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Tyler Morning Telegraph - Galdámez brings church planting, education experience to Grace Español

Here are two articles written by Emily Guevara ( Twitter: @TMTEmily)  on our background and on  Grace Español .   Tyler Morning Telegraph...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Thoughts on Sharing the Gospel via Restoration Church in DC


Here are some thoughts on how to share the Gospel in our daily conversations.
Restoration Church is a young, healthy growing church who is reaching DC and abroad with the Gospel. They desire also to start a Hispanic church in Columbia Heights.   I am very thankful for the men who lead this church and for helping my son get rooted in the Gospel.

What God can do when we make ourselves available.
http://www.restorationchurchdc.com/2014/09/turn-conversation-pt-1/

http://www.restorationchurchdc.com/2014/09/turn-conversation-pt-2/

Sunday, September 28, 2014

The God Who is Close - Acts 17:16-34

Here is the audio recording for Acts 17:16-34 taught during our Sunday School hour at Village Bible Church.

Paul spoke to the Athenians. Four things he shared about God:

1. God is the Great Creator v. 24

Paul goes back to Genesis 1-2 where God creates everything, including all human beings. He is a transcendent God, beyond all of creation. He is so great that nothing can contain Him. The Lord Yahweh cannot be manipulated or contained by temples or humans or else He wouldn't be God. See 1 Kings 8:27, Isaiah 66:1-2, Acts 7:48-50
The Athenians had it all wrong. God wasn't in their temples.

What Paul said was against what the Athenians believed, specifically the Epicureans and Stoics.
There is a God who is the creator of everything and he is close.

2. God is the Good Provider and Sustainer of life v. 25
     God is self-sustaining and doesn't need anyone or anything. God doesn't need to be served. He doesn't anyone to make him complete.
He doesn't need sacrifices or anything else.
     God Gives Life and Sustains Everything

As the Creator he can give and take life but he also sustains it. Colossians 1:17  Greeks believed Zeus gave life, Paul said God gives "zoe", life. He provides for us. We are not self-sustained.

3. God is the Sovereign Ruler v. 26-29

     A. He Created the Nations v. 26-27a

Out of Adam came all nations. When God confounded the languages in Genesis 11, He determined how long each would last and what their boundaries would be. He is sovereign over the nations. v. 26 see Daniel 4:35, Deuteronomy 32:8

The Greeks believed they originated from their own land, Attica. Paul said God created everyone out of one man.

   He Created the Nations so They Would Seek Him v. 27a

God has created all these nations so they would seek Him but most of them do not. They are rebellious and live in their own desires.

God's desire is to unite all nations in Christ.

    B. He is Close (immanent) v. 27b-28

The sovereign God is not far. He has chosen to reveal Himself and to be close to us.
Paul points out that even their own poets (i.e. Epimenides, Aratus and Cleanthes) were able to see the truth that there is a God that exists, created and sustains everything and wants to be known.

    C.  He is Not a Created Being v. 29

God is the only non-cause cause. He is the only one who has no beginning and no end. He is the first and last, the Alpha and Omega.

God is not human. He is a spirit being (John 4:24) thus it cannot be represented visibly.

4. God is the Merciful Savior v. 30-31

     A.  He has Chosen Not to Punish Now v. 30a

God is merciful and has chosen not to execute judgment in spite of our ignorance and idolatry. The Athenians were no exceptions.

     B. He Commands All People Everywhere to Repent Now v. 30b

What is he commanding us to repent of? Of our ignorance in living as rulers instead of submitting to him. He wants us to repent of our sin of rebellion in having our own gods. He desires people to turn to the true and living God.

    C. He Has Appointed a Judgment Day v. 31

God has set a day when he will judge everyone based on Christ's death and resurrection. God has shown his love, mercy and grace but giving his son to die on our behalf. We can avoid the judgment of God by believing in Christ as our savior who took our punishment on the cross. This requires that we repent of our sins and turn to Christ. If we choose not to, we will condemned by God.

How did they respond?

Some of the hearers ridiculed Paul.

People nowadays do the same. They ridicule the Gospel.

Some of the hearers wanted to know more. Many people are like that, but they just to expand their knowledge.

Dyonysius and Damaris, two hearers believe the Gospel along with others. God granted them repentance.

Athens was a philosophical city but it needed the Gospel. Even though not many believed, the Lord used Paul to bring some to faith.
In our times, we also have our Athens. We are called to share the Gospel. God will use us in spite of the hardness of hearts. He will use the foolishness of the cross to save.




Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Lord Go Before, Come Behind Me

Lord Go Before, Come Behind Me

For you will not go out suddenly, and you will not go in flight: for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will come after you to keep you.

Isaiah 52:12


When I face problems ahead

Lord go before me

When I stay back with no strength

Lord come behind me

When I am afraid of tomorrow

Lord go before me

When I rest upon the past

Lord come behind me

When I am uncertain of the future

Lord go before me

When I’m set in my ways

Lord come behind me

When I think you’re not with me

Lord come before me

When I can’t feel you in my life

Lord come behind me

When I can’t understand your will

Lord go before me

when I doubt your presence

Lord come behind me

©eig1/2/02

From: Poems For The Journey

Sunday, September 07, 2014

Learning Joy and My 4 Year Old

The word rejoice, as a verb, found in the New Testament comes from a word that is connected to grace. It appears 68 times in the New Testament. The noun form, joy, is also related to the word grace (charis) and it's found 59 times in the New Testament. This word is not connected to our word happiness. Joy or rejoice is connected to our relationship with Christ. It is because of his grace given to us that we can rejoice or have joy in any circumstance, whether good or bad. Paul was in jail, ready to be executed when he wrote to the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:  Rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Joy is not dependent on our circumstances. It can be experienced in deep suffering. (see 2 Corinthians 6:10, 8:2; Romans 5:3) It is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is not something naturally coming out of our hearts. It is Spirit produced. It is fruit not a work produced but a result of us abiding in Christ (John 15:1).

Joy is connected to our attitude or perspective we have about things. When we focus on the bad things that happen, and not on the grace we have received from God, we lose or joy. When we focus on the temporal as opposed to the eternal, we lose our joy.

My four year girl old teaches me what joy should look like in my life. Granted, due to her age, she is more dependent on her circumstances, but still yet, she shows me what my perspective should be as a Christian who needs to rejoice. From the moment she gets up, she has a big smile. I literally pull her from her bed every morning and it never fails that she says to me "Good morning, Daddy!",  and gives me a kiss. She has great delight in dressing up. Her smile is evident when I give her what she will wear. Eating times are also her delight. Throughout the day, whether it is running, doing a small chore, doing a puzzle or anything else, she exudes a spirit of joy. Her life is characterized by it. Is is no wonder to me why Jesus said that unless we are like children, we cannot enter his kingdom. Children have a keen ability to believe, to have joy.

I thankful that God has entrusted me a little girl that teaches me about joy. Each day I need to look up to the Lord and focus on Him and not on my circumstances. Each day I need to repent when my attitude and my life does not show joy. I need to call on Him to fill me with His Spirit so I may rejoice.


Turning the World Right Side Up - Acts 17:1-15

Here is the audio recording for Acts 17:1-15 - taught during our Sunday School hour at Village Bible Church.




 



Monday, September 01, 2014

The Life of a Pastor: Service, Stress, Solitude, Sacrifice

This weekend, my wife and I traveled to New Mexico to join a dear brother in Christ, my friend, mentor and pastor and his family for the memorial of his 22 yr. old son who died in an accident.

My friend Jimmy (his testimony of how he came to Christ is also an incredible story of grace) and his wife Brenda have been my friends for over 30 years. I met Jimmy as a 13 year old who didn't know Christ. He came to know me as he witnessed to my sister who was an alcoholic. He invited her to a new Hispanic church plant. His Spanish was rough but he persevered and eventually became fluent enough to communicate. Jimmy took interest in me as I became a Christian. He took me to his home as a recently married man. I met his wife Brenda as well. I spent a few nights in their apartment and observed this Christian couple. This was my first encounter with a Christian married couple and it left an imprint in me who came from a family with only a mother and sisters and no male role-models. I listened and watched intently. It was them who "introduced" me to Keith Green's music to which i still listen. My friend and his wife wanted to serve the Lord, so he joined the Army in order to finance his ministry education. They left. I continued my journey of faith.

We were reunited again when they came back to California and he was already working as a church planter-pastor in San Fernando Valley. He had children then. This was a rough area to minister and I joined him for a month-long in 1988 to help him. As an 18 year old, I continued to observe his family life and ministry. I shadowed him and participated in all areas of ministry. I preached, I led worship, and sang in a funeral (my first experience ever that left an indelible memory). After this, he continued to serve and so did I in my home church. In 1991, he performed our ceremony for my wife and myself.

As time passed he continued to minister (as did I as a full time church planter and pastor for 6 years) and was led by the Lord to go back to his native New Mexico where he became a pastor of Grace Community Church. He has been there for over 18 years.

This weekend, I was able to spend time with him but in a circumstance where his own life has been struck with pain in the death of his oldest son. Even in the midst of this, he was still ministering to others. His nephew, who is preparing himself to be a minister, led the memorial service under his mentoring. This young man also preached on Sunday. (Later on during the day, he gave him some tips on preaching). During the memorial, after the young people expressed their sentiments about his son, he stood up, went to where they were and hugged them. He also said some words to them that I couldn't hear. All throughout the reception he was interrupted and bombarded with questions and comments. Not once did he try to leave. As he sat next to us, my wife brought him food but even after entreating him to eat, more disruptions came. I am not sure he enjoyed his food.

After the service, we went over his home which was packed with relatives and some friends, including us. Hospitality was taking place without any hesitation or complaint. This is a norm in his home since I've known him. They love people.

Today, during the service, he was there with his wife. He even went up and shared with the church why he wasn't preaching. He could of just not shown up and the church would have understood the obvious reason of his absence. But he didn't. He was there.

After the service, my wife and I spent time in his office as we ate lunch. Interruptions came as we got started in conversations. He ministered to a lady with financial troubles. He quickly took action to solve her problem. His sister came over as well to update him on her car troubles which was also getting solved. As we talked he shared how stressful pastoring was, but he was not complaining, just sharing with me. He shared all of the wide range of experiences he dealt with as a pastor. Marriages. Death (some very tragic). Divorces. Problems of all sort (not excluding the three attempts to oust him as a pastor).

We were the last to leave the church as we headed back to his house. We spent over 3 hours with him and his family. We continued to share and talk about our Christian walk, our lives, and all that has come with it. As we drove to come back home, I was struck with my friend's life in ministry. It is a life of stress. It is a life of continuous distractions. It is a life of service. It is a life of solitude. It is a life of sacrifice. But I know why he does it. It is not his career. It is not to make himself a name, or earn big bucks. It is because he is a follower of Jesus. Following Jesus means taking his cross, dying to self. This is our calling. It means giving our lives for Him and his kingdom, but not as an equal trade. Giving our lives for Jesus is not more than what He has given us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship: "To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us. Once more, all that self-denial can say is: "He leads the way, keep close to him.""

The words of Jesus resonate:

"Peter began to tell Him, "Look, we have left everything and followed You." "I assure you," Jesus said, "there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or fields because of Me and the gospel who will not receive 100 times more, now at this time — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions — and eternal life in the age to come." - Mark 10:28-30 HCSB

This is what our Lord promised those who give everything to follow Him.

After this weekend, I am reminded of the work of pastors. I have deep love and appreciation for my friend and his family. I am certain that nothing pastors do will be overseen by our Lord. Their reward for their sacrifice and faithfulness is certain. Jesus promised it. His words are faithful and true.