Tag: church

Waiting

Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

To the Church of God in Corinth

2 Corinthians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:

Paul visited Corinth on his second missionary journey and founded a church there. He later wrote several letters to the believers in Corinth, two of which are included in the Bible. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is lost, his second letter to them is the book of 1 Corinthians, his third letter is lost, and his fourth letter is the book of 2 Corinthians. Second Corinthians was written less than a year after 1 Corinthians.

To the Church of God in Corinth

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to deal with divisions in the church. When his advice was not taken and their problems weren’t solved, Paul visited Corinth a second time. That visit was painful both for Paul and for the church. He then planned a third visit, but delayed it and wrote 2 Corinthians instead. After writing 2 Corinthians, Paul visited Corinth once more.

Book of the Law

Joshua 1:8

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

SomeOne I Can Be Real With

A prayer for those that have been struggling with falling in love with Jesus:

Una oración para aquellos que han estado luchando para enamorarse de Jesús:

Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love You and walk with You on my own. I can’t do it, and I need You. I need You deeply and desperately. I believe You are worth it, that You are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want You. And when I don’t, I want to want You. Be all in me. Take all of me. Have Your way with me.

Jesús, necesito entregarme. No soy lo suficientemente fuerte como para amarte y caminar contigo por mi cuenta. No puedo hacerlo, y te necesito. Te necesito profunda y desesperadamente. Creo que lo vales, que eres mejor que cualquier otra cosa que pueda tener en esta vida o en la siguiente. Te quiero. Y cuando no lo hago, quiero quererte. Se todo en mi. Toma todo de mí. Has conmigo lo que quieras.

Attainable Intimacy with God

Psalm 131:2

Like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Salmos 131:2

Soy como un niño recién amamantado en el regazo de su madre.
¡Mi alma es como un niño recién amamantado!

We cannot survive without God.

No podemos sobrevivir sin Dios.

Psalm 4:7-8

You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Salmos 4:7-8

Tú diste alegría a mi corazón
Mayor que la de ellos cuando abundaba su grano y su mosto.
En paz me acostaré, y asimismo dormiré;
Porque solo tú, Jehová, me haces vivir confiado.

Greater joy comes from God.

Mayor alegría viene de Dios.

Psalm 16:11

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Salmos 16:11

Me mostrarás la senda de la vida;
En tu presencia hay plenitud de gozo;
Delicias a tu diestra para siempre.

Joy comes in the presence of God.

La alegría viene en la presencia de Dios.

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Salmos 28:7

Jehová es mi fortaleza y mi escudo;
En él confió mi corazón, y fui ayudado,
Por lo que se gozó mi corazón,
Y con mi cántico le alabaré.

God is our strength and our shield.

Dios es nuestra fortaleza y nuestro escudo.

When We Love

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Gálatas 5:13

Les hablo así, hermanos, porque ustedes han sido llamados a ser libres; pero no se valgan de esa libertad para dar rienda suelta a sus pasiones. Más bien sírvanse unos a otros con amor.

When we love, we are free.

Cuando amamos, somos libres.

Galatians 5:14

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Gálatas 5:14

En efecto, toda la ley se resume en un solo mandamiento: «Ama a tu prójimo como a ti mismo».

When we love Jesus, we do not love out of obligation.

Cuando amamos a Jesús, no amamos por obligación.

The Critical Question

Do you really love Jesus more than anyone and anything else in this world?

¿Realmente amas a Jesús más que a nadie y cualquier otra cosa en este mundo?

Wait!

¡Espere!

Don’t answer that too quickly. Don’t just say what you know you’re supposed to say.

No contestes eso demasiado rápido. No solo digas lo que sabes que debes decir.

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

La pregunta crítica para nuestra generación, y para cada generación es la siguiente: Si pudieras tener el cielo sin enfermedades y con todos los amigos que tuviste en la tierra, y toda la comida que te gustó, y todas las actividades de ocio que has disfrutado, y todas las bellezas naturales que has visto, todas las actividades físicas, placeres que alguna vez probaste, y ningún conflicto humano o desastre natural, ¿podrías estar satisfecho con el cielo, si Cristo no estuviera allí?

If we are deeply in love with God, we know we could never be satisfied in a heaven without Christ.

Si estamos profundamente enamorados de Dios, sabemos que nunca podríamos estar satisfechos en un cielo sin Cristo.