martes, 30 de octubre de 2012

The Five Scariest Things You Can Do This Halloween


The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. (Proverbs 8:13)
By Doug Phillips
Our country is in the grip of a fear crisis. The tension because of this fear is almost palpable. There is fear over elections, fear over the economy, and fear over hundreds of other issues ranging from the environment to terrorism.
The one fear that America is missing is a fear of the Lord. As a people, we no longer fear God. Because we do not fear God, we no longer hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).
Instead of hating evil, Americans toy with it. We toy with holidays like Halloween that were conceived in evil and that promote the “cute-ification” of evil, whether that evil takes the form of witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness, or some other form of malevolent imagery paraded before our children. We laugh at the very things that the Lord describes as “abominations,” and we find ourselves obsessively fascinated by, and attracted to, all things dark.
Yet we do not fear the Lord.
Those who “hate evil” are very scary to a secular society that fears man more than God. They are scary because they dare to declare that there are absolute standards by which society must be governed. They are scary because, if they are successful, industries like Hollywood that make billions of dollars by promoting ungodly fear will lose their influence. They are scary because such people will not be swayed by political candidates who use fear as a tool for manipulation.
With this in mind, I offer you the five “scariest” things you can do this Halloween:
  1. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not make light of evil. Halloween was conceived in evil and has remained a celebration that uses children to promote a fascination with darkness and superstitious fear. Simultaneously, it makes light of things that the Bible describes as evil. Stand against such things, and the world will find you very scary indeed. The fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil (Proverbs 16:6).
  2. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not be fearful. The media wants you to be afraid of everything from overpopulation to global warming. The politicians want you to be afraid of the economy and political instability. God wants you to do what is morally right, trust Him completely, and never be gripped by an ungodly spirit of fear. You can place your trust and hope for this nation in the King of Kings. Jesus said: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4–5). Believe this, and you will be light to the world.
  3. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to completely skip Halloween and remember Reformation Day. It was 495 years ago that Martin Luther nailed his world-changing 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. These theses included rebukes to ungodly fear and superstition. 504 years ago, sometime near October 31, a baby named John Calvin was conceived who would dedicate his life to eradicating an ungodly fear of superstitious beliefs and proclaiming the gospel of grace. His emphasis on reformation, revival, and the sufficiency of Scripture had such far-reaching implications for nations like the United States that he has been described by Christian and secular scholars alike as the true founding father of America. The Reformers did something that was very scary to the world of their day. They stood against all forms of dark superstitions which grip the minds and souls of men. It was their emphasis on the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of Holy Scripture that was used by God to liberate untold numbers of men and women. But to remember the Reformers instead of Halloween is very scary to the world. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
  4. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to refuse to watch or allow your children to watch any of the toxic Halloween and horror films emerging from Hollywood . America’s fascination with ungodly fear has made horror the most popular and fastest-growing film genre among youth. When parents allow their children to toy with this genre, they promote ungodly fear, and they contribute to the fear-factories in Hollywood that prey upon the youth of our culture. Say “no” to Hollywood horror and you will be dangerously scary to the media elite. “Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence .… ?” (Jeremiah 5:22).
  5. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to get on your knees as a mother and father and pray that the Lord will send you many children who will fear God, not man— children who will especially shun the glorification of witchcraft, the bondage of ungodly fear, and the “cute-ification” of evil that is promoted through holidays like Halloween. Cultures that toy with evil end up being cultures of death. The Christian response is to be a people of life. That means babies. It means fearing God by honoring His command to “be fruitful and multiply.” It means remembering that the Scripture describes children as a “blessing” and a “reward.” Raise children that fear God more than man, and that will be answer enough to our Halloween-and darkness-obsessed culture; for if you trust God over your womb and commit your children to a holy education, you will be very scary to the modern world. “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11).
Doug Phillips es presidente de Vision Forum Ministries, y este artículo fue enviado por su ministerio a sus suscriptores. Puede visitar su página directamente en www.visionforumministries.org.

sábado, 20 de octubre de 2012

Preparación para escuchar la Palabra de Dios predicada

1. Cultiva una percepción de que te expondrás a las palabras de Dios mismo (Mateo 4:4; 2 Tim. 3:16; Is. 66:2; Heb. 12:25; 1 Tes. 2:13).

2. Repudia conscientemente a través del arrepentimiento todo aquellos que impida una recepción gozosa y una asimilación efectiva de la Palabra de Dios (1 Pedro 2:1; Sant. 1:21; Jer. 4:3).

3. Cultiva una disposición mansa y expectante de corazón hacia la Palabra que vas a escuchar (Sant. 1:21; Sal. 25:8-9; 1 Pedro 2:2; Sal. 119:20, 131; Hechos 17:11; Prov. 27:7).

4. Cultiva una disposición de dependencia en el Espíritu Santo, y la anticipación a su ministerio a través de la predicación de la Palabra (Lucas 24:45; Juan 14:26; Fil. 1:17; Salmo 119:18; Prov. 2:3-6; Juan 17:5-9).

domingo, 14 de octubre de 2012

Textos sobre la Soberanía de Dios

Los siguientes son algunos textos bíblicos que nos demuestran el control divino sobre diferentes personas, objetos y situaciones de la vida.

El control de Dios sobre personas (buenas y malas):

Y Dios me envió delante de vosotros para preservaros un remanente en la tierra, y para guardaros con vida mediante una gran liberación. Ahora pues, no fuisteis vosotros los que me enviasteis aquí, sino Dios; y El me ha puesto por padre de Faraón y señor de toda su casa y gobernador sobre toda la tierra de Egipto.” (Génesis 45:7–8, LBLA)

Y he aquí, yo endureceré el corazón de los egipcios para que entren a perseguirlos; y me glorificaré en Faraón y en todo su ejército, en sus carros y en su caballería.” (Éxodo 14:17, LBLA)

Porque fue la intención del Señor endurecer el corazón de ellos, para que se enfrentaran en batalla con Israel, a fin de que fueran destruidos por completo, sin que tuviera piedad de ellos y los exterminara, tal como el Señor había ordenado a Moisés.” (Josué 11:20, LBLA)

Absalón y todos los hombres de Israel dijeron: El consejo de Husai arquita es mejor que el consejo de Ahitofel. Pues el Señor había ordenado que se frustrara el buen consejo de Ahitofel para que el Señor trajera calamidad sobre Absalón.” (2 Samuel 17:14, LBLA)

Pero Amasías no quiso escuchar, porque esto venía de Dios, para entregarlos en mano de Joás, pues ellos habían buscado los dioses de Edom.” (2 Crónicas 25:20, LBLA)

Todas las cosas hechas por el Señor tienen su propio fin, aun el impío, para el día del mal.” (Proverbios 16:4, LBLA)

Muchos son los planes en el corazón del hombre, mas el consejo del Señor permanecerá.” (Proverbios 19:21, LBLA)

Como canales de agua es el corazón del rey en la mano del Señor; El lo dirige donde le place.” (Proverbios 21:1, LBLA)

“...Pero al Dios que tiene en su mano tu propio aliento y es dueño de todos tus caminos, no has glorificado;” (Daniel 5:23, LBLA)

“Porque Dios es quien obra en vosotros tanto el querer como el hacer, para su beneplácito.” (Filipenses 2:13, LBLA)

Pero gracias a Dios que pone la misma solicitud por vosotros en el corazón de Tito.” (2 Corintios 8:16, LBLA)

Y estaba escuchando cierta mujer llamada Lidia, de la ciudad de Tiatira, vendedora de telas de púrpura, que adoraba a Dios; y el Señor abrió su corazón para que recibiera lo que Pablo decía.” (Hechos 16:14, LBLA)

Porque en verdad, en esta ciudad se unieron tanto Herodes como Poncio Pilato, juntamente con los gentiles y los pueblos de Israel, contra tu santo siervo Jesús, a quien tú ungiste, para hacer cuanto tu mano y tu propósito habían predestinado que sucediera.” (Hechos 4:27–28, LBLA)

La mano divina aun detrás de accidentes:

El que hiera de muerte a otro, ciertamente morirá. Pero si no estaba al acecho, sino que Dios permitió que cayera en sus manos, entonces yo te señalaré un lugar donde pueda refugiarse.” (Éxodo 21:12–13, LBLA)

viernes, 5 de octubre de 2012

Los libros de Donald Whitney

Nuestro conferencista internacional invitado para la CONFERENCIA BÍBLICA 2012 es el hermano Donald Whitney, profesor de espiritualidad bíblica en el Seminario Bautista del Sur de Louisville, KY. He aquí algunos de los libros publicados por él.


miércoles, 3 de octubre de 2012

El molusco Glaucus

Estas son fotos de esta extraña criatura, el Glaucus. Tiene una forma y belleza muy particulares. Sin embargo es tan diminuta. Dios ha estado deleitándose en la belleza de su creación mucho antes que el hombre la descubriera. ¿Alabaremos a la casualidad y al azar, o nos rendiremos a los pies de nuestro majestuoso Creador?