Anatomy of a decision

Today I want to talk to you about the "Anatomy of a Decision". I want us to analyze a moment in the life of the Church at the very beginning of the Gospel. In the first chapter of the Book of Acts. And this incident, this moment in the life of the Church has a lot to communicate to us about what to do when we find ourselves in similar situations.

I was telling the brothers this morning that for a moment I was almost going to forget about that text and go to chapter 2 of the Book of Acts. As you know, we are studying the Book of Acts and my desire through this study -I return and reiterate the purpose- is that our brothers, by examining these passages of Scripture that show us what life was like for those first Christians who they conquered the world, they were enjoying the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

That when we see how they lived the Christian life we too be inspired, that we can imitate them, that we can learn from this what constitutes a life filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and how to reach that state. As we analyze these passages – that is why the Holy Spirit left it there – we conceive a desire to integrate these elements into our own lives.

God wants an anointed people. God wants to do the same miracles that He did in the 1st century, He wants to do them in the 21st century and simply what He is waiting for is a people that pays the price. I believe that a moment like the one we experienced this morning during the service, adoring the Lord with that intensity, very similar, perhaps, to what we can see in one of the passages here from Scripture.

Let's see, here, for example –let's see if it doesn't seem familiar to you- in chapter 4 of the Book of Acts the disciples were gathered in a room praying and adoring the Lord and they begin to pray and praise God and in the verse 28 are praying to the Lord. It says: “To do what your hand and your advice had before determined to happen. And now Lord look at their threats. Grant your servants that they speak your Word with all boldness while you extend your hand so that healings and signs and wonders may be done through the name of your Holy Son Jesus ".

I imagine these people locked up there in that space, worshiping and crying out to the Lord and praying and everyone praising at the same time. I don't think this is a matter of a soft little prayer, each one there waiting. No! Each one was there as we are here. Some perhaps lying with their faces prostrate on the floor, others with their hands raised, standing, others circulating around the room. All crying out to the Lord.

31 says that: "When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered trembled and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness." In other words, that visitation, at that moment when they prayed and cried out, they were filled with a new spirit, a fresh anointing, a new purpose to preach the Gospel and God gave them conviction and gave them intensity. And they came out there strengthened.

That is what creates a war Church, that is what creates an aggressive Church. It is in moments like these where we let the Spirit flow and the Lord does what he has to do and the anointing comes. And perhaps there are people who are looking at that from the outside. They come to visit or whatever. They don't understand that thing. He says: “No! These people are crazy." We're some raptured Pentecostals in there that need psychological therapy. Because people who aren't into it don't understand those things. They believe that this is emotionalism and that it is simply extremism.

But we know that this is the anointing of God that is moving, that is strengthening us. We are filling ourselves with that fresh anointing and we can come out stronger. We must allow those moments... when we see those things: "I want that, I want that attitude, that radical posture, that self-confidence before God, that worship without barriers, worship without chains or anything, worship without consideration, release that praise before God” and at that moment the anointing of God descends. Amen.

So that's what we want. That is why we serve the Lord. There's someone who almost had a heart attack, the one who was sitting next to that brother. Glory to God. Amen. You have to worship the Lord, you have to worship him freely. Now, we are going to see one of those moments and we are going to see what benefit we can get from it. There in Chapter 1 Verse 12. That's why I tell you, I almost missed this event because it didn't seem like it had much to teach.

Well, interesting event and all but it didn't seem like it had as much meat compared to Chapter 2: the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Tongues of fire that fall on the brothers, speak in tongues. A crowd of thousands of people who convert to the Lord. There is the teaching. But then the Lord spoke to me about this passage and I've been thinking about it for a long time.

Because it is a moment when the first Christians return from a very powerful experience. As we saw last Sunday, they saw the risen Christ rise, ascend to Heaven, disappear covered by a cloud and, as we said, enter the presence of the Father. Sit at the right hand of God. A spectacular event. And for the moment they have to return to Jerusalem again after the angels speak to them and promise them that He himself they saw come up will come in the same way.

Now the time comes to return to Jerusalem and we are going to see here, it says in verse 12: “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem on a Sabbath day's journey. There they saw the Lord ascend to Heaven.” I imagine that the last glimpses of their presence were already visible, they were astonished. What's going on? One cannot stay all the time in Monte del Olivar. There are times when one has to return to Jerusalem.

Back to everyday life, back to Monday morning life. How good when one is in church! You feel like a general there, adoring the Lord and everything. But Monday arrives at 5 in the morning and there is that cruel alarm clock that wakes you up. You have to make breakfast and put on your clothes and go out into that biting cold to work. That is where you really have to know if you are saved or not because sometimes you even doubt your salvation.

I think of the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration seeing Jesus Christ in all his glory, he was transfigured, he shone like the sun and there Moses appears to them and Elijah appears to them, too. What a tremendous party those people had up there on the Mount of Transfiguration! Pedro said: “Sir, we are going to be three stores and we are going to stay here, we are going to buy refreshments and we are going to be here all day. We stay here in this glory.”

Who wants to come down from that glory? But below was a father with a demon-possessed son who needed ministry. They couldn't stay up there all the time. The church was not made to always be celebrating. It was made to get hands on life, parenthood and work, marriage, study, get on Route 93 with that stopper that sometimes exists at 8 in the morning or seven thirty. And that is where we really have to take the glory that we have experienced and begin to transfer it little by little, spoon by spoon to carry out the tasks of life.

And that happened to these disciples. They come down from the Mount of Olives, enter Jerusalem. It says that: “When they entered, they went up to the upper room where Peter and Jacob, John, dwelt” – these were all the apostles, they were there in this place. It was a big room. Maybe it was a rented hall, even and there were 120 of them. And Pedro and the others return and meet the other brothers there.

It says that "all these continued with one accord in prayer and supplication." These people were not there listening to the baseball game, they were praying, they were crying out to the Lord. What were you doing there? Waiting for the visitation of the Holy Spirit. The Lord told them: 'Do not leave Jerusalem until you receive the anointing.' Brothers, the prayer. Prayer is key in the life of the Church.

I thank the Lord that more and more brothers are joining the ranks of people who pray every day. I encourage you in the name of Jesus to be a woman, a man of prayer. Prayer costs, prayer is work. Sometimes one does not want to pray but knows that this is the gasoline of the son of God, the daughter of God. Prayer softens the stones of life, prayer gives wisdom, prayer gives conviction, renews us, strengthens us. Prayer is the channel, the thread through which God's anointing descends on our lives.

And the answers to the things we need come. And these people were crying out. I do not believe that a church can be powerful if it does not pray. A church is powerful when there are prayer meetings, when there are people always seeking the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, when there are groups of different people praying at home, praying in the morning, coming to prayer meetings. Looking for that power of the Holy Spirit.

These people were praying. The primitive church, the church that God used and visited, was a church that prayed and cried out to the Lord. And we see that here when the others return from the Mount of Olives, they find everyone there persevering with one accord in prayer, he says, "with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers." I was struck by what he said 'with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers'. Why is that important?

Well, this is the last time Mary is mentioned in all of Scripture. After that Maria disappears from the pages of Scripture. And I think it is important. notice. They point to Mary and give her a certain level of importance because she was the mother of Jesus and because God used her for a purpose but they don't exalt her too much either. His presence is important but one doesn't dwell too much on his person either.

And I believe that this is the balance that we give to Mary, the mother of Jesus. We recognize his importance, but we also know that he was simply a special person, worthy of mention, but more than that is not required. It is also interesting that it says 'and with his brothers'. What brothers? They were not the brothers of Mary, the brothers of Jesus. Maria had other children. Jesus had other brothers.

Mary led a normal married life and conceived other children and this is not the only reference in Scripture that speaks of Jesus' brothers. So this scene is described here right? They are praying, they are crying out to God, they are seeking the Lord's prayer. There is Mary, there are the brothers of Jesus and then Peter stands up in the midst of these brothers. And this is interesting here because it tells us something about Peter.

The figure of Peter begins to take on importance in the life of the church. The Lord had told Peter that "he would be a pillar of his church." It would be a pillar of support for the early church. And Peter begins to gain authority. Peter was actually like the greatest of all the apostles and we see him several times gaining ascendancy in the life of the church. And now Peter stands up in front of the brothers.

And he tells them “Men, brothers, it was necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke before through the mouth of David about Judas who was the guide of those who arrested Jesus. And he was numbered with us and had a part in this ministry.” What is Peter doing here?

He is pointing out something important to the disciples and that is that Jesus gave instructions that there should be twelve apostles. Judas, tempted by the enemy, betrayed the Lord and was separated from the twelve.

The Word says right here that he ended up committing suicide, he ended up taking the money they gave him, rejecting it, committing suicide and disappearing from the map. There is something interesting here. notice. Peter's version of the death of Judas and everything that happened is a little different from the one Matthew gives in Chapter 27 of his Gospel. However, there is enough resemblance in the two versions to suggest that it is rather a different perspective on what happened. It's actually the same thing.

Judas was filled with belated repentance and did not want to accept the money they offered him for handing over Jesus and simply went and committed suicide. But Peter knew that the Lord had declared that there were 12 apostles who had to minister in those principles of the church and Peter wanted to follow Jesu s' instructions to the letter and told them: "We have to choose a person to replace Judas ”.

So it says here in verse 21 “It is necessary, then, that of these men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was coming in and going out from among us beginning from the baptism of John until the day he came from among us was received upstairs. One has become a witness with us of his resurrection. In other words, Peter is saying 'we have to find someone else to replace Judas to fill that place.'

I see something interesting here, brothers. Peter did not receive a direct word from Jesus Christ that he had to do so but he was reasoning biblically. Peter knew the Scriptures and in Psalm 69 there were some prophecies that were known to be prophecies directed at the life of the Messiah. And there in that chapter, in Psalm 69, it says that Peter reads and says "let his room be made deserted so that no one dwells in it -speaking of Judas- and another takes up his office".

Peter wanted to be faithful to that Word and understood 'we have to replace that apostle who is missing and look for a substitute'. What strikes me about Peter is his desire to be faithful to the Lord's instructions. Peter did not have a direct word from the Holy Spirit or from Jesus Christ but he knew the Word, he knew the purposes of Jesus Christ that there should be twelve. Twelve perhaps as an interpretation of the twelve tribes of Israel and he wanted to obey the Lord and establish the election of that apostle number 12.

I think that what has struck me the most about all of this – and that is why I chose this passage like this to comment on it for a moment – is this change that the church is undergoing. From being a church directed directly by Jesus Christ who told them what they had to do, whom they had to choose; The Lord is gone. Now they are in the reality of being the church of Jesus Christ on Earth, now they have the call of the Lord, the sending of the Lord and now the only thing they can do is depend on the Word.

Relying on the memories of what the Lord said and doing the life of the church day by day.

We see here, as the beginning of the institutional church. The church that was to become what is the church of Jesus Christ two thousand years later. That's why it's interesting to me this fact that they leave Jesus who's gone, and now they're just working. Beginning to make decisions, to establish new officers in the church, to discover how things are done in this new dispensation that no longer have Christ directly with them.

And I think it's important for us to see that because we have to continually make decisions in life. We have to depend, as Peter did, simply on the Word of God, depend on the Holy Spirit, depend on the instructions that Christ has left us and try to solve life's problems with the tools that God has given us. How did they decide who was going to be the 12th apostle?

Well, it says here "first Peter speaks with them" and it is interesting that one of the requirements for this new apostle is that 'beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was received from among us, one be witness with us of his Resurrection'. In other words, this person they chose had to have walked with Jesus, seen him throughout his career here on Earth, and accompanied him until his death, until his Resurrection, and until his rising in Heaven.

That was going to determine who that person could be. There were several candidates within it and finally they chose two men who met that requirement. And he says something here that many of us may be a bit surprised about: 'they cast lots'. They didn't have dice like we have today but they cast lots. We do not know exactly if they wrote the two names. Some believe that in the time of the Jews, little stones were written with the names of the people.

They got into a bottle or whatever and one of the two names was drawn. It was something like that or perhaps they took two sticks, one longer and one shorter, and then the longest was Matías' or the other disciple's. As it was. The fact is that they used a slightly strange method, right? Now it says that 'having prayed, first'. They prayed first. They said, "You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show which of these two you have chosen." They prayed and then they cast lots.

And that's how they decided who was going to be the person who was going to replace Judas. That's how Matías came out. Now don't take my ideas on how to solve the problems in your lives, casting lots. That's not the thing. I think that for me the most important thing is that these people had to make a decision, they had to choose a person. And I think that here we see something of that church that is still with one foot in Judaism, doing things perhaps as they were done within Judaism.

And a church that is also seeking the direction of the Lord to make its decisions, to begin to be the church in all its fullness; that he had to choose deacons and bishops and pastors and plant churches and make missionary decisions and determine how to distribute the money. For all these things the church needed wisdom and they are going to have to build on the machinery of the church. And I think it is important, brothers, that we are people who know how to make decisions in life.

We have to ask the Lord for wisdom. We have to ask the Lord for understanding on how to make the decisions that we have to make in our own lives. I don't think these people did things totally in the best way. I believe that, later on when they have to choose the deacons, in chapter 6, they decide to have a meeting and have the people chosen and give job descriptions, give character descriptions.

They have to be people filled with the Holy Spirit, they have to be people who have a good testimony, people of prayer, and now things are getting a little more sophisticated. But at first they made a decision with what little they had available and they did not let their lack of experience stop them from making a decision and going forward in the work, in the work of the church.

Brothers, you also have to make decisions in your life. You have things that God wants you to do and you also need to seek that wisdom that comes from God. Ask the Lord to give you understanding, to give you his advice, his guidance so that you can also make wise decisions and be able to manage the affairs of your life. The word of the Lord says in Santiago "If anyone lacks wisdom, ask God for it." If you have a decision in your life about something you have to do at this time, go before the Lord, pray. Seek wisdom from God.

There is another thing, too. Many people ask, 'Well, how can I make wise decisions?' 'I have a big decision to make and how do I learn, how do I decide, how do I know what God wants? I have this option, I have this other option and I am not clear about how I should do it. Well, I think there are several things here. First, I believe that these people, the decisions they made were made in an atmosphere of prayer.

They were continually praying, they were continually seeking the presence of God. Don't wait until you have a decision to make before you start praying. I believe that the child of God has to be continually praying, continually seeking the presence of God. And when you are in that presence of God your mind is open, it is porous, it is penetrable and then God can speak to you.

When you have a decision to make you are already prepared at least for the main part. Hence you ask the Lord for wisdom. [Sisters, if you need, there is a seat here, there is room in the front. If you have an empty seat, raise your hand so a sister can know]. So brothers, how does one create wisdom to make decisions?

Number 1: a life continually praying and receiving direction, enjoying the presence of God and then when you have to make a specific decision like this you also pray to the Lord specifically for that decision. I believe that wisdom cannot be cultivated if there is no prayer. Second, the word of God. Did you know? When you read the Bible continuously, when you study the Bible, the Bible is a book of wisdom, the Bible is a living book.

When you study the word and study the patterns of the word, you begin to acquire wisdom, prudence for the decisions of life. The Bible has plenty of teachings on this. The person who wants to be wise studies the word of God, studies the Bible. I was thinking of one of the verses, for example in Proverbs – I don't have the passage right now, let me see if by chance I marked it here – I don't have it. It says: 'If anyone is a guarantor [I think it is] for his friend... Proverbs 6 seems to be. It seems you had experience with that, or what? Don't remember the specific verse? Proverbs 6:1.

Look, for example, at the Book of Proverbs 6:1, it says: “My son, if you are a guarantor for your friend, if you have pledged your word to a stranger, you have linked yourself with the words of your mouth and you have been imprisoned in the sayings of your lips. Do this now, my son, and free yourself since you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself, and be sure of your friend". What does that mean?

Look, sometimes people come 'Hey could you sign me here. I have a loan and I need your signature' and sometimes one gives up... and you know what? Many times we go wrong. Don't raise your hand but I know there are two or three here that have been in that one, right? See how the Bible gives him wisdom. When you study the Bible, it tells you, 'Look, don't get into that situation. Tell him "brother I'm so sorry but I can't" or tell him a story or whatever but don't let yourself be linked in that way.

There is wisdom. When I read the narratives of the Scripture I see everywhere things that help me that give me wisdom and preventive knowledge for the decisions that I have to make in life. For example, I see when Jacob and Esau that the mother of those two boys lends herself to a deception and Jacob deceives his father into giving him the blessing and takes away the blessing -in a sense- from his brother Esau.

Of course it was God's will, because Esau was a man who did not appreciate what he had. But this mother played favorites and sparked a feud between those two brothers that one nearly killed the other. And from there some spiritual dynamics were unleashed that last until our times. So one learns there. Did you know? As a father, as a mother I have to be careful how I treat my children. Do not show favoritism.

Love them equally, a number of things, right? The manipulation sometimes in the families that exists, the secrets, the maneuvers of the parents to win over the child and use the children against each other. Then one learns about family life. How to avoid those things. The Bible is a book of great wisdom and when we study it devotionally to extract its knowledge from you - never read the Bible out of curiosity or simply to gather information - read the Bible for practical instruction for life.

To receive advice, to gain experience. By studying all these events of so many people throughout history and how God worked with them and how they related the mistakes they made, you gain wisdom to make decisions that you have to make in life. So prayer gives you wisdom, it gives you anointing from God. The Word is a case study, continually being taught many important things and you are also gaining wisdom.

The Bible, the reading of the Bible says that it enlightens the understanding, enlightens the face. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Read the Word. That will give you wisdom to make decisions in your life. Thirdly, I believe that one thing that helps a lot is the advice of mature and wise people. Stick with people who are experienced in the things of the Lord. When you have a decision to make, consult. Don't make the decision on your own.

If you have to make a serious decision, consult with your wife or husband, sometimes even consult with your children. Consult with your Pastor or with a mature person in the Congregation, a sister or a brother that you know is a person who has wisdom. Don't go to the person who is always on the phone, gossiping and saying… no, no. Go to a person who has experience in the Word. Stick with them, consult with them.

There are times when I have to make very serious decisions concerning the church, for example, and you know what? I choose the people who know about that topic or know about that situation. I ask them, I consult with them, I seek wisdom and I don't just think about what I want to do, but first… the Bible says that “in the multitude of advisers there is wisdom”, you see? Don't be lone rangers. There are many people who, because of their bad head, always walk around with black eyes and bumps on their heads everywhere.

Because they believe that they are the only ones and they make their decisions and do not consult with anyone. Consult. Use the people, the resources around you. Be humble and take advice. It's very important. Always have two or three wise people around you to help you make serious decisions. That is another very important thing. Another thing I've learned for making wise decisions: don't jump right away. Don't decide impulsively.

A sister told me about this that the sermon was very useful for her this morning because she wants to buy a car and at the moment the message said to her "Hold on, wait a minute, sweetie." What's happening? Sometimes you go to the salon where they sell cars and forget it! You see that shiny car that tells you "Come, come, come I need you" right? And everything seems so easy to you, doesn't it? Buy it and there is no downpayment and the first six months free.

Then forget that you have to pay for six months and the other six later, right? And you don't have money maybe in the bank but everything seems so easy and the car looks so shiny and those tires are so full of air, you know? You say “No, this is mine. I'll take this one from here” And when he sells to see the signature, he doesn't know what he's doing and boom! He leaves with his car but then begins 'But what have I done?'

You can't go back anymore. You saw that girl who is the most beautiful thing in the world and you already fell in love with her and we are going to get married. We are going to look for Pastor Miranda to marry us tomorrow. Then it turns out that she's a hell of a neurotic and she's already driven four different boyfriends crazy before you and you're in a hell of a mess. Wait. Take a trip, go to Europe, visit. Stay there for a few days, come back again. If it's for you, they'll give it. But don't jump right now.

You have to think about things, you have to meditate. Not all that glitters is gold, they say around there, right? I have learned that sometimes there are things that seem definitely "this is it." There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with this decision, but when I have time to think about it a little bit I go and breathe and count to 10, sleep over it and the next day things kind of look different, you know? You see factors you didn't see in the heat of the decision. And waiting sometimes...

There are times when you have to make a decision and you have to do it quickly because if you don't miss the moment. But I have learned that in most cases when you feel that fire and that thing, you better wait. Meditate and make the decision with more time having thought things more seriously, more carefully. Many times you will discover that it was not so necessary or so urgent to do things.

So, also that to be expected. And I would say along with that is also maturing things for the long term. There are decisions that you have to make that you have to bathe in prayer, you have to soften them in prayer. And let the Lord gradually prepare the environment and take you through the process because they are big and serious decisions and you have to pray a lot and soften them every day because you know that there is a long process ahead and that you have to go little by little, eating that elephant bite by bite. Little by little.

I remember the first time – I know if I already shared that with you – that I had the image of that new Shrine in my mind was in the year 1996-97. It must have been like in 1996 because we bought the building, we concluded the purchase of this building in 1994. We saw it in 1993, in 1994, around March, that's when we finished the paperwork and then we started the process. And after two years, more or less, maybe like in 94 or 95.

I was sitting on the second floor in the corner room, 208, sitting on a wooden milk crate looking out - I don't think it was even the window that's there - looking out over the parking lot which was a piece of dirt wasteland with a little pavement that was left from God knows when. And this was still in rubble in here. And there the Lord implanted in me the idea that when this church had two services on Sundays, that both services would be full.

I said you know what? When this church has two full services on Sundays, it will be time to build the new Sanctuary. We will have enough resources probably. And I saw it clearly in my mind. I saw a Shrine on stilts over the parking lot with an auditorium and a floor above it. Count from 96, let's say it was in 96 until 2010, how many years are there? 14 years. And I began to mature that since then.

We had not started well, practically here we are at a quarter of the process. The Lord already had a plan. Now since that time, brothers, I've been working on many different things. I think something like that happens when you make a decision. So what you do you feel a small germ. It is like a woman when she conceives that what is there is a little thing that cannot even be seen with the human eye.

But it is a spark of life that is deposited within you. Over time, that decision, that impression, that dream, that vision, whatever, that is within you, you develop it little by little and you pray and bathe it in prayer and you leave it there to soak. If it is from God, it will be confirmed. If it is not from God, God is going to rip it out of you. Once you conceive of that you say: 'Father, Okay, I think I heard something. I think I saw something there, a fuselage that passed in front of me.

‘If it is yours, bring it back to me. Confirm it. And then show me what You want. I just left it like that and said 'Okay. Amen'. As time went on, maybe about seven years ago, about six, seven years after that I began to see that the church was growing. And I said you know what? We can't wait until we're already drowning in people to start planning. I knew it was going to take us a long time. I'm describing this so you can see the anatomy of a decision. How decisions are made in life.

So I asked the Lord that the first thing I needed was an architect. I told him 'Lord, if this is from you, an architect'. The Lord led me to that architect. A person I had met years ago and put it in front of me. I said, 'If this is from God, this man is going to agree because I can't pay him much. But this is from God. And this man caught the vision and is the architect who has designed the building and is now with us here.

God went little by little and this was, brothers, the object of prayer, much search, much crying out to the Lord, many hesitations, decisions, battles, searching the Word of God, exploring myself, consulting with many people. All these things have been there together. Observe the environment. When you have to make a decision, look at your environment. How does what you are trying to decide fit with the state where your family is at the moment?

Your own personal state, your capabilities at that moment. One has to be wise, one has to be prudent. One also has to look at the environment, see what resonance things have in general. What is happening around? If I had seen that the church was declining in its growth, that there was a problem, that the spirit of the church was going up and down, etc., well I would have said, you know what? We are not going to get into that.

Now if I see a church that is growing, that its anointing is increasing, that it is growing numerically, that it has potential, that encourages me. So I say 'Okay, the vision, the prayer, what I felt, the things I'm seeing all agree' and that gives me the push to move on. This is how it happens in life with the decisions that you have to make too.

Examine your environment. What does your environment tell you? It is not that this is going to be the only thing, but one launches different coordinates and from all these things one gains intelligence and wisdom to make the decision that one has to make. You have to give things time. There are decisions that are made, and if it is from God, God will confirm it for you and He will open the way for you.

The other thing we have to do is also look, after you have prayed, fasted, sought advice, given time for things to mature, consulted with wise and understanding people. Examining yourself, that's another important thing. Examine yourself and be parenthetically honest with yourself. Because many times what you believe you are doing for the glory of God or for the benefit of your family or to advance your career may be simply pride, vanity within you, fears that you want to heal by covering it with something artificial.

You have to have the wisdom and personal discernment to examine yourself and say, 'You know? That car, why do I want it? Do I want it because I really need a new car and because it is important that I have a new car? Or I just want it to impress my friends or because I have a compulsion to buy, as often happens, right?

Our car is perfectly fine, it's running fine but no! I want another of the year because that's what my friends at work have. So you have to examine yourself and you have to take two aspirins and say, you know what? Why am I deciding to do this? Is it because it truly is from God, I need it? Or why is that really what God wants? Examine yourself and do your own psychoanalysis and make sure that what you are doing is truly something that has a justification, a purpose in itself.

I even forgot the last thing I was going to say because I had that parenthesis. So the point is that when you decide, having seen all those things, once you have done all your part. You have submitted all this to the Lord and you have done your part, look, then throw yourself in the name of the Lord. Get out of the boat and start walking in faith and believe that God will be with you. And don't look back. Because many times we, even doing all those things, can still be wrong.

But you know what? God says, “No, I want you to walk in faith. I am already in Heaven, my Son is sitting at my right hand, I have left the Holy Spirit. I have given you my Word, I have given you the collective wisdom of my church”. You have all those instruments. Don't go around looking for a prophetic word, for a prophet to tell you what you have to do. There are people who walk around looking for a word.

God says: “You have in your hands the tools to make decisions in your life. Decide with what I have put in your hands. And when you decide, go ahead and I'll be with you wherever you want to go. I have given you the land." Trust in the Lord. One cannot let fear dominate one. There are many people who, when the time comes to make serious decisions, uff! One begins to think: 'and if this doesn't happen', 'if the other thing doesn't happen', 'if I was wrong', 'if this'.

There comes a time when you have to decide. These people, I'm sure, when they had to say 'Which of these two men do we choose? How do we make the decision? The Lord did not leave us a manual here on how to replace Judas. They did what they could and in the process learned how to make better decisions as a church until the time comes when they are much more sophisticated.

And so we have to do in life. We cannot be like the unfaithful servant in the parable of Jesus Christ who when the Lord gave him a talent and told him 'do business until I come', remember the parable? The others invested and when the Lord came they told him 'Lord, your mine won so much' and the other so much. And the Lord told them “Amen, how good! Well done".

Look, notice, some earned a lot, others earned less, but they all received the same blessing from the Lord. Only one was reprimanded and what was that? The one who said 'Lord, I know that you are a man who should be afraid of you. And I was afraid of losing the amount of money that you gave me and what I took was that I wrapped it in a handkerchief and put it under the mattress. So here's your mine.

He let fear freeze him and did nothing and then the Lord rebuked him and said: 'Unfaithful servant, you well know that I am a demanding man. Because at least you didn't take the mine and put it in the Bank so that there would be interest even if it was. Brothers, do not allow fear to prevent you from making decisions in your life. You use the basic tools that God gives you. Ask the Lord for wisdom and after you have done your part then walk in faith.

God will open the way for you. You will improve. Perfectionism never led anyone to anything good, you know? Start walking. If God has a call for your life. God has told you: 'I want you to serve me. I want you to preach my word. Maybe the first day you start preaching you are a complete failure, but the second time around you will have learned something. Go ahead trust, believe that the Lord has called you and go on, go on, go on until you see the Glory of God manifest.

God wants a people who make decisions and a people who use the tools of God's Word [applause] and who walk in faith. And the Lord will be with you. I know that the Lord has this Word for many of you. I believe that many people at this time have to make serious decisions in different ways. And the Lord is telling you, 'My children, I may not be visibly, bodily with you, but my Holy Spirit is with you, my Word is with you. The wisdom that I give is with you. Ask me for wisdom.

The Word of the Lord says “If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God who gives abundantly and without reproach. And it will be given to him." Do my brothers know that God wants to pour out wisdom on his people? I believe that wisdom is like an essence. It is something almost tangible and when a person hungers for wisdom and seeks it and sifts it like gold, like silver, God gives that person wisdom.

God gives you understanding to solve life's problems, to attend to life's situations. God wants a wise people. And if you dedicate yourself to being a man, a woman of wisdom, God will give you that wisdom. Use the wisdom that God gives and I promise you that you will see. Ask God. Become a person with a hunger and a thirst for wisdom and start looking for it and God will give you that wisdom so that you can make serious decisions in life.

I leave you with a few verses of Scripture. Look what Proverbs 1:20 says, it says: “Wisdom cries out in the streets. Raise your voice in the squares. Claim in the main meeting places. Until when, oh, simple will you love simplicity! and mockers will want to mock and fools will hate science. Return to my rebuke. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you and make my words known to you."

Look further on, in Chapter 2: “My son –verse 1- if you receive my Words and commandment keep within yourself making your ear to wisdom. If you incline your heart to prudence, if you cry out for understanding and raise your voice for prudence, if you seek it like silver and search for it like treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For Jehovah gives wisdom and from his mouth comes knowledge and intelligence. He supplies sound wisdom to the upright."

What a beautiful promise for us! Look at what 3:5 says: “Take care of the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Don't be wise in your own opinion. Fear Jehovah and turn away from evil because it will be medicine for your body and refreshment for your bones.

And with this I end 3:13: "Blessed is the man who has wisdom, who obtains intelligence because his profit is better than the profit of silver and his fruits more than fine gold." 19: “Jehovah with wisdom founded the Earth, established the Heavens with intelligence. My son, do not take these things away from your eyes. Keep the law and the advice and they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk on your way confidently and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down you will not be afraid but you will lie down and your sleep will be pleasant. “

Read those first few chapters of Proverbs. The Lord is eager to give his children wisdom. What happens is that we have not taken it seriously. And God wants wisdom to make decisions, wisdom to perform your profession in the best way. Wisdom to manage the affairs of your house, wisdom to grow in knowledge of yourself and knowledge of the Word of God.

Brethren, God is eager up there looking for people to tell him "Father, give me wisdom to make decisions" and He will give you that wisdom. Let's stand up. Let's ask the Lord to flood us with his understanding. These disciples had decisions to make. It was time. The Master was no longer physically with them, but there were other ways, there were other resources that they could use and so we also have other resources that we can use.

Tomorrow when you go out to the world of work or when you are at home cleaning the house or meditating, or when you are at school and you have to start managing the issues of your studies, know that you are not alone in the decisions you have to make. . You have the Holy Spirit within you. Anything entrust it to the Lord immediately and pray. Pray, pray, bathe every problem in prayer, soften it in prayer, receive the wisdom that comes from God.

Launch yourself resolutely and walk in faith because God is with you. So Father by this Word we ask Lord that you fill us with a fresh anointing of your wisdom. We want to be a wise people. Thank you for what you promise your son in these times when many people are confused and do not know where to go for their daily bread. If they stay in one city, if they go to another, if they choose a job; how to manage their money, if they go to school. If they keep working. We need wisdom, Father.

And I declare a special anointing this afternoon upon your people by this Word, Lord. I declare knowledge and prudence over your children. We declare, Lord, that they will not be ashamed when they are in the squares and in the streets. You are going to give them understanding and they will not lack what they need. We bless your people, Lord. We declare anointing and success in everything they undertake. May fear not steal our peace, Lord. May our sleep be peaceful because we know that You are with us in every situation.

Thank my Lord. Bless your people. Thanks for your promise. The Lord is telling you: 'I am with you. I go with you. You will not be ashamed, you will not be ashamed. Whatever happens, I'm going to support you and I'm going to straighten your paths. If you made an inappropriate decision I will straighten that direction. But seek my advice, seek my face. I will teach you how to get ahead. I am with you', says the Lord.