Rick Warren's Blog, page 342

God’s Plan to Bring You to Heaven

“God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.”

Romans 3:22 (TLB)

The Bible says, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:17 NLT). God’s Word also says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

The Good News is that the death and Resurrection of Jesus give us access to God. In other words, we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

How do we express faith in Christ? Here’s a simple, biblical guide:

Admit you need a Savior.

We can’t get to God on our own. We’re all sinners. We’ve blown it. Heaven is perfect and we’re not.

But the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV). And the apostle Paul tells us, “God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like” (Romans 3:22 TLB).

Believe in Jesus.

The Bible says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31 NLT). That means we believe Jesus is who the Bible says he is, and we trust him for our future with everything we have. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

And our belief must be specific in Christ: “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. . . . As the scripture says, ‘Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved’” (Romans 10:9-10, 13 GNT).

Confess your commitment to Jesus.

Tell Jesus you trust him with your life. Confess that you believe in him and his promises. Jesus said, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:44-46 NLT).

Depend on God’s promises.

You can rely upon God’s promise in John 3:16: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT). No matter what you’ve done or how long you’ve done it, God promises that everyone who believes in Jesus will live with him in heaven forever.

Prayer of commitment to Christ.

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer? Pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are God, my Savior. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. You have the right to call the shots in my life.

“Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it, deserve it, or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Is there a step you haven’t taken yet in expressing faith in Christ? Why might that be?
What Bible verses can you memorize to remind you of God’s promises to you?
Is there someone in your life who hasn’t accepted Jesus as their Savior? Make a plan to talk with them and share this devotional.

The post God’s Plan to Bring You to Heaven appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

La Iglesia: Donde Aprendemos a Amar

“Edificaré mi iglesia, y el poder de la muerte no la conquistará”. Mateo 16:18b (NTV)

Sólo la iglesia va a durar para siempre.

Nada más va a durar. Los negocios no van a durar para siempre. El gobierno no va a durar para siempre. La nación no va a durar para siempre. Sólo la iglesia va a durar para siempre.

Jesús dijo en Mateo 16:18b, “Edificaré mi iglesia, y el poder de la muerte no la conquistará” (NTV). La iglesia es la mejor idea que Dios o cualquier ser humano jamás pudo haber pensado.

Todo el universo fue creado para la familia de Dios. ¿Cómo se le llama a la familia de Dios? La iglesia.

La iglesia no es un edificio. La iglesia es la familia de Dios. Dios quería una familia, por eso decidió crear el universo entero sólo para poder crear la tierra, y así poder crear los seres humanos que tuvieran la opción libre de elegir o rechazar a su creador. Él sabía que algunos de nosotros elegiríamos amarlo, y Él va a llevarnos al cielo para que seamos parte de su familia para siempre.

Si ya estás en la familia de Dios, ¿Qué significa esto para ti? Significa que vamos a vivir juntos para siempre, por eso mientras estás aquí en la tierra, es mejor que aprendas a llevarte bien con todos, debes amar a la familia de Dios.

No basta con amar a Dios. Tienes que amar a la iglesia. ¿Quieres saber lo mucho que Dios ama a la iglesia? Él murió por ella. Cualquier persona que dice: “Yo amo a Jesús, pero no necesito la iglesia”, esa persona no lo entiende. Esa persona es un creyente inmaduro. Mucha gente usa la iglesia, pero no la ama.

¿Amas a la iglesia? ¿O simplemente utilizas la iglesia? Cristo murió por ella. Tienes que aprender a amar a cada creyente en el Cuerpo de Cristo.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Cuáles son algunas maneras que las personas usan la iglesia?
¿Cómo se puede amar a las personas antipáticas incluso en la Iglesia? ¿Qué necesitas cambiar de ti mismo, para que puedas amar bien a los demás?
¿Cuáles son algunos pasos prácticos que puedes tomar para demostrar amor a la iglesia?

The post La Iglesia: Donde Aprendemos a Amar appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

You Can Trust God in Everything

“For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.”

Psalm 33:4 (NLT)

One of the great questions of life is, “Who are you going to trust?” The way you answer this question will determine whether you’re happy or miserable, whether you succeed or fail, and whether you make something of your life or you waste it.

Who always has your best interest in mind? Who will help you make decisions important to your life? Should you trust popular opinion? That may not be a good idea since it constantly changes. Should you trust celebrities who set the latest trends? Trends change, and fads fade. Should you make critical life decisions based on what you read on social media? Just because it’s online doesn’t mean it’s truly trustworthy or reliable.

What about trusting yourself? The truth is, our emotions can lie to us. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). When we live by our emotions, we can be easily manipulated by other people and by our changing moods.

If you’re going to entrust your life and your future to someone or something, you’d better choose someone who has your best interest at heart, knows everything, is perfect, and will never lie to you. That kind of limits your options—to God.

No one is ever going to always tell you the truth. They’re going to shade it. They’re going to filter it. They’re going to make it sound nice. They won’t tell you what you need to hear. But what you need to hear is the truth, because it is the truth that sets you free. Lies about yourself, others, the world, and how life really is only keep you in bondage.

To be set free, you must have the truth. As I’ve said many times, the truth will set you free, but first it makes you miserable. We don’t like the truth. We don’t want to hear that most of the problems in our lives were brought on by poor decisions. We don’t want to hear that it’s our own stubbornness and ego and insecurity that cause the stress in our lives, but it’s true.

Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does” (NLT).

God said it, and that settles it—whether or not you believe it. God isn’t waiting on your opinion to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong. If God says it, it’s true.

You can trust God.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

What will you trust God for today?
Why is it often easier to believe the lies we hear from other people or the media instead of trusting in God’s truth?
Do you accept all of God’s Word as truth? Why or why not?

Are You Ready to Trust Jesus?

Knowing that God will never stop loving you, means you can let go of your fears. He is in control, and he has your best interest in mind. He will never abandon you.

We don’t have to earn God’s love or work our way into heaven. The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

The Bible says we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ.

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer? If you’re ready to step across that line and make a decision to believe in Jesus Christ and follow him, pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are my Savior. You have promised that if I confess my sin and trust you, I will be saved. I trust you when you say that salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to you. I want to live my life the way you want me to.

“Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

The post You Can Trust God in Everything appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

La Meta de Dios es Desarrollar tu Carácter, no tu Comodidad

“Ya no vivan ni se conduzcan como antes, cuando los malos deseos dirigían su manera de vivir. Ustedes deben cambiar completamente su manera de pensar, y ser honestos y santos de verdad, como corresponde a personas que Dios ha vuelto a crear, para ser como él”. Efesios 4:22-24 (TLA)

Muchas religiones y filosofías de la Nueva Era, promueven la vieja mentira de que somos divinos o que podemos llegar a ser dioses. Déjame ser absolutamente claro: tú nunca serás Dios, ni siquiera un dios pequeño.

Esta mentira llena de orgullo es la tentación más vieja que Satanás ha usado. Satanás prometió a Adán y a Eva que, si ellos seguían su consejo, “serán como Dios” Génesis 3:5 (NTV)

Este deseo de ser un dios aparece cada momento que tratamos de controlar las circunstancias, nuestro futuro y a la gente que nos rodea. Pero como hemos sido creados, nunca seremos el Creador. Dios no quiere que te conviertas en un dios; Él quiere que seas santo, procurando Sus valores, Sus actitudes y Su carácter. Esta es la intención de Dios con nosotros: “Ya no vivan ni se conduzcan como antes, cuando los malos deseos dirigían su manera de vivir. Ustedes deben cambiar completamente su manera de pensar, y ser honestos y santos de verdad, como corresponde a personas que Dios ha vuelto a crear, para ser como él” Efesios 4:22-24 (TLA).

El objetivo final de Dios para tu vida en la tierra no es la comodidad; sino el desarrollo del carácter. Él quiere que crezcas espiritualmente y que llegues a ser como Cristo. El ser como Cristo no significa perder tu personalidad o convertirte en un “clon” (una imitación) sin una mente propia.

Dios te ha creado como un ser único, y en definitiva Él no quiere destruir esto. Para ser semejante a Cristo es asunto de transformar tu carácter no tu personalidad.

Cada vez que olvides que el carácter es uno de los propósitos de Dios para tu vida, te sentirás frustrado por tus circunstancias. Te preguntarás, ¿Por qué me está pasando esto a mí?  ¡Una respuesta es que la vida se supone que sea difícil!  Y esto es lo que nos ayuda a crecer. Recuerda, la tierra no es el cielo.

Muchos cristianos interpretan mal la promesa de Jesús, “una vida plena y abundante” en Juan 10:10 (NTV), al interpretarla como perfecta salud, un estilo de vida confortable, felicidad constante, la realización de tus sueños y alivio inmediato de problemas a través de la fe y la oración.

En una palabra, ellos esperan que la vida cristiana sea fácil. Ellos esperan el cielo en la tierra.

Esta perspectiva egocéntrica trata a Dios como a un genio quien simplemente existe para servirte en tu búsqueda egoísta de tu realización personal.  Pero Dios no es tu siervo y si muerdes el anzuelo de que la vida es fácil, te convertirás en un ser severamente desilusionado o vivirás en un mundo irreal.

¡Nunca olvides que la vida no gira a tu alrededor! Tú existes para el propósito de Dios, no viceversa. ¿Por qué Dios proveerá el cielo en la tierra cuando el real está en la eternidad? Dios nos da un tiempo en la tierra para formar y fortalecer nuestro carácter para el cielo.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

A la luz de la forma como el mundo está cambiando, muchas veces no para mejor, ¿De qué manera te anima este devocional?
¿Qué versículos de la Escritura vas a memorizar para ayudarte cuando enfrentes desaliento o circunstancias difíciles?
¿Qué esperas de Dios? ¿De dónde viene la motivación para esas expectativas?

The post La Meta de Dios es Desarrollar tu Carácter, no tu Comodidad appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

We Must Choose to Accept God’s Grace

“The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23 (NLT)

The Bible says in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT). You might say that grace is the gift that keeps on giving. When you get to know Jesus Christ and his grace and love, it gets better and better and better. It is available and extended throughout eternity. The best is yet to come!

What’s heaven going to be like? You’re going to be reunited with loved ones who know the Lord. You’re going to be rewarded for your faith. You’re going to be reassigned a position of work that you love to do. You’re going to be released from pain, depression, despair, shame, and guilt, and you’re going to rejoice and party for eternity. What a deal!

But there’s a catch: You have to accept it.

Imagine going home today and finding a gift on your table, but leaving it there for the next year, unopened. That would be ridiculous! A gift is worthless unless you accept it. You must accept God’s grace through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Maybe you have held off because you’re afraid of being rejected. Maybe you were rejected by your parents. Maybe you were rejected by a boyfriend or a girlfriend, and that hurt deeply. Or maybe you were rejected by a brother or sister or by classmates. Maybe you have been rejected by a former spouse who walked out on you and said hurtful things that you still think of today.

But there is one person who will never reject you, and his name is Jesus Christ. He’s saying to you, “Come home.” Have you been secretly overwhelmed by that shame in your life? You can get rid of it today. The more you understand the grace of God, the more you fall in love with God and the more you want to draw closer to Jesus—because it’s almost impossible to not love somebody who loves you that much.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

How should you respond to God’s grace when you consider that it is a gift?
What guilt or shame or bitterness in your past kept or is keeping you from accepting God’s grace? Have you fully released it to God?
What does it mean to “come home” to God?

How to Join God’s Family

The Bible says all people fall short of God’s perfect standard. Yet God still loves you—even though you’ve sinned and you’re flawed. In fact, God loves you so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, to cleanse you from your sins and to bring you into the family of God.

If you’re ready to enter God’s family, here’s a prayer you can start with: “Dear God, I know that when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you directly. I confess I have ignored you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins toward you.

“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all I’ve done wrong so I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord.

“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I ask you to save me from the sins and the habits that are messing up my life right now. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If you prayed the prayer above, please write and tell me at Rick@PastorRick.com. I’d like to send you some materials as you begin your journey with Jesus.

The post We Must Choose to Accept God’s Grace appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Dios Tiene un Trabajo para que Hagas

“Nosotros somos obra de Dios, creados en Jesucristo para realizar las buenas obras que Dios ya planeó de antemano para que nos ocupáramos de ellas”. Efesios 2:10 (PDT)

Dios te llama a un servicio que va más allá de cualquier cosa que puedas imaginar. Tú has sido puesto en la tierra para hacer una contribución.

No has sido creado solamente para consumir recursos —comer, respirar y ocupar un espacio. Dios te ha diseñado para que marques una diferencia con tu vida. Fuiste creado para aportar a la vida en la tierra, no solo para consumir de ella. Dios quiere que contribuyas.

La Biblia dice que, “Nosotros somos obra de Dios, creados en Jesucristo para realizar las buenas obras que Dios ya planeó de antemano para que nos ocupáramos de ellas” Efesios 2:10 (PDT). Esas “buenas obras” son tu servicio para el mundo. Cada vez que sirves a los demás, estás sirviendo a Dios. (Colosenses 3:23-24; Mateo 25:34-45; Efesios 6:7).

Lo que Dios le dijo a Jeremías es también una verdad para ti: “Antes de que yo te formara en el vientre, te conocí. Antes de que nacieras, te santifiqué y te presenté ante las naciones como mi profeta” Jeremías 1:5 (RVC).

Cuando la mayoría de la gente piensa sobre un “trabajo especial” ellos piensan en los pastores, sacerdotes y ministros de profesión, pero Dios dice que cada miembro de su familia es un ministro. En la Biblia la palabra “siervo” y “ministro” son sinónimos, como lo son “servicio” y “ministerio”. Si eres un cristiano, eres un ministro y cuando estás sirviendo estás ministrando.

¿Te has preguntado por qué Dios no nos lleva inmediatamente al Cielo en el momento   que aceptamos su gracia?  ¿Por qué nos mantiene en este mundo caído?  Nos deja aquí para cumplir Sus propósitos. Una vez que eres salvo, Dios intenta usarte para Sus metas. Dios tiene un ministerio para ti en Su iglesia y una misión para ti en el mundo. 

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Qué te detiene de aceptar el llamado de Dios para servirle?
Si cada miembro es un ministro, ¿Cuál es la responsabilidad de los líderes de la iglesia? ¿Cómo puedes orar por los líderes de tu iglesia?
Dios tiene un ministerio para ti en Su iglesia y una misión para ti en el mundo. ¿Cuál es Su llamado para que hagas en el lugar donde vives —en tu hogar, en tu vecindario o comunidad— no importa lo pequeño que sea? ¿Cómo vas a responder?

The post Dios Tiene un Trabajo para que Hagas appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fully Trust God

“We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love . . . because God’s perfect love drives out fear.”

1 John 4:16, 18 (NCV)

I’ve talked to thousands of people about why they don’t fully trust God. Usually it’s one of three reasons: People are afraid that if they give their lives fully to God, they’ll lose their freedom, they’ll lose their fun, or God will turn them into some kind of religious fanatic.

None of that sounds inviting.

Yet God has an answer for our fear of trusting him. The Bible says, “We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love . . . because God’s perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:16, 18 NCV).

God loves you. You were created as an act of God’s love. Over and over in the Bible, God makes this clear. God thought you up and created you to love you and to let you love him.

The greatest expression of God’s love is Jesus. God came to Earth in the form of a human being to show us what he is really like. He then showed us how much he loved us by dying on the cross.

The cross tells us once and for all that we can fully trust God. We can trust him with our lives because he gave his Son’s life for us.

If God is telling the truth in his Word that he loves you, you know he won’t take away your freedom or your fun or turn you into a fanatic.

God isn’t a cosmic killjoy. He’s your heavenly Father.

The more you know God, the more you trust him—and the less you’ll be afraid of him.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

What scares you the most about fully trusting God?
Why do you think understanding the love of God helps you trust him more?

Are You Ready to Trust Jesus?

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer? Pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are God, my Savior. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. You have the right to call the shots in my life.

“Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it, deserve it, or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

The post Don’t Be Afraid to Fully Trust God appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Tu Vida Tiene Importancia Eterna

“Nosotros, siendo muchos, formamos un solo cuerpo en Cristo”. Romanos 12:5 (NVI)

Si fueras a dar tu vida por algo. ¿Que sería —una carrera, deporte, afición, fama, riquezas? Ninguna de estas cosas tiene una trascendencia perdurable.

El servicio es el camino a una verdadera trascendencia. Es a través del ministerio que descubrimos el significado de nuestras vidas. La Biblia dice, “Nosotros, siendo muchos, formamos un solo cuerpo en Cristo” Romanos 12:5 (NVI).

A medida que servimos juntos en la familia de Dios, nuestras vidas toman una importancia eterna. Pablo dijo “Ahora bien, el cuerpo no consta de un solo miembro, sino de muchos . . . Si todos ellos fueran un solo miembro, ¿qué sería del cuerpo?” 1 Corintios 12:14,19 (NVI).

Dios quiere usarte para hacer la diferencia en el mundo. Él quiere trabajar a través de ti. Lo importante no es lo que dure tu vida, sino la entrega de ella. No cuánto viviste, sino cómo viviste.

Si no estás involucrado en ningún tipo de servicio o ministerio, ¿Cuál excusa has estado usando?

Abraham era viejo.
Jacob era inseguro.
Lea era poco atractiva.
José fue abusado.
Moisés era tartamudo.
Gedeón era pobre.
Sansón era co-dependiente.
Rahab era inmoral.
David tuvo una aventura amorosa y todo tipo de problemas familiares.
Elías era suicida.
Jeremías estaba deprimido.
Jonás era desobediente.
Noemí era viuda.
Juan el Bautista fue excéntrico, por decir algo.
Pedro era impulsivo y de temperamento fuerte.
Martha se preocupaba mucho.
La mujer samaritana había fracasado en varios matrimonios.
Zaqueo era poco popular.
Tomás tenía sus dudas.
Pablo tenía mala salud.
Timoteo era tímido.

¡Vaya lista de inadaptados! Pero Dios usó a cada uno de ellos en su servicio. ¡Él está listo para usarte a ti también! Simplemente deja de dar excusas.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Cuáles son algunas excusas que te han impedido servir?
¿Cómo Dios le ha dado forma a tu ministerio? ¿cuáles son las cosas por las que te emocionas?
¿Crees que Dios puede usarte tal como eres para hacer la diferencia para Su Reino? Toma tiempo ahora mismo para orar y hablarle. Compártele tus dudas y preocupaciones, y pídele fortaleza.

The post Tu Vida Tiene Importancia Eterna appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Pay Attention to Satan’s Predictable Patterns

“When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.”

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (NLT)

You can’t defeat temptation if you don’t understand how it works.

The only good thing we can say about Satan is that he doesn’t have any new ideas. He’s used the same temptations over and over since humanity was created. The tactics he used on Adam and Eve, he’s still using today.

God had clearly told Adam and Eve they could eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When Satan tempted Eve, he asked her, “Did God really say to not eat this?” And then he said, “Go ahead and try it. You’re not going to die if you eat this! You’re going to be a god yourself.”

Satan uses that same pattern in your life every day. First, it starts with a wrong desire inside you, like envy, lust, or impatience. Or it starts with a right desire, like for food or sex or love, but with the temptation to fulfill it in the wrong way at the wrong time. Satan can take any desire and make it destructive.

Then he causes you to doubt God’s Word and whispers, “Did God really say that?” He takes the seed of your doubt and grows it into a lie he knows you are vulnerable to accepting. Behind every sin is a lie you choose to believe. Remember, Satan is crafty. He knows where in your life you are most likely to fall, and he focuses on turning your doubt into full-blown deception.

When you believe Satan’s lie, you’re saying, “I know what will make me happy more than God does.” You legitimize your wrong desire. You convince yourself it’s not that bad. And then you fall into disobedience.

The Bible says, “When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 NLT).

God doesn’t want you to be ignorant of how Satan works, because when you understand Satan’s tactics, you can see him coming with his schemes. The key is not resisting your temptations but knowing how to respond to Satan’s predictable patterns.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

Where in your life are you most vulnerable to temptation?
Once you know how Satan tries to work in your life, how can you set up practical defenses to help you resist him? Be as specific as possible.
How do you think God wants you to respond to Satan when he tempts you to doubt God’s Word? What Scripture can you quote back to Satan to remind you of God’s truth?

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Las Pistas Sobre Dónde Deberías Estar Sirviendo

“Así como el rostro se refleja en el agua, el corazón refleja a la persona tal como es”. Proverbios 27:19 (NVT)

La Biblia usa el término “corazón” para describir el conjunto de deseos, esperanzas, intereses, ambiciones, sueños y afectos que tienes. Tu corazón representa la fuente de todas tus motivaciones —lo que amas hacer y lo que más te importa. Aún en nuestra época, todavía usamos esa palabra en el mismo sentido cuando decimos, “Te amo con todo mi corazón”.

La Biblia dice que lo que hay en tu corazón, es lo que realmente eres: “Así como el rostro se refleja en el agua, el corazón refleja a la persona tal como es” Proverbios 27:19 (NTV). No eres lo que otros piensan de ti o lo que las circunstancias te obligan a ser. Tu corazón es tu verdadero yo. El determina por qué dices las cosas que dices, el por qué sientes de tal forma y por qué actúas en la forma en la que lo haces.

Físicamente, a cada uno de nosotros el corazón le late de manera única. Al igual que cada uno tiene huellas digitales únicas, iris único y voz única, nuestros corazones laten en patrones algo diferentes. Es sorprendente que entre todos los billones de personas que han vivido, nadie tiene un pulso exactamente como el tuyo.

De la misma manera, Dios nos ha dado a cada uno un latido emocional único que se acelera cuando pensamos en temas, actividades o circunstancias que nos interesan. Instintivamente nos importan algunas cosas y otras no tanto. Estas son pistas de donde debes estar sirviendo.

Otra palabra para corazón es pasión. Hay ciertos temas que apasionan profundamente y otros que no te interesan para nada. Hay experiencias que te encienden y capturan tu atención, mientras otras te apagan o te aburren terriblemente. Esas experiencias revelan la naturaleza de tu corazón, así que debes estar pendiente a esos estímulos internos que te dirigen al ministerio que Dios procura que tengas.

Cuando estabas creciendo, pudiste haber descubierto que estabas intensamente interesado en algunos temas que a nadie más en tu familia les interesaba.

¿De dónde vinieron estos intereses? ¡Vinieron de Dios!

Dios tiene un propósito al darte estos intereses instintivos. Tu latido emocional es la clave para entender tu forma para el servicio. No ignores tus intereses; considera como podrían ser usados para la Gloria de Dios. Hay una razón por la que amas hacer esas cosas.

Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Por cuáles asuntos, actividades o causas estás apasionado? ¿Cómo estás invirtiendo en esas cosas para la Gloria de Dios?
Considera las cosas a las que le dedicas más tiempo. ¿Cómo se alinean con tu latido emocional?
¿Por qué crees que Dios quiere que te apasiones por las diferentes formas en la que le estás sirviendo?

The post Las Pistas Sobre Dónde Deberías Estar Sirviendo appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.