto en tales circunstancias?

I. JESÚS, EL BUEN PASTOR, DA DESCANSO A QUIENES ENVÍA A CUMPLIR LA MISIÓN

El Salmo 23 describe a YHWH, a Dios, como mi pastor. Presenta certeza de que en Dios, nada me faltará. La poesía del salmo nos lleva a pastos verdes. Mostraba Ecuavisa esta semana un reportaje desde el área de las hidroeléctricas del Paute. La tierra donde solía estar el agua que ahora falta ya hasta se ha secado y se ha agrietado de la sequía. El salmo nos lleva a lugares de verdes pastos donde Dios nos hace descansar. ¿Cómo nos hace descansar en el medio de un estiaje en el que la tierra está seca? ¿Cómo nos conduce junto a aguas de reposo? ¿Cómo nos restaura el alma y nos guía por senderos de justicia?

En Marcos 6:30-31, leemos que 30 Los apóstoles se reunieron con Jesús, y le informaron sobre todo lo que habían hecho y enseñado. 31 Y Él les dijo: «Vengan, apártense de los demás a un lugar solitario y descansen un poco». Porque había muchos que iban y venían, y ellos no tenían tiempo ni siquiera para comer.

En el versículo 7 Jesús llamó a los doce para enviarlos de dos en dos con autoridad para la misión, pero sin nada para el camino. Ahora en el versículo 30, regresan y vuelven a reunirse con Jesús. Y le contaron todo, todo lo que habían hecho y todo lo que habían enseñado. Imagino que le estaban contando historias de momentos en los que no había qué comer pero Dios proveyó o tal vez momentos sin descanso. Jesús les dice, “Vengan, apártense de los demás a un lugar solitario y descansen un poco”.

Jesús aquí les dice a estos hermanos que acaban de llegar de ver a Dios obrar y proveer, que han predicado y defendido la fe, que lo sigan, se hagan a un lado de los demás y se vayan al lugar desolado, al desierto. Al principio de Marcos, Juan el Bautista apareció en el desierto (1:4), voz del que clama en el desierto, “Preparen el camino del Señor, hagan derechas sus sendas”. La predicación del arrepentimiento empezó en el desierto. Aquí a donde Jesús quiere llevar a los discípulos a descansar. A Jesús mismo, el Espíritu lo impulsó a ir al desierto (1:12) y estuvo ahí, en el desierto, cuarenta días siendo tentado por Satanás (1:13). En 1:35, Jesús se levantó muy temprano después de obrar muchos milagros, y salió y se fue a un lugar solitario, y allí oraba. Una vez que la fama de Jesús se empezó a propagar por las señales y prodigios que hacía, se quedaba fuera en lugares despoblados (1:45), y ocurre en Marcos 6 nuevamente.

Jesús, aquí, da descanso a quienes envió. Se los lleva al desierto y les hace descansar. Necesitan descansar, dice el texto, porque “había muchos que iban y venían y ellos no tenían tiempo ni siquiera para comer”. Los discípulos se están transformando a la imagen de Jesús. Jesús en el capítulo 3 ministraba así mismo, versículo 20: “Jesús llegó a una casa y la multitud se juntó de nuevo, a tal punto que ellos ni siquiera podían comer”. La labor es intensa, la oportunidad es insaciable, el ministerio es abrumador. Jesús les dice: pausemos, vamos a descansar.

El Buen Pastor lleva a sus discípulos a los verdes campos, a las aguas de reposo en el desierto. Jesús no siempre le va a dar pasto verde o agua abundante, pero le va a dar Su presencia y ésta se puede apreciar mejor en el silencio, en la soledad, en el desierto, en aquellos momentos y lugares en los que solamente Dios nos puede llenar.

Catorce horas de apagones diarios. Aunque quiera perder tiempo en internet, ¿puede? Y aún así para nuestra condenación seguimos nosotros sin abrir mucho la Fuente de Vida que no tiene batería que se acabe. Nos quedamos sin orar en los momentos de silencio forzado. Nos dormimos nomás.

¿De qué necesitamos descanso? Agustín de Hipona dijo alguna vez que hemos sido hechos para Dios y que nuestro corazón estará inquieto hasta que encuentre descanso en Él.

Versículo 32: “Y se fueron en la barca a un lugar solitario, apartado”.

II. JESÚS, EL BUEN PASTOR, TIENE COMPASIÓN DE SU CREACIÓN

Versículos 33-34: Pero la gente los vio salir, y muchos los reconocieron y juntos corrieron allá a pie de todas las ciudades, y llegaron antes que ellos. 34 Al desembarcar, Jesús vio una gran multitud, y tuvo compasión de ellos, porque eran como ovejas sin pastor; y comenzó a enseñarles muchas cosas.

La gente los alcanzó a ver saliendo por el agua y se alborotaron y llegaron antes que ellos, corriendo por la orilla. Y se armó la gran multitud. Jesús entonces se bajó con los discípulos y los vio. El Buen Pastor Jesús vio a todos los que estaban allí y la reacción, la emoción en lo más profundo de su ser, fue compasión. Jesús vio a una muchedumbre “como ovejas sin pastor”. Los vio perdidos.

Se puede apreciar en textos del Antiguo Testamento como Is 56:11, Jer 10:21, Eze 34:2-6, Zac 10:2-3 y 11:17 que es el fracaso del pastor en su pecado que hace que las ovejas estén sin pastor. Y Dios es muy claro en esto: cuidar del pastor significa amarlo lo suficiente para servir con corrección cuando sea necesario.

En nuestro texto, Jesús mira con compasión a estas ovejas perdidas, ovejas de las que se han aprovechado, a las que han ignorado, a las que les han enseñado mal o no les han enseñado nada. Y ¿qué es lo que hace Jesús? ¿Les dice que hagan cola para hacerles a todos un milagro?

No. Versículo 34: comenzó a enseñarles muchas cosas. La compasión de Jesús como Buen Pastor le lleva a enseñar, a ayudarle a la ovejita a que ya no ande perdida, a que sepa reconocer al pastor verdadero, a que pueda recibir consuelo y ayuda de verdad, a que sienta compasión y no dureza y severidad, a que sienta el amor de Dios y no el abuso de hombres envanecidos. Juan 8:32: “y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres».

III. JESÚS, EL BUEN PASTOR, DA DE COMER HASTA LA SACIEDAD

El Salmo 23 nos recuerda que Dios pastorea en lo que se siente como muerte, en el temor, en los momentos de disciplina, delante de enemigos: ante quienes prepara una mesa, unge con aceite. Y llena la copa de tal manera que rebosa.

El bien y la misericordia de Dios que siguen todos los días de la vida no son una falsa promesa de prosperidad y de una vida sin problemas, sino que en el medio de las dificultades, Dios nos dará su presencia.

Veamos lo que vienen a decirle los discípulos a Jesús:

35 Y cuando ya era muy tarde, Sus discípulos se acercaron a Él, diciendo: «El lugar está desierto y ya es muy tarde; 36 despídelos para que vayan a los campos y aldeas de alrededor, y se compren algo de comer».

Jesús ahí ha estado enseña y enseña y enseña. Los discípulos se le acercan y como que le dicen, ya, maestro, ya es de noche y estamos lejos de todo, despídete ya para que la pobre gente pueda ir a encontrar y comprar algo de comer. Pareciera que tienen una gran compasión de esta pobre gente: Jesús, ya, por favor, la gente está con hambre. Ya párale.

Y aunque suena como algo muy lleno de compasión lo que los discípulos están diciendo, en realidad no lo es. Quieren que ya cada uno se vaya por su propia cuenta y busque qué comer. Muchos van a quedar con hambre. Muchos no han de tener dinero. Estos discípulos que regresaban de ver a Dios proveer lo suficiente para ellos, como que se olvidaron de eso. Y Jesús, en su manera característica de amar y enseñar, como Buen Pastor, les dice:

37 «Denles ustedes de comer»

¿Y ahora, esto? Jesús está loco. Mire cómo responden los discípulos: Y ellos le dijeron: «¿Quieres que vayamos y compremos 200 denarios de pan y les demos de comer?»

Se dice que un trabajador ganaba un denario al día. Para nuestra referencia, el año actual tiene aproximadamente 260 días laborables. Los discípulos esencialmente le dijeron a Jesús, ¿Qué? Aunque saquemos el sueldo de casi un año entero y no nos gastemos en nada más, no nos alcanzaría jamás. Quienes salieron con las instrucciones de 6:7-11 y vieron la mano poderosa de Dios obrando maravillas se olvidaron de ello y piensan que Dios no puede hacer lo imposible.

No pueden concebir lo que Jesús va a hacer:

38 Jesús les dijo: «¿Cuántos panes tienen ustedes? Vayan y vean». Y cuando se cercioraron le dijeron*: «Cinco panes y dos peces». 39 Y les mandó que todos se recostaran por grupos sobre la hierba verde. 40 Y se recostaron por grupos de cien y de cincuenta. 41 Entonces Él tomó los cinco panes y los dos peces, y levantando los ojos al cielo, los bendijo; partió los panes y los iba dando a los discípulos para que se los sirvieran; también repartió los dos peces entre todos.

Jesús como Buen Pastor les da de comer de manera milagrosa, como el pan del cielo que recibieron los israelitas, Jesús el verdadero Pan del Cielo da abundantemente.

42 Todos comieron y se saciaron. 43 Recogieron doce cestas llenas de los pedazos, y también de los peces. 44 Los que comieron los panes eran 5,000 hombres.

El Buen Pastor nos lleva a aguas de descanso, a reposar sobre la hierba verde. Pero esto solamente cuenta para quienes son sus ovejas. La gran pregunta aquí es: ¿soy una oveja del Señor?

On David, the Imperfect

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Victor Chininin Buele

I was preaching on Sunday from Philippians chapter 4, verses 1-3. What does that have to do with David? Hang on with me.

I argue from the text that the admonition that Paul gives to Euodia and that Paul gives to Syntyche to agree in the Lord could really be the reason that he wrote the letter to the church at Philippi. Furthermore, in line with some of the arguments presented by Dr. Jeannine Brown, I am inclined to hear her out and entertain the idea that Paul’s ask for help for these two women was made to the church at Philippi and not to an individual (for more on the interpretation of “true companion” in verse 3, please refer to her TNTC commentary on Philippians). I say this because the admonition to stand firm mirrors chapter 1 and the call to “agree in the Lord” is the same call to have the same mind from chapter 2. I am persuaded to think that Paul taught all the wonders of the high Christology of Philippians in order to force us into the theological lab: now that you’ve seen the humility, majesty, and centrality of Jesus Christ, please have the same mind that he exemplified for you, and go help these two women to be of the same mind. You’d also notice something weird with my grammar there, “that Paul gives to Euodia and that Paul gives to Syntyche,” which I did because he is explicit in the text to address both equally, without favoritism or partiality. I want to echo that.

One of the things that came to mind while I was in the middle of my exegetical work was the question, “How did Paul know about Euodia and Syntyche?” I then realized, that somebody, just like the people of Chloe in 1 Corinthians, could have found a way to let Paul know this was happening. Obviously, it is also possible that such a visible issue with the leadership of the church was so obvious that the news traveled far and wide. Maybe somebody wrote to Epaphroditus about it, and he told Paul. Who knows.

A lot of chatter has been going on this week about a very public sin from a fairly famous man. Some people have said that such matters must be handled quietly and in-house to avoid gossip and to not bring disgrace to the church of the Lord.

Others have also expressed a lack of agreement with the action taken by the church and the ministries where this man had worked to delete his messages and content.

I want to advance the discussion on these two areas since we seem to be perpetually stuck in these two general issues. These things keep happening in the Church, and we keep coming back to the same and the same and more of the same.

On Talking about Steve Lawson as Gossip

Well, that’s enough for some of you to stop reading right there. I said this person’s name. Trust me when I say that I understand this. I lived in that way for many years. You believe that the world needs to see the church as a spotless bride, and you want to fight for the reputation of Christ’s bride on earth. You are also very gullible because of that predisposition to fall for characters of ill repute that mask themselves as knights of the light, or as Jesus called them, wolves. And you start to believe the tall tale that unbelievers would be harmed if they saw the truth of what happens when a wolf “pastors” a church. How will they believe if they see the church like this? So, we start to hide the sin and rename it and mask it and polish it, and before we realize it, we are covering it up.

Don’t read what I am not saying. I don’t know this man personally, and anything that I might say about any details about his life would be gossip, spreading untruths. I simply don’t know.

What I do know from public information, from public statements from the ministries where he worked or collaborated, is that this man was engaged in adultery for at least five years, that he did not repent but only spoke up about what he had been doing after the father of the young woman threatened to expose him. Lawson ended what would be his last sermon saying how much he was looking forward to seeing the church the following Sunday for communion. He did not expect to be going anywhere.

This is a man that has written many books, spoken at many conferences, was a teaching fellow at Ligonier, and worked as the Dean of the D.Min. program at The Master’s Seminary. That’s a lot of eyes on his work.

And we are people of the truth. We harm the reputation of the church of Christ when we use lies (that we tell ourselves are euphemisms) to clean things up. We are not called to be spin doctors. Our Master did not call the Pharisees “people with great intentions but with inappropriate conduct and deficient theology.” He called them hypocrites and whitewashed tombs. When we call something an “inappropriate relationship,” we plaster nasty wallpaper over sin. We flatten people and their complexity. We have the truth at stake, and as the big letters in one of Lawson’s books read, “It Will Cost You Everything.” Following Jesus is a call to die. It’s a call to die to the idea of having a nice reputation. A true believer is despicable to a world that hates his Master.

So, to publicly respond to public, grievous sin like this, given the public platform that this man profited from, is not gossip. If you want to see who brought disgrace upon the church living a lie and preaching a gospel contrary to the one he was living, look at Dr. Steven Lawson. He did it. Don’t take it on those you think that are gossiping. How did Paul find out about the Corinthians and the Philippians? How many verses in those two letters do you see him reprimanding those who let him know about the sin that was taking place in those churches?

Our Brother Steve

Next to it is the response that calls him our brother. Again, I understand the disposition to want to do that. But the evidence before our eyes is clear. This man (at least the way things stand right now, based on the evidence our eyes can see) is not our brother. I find it quite tragic to see how many “Calvinists” become “Arminians” under pressure. Why exactly are we calling this man a brother? Because he prayed a prayer? I know he preached a lot against “false conversions,” a popular subject amongst Southern Reformed preachers, but aren’t we just calling him a brother because of the things we believe we’ve seen him do for the Kingdom? Why? Because he wrote “good books”? Because he preached exegetically-accurate sermons? Because he taught you how to preach, even from a distance? Because he was “the Lloyd-Jones of our times”? James had a word about this: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (2:19).

[18] Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, [19] one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. [20] The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. (ESV)
Deuteronomy 29:18–20

It is tragic to me that when we see things like what we are seeing unfold, this is not the passage that comes to our mind before we go on showing favoritism and crying out for our “BROTHER.” He might be our brother in the end. He might repent and truly believe and persevere through the end, far away from speaking from any pulpits. But what we see now is this: A man whose heart is turning away from the LORD to serve the gods of the nations, the very gods he had so seemingly passionately preached against; a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who blesses himself in his heart saying that everything is gonna be alright even though he walks in the stubbornness of his heart. For five years. Without a peep. Without a word. Teaching people to live pure and holy lives unto the Lord. Calling them to believe in a Jesus he was mocking with his actions.

Should We Rip Out David’s Psalms from the Bible?

And we land into our big question. David failed. You don’t see the pages written by David ripped out of the Bible by the hand of God himself. So, why should we obliterate Mr. Lawson’s messages from the internet?

I want to respond that even a broken watch is right twice a day. And there might be plenty in these books that points to the truth of the Word. But I just can’t read it the same way. When I opened the Church Planting book that my former pastor wrote, after he was found out in his sin and dismissed from his pastorate, it just didn’t read the same to me. I was looking at the words in those pages that I had heard repeatedly from his mouth, even as distant as we were. You see, he was a speaker, not a pastor to me. I learned from what he said from the pulpit. I never walked with him. We did not disciple one another. I don’t see what good can come from dwelling too much on this question. You can show any abuser or wolf or criminal or atheist or secularist or anyone, really, to have said at least something that is true. That doesn’t mean that it is to be a standard of excellence or godliness.

But I want to reflect more on the fact that we willingly make significant category mistakes when the emotions are high, and when our desire to defend Christ’s church is mixed up with the self-preservation of a wolf and our own self-preservation of comfort.

First of all, David was guilty of terrible sin. And he also went on carrying on being a king, though without really fulfilling his kingly responsibilities–requiring the privileges but not going into the battlefield. Nathan had to come and confront him. His confession, though, was not the result of coercion: “Hey, David, if you don’t tell, I will go right now and tell this sin to everyone at the gates of the city.” Nathan prompted repentance, and David repented. There is a massive difference between David’s response and Mr. Lawson’s.

Also, David persevered through the end. We are yet to see what Mr. Lawson does. And his repentance is something that I pray we see. But far away from microphones and the conference circuit. Repentance comes with humility and brokenness. Tim Keller waited a long time before publishing. I think there was some wisdom in that. For many years, he was not in what we now see as the cycle of sermon series or conferences turned into books that feed our modern evangelical publishing machine. I think that our worldly hunger for more predisposes us to make heroes of wolves and to rush everyone into the glory that yet awaits for us.

So, to equate “David failed” or “David was imperfect” with the active unrepentance of a wolf is not a particularly good argument to make about the permanence of the words written by “fallen men.” We love to call them fallen, to say that they fell. Doing that is very dangerous. It misrepresents the truth. This is not a man who fell on a banana peel and cursed when his head hit the ground but then cried in repentance at seeing the depths of his depravity come out of his mouth. This is a man who got up into the pulpit at his church and whatever other platforms to which he had access to and Sunday after Sunday, commitment after commitment, speaking engagement after speaking engagement, book after book preached of a gospel he did not really believe in, with his Southern gentleman look, suit and tie, and the “right” words.

James reminds us, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (2:17).

Brothers and sisters, let’s have the same mind, which is ours in Christ Jesus. Go, please, read Philippians. Look at what the bar is. It is far more precious and worth fighting for than any worldly platform even if we have baptized it as Christian. And let’s get on this business of truly being of the same mind which is ours in Christ Jesus who though he is God, he did not count equality with God as a privilege to grasp. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross. For us, sinners.

I could say more, especially on the subject of “we are all two steps away from falling like this,” but let the reader grab on to his Reformed hat more tightly, if those words are in your head. Before you blinked, you turned into the Arminian you claim to oppose. God is bigger than you or I. Holier than you or I. More merciful than you or I. And more just than you or I. His persevering holiness is what we are called to imitate.

It’s Been a While

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Victor Chininin Buele

I have not made time to write. Perhaps it is because people don’t read. Perhaps it is because I don’t know how to write.

The world burns. I’ve been watching forest fires from a distance for several weeks. A fireman is powerless against the rapid and devastating advance of a line of fire. But it doesn’t mean that he gets to quit. And the fireman is faced with a big question: will he call for help or will he give up? And, while he waits for help, will he fight with all he has?

Four years ago, I am reminded by Facebook, I made a big mistake. I made a decision that changed my family’s trajectory. What was that decision? What I can tell you is that I was tired. A lot of bad choices start with that. I chose to be lazy. I said, I have reasons to trust this one person, so I am going to check out my brain at the door and just go with the flow. I was tired of fighting evil, and I just wanted to sit back and rest. I wanted somebody else to do the fighting for a while. I wanted to follow.

That was a terrible thing to do.

That is most definitely not Great Commission thinking. The Kingdom of heaven is not like that, a man who felt secure in the world but spiritually beaten up, gave up on the idea of doing what His Lord called him to do: make disciples. He checked out his brain at the door and embracing pragmatism and his own fleshly desire for convenience did what the others were doing.

What is Great Commission following and thinking?

[18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

It means that we follow Jesus and not man.
It means that all authority is His, not man’s.
It means that all authority is derivative. If it doesn’t find its origin, purpose, calling, and empowerment in Christ, it is not legitimate authority.
It means that His authority is over everything. That I am not the Lord of my choices and my calling.
It means that making disciples is the goal, not studying the Lord and His Word as if it were an intellectual hobby or merely as an academic pursuit. It means reflecting on how to help disciples know the Lord, not just turn on the firehose of an expository sermon at them without regard for whether they are living and loving the Word and the Lord revealed in that Word. It means not equating “healthy doctrine” with healthy discipleship. You can say the right words but be in great sin.
It means that we actually have to evangelize and proclaim the truth of the gospel, not manipulate emotions and desires to produce baptisms as if changing the heart is something we can do with the right prayer or the right argument.
It means actually going. How much of Christianity today is about staying put, using the Word as an excuse and reason to not obey the Great Commission. About seeking our on comfort and goals, our own interests and pleasures. About not being uncomfortable.
It means teaching all that Jesus taught us. And to teach without hypocrisy, we actually have to do these things ourselves.
It means resting in the Lord who has promised the gift of His presence with the believer. Who else is going to be with you when persecution comes, when things get harder instead of easier, when loss for His name strikes.

[15] And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).

It means that going into all the world is not a question. It means we are not to shelter in the safety of our homes, groups, or church buildings. It means we cannot be ingrown, using Jack Miller’s accurate description of many churches.
It means that we go out with a message: the gospel. In Mark that message is taken back to 1:15. The Kingdom of heaven has come near to us. What do we do with that? We repent and believe the gospel.
It means we must live repentance. Repentance is the tune of the life of the believer. Imagine if our churches would smell like repentance.

[46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:46-48).

It means that suffering is in store for us. Our Savior suffered to give us eternal life. Why do we treat the Christian life as the preservation of comfort and the delusion of our security?
It means that it is resurrection life. We were bought back from the dead. We were dead in our sins of trespasses. We want others to also be free. And we must never subject ourselves to slavery to sin again.
It means not only that our lives are to be constantly full of repentance but that we proclaim this repentance to the world. This would go a long way in destroying these cultures of permissiveness and secrecy, self-protection and deceit, that we talk ourselves into saying that we are protecting the reputation of Christ when we are actually protecting our own.
It means that we are witnesses of Christ. It means I must tell the truth. It means I must tell you that even as I was writing this, I needed to repent of sin and ask for forgiveness.

What a Savior!

A Lesson from Our Forefathers

/ vchininin / Leave a comment

Víctor Chininin Buele

Nothing incendiary here. Or at least not purposefully so. But I’ve been slowly reading through the Old Testament over the last several weeks. A story caught my attention. Nothing new. Nothing that I have not read before. A lesson from our forefathers in the faith.

We meet some friends in Numbers 32, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who promise to go fight with Israel until the end before returning to the land that they asked to be their possession. They all crossed the Jordan and did what they promised they would do. These men of integrity kept their word.

In Joshua 22, we read of their return trip. These people received a great commendation: “You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God” (3). They kept their promise and did not forsake the rest of Israel. The historical precedent to this episode is, then, one of faithfulness. This truly is what they did. They did what they said they would do.

Joshua blesses them and before sending them on their way, he charges them to “only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (5).

The charge is clear. Despite their display of faithfulness, they are blessed with/through a reminder of their need and calling to holiness, to obey Yahweh, to cling to Him, an impossible task without the pursuit of holiness. Joshua doesn’t assume they know. Joshua doesn’t assume that their past faithfulness will necessarily result in holiness once they return to their land.

Grace does not mean we are to strive to always see the best in others. This story would have turned out very differently if our friends would have turned on Joshua and said, “Why are you not seeing us with the eyes of grace? Are you accusing us of something? Don’t you see we have been faithful at great personal cost? Maybe your connection to Achan (cf. Joshua 7:10-26) has poisoned everything you see? Perhaps you are acting like this Achan thing is a hammer and so, everything you see is a nail? Maybe you are harboring bitterness over Achan?” Grace is not ignorant of the reality that we must always be watchful and actively working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Grace is not ignorant of temptation. Grace is not ignorant of the reality that there is sin that must be warned against and called out, proactively and reactively pursuing holiness.

They received the blessing, the warning, the exhortation. And they went home.

The text then tells us what happened after they got back: “And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size” (10).

That is simply a fact. They built an altar.

What happened next? When Israel heard about this, their first reaction was to go make war with them. This is far from the false grace we have come to expect in our days: trust unquestionably, see the best in people, affirm the evidences of grace in them. Of course, there is a time under the sun to trust, to overlook minor offenses and mistakes, to affirm the work of God in a person. But it is not always the time for such responses.

Were the people of Israel vengeful? Was that why their first possible response was war? Let’s answer that from the text:

Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the Lord by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the Lord? Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord, that you too must turn away this day from following the Lord? And if you too rebel against the Lord today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the Lord’s land where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’”

Joshua 22:13-20 (ESV)

The sin of Achan is still fresh in their minds. They remember the wrath that fell upon them as a result of this sin. They recall the loss and consequences due to this breach of faith. They fear the Lord and do not desire for this to happen again. This kind of sin, as they have realized, is possible to prevent. They even had a fresh memory to which they can appeal in their plea for repentance.

You may want to ask, why did they jump to conclusions so fast? Why are they assuming sin? I would ask back, have you read the Old Testament? Up to this point in the biblical narrative we have had sufficient evidence that Israel can and will build altars for idolatrous purposes (Aaron built an altar for the golden calf, for example). They actually did not assume the best in this situation. They actually assume the very worst. They see Aaron all over again. They see Achan all over again. There is a pattern, and this sure looks like it.

So, they assembled a delegation on behalf of the whole congregation of Yahweh and sent them to make a diligent inquiry of the matter and to explicitly call for repentance. And they went and asked hard questions, not the kind of tentative insinuations we are accustomed to in our modern days “maybe, perhaps, I don’t know if you are seeing this, I think…”

Did these questions sound like accusations? Or better said, were these questions accusations? These questions show the tribes that the whole congregation of Israel believes that the tribes have committed a breach of faith, that they have sinned, and that have rebelled against the Lord. They are being called to repent. A better question to ask is, what kind of a heart did the questions reveal? A broken and contrite heart? A defensive and evasive heart? A bitter heart?—“One who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart’” (Deuteronomy 29:19 ESV).

What happens in the text? What is the way that the tribes respond to these questions?

Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord. Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”’ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”

Joshua‬ ‭22:21-29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They did not resent the questions. They were not defensive. Their intentions and actions clearly show they are pursuing holiness. Not just in what they did in the past but also in how they are going through the process of being called to repentance.

When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.” Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Joshua‬ ‭22:30-34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

That was it. There you have it. Unity was preserved. It was not because they hard questions were avoided, or because people were assumed to be in the right despite seeming evidence to the contrary, or because the events were put in their best possible light. Unity was preserved precisely because people on both sides were willing to follow the Lord and do their job, calling for accountability and repentance, showing truth and submitting to God in responding.

Let us not miss these lessons from our forefathers in the faith. There may be a thing or two out there that we very well may be called to put into practice today.