BILINGUAL DEVOTIONAL
  • Blog
  • Why?
  • Blog
  • Why?

RESILIENCIA en tiempo de pandemia... RESILIENCE in a time of Pandemia...

4/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
A Burmese Zayat in the Judsons' Day

Los reinos terrenales se levantan y caen. Las guerras y pandemias vienen y se van. Ordenó Dios que así fuera. Anticipó toda contingencia. No hay que dudar ni sucumbir al miedo.  No hay nada nuevo debajo del sol. Veamos la situación presente como “más de lo mismo,” o “es lo que se esperaba.”

La Gran Comisión (Mateo 28:19-20) aplica “hasta la consumación del siglo”. Eso garantiza nuestra RESILIENCIA. La esencia del verdadero cristianismo y comunidad espiritual se adaptará, sobrevivirá y prosperará. La historia testifica de eso; Jesús prometió eso.

Nos admiramos de gente como ADONIRAM JUDSON, de los primeros misioneros americanos al extranjero. Levantaron su primer zayat en Birmania en 1819. Sobre la marcha, iban soltando lo que ya no servía… zapatos, sillas, estilo de predicar, púlpito. Mediante el zayat apareció su primer convertido.

Hoy es nuestro “para esta hora has llegado al reino” (Ester 4:14) Quizá no nos sirva un zayat birmano tanto como las redes sociales y videoconferencias, pero nos estamos adaptando. Lo desconocido sobre el futuro nos mantiene alertas y listos. Preparémonos para lo que venga… dispuestos a adaptarnos más allá de lo que aun no hemos considerado.

Una iglesia se puede estirar y moldear en muchas formas… y aun ser iglesia. Seguirá sin perder su esencia doctrinal y funcional.

No nos emociona morir en una pandemia. Pero sí, nos emociona pensar en todo lo que Dios pretenda hacer en sus iglesias.

¡Dios nos bendiga a todos!​


​Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Wars and pandemics come and go. God ordained it to be this way. We need not doubt or succumb to fear. He anticipated every contingency. There is nothing new under the sun. We best view our current situation as "more of the same…” or "it's what was expected.”

The Great Commission applies until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) This is what guarantees our RESILIENCE. The essence of true Christianity and spiritual community will adapt, survive, and prosper. History has born witness to this; Jesus himself promised this.

We admire people like ADONIRAM JUDSON, one of our first American foreign missionaries. They built their first zayat in Burma in 1819. Along the way, they had to lose shoes, chairs, style of preaching and pulpit. It was through the zayat that their first real convert appeared.

This is our “such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) We may not find a Burmese zayat as useful as social media and video conferencing. But we are adapting. Unknowns about the future keep us on our toes and ready to roll with the punches. We should be prepared to adapt even beyond what we have yet considered.

Church can be stretched and shaped many different ways… and still be church. It will carry on without shedding its doctrinal and functional essence.

No, we don't get excited about dying in a pandemic. But we do get excited when we think about all the Lord intends to do in his churches.

God bless us all!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    ​
    ​Yes...! As of July 5, 2020, my book is now available on Amazon.com.
       It's a new book about an old problem: the cross and the crown… the Gospel and politics… do they mix? Should they mix?
       If my words generate some reflection and healthy conversation—as in more light and less heat—I will be satisfied.
       For feedback or questions, feel free to use the email link below.

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Greg Smith

    Greg grew up in Menomonee Falls, WI. His ministry began in 1976: 5 years in Central America, 36 in Mexico. His passion is church planting and discipleship.
    ​​
    Greg enjoys being married to Carol Ahola-Smith. Both have been missionaries (Japan and Mexico); both watched their first spouses precede them in death.
    ​
    Together, they have a heart for writing, mentoring and teaching.  They enjoy long walks and good coffee.

    CAROL'S BLOG
    LIVINGTHEJOY.NET

    Archives

    April 2020
    May 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016


    Categories

    All
    Assurance
    Dedication
    Discipline
    Evangelism
    Holy Spirit
    Hospitality
    Quietness
    Salvation
    Volunteer


If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world. --Ludwig Wittgenstein
Creative Commons License
Bilingual Devotional is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.