What is Classic Christians?

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."   Romans 12:1


There are many ideas of what a classic is.  The dictionary meaning according to Webster is, "serving as a standard of excellence of recognized value".   As I began delving into what makes a classic, I realized that striving to be a classic Christian person might be a good thing.  We aren't cars that someone will drive in a parade someday or that may end up in a museum, but each of us can set a standard that our children, family, and friends can look up to. Our lives can have a recognized value in the way that we live it.

How would we know  if we are classic....well lets see,
Do we have Heritage?
 Classic cars, toys, and other things classic are mostly known by their maker or manufacturer.   As a Christian we have a wonderful heritage.   We are God's children.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.   The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."    Romans 8:14-17

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 4:7

If someone turned you over to reveal your maker, would you have the right mark of identification? Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior?

Do we have Quality. ?
When we think of a classic, we usually think of something that has quality.   We think of the effectiveness and the essential character that it has.   As Christians what could be more fitting as our quality, than holiness, because we serve a holy God.

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."   I Peter 1:13-16

Do we have Value?
We normally hang a pretty high price tag on our classics.   Think how much a classic car can range. In Christ, we have value too. It is nothing that we are on our own.  In contrast, He gave us our value when He died on the cross to save our souls.  What is more compelling to make us want to live our lives in His will and to reflect that value He has given us?

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."    I Corinthians 6:19,20

Are we Recognizable?
Classics of any type are easy to recognize.  There's that little detailing that marks them as unique. How about us?   When people look at us, do they know we are a Christian?  Can they tell who our Maker is?

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.   By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."    John 13:34,35
Are we Timeless?
You all know those movies we consider classics, such as It's A Wonderful Life or a classic book, such as Little Women.  The classics are ones we can watch over and over or read over and over again. How many of our lives would we want replayed?  Are we living in a way that our actions and deeds are worthy of being a classic?  Are we leaving an example for our children?  Are we leaving a heritage that is worth remembering or is all we've made just a fad that fades away?

Conforming to the will of God and being in tune with Him in all aspects of our lives will help us live the life we should and make our lives worthy of remembering.

I trust that we'll all strive to be classic Christian people. If we are parents, we should strive even so much more because we have children that take our lives for their examples. We don't even have to be dead and gone to see what effect we have on our children. We can see it in them as they continue to grow from day to day. Our children should have wonderful strengths and qualities that come out in them by what they learned as a result of our examples. Christ was our ultimate example.

No one should have to turn us over to check the mark of our Maker.  We should live in a way that it exudes from us.  When we've left this earth, other's memories of us should conjure up something with the classic lines that a well-lived life of a Christian should have.-JBettencourt

El Fin se acerca?

“…Porque vendrán muchos en mi nombre, diciendo: Yo soy el Cristo; y a muchos engañarán. Y oiréis de guerras y rumores de guerras; mirad que no os turbéis, porque es necesario que todo esto acontezca; pero aún no es el fin. Porque se levantará nación contra nación, y reino contra reino; y habrá pestes, y hambres, y terremotos en diferentes lugares. Y todo esto será principio de dolores...” (Mateo 24:5-8)

El panorama que se nos presenta a nivel mundial no puede ser peor, pues las guerras, el terrorismo imperante, la violencia y los desastres naturales cuya ocurrencia cada vez es más devastadora, nos mantienen en una constante zozobra y la oración más ferviente de los que creemos es “Señor depáranos un mejor mañana”.

Lo más reciente en materia de desastres nos llega como noticia triste desde Ecuador, pero bien pudiera ser una catástrofe de la que no está exento ningún otro país del mundo, pues la Biblia nos enseña que los tiempos que anteceden al fin estarán caracterizados por todos estos fenómenos.

 

Los que hemos creído que nuestras vidas están escondidas con Cristo en Dios, tenemos una esperanza, pero no debemos olvidar que más devastador que los eventos que se vienen sucediendo, es la apostasía y el ateísmo práctico(ser cristianos, pero vivir como si Dios no existiera), que se viene observando en el mundo evangélico, por lo que estar apercibidos y apercibiendo a nuestro prójimo, de que estamos a la puerta de un evento espiritual único, tiene que ser una verdad a proclamar, y un reto para perseverar por todos aquellos que formamos el pueblo de Dios, pues nuestro día nadie lo sabe.

Lo importante por ahora es prepararnos para que sea por la causa que sea, cuando tengamos que partir de este mundo, podamos decirle a nuestro rey: “Señor, al menos intenté alcanzar la santidad.-F Medina

 

Preparemonos como si Cristo viniera mañana y trabajemos para engrandecer su reino como si no viniera nunca! Vivamos como a EL le agrada:))

Caught in the Storm

Have you ever been caught in a storm? Stormy weather can cause some very intense feelings and reactions in us.
In Matthew 14:22-33 is the story of Peter walking on the water. To set the scene, a storm came up while the disciples were in a ship and they were afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. Jesus told them Who He was and then Peter, one of the disciples walked on the water too--well, at first. When Peter looked around and saw the storm, he was afraid.

Maybe you are in a storm in your life too. It's natural to be afraid. Here's Peter, one of the disciples who learned at Jesus' feet and even he was afraid, but look what it says in Matthew 14:31 after Peter began to sink and called out to Christ. 
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him,
and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 

Did you notice that? Jesus caught Peter and was with him until they were come to the ship. It doesn't say that Jesus stopped the storm and then they went to the ship. It says that when they reached the ship, that the wind ceased. Sometimes we are going to have to go through the storm. Sometimes the Lord will take the storm away, but other times we have to weather it out. Aren't you glad that Jesus is there to weather it out with us?

Jesus knew His disciples were going to be in that boat when the storm came up....Just as He knows our own storms.  He sent them there. We may question why the Lord tells us to do something or where He has sent us, or even the things that we have to deal with because it may not be smooth sailing. We may question why the Lord is causing storms in our lives when all we want to do is to serve Him and obey Him. This story shows me that sometimes we can be right where God wants us--right where He told us to go--right in the center of His will and we can still have some storms come up. What we can take comfort in is the fact that the Lord knows all about those storms and He's there with us through them. Now this makes me a happy woman , to know we don't ever have to walk alone, either it be on our sunny days or stormy nights!- JB

Dulces a mi Paladar

Salmos 119:103Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960)

 !!Cuán dulces son a mi paladar tus palabras!
Más que la miel a mi boca.

 

Toda Escritura es inspirada por Dios, Y util para enseñar, para redarguir, para instruir en justicia, a fin de que el hombre de Dios sea perfecto, Y enteramente preparado para toda buena obra. 2 Timoteo 3:16-17.

 

Un 2 de Diciembre 1947, en un poblado llamado " El Limoncito" estado de Jalisco Mexico, fallecio un humilde creyente indigena llamado " El hermano Silverio ." Dos meses antes habia testificado de su fe en el Señor mediante el Bautismo. Al regresar a casa cayo enfermo, y a pesar de su grave enfermedad paso por dura persecucion. Las autoridades de aquel lugar lo amenazaron quitandole su derecho a sus tierras que el sembraba si no dejaba su nueva religion. En presencia de las autoridades y sus hijos, pidio a su esposa que le trajera su Biblia.

Con el sagrado libro en la mano le dijo; Aqui esta tu tierra, tu herencia y la de tus hijos. A nadie se la entregues. Leela mucho , luego pidio que cantasen su himno favorito. Les acompaño en cuatro palabras solamente y entrego su espiritu.

 

La Biblia es nuestro alimento spiritual,

Salmos 5:3 dice; Oh Jehova, de mañana oiras mi voz, de mañana me presentare delante de ti, y esperare.

Quizas la mañana es el major momento para leer nuestra Biblia ya que nuestra mente esta mas despejada.  Pero donde sea o cuando sea, lo importante es tomar tiempo cada dia para leer la Biblia!