The Kingdom of the Heavens

An important decision about my articles

The most important lesson of the last six months of my life is: to be who I am without reservation, without restraint. I’m a teacher, not a mushroom. And I participate in a Hispanic church. Therefore, I will write in Spanish first.

Una decisión importante sobre mis artículos

La lección más importante de los últimos seis meses de mi vida es: ser quien soy sin reservas, sin contención. Soy maestro, no hongo. Participo en una iglesia hispana y ouedo escribir en español. Por eso, ahora voy a escribir primero en español.

Encouragers/ Exhorters: Be who you are!

Each member has his or her own gifts, which are not the same as those of other members. The Church needs all our gifts. We are to be the persons that God has made us to be fully, unreservedly, completely in proportion to the faith. To Encouragers/ Exhorters, God says: “Be who you are!” The rest of us would be in a bad place without you!

Animadores/ Exhortadores: ¡sé quién eres!

La Iglesia necesita todos nuestros dones. Debemos ser las personas que el Dios nos ha hecho de ser con plenitud, sin reserva, completamente en proporción a la fe. A los Animadores/ Exhortadores, Dios les dice: ¡Sé lo quién eres! ¡El resto de nosotros estaríamos en un mal lugar sin ti!

Warning: Spiritual Encouragement/ Exhortation Causes Paroxysms!

If we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, we should expect to see some earthquakes, volcanoes, seizures, fires, and other things that drastically change the lives of the people around us–though in a good direction–toward love and good deeds.

Advertencia: ¡Aliento Espiritual / Exhortación Causa Paroxismos!

Si estamos haciendo lo que se supone que debemos hacer, debemos esperar ver algunos terremotos, volcanes, convulsiones, incendios y otras cosas que cambian drásticamente la vida de las personas que nos rodean, aunque en una buena dirección, hacia el amor y las buenas obras.

God’s Work and Voice in Me, Part 7F: To Speak or Not to Speak, that is the Question

If God is still speaking to us, why don’t we hear him more? This presentation reviews the reasons given in Scripture.

God’s Work and Voice in Me, Part 7D: Voices Anyone? An immodest proposal,

As one who has long had the experience of being aware, at times, of God’s voice, I propose to the Church at large that we should 1) treat spiritual “voices,” in general, as real and not as mere symptoms of mental illness, 2) learn to distinguish God’s voice from the other voices in our world, and 3) resolve to follow God’s voice. #3 is the key, because we will not be able to discern God’s voice unless we are his sheep, who hear and follow it.

Part 7B: What Does a “Relationship” with God Mean?

A strange thing happened in the 1970’s–we learned for the first time that what we need is a “personal relationship” with Christ. But this terminology is not scriptural, and was left largely undefined, with curious results. That “relationship” became self-defined! What does it mean? What should it mean? What are a believer’s relationships with God? Jesus is our shepherd, older brother, King, teacher and friend, but the word “relationship” is not found. We are called God’s children, house, temple and sheep, but never said to be “in a relationship” with him.

You Are Not the One to Build, Part 5: God’s Callings for All of His Children and Friends

God “calls” all believers to love one another and to be conformed to the image of His Son–to be made, by God, to be just like Jesus. There is also a number of other things to which God “calls” all believers–almost all of them things we simply let him do to or through us, and all of them summed up by loving each other and being remade into His image.