También en el conflicto que cada ser humano vive diariamente cuando es asediado por una prueba, un momento difícil o un sin salida, aún por esa noticias que generan ansiedad. 

Es allí, cuando se necesita la estrategia adecuada que le permita mantenerse en pie ante cualquier ataque, ya sea a nivel emocional, sentimental, espiritual, o en algún área de su vida para no sentirse rebajado por los diferentes obstáculos que intimidan, presionan o minimizan el transcurrir de su existencia. 

Pero hay una forma de mantenerse alertas para vencer: 

“…Por lo demás, hermanos míos, fortaleceos en el Señor, y en el poder de su fuerza.” 

Es imposible seguir avanzando y estar firmes en medio de momentos de crisis si se desconoce que esta lucha no es contra este mundo, sino contra una persona o situación. 

“..Porque no tenemos lucha contra sangre y carne, sino contra principados, contra potestades, contra los gobernadores de las tinieblas de este siglo, contra huestes espirituales de maldad en las regiones celestes.” 

Indudablemente las armas más poderosas son las espirituales, existen, claro, ahora es fundamental saber usarlas, entrar en acción, y ser consciente todos los días de la necesidad de tenerlas para avanzar con inteligencia, pelear la buena batalla y conquistar haciendo frente. 

“…Por tanto, tomad toda la armadura de Dios, para que podáis resistir en el día malo, y habiendo acabado todo, estar firmes.” 

La buena noticia es que hay una forma de contrarrestar ese peligro al que se ve desafiado todo hombre y mujer que ha decidido caminar de la mano de Dios y es tomar las armas espirituales, esas que permiten levantar la cara como un soldado del ejército de Dios y mirar por encima de las circunstancias, es tomar posición de poder para avanzar. 

Sí, armados para protegerse, pero también ¡armados para ganar! 

“…Estad, pues, firmes, ceñidos vuestros lomos con la verdad, y vestidos con la coraza de justicia, 15 y calzados los pies con el apresto del evangelio de la paz. 16 Sobre todo, tomad el escudo de la fe, con que podáis apagar todos los dardos de fuego del maligno. 17 Y tomad el yelmo de la salvación, y la espada del Espíritu, que es la palabra de Dios; 18 orando en todo tiempo con toda oración y súplica en el Espíritu.
Efesios : 6: 14-18 

Efesios 6: 10-18
Para el Aposto Pablo el mejor guerrero era un romano, equipado con varias herramientas que hacían de él una persona casi invencible, manejan tan bien su armadura que podían moverse y cambiar de estrategia y así vencer a sus enemigos. 

¿Cómo usar esa Armadura de Dios?
Lo primero que debe entender es que la armadura de Dios debe ponérsela, vestirla y ceñirse de ella para protegerse en defensa de la vida espiritual, peleando esa buena batalla. 

¿Cuál es el significado de cada una de sus partes?:

1. Cinturón de la Verdad: Es ceñir los lomos porque es allí donde está la fuerza, describir la parte del cuerpo central entre las costillas y las caderas, es el lugar donde se lleva el cinto y se sujetaba la espada. La fuerza no depende de la economía, el talento o a una linda familia, proviene de Cristo. 

“…todo lo puedo en Cristo que. me fortalece.”
Filipenses 4:13 

Jesús nunca asumió algo como si fuera suyo, le dio la honra al Padre y cuando se sintió débil, pero fuerte en Cristo. Cuando se pone la fuerza en Él, y la confianza en el único que puede cambiarlo todo 

Es caminar con la verdad que es Jesús, no permitir pequeños permisos ni pequeñas mentiras, lo importante es siempre hablar con la verdad aunque sea difícil. 

2. Coraza de justicia: representa la Cruz del calvario, al tener puesta esta parte de la armadura en comprender que es vital exponer diariamente cada área de la vida allí en esa cruz para no lamentarse por el pasado, todo lo contrario, se entrega la carga allí para ser libres de pecado y acusación. Es un intercambio divino que permite experimentar el perdón de Dios y la libertad en su máxima expresión. 

3. Calzar los pies : Con el apresto del evangelio – Las sandalias romanas que usaban los soldados simbolizan la protección. Al usarlas y caminar evita que se dañe con los residuos del piso, de poner los pies en tierra, esa zuela lo separa del terreno malo, pero también representan el evangelio, caminar con el apresto del evangelio, honrando su nombre y en todo tiempo compartiendo de Jesús, nunca avergonzados de proclamarlo, y hablar a otros de Jesús. 

¡Cuán hermosos son los pies de los que anuncian la paz,  de los que anuncian buenas nuevas!
Romanos 10:15-17 

4. El Escudo de la Fe: Se puede usar, se puede mover con el propósito de defenderse de las flechas o dardos del enemigo que buscan debilitar la vida de un cristiano, matar sus sueños y su propósito en esta tierra. 

La única forma de hacer ese escudo grande para la protección de ese ataque es a través de los tiempos del devocional, es allí donde se hace vital hacer la lectura de la palabra para impregnar los pensamientos y corazón de las promesas de Dios y así aumentar la Fe en el que todo lo hace posible y no en las circunstancias. Es dedicarle más tiempo a Dios que a las redes sociales, es hacer un intercambio de prioridades. 

“…Así que la Fe viene por el oír, y el oír por la palabra de Dios.”
Romanos 10:17

5. Yelmo de la Salvación: Tipifica ese casco que protege los pensamientos, la mente es lo que más se debe cuidar. Un solo pensamiento que entre como una semilla se puede convertir en un argumento y luego se transforma en una fortaleza. 

“…Todo lo honesto, todo lo justo, todo lo puro, todo lo amable, todo lo que es de buen nombre;; si hay virtud, si hay virtud alguna, si algo digno de alabanza, en esto pensad.” 

La idea es no permitir pensamientos negativos de ninguna índole. Es necesario reflexionar a diario sobre qué tipo de pensamientos se tiene y no aceptar los que no provienen del Señor. 

5. La espada del Espíritu: Es la palabra de Dios, es un arma infalible, es tener claro que la palabra da poder al cristiano para enfrentarse a las dificultades. Si se tiene una palabra Rhema se podrá orar con poder y estrategia, de una forma inteligente, entendiendo que al decir: “ESCRITO ESTÁ” se le quita poder a enemigo y de inmediato se es más fuerte. 

El enemigo busca que muchos hagan lo que él hizo, darle la espalda a Dios para apartarse, pero un hijo de Dios busca siempre el arrepentimiento, por eso cuando una persona busca un cambio debe hacer un giro de 180 grados y NO debe dar la espalda al Señor. 

“…Orando en todo tiempo con toda oración y súplica en el Espíritu.” 

Para algunos es una utopía conquistar algunas áreas que parecían difíciles o imposibles, ahora es tiempo de revestirse de esa armadura de Dios para conquistar lo impensado, lo imposible y ganar así la buena batalla todos los días, peleando como soldados de Dios! 

MCI Church

“Subió destruidor contra ti, guardará la fortaleza, vigila el camino, cíñete los lomos, refuerza mucho tu poder, porque Jehová restaurará la gloria de Jacob como la gloria de Israel…” Nahum: 2: 1-2

El profeta Nahúm dijo: “subió el destruidor contra ti“, es como si el profeta lo hubiera escrito para este tiempo, porque el destruidor a nivel mundial se enfocó en todas las naciones de la tierra, aún en las más poderosas, y ese destruidor ha sido el Coronavirus.

Y cualquier persona está expuesta a este virus, si ve el peligro debe buscar la manera de protegerse, la primera es la poderosa sangre de Jesús, y la segunda, la vacuna.  Recordemos que la biblia dice: 

 “El avisado ve el mal y se esconde, más los simples pasan y reciben el daño.” – Proverbios 22:3 

La pregunta es:  ¿Cómo ser atalayas de nuestra nación o de nuestras familias? la respuesta está en la palabra de Dios:

1. Guarda la Fortaleza

Las ciudades que estaban amuralladas para protegerlas necesitaban personas que estuvieran guardando esas fortalezas, que implican nuestros pensamientos, y cuando viene el dardo del virus para tocar nuestra vida ese guarda se activa a través de la palabra de Dios.

Por ejemplo para este caso: “ningún mal vendrá sobre ti, ni plaga tocará tu morada”- Salmo 91.  Así esta palabra de Dios se convierte en el guarda de esa fortaleza. 

La mejor forma de tener guardas es mediante la intercesión. Es el método más claro para guardar y proteger la familia, discípulos, empresa, o congregación. Allí el atalaya ve el peligro, lo anuncia y mediante la intercesión levanta un cerco de protección. 

” Y busqué entre ellos hombre que hiciese vallado y que se pusiese en la brecha delante de mí, a favor de la tierra, para que yo no la destruyese; y no lo hallé.”  Ezequiel 22:30

También, es importante comprender que Dios ha usado este tiempo de pandemia, de dificultad, pruebas y la presión del mundo para llevarnos a la santificación y así levantar un ejército de intercesores que se pongan en la brecha por nuestra nación, por nuestros discípulos y por nuestras familias.

2. Vigila el camino

Tengamos muy clara la ruta, porque vigilar el camino significa: enfocarnos en la visión. El señor para llegar a las multitudes comenzó con el pueblo de Israel cuando Jacob tuvo 12 hijos, de allí conformó esos 12 patriarcas.  El mismo Jesús dió ejemplo, discipuló 12 y a través de ellos impactó el mundo. Hagamos lo mismo, esa cadena de reproducción para impactar a las personas.

“Yo soy la vid verdadera, y mi Padre es el labrador. “Todo pámpano que en mí no lleva fruto, lo quitará; y todo aquel que lleva fruto, lo limpiará, para que lleve más fruto… “Permaneced en mí, y yo en vosotros. … “En esto es glorificado mi Padre, en que llevéis mucho fruto, y seáis así mis discípulos” Juan 15:1–2, 4–8

El vigilante del camino debe estar muy enfocado en la visión, dar fruto, no desviarse ni a derecha ni a izquierda, beber de esa fuente, aceptarla en su  corazón, reproducirla siguiendo las mismas pautas para tener discípulos. Es dar fruto verdadero para el Señor.

3. Cíñete los lomos 

Significa que debemos ser guerreros espirituales. El Señor le entregó todo al pueblo de israel a través de la guerra. Tenemos una guerra no contra sangre y carne, contra principados, potestades, gobernadores espirituales de este siglo, huestes de maldad, principados, estamos en una guerra y en todo lo que se hace hay una conquista.

El atalaya es aqujel que ciñe los lomos, es el primero en levantarse a interceder; es quien tiene su lugar secreto para ir y proteger todo lo que Dios le ha confiado. El atalaya identifica quien de su familia está en peligro o quien necesita mucho más oración, mas guerra y comprende que el arma más poderosa es la Palabra, por lo que se aferra a las promesas de Dios y las usa como armas espirituales para pelear y conquistar.

4. Refuerza tu poder 

Nos permite darle el lugar al Espíritu Santo dentro del Ministerio, que sea el héroe en nuestra vida ministerial. 

“pero recibiréis poder, cuando haya venido sobre vosotros el Espíritu Santo, y me seréis testigos en Jerusalén, en toda Judea, en Samaria, y hasta lo último de la tierra.”

Hechos: 1:8

No se puede salir a ganar almas sin la ayuda del Espíritu Santo, y es fundamental comprender:  Él y yo somos mayoría. Es reforzar mucho el poder y la única forma es cuando el Espíritu Santo está dentro de nosotros.

¿Cuántos se quieren convertir en Atalayas del Señor? 

Recuerde, debe guardar la fortaleza siendo un intercesor; debe vigilar el camino enfocándose en la visión; debe ceñir los lomos convirtiéndose en un Guerrero espiritual; y debe reforzar mucho el poder permitiendo que el Espíritu Santo sea quien lo guíe.

Ps. Cesar Castellanos

“Y el ángel de Jehová se le apareció, y le dijo: Jehová está contigo, varón esforzado y valiente” (Jueces 6:12).

En uno de los momentos de mayor crisis en la nación de Israel, Dios escogió a alguien para que hiciera cosas que otros no se atreverían a hacer, y este fue Gedeón. Él venía de una familia disfuncional, pues había nacido fuera del matrimonio, y ninguno de sus hermanos lo miraba con respeto. Por esto tuvo que soportar el rechazo y menosprecio tanto de su propia familia como de la comunidad.

Además, Gedeón se encontraba huyendo de sus enemigos, oculto en una cueva tratando de proteger un poco de alimento. En estas condiciones fue que Dios se le apareció y le dijo: “Jehová está contigo, varón esforzado y valiente”.

¿Se imagina usted esta escena? ¿Un varón esforzado y valiente huyendo y escondido? Muchas veces sucede lo mismo con nosotros, Dios nos da una Palabra, pero cuando miramos nuestras condiciones parece más que fuera una burla que cualquier otra cosa.

Sin embargo esto era un decreto divino. Dios vio en él las cualidades que se requerían en un líder para poder enfrentar uno de los ejércitos más poderosos de esa época. Debemos entender que Dios no ve las circunstancias como nosotros las vemos, ni como las otras personas las ven. Note que ni el mismo Gedeón estaba consciente de lo que estaba sucediendo; pues en vez de alegrarse, trató de desahogarse, expresando toda su frustración.

Pero el Señor le habló del propósito que tenía determinado para él: “Y mirándole Jehová, le dijo: Ve con esta tu fuerza, y salvarás a Israel de la mano de los madianitas. ¿No te envío yo?”

Con estas palabras el Señor estaba poniendo una poderosa dosis de fe en la vida de Gedeón. Todos conocemos el final de esta historia, y es Gedeón obteniendo una tremenda victoria y convirtiéndose en uno de los líderes más sobresalientes de la historia de Israel.

Ahora, lo más importante que el Señor quiere hablarle hoy es que usted pueda entender que esta historia no es algo antigüo o lejano, sino que es lo mismo que el Señor quiere hacer en su vida.

Piense por un momento cuál es su necesidad; ¿de pronto es la restauración familiar? ¿O tal vez sea la partida de algún ser querido? ¿problemas en las finanzas o su carácter? Lo que parece imposible puede ser transformado en un instante, cuando recibimos la fe a través de la Palabra.

La fe a veces parece la más pequeña de las semillas, pero cuando crece en una vida se convierte en árbol de vida para quienes la poseen.

Recuerde que sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios, pero no se preocupe ya que ¡todos tenemos una medida de fe! Y sé que en este tiempo vendrá un despertar, para que usted, como Gedeón, pueda conquistar lo imposible.

¿Puede creerlo?

Cesar Castellanos

Algunos quizá no alcanzan a entender que edificar un hogar va más allá de tener una hermosa casa, unos buenos muebles, tener objetos muy preciados, una excelente decoración, etc.  La clave de un buen hogar está en tener una relación transparente con el cónyuge y un contacto permanente con la Palabra, pero ese contacto nos va a ayudar a que desarrollemos dentro de nosotros el dominio propio, a que aprendamos a ser pacientes, a tener fe, y a ser excelentes esposos y padres. 

Cuando estábamos en el primer año de matrimonio con mi amada Emma Claudia tuvimos una diferencia y le hablé un poquito fuerte y como mi voz es bien fuerte y mi esposa es muy sensible, ella simplemente se puso a llorar, y yo pensé: “ah, eso las mujeres lloran por todo” y me salí, la dejé llorando. 

Luego el  Señor me habló y me dijo: “Te aborreces a ti mismo”, yo muy sorprendido le respondí: “¡No, Señor!”. Luego escuché la voz del Señor que me decía:  “Lo que le hiciste a tu esposa es una muestra de que te aborreces a ti mismo porque escrito está: la mujer es carne de su carne y hueso de su hueso y nadie aborreció jamás su propia carne sino que la sustenta y la cuida”. 

El Señor me hizo ver que maltratar con palabras a mi esposa era maltratarme a mí mismo, es una muestra de falta de amor; ahí me doblegué, le pedí perdón al Señor y le dije a mi esposa: “Mi amor, perdóname, nunca más te volveré a levantar la voz te respetaré y me determiné tratar a mi esposa como vaso frágil, y ser lo más tierno posible con tigo”. 

Esto es un ejemplo de una gran muralla que puede proteger nuestra familia y es el respeto y la comunicación. 

El hombre, la mujer y los hijos tienen muchas veces personalidades diferentes, nunca trate de imponer su forma de ver las cosas y mucho menos pasando por encima de otros.

 El respeto que usted tiene por su familia es el mismo respeto que tiene por usted mismo, por eso determínese a tener una buena comunicación al interior del hogar, para esto me gustaría dejarle 5 consejos prácticos: 

• Nunca levante la voz
• Nunca declare cosas negativas de ningún miembro de su familia
• Separe tiempos de calidad para compartir con los miembros de su hogar, apartado del trabajo e incluso del ministerio. 
• Nunca actué o hable cuando esté enojado o exaltado, las palabras que salen de estos estados pueden marcar un corazón.
• Ore a diario por su familia.

Haga esto y sé que podrá levantar una muralla que convertirá su familia en ese paraíso que Dios pensó para usted. 

César Castellanos

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan went to West Berlin, where he gave his famous speech Tear Down This Wall, where he said freedom was necessary for all Germans.

In that same year, two independent pastors began prayer meetings and held a few freedom meetings. In the spring of 1989, the movement began to gain strength. After just a few months, there were 100,000 people peacefully marching, then 300,000, then 500,000. The main government officials resigned and in one day all the restrictions were lifted and people were released. Soon the main officials of the socialist government resigned and finally the dictatorship fell. Once this state failed, the citizens were the ones who began to destroy the wall.

When I heard that these pastors were the ones who started the movement, I realized it had not been something natural but that it had been the move of the hand of God.

Joshua also faced a great wall

After Moses’ death, God chose Joshua to be Israel’s leader. They were finally entering into the Promised Land, and this was going to be Israel’s great conquest.

This is what God told Joshua:

“Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” (Joshua 6:1-5 NIV)

The enemy fears God’s plans

The gates were tightly shut. Jericho had heard what God had done through Joshua, and they were panicking. God parted the Jordan River in two, and walked with His people in a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire in the night.

I know that God has given you promises, I know that God has worked miracles in your life, and the enemy has heard all about it. The enemy knows that our God keeps His promises. He is the God of the impossible.

I loved hearing Isabel’s testimony last week at our church’s baptisms. The day after her encounter, the doctors diagnosed her with cancer. This was a battle that lasted several weeks, but she stood firm on the promises of God. Four weeks later, she went in for her medical check-up and to her surprise they found absolutely no trace of cancer. She had to fight her Jericho for several days. She had to stand firm in her faith and decide if she was going to listen to the doctor’s voice or God’s.

What is your Jericho?

David had his Goliath.
Elijah had his Jezebel.
John has his Roman Empire.
Joshua had his Jericho.

Just like Joshua saw his Jericho, you can also see yours, you can feel it, you know that you are going to have to face that adversity. Maybe it’s your boss who yells at you all the time and doesn’t value you. Maybe your classmates make fun of you and your faith. I remember when I was in High School there was a moment I felt very pressured by my classmates. I felt I didn’t fit in. I called my parents that day crying, “Mom, I’m very pressured in this school and I feel like I can’t find my place here.”

Everyone faces their own Jericho. It may be the environment in your school or workplace, it may be a disease, or maybe you feel stuck and without a purpose.

I have good news for you:

GOD HAS MADE YOU A WARRIOR

I love how Bill Hamon teaches us that Jesus is a warrior. Before Joshua went into battle, Jesus appeared to him as a soldier.

This commander in chief was Jesus. He had the sword in His hand, which is the most powerful weapon there is.

“Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV)

TRUMPETS

God told them to use trumpets, and when the Bible references trumpets it mean war.
There are a lot of people who say they don’t want anymore war, they just want peace.
God wants to make you a warrior. Imagine if Joshua would have had the “love and peace” mindset, or politely asked, “Excuse me, would it be alright if you let us in?”. If this had been the case, there would’ve never been a conquest.

It’s absolutely necessary that you have a winning attitude!

“His power needs to be defeated. We cannot settle and say we want to live at peace with the enemy. We fight or we die. Evil will overtake us if we don’t overtake it first.” Charles Spurgeon

You need to rebuke the spirit of passivity that has dominated your life for too many years. Declare war on the enemy.

The most powerful weapon the believer has is the power of the blood of Jesus. You need to declare that through the blood of Jesus you have overcome the enemy.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Revelation 12:11)

God’s strategy

If we’re honest, the strategy God gave Joshua didn’t make much sense, the truth is God wanted all the glory. Every time I read this I am shocked at this God-given strategy. Joshua and the people had to march in silence for six days, once a day.The seventh day, they were to march seven times and end with a war cry. This doesn’t make any sense, but God wanted to have all the glory and do something crazy.

The war cry

The war cry is a very powerful spiritual weapon. Does it make sense to shout in front of a wall? No. But God used that shout for the walls to fall.

Last year, Bishop Bill Hamon visited our church in Bogota for a prophetic seminar. After speaking about spiritual warfare and the war cry for about four days, we gave our shout…for almost an hour. This happened days before the presidential elections in Colombia, and that day we truly felt freedom come and God extend His protection on Colombia.

“When we let the God in us wake up through our shout, He assures us that our enemies are going to be dispersed.” Bill Hamon

We give our war cry in faith and through it we declare that we are entering the Promised Land.

There’s a song called Hands On and it tells a little bit about his testimony:

Cut out all the lights, He the light
Got pulled over, see the brights
What you doin’ on the street at night?
Wonder if they’re gonna read your rights
Thirteenth Amendment, three strikes
Made a left when I should’ve made a right
Told God last time on life
Told the devil that I’m going on a strike
Told the devil when I see him, on sight
I’ve been working for you my whole life
Nothing worse than a hypocrite
Change, he ain’t really different
He ain’t even try to get permission
Ask for advice and they dissed him
Said I’m finna do a gospel album
What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Make it feel like nobody love me
They’ll be the first one to judge me

The darkest moment

Just like Kanye, Paul didn’t look like he would ever become a Christian. He actually had permission to persecute and murder the Christians.

It says he was full of rage, he was very angry. He thought he was doing the right thing but really he was hitting rock bottom.

“During those days, Saul, full of angry threats and rage, wanted to murder the disciples of the Lord Jesus. So he went to ask the high priest” (Acts 9:1)

Saul was a very well educated man. He had so much knowledge of the law of Moses. So this Jesus thing was not right. He did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. He was defending the law and persecuting Christians, but God saw something in him. Everyone else feared him and saw him as a big threat.

It is in the darkest moment that God decides to show Himself to you. This is what happened to Kanye. He says that it was at the hospital when he had a mental breakdown that he decided to give his life completely to Christ.

RAVI’S TESTIMONY

I heard the testimony of Ravi Zacharias. He is a Christian thinker and apologist. He leads a ministry that goes into Universities to defend Christianity in a very polite way. He leads thinkers to believe and believers to think.

He says he was an atheist until the age of 17 when he tried to commit suicide by swallowing poison. While at the hospital a local Christian worker brought him a Bible and told his mother to read to him from John 14. When he got to verse 19 it really touched him: “Because I live, you will also live”. He said he thought to himself, “This may be my only hope: life as defined by the Author of life”.

The moment he found Jesus was in the darkest hour of his life. He survived the poison he swallowed. It was like God was telling him: “I’m not giving up on you”.

The darkness of sin

When you live a sinful life it’s like if you were walking with a veil in your eyes.

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)

Saul knew most of the law by heart. He had so much knowledge. Yet he didn’t think that murdering “infidels” was a problem.

Sin brings separation from God. That’s why a lot of times you cannot feel him close, maybe you try to pray and don’t feel anything.

When you don’t have God’s truth, then you have this world’s truth.
Like Kanye said: “Devil, I’ve been working for you all my life. Now I’m going on a strike”
Do you see sin the way God sees it?
Now a days the world is turning upside down. They are calling the good things bad and the bad things good.

In a flash of light

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:3-4 NIV)

This flash of light made him fall to the ground

This reminds me of my dad’s testimony
Nobody preached to him. At the age of 18th he started to get curious about Jesus and the Bible because his philosophy teacher who was an atheist said: “I’ve not only read the Bible, but I have studied it” So he’s like if this guy has started to read the Bible, why shouldn’t I?
Then he made an appointment with God.
Same thing he saw a flash of light come inside his room
Just like Paul, my dad fell on the floor and started to confess his sins

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV)

Have you had a flash of light? Have you experienced a supernatural encounter?

In a flash of light you can declare Jesus is King

Once you decide to surrender your life and put your life is God’s hands. He can start doing something with you.

Imagine Paul’s life was transformed in a flash of light. He was born again immediately. The same thing happened to me. When I went to a retreat and totally understood I needed to have my own encounter I was changed forever.

“I think I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in order.”
– Truett Cathy

More than about chicken, Truett was passionate about making everyone feel special. Thinking about his employees, he decided to close the restaurant on Sundays. He wanted people to have a day off to be able to go to church and be with their families. He did this himself from the start of his career. He would also tell his team members: “Treat everyone who walks through those doors as if they were the president”.
Chick-Fil-A teaches their employees about the second mile service based on Matthew 5:41 that says, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles” (NIV).

He was able to create a culture of hospitality and this is what made them stand out among the rest. More than cooking chicken, they wanted to impact people’s lives.
Nehemiah was able to inspire the Israelites who were very discouraged because 100 years had passed since the wall lay in ruins. Nehemiah was able to teach the people the work hard, work smart culture. These volunteers were definitely a part of the “second mile team”.

One Heart

“We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work.” (Nehemiah 4:6 MSG)

They had clarity that the vision was to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah had a compelling vision: We are going to build the wall so we can become a nation again.

Most of the people were not in the construction business. A lot of them were perfumers and goldsmiths, they had no idea how to build a wall. But they found hope in Nehemiah’s words. ¨I can be a part of something greater than myself.¨

My testimony

When I first started to be in ministry, I didn’t really see myself as a leader. I saw myself as a singer and a worship leader. I thought, “I’m just going to make music, worship God, and let other people lead”. Even though I had a cell group I wasn’t as passionate about it as I was about music. But God showed me how I could make a difference in someone’s life. Connecting with people and seeing them how God sees them is what I’m most passionate about now.
A few months ago, I began creating the habit of starting my day with specific declarations. Here are two of my daily declarations:
God called me to believe in people, see the best in them and to raise up leaders.
I am a leader. It is not something I do. It’s who I am

Leaders are born in times of need

When they were halfway to their goal, criticism increased.
Critics demoralize but leaders encourage.
As we have learned, the critics were making fun of and mocking the Jews: “You’re never going to be able to finish. Can they do it in one day?”. When these voices came, that’s when the leader rose up and said, ¨WE WILL FINISH THE WORK¨. We have two options: we can either hear the criticism or focus on hearing God’s voice.

King David

We see this in David’s life. His leadership was established by his courage, not by his talent. Who could fight against Goliath the giant? He was just a shepherd boy. Why would king Saul allow him to fight? Because of David s courage.
Leaders are leaders because they are the first to take action. Are you a leader willing to go the second mile?

More than talent you need courage.

Nehemiah was seen as a leader when he spoke to the king, worked on a plan, and when he was able to impart vision to the people.

What kind of second mile do we need to run?

BECOME A PRAYER WARRIOR

Nehemiah had a death threat. The enemies were creating a plot to attack Nehemiah and his crew. He had to train his team to become warriors. Although they didn’t know how to do so, they were willing to die for this vision.

“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” (V9 NIV)

Many Christians think that they are doing God a favor by coming to church. They just want to be entertained and ask what the church will give them now. But few people want to pay the price in prayer. We are constantly fighting a spiritual battle. There are evil forces in the heavens, and Christians need to understand that this is our greatest battle. God is calling you to run the extra mile in prayer. We have the sword, which represents the word of God. We also have the weapon of the blood of Jesus.
“This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT)

SECOND MILE ON GOD’S WORK

Nehemiah’s team decided to keep working despite the death threats. Half of them worked on finishing the wall and the other half kept watch against the enemies.

The first church that ever existed is found in the book of Acts. These first apostles truly were a part of the second mile club. They were willing to give their lives for the gospel.

I love the story in Acts 5: Peter and the apostles were sent to jail for preaching the gospel, but then the angel opened the jail gates and they were free. After that he told them that it was necessary for them to keep preaching the word in the temple. They obeyed and after they finished preaching and sharing the gospel they were severely flogged.

“They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:40-41 NIV)

What kind of Christian are you?
Do you want to take the easy route?
Do you go to church just to be entertained?
These apostles were willing to give their lives for the gospel. What are you willing to die for? If you know what you’re willing to die for, you’ll know your reason worth living.
God is calling you to be part of the second mile club.

There may be different moments in our lives where we feel stuck. Generally, it’s a feeling of impotence, of not knowing how we’re supposed to change even though we really want to. I want to share with you a few principles that have helped me in moments like these, and I know they will help you too if you put them into practice.

When feeling “stuck”, the first thing you need to do is realize you’re the one who needs to change. Sometimes we think that if others change, or if the circumstances would change, then everything would be different. The surest thing is that the secret to grow in that specific area is for you to give the first step, and it all starts with prayer.

Nehemiah was King Artaxerxes’ cupbearer, he had a very important role, and one of great responsibility. Even though he had great influence and it appears he had everything he needed, he heard the news about Jerusalem, his parents’ city that lay in ruins with the walls destroyed. When he received the news, he sat down, prayed, and fasted for a few days to receive direction from God. When we face a situation in which we feel impotent, the first thing we need to do is pray.

After praying, we need to ask ourselves why we stopped growing and what is it that stopped us from moving forward. There is an undeniable truth which is that we all want to grow. There is not one person in the world who desires to be stuck in the same place. There are many reasons for why one could get stuck, but I want to mention the five most common reasons of which all the others branch out from.

1. We lose our purpose

We forget the why.
Why we do things is a fundamental aspect of our leadership and overall lives. Purpose speaks to us of the motivation to do what we do. Vision is what allows us to grow. We need to continually ask ourselves, “Why do I do what I do?”. If you are constantly remembering why you do it, no matter the effort it takes to do it, it will be worth it.

2. We lose our focus in our priorities

If a leader loses focus in his priorities, he affects the whole team. One person who aspires to be a leader is a person who knows their priorities are in order. Here in MCI Church Miami, we repeat the following phrase very frequently, it’s is our first value statement: Jesus is first in my life; all my priorities are in order.

3. We lose our passion

When passion is lost, you begin to function in what I call autopilot. Things happen because of a routine, but there is no innovation or desire to learn and grow. The leader’s responsibility is to always give his best with passion.

4. Lack of progress

This happens because goals are not met or goals are set that don’t produce change. Maybe there is a list of goals, but they are not structured properly which makes it feel like there is no progress, or like we’re always aiming towards the same goal. I have found that in this case, goals based on habits and not results are much more effective.

5. People

Lack of connection with people.
If you’re not building people up, you’re going to feel stuck. Are your relationships in order? Maybe there’s someone you need to forgive. You need to ask yourself, “Am I helping those around me?”.

Nehemiah prayed for an opportunity to restore what had fallen. Today can be the day you pray for an opportunity to restore what lies in ruins. Many times we pray for a miracle, but there are occasions where God wants us to pray for an opportunity. Nehemiah’s opportunity came when King Artaxerxes asked him what he wanted to do, and in prayer Nehemiah conceived a plan. It was simple but effective just like we read in Nehemiah 2:4-8:

“Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.” (NKJV)

This is your moment to pray for an opportunity. Ask God to help you also with a specific plan for the area you desire to see growth, I’m sure you will see a change.