Street Child

by Philip Molestina

"Let the little children come to me.."

As that verse came to my mind today, it seemed such a contrast to the young girl age 7 or 8, I saw at a bustling street corner in Asunción last night. In Asunción, Paraguay like in many cities in Latin America children can be found at busy street corners juggling a few things or doing some other creative thing to entertain motorists in return for few coins.

As the father of a young child under age 10 what I saw last night gave me an unusual burden. On one hand I felt blessed that in Louisville the city where I reside with my family that even though children may have needs and challenges, it does not compare to what children face in places like Asunción. However it is difficult to forget the image of the young girl standing in the middle of scores of vehicles at that busy street corner.

My only purpose in writing this article is though it is very difficult to comprehend why situations like this exist around the world; we need to have a better appreciation of what God has given us. Myself included at times fret about so many small things that happen in our daily lives that we fail to see what we really have. Worse still is when we experiment anxiety because we cannot fulfill the whims and desires of our children.
It’s not about feeling guilt but instead in realizing that God has allowed many of us to escape the hardships a great majority of families in the world go through on a daily basis to obtain the basic necessities.

We run the danger of living so self absorbed with fulfilling our next need that we leave no room as people of God to approach the Lord in earnest prayer and intercession for those less fortunate. You may think, what can my prayers and intercession for the children that spend their waking hours at street corners hustling for a few coins, do?

I venture to trust and hope that the prayers raised to the Lord will allow this young girl to possibly have a different life in the future. I have faith that the prayers of many will allow people of God to become agents of change in cities around the world. I am confident more than anything else that the prayers by the people of God will place a burden upon Christian people in cities around the world to make a difference.

Some may say how can prayer of the people of God change things? The answer lies in the words of Jesus, he cared for the young children of His day and He still cares for them today। Our prayers and efforts must break through anything that impedes the little children to come to Jesus.


Pray that foremost husbands and wives will seek to raise families under Gods design. And that those children that have Christ as the savior and leader of their lives will seek to transmit those values and principles in the society in which they are being raised. The process will take time however the results will be evident, as the street intersection of cities empty themselves of little children and children fill instead the playgrounds and parks of these cities around the world.

Cruzando la Meta

Se hablo mucho de este día y quizás muchos pensaron que no llegaría. Sin embargo hoy culmina el proceso que comenzó hace unos 300 días. Esta fase que se termina hoy marca quizás una de las cosas más importantes que haz hecho en tu vida; la conclusión de tu 1er año de Instituto Bíblico.

Iglesias en todo el mundo están llenas de personas con buenas intenciones con gran corazón para servir. Sin embargo estas mismas iglesias carecen de un cuerpo de personas preparadas en el conocimiento de la Palabra de Dios. Sin personas que conozcan y comprendan la Palabra de Dios una iglesia corre el riesgo de solo ser un proveedor de "buenas obras y servicios".

Tengo el gran orgullo de proclamar en este día que en la ciudad de Louisville-Kentucky, en la iglesia He Visto la Luz, existe un grupo de personas que se están preparando para formarse para ir hacer discípulos de todas las naciones.

Este primer año de instituto que terminan el conocimiento que han adquirido es importante. Sin embargo de mayor importancia es el compromiso y dedicación que han desplegado cada jueves de estos 10 meses. Muchos dejaron cada jueves a hijos, esposos y el mismo cansancio a un lado para cumplir con su obligación.

Por ese motivo, esta noche que terminan su último día de este primer año disfruten juntos el cruce de esta meta. Y prepárence para la celebración y ceremonia merecida el día 27 de Junio ante las personas que asisten a la iglesia. Hace un año te encontrabas entre un grupo de personas que asistían a la iglesia. Pero hoy luego de 10 meses junto con tus otros compañeros de Logos haz comenzado una carrera que te llevará un nivel que jamás habías pensado.

De todo lo que has aprendido y conocido estos últimos 10 meses, nadie ni nada te lo puede arrebatar. Haz sembrado en ti algo que perdurará para siempre. Felicitaciones estoy muy orgullosos de todos ustedes!

Pastor Philip Molestina

Siembra un pensamiento y cosecharás una acción;
Siembra una acción y cosecharás un hábito;
Siembra un hábito y cosecharás un carácter;
Siembra un carácter y cosecharás un destino.
Samuel Smiles

Nos Cuesta Creer a Dios

Por Philip Molestina

No importa por mas fe que profesamos tener, cuando en nuestro horizonte no vemos de una manera visible el recurso o el milagro para resolver nuestra necesidad, raíces de duda comienzan a crecer en nuestro interior. Es triste admitirlo pero la billetera vacía o ese ser amado que aun no recibido la sanidad nos conduce a pensar "en mi situación Jesús no puede hacer nada..".

Juan capítulo 11 nos dice que hasta 2 mujeres muy cercanas a Jesús, Marta y María, dudaron de la capacidad milagrosa de Jesús. Sin embrago fue a una de ellas a la que Jesús le dijo: " No te he dicho que se crees verás la gloria de Dios?"

Y eso es el reto para todos nosotros en estos días; creer. Creer que si hasta aquí el Señor nos ha proveído, cuidado y bendecido en gran manera, no le seguirá haciendo? Eso no significa que no existirá necesidad, o que toda situación que enfrentamos, se resolverá de la manera que deseamos.

El creer que el Señor pide de nosotros es en su poder; "Dios tiene poder para hacer mucho más de lo que le pedimos. ¡Ni siquiera podemos imaginarnos lo que Dios puede hacer para ayudarnos con su poder! Efesios 3:20

Aun en este día no comprendemos el poder de Cristo. Somos como María y Marta las hermanas de Lázaro. Lo único que ellas querían era que Jesús llegara a tiempo y sanara a su hermano enfermo. Jesús sin embargo quería enseñarles a ellas dos, que el tenia el poder de hacer algo mucho mas que una sanidad.

Frente a la tumba de su hermano Jesús mostró a Marta y María que el tenia el poder de hacer mucho mas que lo que ellas pidieron. Fue con 3 palabras que salieron de su boca, "Lázaro ven fuera!". Marta y María pidieron a Jesús una sanidad y el les dio una resurrección!

El tiempo de pedir en fe sin dudar, de dejar a un lado el doble ánimo es hoy. Aunque nuestra ojos no vean solución y nuestra mente diga no hay nada que se pueda hacer, recordemos que Jesús aun lo muerto pudo resucitar. Cree en la obra sobrenatural de Cristo en tu vida que será desatada por medio de esta promesa que El nos hace el día de hoy; " No te he dicho que se crees verás la gloria de Dios?"

www.hevistolaluz.org

7 Baptisms

Two are grandmothers, two are sisters, two are teenagers. One is a brother. They represent Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala and the United States. I can think of a list of many other characteristics that can differentiate them even more. However on March 21st 2010 they all become one in Christ.

The waters of baptism mark a new beginning for all 7 of these people. In the spiritual realm a line is drawn. The things of the past vs. the new things. A great chasm will now separate them from what they were to what they can be. The memory of this day must be seared in their hearts and the scar be a reminder of the new beginning. A beginning marked by the immersion and splash of living water that will now fill their hearts.

A women at a well hundreds of years ago discovered during what she thought was a casual conversation, this living water. The same Jesus who spoke to that women, speaks today to the spirit of those 7 who have chosen to be baptized today.

What remains to be done now for these 7 baptized today and for all who have passed through these waters, is to do as the women at the well did on the day she discovered the living water. Set aside anything that has been stopping us from going to tell others that are thirsting where they can find the true living water, that will satisfy their thirst forever.

24 minutes and 12 seconds

As I hung up the phone,I glanced at how much time had lapsed during my conversation. The call was from an abortion prevention counseling center. A lady that spoke only Spanish had come in for an ultrasound and wanted to have an abortion. The counseling center knew that I spoke Spanish and wanted me to tell the lady a few things.

"The screen shows your baby and he or she is almost 13 weeks old". "Look at the tiny hands and feet that are already formed." "Look here is your baby's heart, it's beating." "You don't need to have an abortion, we will help you with anything that you need." "If you decided you want to place your baby for adoption, we can help you."

The more I translated these words to the lady that had come in for an abortion, the less convinced she seemed to listen to my words. Though I receive calls like this every now and then, I reflected for some reason differently today. I think it was because I was suddenly cast in the midst of a women that had the power if determined to end a human life.

Our society and specifically here in the USA, have sanitized this process of ending a human life by placing a label on this action; pro-choice. As a country we have relegated what only belongs to God to decided to something as simple as choosing between vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

The lady I spoke today, thanks to the volunteers and supporters at this abortion prevention center, had the incredible opportunity to look at a monitor and see a real human life before her eyes. The lie that what was inside of her was just a bunch of tissue, was cast aside.

As I go on with my regular day of activities and things to do, this young lady will leave that counseling center wrestling with the thought to allow this baby to live. Or to succumb to the sanitized process of "flushing away" a life because it is just not what is convenient at the moment.

I pray that the 24 minutes and 12 seconds that I had today to speak to a lady on the verge of ending a life and the guidance from the counselors, that she would reconsider and give the life created by God inside of her an opportunity to live.

Not disappointed

When faced with hard times on occasions relatives or friends ask what will I do? My response: I trust that God will take care of the situation. To be specific I am refering to the hardships that I cannot resolve with my own abilities or resources. The well intended response that comes back to me from others on some occasions is: "that is great that you trust and have such large faith in God but you got to do something else besides faith and trust".

That leads me to the scary moments I confided that I do not like to be in. Will my faith and trust in God disappoint me one day? I mean will the need or situation I am facing come crashing down and leave my faith and trust in God to see me through the need or situation laying in the dust?

The answer after many experiences of this nature, is that God does not disappoint me. His timing compared to mine may be off. His method compared to mine may not make sense. The people he engaged to help me would not be the ones I would choose.

In fact many times I have not seen things get resolved at all but even that pathway still does not lead me to disappointment.
The truth be told I would not have it any other way. I abhor the thought to "lean on my own understanding". I prefer instead to join the company of men like Abraham that "against all hope, Abraham in hope believed" .

I don't know what things seem hopeless for you today. But I do know that regardless of what you are going through that faith and trust in God will always insure that you will never be disappointed.